THE BLACK WALL STREET NOLA SITE
Do Blacks Make Money off Essence Fest?
Half a million people. Hundreds of millions of dollars. One weekend. The question every Black business owner in New Orleans should be asking: how much of that money is reaching us — and what are we doing about it?
Oddusee Nola Newsroom • New Orleans, LA
The City of New Orleans generates billions of dollars in tourism revenue every year. The Black locals doing the hardest work — the work that actually makes this city special — are not getting their fair share of the pie. Why? Because until now, there was no information hub built for them.
When tourists come to town, they rely on Yelp and Google to find local Black-owned spots. The problem: those platforms filter Black-owned businesses in with everyone else’s, and Essence Fest promoters keep sending crowds straight to Bourbon Street. The result is a festival celebrating Black culture where too many of the dollars never touch a Black-owned register.
Oddusee Nola is here to fix that — a platform featuring Black-owned bars, lounges, food trucks, pharmacies, grocery stores, restaurants, and more. This is bigger than one weekend. This is bigger than a grocery store in New Orleans East. This is the Black Wall Street NOLA site, and it’s for you.
NIGHTLIFE
Bars & Lounges: Get With the Program
If you have a happy hour and a signature drink, let us know. If you need a menu for food and drinks, we’re here. Set up a YouTube channel and upload a video of your venue so guests can see the vibe before they ever walk in.
Essence Fest promoters are sending people to Bourbon Street — but this is our city, and there are spots in New Orleans East that deserve that traffic. If you have a hall, a promoter can’t book it if they can’t find it. Be honest: if someone types “Black-owned venue halls” right now, do you show up at the top of the results?
Oddusee Nola is not a list of names to pick from. It’s a detailed, touch-responsive platform. If your business is on here, the people will see it.
CULTURE
Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs: Show Your Strength
Who is the president of your club? What’s your mission statement, and where are your donation links? How does someone join, and when is the next fundraiser? Tourists want to support your functions — they just need to find them.
Oddusee Nola built a feature specifically for you: the parade route page. It lists every stop and every detail of your event, and vendors can be added right onto the route. Your participation shows community strength and encourages others to support your efforts.
TRANSPORTATION
It’s Us Against Uber and Lyft
Transportation providers — we see your posts in the groups offering rides. Now get listed where the tourists are actually looking. Oddusee Nola already has six Black-owned transportation companies on the platform, and visitors searching for Black-owned rides find them here.
Google and Yelp will not put you at the top when tourists search for Black-owned transportation options. Oddusee Nola will — and when you separate from the batch, you get deprioritized by the algorithms. Together, we’re impossible to miss.
STYLE
Fashion & Beauty: Our Guests Need to Stay Sharp
Clothing stores, boutiques, PMUAs, barbers, salons, and hair vendors — we need y’all to come together. Do you expect Google and Yelp to send customers your way? How do you expect to make money if the people can’t find you?
Oddusee Nola is a real platform — a product, not a clout play. We’re introducing you to a home outside the free social media apps that can shut you down at any time. On Oddusee Nola, you control your visibility and your success.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Keep the Dollars in the Community
Every Essence weekend is a test: does the money celebrating Black culture actually build Black wealth? When visitors book a Black-owned chauffeur, eat at a Black-owned kitchen, and party at a Black-owned lounge, that dollar pays local staff, stocks local suppliers, and sponsors the next second line. Oddusee Nola is the best platform in New Orleans for making that happen — and the blueprint is built for every major Black city in America, from Atlanta to Houston to Memphis to Detroit. Please support Oddusee Nola Platforms so they can support Black-owned businesses worldwide.
Share the News. Subscribe. Follow.
A subscription and a follow are free — and they build a platform that puts Black businesses first. This is for the new millionaires of the future. Your support opens opportunities for everyone involved.
