- Danielle Harper
- Jan 1
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 2
2021–2025 Year in Review
By Danielle Harper, Founder | The BLKNGLD & BLKNGLD CULTURE
As the new year arrives, I’ve been sitting with one question:
What does it really mean to be responsible to our community?
Not the version that looks good online. Not the version that checks boxes or spends money fast. But the version that shows up, builds trust, honors people, and leaves something better than it found it.
BLKNGLD was never created to be a brand It was created to be infrastructure.
This is our story—told honestly, chronologically, and with accountability.
The Seed Was Planted (2021): Before BLKNGLD Had a Name
Before BLKNGLD ever existed, there was a feeling I couldn’t shake.
In 2021, I co-founded Backyard Brunch (BYB) with my sister Michelle Harper. The idea was simple but necessary: intentional brunches where Black people in the Antelope Valley could gather, feel safe, feel celebrated, and feel seen.
At that time, I didn’t want to leave my house much. Many social spaces required alcohol, money, or shrinking parts of yourself to fit in. BYB was a response to that void.
What we learned quickly was this: the community was hungry for connection—not consumption.
BYB became more than brunch. It became proof.
Community, Conflict, and Clarity
As BYB grew, so did my proximity to the larger Black community ecosystem in the Antelope Valley. During this time, I attended a Kwanzaa event that left me with mixed emotions about how some of our spaces were being held. But one person stood out immediately: Monzelle Dozier. He showed genuine love, openness, and care. He later invited me into the A.V. Black Leaders Circle, a Facebook Messenger group intended to foster leadership and collective progress. Unfortunately, what unfolded instead was public conflict, unmanaged disagreements, and a lack of healthy mediation—even when mediation was offered by Linda Hughes of the CALM Network.
That experience was painful—but illuminating. It revealed how fractured our dynamics were, and how badly we needed structure rooted in care, clarity, and accountability.
Through all of it, Monzelle remained steady.
2022: Juneteenth, Civic Work, and Building Infrastructure
In 2022, at my business partner's encouragement, we both joined the City of Lancaster Juneteenth Planning Commission during its second year as a city-recognized event.
We and others played a pivotal role in shaping Juneteenth’s visual and experiential identity. We designed many of the core creative elements, including the existing Juneteenth logo still in use today.
Collectively we worked on:
Vendor outreach
Activity building
Event promotion
Educating vendors on how to legitimize their businesses
This wasn’t just about producing an event—it was about helping people access systems that often feel unreachable.
That theme would carry forward into BLKNGLD.
The Birth of BLKNGLD (2023)
During quarantine, I had already begun building a resource app and directory for local small businesses. When I shared the idea with Monzelle, the alignment was immediate.
We refined it. We named it BLKNGLD.
In June 2023, we officially launched BLKNGLD with a community event at a local craft brewery and bowling lounge. People showed up. Businesses signed up. The vision resonated—even with technical hiccups.
By early 2024, we rebranded and relaunched with more clarity, leaning into membership and community engagement. Balancing full-time jobs made alignment challenging, but our presence never wavered.
We showed up. We assisted. We connected people to resources, and that mattered.
A Necessary Pivot: Choosing Purpose Over Profit (2024)
After our co-founder Monzelle’s cancer diagnosis, we made a firm decision to go big, hone in on what mattered, and those in the community. We held a rooftop event that was the most "black excellence" things I've been to in awhile. It became clear that BLKNGLD was never meant to exist as a traditional for-profit entity only.
It had become a labor of love—often at a personal financial cost.
In April 2025, we dissolved the for-profit structure with the intention of reforming BLKNGLD as a Economic Development Agency/Organization with shared board leadership, a transition for 2026.
You can donate here to help us reach our goals one at a time. DONATE
BLKNGLD has always existed to uplift the marginalized—quietly, consistently, and with dignity.
2025: Community Work in Motion
Meetups
We tried someting new, we had some meet ups to support Black Cinema. These were some cool extra things to do throught the year.
February: If My People
We assisted Pastor Brian Johnson on the If My People Conference,—bringing together faith leaders, organizers, and policymakers. We provided marketing, design, and communicated the mission and voice through it all. I MC'd the event.
Our beloved Monzelle was there—DJing, curating the energy, holding space through sound. His presence mattered. We held a few public sessions to speak about issues in the community and how to solve them.
March: Reinstalling Jazz in the AV
We began the year by partnering with Transform Church AV to bring back Jazz in the AV, curated by Ahmad Dubose Dawson.
The space was beautiful. The acoustics were pristine. The event was free for church members and low-cost for the community, ensuring access over exclusivity.
MAY/JUNE: Collaboration
Talents from our marketing team were sought to execute two Pajama Jams for High Society. These Pajama Jams richly contributed to the notoriety of Rashaad Greenwood, barber shop, and head spa owner, in the community. Sometimes positioning exists from stepping outside of the box in a realm you are familiar in and have all things work together for the good.
June: Alignment Over Access
I made the decision to step away from Juneteenth programming as it became increasingly watered down and misaligned with true economic empowerment and proper representation.
Instead, BLKNGLD partnered with Blk Events LA to host a community business walk, blending wellness with economic visibility for Black-owned businesses.
The following organizations facilitated and planned.
July–October: Jazz at the Alley
We produced four Jazz at the Alley events with Curator Ahmad Dubose-Dawson of a few SoleFolks curations, Katalyst, Black Art Distrikt and many other collaboratives. The Jazz events included:
77th Anniversary Celebration in May with Jimetta Rose.
Sold-out July debut (VIP included) with local vocalist Carina Miller
August return with grammy nominated Budda, Bassist for Durand Bernarr
October 31st: Harlem Nights Edition with local vocalist Zion Dixon
These gatherings proved something important: the AV wants quality, culture, and consistency.
July: Watch Party!
Our most creative event by far. Everybody and they momma showed up for this watch party. We were given access to curate something cool for the local bowling alleys lounge. Michelle Harper longtime BLKNGLD event designer took the lead on this cool event. It was such a success. It brought a level of fun and uniqueness unlike ever before. Luke Pohl assisted with hosting and promoting this event. They are both in to Karaoke so stay tune.
August 2nd: Jubilee Night Market
BLKNGLD produced the inaugural Jubilee Night Market at Transform Church AV. There was a need for a market of the such curated for the community we serve. Every vendor space was filled. Local voices were amplified. Kids were able to showcase their talents as vendors
It was collaboration done right.
LaLa Allen facilitated the Good Vibes Only Open Mic Showcase with Monzelle Dozier
Christal Gardner assisted with everything!
DJ Knobxdy made sure we stayed dancing with good music.
Stephanie from Chocolate Loc Styles assisted with everything!
Kalondo Clemmons of Hypnotic Event Planning Service facilitated our Kids/Games area.
Fall & Winter: Care Work
We facilitated and supported:
A Candlelight Vigil for Monzelle Dozier
A Kwanzaa celebration with CALM
Multiple behind-the-scenes marketing collaborations
Not everything we do carries our name—and that’s intentional.
The Hard Truth
Y’all are confused about what’s happening in the community.
Too often, money is spent without impact. Visibility is mistaken for service, and the people doing the real work are ignored, labeled “difficult,” or pushed aside.
The people who truly care usually do the work without funding, without credit, and without ego, and that has to change. We don’t need more Band-Aids. We need jobs, resources, mentorship, and follow-through for our community.
That’s the work BLKNGLD is committed to, and we will be more intentional of obtaining the funding to do so. DONATE HERE
Loss, Legacy, and Love
On November 30, 2025, we lost my business partner, co-founder, and friend—Monzelle Dozier.
His belief in BLKNGLD shaped its spirit in immeasurable ways. His steadiness, creativity, and love for community live on in everything we build.
We will carry him with us—always.
We held a candlelight vigil in his honor at AV ALTA Stadium in Lancaster. Laneay London of Laneay London, Illuminating Minds conducted a opening and libation ceremony, and Pastor Brian Johnson led us in prayer with some encouraging words. Thanks to Tiffany Kreates for providing balloons for the children to release.
If you want to scroll around and see the impact and writings of Monzelle visit his sub stack, museum and FYI page at this linktree HERE. His homegoing service is on January 16th, 2026 it will be open to the public, so please visit his family's pages on social media to get details.
What BLKNGLD Is Becoming
BLKNGLD is evolving into a Economic Development Agency/Organization—similar to a chamber of commerce—designed specifically for the marginalized.
A place for:
Resources
Advocacy
Cultural stewardship
Tangible economic pathways
Connection opportunities with like-minded individuals or funders and more
Membership includes
Free tickets BLKNGLD EVENTS (NETWORKING)
Free promotional IG Story marketing (VISIBILITY)
Access to free Classes (EDUCATION)
1 Free Flyer or Reel, Monthly (BRANDING)
50% off all services (ACCESS to ALL)
If you are tired of performative work, If you want to be part of something real, If you believe community care requires structure—
We invite you to build with us.
With gratitude,
Danielle Harper Co-Founder, The BLKNGLD & BLKNGLD CULTURE
