Announcements
2010 Stay Local! Magazine Steps Up
February 1, 2010
You’ve probably driven by the funky little storefront in the 3700 block of Magazine; the one proclaiming that “We will heel you, we will save your sole, we will even dye for you.” But do you know the Edwards Shoe Service story?
Edwards Shoe Service was founded 65 years ago by 18-year-old Jules Edwards Jr. shortly after WWII, when a good paying job for African Americans was as hard to come by as a good-fitting pair of shoes, as he often told his children. Mr. Edwards worked repairing shoes, belts, handbags, and luggage until his death last year at the age of 82. His entrepreneurialism enabled him to put his 5 children through college (among them, one judge, one lawyer, one accountant, and two engineers).
Walk in to the store today, run by brothers Glenn and Jeffrey who trained under Mr. Edwards, and you will see the Wall of Fame is still front and center, same as it always was, celebrating the joys and milestones of 3 generations of the Edwards family that this little business supported. This story embodies the American Dream, and more importantly, the Who Dat Nation reality, where by dint of hard work, perseverance, and ingenuity, personal triumph is within everyone’s reach.
The Edwards story also gives credence to The Urban Conservancy’s mission to foster through its Stay Local! initiative the economic equity and environmental sustainability that come with a strong local business base. We are working on our 2010 Stay Local! Guide to Commerce & Culture and are proud to have the Edwards storefront gracing the cover. The magazine, due out by Jazz Fest, is a comprehensive listing of the 2000 businesses in the staylocal.org directory and also includes stories about businesses born and raised in the metro area that make our city a cool place to be, as well as stories on other Urban Conservancy initiatives.
Please consider supporting this one-of-a-kind project by sharing this link with your friends and colleagues who may be interested in having a presence in the 2010 Stay Local! Guide to Commerce & Culture. For more information and to take a peek at a mock-up of the cover, click here. Contact David Baker at dbthad@staylocal.org or 504-561-7474.
