Kuku Smith sat outside of her beauty supply store on Georgia Avenue on Friday afternoon, selling T-shirts for $25.
Despite her business facing eviction, Smith is fighting to keep her business alive.
A Black-owned beauty supply store on Georgia Ave is facing eviction. The owner is fighting to stay alive. (Jade Lawson/7News){ }
“I’ve been here since 2019,” Smith told 7News. Smith cited some struggles early on when the COViD-19 pandemic hit, adding she was not eligible for specific grants since she had just opened that September.
Smith said she opened this store because she believes in connection and community.
“I used to go to other beauty supply stores and [the] customer service was poor. They didn’t know what hair products to really recommend,” Smith said. “There was no relationship. And I’m a relationship person…I grew up in Africa, so we were like neighbors,” Smith added.
“The overhead takes most of the revenue – 80 to 90% of my customers have lost their jobs,” Smith said.
Black women have been a demographic hit the hardest by the recent federal workforce cuts, among other economic challenges, since President Donald Trump took office.
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The racial group makes up 12% of the federal workforce, nearly double their share of the labor force overall.
In 2025, Black women’s employment rate fell by 1.4 percentage points to 55.7%, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Several small businesses around D.C. have mentioned that, with rising costs of products, inflation, tariffs and a declining workforce in the city, foot traffic is slow in several parts of the city.
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In addition to selling T-Shirts, Smith also said she’s been writing newsletters to residents in the neighborhood, reaching out to Lewis Lee, and created a GoFundMe to help stay afloat – despite an eviction notice that could come at any time now.
Rose mustering up the courage to read a letter she sent to people in the community.
“Kuku’s Beauty Supply is my livelihood and a community hub,” she read. “I am facing eviction in days. Losing this means losing everything. I’ve worked hard to build in the last six years plus.”
“I just want people to get to know that we are going through a lot right now,” Smith said. “So any kind of support will help, because I try to do as much as I can to be able to just raise funds, not just begging people.”
