At a DNC fair, Chicago’s Black entrepreneurs get a moment in the spotlight

Thad J. Smith harvests and sells bee-made products like honey at farmers markets and community events on Chicago’s West Side. He likes to educate urban communities on bees and to teach the art of beekeeping. But this week, the founder and head beekeeper of Westside Bee Boyz has an unusual audience: the delegates and politicos convening in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. He’s one of several local small business vendors staged at McCormick Place, where a lot of the action outside of the nightly televised event at United Center unfolds, including caucuses, briefings, trainings and panels. Smith brought live bees to the DNC, and jovially spouted bee facts to everyone stopping by his booth. When asked how he ended up at the Democratic National Convention, Smith said he wasn’t sure: “I guess the universe loves me.” He received an email invite that he believes came from a connection he made at a local farmers market. Thad J. Smith’s live bees at McCormick Place. Justine Tobiasz/WBEZ The vendor fair, part of a larger set of events dubbed “DemPalooza,” is reminiscent of a political spin on a Comic Con. Look around and you’ll notice political T-shirts replace the anime costumes of...