FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. – Last weekend marked the start of Black History Month. A Fayetteville couple is now part of that history after opening the city’s first Black-owned shopping plaza.

Winchel and Felicia Elibert own the plaza and two businesses at Kingdom Corners in Fayetteville. Three months after the ribbon cutting, they say the space is completely leased out. 

What we know:

Winchel and Felicia Elibert officially opened Kingdom Corners in November after more than a decade of successfully running several businesses, including three Cleansing Waters Med Spa locations and a Smoothie King.

The couple bought the land in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The shopping center they built from the ground up is now a bustling hub for business in the community. 

Businesses in the plaza include: Cleansing Waters Med Spa, Fridas Mexican Grill and Bar, Tanzer Nail Bar, and Smoothie King. 

According to signs on storefronts, Salata Salad Kitchen, Southern Fire Kitchen, and Doughboy Pizza are all “coming soon.”

What they’re saying:

The Eliberts both come from humble beginnings. Winchel Elibert, now an entrepreneur, is a child of Haitian immigrants. Felicia, a registered nurse originally from LaGrange, says she was born and raised in a small home just outside the city.  

The couple says the journey to making Kingdom Corners a reality came with challenges that came from the timing of buying the property just after the pandemic. 

They believe lending discrimination may have also played a role in difficulties getting funding to build.

“Even with just financing, dealing with developers and contractors, prices changed … banks said ‘no’, banks said ‘no’ and banks continued to say ‘no’,” Felicia Elibert recalled. “I want the next generation to see you can do it … just don’t give up.”

For the Eliberts, Kingdom Corners is an answered prayer. The couple says they hope their story serves as evidence that the American dream is within reach for those who are willing to trust the process and put in the work.

“You’re not really thinking about what this could mean to your community, but that’s what happened and now it’s really important for us to understand that and grasp onto that and know that we are on a platform where we’re able to uplift and inspire,” she added.

Dig deeper:

According to a Brookings Institution report on race and commercial real estate, only 3% of Black households own commercial real estate, compared to 8% of white households. 

The report goes on to say the holdings of Black Americans are also much smaller — valued at an average of $3,600 compared to nearly $34,000 for white households.

Beginning in the 1930s, redlining or mortgage lenders providing unequal access to loans based on race became a widely practiced form of discrimination within the United States.

Though redlining is no longer sanctioned by the Federal Housing Administration, statistics show Black Americans have continued to lag behind other races in terms of home and land ownership.