Sactown Magazine published some of my portraits and interviews of minority-owned small businesses owners that are devastated by the COVID pandemic and mandated closures in Sacramento. Listening to their testimonies of struggle and resiliency were humbling and inspiring. I am forever grateful for their time and generosity . I photographed 24 minority-owned small business owners and I learned that despite their financial hardships, they are unwilling to give up and continue to serve and give back to their community. Small businesses are our neighbors and a part of Sacramento’s unique identity. Please continue to support them . Lisa Taira, a florist of thirty years and owner of Kiyo’s floral told me, “I look at flowers and they are so fragile but they’re also resilient. They teach you many lessons without even saying a word. I think about how each begins with a seed and how people have nurture the flowers to grow. The beauty of working with flowers is that it’s life—we get to see the transition from youth to middle life, old age and then death. I know how fragile life is, and how we really need to take care of it and take care of each other.”
