MassLive recently asked readers to identify people they consider Black leaders in Massachusetts, working to make a difference in politics, education, business, the arts or another area of interest.
Profiles of these leaders will be published leading up to the Juneteenth holiday on June 19. These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.
Brian Keith, one of the founders of Boston-based Rooted In, a socially conscious cannabis business in the city. Photo courtesy of Brian Keith/Rooted In.Brian Keith/Rooted In
Brian Keith
Age: 40
Community: Boston
His story: Brian Keith is one of the founders of Rooted In, a Boston-based socially conscious cannabis business with a mission to empower those from disadvantaged communities through investment in legal cannabis.
Together with his business partners, Keith began the work he does by recognizing a need for a brand that understood how to make an impact in communities of color.
“We recognized that the revenue generated in the cannabis space was going to folks who were not necessarily impacted by the war on drugs, and in some cases were the ones propagating the war on drugs,” Keith said.
Saying he knew they could do better and understanding this premise, Keith and his colleagues sought to make a change.
Rooted In created an investment opportunity for more than 50 people of color in Boston to open a cannabis dispensary right on the commercial core of Newbury Street in Boston.
The goal of the business is to build generational wealth for Black, Indigenous and other people of color right in Boston. The group’s investors are those primarily from the Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park neighborhoods in the city, according to Rooted In’s website.
Keith said that Rooted In plans for additional locations and investment opportunities in the near feature. He added that the financial successes of its dispensaries are then channeled back into the communities most impacted by the war on drugs.
In his words: “Identify a need, gain an understanding by communicating with those most impacted, and find out how your efforts can be supportive,” Keith said. “Try not to duplicate the good work of folks already in a space, learn how you can offer something unique, or be supportive of folks to enhance their efforts.”
We’re always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If you’d like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.
