Social Club For People Of Color Could Launch In Bushwick

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN -- A new social club designed specifically for people of color could launch in Bushwick this summer if its founder can raise funds through a crowdfunding site launched Friday.

Naj Austin, is raising capital to launch Ethels Club, a private membership space created for and by people of color, which she will launch in either Downtown Brooklyn or Bushwick, the entrepreneur told Patch.

"I saw a really obvious void for a space that represented my values," said Austin, who hails from the real estate and tech industry. "People of color definitely want social clubs but they often felt like an other."

"There is no one answering that need. I think that we kind of deal with it."

Austin describes Ethels Club, named in honor of her as a place to go after work, not a place to do work, where members can find a rotating program of cultural events that celebrate black and brown culture.

"We're not going to have a workshop on how to file your taxes," Austin said. "Ethels Club is a place where you can go to be around people."

But Austin hopes Ethels Club will also be a place where members can unpack the pressures and difficulties that come from feeling like "an other."

In interviews with potential members and advisors, she said a surprising number requested interest in something akin to grief counseling, which is why Austin plans to offer wellness programs such as yoga and meditation.

"I met with an older gentleman in his 50s... he was near tears," said Austin. "He said, 'I've been waiting my whole life for this.'"

Austin plans to launch the brick-and-mortar location — complete with a cafe, event space and boutique with black- and brown-owned brands — near City Point in 2020 but has a soft-launch in a pop-up space slated to open in either Bushwick or Downtown Brooklyn in August, she said.

Interested members will be able to buy passes in June as well as tickets to events.

Austin says she's already got more than 2,000 people on her waiting list of prospective members and interested investors, about 7,000 people interested in the project and $5,640 raised on her crowdfunding as of Friday afternoon.

"We're committed to building Ethels Club for anyone who believes in the empowerment of black and brown people," Austin wrote on her crowdfunding site.

"People of color are long overdue for a space that centers their life and experience."