Over the last two years, Dovecote Café has grown from the dream of its owners/proprietors, B. Cole (known as Cole) and wife Aisha Pew, into a vibrant, loving, and nurturing home away from home for the Reservoir Hill community where it is located—and for folks all over Baltimore.
The couple relocated to Baltimore from Oakland, CA, seeking to build a community—via their Café, that would support and encourage the social, cultural, artistic, and business interests of a (mostly) younger Black community. They envisioned a community not stained by the gentrification they encountered in Oakland which, like many urban areas, had seen Black communities displaced by affluent, overpriced, and (mainly) White interlopers. Now, their dream and their hard work are bearing Good Fruit! [For more information about the Café, go to http://dovecotecafe.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/dovecotecafe.]
Good food, drink, and WiFi are also a big part of the buzz generating through the Café and out into the community. A cadre of dedicated neighborhood young people—teens—are employed as all-around helpers. On any given day, you’ll be greeted with a friendly hug and hello, not just by Cole and Aisha, but also by patrons who will often share a table, chat with you, exchange business cards or info on projects, and so on, while music plays in the background.
As part of their month-long Communiversary, the Café is hosting a series of Soundstage events; and last night, I had the pleasure—pure joy, really—of attending the first of these events. Performing yesterday evening was Black Assets [learn more at
https://www.facebook.com/BlackAssets/], a group fronted by a powerful, sultry singer named Ashley.
In the small Café, accompanied only by her bassist, Christopher, Black Assets delivered a soulful set of original tunes interspersed with well known songs, such as “Sunny,” which is featured at the link below.
Black Assets will return to Dovecote tonight, from 7 to 11 pm (tickets available at the door), featuring other local Black artists, who are part of the Living Room Social, a private, house-based Club whose members “come Home” to freely and openly explore and grow their artistic visions.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2129896507036461&id=100000483974439
Baltimore is Rising, y’all! Come on Home!
baltimoreblackwoman 