Walk past 231 W. 47th Street on the Country Club Plaza and you’ll hear something new—the confident voices of young Black girls running their own boutique.
Beloved! Resale Boutique for Women isn’t just another store. It’s the training ground for The Nia Project, a nonprofit that builds confidence and opportunity for Black girls and women in Kansas City.
“I hope the girls take away from this program a belief and a faith in themselves that they can do anything,” says Nia Project Founder Terri Barnes. “A lot of girls have really low self-esteem, and I think this gives them hope.”
Named after the fifth principle of Kwanzaa, meaning “purpose,” The Nia Project launched in 2020 to change outcomes for Black girls through hands-on programming. The Beloved Boutique is in its second year after a successful launch in Crown Center last year.
Barnes says customers should expect a chic shopping experience with fresh items arriving weekly. Inside, shoppers will find new and gently used women’s clothing, shoes, goods, and accessories all priced at a bargain.
The boutique operates as both a retail incubator and a classroom. Girls learn retail fundamentals while the store features products from local Black vendors, including:
- Sherrlyn Designs by Sher Mirador
- JGYPSY Creations by Jennifer Johnson
- Shara Bags by Tausha Morris
- Regal Status by Princess Elliott
From Pop-Up to Purpose
Last summer, five girls ran Beloved! at Crown Center. This year, 23 participants ages 12-17 staff the Plaza location in rotating four-hour shifts. They handle everything—inventory, pricing, customer service, and money management.
“We’ve got five girls from Pro X [a youth summer internship program], and then we have 18 outside of that that are summer school girls from a mix of places all over Kansas City,” says Barnes.
The expansion reflects demand. These young women were often already entrepreneurs—doing hair, nails, baking—but lacked business tools.
“Young people are already doing entrepreneurship,” says Barnes. “But they’ve been doing it without the right tools and resources. We come in and offer a space, but also mentorship.”
The Nia Project just hired its first full-time program director, Akiyaa Depusoir-Cochrane, signaling their shift from seasonal pop-ups to permanent programming. Barnes and Depusoir-Cochrane say they plan on supporting these young women long after the Beloved pop-up closes at the end of August.
“We want to encourage and invest in young Black joy,” Depusoir-Cochrane says. “When we do that in healthy, age-appropriate ways, we give these girls outlets that other kids across the city are getting to experience.”
Depusoir-Cochrane says the additional programming is still in the planning phase, but to expect mentorship, fellowship activities, networking events, and check-ins during the school year—helping guide young women from middle school through high school and adulthood.
Barnes and Depusoir-Cochrane say the Nia Project is looking for Black women mentors to as well as individual donations to continue to expand their work. Beloved! also accepts clothing donations and welcomes shoppers.
“Come in and spend money with us to give our girls a good experience so they can know what it feels like to have real-world business experience,” asks Barnes.
Beloved! Resale Boutique for Women
Open Daily through Aug 31
Country Club Plaza
231 W. 47th Street, KCMO
Mon-Sat: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.Follow The Nia Project: www.facebook.com/TheNiaProjectKC
