Mayor Lucas honors Kansas City’s Black-owned wellness businesses during tour Friday
Kansas City business owner Jabori Washington felt honored as Mayor Quinton Lucas stopped by his gym in the Crossroads during a tour Friday of Black-owned health and wellness companies.
The tour was organized as part of Black History Month, said Kaleena James, who organized the event for the mayor’s office, which wanted to highlight local businesses that connect Black community members to wellness activities, spanning from mental health to physical health.
Lucas stopped by six companies and presented business leaders with certificates thanking them for their contributions to the city.
Washington, who founded The TUF Club in 2017, said having the company recognized by Lucas was overwhelming.
“It’s a lot to see someone appreciate the fruits of your labor like this,” he said, as Lucas climbed the two flights of steps leading to the center’s main gym.
Lucas strolled around the facility with Washington and Wesley Hamilton, whose company Disabled But Not Really was also honored by the mayor, and heard more about the programs the gym offers to community members.
After a brief exercise on a pull-up bar, Lucas pulled out the written certificates celebrating the trainer’s contributions.
“It’s always great to see brothers making a difference and investing back in our communities,” Lucas said.
“We’re making sure we’re not just talking about outcomes at the end of life, but helping people be healthier every single day.”
The TUF Club
Washington started the company in March 2017 after seeing many Black and brown kids growing up in Kansas City struggle to find affordable health and fitness services.
The business started out of his basement where he would help clients pursue their fitness goals. Many of his clients ended up being single mothers who could not afford to take their children to daycare.
“I thought if I’m going to provide a workout program, then I’m going to have to create an opportunity for people to be able to workout with their kid. Just because you have a kid or you’re a single mom doesn’t mean you should have to stop your wellness journey,” he said.
Washington’s program called “Mommy And Me Wellness” has attracted hundreds of clients since it began in 2017, spawning collaborations with Athletica and Bumble, a dating app with over 5 million users.
“It’s rare to see people focusing on mothers and their emotional and physical well-being,” James said. “That’s just one of the really cool pillars that we’re celebrating him for today.”
She said she hopes the mayor’s visit will inspire others to support these businesses throughout the year.
Each of Washington’s programs are customizable, allowing him to tailor services to a wide range of clients.
The TUF Club also has free fitness videos on their website and in an effort to expand their reach, provided free training sessions to people throughout the summer.
Hamilton’s company is developing programming with The TUF Club to help create an inclusive environment for people of all different abilities.
“The energy here when it comes to health and wellness, that’s a niche that’s missed in the Black community and so especially after the George Floyd situation, we’ve been trying to come together in an alignment and expand our reach,” he said.
