DALLAS, TX, May 30, 2020 – Guns and Roses Boutique, an award-winning Dallas black-owned fashion retailer run by its CEO, Princess Pope, was one of the many small businesses vandalized and destroyed following the Dallas protests that took place in the Downtown and Deep Ellum districts of the city on May 29, 2020.
The protest was organized by the activist group Next Generation Action Network, in solidarity with George Floyd, who died at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin who knelt on his neck on May 25. The gathering took place in front of Dallas police headquarters in what began as a peaceful demonstration; however, later in the evening many area businesses and shops were vandalized, looted and destroyed.
Princess Pope has owned and operated Guns and Roses for 7 years as one of the only black-owned businesses on her street. As a result of the violence, vandalism and looting, Guns and Roses was wiped of all inventory and completely destroyed.
“I was so numb when it happened,” says Princess Pope, CEO of Guns and Roses Boutique. “I feel like if we’re supposed to be lifting up black people and standing together, this is dividing and tearing us down at the same time. As the only black business owner on my street, it saddens me that I had to watch people tear my business apart.”
Currently, the community has rallied in support of its local gem and one who has national reach beyond that of the Dallas, Fort Worth Metroplex. With a noted celebrity following including Big Sean, Angela Simmons and the Maybach Music record label — Guns and Roses, while saddened by what has transpired, looks towards the future with hope to rebuild.
“We have been working so hard on growing and ramping up and then COVID19 hit, and now this,” said CEO of Curls and mentor to Princess Pope, Mahisha Dellinger. “When I heard her voice, I knew I had to rally my city around her to support. I am so proud of the outpouring that’s happening, yet so utterly disappointed that we are here in the first place.”
Pope adds, “Sometimes when you’re unable and you don’t know what to do, sometimes you have to just stand. Right now, less than 24 hours after this has happened, I have to just stand strong and re-strategize,” Pope says. “When God takes things from you, I know you get it back tenfold, so I have my eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. Instead of focusing on today, I’m definitely focusing on tomorrow.”
About Princess Pope AKA “Princess the CEO”
Princess Pope is an entrepreneur, speaker, and business consultant who specializes in showing others how to boldly express who they are through fashion. Known as “Princess the CEO”, she is the owner and operator of the award-winning, Guns and Roses Boutique, a unisex lifestyle boutique in Dallas, TX.
A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, Princess has leveraged her business skills and love of fashion to build a thriving career in the industry. Because of her vision and leadership, Guns and Roses has emerged as a go-to destination in the Downtown Dallas fashion and entertainment scene. As a speaker and mentor, she educates women and entrepreneurs on how to win in the fashion game, pursue their goals, and make their dreams a reality.
