Celebrating Local Black Heroes: Isaiah Harris
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Imagine a summer day. You’re outside, laughing carefree with your friends and family. The Michigan sunshine is hot, but someone you love hands you a cold drink. Not just any drink, but an organic juice pouch made with real fruit juice.
Isaiah Harris, CEO of Harris Wholesome Juice Bar, is the mastermind behind the juice pouches. They can be found in Kalamazoo at Midtown Fresh Market (S Westnedge Avenue), Park Street Market (N Park Street), and Harding’s Friendly Market (S Westnedge Avenue).
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
Harris works hard to go above and beyond in every way possible. Throughout his life, this characteristic has been one he witnesses in his mother and biggest inspiration, Sarretta Harris.
When he’s not perfecting juice and smoothie recipes, Harris loves to give back to the Kalamazoo community. Often, Harris spends his free time cooking a meal with his friends. Once the meal is ready they head to downtown Kalamazoo, sharing the plates with folks in need, no strings attached.
He explains, “A lot of my giving back is in the moment random acts of kindness. I’m not big on posting every charity act to the internet because if it’s truly from your heart, sometimes it’s not for the world to know.”
ALL THINGS IN BALANCE
Establishing balance in his life is a significant value Harris focuses on. He shares, “The same amount of time I … have fun [and] hang out should be the same amount of time I spend on myself, reading books, learning a new trade, etc.”
Harris, the life of the party, finds balance by setting aside time to meditate, read, and go for walks. “I’m usually always around people,” he explains, “…it feels good to get away from all the distractions and be by myself.”
WE’RE ALL HUMAN
Harris focuses on the bigger picture when it comes to impact and legacy. “I hope I can impact others by helping people realize that it’s always bigger than us,” Harris shares.
“Sometimes we get too caught up in what we are doing and forget that we are just a small part of the equation. We are helpers to one another … We are all human and in this thing called life together.”
