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14-carat gold earrings, personalized Nikes, or the hottest new purse brand. If there’s a product you’re looking for, you’ll likely find a Black-owned business making or selling it. Of nearly 33.2 million small businesses in the United States, 3 million are owned and led by Black people.
Whether you are looking to buy a gift for a birthday or Christmas or want to add a new art piece to your gallery wall, there are multiple places to look. Word In Black put together five places to turn to to find a Black-owned business to support.
If Black people make up nearly 15% of the United States, store shelves should mirror that number. That is the idea behind the non-profit launched by Aurora James in 2020. So far, 28 companies have taken the pledge, and the organization has shifted “almost $14 billion of revenue to Black-owned businesses.”
As part of this effort, they built a directory of Black-owned brands from which retailers and consumers can shop. For business owners, they advertise grant and funding opportunities.
The number of Black women-owned businesses with employees rose to more than 52,300 from 2017 to 2020, according to a report from the Brookings Institute. Black Women Owned is a directory featuring brands in entertainment, home and living, food and beverage, beauty, and professional services — all led by Black women.
Buy From A Black Woman
This non-profit is all about educating, empowering, and inspiring Black women. They partner with H&M each year to bring the “Buy From A Black Woman ” tour, business awards, and holiday market to life.
It’s worth looking through their online directory if you can’t attend their events. Black women business owners should consider adding their brand to their directory to get discovered by customers.
With over 1,200 businesses, the Black Owned Association’s directory can help you find verified national and local Black-owned companies offering products and services both online and in person.
ByBlack partners with the United States Black Chambers and financial institutions to support Black-owned businesses. Its “City Guides” showcase Black businesses in America’s most popular cities and travel destinations, like Atlanta, New Orleans, Oakland, and the Greenwood District, home of the historic Black Wall Street.
They also direct business owners to grants and funding opportunities and offer a certification establishing Black businesses as a trusted vendor.
Happy shopping!
