Where you choose to spend your money matters. You may have heard that spending money within your local community leads to job creation in your town, reduces the ecological footprint of your purchase, and leads to larger local re-investment.
Buying from Black-owned brands is especially important because those business owners tend to face more challenges in starting up their companies, often running into trouble securing loans and having to hurdle issues with the racial wealth gap.
We’ve compiled some popular black-owned businesses and have tips on how to find local black-owned restaurants and other small businesses in your area. Scroll down to get started!
Restaurants
Eat Black Owned
A web platform called Eat Black Owned claims to have “the internet’s largest directory of Black-owned restaurants.” All you have to do is type in your location and you’ll find options in your vicinity. You can also check out the platform’s featured listings.
Coffee Shops
Delish has a list of 20 Black-owned coffee shops that you can visit anywhere in the country. If you don’t want to leave the house, shop from these 14 Black-owned coffee brands that you can buy online.
The Mapstr App
Mapstr lets you search around your own area or any other, marking your favorite places and searching with specific tags. From there, you can share what you’ve found with your friends. You can search on its regular web platform or get it for iOS, or Android. It’s even available now on Apple Watch.
Travel Noir
Want to get even more specific in your search for who to support? Travel Noir has a list of restaurants owned and operated by Black women in every state. Those range from bakeries, to fine cuisine, to soulfood, to African comfort dishes.
Jewelry
Ten Wilde
Ten Wilde sells only gold jewelry, which it aims to make into versatile and timeless pieces created for multi-faceted women. The creator, Tenisha Wilde, says she hopes to create a style that is refined within the undefined. See some of her signature work here.
Tanaya
Tanaya makes customizable statement pieces created by model and jewelry designer Tanaya Henry. The company also distinguished pieces celebrating Black heritage, available through body jewelry like belly chains, lip lace, and anklets. The products are all handmade and are only available online here.
Aurelia & Pierre
This jewelry brand’s founder boasts her Nigerian heritage within the one-of-a-kind pieces she creates. The company aims to add modern polish to classic style, using top-quality materials to represent a fine caliber of women.
Clothing
Leigh New York
Specializing in silks and fascinated by vintage silhouettes and 80s art, Morgan Johnson created Leigh NY. The brand sells separates that are designed and made to order, and all crafted from high-quality and sustainable material.
Taylor Jay
Taylor Jay is named for its founder and aims to keep all women in mind with the brand mission of elevated comfort. The brand’s clothing is intended for everyday use with reliable and durable fabric. You can visit the flagship store in Oakland or see their online shop here.
Label by Three
Label by Three was created by three sisters who base their company on inclusivity, ethical decisions, and slow fashion. All clothing is handmade in Arizona using locally-made materials and deadstock fabrics.
Accessories
Edas
Edas is the work of Head Designer Sade Mims. The company turns refurbished elements and eclectic home goods into convertible accessories. It’s also committed to sustainability. Shop bags, earrings, glam, and special collections at the website here.
Romeo Hunte
If you’re looking for bold, standout accessories, Romeo Hunt is a great place to shop. The company views itself as a lifestyle brand aiming for edgy yet sophisticated pieces that balance feminine and masculine attributes.
Ashya
Ashya is an accessories design label founded in 2017 by a duo that brings their American and Jamaican heritage to light through their work. The brand says it’s motivated by Black, brown, and indigenous communities, as well as transient modern life. View some of their unique pieces online here.
Beauty
Rosen
Rosen is a Black-owned skincare brand focusing on clearing up acne and being an enjoyable place to shop. They have products for scarring, texture, inflamed bumps, and also offer targeted masks and treatments.
Klur
Klur is all about clean, ethical, and inclusive beauty, promoting wellness through personalized treatments. The brand is dedicated to sustainability, simplicity, and usability. Check out their quality and environmentally conscious products here.
Want to know more about beauty on a budget? Watch this Black Money Series video from dfree. Nia and Brianna discuss the creative ways African American women style their hair and share go-to styles when you’re low on cash.
Footwear
M. Marie
M. Marie keeps its footwear bold and somehow amusing, featuring sandals that direct the onlooker to “Go to Hell” or “Pay me.” See the collection of high heels, sandals, boots, and flats.
Good Man
The Good Man Brand offers clothing and accessories, but has extremely high-quality and fashionable men’s shoes. They offer sneakers, trainers, loafers, and all manner of boots.
Aminah Abdul Jillil
The store’s namesake won ESSENCE Magazine’s Designer of the Year honor in 2019. Now, the luxury shoe brand is available in 50 countries. Shop online here.
Podcasts / Influencers / Youtubers
In The Black
Dr. Soaries and Tamika of dfree bring you the pulse of mental, spiritual, and financial health in this popular podcast. Start watching here.
Black Girl Podcast
The four hosts of Black Girl Podcast all met at a radio station back in the day, and now come together for comical conversations on sisterhood, pop culture, love, dreams, and growth.
Black History Year
This Black History Month, check out the podcast trying to make sure Black history his honored year-round. The hosts feature experts, information, and ideas to tackle topics often left out of mainstream conversations.
The Stoop
The Stoop: Stories from Across the Black Diaspora takes on conversations about blackness, race, and identity in AMerica. The two hosts, Leila Day and Hana Baba, look into investigative stories that aren’t always discussed in the open. Check out The Stoop here.
Minority Korner
The podcast Minority Korner looks at the world through an intersectional and introspective lens, discussing buzz words like cultural appropriation, cisgender, toxic masculitinty, queer, Black girl magic, and woke. The podcast hosts minority celebrities to go over the news, history, and pop culture.
Support Local Black-Owned Businesses
While it’s important to support Black entrepreneurs everywhere, remember that you can make the biggest impact by starting in your own community and supporting local black-owned businesses near you. Remember to rate, review, and post pictures to boost their online following.
