Black Owned Businesses To Support With Your Dollar

Even as a person who grew up in diverse Berkeley, the birthplace of free speech and ground zero to so many political and civil rights movements, even with activism practically in my blood, I still experience white privilege. I will never know firsthand what the Black community is going through at this time. The affects of systemic racism in this country and around the world is unacceptable. Black Lives Matter: point, blank, period. One small way I can use my platform to share these amazing Black owned businesses doing amazing things not just now, but every day. Use your voice and actions to drive change, use your platforms, but most of all use your dollar. Become a better ally by doing a combination of all of these things. Making a difference starts with one small step.

Black Owned Businesses – Fashion

• UnoEth: High quality handmade leather goods that are no stranger to the blog and my social media channels! Their Hanna tote is the best tote bag I’ve ever owned. It’s made from the most durable leather, most recently featured in my minimalist handbag collection. See it styled at the top of this post.
• Maraval Made: Luxury quality accessories, including dust bags and face masks, created by the one and only Aquila Farrell, otherwise known as @MsChurchDress. All handmade and all gorgeous fabrics and designs.
• Safiya Jihan Collection: Thoughtfully designed luxury pieces, handmade in San Francisco. Stunning colorful jumpsuits and trousers to help you channel your inner and outer boss energy.
• BOSSMOM NATION: Apparel that changes the narrative and a lifestyle brand that unites community around motherhood. Co founded by two mothers, one from Oakland and one from Atlanta.

Black Owned Businesses – Beauty

• Beauty by Tredayy: Beauty services for the everyday individual and for special occasions. Tre is not only a beautiful and kind person, she is a killer makeup artist! Her microblading and brow lamination services have taken off and I can’t wait to get my brows done by Tre, once shelter-in-place orders are lifted on salons. She also occasionally travels to offer client booking in other cities!
• KA’OIR Cosmetics: Gorgeous trend-driven lipsticks, lashes, and eyeshadow palettes in every color imaginable. I first discovered Keyshia’s beauty brand at her booth at IMATS LA in 2012.

Black Owned Businesses – Wine

• Free Range Flower Winery: Organic and sustainable flower based wine that will blow your mind and taste buds. That’s right, it’s all flowers and no grapes. Aaliyah is creating pure innovation in the world of wine, which is a very white and male dominated industry. I first tried her flower based wines at Samudra’s launch party, and recently reconnected with the brand at the SF Vintners Estates last year.

Not looking to shop? Here is a list of organizations including a few nonprofits to consider donating to and otherwise supporting in general.

Where To Donate & Support

• Black Lives Matter: Fund the Black Lives Matter movement with a contribution to help fund campaigns for justice. Connect with your local BLM chapters and get involved.
• NAACP: Demand immediate action and contribute to the #WeAreDoneDying campaign.
• Official George Floyd Memorial Fund: Donate to a growing fund of over $7.5 million from over 300k donors, organized by the brother of George Floyd.
• Justice for George Floyd: Sign the petition and join 10 million other people and counting. We need the end senseless murders of George Floyd and so many others.
• ACLU: A nonprofit, nonpartisan, legal, and advocacy 501(c)4 organization tackling civil liberties on every level for the last 100 years.
• Beauty 2 The Streetz: This is an incredible 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on empowering and providing self care products and services to people experiencing homelessness. Shirley Raines founded the organization, which I originally discovered through a viral video on Refinery29. They mainly focus on providing makeup, showers, hair color, and other services to homeless individuals living on Skid Row. In the beginning Shirley fully funded the project from her own pocket, now they accept donations and offer a waitlist for volunteers.

Now more than ever, I hope you can spend your dollar where it counts most. If you have any suggestions to add to this list of Black owned businesses, please contribute by leaving it in a comment. I’ll be routinely updating this list, sharing community suggestions just below the original list. I’m very passionate about small business too, so all suggestions welcome!