How You Can Support Entrepreneurs of Color

Recently the disenfranchisement of America’s black community has been making news headlines after more attention was paid to the brutal murders of innocent black men and women by police officers. Although racism has always been prevalent since even before the foundation of America, racial profiling and systematic racism have become a larger topic of discussion after the sensationalized, videotaped murder of Geroge Floyd. People around the country who are fed up with the institutionalized racism that has resulted in nothing but violence, poverty, and death for the less privileged have conducted protests against their oppressors and the racist, greedy system that fuels them.

You’ve most likely seen the video footage of these protests taking place either on the news or overtaking your social media feeds: images of peaceful gatherings of people who are wielding signs and chanting their demands for change only to be chased away by tear gas and rubber bullets. These nation-wide demonstrations have been arresting the public’s attention for some time now, as emotions are running high and African Americans refuse to remain silent about the struggle that they must face every day just for their racial identities.

It is truly awe-inspiring to see the immense amount of supporters that turn out for the cause. The overwhelming sea of people who can be seen in the photos and newscasts circulating around, taking over entire city blocks as they march for justice, should make everyone feel inspired enough to go out there and join their community members in their pleas for peace and equality for black citizens.

However, some of us are unable to do so, no matter how much we would want to. The coronavirus has detained us to our homes and medical officials have warned heavily against congregating in large groups. Though it certainly isn’t stopping many supporters for the Black Lives Matter movement from protesting, some of us with elderly or immuno-compromised loved ones at home simply can’t risk joining in on the demonstrations where we’d have to come into contact with dozens of people.

It’s all too easy to feel helpless when you’re stuck at home, resigned only to watch historical fights for justice instead of joining in on them. You might even feel guilty knowing that you could be making a difference even just by simply adding to the sheer force of the protestors in your city. But it is more important than anything to stay safe in the face of this pandemic. You can show your support in many other ways that don’t at all involve face to face contact with potentially sick people. For one: you can make an effort to support black entrepreneurs and black-owned businesses.

Why is it Important to Support Black Businesses?

At first, it may seem that donating your money to a non-profit organization or some form of charity that supports the Black Lives Matter movement would be a better use for your money than spending it at black-owned stores. It is certainly true that donating to these types of organizations that support underprivileged black community members is a staple to continuing the fight against racism and oppression. Charities like the Bail Project, which collects funds in order to help pay the bail of inmates in an effort to reform the American pretrial system, are imperative for the cause. However, it is also essential that we directly help black people as well.

The root of many of the struggles faced by any oppressed community usually is economic, and in the case of the oppression of black people it definitely is. The way that black people are constantly turned down for loans, forced into impoverished neighborhoods through a system of red-lining, and made to attend underfunded schools that gave them a disadvantage to life from an early age all led to a society where black people are always suffering at the hands of economic inequity. In an effort to erase these issues, we should all make deliberate efforts to support black people financially by doing something as simple as changing where we shop.

In most cases making this decision to actively support black people doesn’t affect you, the consumer, negatively at all. There may be price fluctuation in some cases, as black-owned businesses cannot produce goods or provide services as cheaply as a mega-corporation would be able to through underpaid laborers; however, the vast majority of the time, these differences in price are not major enough to turn your nose up at a well-crafted product. Besides, you can think of the additional few dollars or cents that you have to pay as being for the support of black people and the boycott of a larger, exploitative company.

If these two reasons don’t motivate you enough, you might feel more inclined to shop with black entrepreneurs because the size of a small business indicates that each product is crafted with a care that is little seen in the factories of huge corporations. Independent business owners usually care more about the experience of the consumer than the bottom line and are far more passionate about whatever it is they are selling. So you can think of shopping at black owned businesses not just the right thing for the fight against racism but also as the right thing for you, the consumer.

If it wasn’t before then hopefully now it is clear now why buying at black-owned businesses and supporting black entrepreneurs is the right choice especially in this racially tense climate. It is one of the best decisions to make as an ally, and it’s relatively easy to do so. You can get the same sense of satisfaction that you get from donating to a Black Lives Matter affiliated organization, but this time with the added bonus of receiving whatever product you were shopping for and, oftentimes, a product of far better quality. The only question that remains now is how to seek out these black entrepreneurs and businesses so that you can shop with a clear conscience.

How to Support Black Entrepreneurs

No matter what you are shopping for, I guarantee you that somewhere out there is a black-owned business that is selling the same or at least a similar product. Supporting these young black entrepreneurs is as simple as googling “Black-Owned Bookstore/Cafe/Realty Company/etc Near Me” and conducting your business at these locations.

There are even certain websites that make it especially easy to find black entrepreneurs. For example, Supportblackowned.com is a site on which you can search your region or state for certain businesses that are owned by black entrepreneurs. It has literally never been easier to shop at black-owned stores.

There is a growing list of young black entrepreneurs that are sweeping the business world with their remarkable ideas and their considerably young ages. For example, Mikaila Ulmer is a 15-year-old woman from Texas who owns a lemonade company called Me & The Bees Lemonade. Her mission to provide better beverages while also saving the steadily declining bee population is truly remarkable. Picking up a bottle of her company’s lemonade at a Whole Foods or Krogers instead of buying any of the other brands’ products is all it takes to support black business.

There is also Moziah Bridges who is also only 15 years old but still has managed to make a name for himself in the competitive marketing world despite all odds. This young entrepreneur has founded a company called Mo’s Bows that makes and sells fashionable bow ties that are being touted in a variety of retail stores across the country. His success is inspiring, and you can feel confident that when you are shopping his line, you are getting a product that doesn’t come from the hands of overworked sweatshop laborers, contrary to many other bigger brands whose dubious tactics will have you considering the moral implications of shopping there.

Finally, there is Maya Penn who, though only 20 years old, has become a business world sensation through her company Maya’s Ideas. Penn sells eco-friendly clothes that are both fashionable and affordable. She has inspired others through her emotionally moving TED talks. Buying clothes from Maya’s Ideas not only helps to support black entrepreneurs but also helps to fight against the fast fashion pandemic that is plaguing retail brands across the country. It’s a win-win-win, for the consumer, the proprietor, and the planet.

As you can see, there is no limit to the vast variety of goods produced by black companies. Surely whatever you are searching for can be bought from a party that is not a mammoth corporation that regularly treats both their employees and their customers as money machines. As the mention of protests in the news is steadily declining, though they are still occurring all across the country, it is important to keep up your activism even past the news cycle’s run through of the cause. That means shopping ethically and directly helping out black entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurship is a valuable asset, but it seems as if it were limited to the privileged who were born into societies of extreme wealth and advantage. In short, black people have always been totally discouraged from succeeding financially due to the system in place in America wherein you must have a headstart in life in order to obtain the “American Dream”. It is vital to the fight for racial equality that we make the decisions in our everyday lives to not continue the cycle of support for the big businesses that control our society.