Black History Month may be over but don't let that deter you from supporting black businesses. Don't wait until the holiday season to try to find black businesses to patronize. Here's a comprehensive shopping guide to personal services and consumer goods that are all black-owned and operated. Never stop supporting black business owners.
Homewares
Image credit: Pardon My Fro
Know for her funky unconventional illustrations and graphic designs. Dana has a deep passion for design and color. She is a self-taught designer who discovered her talent at a late age. While working in the corporate world, she has designed on the side and knew that one day she would own her own design studio.
Need some Black Girl Magic in your home? Here's the perfect opportunity to buy some quality afro-themed throw pillows, zodiac pillows and unique shower curtains.
Image credit: Peace & RIOT
New York natives, Achuziam Maha-Sanchez and husband Lionel Sanchez have created a store combining each others' eclectic and global tastes. Coming from African and Caribbean heritages, there's a feeling of being transported as you enter this Bed-Stuy boutique. Achuziam, an interior designer, brings her impeccable taste to the offerings displayed and also has a vast design knowledge base that is a perfect fit for the beautiful brownstones that surround the area.
You can order online to buy unique and creative home designs, gifts and spa items but if you find yourself in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn do yourself a favor and visit their storefront. Depending on what day you visit, there might be an in-store concert, a wine or tea tasting or even Mayor de Blasio shopping. Peace and RIOT also sells Malene B carpets, wallpapers and rugs.
Image credit: Malene B
Image credit: Cosmic Medium
I am the artist at LauraBurge.com, in which I create and showcase art pieces at various art shows. Also, I also create graphics for print onto paper and different materials as seen in Society6.com/cosmicmedium and www.gumroad.com/cosmicmedium. I created graphics for various entrepreneurs, businesses and influencers. I believe that in designs should speak for the brand and sell!
Laura Burge-Coleman is a talented artist and she creates art prints, housewares and totes. She also offers lessons on how to be an illustrator.
Image credit: Freedom Paper Company
FPC Bathroom Tissue offers More Product for your money and gives you a Quality Product!
FPC gives back to its Consumers and Community. Compare FPC with your former brand!
We all need paper goods so might as well buy black.
Image credit: The True Products
Ali B Muhammad is Vietnam War Veteran, an entrepreneur, real estate developer, consultant, master marketer and transcendental coach since 1968. After relocating to Atlanta, GA in 1986, Ali spearheaded single handedly the marketing of Al-Fajr air freshener sprays and stick incense in several supermarkets, grocery stores and beauty stores around the metro Atlanta area, including Kroger, Piggly Wiggly, Wayfield Foods, A&P and Super Value, grossing millions in sales. Malik Saleem was introduced to business at an early age by his father. Malik also recently started an underwear line called 'Champ Boxers'. Malik continues to use his business expertise for the True Laundry Detergent brand. Abdur-Rahim Shaheed is a 40-year veteran in sales and marketing. Originally from Alabama, Abdur-Rahim is a long-time resident of the Atlanta area. Additionally, he is a partner in True Products and actively works to have the company's laundry detergent distributed in numerous states.
Three black men are the brains behind True detergent. The veterans came together used their business and marketing skills to create a product that continues to be successful.
ART
CITIZINS
Image credit: CITIZINS
I was born in Kumasi, Ghana in West Africa. I moved to South London as a toddler. I went to primary and little bit of secondary school there and it's while living in London that I caught the art bug. Not really sure how it is nowadays but the school system really encouraged the arts. So I was always drawing posters for projects and I also started keeping sketch books. Moved to America and went to middle school and high school in Northern Virginia. Around that time the DMV area was rich with black clothing companies that used young local artist to design clothing. Companies like Rugid Wear, City Life and Shooters all run by young black people inspired me to start painting on clothes in High School. I eventually ended up working or being commissioned to do work for some of these companies, which helped me learn a lot about graphic design and using my art to start a business.
- Artist Kojo Owusu Kusi better known as CITIZINS tells Urban Bush Babes
Kojo's usage of colors, shapes and mediums makes his pieces stand out and it's praiseworthy.
Image credit: Ike Slimster
A photographer, graphic designer, producer, videographer, an artist: in every sense of the word, the name is "Ike Slimster." A young man who grew up bursting with curiosity for the arts. Born in the early 90's, in Lagos, Nigeria, he moved frequently until finally moving to and settling in New York City.
Fine artist, photographer and producer, Ike Slimster creates vivid afrofuturism pieces that incorporates urban city and African culture.
Ervin A. Johnson was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from the University of Illinois- Urbana Champaign with a bachelor's in Rhetoric he began work on his second bachelor's at Columbia College Chicago in photography. Although he has many photographic interests, portraiture that describes what it means to exist as a gay Black man in America is exhibited in his past and current projects. In his most current work, "Project Genesis", Ervin re-imagines his cultural and racial identity through mixed media photography and video. Currently he is pursuing his MFA at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta.
Johnson, who is inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat as well as other artists brings life to his pieces by combing realism with portraits on mixed mediums.
Image credit: Ervin A. Johnson
Image credit: Big Bang Theory
An Empire of Authentic/Custom made handbags produced and housed out of Brooklyn, New York. Upon fate BBT was discover by Jazmin India. Every BBT bag is a one of a kind....literally.
Hebru Brantley, breaks down the walls of cultural boundaries through his art. Inspired by his 1980's Chicago upbringing, Brantley's work touches on tough subjects in a way that may be easily digestible to the viewer, by telling his stories through youthful characters and their adventures. Brantley's work can be described as pop infused contemporary art inspired by Japanese anime and the bold aesthetics of street art pioneers Jean Michel Basquiat, Kaws and Keith Haring. While spray paint is often at the forefront of his mixed-media illustrations, Brantley utilizes a plethora of mediums from oil, acrylic and watercolor to non-traditional mediums like coffee and tea.
Congratulations are in order to Hebru Brantley who was recently part of Allstate Insurance Company's Black History Month's campaign, "Worth Telling". The artist also worked with the Jordan Brand
SOCIAL
I Don't Do Clubs
Image credit: I Don't Do Clubs
Clubs are hot, people step on your feet and spill overpriced drinks on your clothes (or on your head, if you're short like me). And let's not forget the random men grabbing your ass as you and your friends hold hands just to make it to the restroom. Nope, I'm good!
Don't get me wrong. I like to dress up, sip cocktails and meet interesting people... just in a more controlled setting. Yeah, I'm a bit of a control freak. As such, when my awesome friends are looking to run the town, they call me! I know where we need to be, with whom and doing what.
Who am I? Genese Jamilah, a single black girl from the Peach State trying to make it in the Big Apple. I'm a work in progress, enjoying the process. I founded the I Don't Do Clubs event blog in August 2011 as a solution for young Black professionals who are looking for social events beyond the typical nightclub scene.
Want to support other black businesses socially? Want to find out where other professionals will be partying at without the typical club scene hassle? I Don't Do Clubs was created just for that. Find local black-owned restaurants and go brunch!
Image credit: Hoodwinked
Passion and Professionalism are two words to describe Michele Ware, CEO and Creator of Hoodwinked Escape, Harlem's first "escape room experience." Her new venture - an escape room - would place her on the road to new experiences. She opened the doors of Hoodwinked Escape in the winter of 2015 and the adventure hasn't stopped. She says managing and leading her team in corporate America help prepare her to run her own business where "clue finders use their wits to solve puzzles, riddles and codes to escape the room in 60 minutes. She says it's the perfect adventure for date night, fun with friends, family bonding and corporate team building outings.
To find more black businesses in your area, you can also visit Official Black Wall Street. It's an online directory that will connect you to black business owners and entrepreneurs.