The Other Black Market
Buying from Black/POC-owned business and why that matters
Sometimes I worry about losing momentum. Worldwide, the last 14 days have been a rollercoaster, but it’s made me hopeful for real change — I hope I’m not misled. My question is, what happens when the smoke dies down, when the hype clears, when the social media posts stop being re-posted.? What are we doing to work towards change when it’s no longer the trendy thing? When this pandemic is over and we actually have other things to post/tweet/talk about, how will we keep this momentum going? I think the answer is the very thing that makes our capitalistic society go ‘round…MONEY.
TLDR - Short attention span? Read this and then skip to the good stuff!
The 1950s Montgomery Bus Boycotts taught us that when we control the revenue that stems from Black Consumerism, we can force prejudiced people to make a change. How much more powerful would we and our allies be if we shift our buying power away from those that refuse to make change in 2020?
Some of the most well-known Civil Rights Era protests were the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. They are widely regarded as the first large-scale U.S. demonstrations against the injustices facing Black Americans. If you’re not familiar with these boycotts, this article does a great job at explaining what happened but here are a few keywords to get you started: Rosa Parks, boycott, segregation, Supreme Court. The reason that these forever memorialized demonstrations worked is that the majority of bus riders in Montgomery were Black people — due to fare being lower than that of a taxi and commute faster than walking. With the huge decline in ridership from Black Americans, bus company revenues collapsed, thus effectively hitting them where it hurts. That’s why it would be a HUGE deal if we started to shift our buying power towards business owned and supported by those that America oppresses.
This is something I know I want to get better at, so I’ve spent the week thinking about things I spend the most money on and compiling Black/POC-owned businesses that I can start buying from instead. Read on to find alternatives for your Workout Apparel, Cosmetics, Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories faves! (Got something for everyone in this post 😉)
WORKOUT APPAREL
Barhog Fitness
Lukafit
Kemetic Knowledge
CultureFit
Glamourina
PRU Apparel
SKINCARE & COSMETICS
Makeup: Beauty Bakerie
Makeup: Adejiore
Skincare: Black Girl Sunscreen
Skincare: KNC Beauty
Skincare: The Butter Bar Skincare
Men’s Skincare: H.I.M-istry Naturals
Shaving Essentials: OUI the People
Skincare: eHoneySkin
Haircare: Oyin Handmade
Skincare: Klur
Skincare: Natural Mystic Skincare
Skincare: Hyper Skin
Makeup: The Lip Bar
Makeup: Mented Cosmetics
Makeup: Juvia’s Place
Find more bath, body, home, hair care, and menstrual care products from Black and Brown people on this dope website: BLK + GRN
FASHION
Loungewear/Streetwear: Tier
Loungewear/Lingerie : Nubian Skin
High Fashion: Diarrablu
Plus Size Fashion: Curverra
Plus Size Fashion: Rue107 New York
Plus Size Fashion: Kin by Kristine
Plus Size Fashion: Zelie for She
Trendy Prints: Diop
High Fashion: Hanifa
SHOES & ACCESSORIES
Head Wraps: The Wrap Life
Handbags: Vavvoune
Head Wraps & Accessories: Aso Dara
Clothing, Shoes, & Accessories: Folklore
Accessories & Home: DorcasCreates
Head Wraps & Clothing: Cee Cee’s Closet New York
Handbags & Satchels: Ona Bags
Accesories, Clothing, & Home: Legendary Rootz
Jewelry & Crystals: b.serene
Handbags: Tree Fairfax
Jewelry: Dayverse
Jewelry: Jam + Rico
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Yours Truly and Truly Me,
