#Supportblackownedbusinesses

June is typically dedicated to commemorating the LGBTQ community. However, amid COVID-19 and the police killing of George Floyd, which has sparked protests all over the country, there has been a direct shift of focus to the wellbeing of Black lives. George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, suffocated to death while in police custody, has encouraged people to support marginalized communities by donating to organizations and supporting Black-owned businesses. According to Reuters, U.S. Black-owned businesses are highly concentrated in retail, restaurants, and other service industries that were most affected by the mandated government social distancing orders.

Unfortunately, Black-owned businesses had fewer resources to rely on when the pandemic caused US businesses to close. Research on profitability, credit scoring, and financial earnings has shown that 21 percent of Black-owned businesses were financially distressed with accrued debt compared to 5 percent of White-owned businesses (2) (2). However, these challenges are not new to Black-owners; the COVID-19 crisis only exacerbated and expedited wealth disparities in the oppressed community.

To further support small Black-owned businesses, here is a list that we’ve highlighted to consider:

Oma The Label

Founder: Heather David

Headquarters: New York

MDM Flow

Founder: Florence Adepoju

Headquarters: England

ROSEN Skincare

Founder: Jamika Rose

Headquarters: California

Christopher John Rogers John Rogers

Founder: Christopher John rogers

Headquarters: Found on Net-a-Porter

B Michael

Founder: B Michael and Mark Anthony Edwards

Headquarters: New York

Levenity

Founder: Venny Etinne

Headquarters: Texas

Tove Studio

Founder: Camille Perry and Holly Wright

Headquarters: England

Lukafit Activewear

Founder: Mbali

Headquarters: New York

Something By Sonja

Founder: Sonja

Headquarters: California

Unique Expozzure

Founder: Jeff Karly

Headquarters: New York

Brother Vellies

Founder: Aurora James

Headquarters: New York