Black History Month has officially arrived on the scene, but centering Black voices and uplifting Black ventures is continuous, year-round work. One practical, tangible way to prioritize racial equity and inclusion is to spend your dollars with careful intention.
According to a recent survey, 87 percent of Black business owners in the U.S. are committed to using both their platform and revenue to drive social change. But 75 percent agree they must work harder than their white peers in order to achieve success.
This disparity doesn’t have to be the norm, though. Take a minute to evaluate which brands you purchase from and which nonprofits you contribute to. Are the organizations you support owned by Black advocates, thought leaders, or entrepreneurs? If the answer is currently “no,” then rest assured, they can be from this point on!
Where you shop or donate makes a difference, so it’s important to be mindful of the actual business owners who stand to benefit from your transactions. Rather than making Fortune-500 CEOs even wealthier, all of us can commit to buying Black in 2023—and well beyond. Here is a list of 15 Black-owned businesses and non-profits to start you off.
Black-Owned Businesses and Non-Profits to Support
Be the Bridge
- Who Started It: Latasha Morrison
- Why You Should Support It: This organization works to build authentic cross-cultural relationships through the awareness of racial injustice, the pursuit of racial healing, and the ultimate goal of racial reconciliation.
Kaiem Marketplace
- Who Started It: Elysia Randolph
- Why You Should Support It: This online marketplace curates a diverse range of small batch foods, home decor, self-care items and fashion accessories, all of which are made by artisan business owners in West Africa.
Liberate App
- Who Started It: Julio Rivera
- Why You Should Support It: This mobile app is building more inclusive representation in wellness with meditation practices led by teachers of color, who uniquely understand the BIPOC experience around mental health.
Higher Foundation
- Who Started It: Mallorye Crowell
- Why You Should Support It: This organization empowers college students in Georgia to continue their education by removing the financial barriers and making resources like mentorships and scholarships more available.
Partake Foods
- Who Started It: Denise Woodard
- Why You Should Support It: This gluten-free and vegan line of cookies has no artificial preservatives and contains zero of the 8 main food allergens which makes it a nutritious and, of course, delicious sweet tooth satisfier.
More Too Life
- Who Started It: Dr. Brook Parker Bello
- Why You Should Support It: This organization was created by a survivor of human trafficking to rescue other victims from this cycle of exploitation and to provide shelter, education, therapy, and other holistic services.
GOLDE
- Who Started It: Trinity Mouzon
- Why You Should Support It: This all-natural health brand features nontoxic skincare products and superfood latte or smoothie blends such as turmeric, matcha and cacao, sourced from pure ingredients you can trust.
BLK & Bold Coffee
- Who Started It: Rod Johnson & Pernell Cezar Jr.
- Why You Should Support It: This fair-trade roaster of specialty coffees and teas will combine your morning caffeine ritual with social impact—in fact, 5% of every irresistible purchase goes to help youth in crisis situations.
Gracemade
- Who Started It: Jasmine Rennie
- Why You Should Support It: This minimalist clothing label sources its materials from reclaimed fabric, then manufactures each garment in small batches to ensure the most sustainable process and safe working conditions.
Black Girls CODE
- Who Started It: Kimberly Bryant
- Why You Should Support It: This organization is on a crusade to equip one million Black girls and women to enter the STEM field in the next two decades by teaching the skills and providing the tools to make this possible.
Soap Distillery
- Who Started It: Danielle Martin
- Why You Should Support It: This handmade body care line merges the scent of your favorite cocktails with the luxurious feel of high-quality ingredients to create soaps, oils, scrubs, bath salts, lip balms, shampoos and more.
McBride Sisters
- Who Started It: Robin McBride & Andrea McBride John
- Why You Should Support It: This wine purveyor is the largest Black-owned business of its kind in the U.S, and their diverse wine collections such as Black Girl Magic and She Can feature blends from California to New Zealand.
The Loveland Foundation
- Who Started It: Rachel Cargle
- Why You Should Support It: This organization crowdsources funds to sponsor Black women and girls who need access to therapy or residential treatment from mental health clinicians who share their racial or ethnic background.
Pardo Naturals
- Who Started It: Rita Pardo
- Why You Should Support It: This nontoxic cleaning, home and self-care brand makes eco-friendly living easier than ever—from lotions and lip balms to detergents and room sprays, there’s a natural product for all your needs.
Afrotectopia
- Who Started It: Ari Melenciano
- Why You Should Support It: This social initiative exists at the intersection of Black culture, imagination, activism, and creative media to center the work of both current and future BIPOC artists, designers or tech innovators.
Have you purchased from any of these organizations? What are some of your favorite Black-owned businesses and non-profits worth including on this list? We would love to hear all about the brands you gush over—both during Black History Month and all year long. Share your recommendations in the comment section below!