They say money can’t buy happiness, but in the US, it can buy political change. Donating to organizations fighting for racial justice is a great start, but if you’re looking for another easy way to use your dollars for good, actively support and patron Black-owned businesses. Here are some tools to help you find businesses near you.
- Black Nation. This app was launched by entrepreneur Rameish Budhoo and allows Black-owned businesses to have a place to list their companies for free and to create visibility. Using the app, you can search for the type of business you’re looking for and browse popular categories.
- eatOkra. Founded by Anothy Edwards and Janique Bradley, eatOkra features 2,500 Black-owned restaurants. Browse cuisines, locations, and review ones you’ve tried!
- WeBuyBlack. This is the largest online marketplace for Black-owned businesses. Search for thousands of items across all different categories.
- Official Black Wall Street. This search tool app features 5,000 Black-owned businesses in 10 different countries. It also allows users to receive alerts when they are near a Black-owned business so they can pop in and check it out.
- Black-Owned Brooklyn. This digital publication is a curated guide to Black-owned establishments for New Yorkers. Its creators, Tayo Giwa and Cynthia Gordy Giwa write, “We seek to lift up and preserve rich stories that are often overlooked in gentrified Brooklyn and encourage you to learn more about — and participate in — the creativity, beauty, and self-determination throughout our community.”
- WhereU Came From. This app publishes crowd-sourced listings and referrals about Black-owned businesses.
- I Am Black Business. This company’s directory of Black-owned businesses seeks to allow people to make informed decisions about where to spend their dollars and also serves to empower Black business owners.
- Support Black Owned. This is a dedicated search engine for Black-owned businesses. It also offers a communication link between customers and owners in an effort to improve experiences and products.
Seeking out and supporting local Black-owned businesses is an incredibly easy way to contribute to racial justice and support African American members of your community. This solution is also particularly local and influences economic and social equality right in your backyard.
They say money can’t buy happiness, but in the US, it can buy political change. Donating to organizations fighting for racial justice is a great start, but if you’re looking for another easy way to use your dollars for good, actively support and patron Black-owned businesses. Here are some tools to help you find businesses