The Way Forward
Our love letter to Black-owned businesses.
In light of recent events and as a way of forging forward with positivity, we wanted to share some of the Black-owned businesses that we deeply respect and admire, as well as some of the incredible pro Black initiatives that have come to fruition out of the upheaval of the present moment.
We believe that fighting for and promoting economic equality is a worthy and sustainable cause so we urge you to join us in putting our money where our mouth is and voting with our dollars in support of the Black community.
Fifteen Percent Pledge
— Black people account for 15% of the population in the United States.
Fifteen Percent Pledge is a newly launched organization whose mission is to call on major retailers to pledge 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.
We've all been asking how we can help... well this is an opportunity to collectively put $14.5B back into Black communities.
#BuyBlack
As individuals, we can all allocate some of our spending power towards Black-owned businesses by buying things that we actually need and want - because guess what? There are a TON of amazing Black-owned brands making fantastic offerings to choose from.
Our friends over at Palm, a micro-influencer agency, have put together a crowd-sourced list of Black-owned brands to support. Their ever-growing directory is updated daily and includes the following categories: Bath & Body, Beauty, Fashion, Female Health, Food/Drink, Skincare, Health/Wellness, Haircare, Home/Candles/Fragrance, & Men's.
Speaking of buying Black, here are just a select few of the brands we personally love as a team...
Golde
Superfood Health & Beauty
In the words of co-founder Trinity: "At the heart of it, we believe that being well should feel good. That means products that look good, taste good, and help you feel like your best self. I co-founded Golde with my partner Issey Kobori in 2017 with the mission of bringing good vibes to the wellness industry. We're an independent, Brooklyn-born brand centered in making superfood-boosted essentials for health and beauty. Our products are always natural, easy, and (most importantly) fun."
Brother Vellies
Shoes & Accessories
Brother Vellies was founded in 2013 with the goal of keeping traditional African design practices, and techniques alive while also creating and sustaining artisanal jobs. Now handmade artisanally across the globe, Brother Vellies creates luxury accessories that celebrate cultural histories and timeless design.
Toronto-native and New York City-transplant, Creative Director and Founder Aurora James amassed an impressive resume of fashion industry experience prior to starting Brother Vellies. Her background in fashion, journalism, art, music, photography, and horticulture joins a forever-passion for artisanship, design, and humanitarianism to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces that will remain in your wardrobe forever.
Their stunning creations are definitely on the pricier side, but you can get in on the artisanal action with the "Something Special" monthly subscription and receive a surprise sustainably and ethically made comfort, designed with love to be enjoyed inside your home.
CHECK OUT SOMETHING SPECIAL HERE >
Aurora also happens to be the powerhouse behind the Fifteen Percent Pledge we mentioned above.
Beneath Your Mask
Skincare & Haircare
In the words of founder Dana: "Beneath Your Mask was created as a skin, body, and hair rejuvenation line designed to restore, repair, and reverse the toxic effects of environmental hazards, health challenges, stress, and the damage done from countless other unforgiving aspects of our lifestyles. Along with sharing inspiration from my own personal healing journey, I also wanted to share the luxurious products I began crafting to nourish, revitalize, and transform my skin and hair. Many would be surprised at how toxic the products we’re accustomed to using everyday can be. Our skin is our largest organ and we need to feed it with the best. On a quest to find the absolute best products that didn’t compromise on ANY level, Beneath Your Mask was created."
Credo Beauty
We also wanted to include a special shout out to the wonderful team at Credo Beauty, one of our cherished retail partners, for stepping up and admitting that their stores/e-comm platform lack Black-owned or operated clean beauty brands. To change this they're introducing a clean beauty mentorship program to help aspiring entrepreneurs navigate product development, clean ingredients, packaging choices, marketing and fundraising.
If you're an interested BIPOC clean beauty brand (or know of one) - you can email credoforchange@credobeauty.com by July 1st to be considered for the first session.
We look forward to continuing to use our platform to spread the word, spread the love, and most certainly spread the wealth. Stay tuned for more to come!
