This week has been eye-opening, to say the least. And while there is SO MUCH work that still needs to be done, I feel like there was a shift. A tiny, small shift but I felt it all the same, and I hope you did too. I’ve been sharing Black-owned businesses and accounts by POC all week on Instagram along with others in support of the #AmplifyMelantatedVoices campaign. I saw it while searching for ways to unlearn and better understand and wanted so much to help in any way I could.
I don’t want us to lose momentum.
While I’m still figuring out ways to help, I thought one small act would be to create a resource here for reference. I will plan on updating as needed with any new accounts I discover and think may interest you. Please feel free to share your favs as well! I love discovering new resources and inspiration!
Below is just a small list of Black-owned businesses that you can shop and support if you want to help out.
Support – Black-owned businesses to shop
This is by NO MEANS a complete list of all Black-owned businesses. These are just some of the accounts I discovered this past week that spoke to me. They’re all shops I would and hope to purchase from in the near future.
Goods for the home
EttaVee is THE MOST colorful shop I think I’ve ever seen! Jessi Raulet is the creator and artist of EttaVee. She grew up here in the U.S. but now lives in Strasbourg, France. I tend to stick with pretty neutral colors but I’m in love with this Leopard Print no. 1 iPhone case. It’s Jessi’s bright abstracts painted on glass though that first caught my eye and drew me into her online shop. The colors are just so incredible, happy, and bright!
Sustainable Home Goods is a fair trade and ethical homewares store out of Georgia. They have a curated collection of goods from local and global partners they support. I’ve been on the hunt for quite some time now for bells to use during the holidays and I think this rustic bell cascade is the perfect thing! I love little baskets like these to corral mail and other things around the house. You can’t go wrong with simple white bowls for serving up food for family and guests. I keep eyeing up this raffia fiber and sweet grass bowl. The colors are so pretty and I’m trying to think of a place to use it in my home.
BATIQUA was also founded as a fair-trade company looking to support marginalized artisans and help them grow. This grey shell patterned pillow is beautiful and would fit right in with my decor. This table runner is also gorgeous and can also be used as a wall hanging.
Looking for a way to bring opportunities to girls in her home country of Senegal, West Africa, Sofi Seck founded Expedition Subsahara. It is through authentically produced home goods by African artisans that she hopes to create education for girls in her developing country. Bringing better opportunities to them in their home country and preventing them from having to seek them in another, leaving everything they know and love behind. Baskets are so versatile and Expedition Subsahara has some beauties! I am drawn to the Lara Wall Basket in Pink and the Leticia Wall Basket in Black. The Souk Oval Bowl in Brown is a perfect size and shape! The Astou Large Storage Basket would be a great hamper in a bedroom or bath.
Candles
I’m a sucker for a good candle and this Home by the Sea candle by Rhythm Flow Candle Company sounds DEVINE! The scent is described as fresh and aquatic and for someone like me who loves the ocean, that sounds heavenly. The beautiful cobalt glass jar it comes in makes it the perfect gift for a friend or yourself! Stephanie and her husband founded the Rhythm Flow Candle Company out of their desire to create healthier, cleaner candles, and their love of music. A couple of others I want to try are the Georgia candle, Blacker the Berry, and of course, Bourbon Street!
Another Black-owned business I am dying to try when they are restocked is Crete. These candles are mixed by hand and include elements from NYC. The concrete jar candles are super chic and on my wishlist when they are back in stock. I also love a good reed diffuser and room spray for the bathroom and this one with black reeds looks so simple and elegant. The scents available are complex and layered and I’m drawn to Egyptian Fig, Oakmoss, and The Great Outdoors.
Frerés Branchiaux Candle Co. is run by the three Gill brothers; Collin, Ryan, and Austin. Looking for a way to earn more money for video games, they decided to start a candle biz. With the help of mama Gill, they learned how to make vegan, affordable candles in small batches. Believing that everyone should be able to afford to bring beauty into their home and enhance their environment. They have so many beautiful scents and the ones I want to try are Green Lavender, Whisky Sweet and Palmetto Peach.
Southern belle D’Shawn Russell is the founder of Southern Elegance Candle Company. Her aim is to create scents that celebrate her southern upbringing and evoke happy childhood memories. Some of the signature scents I’m dying to try are Charleston: Sweet Tea, Brightleaf: Tobacco & Caramel, Lexington: Apple & Bourbon, and Southern Sunshine: Citrus & Sugar. The summer scents on my radar include Coastal Waters: Driftwood & Sea Spray, Savannah: Peach & Champagne, and Summer Bliss: Blackberry & Grapefruit. This fall, I think their Sweet Potato & Brown Suger candle will be a MUST in my house!
Prints
Mary Shelton of Mary Shelton Media offers a few services through her company. She is a photographer and offers website and social media branding. What drew me to her site though was her print shop. I love the muted colors of this piece and this beautiful floral. I’m always on the lookout for line drawings and this simple but elegant piece needs to be in my home. There are a few different ways to buy. Either high res digital downloads you can print yourself, gallery boards that can be displayed on their own or framed, or purchase a piece already framed and ready to go.
Office
Do you still use a paper planner? (Raises hand over here) If you’re like me and LOVE to have a visual of what your month and weeks look like then let me introduce you to Cloth & Paper. They offer modern minimalist planners that you can customize to fit your needs. In addition to planners, they also offer pens and pencils, notebooks, stationery, and other items. I suggest subscribing so you get the latest news and product drops because things sell out.
Paint
Want an easier way to shop for paint? Clare paint was founded by interior designer Nicole Gibbons to fill a need she saw in the market. She believes paint shopping should be hassle-free and less messy. At Clare, you can find a well-curated line of paint colors that are designer approved to help take the overwhelm out of shopping for the right color. Still unsure? Use their Clare Color Genius guide to help you find the right color for your space. You can even order mess-free peel and stick samples to try out in your home. Paint ships to your home and has zero VOC and is Greenguard certified meaning healthier indoor air.
Skin and hair care
All Things O’Natural caught my eye because of my recent desire to source clean and organic products free of harmful chemicals. The first product they ever created, Natty Butter, short for natural butter, was a huge hit. A year later they were able to offer their raving fans Natty Moist which is a leave-in conditioner that you can also use on your skin to help moisturize and heal. They’ve since followed with a full hair care regimen that can be used by all ethnicities with all different hair types, as well as many other products. Their beard oil and Hair + Scalp Treatment look like perfect gifts for Mike’s upcoming birthday! You can also find them on Etsy!
Freedom Apothecary is passionate about holistic health and has created a place where women can come together for self-care and community. They feature clean, non-toxic products from trusted women-founded and led companies. If you’re in Philly, I’m jealous you can visit their store and experience their treatments and community first hand. If not, never fear. Their online shop is brimming with goodies you can bring home as the next best thing. I always get excited when I see beard oil for the hubby and they have two! The Rose Face Oil, Green Tea Butter, and Botnia Toner are some of the items on my wish list.
Kathy Fraser is the founder of Milked. Milked is an artisanal bath and body shop that aims to create aesthetically pleasing products free of the nasty ingredients none of us want in or on our bodies. The shop offers body creams and oils as well as exfoliants. What drew me in though are the beautiful handmade soaps. Mike and I have recently become huge bar soap fans and both have sensitive skin. I’m always trying to find bars that won’t irritate our skin AND smell lovely. I am drawn to their Pure – Goat Milk and Raw Honey Soap as well as their Coco Banana – Coconut Milk Soap, and Tres Leches – Goat + Almond + Coconut Milk Soap. I’m anxiously waiting to be alerted when they are back in stock!
Accessories
Dreamt up in her home country of France, owner Anne Harrill opened up her flagship store, Océanne, when she moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Looking for an outlet as she began a life far from anything familiar, Anne started creating handmade jewelry for local craft shows and flea markets. Fast forward 10 years and her pieces help her customers and supportive community celebrate special occasions, relive happy memories, and gain confidence. There are so many beautiful pieces but I’m in love with both the Fille Sauvage and the Fleur Sauvage Necklaces. I love the minimalist, asymmetrical look of the Seine Necklace. I’m also a HUGE fan of the Cleveland Babe Tee! This is only a shortlist of my favs from this shop! There’s a TON more so make sure to check them out!
Tasty treats
Y’all know my love for cookies runs deep. So when I saw a recommendation on Instagram for HiFi Cookies I FELL HARD! Owner Sean Newsome inherited his love for baking from his mom and grandmother. His passion for music and sugar collided and he’s been creating remixes of some of his favorite childhood cereal and snack treats in the form of cookies and cupcakes. I’ve been drooling over ETTA – a peanut butter remix, COOKIES and C.R.E.A.M, and my husband would love the Johnny cookie which features his favorite chocolate crisp cereal! Sean also has stuffed cookies and the Cosmic is the cookie remix of my favorite chocolate brownie snack cake from when I was younger.
Grandbaby Cakes was founded by Jocelyn Deik Adams when she discovered she had the “baking gene” from her grandmother and couldn’t stop baking. She shares her sweet and savory recipes and encourages others to get in the kitchen to bake and to always enjoy dessert. Something I can TOTALLY support and get behind! You can subscribe to receive a free dessert e-book and also find more recipes on her site here. The Merch Shop has the cutest tees! The Wake, Bake, Eat, and Repeat tee is calling my name!
If you live in Frisco, Texas run to this next cookie shop. If not, no worries they ship nationwide! Cookie Society makes its cookies with real butter and the highest quality ingredients. These cookies weigh in at a whopping 4oz because everything is bigger in Texas. I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and the flaky sea salt on theirs sounds divine! I’m also eyeing up Brownie Nutella, Red Velvet, Salted Caramel, and Banana Pudding. The “New” Classic Sampler Pack and The Cookout Pack both look like great options to try a variety!
For our fur babies
Sir Darius Brown is the founder and 13-year-old powerhouse of Beaux and Paws. He creates stylish bow ties and is also an advocate for animals. His story is inspiring and the impact he is making in the lives of dogs and cats in the US and the UK is just incredible. Moose has a bow tie for Christmas that we purchased at a local store but I’ve been on the hunt for others. I’m keeping an eye on their online shop and patiently waiting for them to restock!
Another kid kicking bootie as an entrepreneur and helping to make the lives of our fur baby better is Ava Dorsey of Ava’s Pet Palace. They make 100% organic and non-GMO small-batch pet treats for cats and dogs. Moose is a HUGE fan of peanut butter and would be thrilled to get some of Ava’s Peanutty Paw Cookies. Ava’s Bingos featuring banana and oats would also make him super happy!
These are just a few of the amazing Black-owned businesses I found this past week. The talents they possess and the missions that drive their businesses is impressive and awe-inspiring. I encourage you to check them out and support them if you can!
What are some of your favorite Black-owned businesses you LOVE to support and think should be included on our list?
Looking for more? May I suggest my post on The Home Decor Essentials Everyone Needs in their House.
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