Supporting Our Own

So, I’ve recently been watching “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike” on Netflix and it’s really opened my eyes to something I’ve never thought about before. On the first episode he set out to to use and buy from Black owned establishments. From the food he ate to where he laid his head at night. It had to be Black owned. Obviously, this method was extreme, but it did give me a new perspective on what we consume.

This bothered me because the idea of buying from Black owned companies isn’t new, but the reality of trying to buy from Black owned companies only and not having that option is… well triggering. Their wasn’t a Black owned company that was Black operated in every aspect of the business in every field of business. For example, he went to a Black owned barbecue restaurant and couldn’t get the food because the meat came from farm that wasn’t Black owned.

By the end of the episode, he found an older Black woman who grows her food and cooks it herself. This gave me hope that maybe there are Black owned businesses that are Black from its core and they just haven’t been advertised that well. So I looked high and low for places to go when we want to support those in our community. Like hub but for Black people.

We Buy Black

The most popular and widely ranged website for most of your Black culture needs. The categories include home living, head wraps, clothing, jewelry, toys, art and collectibles, footwear, beauty, books, and beard care. The website is easy to navigate and it offers a tool to start selling if you have a business of your own. The company also holds a convention–We Buy Black Convention—in Atlanta where Black vendors come together to network and sell their products to customers directly.

Black Nation and Official Black Wall Street

Both of these companies have apps that act as the “Black Aliexpress” if you will. Both provide smooth functioning software. Scroll endlessly through companies that reflect your personal and cultural needs. Both apps allow the user to read reviews on the companies, shows the hours, provides contact info of each owner, directions to the store, and links to the websites.

Black Owned Chicago

This is specially for Chicagoans looking for Black owned business to support. The home page welcomes the user to search what they’re looking for specially or to scroll through several categories until they find something they’re interested in. The search can also be narrowed down by neighborhoods to find something local in your neighborhood. Their categories are clothing, coffee, entertainment, hair and beauty, professional services, restaurants, health and spa. Write and read reviews on the many businesses that use this platform as well as get direct access to owners contact info. In addition to finding businesses, you can advertise your own business through this website.

With four websites, I was exposed to thousands of companies that were Black owned and they fit into several different criterias. So if you want to take the challenge to buy Black, it is possible.

Watch the trailer for “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike” below.