It's National Black Business Month!

If you follow us, you’ve seen us talk a lot about economic justice and financial independence for BIPOC businesses. In fact, seeing the amount of BIPOC business owners denied financial aid, opportunity, and support compared to their white counterparts, is exactly how the BIPOC Support Foundation began! If you found our site, chances are you also feel passionate about the light has been shed on this movement. This movement which is calling out racial disparities and injustices nationwide. You've probably spoken out and supported in many ways the past few weeks.

But have you noticed a lot of your social media and news feeds are starting to return to “business as usual?

We created BIPOC Support Foundation because we know that true economic justice requires a long term commitment as opposed to a short term performance.

The truth is, the pandemic has hit Black-owned businesses harder than anyone else. Did you know that Black business owners account for about 10 percent of U.S. businesses and about 30 percent of all minority-owned businesses? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, that amounts to approximately two million African American business owners. That number is growing every single day, with Black entrepreneurs everywhere starting the path to self-employment! This means, you probably know more Black-owned businesses than you think!

Here are 6 ways you can support, with both your dollar and your voice:

1. Take two minutes to sign these petitions

• 15 Percent Pledge: Tell major retailers to stock their shelves with a 15% minimum of products from Black-owned businesses

• Color of Change petition: This tells Congress to take the necessary and long overdue steps to provide more protection for Black business owners

• Support Black employees of large corporations by signing the petitions on Color of Change’s new site, Beyond the Statement.

2. Go without a few latte’s this month, and support these Black businesses instead:

The best thing you can do is vote with your dollar. From restaurants to clothing brands to beauty to books, you can get anything you could ever need or want!

Black Business Registries:

• Shoppe Black

• Black Nation App

• Chez Nous Guide

• Official Black Wall Street

• I Am Black Business

• We Buy Black

• Buy From A Black Woman

• Beyoncé Black Parade

• By Location:

• Black Owned Chicago

• Oklahoma Black Business Directory

• New York City

• Black-Owned Brooklyn

Black Owned Restaurants:

• 67 Black Owned Wineries (created by McBride Sisters)

• Eat Okra App (app for finding Black-owned restaurants)

• Equity At The Table (a directory of professional chefs / food writers / culinary experts, features only people who identify as womxn or non-binary with an emphasis on the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities)

• Eboneats (international directory for Black-owned restaurants)

• Black People Eats (Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Washington D.C)

• By location:

• New York (created by Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker food critic)

• Black-Owned Brooklyn

• Miami (created by Zach Fagenson, journalist)

• Seattle (created by Naomi Tomky, food writer and Eater contributor)

• Black Chicago Eats

• Black Food and Beverage (Chicago)

• Los Angeles (Created by Kat Hong, food writer)

• Central Ohio (created by the Blackout Coalition)

Black Owned Clothing & Beauty

• Cosmopolitan 63 Black-Owned Clothing Brands

• Refinery29 52 Black-Owned Fashion Businesses

• Vogue 84 Black-Owned Fashion and Beauty Brands

• Allure 41 Black-Owned Beauty Brands

• Essence List of 75 Black-Owned Skin Care and Cosmetic Brands

• Klur 

• Brother Vellies

• Essentials by Temi

• Pyer Moss

Black Owned Bookstores

• Refinery29 List of Black Owned Bookstores

• Literary Hub

• African American Literature Book Club

3. Encourage your friends and family to donate toward Black financial freedom. Here are a few ways: 

• Lend to a Black business owner in the US through Kiva

• Donate to the BIPOC Support Foundation’s emergency business grant fund

• Fund a Black womxn entrepreneur through IFundWomen

• By Location:

• California BCC – Everybody Pitch In campaign

• San Diego BCC – Business Relief Fund

• Pittsburgh Black Business Relief Fund

4. Open a Bank Account at a Black-Owned Bank:

Guess what? Black banks are also Black businesses! Put your money where your… well, money is, and #BankBlack. (And if you are a BIPOC business owner, Black banks can set you up with all the loans and resources you need for your business. It’s a win-win!)

• Find a Black-owned bank near you with this U.S. Map of Black Banks from the Blackout Coalition

5. Don't let your social media go back to normal!

Keep using your voice online! Share this post with your friends. Follow Black business accounts. Reshare their content. A simple retweet or share on social media platforms can go a long way!

6. Leave reviews!

We know times are tough and you may not have the ability to donate financially right now. But for many businesses, online reviews are up a huge part of their success! Who are the Black creatives, entrepreneurs, and business owners that inspire you? Leave a review on their Facebook page, google business or LinkedIn account! You can also review their podcast, leave a comment on their Youtube or Instagram, or simply reshare!