So I have been thinking, and by the way my thoughts are not novel, know that full well; but I believe they are timely. As a group of people that have been marginalized for so many years and in so many ways ranging from being prohibited to live in certain communities. In the work force you may be picked for a particular role or to serve a particular group based on your skin tone. Universities and Colleges attempting to become out of reach of the minority. The long list of unwritten rules the moment you step out of your home, and the list goes on and on…
We must collectively get to a place where we recognize that (worldwide) we have the power to impact OUR community in the way that we need to – economically. Which brings me to the point of this post… we must (even more now) direct our focus to our community and supporting each other’s endeavours. Meaning, we must support black businesses one hundred percent.
Thank goodness the world is a global marketplace and so it does not matter where we are, we can engage in commerce activities online. We have the spending power (ask Nike, Amazon etc), and so let us spend and build each other.
TheBeyondWoman is a caribbean owned magazine but in support of our sisters and brothers in America we have chosen to focus on 12 black owned businesses outside of our jurisdiction as a starter. At the end we have included a Forbes feature on other black owned businesses that we can also support.
With That Said, Here Are The 12.
Information (related to each brand) is taken from their website.
1 – BUTTA Skincare line – At Buttah, their vision is to give melanin-rich skin the attention it deserves. They unite the best of nature and science in highly effective products for both women and men, formulated to reveal more radiant results. They don’t want to just nurture your skin —They want you to discover the beauty that lies within. Their goal is to give you the confidence to look in the mirror and truly love the skin you’re in. Visit their website at https://www.buttahskin.com/
2 – Bask & Bloom Essentials which was created & founded by Bahamian native, Candera Thompson who now resides in the USA. While transitioning to natural hair shortly after having her first child, she experienced lots of dryness and breakage due to postpartum shedding. She decided to use her love for herbal teas and at-home remedies to solve this problem while utilizing her MBA to start her business. Over a period of two years, she began researching and developing her line with the goal of providing healthier ingredients and eliminating common toxins. Learn more at https://baskandbloomessentials.com/
3 – I Am Len’s Kitchen is a continual expanding source of real food based recipes, cooking information, and food wellness lifestyle options. Their focus is to advocate for primary and secondary food movement, which is the combination of nourishment holistically and what’s on your plate. And guess what, one plate or lifestyle does not fit all – bio individuality does. I Am Len’s Kitchen provides you with simple nutritious meal tips that save time and simplify your life. We all have varying truths when it comes to food but one truth we can all agree…”We don’t really want to be in the kitchen all day.” Visit at https://iamlenskitchen.com/
4 – Akoyn Beauty is a line of bath & body products formulated specifically for women’s delicate skin. Their story is simple just like their products. Akoyn has been serving beautiful women for a while now and are vested in helping women to keep beautiful skin. Visit their website at https://www.akoynbeauty.com/
5 – Driven by their deep passion for practicing and blending oils, Gavin Luxe was established to share the benefits of sensual aromatherapy through a range of the finest quality natural oils and resources available. They continue to develop and expand, and their products are now sold at exclusive retail outlets worldwide. Visit at https://gavinluxe.com/
6 – Motherland Essentials’ ultimate goal is to foster an appreciation of all things natural and provide an opportunity for you to fall in love with natural skin care. They believe everyone should have the ability to exercise the right to place quality over price, and Motherland Essentials is working toward achieving this goal one product at a time. Follow at https://www.motherlandessentials.com/
7 – Empowered Tees was created for children, women and men of all ages to provide them with t-shirts that will motivate and inspire them to reach their fullest potential. At Empowered Tees they believe that it is their mission to uplift their community and promote positive images of pride, intelligence, strength and ingenuity. Visit them at https://empoweredtee.com/
8 – Range Cosmetics was born out of the need to find make up that would offer the right shade and undertone for owner Alicia, as well as, solve the eczema issues she would often have while using other brands of makeup. She created one solution for both of these problems and developed range, a makeup line with skincare benefits. She stopped asking, “why can’t there be better options for us?” and created one. Visit Range cosmetics at https://www.rangebeauty.com/
9 – Bea Dixon Founder of The Honey Pot CO – The whole reason I started The Honey Pot Co was because I was suffering from bacterial vaginosis for months and couldn’t get relief. One night, an ancestor visited me in a dream and gifted me with a vision to heal myself. With her help, I created the Honey Pot Co to solve for what other brands wouldn’t, using the power of herbs.” Visit at https://thehoneypot.co/
10 – Taylor Made holistic is a brand that aligns with all things holistic. More than just teas, they promote mental wellness, physical wellness & all around healthy living. Visit them at https://taylormadeholistic.com/
11 – It is not just a business but a market place for all things natural. Taken from their website this is what they are about: At BLK + GRN, our all Black artisans are carefully chosen by Black health experts who know what an all-natural product truly looks like. We’ve seen firsthand the damaging effects harmful ingredients and practices have had on our community. Our marketplace connects Black people with natural lifestyles to high-quality, toxic-free brands that share in our mission of health, wellness and community cultivation.
We promise to maintain that connection by curating, crafting and consuming consciously for you. Learn more at https://blkgrn.com/
12 – Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant is a premier producer and the largest franchisor of authentic Caribbean cuisine sold in over 125 franchise restaurants throughout North America. The original restaurant was formed 30 years ago and still exists today. We exist to provide a fresh, new dining experience for today’s ever demanding consumer. In 1989 the first Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery was opened at 1381 E. Gunhill Road, New York. Learn more about them at https://www.goldenkrust.com/
These are just a few of the many black owned businesses that we can all support. Find and support the ones in your own country and area. As with anything, do your research, and begin to support. We believe this is one of the ways to empower ourselves in the economic sense which is what counts. Change must come through the continued creation and success of our own businesses and supporting each other will help.
Let us move away from what they have done to us and on to a path of answering – what can we do for ourselves? TheBeyondWoman encourages all aspiring entrepreneurs to do the ‘damn thing’. Start your business and let the focus be on wealth creation and economic growth. And to the wealthy black investors, look towards supporting your community first.
Let us support each other.
Check out this article on Forbes.com highlighting 75 Black-Owned Businesses forgive us if there are any overlapping.
Also look out for our feature on 10 “Badass” Caribbean Women Who Inspire Us.
Pictures and information used in this feature were taken from the source’s website. We hope we have not breached any copyright agreement, but if we have we will gladly rectify the situation immediately.
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