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By
Sarah Crow,
Best Life
When it comes to providing support to marginalized communities, it takes more than posting a hashtag to make a difference. Especially right now, when small businesses are closing left and right in the wake of COVID-19 and Black communities are fighting back against deeply entrenched institutional racism and police brutality, supporting Black entrepreneurs has never been so important. If you're eager to find incredible new products, from fashion to food, read on to discover amazing Black-owned businesses you can shop online now.
1. Ace Beauté
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Want to update your look with some new makeup? Houston, Texas-based Ace Beauté has been creating amazing, highly-pigmented eye shadows that flatter customers of every gender, race, age, and skin tone. Founder Niye Aniekan-Attang, who initially created the business as a false lash specialty store, has since expanded to create gorgeous cruelty-free shadows and palettes that are now distributed throughout North America, Africa, Australia, and Europe.
2. Athlitacomics
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It's never been easier to find inclusive stories for your little ones, thanks to Athlitacomics. The Chicago-based publishing house, founded by Israel Idonjie, focuses on creating children's books with positive messages, like I Love Me, part of the Dream Kidz Adventures series, which focuses on promoting confidence and self-love in young kids.
3. Ecoslay
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Disappointed by the hair products she was finding on beauty store shelves, Adria Marshall decided to start creating her own blends at home that suited her hair needs. The result is Ecoslay, a line of affordable vegan, no-filler formulas for natural hair, including products like hot oil treatments and the brand's curl-defining Orange Marmalade. In addition to being available online, you can now buy Ecoslay products at 30 retailers around the world.
4. The Bautista Project
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Custom décor and apparel don't have to be cost-prohibitive. Case in point: The Bautista Project's gorgeous bespoke wearables and home accessories from founder Marla Bautista—which range from graduation t-shirts to water bottles—are all under $35, and 10 percent of the Tampa, FL-based company's profits are donated to the homeless.
5. Pill Apparel
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Nurses are amazing—and that's just why registered nurse Glenda Hargrove, BSN, RN, created the cheeky wares at Atlanta-based Pill Apparel. The line, which has fun t-shirts and sweatshirts with slogans like "Nurses Are Dope" and "#Nursbae" on them, are ideal for tossing on over a pair of scrubs at the end of a long shift—and they also make great gifts for the nursing professionals in your life.
6. Inaygia
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If you've ever had trouble finding a foundation in your shade, Inaygia is here to solve that problem for you. Founded by Ontario-based entrepreneur Sasha Alexander, the custom makeup company creates shade-matched organic cosmetics for customers who don't always have luck finding their perfect color on a drugstore or department store shelf.
7. TCTLE
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Want every item in your home to have your friends begging, "Where did you get that?" Then look no further than TCTLE. Founded by Deepa Shanbhag, the New York City-based home goods and accessories brand sells exclusively products made by women of color, from rugs to throw pillows. Better yet, 10 percent of each purchase gives back to organizations that support people of color.
8. Ruby Love
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Demystifying and destigmatizing periods is the name of the game at Ruby Love. Founded in Long Island, NY by Crystal Etienne, the company sells everything you might need for that time of the month, from First Period Kits to period swimwear to leak-proof apparel.
9. Old Arthur's
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What's summer without a barbecue in the backyard? If you're looking to up your grill game, score some barbecue sauce or rub from Old Arthur's. Run by Eudell Watts IV, a sales executive with Johnson & Johnson in Chicago, and his father, Eudell Watts III, the brand's recipes have been handed down for 160 years since they were first created by their namesake, Arthur Watts, who was born into slavery in Missouri in 1837. The business has been family-owned since its inception, and its award-winning sauces and rubs have gone through little transformation since they were first created. "We were careful to stay true to the original flavors," says Watts IV.
10. Bantam Bridal
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Looking great for your big day has never been easier, thanks to Orange County, California-based Bantam Bridal. The concierge styling platform, founded by Nicola Buckle-Hurvitz, offers personalized styling services—including virtual appointments—as well as gorgeous accessories for the bride-to-be.
11. Mossum
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Have you tried sea moss? Mossum might just get you hooked on the superfood. The Chicago-based company, founded by Saint Lucia native Kim Jean, creates epicurean delights from the ocean vegetable, from sea moss bouillon to sea moss truffles. "My knowledge of its goodness, the simple ways to use it that truly builds, strengthens, secures, and protects the body from the inside out, is the reason I started Mossum," says Jean.
12. Pink MahogHany
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Looking for your new signature scent? Look no further than Pink MahogHany. Founded by Chavalia Dunlap-Mwamba in Longview, Texas, the brand creates stunning personal and home fragrances without the use of phthalates. Perhaps more useful than ever, the brand also offers a line of organic hand sanitizers, as well as a perfume sample discovery set, which can help you create the perfect scent for you.
13. Reveille Trading Company
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Your morning pick-me-up just got a whole lot more delicious. After discovering that the average coffee farmer makes just three cents on every $3 cup of their coffee sold, founder Calvin Harris decided to create a coffee company that adequately compensated farmers for their labor. The result is Atlanta-based Reveille Trading Company, which has cut out the middlemen between farmers and distributors in an effort to fairly pay South American farmers for their hard work while providing a more delicious and ethical product to consumers.
14. EXAU Olive Oil
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There are countless olive oil brands out there—but EXAU is the only one in the world owned by a black woman. Co-founded by Skyler Mapes, an award-winning olive oil producer, the Austin-based company not only sells individual bottles of their delicious oils—perfect for drizzling on your favorite salad or pasta dish—EXAU has recently launched its own olive oil membership that sends you two bottles of EVOO every four months, ensuring you'll never find yourself without the tools for that sauté or stir-fry again.
15. Radiant Pearl Living
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2020 is finally going to be the year you get seriously organized—and Radiant Pearl Living is here to help. Founded by Stacy Zant, the Atlanta-based company sells planners, pens, and printables for everything from to-do lists to social media planning, helping you finally tackle all those tasks you've been putting off.
16. SPIBelt
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Let's face it: running with your phone and keys in hand isn't exactly comfortable. That's why Kim Overton created the SPIBelt, a bounce-free, chafe-free, expandable belt perfect for keeping those essentials in place on your daily jog.
17. The Fitting Curve
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Finding the right bra is hard enough—and having breast cancer adds another undeniable layer of complexity to the process. That's why Helene Delince, Stephanie Vincent, and Kelly Saintus created The Fitting Curve, a Black-owned business based in Long Island, NY-based that specializes in fitting breast cancer patients for bras, in addition to selling gorgeous lingerie for every body type. Certified and trained post-mastectomy services and breast prosthetics, the brand has recently teamed up with the American Cancer Society to ensure that post-mastectomy patients can feel beautiful and confident in whatever they choose to wear.
