BUYING BLACK

I started having an awakening last year. I was talking a lot, but not doing much. I wrote fiery Facebook posts about the lack of black leads in movies, and still bought tickets for movies with no black leads. I went off about politicians, but I didn’t vote in the midterm election. I ranted about supporting black business but still ran into Nordstrom and went to town on anything but black-produced products.

Well, not in 2016. It started with this message I sent to my family and friends on Black Friday:

Hello Family & Friends,

Like many of you, my heart has been very heavy leading into this holiday season. There are daily reminders that our lives are being devalued, that our rights are being trampled, and that we must make our voices heard in order to stop these trends.

I have been thinking a lot about what I can do to be a champion of justice in my own right. This year, I graduated from Harvard Law School–the same space in which the portraits of black professors were systematically defaced following the calls to remove the shield of a racist, slave-owning founder. I started working in a space that represents many of the banks that contributed to the financial crisis. I am earning enough money to be in the top 5% of earners in our country–the same 5% that continuously attempts to deny their privilege and suggest that others “pull themselves up by the bootstraps” in order to live decent lives.

And as I move through all of these spaces, I wonder–what can I do to be better, make my world better, and not succumb to the blindness that creeps over so many who find themselves in these spaces? What I propose is not much, but it’s something. It’s not an original plan, but I hope it will at least inspire someone else to do the same.

I have decided that this year, I am not going Christmas shopping. I am writing this on Black Friday for a reason. I have decided to make my Christmas more meaningful for the people I love by offering to do for them something more than buy them gadgets and material things (from the same people who will tell them tomorrow that their lives don’t matter).
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This year, I am offering to all of those for whom I would typically buy a Christmas present 3 options of how you may receive your “gift”:

1. I will donate a small amount to a non-profit organizaiton of your choosing OR directly to a person in need of your designation. It may not be much, but it may mean a lot to that organization/person and the people it reaches.

2. I will perform a short-term service project for the cause of your choosing. This may be serving food at a soup kitchen, wrapping Christmas presents for the needy, participating in a neighborhood clean-up, etc.

3. If you absolutely MUST have something wrapped under the Christmas tree, I will buy you a small gift from the MINORITY or WOMEN owned business of your choosing. This extends to products–I will buy a product produced by a minority owned or women owned organization even if it is sold by a non-minority or non-women owned entity (such as Shea-moisture in Target). Likewise, I will buy products that are not minority or women owned if you designate a minority or women owned store from which I can purchase it.
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I know that I haven’t traditionally bought everyone on this list a Christmas gift. But this year, I want to give you this. In return, I ask that everyone do that same for me–and for your loved ones. If you have the time/resources and the inclination, you can allow me to choose from the above list and designate that as my gift.

If you choose to give me a Christmas gift of giving, please send your donation either to:

Brotherhood Sister Sol: http://brotherhood-sistersol.org/support/donate
or
Spelman College: http://www.spelman.edu/giving

If you decide on option 2 or 3, we can talk offline.

All, I love you much. Above all else, I hope that your holidays are safe, fun, and filled with love. We need all the love we can get.

Now, I am trying to seriously integrate buying black and buying woman (and buying hispanic) into my lifestyle. I have looked at some listings of black businesses and have a couple faves:

I bought Black Girl Magic shirts from Blavity (www.blavity.com) for myself and all my cousins this Christmas. This is one of my cousins posing in hers!

And I almost died inside when I found a black-woman owned, natural, vegan, cruelty and paraben free lipstick brand; I went to town on the website (www.thelipbar.com)! I think Razmanian Devil will be my favorite.

Here are some spots to find your personal faves (I will update periodically):

Compilation lists of black businesses

1. Essence List: http://www.essence.com/package/buyblack-essence-guide-shopping-black-owned-businesses-holidays

2. Black Enterprise List of Largest Black Businesses: http://www.blackenterprise.com/lists/be-100s-2014/

3. Black Girl Long Hair List: http://blackgirllonghair.com/2015/11/master-list-65-black-owned-businesses-to-shop-this-black-friday/

4. Black business catalog: http://culsire.com/black-business-catalog/

5. Afrobella List: http://www.afrobella.com/2015/11/28/350-independent-black-owned-businesses-to-support/

6. Quirky Brown Love List: http://www.quirkybrownlove.com/2015/11/ultimate-black-owned-business-holiday-guide.html?m=1

7. Black Owned Bars/Restaurants in DC: http://www.idontdoclubs.com/2015/05/11/black-owned-restaurants-and-bars-dc/

8. Black Owned Etsy Stores: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/45-black-owned-etsy-stores-everyone-should-support_us_565caf02e4b072e9d1c2c47e
   Black Owned Chicago Businesses: http://nikkiandthecity.com/black-owned-businesses-in-chicago/

Searchable Website Listings

• https://www.supportblackowned.com/

• http://officialblackwallstreet.com/

• http://www.spendefy.com (Atlanta only)

• http://www.ablacklife.com

• http://www.izania.com/black-owned-businesses/

Apps

• Purchase Black

• Black-Owned Businesses

• Black Trade Circle