August is National #BlackBusinessMonth, a time to act and reflect on the importance of funding and supporting Black entrepreneurs and their ideas. Black businesses are imperative to the American economy. Despite historic inequities and racism (let’s not forget the Tulsa Race Massacre and Seneca Village), about 10% of American businesses are Black-owned. However, the global pandemic and the current socioeconomic landscape has severely highlighted Black business owners’ lack of access to capital. At the start of the pandemic, Black business owners received smaller grants from the government; now, they’re also seeing greater falls in revenues compared to white business owners. By supporting Black-owned businesses, we are closing the racial wealth gap, investing in Black creativity and innovation, strengthening local economies, and creating a more equitable future. Let’s be intentional about who we support and how and where we’re spending our dollars. Remember, every month is Black Business Month so check out some cool Black-owned brands, creatives, and innovators: - @golde is my favorite matcha brand 🍵 - Love @mkoby_‘s art for capturing the experience and infinite essence of Black love - @blkandgrn - a marketplace normalizing access to nontoxic products for Black women, created by Black artisans - Plants give me life and bring me so much joy, thank you @plantkween keep bringing the genius 🍃🪴 - As @theconsciouslee says, “education is elevation” - support your local bookstore, such as @reparations.club Couldn’t get all this amazingness in the reel, so here are a few other Black entrepreneurs to support: @thespiritguidecoach @melaninass @brothervellies @zouxoushoes @thelitbar Please invest time to research other Black businesses to support!