The death of George Floyd and the widespread unrest that has followed has left many Americans wondering how to help, heal and build lasting bridges between communities. Making donations to organizations that fight police brutality and systemic racism is an incredibly important way to promote peace and progress, but another smaller action can have real and far-reaching effects into the future: shopping.
Something that may seem trivial at this moment of anguish in America is actually a simple — and crucial — step, according to Tayo Giwa and Cynthia Gordy Giwa, founders of the website Black-Owned Brooklyn, which spotlights companies in New York City.
“We didn’t start Black-Owned Brooklyn in reaction to current events, but the increased attention on Black-owned businesses now is an important form of economic protest,” says Tayo, who started the site with Cynthia in early 2018. “This is an opportunity to strengthen Black businesses and other institutions. It’s a strategy that goes way back in this country, and it’s a simple, uplifting thing that we can all do.”
And it’s working.
“By introducing business owners and sharing the origins and inspirations behind their businesses, people feel a deeper sense of connection,” says Cynthia. “Knowing who the owners are makes them more invested in their success and more likely to actually go out and support their businesses. It’s been beautifully rewarding.”
The Giwas’ vision focusses on a physical neighborhood, but there are countless Black-owned businesses that sell online and ship all over the U.S. Here are just a few of the ones PEOPLE editors love — from fashion and beauty brands to home decor and food companies.
Food & Beverage
The Haitian-born, New York City-raised designer is known for his elevated and sexy take on knitwear. After working in the fashion industry as a publicist, design assistant and style director for various brands he launched his own inclusive eponymous label in 2006, and after a re-launch in 2015, he quickly became a celeb-favorite. (After Selena Gomez wore his red sweater in Vogue’s 73 Questions video, it sold out on Net-a-Porter.com.) "To me, sweaters are like jeans — you wear them all year round," Glemaud said in an interview with Fashionista in January.
Buy It! Tier Dress, $436.50; shopbop.com
Beauty
UOMA Beauty
Uoma (pronounced uh-mah) means “beautiful,” and that’s exactly how you’ll feel when you use their makeup products. From the Stay Woke Concealer to their Black Magic Color Palettes, UOMA’s product names are just as good as their formulas, too. In response to the killing of George Floyd and resulting outpouring of social media posts from brands, UOMA Beauty CEO and founder Sharon Chuter is also launching #PullUpOrShutUp, a campaign to bring awareness to the underrepresentation of Black people in leadership roles in corporate America. “This is not an exercise in naming and shaming but simply a call for all brands to review their own practices,” Chuter said in a press release. “It’s easy to say racism is other people’s problem but it’s important at this critical point in time that we all look at how we may have contributed to this issue and have the humility to accept it and make an effort to change it.”
Buy it! Black Magic Carnival Color Palette, $44; uomabeauty.com
Oyin Handmade
This clean beauty line was founded in the early aughts by Jamyla Bennu and her husband Pierre and inspired by Jamyla’s desire to find good-for-you products for her highly-textured hair. Fast-forward almost 20 years, the duo make over two dozen products hair and skin-care products for women and men.
Buy it! Ginger-Mint Co-Wash, $12; oyinhandmade.com
Bevel
Tristan Walker created this mens’ grooming line to address the specific skin needs of men of color. The sleek assortment ranges from a cordless trimmer, to affordable skin-and-body-care such as a $15 face serum for dark spots and scars and a $10 streak-free deodorant.
Buy it! Trimmer and T-Blade, $210; getbevel.com
Mented Cosmetics
KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson founded Mented (short for pigmented) “over a glass of Pinot” to put Black women at the forefront in the cosmetics conversation. What began as a line of vegan, non-toxic nude lipsticks for all skin tones has grown to include foundation, brow pencils, nail polish, and more products. The brand also hosts regular tutorials and Q+As on their Instagram, which has amassed over 146,000 followers.
Buy it! Lip liner, $12; mentedcosmetics.com
Briogeo
When Nancy Twine couldn’t find hair products that got the job done with clean ingredients, she decided to make her own. With the premise that every woman should be able to customize the perfect clean, effective, custom regimen for her hair, Briogeo was born. Take the brand’s hair quiz to find out which products are best for your strands — like the best-selling “Don’t Despair, Repair!” collection for dry and damaged hair — or, mix and match products to create your perfect routine.
Buy it! Curl Charisma rice amino + quinoa frizz control gel, $20; briogeohair.com
Charlotte Mensah
London-based hairstylist Charlotte Mensah has worked with celebs including Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu, is an award-winning authority on natural hair and was the first Black woman inducted to the British Hairdressing Hall of Fame. So, yeah, it was only fitting for Mensah to launch a haircare line. Featuring manketti oil — an ingredient she learned about while traveling in Kenya — and other organic and sustainably sourced ingredients, Mensah’s shampoo, conditioner, finishing mist and hair oil leave hair soft and hydrated, but never weighed down.
Buy it! Manketti hair oil, $48; charlottemensah.com
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