Will you join me?
Here’s what I mean …. on this Friday June 19 let’s put our dollars consciously into Black (and Indiginous and People of Color) communities.
Juneteenth, June 19 (which this year falls on a Friday) is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, when news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free, finally reached Galveston, Texas. (2.5 years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, but that’s another story).
The sobering truth is that in the USA, white people (mostly white men) own about 90% of everything.
It’s easy to support them; we do every day, every minute. Let’s consciously support the REST of our communities with our attention and money. Let’s do some leg-work and amplify the work of BIPOC-led businesses and organizations across our regions.
I got this idea from rapper and activist Killer Mike’s show, “Trigger Warning” on Netflix. In the first episode, “Living Black” he spends three days buying only from Black-owned businesses — harder than one might think. (The show is provocative and funny AF; I recommend).
Killer Mike’s call to action is that every Friday be Black Friday, but not the frenzied day-after-Thanksgiving consumerism orgie, but a day when you intentionally put and keep your money in the BIPOC community.
I hope you’ll join me, and spread this around.
Below, I’ve put links to what I’ve mentioned here, as well as BIPOC-owned businesses in my local Asheville area and also some nationally. Obviously, I’m not sure which are open at this time of COVID-19.
Please add to these lists and share what you know (at my Facebook page).
And no reason to keep it one day! Let’s start right now, today. And let’s keep going, finding and supporting the businesses in our communities and nationally.
Links:
“Trigger Warning” show on Netflix, by Killer Mike.
Figgers Wireless, Black-owned cell phone and telecom company (the founder has an amazing story, you can use your existing phone and port your existing number, and the headphones translate languages).
OneUnited, a Black-owned, FDIC-insured USA-based bank, that channels funds back into urban communities for economic development.
Black-owned shops spotlighted on Etsy, for jewelry, clothing, art, and leatherwork.
LGBTQIA+ sellers spotlighted on Etsy, including lip gloss, jewelry, art, accessories.
The Conscious Kid promotes access to children’s books centering underrepresented and oppressed groups. The are “an education, research and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity development in youth.”
Directory of Black theatre companies in the USA broken down by state.
Sounds True (my publisher) is asking for suggestions for BIPOC authors they should consider publishing.
This blog post honoring the contributions of leaders within the telecommunications field who strive to move their companies forward in service, equity, and diversity.
Asheville and North Carolina:
Asheville NC Black-Owned Business & Community Directory, including dance studios and auto detailing.
BIPOC-led Organizations in NC to give to, including farms, restaurants, catering, botanicals, and organizations.
Hood Tours, an interactive tour focusing on Asheville’s resilient African American history and future.
Lovely and affordable Asheville homes to own (yes, in Asheville) in the Oakley neighborhood.
Different Strokes Theatre Company, based in Asheville at the Wortham Center, “Making Theatre, Building Community, Facilitating Awareness, Bridging Cultural Gaps, and Changing the World (One Play at a Time).”