Yes... you can have some fun this holiday season by supporting the #BuyBlack movement!

Black people spend $1.2 trillion annually, yet we only spend a small percentage within our community. We need to not only move our money to Black owned banks or #BankBlack, but also move our mind to look for opportunities to #BuyBlack as well!

Our President & COO, Teri Williams, made the commitment in 2016 to buy her holiday gifts from Black owned businesses. And she had fun! Here is her experience in her own words:

I decided last year to put my money where my mouth is…and buy ALL my holiday gifts from Black owned businesses. It was so much fun researching gift ideas locally and online. I found so many unique gifts that reflected my values. Here are a few of my purchases:

• I bought a beautiful skirt for my daughter and cool shirts for my husband and son from D’IYANU. The experience was amazing. They immediately sent me a message thanking me for the order. They then followed up with messages on the status of my order including when it was shipped and when it arrived. According to their website, “D’IYANU (dee-ya-nu) is a ready-to-wear bold print clothing line offering quality, trendy African inspired fashion at affordable prices. With her love for fashion and passion for self-expression through unique clothing, Nigerian born Addie Olutola launched the D’IYANU brand at the beginning of 2014. D’IYANU is a fun, bold, chic line centered on inspiring individuals to confidently dress bold and beautifully. All garments are currently made in Philadelphia with great attention to quality.”
• I bought African print hoop earrings from That Ladys Closet which is the store for Diaspora Africa on Etsy. By day the owner, Shalair Armstrong, is a chiropractor. By night, she’s the seamstress and designer behind Diaspora Africa, located inside her Codman Square chiropractic office in Boston. With Diaspora Africa, I love that I can buy locally in Boston and online.
• So…I wasn’t a head wrap fan until I went natural and did the big chop! Now, I love all things natural and love The Wrap Life! I have friends who wear wraps all the time and look so regal. I love The Wrap website because it includes video tutorials on how to wrap.
• I carry the Mona Visa debit card and love the response I get when I pull it out! I love the internationally acclaimed artist, Addonis Parker, who paints such powerful images like Mona, Amir and Lady Liberty. For the holidays, I bought a great phone case gift with one of his paintings, “Scope Ice Cold.” By visiting Addonis Parker’s website, I found a link to Addonis Parker’s shop at Fine Art America where I could purchase all kinds of gifts with his art.
• I’m an author, avid book reader and book giver. Many cities have Black owned bookstores. For the holidays, I purchased books from Eso Won Books in Leimert Park, Los Angeles. There was a great story in the LA Sentinel about Eso Won Books where the owner, James Fugate, says he’s thankful to the community for its support throughout the years. He sees Eso Won’s success as a circle, one in which the community plays a vital role. “Your support of our store continues to keep good books in print and continues to promote the books,” said Fugate. “It’s very important to have independent bookstores. A lot of people don’t realize what’s going to happen if you only have one source of getting your books.” Fugate and his partner, Tom Hamilton, provide a wealth of information on authors and history and hold book signing events.

President Williams discovered many other Black owned businesses during her journey to #BuyBlack for the holidays.

We encourage you to take your own journey. Check out local Black owned business, shop online and/or use online resources such as We Buy Black. Even small purchases add up to build wealth and create jobs in the Black community. Share your recommendations and get the Amir, Mona or Lady Liberty Visa Debit Card to #BuyBlack every day!