I can’t stand crowds, but I love local businesses. Last year, my student Matthew Miller (ABD, going to be job seeking soon) introduced me to Black-Owned Businesses Black Friday last year. And white people need to shop at black-owned stores, period. If we want people to do well, we have to support their endeavors. There’s no excuse because there’s lots of great prodo out there.
Towards that end, I really want support Black-owned businesses on Black Friday, but I have no intention of leaving my lair to put up with crowds. Bless y’all who go, but I just can’t handle it.
In that spirit, I have rounded up some places to visit in person, if you are an extrovert and like go to out, and some BoB online, if you, like me, plan to hide Friday.
Black Book’s List of Black-Owned Businesses in Los Angeles
Black Moms Blog’s list of all things (so many cute things)
Afrobella’s 350+ MegaList of Black-Owned Businesses (So many of the jewelry artists have beeeeeyooootiful things that would make great gifts. And if you are not already reading and gifting Tanarive Due’s books, we can’t be friends.)
Black Girl Long Hair’s 80+ List (children-owned businesses! Cookies! Popcorn! My favorite things!)
Props to Esty because they will show you All Teh Things Black creators sell on the platform. Anybody if Esty terms are good for creators? I hope so. If anybody wants to get me this or anything from SoulandSubstance, please do not hold yourself back.
I have working more on my sketching and drawing skills, and there are great Black YouTube artists who teach very, very well. And I think they get money from views and subscriptions through ads. So I will post them:
Alphonso Dunn is a fantastic art tutor, and IF MY HUSBAND IS READING THIS I WANT THIS BOOK PLEASE.
I feel like I am letting the side down a bit on YouTube, as these folks seem to be fairly well taken care of in terms of followers, so if you have some more for me to link to, please send them on.