Black-owned businesses have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, closing at twice the rate of other small businesses. That’s why earlier this month we announced the #BuyBlack Friday campaign in the US – to harness the energy of the biggest physical retail day of the year to support and celebrate Black-owned businesses and their communities.
To help you #BuyBlack this holiday season, we’ve created The Facebook #BuyBlack Friday Gift Guide, featuring products from Black-owned businesses from across the US. The guide has been curated with the help of the U.S. Black Chambers and other leading voices in the Black community, and it features businesses such as:
The Tiny Tassel, a South Carolina-based jewelry, clothing and accessories business started by Mimi Striplin in 2015. Mimi creates each tassel and accessory by hand and designs clothing with her mom. The Tiny Tassel’s signature look features bright colors and classic prints. Before the pandemic, Mimi held pop-ups and sold her products in stores in Charleston, and she plans to open a physical store and showroom soon. In the meantime, she has focused on selling her products online using Facebook Shops and Checkout on Instagram.
DIARRABLU, a San Francisco-based clothing company started by mathematician-turned-fashion entrepreneur Diarra Bousso. Senegalese-born Diarra created DIARRABLU to address sustainability and inclusivity in the fashion industry while showcasing the rich colors and unique patterns typical of African design. Her love of fashion is also coupled with her passion for math and each piece is designed using mathematical concepts or algorithms.
Brooklyn Tea Company, a New York-based tea shop that pivoted online when the pandemic turned its once bustling storefront to an empty lot. Alfonso Wright and Jamila McGill started the business in 2018 with a location in the heart of Brooklyn. After taking a big hit in the early months of the pandemic, they focused their efforts online, promoting gift boxes filled with teas known for their health benefits, and used their spare time to bring essential workers ready-to-go drinks. They are now selling holiday gift boxes filled with specialty teas and thoughtfully curated products from other local businesses, including candles, lotions and fragrances.
The gift guide is available at about.fb.com/giftguide and you can also find it in our Lift Black Voices Hub, which includes links to resources to help people #BuyBlack for the holidays. This includes the #BuyBlackChallenge, which encourages people to post and tag their favorite Black-owned business on Facebook. We’ll also be launching a new #BuyBlack Stories Sticker to promote #BuyBlack Friday on Facebook Stories.
Today we are also premiering The #BuyBlack Friday Show, a live event every Friday through November 27th that will spotlight Black-owned businesses, celebrate Black culture and inspire consumers to #BuyBlack. Each episode will be hosted live by Phoebe Robinson, and it kicks off with an all-female roster of business owners, artists and creators, including special guests Janet Mock and Elaine Welteroth, and musical performances by Tayla Parx.
The holidays are an important time for all businesses – and this year they will be critical for the many Black-owned businesses that have been hit the hardest by the impact of the pandemic. You can help by buying Black and supporting Black-owned businesses near you throughout the festive season.