Build Black Wealth: Links, Directories, Recommendations and Apps for Finding Black-owned Businesses in the United States

(In the U.K.? Here’s a directory to find Black-owned businesses locally.)

We are firmly in the “DO SOMETHING, WHITE PEOPLE” phase of antiracism and systemic reform, so if you’re looking for a list of ways to donate, participate, advocate, or educate yourself, that’s over here. We cannot shop our way out of society’s problems.

But let’s face it: you’re still going to spend money on everyday things, whether it’s because you need a plumber to fix your clogged toilet or you need a new face mask to help you unwind after after another day being ground under the millstone of capitalism.* And lots of you are still gonna go out to eat (or get take-out, hopefully, because hi the pandemic is kinda still going on). And you’re going to keep hiring plumbers and buying sheet masks and getting take-out once the protests in your town stop.

Since you’re gonna spend that money anyway you might as well spend it at a Black-owned business, because there’s no equity or justice without a massive redistribution of wealth; no one person is going to solve this, but everyone has a role. Here are some lists and suggestions to help you spend it, collected from my jaunts around Twitter, Instagram, blogs, and magazines — it is necessarily very, very limited, so if you have a list or an article or a specific recommendation, please leave a comment! I’ll update the post regularly.

Amazon Prime is convenient and it is the case there’s almost nothing that you actually need delivered to you within 3 seconds of purchase. Spread the love and your dollars around. Walk to an actual store, or wait four extra days for your new jeans to ship. Everything will be fine.

Juneteenth is a nice day to do some shopping, just saying.

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Directories so you can find what you need where you are

Support Black Owned

Shoppe Black

I Am Black Business

Go Pro Black

Official Black Wall Street (there’s also an app)

Buy Black Movement

And if you want an app specifically for searching on the go, there’s Black Nation.

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Threads of recommendations, nationwide and non-specific

If you like crowdsourced Twitter recommendations, here’s a thread of Black-owned businesses across the U.S.

And here’s another Twitter thread with a nationwide list.

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Threads and lists and recommendations by location

Black-Owned Brooklyn is a magazine highlighting Black-own, Brooklyn-based businesses.

A list of Black-owned businesses in NYC and the Bay Area.

A list of Black-owned businesses in New Orleans.

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Threads and lists and recommendations by thing

Here’s a list of Black-owned indie bookstores.

Another list of Black-owned bookstores. And another.

Here are seven Black-owned fashion brands you might not have heard of.

And here’s a list of 80 Black-owned fashion and beauty brands.

Fat ladies like me, here is a list of Black-owned plus size brands and boutiques.

If you love schmancy candles, a list of Black-owned candle companies.

Here’s a list of Black-owned gothic and alternative stores.

Love vintage? Here’s a list of Black-owned vintage shops. And another.

Get some bespoke menswear.

Or maybe some new skincare products.

Outfit your kitchen with some beautiful ceramics.

Snazz up the rest of your house with new art, furniture, and decor.

Screw Uber and use a Black-owned ride-sharing app.

And if you like crafty and handmade things, here are 27 Black-owned Etsy shops to check out.

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Restaurants, because everyone’s gotta eat three times a day

Find local Black-owned restaurants with the EatOkra app.

A directory of Black-owned vegan-friendly restaurants across the U.S.

A list of Black-owned vegan restaurants in Chicago.

A list of Black-owned restaurants in Boston.

A list of Black-owned restaurants in San Francisco.

A list of Black-owned restaurants in Los Angeles.

A list of Black-owned vegan restaurants in Los Angeles.

A list of Black-owned restaurants in New York City.

A list of Black-owned vegan restaurants in New York City.

Five Black-owned food spots to try in Jersey City.

And if you’re in Jersey City and need a cup of coffee, try Grind Cafe, JC Coffee Factory, the Light Rail Cafe, or Griot Cafe.

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* Does the idea of spending money to make yourself feel better for participating in capitalism feel not-quite-right? Now you begin to see its insidious genius.