10 Black Owned Businesses to Support in Honor of Juneteenth

June 9, 2021

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. According to the Juneteenth official website, it was on June 19,1865 that the Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. The question “Is Juneteenth a federal holiday?” is often still asked. Juneteenth, which is referred to as Freedom Day or Black Independence Day, is still not a nationally recognized holiday; however, as of 2021, 47 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation recognizing Juneteenth as either a state holiday or a day of observance. Juneteenth continues to make waves in new ways, given the widespread protests against police brutality across the U.S, following the polarizing murder of George Floyd. These common situations that happen all too often irritate the wound for black people that although we are no longer physically enslaved, racism, systematic injustice, and systemic racism still plagues this country and there is still a long way to go. Because of this, many have coined the phrase “free-ish", which means “somewhat free, but not totally free”. Yet, Juneteenth is a day of remembrance, celebration, reflection and connection to celebrate how far we’ve come. Black communities across the country usually commemorate the day by participating in parades, festivals, fellowshipping, and celebrating our rich culture, while also being intentional on supporting small black-owned businesses and centering the empowering and healing of black people. During the time of Juneteenth, more than any other day in the United States, black dollars are spent amongst our own kind in support of black advancement and to offset the disadvantage that we experience when it comes to marketing dollars and trying to compete with big corporations.

I’ve experienced the support and unity first-hand, as I’ve had the grand opportunity to vend at Juneteenth festivals and parades over the past few years; and ten times out of ten, the Juneteenth events were my most monetarily impactful days in all 365 days. As a black owned business owner, the goal for me has always been to provide value and to create a sustainable product that spreads an important and powerful message of celebrating the strengths, strides, and power of the culture. Here at Designs By DIJ, I create unique statement pieces and gifts to reflect the power of our culture and to spread black love in beautiful ways. Through art, we tell a visual story about the beauty of natural hair, black love, black economics, etc. to inspire, uplift, and empower you through the journey of life.

I’ve carefully curated some of my favorite black owned businesses that share the same underlying message related to black culture. Let’s keep true to the core values of Juneteenth and circulate our dollars within our own communities.

HBCU Pride & Joy Boutique- In the wake of the emancipation, many Black Americans founded HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to educate Black students. During the segregation era, HBCUs offered one of the only paths to a college degree for Black students. This is one reason why there is no greater feeling than spreading your HBCU pride to the next generation of young minds that you are raising. If you are looking to start planting those seeds of black excellence early, look no further than this HBCU clothing store. Dr. T. Nichole Phillips noticed that there was a gap in the market, and now she, along with her sister, serves the community and culture proudly by providing quality keepsakes and HBCU apparel to reflect their desire for cuteness for children. They offer a variety of cute HBCU gear for your little ones here.

Cloth And Cord- Three words: Gorgeous Wearable Art. Rooted in African ancestry, Ellana Turner creates handmade bold statement accessories and jewelry by using fabric manipulation and sewing techniques. The quality of each piece is impeccable and the vibrant popping colors will make you the most noticeable woman in the room. She creates gorgeous African jewelry, with the African necklaces being one of her most sought after pieces. Staying true to the heart of the Juneteenth tradition and theme, these one of a kind kente statement pieces will have you feeling like you are back in the motherland. Support this black owned boutique here.

Melanin Is Life- If you are looking for a socially-conscious lifestyle brand that produces t-shirts and hoodies for black men and women with messages that you can wear proudly, as you advocate for your people, look no further. This black culture clothing line was founded by husband and wife, Gene and Jas to promote the power of black unity and the beauty of melanin. They celebrate the culture in a special way with melanin apparel that display phrases like “Melanated And Educated'', "Rooting For Everybody Black”, “Unapologetically Black”, and “For The Culture” to empower black and brown people along their journey of life. They also go out of their way to support the culture by highlighting businesses such as black owned hair salons, black owned grocery stores, black owned bakeries, and they even provide a list of top HBCUs in the country. Check out the vibes here.

Abeille Creations- Melissa Mitchell, artist, designer, motivator, and innovator, often refers to herself as the “Kaleidoscope of Hope”, and indeed she is. She is on a mission to redefine what it means to be creative, and she infuses elements of her story into her unique artistry of Abeille creations. Melissa is a walking canvas of her artwork, which is a distinctive combination of vibrant colors, unique shapes, and colorful patterns that she designed herself. It is hard to choose one favorite piece from her clothing creation line because all of them are simply stunning, but it is the sheer kimonos for me. Melissa continues to be an inspiration to many as she takes the world of graphic art by storm. Check out Melissa’s creations here.

Entrepreneurs Color Too- HBCU Grad, Latoya Nicole is bridging the gap between coloring books and culture by focusing on the representation that is lacking. She has crafted her lane through her brand Entrepreneurs Color Too to bring diversity to adult coloring books that she designed to encourage black women to take out time for self-care and stress relief. This inspiring author has hit the ground running and has accomplished so much in such a short period of time, including creating a “24 Shades Of Business” coloring book, creating a “Me And My” coloring book, and most recently, producing a line of colored pencils to inspire women along their journey, with skin tones to represent people of color. Her business has instilled pride within women to celebrate their “different” names, and so many women are proud to have finally found their names on these color pencils: “Keisha”, “Toya”, “Nia”, just to name a few. Grab items from her line just in time for National Coloring Day here.

A House Called Hue- Destiny Brewton is the owner of A House Called Hue, which is a custom embroidered patch and apparel boutique in Atlanta that specializes in creating high quality customized products to help businesses elevate their brand in new ways through creative products designed uniquely for them. This creative embroideress has been breaking barriers by servicing over 200 brands and producing over 2000 custom goods. She offers different styles of appliques, such as her popular black power fist iron on patch and many more. While other companies require a minimum order quantity of at least 100 pieces, Destiny sets herself apart from her competition by keeping her minimum quantity low to remain affordable for small businesses. Most recently, Destiny has been focused on raising enough funds so that she can expand her operations from her small home office to a brick- and-mortar location. Support Destiny here.

Wrapped By Nellz- Jenell Walcott is helping women serve looks daily through her hair wrap business. She develops unique styles for the everyday woman on the go, while allowing freedom for self-expression. She incorporates certain wrap styles patterns that will give you all the feels of 90s nostalgia, while some of her other styles will have you feeling like you just returned from Wakanda. Her beautiful vibrant wraps embolden women with confidence and lightens the load on those days when you just don’t have time to do anything fancy to your hair. Even on the days when your hair is laid and slayed and you just feel like rocking a beautiful wrap, Wrapped By Nellz is your one stop shop. She offers stretchy headwraps, her popular Rio wraps, and more. See how Jenell is truly changing the game, one wrap at a time here.

86 and Norman- Some time ago, I had a “genius” idea to develop a green thumb, or so I thought. MAJOR FAIL. My plant babies never lasted more than a week. Once I found this amazing brand, I realized what the problem was all along: I wasn’t vibing well with the blah, boring plant pots and therefore, I was not inspired to care properly for my poor babies. Owner and creator, Cheryl Williams has cleverly handcrafted these gorgeous geo and African printed plant pots with painted colored rims for those of us who like to have a little visual inspiration in front of us! These pots are high quality, affordable, and add much more life to your space than any traditional pot! Check out her pots and her other accessories here.

Tal & Bert- My latest obsession? Tal & Bert. For those like me who love pretty things and who struggle to keep plants in boring pots alive, this is the perfect problem solver. Tal & Bert was founded by husband and wife power couple, Ray and Val Talbert. Before starting the business, the two of them had always shared a love for recreational mining, outdoors, and art. They perfected their signature style of beautiful crystal planters, and in 2020, they opened for business. These breathtaking creations, made of raw natural minerals and hand poured industrial concrete, possess just the right amount of sparkling crystal elegance featuring amethyst, blue apatite, rose quartz and more; and are perfect for succulents, small candles, and planters. Their geode planters & vessels are literal sculptural works of art and are great gifts that beg to be displayed. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is top notch, so it’s really no wonder that these two amazing individuals have amassed such a huge amount of success within just a short period of time. The photo displays these beauties in a gorgeous way, but even the pictures do not quite do them justice. Check out this gem of a business here.

Sons Of Hollis- Sons of Hollis is owned by a group of black gentlemen who were experiencing some issues with grooming and couldn’t find any companies to turn to that catered to black men with coarse, curly hair patterns. This is when they began experimenting in their tiny basement in Hollis, Queens and developed a grooming brand for black men by black men. They specialize in providing high quality products that are ethically sourced, 100% organic, and handcrafted. They know from first-hand experience how important it is to be able to maintain a healthy beard and they have gone above and beyond to provide a product line that ticks all of the boxes that men look for when it comes to beard care. One of their best sellers is their beard oil for black men, which is the perfect remedy for those men who suffer with dry and patchy beards; and they produce the best beard kit on the market. These brothers are truly redefining the scope of beard care. To check out their black owned beard products and to become part of the beard gang, click here.

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