Supporting Black-owned businesses should be a year-round initiative. But considering the traumatic and increasingly disheartening news about police brutality seemingly every day for the past few weeks (though, frankly, racism never takes a day off), it’s clear, our community needs support right now.
Many large corporations and brands who spoke out against the systemic racism in America, have offered donations to supporting organizations along with sharing action-plans to build a more representative working environment within their respective companies. Still, Black consumers are, rightfully so, are wary of their true intentions. For so long, true support of the Black community has come from our very own.
In addition to enduring the burden of fighting for the right to simply be alive and Black, Black business owners are fighting another battle as well, the COVID-19 pandemic, in which Black businesses are facing business closures as well. According to CNN, a recent study showed that out of the roughly 1 million Black-owned businesses in the U.S., approximately 440,000 have closed their doors for good since February. Conversely, only 17% of white owned businesses plummeted within the same time frame.
Summer is here and while this season may call for a few socially distant activities, that doesn’t mean you can’t do so in a sleek bikini. Here’s 20 Black-owned brands providing swimwear worth adding to your shopping list.