There are many parallels between Issa Rae and her ‘Insecure’ character, Issa Dee. They’re both smart, honest and dedicated to supporting Black upward mobility AKA, ‘rooting for everybody Black.’
Her latest effort in amplifying Black excellence comes in the form of a partnership with American Express and the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), who earlier this year announced the expansion of ByBlack,the national certification program exclusively for Black-ownership designation. Now in time for the holidays, ByBlack and American Express will be hosting a pop-up Bazaar featuring ByBlack certified businesses in Los Angeles on December 11th and 12th, prioritizing Black-owned businesses that do not have a physical brick and mortar presence to help them connect with customers this season.
“Supporting Black-owned businesses has always been a passion of mine so this initiative really made sense for me,” Rae said.
Her own business, Sienna Naturals is certified on the ByBlack platform with the hopes of reaching more customers and encouraging other Black business owners to do the same.
The ByBlack platform was first created as a directory of Black-owned businesses, the no-cost, digital platform will now unlock more ways to reach new customers and secure contracts for Black-owned businesses across the country. ByBlack provides businesses an approved accreditation trusted by customers and enables consumers and other companies to easily find U.S.-based Black-owned businesses. Businesses can begin the ByBlack certification process or create a directory profile here: https://usblackchambers.org/certification.
Per a news release, Ron Busby, president, USBC said that “The success of Black-owned businesses benefits the communities they anchor and in turn, the country at large. The Black business community generates more than $150 billion in revenue but has even larger potential. Working with American Express, we are continuing to expand ByBlack across the U.S. to help further propel the growth of Black-owned businesses by creating unparalleled access, visibility and opportunities.”