Keeping those dollars circulating in the black community is one of the keys to economic empowerment for African Americans as a whole. Here’s a list of black business directories to help connect you with the businesses that serve your needs.
1. WeBuyBlack.com
If you want to support black-owned businesses, this is one of the easiest ways to do so. According to the site, it’s a “global marketplace for black owned businesses” and also they’re “a movement seeking social justice and economic justice globally.” So whether you’re buying or selling, We Buy Black is a great place to start if you’ve been trying to support black businesses and can’t really seem to figure out how.
2. National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers
The National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators, and Developers (NABHOOD) provides a directory of black-owned hotels in the U.S. The directory lists hotels owned in the 50 states, as well as international hotels. You can also see what hotels are currently under development, so if you’re planning a vacation any time soon, check out their list to see whether you can stay at a black-owned hotel wherever you may be traveling.
3. Blackout Coalition
The Blackout Coalition provides a directory of black-owned banks, as well as other black- owned businesses. It also features a bunch of other websites you can check out for even more black-owned products and projects, including the Blackmail.com, the Black Dollar Project, Buy Black NYC, and the Black Empowerment Initiative.
4. BlackMainStreet.net
This site lists black owned farms and grocery stores. It’s also a news site highlighting the financial, business, and financial news in the black community. The site features a “Black Business Spotlight” section, featuring stories of black entrepreneurs changing the game. Currently, as of this writing, Antoine Wade and Switch Fresh changing the way we look at deodorant is the top story. The site features stories about a black-owned ride-sharing app to compete with Uber and Lyft in the U.S. and abroad, as well as a black woman named Mary Parker who started a million dollar security firm with less than $500.
5. Official Black Wall Street
Official Black Wall Street is a site dedicated to helping you spend your dollars with a black-owned business. Founded in 2014, the goal was to “encourage Black ownership and provide conscious consumers with a comprehensive, user-friendly directory of Black-owned businesses around the world.” Essentially, the site aims to bring black business owners and black consumers together. The Official Black Wall Street App allows consumers to find full business listings, search via location, bookmark favorite businesses, keep track of what’s going on in black communities around the world, and get updates on events for black professionals in the area.
6. National Black Chamber of Commerce
National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) is “dedicated to economically empowering and sustaining African American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with the Black Diaspora.” Incorporated in 1993, the NBCC has 140 affiliated chapters locally based throughout the country as well as international chapters in Ghana, Bahamas, Botswana, Colombia, Kenya, Cameroon, France and Jamaica. With more than 100,000 black owned businesses under their belt, the organization is consistently growing.
7. SupportBlackOwned.com
This site is “a free Black and African American owned business directory and blog filled with thousands of Black, Moorish, and African American owned businesses and members spread all over the world. Our goal is to list every black owned business, church, entertainer, restaurant, etc, in the whole world.” The site offers business owners the chance to list with them for a small membership fee.
8. BlackOwnedBiz.com
The Black Owned Business Network is a basic directory of African American businesses throughout the country. While it may not be the prettiest site to look at, the information contained within is plentiful and beneficial. The directory appears to list 12,577 businesses in the United States, eight in the United Kingdom and four in Canada.
9. USBC Directory
One of the largest directories of black-owned businesses, this site lists hundreds and sometimes tens of thousands of black owned businesses in industries like medicine, law, computer services, media, health, and financial services. They also list black churches, construction companies, hotels, HBCUs, gas stations, certified contractors, car dealerships, restaurants and shops.
10. The Small Black Business Directory
This site aims to “not only serve as a listing or directory of reputable black-owned businesses, but to also become a resource for current and aspiring entrepreneurs.” The directory covers businesses nationwide and supports commerce and circulation of the dollar within communities of color. Have you used any of the above sites to find black-owned businesses? What products did you try? This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. © 2022 Shanea Patterson
