Black-Owned Sustainable Businesses To Support And What Makes Them Such

The latest figures from the Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey reveal there were an estimated 161,031 Black-owned businesses in the US in 2021, up 14.3% from the previous year. Although this may sound impressive, it’s disproportionately low relative to the size of the country’s Black population. While Blacks make up 14.4% of the population, they own only 2.7% of all businesses with at least one employee. The Buy Black movement coupled with the 15% pledge has helped elevate Black-owned company visibility on store shelves, but there’s still a long way to go.     Black-owned businesses wanting to grow by capturing the buying power of millennials and Gen Z—groups willing to spend more on goods and services from environmentally aware companies demonstrating a commitment to social justice—will attract them by offering sustainable products.    In this article, we showcase eleven black-owned sustainable businesses that are succeeding in their space, whether it be food & beverage, jewelry, apparel, or health & beauty, because of their eco-friendly products and commitment to helping BIPOC communities. Ethical shoppers concerned about the environment, economic equity, racial justice, or all three, can take direct action through their purchasing power by supporting these Black-owned businesses.   What makes a business sustainable?...