Hey, y’all heyyy! Wow-what a time it is here in 2020! 2020 has been a rollercoaster but the past couple of weeks, my goodness it has been heavy! I recently did a video on my YouTube expressing how I have been feeling lately about everything. It was so hard to get the words together because it has been a lot. But I did it and I’m seriously praying for change to come moving forward! You can check it out HERE and let me know what you think!
The beauty that is coming out of this is that Black People are finally being seen and heard! There are so many talented, gifted, amazing, and beautiful Black Creators, Entrepreneurs, just African-Americans period and to see that we are finally being heard and taken seriously has been long OVERDUE. For years, Black people have had to work 10x as hard, we have been overlooked, underpaid and let’s not get on the lack of representation at the forefront. With the recent passings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, that was the breaking point because seriously enough is enough! We are tired. We are exhausted. Our lives matter and we are sick and tired of our lives not being valued because of our melanin. But a shift has happened and things are shaking up because are speaking out, taking action and demanding CHANGE. In case you didn’t know, we are a force that cannot be F*ed with!
I can definitely see things pertaining to Black Lives slowly drifting away from the media. We cannot let this happen so we must continue the conversations and make sure that we are continuing to BE SEEN AND HEARD! With so many brands and corporations wanting to support and be there for us for one day but then act like nothing happened once they have donated..aht aht it doesn’t work like that. This change is not going to shift overnight.
Like Time’s Magazine stated, this is a long-overdue awakening of systemic racism, oppression, and serious issues that have been swept under the rug for years. We can not progress forward without fighting daily for these changes. So I pray that we can continue to shake the tables, bring truths to the light, and be taken seriously. And on a daily, not only when it’s trending. Being Black is not a trend, it’s our life and it cannot continue to be taken lightly moving forward.
I say all of this to say that we need to seriously continue to support one another. We can see that no one supports us like we support us. As a Black Woman who has supported and #BuysBlack all the time, this is not new for me. There’s something about putting my dollars into a God-given dream. There’s something about seeing Black women succeed and flourish in occupations that weren’t even possible for generations before us. Heck, even following, sharing, subscribing to some of my favorites Black Creators and Entrepreneurs gives me hope and inspiration. If it can happen for them, I know it can happen for me too. Those are things that make a big difference so we need to keep this energy going moving forward.
I want to share a few Black-Owned Businesses, Creators, Influencers and etc. that I recommend following and supporting. I always say “when you support a business, you’re supporting a dream.” The things that I just stated (sharing, following, buying and etc.) make a difference to those who believed in themselves and took a leap in their dreams. We need to do our part to make sure that we keep them encouraged and flourishing by supporting them. It truly gets lonely out here. And having support such as sharing a blog post or making a sale could make all of the difference to them. Here are a few that I love and have supported and you should too:
This list HERE was created by Forbes that I highly suggest checking out. They break it down by categories from Media to Beauty and this list is pretty dope. I actually have shopped/bought things from companies on this list and highly suggest that you do as well! You can find all of their information on there as well. This is another list that you should check out HERE as well!
Friends and Colleagues with Businesses:
- The Chris C. Wise Shop (my shop): Online Apparel and Hair Boutique where women can be Clothed in Inspiration and Confidence Daily
- Eclectic Hands: Handmade and customized Greek Organization pins, jewelry and accessories
- Forsyth Seafood: Black-Owned Seafood Restaurant located in Winston-Salem, NC.
- IndiaNelle: Beautiful handmade jewelry
- SummaDisNSummaDat: Delicious food and catering services where cooking is love made visible
- Two Sisters and a Lemon: Pop-Up Lemonade business by sisters Nia and Imani located in Winston-Salem, NC
- Lillie P Creations: Handmade wreaths, vinyl gifts, and crafts for your everyday life.
- The Creative Gentleman: Commercial and lifestyle photographer located in Charlotte, NC
- The Fish House: Seafood business and restaurant in Apex, NC
- Beacon of Hope: Mental Health and Rehabilitation located in Baltimore, MD (My sister is the owner and therapist)
My Beautiful Followers With Businesses:
- ElisaMama: Nigerian-Owned business that creates stylish African print clothing for kids
- Melanated: Homemade Body Butters and Scrubs for all skin types. Use my code: chriscwise to save 10% off of your purchase!
Favorite Hair Care Line:
- Mielle Organics
- Curls
- Camille Rose Naturals
- CurlBox
- Melanin HairCare
- Alikay Naturals
Black Bloggers, Influencers & Entrepreneurs:
- Arnita Johnson-Hall: Founder and CEO of The Luxurious Lifestyle Planner, AMB Credit, and Luxury Credit
- Nicole Walters: Founder and CEO and the woman behind 1k1Day! She’s so hilarious yet so business savvy!
- Brittney Carter-McKinnon: Founder and CEO of B. Carter Solutions, Successful Women-Operated Social Media Creative Agency located in Washington, DC
- Pauleanna Reid: Successful Ghost Writer and Journalist as well as a mentor for millennials
- Ronne Brown: Founder and CEO of GirlCEO, a platform where women can knowledge and skills in building a brand or business.
- Myleik Teele: Founder and CEO of CurlBox, a monthly subscription for hair care products!
- Brittany Bright: Founder and CEO of The Influencer League, the Ivy League for influencers and bloggers
- Nicaila Matthews-Okome: Host of Side Hustle Pro, a podcast that highlights Black Women who successfully turned their side hustles into businesses!
- Angel Richardson: Successful Life Coach and Entrepreneur in the Baltimore area. She helps train and certifies life coaches in 2 days!
Bloggers and Influencers that I love and admire:
- Dayna Bolden
- Mattie James
- Lola Akiw
- Taryn Newton
- Ruthie Ridley
- ShayMone
- Influencing In Color
- Erin On Demand
- Carmen Renee Blog
- Courtney N. Williams
- Emerald Rice
- Ijeoma Kola
- Aseky Bonnaire
- Ronke Raji
- Jackie Aina
- Whitney White (@Naptural85)
- Jenee’ of HighLowLuxxe
- JaLisa E. Jefferson (JaLisa E. Vaughn)
- Alisha Williams
- Kyra Knox
- Jessica from MahoganyCurls
- Mona B.
- Onyi Aziz
- Gabe Flowers
- That Chick Angel
- Missy Lynn
- Kathlyn Celeste
- Peak Mill
- Kitan A.
- Ashley Devonna
- Dimma Umeh
- Nikki & Duckie Thot
- Raven Elyse
- Patricia Bright
OMG, y’all the list goes on and on and on! I would be here all day LOL! There are a few that I am forgetting but I will do a part 2 if y’all would like that! I’m sure you guys probably follow all of them already but those are a few of my favorites that I love and have watched and supported for years! And to see these women flourish and dominate this industry is just amazing and so inspiring! So let’s continue to support, uplift, and push one another. No one got us like we got us! We all we got! 🙂 If you know of any black creator, business or etc., let me know so I can check them out!