August is Black Business Month

Black Business Month, celebrated each August, is a time dedicated to acknowledging and appreciating Black-owned businesses in the United States. These businesses are a testament to the nation’s continual growth toward equality and diversity (National Today). The goal is to highlight and empower Black business owners across the country, as well as acknowledge the unique challenges that minority business owners face. Black Business Month is also exciting because it provides an opportunity for individuals to learn more about and support Black-owned businesses in their local communities!

The History of Black Business Month

Black Business Month has been acknowledged since 2004, which means that this year is the twentieth anniversary of its celebration! Frederick E. Jordan, an engineering entrepreneur, partnered with the executive editor, John William Templeton, of eAccess Corp (a scholarly publishing company) to start Black Business Month (National Today) According to the Office of Advocacy, “Black business owners own 3.5 million businesses and employ more than 1.2 million people. This represents an annual increase of over 7 percent in people employed by Black entrepreneurs” (2024).

How to Celebrate in Your Community 

The best way to celebrate Black Business Month is to visit local black-owned businesses in your community! You can usually look up a list of black-owned businesses in your area. However, if you aren’t able to support local businesses, you can also shine a spotlight on them via social media! If you come across any content related to Black Business Month, like, share, or repost this content so it reaches a larger audience. You can also search and follow hashtags like #blackbusiness or #blackbusinessmonth to lend your support online! 

Black-Owned Businesses in Raleigh

Clothing Stores

• Needle & Thread Co.
  • Located at 17 E Martin Street, Needle & Thread Co. creates handcrafted streetwear made from limited reworked garments. 

• Artikle 71
  • Located at 602 South Street, Artikle is a creative brand that showcases their traits in everyday lifestyle as artists through screen printing, embroidery, logo design, and apparel. 
• One For All Thrift
  • Located at 120 S Wilmington Street #125, One For All Thrift is a curated thrift store with clothes and fashionable finds “for all.” 
• Unorthodox Vintage
  • Located at 206 S Wilmington Street, Unorthodox Vintage sells curated, secondhand clothing and accessories along with a rotating selection of locally-made products. 

Coffee Shops and Bakeries

• Black and White Coffee at Videri 
  • Located at 327 W Davie Street, Black and White Coffee is the perfect place to grab your favorite coffee and a treat. Fun fact, they also have a chocolate shop and everything is tree-nut free!
• Crema
  • At 421 Fayetteville Street, Crema is a delicious cafe that offers coffee, ice cream, homemade soups, freshly-made salads, and sandwiches. 
• The Kupkake Fairy 
  • At 411 W Morgan Street inside Morgan Street Food Hall, you’ll find delicious hand-made sweets and treats!

Restaurants 

• The Venue 
  • At 327 W Davie Street, The Venue Raleigh is a restaurant, bar, and lounge in this Warehouse District featuring craft cocktails, hookah, and live music every Friday. 
• Oak City Fish & Chips
  • Located in Morgan Street Food Hall at 411 W Morgan Street, Oak City Fish & Chips serves fish, lobster, shrimp, and other ocean delights.
• ORO Restaurant and Lounge 
  • Located at 18 E Martin Street in the PNC building, ORO serves dishes that are designed to be shared among friends and feature local and seasonal ingredients.
• Premier Cakes Diner
  • Located at 5 E Edenton Street, this local bakery serves up familiar favorites in addition to an expanded menu including sandwiches, burgers, salads, and more.

Arts

• 311 Gallery
  • Located at 311 W Martin Street, this gallery houses 12 artists’ studios, an exhibition gallery, and a gift shop. 
• U.B. Paint’n & Sip’n 
  • Located at 208 Fayetteville Street #202, this is an art studio that offers private or group art classes for adults and children. 

There are even more black-owned businesses in downtown Raleigh and the surrounding areas that you can try. Check out the Downtown Alliance’s list of Downtown Raleigh’s Black-Owned Businesses for more! And don’t forget to celebrate Black Business Month this August!