These resources connect Londoners to black-owned businesses

Londoners are planning protests and showing their solidarity for Black Lives Matter this week after the death of George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man who was killed by police in the US city of Minneapolis. If you’re unable to protest or looking for long-term and immediate ways to make a difference, supporting London’s black-owned businesses is essential, particularly in the current climate when many small businesses are facing uncertainty.  

If you’re searching for black-owned businesses to support in London (and we hope you already were) here are some resources we find useful, many of whom were doing the work, long before this recent spotlight. We will continue to add to this list as events evolve and more resources become available. 

UK Black-Owned Businesses

This comprehensive directory lists hundreds of black-owned businesses in the UK across a whole range of sectors. It also lets you search geographically for businesses, so you can support those near you.

UK Black Writers Forum

This website championing the black British writing scene has created an extensive list of black bookshops and publishers to support. The list is broken down geographically so you can find shops and writing initiatives local to you. 

Jamii

Launched in 2016, Jamii is a discount card and platform showcasing the best of independent black British businesses from fashion houses and wellness brands to art and eateries.

Black Women’s Directory 

Black Women’s Directory is a collection of black women-owned businesses and services. Its website is launching in July and businesses wanting to play a part can sign up using a simple form on its Instagram page. 

Black Ballad 

Black Ballad is a membership platform creating content, organising events and bringing attention to black-owned brands. It has a comprehensive directory of black-owned brands and provides discounts and offers to black women.

Shoppe Black

Shoppe Black is a global resource that has lists on black-owned businesses such as tech-companies, farms, vintage shops, plus so much more.

If you’d like to share easy to navigate lists of black-owned British brands to a wider audience on social media: 

Emily Ames, co-founder of Sonder & Tell, has created a shareable Instagram post, full of brilliant black businesses, mostly from the UK, to support. 

And Melissa Thompson, founder of food and recipe project Fowl Mouths Food and host of Get Back in the Kitchen podcast, has created a brilliant list of Bipoc chefs, cooks and businesses. 

If there are other London- and UK-specific resources you think we should add, please email us at hello@timeout.com. 

Find out more about the London protests this week over the death of George Floyd. 

Find ways to help your community during lockdown.

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