Community Reactions: Back Black-owned and Black-led ventures, today and always.
The shesaid.so community share their recommendations for Black-owned businesses, Black leaders, thinkers and activists to support. From the community for the community. [Words by Clare Everson]
In the ongoing endeavour to highlight and support Black-owned and Black-led businesses, we asked the shesaid.so community to share their suggestions of businesses, projects and individuals from within or aligned with our community, to support and share with the rest of the community. Here are the recommendations they came up with.
Such a systemic issue needs ongoing attention and action, so if you weren’t able to send your suggestions first time round, please do get in touch (hello@shesaid.so)
Black-led music businesses
BBZ London
An ever-evolving curatorial & creative production collective born, raised and based in South East London with roots in nightlife and clubbing culture. Prioritising the experiences of queer women, trans folk and non binary people of colour in all aspects of our work, we provide physical and online platforms for this specific community. Organised by a stand-out collective of seven queer black artists and headed by co-founders Tia Simon-Campbell and Naeem Davis.
Girls Can’t DJ
This musical community is all about showcasing the latest female and non-binary talent on the decks.
Acoustic Live
An award-winning event platform dedicated to keeping stripped-back music alive. “We have built a dedicated community, providing a powerful space that offers artists a chance to flourish. Our core mission through innovation, collaboration with other brands and the ideal to champion talent acoustically, is to provide resources, performance opportunities to artists and an environment for listeners to discover exciting new unsigned music.”
Saffron
Comprising a record label, teaching series, masterclasses and artist development platform, Saffron’s aim is to support Women in music business and technology. Check out their website to read about their music tech courses, training sessions and more. Follow Saffron on IG
So Future
Mixes, playlists and events. Now also ‘Black People Did That’ — a curated series of music documentaries exploring the origins of modern music genres and the black pioneers who birthed them.
Tribe
Music and creative platform for you to listen to here and check out on the Tribe Instagram.
Slic Unit DJ Network
Masks for Music
Initiative to Support the Global Music industry Affected by Covid (Lindi Delight — Co-Founder / CEO / Head of Partnerships), follow on FB and IG
& De Light Management — Artist, Brand and Showcase Management (Lindi Delight — Founder / CEO), follow on FB and IG
Coalitions & Social Networking Groups
Black Music Coalition
The Black Music Coalition has been launched by senior UK music executives in order to fight structural racism and inequality within the industry. Comprised of members from companies including Sony Music, UMG, Atlantic Records, and Warner Music Group, the coalition has penned an open letter to the the chairmen, CEOs, presidents and leaders of the UK music industry. Read the full letter here. Stay tuned for more updates from the BMC.
Black Music Action Coalition
The BMAC was formed in alliance with #TheShowMustBePaused, along with the grief and outrage over the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and Rayshard Brooks. The Coalition consists of artists, producers, songwriters, managers, business managers, attorneys and other passionate industry professionals who are deeply concerned about systemic racism, not only in society at large but within the music business.
The Kickback
The Kickback is a social networking group for black/brown (BIPOC) in the entertainment industry (music, film, tv, etc.). They aim to foster an inclusive environment where people connect and feel inspired through panels, virtual events and social events. Subscribe to their newsletter, follow on Instagram and look our for events.
Women Connect
A collective creating safer, all-inclusive spaces, good fortune and equal opportunities for women, non-binary & gender variant people in the creative industry. We collect and distribute sanitary products, campaign for period poverty, mental health in music and provide tangible opportunities for those wanting to get a foot in the creative industry.
Key black Films/Series to watch (starring, directed or created by):
When They See Us (2019, dir. Ava DuVernay)
Selma (2014, dir. Ava DuVernay)
Harriet (2019, dir. Kasi Lemmons)
Mudbound (2017, dir. Dee Rees)
Dear White People (2014, Justin Simien)
Moonlight (2016, Barry Jenkins)
Da 5 Bloods (2020, dir. Spike Lee)
Insecure (2016, creators Issa Rae, Larry Wilmore)
I May Destroy You (2020, created, written, co-directed and executive produced by Michaela Coel for BBC One and HBO. Also dir. Sam Miller)
Documentaries (including interviews with black leaders, thinkers, academics):
13th (2016, dir. Ava DuVernay)
Who Killed Malcolm X (2019, dir. Phil Bertelsen and Rachel Dretzin)
Becoming (2020, dir. Nadia Hallgren)
LA 92 (2017, dir. Daniel Lindsay and T.J.Martin
Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992 (2017, dir. John Ridley)
Strong Island (2017, dir. Yance Ford)
Time: The Kalief Browder Story (2017, dir. Jenner Furst)
I am not your Negro (2016, dir. Raoul Peck)
Baltimore rising (2017, dir. Sonja Sohn)
When The Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006, dir. Spike Lee)
Four Little Girls (1997, dir. Spike Lee)
Books addressing experiences of race and written by Black authors:
(For more reading materials, check out our June blog on anti-racism resources)
‘Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower’ by Brittany Cooper
‘White Fragility’ by Robin Diangelo
‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ by Reni Eddo-Lodge
‘An American Marriage’ by Tayari Jones
‘Girl, Woman, Other’ by Bernadine Evaristo
‘Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire’ by Akala
Familiar Stranger- Stuart Hall
Your Silence Will Not Protect You- Audre Lorde
Brit (ish), On Race, Identity and Belonging- Afua Hirsch
The Lonely Londoners- San Selvon
shesaid.so member Yasmine Modestine has written and released a new book in French talking about black female roles in theatre from Shakespeare’s Cleopatre to Claire Duras’s Ourika. Here is the link to the book via its Paris publisher.
Podcasts hosted by Black thinkers or discussing race:
About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge. Reni Eddo-Lodge also suggests a few other podcast recommendations here.
The Code Switch — the NPR podcast. “We’re a multi-racial, multi-generational team of journalists fascinated by the overlapping themes of race, ethnicity and culture, how they play out in our lives and communities, and how all of this is shifting.”
Pod for the Cause — by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “This podcast was created for those of you wanting to effect change, who understand the importance of restoring our democracy and want to engage in deep conversation around the issues.”
The Diversity Gap — Created by Bethaney Wilkinson, Director of Programming for Plywood People and with over a decade of experience in racial justice work, she is passionate about seeing organizations become places where everyone can be seen, known, and loved.
Intersectionality Matters! — Run by The African American Policy Forum and Kimberlé Crenshaw.
Reveal News podcast: presented by Al Letson
The Stoop — Hana Baba and Leila Day
The Echo Chamber — Ireland’s biggest independent news, politics and culture podcast. Hosted by Martin McMahon & Tony Groves.
1619 — The NYT Podcast on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling.
Seeing White — Scene on Radio hosted by Scene on Radio host and producer John Biewen.
Activist accounts and empowering Black women to follow on IG:
@carlamarieuk — Carla Marie Williams is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter (Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Naughty Boy, Craig David), activist and Girls I Rate founder. Check out Carla’s recent interview with Music Week.
@tanyacompas — Activist Tanya Compas Is Creating “Spaces For Joy” For Young Queer People Of Colour. Read Tanya’s interview with Vogue.
@henrieviii — presenter/DJ
@benyashburn — Co-founder of Crowns and Hops
@janayathefuture — Janaya Future Khan is a storyteller, activist and futurist. Future has become a leading voice in the global crusade demanding social transformation, justice, and equality and currently serves as the International Ambassador for Black Lives Matter.
@mary.mandefield — Mary is an activist, speaker and content creator promoting good energy.
@jess.ajose — East London DJ
@claraamfo — Clara Amfo is a British radio DJ and presenter who spoke out recently on Radio 1 on Blackout Tuesday about her own experience of mental health after George Floyd’s death.
@ziwef — Ziwe Fumudoh is an American comedian and comic writer known for her commentary on politics and race.
@jessicanoahmorgan — Jessica is a journalist and mental health ambassador, currently news writer at Refinery29 UK. Specialising in her own words in; breaking news, current affairs, women’s issues, compelling, colourful profiles and personal essays.
Collective platforms/organisations:
@the_female_lead — Educational charity The Female Lead
@thyself — Actualising self-love, self-care & diversifying wellness
@diaspora_darlings — Networking platform for Black women & WOC voices. Podcast coming October 2020.
@uninterrupted — Athlete empowerment brand
@theresnosignal — #blackradio for music lovers
@equalityja — advocating for the LGBT community in Jamaica
@rosa_mag — German online lifestyle magazine and empowerment for Black women.
Human Rights IG accounts to follow:
@kimberlecrenshaw — Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw is an American lawyer, civil rights advocate, philosopher, and a leading scholar of critical race theory who developed the theory of intersectionality.
@aclu_nationwide — American Civil Liberties Union (nonprofit, nonpartisan, legal and advocacy)
@naacp — The largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the USA with 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists.
@opalayo — Co-founder of Black Lives Matter and human rights defender
@chasinggarza — Co-founder of Black Lives Matter and @blackfutureslab
@osopepatrisse — Co-founder of Black Lives Matter and law enforcement reform activist
@blklivesmatter
@yourrightscamp — Know Your Rights Camp (a campaign for youth to raise awareness on self-empowerment and interacting with law enforcement)
@girlupcampaign — UN Foundation initiative
Publications to subscribe to:
gal-dem — gal-dem is a new media publication, committed to telling the stories of women and non-binary people of colour. With our online and print magazine, we’re addressing inequality and misrepresentation in the industry through platforming the creative and editorial work of our community across essays, opinion, news, arts, music, politics and lifestyle content.
Boukman Academy — Boukman Academy is a Black-owned completely free Pan-African online school which offers a decolonised and inclusive curriculum of Black history, politics, psychology and sociology.
Bashy Magazine — BASHY is a quarterly digital and print publication focused on art, style, culture and cultural commentary of and on Jamaica.
Picment Mag — Platform for Black culture, artists, individuality and more.
shesaid.so member Candace Meade runs a weekly newsletter, Komun, sharing resources and links focusing on intersectional representation. Links to past newsletters here.
Fashion & Lifestyle brands:
NaSuma
Socially-conscious clothing, rooted in the mission of inclusion and empowerment
Hannah Pratt Clothing
Bootypacks
A company run by shesaid.so member Michelle, focusing on repurposing fabric waste into beautiful new designs for travel bags and accessories.
Bougie de Londres
Lifestyle brand focusing on health and wellness particularly aimed at Black women and men but not excluding others.
Ariam Bazaar
Afro-bohemian lifestyle brand
See here for a detailed list of Black Owned Businesses in LA
Beer!
Crowns and Hops
Black-owned craft beer brand opening in CA
The fight against systemic racism continues and it’s intricately linked with our fight for gender equality in an intersectional way. BLM has an active link where you can learn about further ways of supporting these ongoing efforts against racism and other injustices around the world:
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
Looking at music specifically, there is an active list of 1800+ independent black music creators you can support on Bandcamp who are donating 100% of their sales to NAACP every Juneteenth from now on.
