How do we thank Black women for all that they do?
Kamala. Stacey. Michelle. Serena. Janet. Lena. Oprah. Beyonce. Rihanna. Ciera.
These are just a few Black Women who have inspired, pioneered, and arguably saved the year. These are women who have used their voices to echo their beliefs, their struggles, and their triumphs. These are women who—when they "arrived"—chose not to luxuriate in success and achievement. They opt, instead, to lend their hand back and lift others up.
We don't deserve Black Women.
After the 2020 election, there was a flurry of calls to "Thank Stacey" for saving Georgia. Stacey Abrams, in the light of a heart-wrenching (and highly-contested) gubernatorial defeat in 2018, forged on to organize and ultimately, flip Georgia.
Instead of simply saying "thank you" on a 24-hour Instagram story, we wanted to make a small gesture to act out a sliver of our gratitude. So, let’s take some time (and money) to celebrate Black Women by supporting their businesses in a meaningful way.
Before you dive in, make sure to check out all of our gift guides:
- The Ultimate Gift Guide to Shop Women-Owned Businesses
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Your Mom, Mentor, or Role Model
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Your Best Friend
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Yourself
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Your Eco-Conscious Friend
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Self-Care
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Your Favorite Coworkers
Black Women-Owned Health + Beauty Gifts
Black women have been woefully under-served in the health and beauty industry for years. Because of that, many entrepreneurial Black women created their own brands tailored to their own specific needs. The result is inclusive, mission-driven beauty brands that often serve every body.
Wrap Life Head Wraps
We love these turbans, bandies, and head wraps by Wrap Life. It’s no coincidence that these wraps have also made it onto Oprah’s Favorite Things for 2020. These wraps come in bold colors and a variety of skin tones. For the print enthusiast: Printed Flow Head Wraps
Almost-Edible Face Masks
Of course, we want to talk skincare. Let’s feed our skin the same delicious foods we want for our mouths. Enter the Pineapple and Papaya Mask by Beauty Strike. Beauty Strike is Black- and woman-owned by a third-generation beauty enthusiast and esthetician, Emani Mone Jeter.
- Bonus: If you’re in New York, drop by the Beauty Strike Spa for luxurious treatments!
A Serious Vitamin-C Serum
KLUR was founded by Lesley Thornton on the basis of cultivating a brand that reflected the values of clean, ethical, and inclusive beauty—something that many beauty companies sorely lack. Our pick is the Brilliant Light Vitamin C Serum. This brilliant formula is instantly absorbed into the skin on contact, delivering vitamins and antioxidants deep into the dermal layers.
- How about this everyday cleanser, too?: Gentle Matter
Butter for Your Hair
Mielle Organics is Black- and woman-owned by Monique Rodriguez. Aside from her products, Mielle Organics’ website is also home to super-informative resources for taking care of your hair, like determining your hair’s porosity.
The Moisture RX Hawaiian Ginger Moisturizing Hair Butter is made to save dry and thirsty curls (especially in winter!).
Black Women-Owned Foodie-Friendly Gifts
We all have that foodie in our life—and they miss dining out every night. So, here are some foodie-friendly gifts by Black and female-owned business that will impress your friend who *only* dines at Michelin-starred restaurants.
Stocking Stuffer Snacks
Can you imagine going into business with your sibling? Pipcorn was founded by brother and sister Jen and Jeff Martin in 2012. Pipcorn’s heirloom corn snacks are made with simple, whole ingredients that are whole grain, gluten-free, and Non-GMO Project Verified. We recommend the Vegan Caramel Popcorn as a delicious stocking stuffer
- Get a snack for yourself, too: Lime Zest Corn Dippers
Traditional Method Sparkling Wine
ZAFA Wines is a Vermont-based hybrid wine company out of Isle La Motte, Vermont. Founded by farmer, forager, and winemaker Krista Scruggs, ZAFA Wines is 100 percent woman-owned and has intentionally maintained—at minimum—an 85 percent all-woman staff.
"We are very vocal about our intentions to provide opportunities first and foremost to skill qualified marginalized individuals; this includes POC and Women. Until our industry is reflective of a level playing field of gender and race, we at ZAFA will forever strive to level out the curve and provide opportunity and equity to those who are not seen or given a chance in a homogenized industry."
- Our picks: The Visions of Gideon Collection: "Lust for Life" + A poster of the art from the bottle (these wine labels are gorgeous.)
A Superfood Start to Your Day
Golde was founded by Trinity Mouzon Wofford and Issey Kobori in 2017. Their mission? Bringing good food and even better vibes to the wellness industry. Golde is an independent, Brooklyn-born brand centered on making superfood-boosted essentials for health and beauty. Our favorite? We love The Superfood Latter Sampler to add some antioxidants and essential minerals to your morning cup.
- A smoothie for your face: Clean Greens Face Mask
Black Women-owned Cozy + Fun Gifts
The following are gifts that are cozy, fun, and designed to delight.
A Luxe Protective Beanie
First things first—a beanie that protects your hair against the harshness of winter. Grace Eleyae’s luxe beanies do exactly that. Using primarily saying and silk satin, all of Grace Eleyae's products are designed to keep hair and skin beautiful—even when you're sleeping. We love this Light Gray Cashmere Slap.
- We also love: This Silver Silk Pillowcase
The Star Earring
The Vintage Royalty is a female Black-owned lifestyle and jewelry brand, designed and handmade by artist Meena Osei-Kuffour. Osei-Kuffour creates colorful, acrylic-based jewelry while incorporating everyday materials like Japanese folding paper and craft goods from Joann’s Fabrics. Osei-Kuffour influences are a combination of her proud Ghanian heritage, background in fashion design, and love for vintage art. Our favorite (though, truth be told, it was so hard to pick one) is The Star earring.
- Some fuzzies for your ears: The Brandy
- Okay just one more recommendation: The Mookie
Black Woman Yoga Poses Sweatshirt
The Trini Gee began in November 2017 with a few black history mugs and a sprinkle of sales. I used that "success" as encouragement and continued to add new designs. And here we are. I'm glad you've joined me as I continue to improve my brand. We love this Black Woman Yoga Poses Sweatshirt
- For the little one on your holiday gift list: Kids Swan Lake Ballerinas Sweatshirt
Gifts That Feature Black Women's Voices
If you're not really sure why we made this list or why it's so important to thank Black Women, you might educate yourself. Here are a few of our favorite books, education programs, and products that amplify Black Female Voices.
Before we dive into this list of (mostly) books, we'd implore you to shop from Black Women- or Black-owned bookstores, when possible. We know that it might take a little longer for your book to arrive but do really need it by tomorrow anyway? This is the kind of support all independent bookstores need to fuel the next year of their business.
Black-Owned Bookstores (*Denotes Black Women-Owned)
- Semicolon Bookstore*
- Books and Crannies*
- Eso Won Books
- Harriett's Books*
- Loyalty Bookstore*
- Detroit Book City
- Sisters Uptown Bookstore*
- Black Stone Books
- Fulton Street Books*
- Brain Lair Bookstore
- Ashay By The Bay*
- The Lit. Bar*
- Mahogany Books
Books by Contemporary Black Women
Get one for that person on your list—and one for yourself. Learn from the voices of Black Women—past, present, and future. Here is just a sampling of some of our favorite books by and about contemporary Black Women. For even more ideas, navigate to the bookstores above for expert curation.
- Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby
- More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- On Beauty by Zadie Smith
- Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
- An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
