Valentine's Day, one of the most popular Hallmark holidays in the world, is a time dedicated to showing love and appreciation for people in your life… by spending money on them. A 2020 survey done by Lending Tree showed that the average American expected to spend roughly $142 on their significant others for Valentine’s Day that year. According to WalletHub, an average total of $21.8 billion is spent in celebration of the holiday annually. While data on how much of that money is being spent with Black vendors may not be available, studies have shown that the dollar circulates in the Black community for just six hours, or one time.
So, to help you spread love not only to your boos, baes, and kiddos but also to your community, here are 11 Black-owned brands to get your Valentine's Day gift list going.
1. For your baby loves.
Orijin Bees is a doll company that operates under the belief that every girl should have a doll that looks like them. The dolls feature a variety of skin tones and hair textures. The company's name Orijin Bees stands for "Our Representation Is Just Inclusion Normalized. Beautifully Empowering Every Soul."
If your little one isn't into dolls, you can also shop The Black Toy Store to find things for every child on your Valentine's Day list. The online shop has books, crafts, puzzles, action figures and a special section for items made by Black-owned companies.
2. For your athletic bae.
Actively Black is an athleisure brand that offers workout gear, including sneakers and exercise-inspired comfort wear. The company's tagline, "there is greatness in our DNA" speaks to its larger mission of re-investing into the Black community.
3. For your HBCU boo.
The Talented 10th, a hub for licensed HBCU letterman cardigan sweaters, is owned and operated by a Xavier University of Louisiana graduate. The company offers six schools ready to order and sizes run from small to extra large.
4. For your timeless hottie.
HerStory Vintage owner and artist Kimberly Woods Bonéy uses vintage pieces of hardware, crystals and other metals for her designs, resulting in one-of-a-kind pieces of classic jewelry. According to the company's website, she mixes and mingles "repurposed elements and new materials to create signature designs."
5. For the revolutionary brother or sister.
Black Men Smile, founded by Carlton Mackey, was created shortly after the killing of Michael Brown. Internet search results were bringing up harrowing images and nothing Mackey found showed Black men experiencing joy. So, after a social media campaign using #blackmensmile, the company was born to affirm joy-seekers.
6. For your aromatherapy lover.
Beluga Bliss is a youth-owned company that was created with the healing powers of aromatherapy in mind. Following her mother's lupus diagnosis, teen entrepreneur Condoleezza Semien launched her wellness brand with a pillow that can maintain the scent from a few drops of essential oils for up to 30 days, joining comfort and scent therapy.
7. For your Christian sweetheart.
Clothing brand J Expressions operates under the concept of positive expressions through centering faith in its brand. According to its Facebook page, the company was "created to encourage, inspire and motivate."
8. For your sweet tooth.
Kelly Kaxe is a pastry brand founded by Cake Wars winner, Kelly Williams. Once serving only his local community, Williams now offers nationwide shipping. While you can order specialty and custom cakes, Williams produces several flavors in large quantities for orders during the holidays. Unfortunately, getting a Kelly Kaxe cake is all about timing and strategy as the baker often sells out within minutes of posting.
9. For the Afrocentric woman.
Founded by Liberian native Archel Bernard, a contemporary fashion designer who outsources her fabrics from her homeland, The Bombchel Factory not only sells African attire but also supports the Black community abroad. According to its website, when the Ebola outbreak of 2014 hit Liberia, Archel opened a sewing factory in Monrovia with the mission of improving the lives of the women she hired.
"Our ladies began earning salaries for the first time in their lives. We immediately saw their pride and confidence as they mastered their new trade," the site reads.
10. For the all-natural body care fan.
All-natural body care is the wave skincare fans are riding these days. Herb'N Eden has the mission "to create holistic bath and body products that help maintain skin health." According to the company's website, their plant-based products are handcrafted and non-toxic.
"Since the beginning of civilization herbs have aided in self-healing, so let your soap be your medicine and your medicine be your soap," the site reads.
11. For your artsy soulmate.
Kashmir Thompson is the face behind Kashmir.VIII, an art brand that features some of the most recognizable pieces of Black pop culture art from Living Single to Kobe Bryant paintings, pillows, shoes and all things in between.
"Kashmir is a credentialed, creative and credible artist with a sharp focus on building a sustainable brand and taking it worldwide. She desires to continue to create art that inspires others and attracts art lovers everywhere. Her entrepreneurial spirit has led her to produce her artwork in non-traditional ways," her website reads.
Of course, there are so many more Black-owned brands to support, but here's hoping this list inspires you to shop not only these brands but your local vendors and stores as well. Spreading love isn't just a romantic thing; it's also a community vibe.
