The Black community makes up over a fifth of New York City’s bustling population but accounts for just 2% of its small business owners. This Juneteenth, the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) unveiled its enhanced directory of Black-owned businesses, Shop Black NYC. Shop Black NYC: An Online Business Directory Spearheaded by SBS’s Black Entrepreneurs NYC (BE NYC), the directory has grown to showcase over 3,300 Black-owned businesses since its launch in 2022. The online directory allows users to search for businesses based on product or service,
Miiriya has been flooded with messages of support after the online marketplace for Black-owned businesses announced its upcoming closure. The brainchild of Lamine Loco, Miiriya is a platform connecting Black-owned businesses with consumers – kind of like an Etsy or Amazon for Black businesses. The name comes from Loco’s native language, Bambara/Dioula, and means “thoughts” or “ideas.” Committed to the circulation of the Black dollar, Miiriya lets vendors sign up without transaction or listing fees. They also pay credit card and PayPal fees out of pocket, so vendors receive 100% of
