After the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, protests quickly followed and are still happening across the country. A call for accountability to those responsible for the continued degradation, racially unequal mistreatment, and police brutality followed. RMCAD encourages all of its community to join the cause by getting involved in different forms of activism, whether that is through artwork, signing online petitions, protesting, donating, calling elected officials, etc. But there are other ways to fight systemic racial inequality, one of which is by making a commitment to support Black-owned businesses in your area. By focusing your purchasing power on Black-owned businesses, you’re helping strengthen local Black economies, fostering job creation, empowering the community, and celebrating Black culture. We put together a list of some of Denver’s local Black-owned artists and designers, cultural organizations, and creative Black businesses to support.
Black American West Museum and Cultural Center – https://www.bawmhc.org/ (Museum)
Englewood Black Book Gallery – https://blackbookgallery.com/ (Gallery)
Thomas “Detour” Evans – https://www.iamdetour.com/ (Artist, muralist)
Edward Joiner – https://edwardjoiner.com/ (Sustainable, minimalistic apparel)
1st Ave Threads – https://www.1stavethreads.com/ (Screen printing, graphic design)
Misira – https://www.etsy.com/shop/misira (African homemade clothing)
STAND – https://www.standforbrands.com/ (Brand consulting)
Jitterbug Art Studio – https://www.jitterbugart.com/ (Illustrations, murals, graphic design)
Dope Mom Life – http://dopemomlife.com/ (Video and digital content creation)
Kori Hazel LLC – https://www.korihazel.com/ (Writing, artist management)
Blake Jackson – https://blackson.co/ (Editorial photography, advertising, fashion, photography)
Pretty Pages – https://www.pretty-pages.com/ (Web design)
Black University – https://www.blackuniversity.org/ (Expressive apparel, events, opportunities for educators of color)
Redirecting your economic resources is one way to effect change. This can only happen if Black-owned businesses are supported on a wider scale by the masses, not just by a few people. To learn more about getting involved in different forms of activism, check out this blog post- Art is Activism: Getting Involved. To be added to our list of Black-owned businesses, please reach out via email to kboreanaz@rmcad.edu.
