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Black Mental Health Month is celebrated in July. We want to recognize the importance of taking care of our mental health with Black-owned wellness brands that can assist in a little extra self care this month. Check out a list of our favorite Black-owned wellness businesses to support this month inside.
There’s so much talk about wellness and self-care since Covid-19 sat everyone down back in 2020. People were forced to sit and evaluate how they were managing stress, anxiety and their overall mental health. The mental health and wellness industries have seen a massive rise in engagement as concerned consumers consider how products affect their bodies, specifically for Black and Brown people.
SEE ALSO: These Black-Owned Wellness Havens Are Helping Us Reclaim Our Wholeness
Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you’re thriving.
In 2024, Black business owners make up about 4 percent of United States businesses and less than 30 percent of all minority-owned businesses. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, that comes up to approximately two million companies owned by African Americans. In that number, nearly 40 percent of Black-owned businesses are in health care and social assistance, repair and maintenance, and personal and laundry service industries. Other industries include advertising firms, auto dealerships, consulting services, restaurants, barbershops and beauty salons, and of course, clothing companies.
The city which houses the most Black-owned businesses in the U.S. is New York, and Atlanta follows closely behind it. The highest ration of Black-owned businesses is in Washington, DC where 28 percent of all businesses are Black-owned. In recent years, the growth of Black-owned skincare line Topicals has become explosive. With a multitude of products and partnerships like their most recent campaign with multi-hyphenate creative and director Teyana Taylor.
SEE ALSO: Black Couple Looks To Provide Wellness For All With Family Businesses
There are many ways to observe Black History Month and to consume with the good of our communities in mind. The most important way is to support and encourage Black-owned businesses in your community. Depending upon where you live, it may be difficult, but challenge yourself to only spend with local Black-owned businesses in your neighborhood this month. If you’re shopping online for something specific, maybe ditch Amazon throughout Black History Month and find a Black-owned business that sells the product you are searching for and shop within the community instead.
Little things like this make a world of difference for a small business and especially, a Black-owned business, which makes up a small percentage of businesses across the nation.