Be a partner. Join the Shop Black-Owned Businesses Campaign, February 2023

The American Independent Business Alliance invites independent business alliances, neighborhood associations, and local economy-minded business networks to partner with them to grow their Shop Black-Owned Campaign, part of the Shop Indie Local year-round movement.

Becoming a partner is free, nor does your store need to identify as Black-owned to participate.

Indie bookstores understand the importance of creating partnerships with other local businesses in their communities. Such partnerships are often a key factor in raising each other's visibility, and advocating for shared interests. One simple and effective step bookstores with a commitment to anti-racist action is to create partnerships with the Black-owned businesses in their own communities. The AMIBA Shop Black-Owned Campaign provides partners with resources and tools to facilitate those relationships.

Where are the Black-owned businesses in your area?

Creating a display, posting a sign, or sharing social media posts are all simple actions of support to take, but if a customer came in to your shop and asked you where to go to shop at local Black-owned businesses, would you be able to answer? The first step to supporting Black-owned businesses in your own area is to know who they are and where they are. One of the resources provided above by AMIBA is a list of links to some directories of Black-owned businesses and professional associations.

But your own Chamber of Commerce will have more detailed information about your community. The US Chamber of Commerce provides links to online Black-owned business directories which may be useful. A year ago the list included eight directories, now it has fifteen.

Nothing beats your own local knowledge, however. Every bookseller, when asked, can give a list of local authors in their area. That is a talent easily put to use to create your own local shop Black-owned list of businesses.

Incidentally, SIBA would appreciate copies of local Black-owned business directories created by its members. As we transition into holding more in-person events around SIBA territory, one of our commitments is to source from local businesses that have good relationships with our members.