Great Black owned businesses to visit during Black History month in October

The first Black History Month in the UK was celebrated in 1987. And it’s grown ever since. This year’s campaign is called ‘Proud to Be’ and is inspired by the Black Lives Matter campaign. Organisers are asking black and brown people throughout the UK to reveal exactly what they are proud to be.

Black History Month UK Editor Catherine Ross said she is keen to recognise the everyday achievement and contributions of black people. @Museumand_: “That’s from the Black people working on the Covid-19 frontline in our hospitals, care homes, schools, supermarkets, and warehouses, to the children and young people leading the fight for equality in the classroom, to the household names using their platforms to push for change.”

One thing many people can be proud to be is a business owner. And here in this post, we are highlighting great businesses owned by black people that you can support in October. These include:

The Glowcery, London

Owner Roshanne Dorsett’s vegan skincare brand offers products made from fresh, cold-pressed fruit. She launched her website in March 2020 and now all her products can be purchased online.

The plan is to expand into hair care, superfood supplements, natural candles, and feminine hygiene. She hopes high street stores will eventually want to stock them.

Lockdown, she said, actually gave her business a boost. “People were looking to get to know themselves and to invest more care in their well-being,” she said.

Myana Naturals, Swansea

CEO of Myanan Naturals, Dr. Youmna Mouhamad has created an applicator to help women with Afro hair manage and maintain it. A fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise, she used her know-how in printing and coating, to develop the tool. She launched her product in the UK in spring this year.

Matugga Rum, Livingston

Husband and wife team Paul and Jacine Rutasikwa make artisan rum drawing inspiration from their roots – Ugandan and Jamaican.

The pair have their own distillery, operated by Paul – a former chartered civil engineer – who studied brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The company switched from rum to hand sanitiser during the pandemic, helping local health workers.

Muffin Sisters, London

Sisters Lafia and Kady wanted to bring their African background into nursery accessories – so they created a company to do this. Enter colourful, vibrant cushions, bibs, blankets and toys. It’s all about pinks, yellows and blues. It doesn’t just brighten up the younger one’s lives, but also their parents’ home.

Very Puzzled, London

This father and young daughter pair have come up with their own company called Very Puzzled as a way to introduce children to the African diaspora. The jigsaw puzzles they offer feature African and Caribbean culture and geography. The pair started with jigsaws and have now launched to football teams, as well as colouring-in posters and games.

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