Black business owners reflect their identities in the products and services they sell, which lends to increasing representation in the community. Unfortunately, eight out of every 10 black-owned businesses fail within the first 18 months. To reverse this trend, the Central Florida community must make it a point to support these businesses.
As a person of color, you quickly realize that many products lack Black and Brown representation. There has been progress, but we often overlook everyday products as an opportunity to reflect modern realities of equality. An easy solution to this problem – supporting black-owned businesses.
My journey as a business owner started when I took my daughter Joy to the pediatrician. I noticed that the sticker she received did not look like her. When we went to the dentist later that week, she received another sticker featuring a character that did not represent her. I fully support being exposed to individuals who are different, but children’s materials should include Black and Brown characters since they are such a large part of our community.
This experience compelled me to start Brown Joy, a small business creating children’s materials featuring Black and Brown characters. In a little over a year, Brown Joy has created a united Facebook and Instagram community of parents who want to see more representation for their children. I often share Reels from parents showing their children receiving the Brown Joy characters, which is the first time these children have seen stickers featuring characters that look like them. These Reels resonate with large audiences who wish they had these characters when they were kids, but they are glad we are working to make a difference for the next generation.
Every black-owned business plays a part in diversifying our city. Black-inspired food, clothing, accessories, and other products make Central Florida the beautiful community it is. As black business owners feel empowered to create products they are passionate about, Central Florida’s culture deepens, and we are exposed to different experiences.
I encourage you to seek out black-owned businesses to support our city and celebrate the various cultures that make up our community. This can take the form of promoting your experience with a black-owned business on social media or telling your friends about the local black-owned businesses you frequent.
Without the contributions of black-owned businesses, Central Florida would not be the same.
Charminta Brown created Brown Joy, for Black and Brown children to see more positive images of characters who look like them.
