Since the 1960s, the racial wealth gap has been about 10 to 1 with white families having about 10 times the wealth of Black families. This is due to debt (Black women graduate with more than $37,500 in student loans vs less than $30,000 for white men), the racial income gap (for every dollar a white man earns, a Black woman makes 62 cents), Black businesses being undercapitalized (black women funders receive .27% of venture capital funding), and lack of equity (44% of Black families owned a home compared to 74% of white families).
These stats are the result of a long history of slavery and disenfranchisement (segregation, redlining, discrimination in credit score calculations and appraisals, predatory lending, an unjust justice system, etc.) of Black people in this country.
These disparities are only getting worse with the pandemic, but we all have a role to play to create a more equitable Los Angeles. Supporting Black owned businesses, allows the Black community to build equity, increase their income and support their families and community.
Here are some of our favorite Black owned businesses in Los Angeles
Located in the Crenshaw Mall, Malik Books has been a staple of the community. However, the Pandemic has been devastating to Malik Books business. For 6 months, their brick and mortar has been closed because of the mandate by California health guidelines for indoor malls. Please support their Gofundme campaign.
Located in South Pasadena, CSJ Acupuncture is dedicated to providing the best acupuncture healthcare services for their patients.
ComfortLA is the brainchild of actor-turned-chef Jeremy McBryde and Business Strategist Mark E. Walker, and is all about building community. They're offering delivery and curbside pickup orders in Downtown LA and Inglewood.
Customers are raving, "simply the best bbq on the west coast!!! There is so much flavor, texture, heart and soul in their offerings. I highly recommend their combination platter that has a whole bunch of goodies for only $120! It's such a deal, there's just so much food in that combo, enough to easily feed eight hungry adults if not more!"
Relics is an analog film photography shop on Long Beach's Retro Row with a mission to provide the world with premium film cameras to help tell stories and keep film alive.
Bridgetown is family-owned and run, proudly representing Caribbean lineage with an aim to share the history and culture of resilient people.
Bloom & Plume Coffee is not just a coffee shop, but a community oriented brand that wholeheartedly seeks to unite people.
Nimbus Coffee, owned by a mother and daughter team, is a Harry Potter-themed coffee shop in downtown Los Angeles just steps away from the Staples Center.
Through a variety of art exhibitions and a bookstore, The Underground Museum provides a space for Arlington Heights and neighboring communities to explore the issues that plague them and most urban low-income neighborhoods.
Post 21 was created by a Mother-Daughter team who believe community and family is everything.
Founded in 2014, the restaurant’s husband-wife duo - Chef Michael Reed and Kwini Reed, Poppy + Rose serves seasonal comfort food. They've received an impressive set of accolades that include ‘best breakfast in LA’, ‘best chicken & waffles in LA’, and ‘best chicken sandwich in LA’ to name a few.
SÜPRMARKT is a low cost organic grocery providing 100% organic produce to make great health and healing available to the community.
Founded by Daniel DeSure and Hassan Rahim, Total Luxury Spa is a culmination of streetwear fashion, social engagement, publishing, and the arts based in South LA.
“Exquisite hand-made Ethiopian vegan food from Azla vegan. Co-founder Nes and her mother Azla throw down with delicious food and warm vibes all around.” ~ Ava Duvernay, Award Winning Filmmaker
Logan’s Gardens offers over 1000 varieties of rare and heirloom edible plants available for purchase Wednesdays and Saturdays at Santa Monica Farmer's markets and Sundays at the Hollywood Farmer's market.
Woodspoon is a rustic Brazilian kitchen inspired by the African, European and Indian influences specific to the region of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Perry’s Joint opened its doors September 1, 2004 on the west side of Pasadena, CA—just minutes from the iconic Rose Bowl.
The Knowledge Shop was created so that families could get access to educational services that would assist in the empowerment and educational development of their children.
Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles is a Hollywood-based soul food restaurant chain founded by Herb Hudson, a Harlem native, in 1975.
The Big Man (William "Chip" Brown) was a physician in training when he began selling his cakes to colleagues at the hospital, more for fun than as an enterprise and as they say, the rest was history.
Simply Wholesome is a restaurant and health food store that's been a staple of the community since 1984.
Having grown up in the South Central Los Angeles food prison, Ron Finley is familiar with the area’s lack of fresh produce. He knew what it was like to drive 45 minutes just to get fresh produce. He created a local garden and now inspires communities globally through gardening.
South LA Café is committed to bringing to the South LA community the same quality food and drinks found in other neighborhoods, but with pricing that is affordable.
Since 2008, Stuff I Eat has been providing meals with natural, clean, primarily organic foods, using fresh herbs, a myriad of seasonings, and lots of love.
Hot and Cool Cafe owner Tony Jolly has worked with coffee for two decades, moving to Los Angeles from the East Coast where he used to work at Starbucks. Once he arrived in Leimert Park and saw the need for healthy food options in the community, the idea for Hot and Cool Cafe was born.
Embracing the fresh, healthy flavors of a vegan lifestyle, T&T Lifestyle creates truly one-of-a-kind dishes at their vegan restaurant.
In 2017, Compton Vegan was founded by self taught chef Lemel Durrah to provide a healthier alternative to the readily available, cheap, convenient and unhealthy fast foods that have plagued inner cities across America.
Cary and Duane Earle are the two brothers behind Earle’s on Crenshaw. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, the brothers formulated the idea to make money and pay homage to their roots in New York with a hot dog cart in 1984 that has now grown to a restaurant and full-scale catering company in Crenshaw Square.
Creator Naeem Outler started experimenting with meatless burgers after going vegan. Once he cracked the code for the familiar tastes and textures he enjoyed in his pre-vegan days, he knew he was on to something. He got together with three friends, created a menu, and Vurger Guyz was born. It is now frequented by countless A-listers, such as Grammy Award-winning artist and producer Pharrell Williams, NBA athletes Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, singer-actress Christina Milian, and iconic West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg.
A customer recently mentioned on Yelp, "I was super impressed with how good the vegan dishes tasted. Let me make it clear, the food was fantastic. The staff is all women of color that care a lot about what they do."
Baba’s Vegan Café is a vegan pop up based in South LA committed to providing accessible, healthy and affordable vegetarian cuisine.