Musician and producer Wyclef Jean has teamed up with Google on their #BlackOwnedFriday social campaign, encouraging you to support Black-owned businesses on November 27th.
READ MORE: How To “Buy Black” During Black Business Month
The campaign kicked off today with a custom anthem jingle written by the Fugees founder and Madeleine Nelson, sung by Wyclef and Jazzy Amra and produced by Wyclef. Illustrations by Daniel Batista & Helton Mattei
“THE BLACK-OWNED FRIDAY ANTHEM”
Read Wyclef’s blog post below, supporting one of his favorite Black-owned businesses, Vibez Juice & Vegan Cafe, located in New Jersey.
WYCLEF JEAN ON VIBEZ JUICE & VEGAN CAFE:
When I walk into Vibez Juice & Vegan Cafe, I feel good. This juice bar and vegan cafe in Jersey City, NJ isn’t just a place to get delicious, healthy food, but it’s also a place that feels positive and uplifting. The owners, Medjine and John “Jube” Altino, wanted to create a welcoming space that has a positive impact on their community. I never had a vegan meal before I went to Vibez. I could not believe how great it was. Vibez is one of my favorite Black-owned small businesses, and like so many others, it deserves to thrive now and for years to come.
I’ve seen firsthand the strain and struggle that Black-owned businesses face. In 2020, those struggles skyrocketed: Black-owned businesses have closed at double the rate of white-owned businesses due to the pandemic. For many of them, this holiday season will be critical to their survival.
So this is the season to show up and show love for Black-owned businesses. And many of you are already looking for ways to do that. By October 2020, search interest for “Black-owned business” surpassed 2019 levels by more than 2,100 percent in the U.S. To help drive support for Black-owned businesses, Google and the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. are partnering to make Nov. 27 Black-owned Friday, a day to support Black-owned businesses. When I learned about this initiative through the campaign’s creative agency BBH New York, I was (of course) eager to express those feelings through music.
This Black-owned Friday and throughout the holiday season, show love by shopping from Black-owned businesses, sharing your favorites on social media or even by writing your own jingle.
Use the #BlackOwnedFriday hashtag to help others discover the businesses you love. Together we can make a big impact.
