How to find and support Black-owned businesses in Seattle
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Local groups, companies and nonprofits in the Seattle area are working to amplify Black-owned businesses by making it easier for people to find them.
Why it matters: Supporting Black-owned businesses is a small step toward helping close a persistent racial wealth gap stemming in part from decades of discrimination in housing and lending, per the Brookings Institution.
The big picture: More than that, these businesses enrich the community while providing services and spaces attuned to the needs of Seattle's Black residents, Amanda Williams, founder of the Seattle Green Book website, told Axios.
Zoom in: Williams writes that she started the online directory of Black-owned businesses in 2020 hoping to connect people to "spaces that were full of culture and stories of Black Seattle, past and present."
- The directory, which is run in partnership with a co-op that provides loans to Black entrepreneurs, is named after the Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide that helped Black travelers in the Jim Crow era find safe places to stop on road trips.
What they're saying: Williams told Axios that in addition to helping build community, she saw a practical need to help Black Seattleites easily find services they need throughout the city.
- For instance, if looking for a dermatologist, "they need to understand my skin," Williams said.
Zoom out: Those wanting to support Black businesses can also purchase Buy Black gift cards from Seattle-based Intentionalist that are redeemable at more than 130 Black-owned businesses in the Puget Sound region.
- The company's goal is to "close the gap between our good intentions to support diverse local businesses and our ability to easily take action," Intentionalist founder and CEO Laura Clise told Axios.
- The Northwest African American Museum compiles another directory of Black-owned businesses, as does the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.
- You can also check a list put together by the Seattle Good Business Network.
Melissa's thought bubble: Among Seattle's Black-owned businesses, I've fallen in love with the bath and skin products at QueenCare; the snacks, beer and vibes at Métier Brewing Co.; the gumbo, oxtail and desserts at Simply Soulful; and early morning breakfasts at Café Campagne.
- You also can't go wrong with the palau, chicken curry or paratha from Pam's Caribbean Kitchen; the veggie combo plate from Zagol; or anything from Jerk Shack.