Buy From a Black Woman is about to hit the road for its Buy From a Black Woman Inspire Tour presented by H&M next month, with its first stop taking place during Essence Festival in New Orleans.
The BFABW Inspire Tour is an annual multi-city pop-up shopping event that features products from Black women-owned businesses in H&M stores across the country. These events rally communities to shop from local vendors and provide important networking opportunities for business owners.
“Oh, my goodness, there’s so much happening. It’s a lot!” says Nikki Porcher, Founder of Buy From a Black Woman, as she laughs and proceeds to share the tour’s eventful itinerary. The cool thing about the tour is that each city has its own experience.
The visionary started the brand as a blog where she shared about the products and services she had purchased from Black women. Then business owners started reaching out to her to be featured and people were making donations to support her work, and she began to realize it was maybe more than just a blog. But once she was let go from her job for the blog, she realized it was something bigger than that.
With her experience in working with non-profit organizations, Porcher knew what to do to organize Buy From a Black Woman as such. Then, in 2018, when deciding what to do for her birthday, she spent the occasion with Black women. She traveled from Atlanta to New York City and then worked her way back home while supporting Black businesses and updating and asking for suggestions from her followers. This was unofficially the first Buy From a Black Woman Inspire Tour.
Since then, Porcher has been more intentional and strategic. In 2021, BFABW partnered with H&M to continue ensuring Black businesswomen were seen and heard, with the retailer offering its stores as venues for the events.
“We want to make sure people understand that Black women business owners are not just one look and feel. Yes, the pop-ups are important, and we do want you to come out to the pop-ups. We want you to flood the pop-ups and come to the stores and buy from those Black businesses, says Porcher. She continues, “But also remember that outside of those in-store pop-ups, there are also Black women doing other things as well. They do have stores; they have farms. They have conversations. They have feelings. They need protection. So we want to showcase and ensure that people understand that Black women are still here in every aspect, in every place. We always say, if you’re looking for it, we know a Black woman business owner who got it, like, in everything. So there’s really no excuse not to buy from a Black woman.”
The Black businesswomen whose businesses are selected are part of the Buy From a Black Woman Directory, and it looks like several have also received their MBE Certification, which is another opportunity BFABW provides to its members.
Find the tour schedule below.
New Orleans, LA – July 6 and July 7
Presenting: AQUA Waterproof Headwear, Grace The Collection, Imani Smile, Kate Lynn & Adwoa, My Tribe Essentials and Sibahle Teas
French Quarter
418 North Peters Street
70130 New Orleans
Chicago, IL – July 13
Presenting: Mahogany Brown Candle Co. and Natural Radiant Life
Roosevelt Collection
150 W Roosevelt Rd
60605 Chicago, IL
Tulsa, OK – July 14
Presenting: LAMIK Beauty and Mamie L Pack Media
Woodland Hills Mall
7021 South Memorial Drive, Suite 225B
74133 Tulsa, OK
Washington D.C. – July 20
Presenting: AcARRE, Copper and Brass Paper Goods, Joy of Beauty, and On the Edge Baby Hair
The Shops at Georgetown Park
3222 M Street
Northwest, Washington, DC, 20007
Macon, GA – July 21
Presenting: Emmerse and The Artsy Girl
The Shoppes at River Crossing
5080 Riverside Drive, Suite 214
31210 Macon, GA
Toronto, ON – July 27
Presenting: Coo-Mon Accessories et Cultures with more to be announced soon.
Toronto Eaton Centre
1 Dundas Street West
M5G 1Z3 Toronto
Read more articles by Fancy.
