17581: Appealing To Black Consumers One Month—And One Holiday—At A Time.

 

Adweek interviewed The Gathering Spot Co-Founder Ryan Wilson, who was closing out Black Business Month and reflecting on brands appealing to Black audiences.

“The biggest mistake is treating Black businesses and Black consumers as a moment on the calendar instead of an important part of the economy and culture every day of the year,” Wilson opined. “Black Business Month can be a great catalyst for attention, but the goal should be to build relationships that extend well beyond August.”

There’s not much new to Wilson’s words, in terms of pointing out brands’ cultural cluelessness and dismal DEIBA+ dedication.

Black History Month, Black Music Month, Black Business Month, Juneteenth, and Kwanzaa are combining to create opportunities to collect crumbs all year long.

Just need nine more months of Black celebrations to complete the calendar.

Ryan Wilson On Why Many Brands Still Don’t Know How to Appeal to Black Consumers

“Manufacturing authenticity” will never capture the community’s $2.1 trillion in spending power

By Robert Klara

A recent study by the Brookings Institution found that Black-owned employer businesses have blown past the 200,000 mark for the first time ever, collectively accounting for 1.8 million jobs and $249 billion in revenue. 

But the growth comes despite persistent challenges. According to data firm WifiTalents, Black entrepreneurs start off with a third less capital than their white counterparts, receive just 1% of venture-capital funding, and often cite lack of mentorship as a growth impediment.

Few understand these dynamics better than Ryan Wilson. In 2019, the Atlanta native recognized the need for a club where Black entrepreneurs could convene, co-work, and make professional connections. Today, The Gathering Spot is an Atlanta institution “where business deals are made, ventures financed, and community initiatives take hold,” according to Black Enterprise.

Brandweek, ADWEEK’s three-day marketing summit, will host an evening social at RETREAT, The Gathering Spot’s rooftop venue, from 7:00 -10:00 p.m. on September 15. In advance of the function, we sat down with Wilson to talk about Black businesses, the Black dollar, and what major brands frequently get wrong about both.

ADWEEK: We’re wrapping up Black Business Month, when it’s common for major retailers and credit cards to spotlight Black-owned businesses and encourage people to shop with them. Do you have any thoughts on why these brands don’t encourage support of Black-owned businesses all year long? Are they missing an opportunity because they don’t?

RYAN WILSON: The biggest mistake is treating Black businesses and Black consumers as a moment on the calendar instead of an important part of the economy and culture every day of the year.

Black Business Month can be a great catalyst for attention, but the goal should be to build relationships that extend well beyond August. If a company only engages Black-owned businesses when there is a campaign or cultural moment attached to it, that engagement can start to feel transactional rather than authentic.

Yes, I think brands are absolutely missing an opportunity when they take that approach. Supporting Black-owned businesses isn’t simply a social-impact strategy; it can also be a smart business strategy. These businesses are creating products, employing people, building communities, and shaping culture. The brands that understand that will build deeper relationships and, ultimately, greater trust.

Why did you see a need for a networking hub like the Gathering Spot, and have you seen success stories emerge from it that have validated the concept?

When we started The Gathering Spot, we believed there was a need for a different kind of community. Traditional networking can be very transactional: you meet someone, exchange information, and hope something happens afterward. We wanted to build a place where connection was part of the infrastructure: a creative could sit next to an attorney, an entrepreneur could meet an investor, or someone with an idea could meet the person who helps turn it into something real.

One of the clearest validations has been watching that idea grow beyond a single clubhouse in Atlanta. We expanded physically to Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles and built membership communities in cities including New York, Detroit, Charlotte, Houston, and Chicago. 

There are countless individual relationships and collaborations that have come from people meeting at The Gathering Spot, but what validates the original vision most for me is that people continue to see value in intentionally being in community with one another.

According to 2025 Nielsen data, the U.S. Black community packs $2.1 trillion in spending power. Brands obviously know that on some level, and yet we still see examples of marketing that fails to reach that community effectively—and sometimes offends them. What do brand marketers misunderstand or consistently get wrong about Black consumers?

One of the biggest mistakes is trying to manufacture authenticity at the end of the process.

You can’t develop a campaign without meaningful Black perspectives in the room and then add cultural references at the end and expect that to create an authentic connection. Representation has to exist upstream. Who is helping develop the strategy? Who has decision-making authority? Who are your partners? Who are you listening to before the campaign ever reaches the public?

At The Gathering Spot, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful it can be when people are invited into genuine community rather than simply marketed to. The same principle applies to brands. If your first meaningful conversation with Black consumers happens when you’re trying to sell them something, you’ve probably started too late.

The companies that will get this right are the ones that approach the Black community with curiosity, consistency, and respect—not simply because of the size of its spending power, but because Black consumers are helping shape culture, entrepreneurship, and the broader marketplace every day.

17458: On Brand Investment, Interest, And Indifference For Black Consumers.

 

MediaPost published an almost stereotypical perspective on connecting with Black consumers.

 

From emphasizing Blacks shape culture to insisting Black audiences are swayed by authentic and accurate representation in advertising, the op-ed offers nothing new. The exposition mimics pitch decks of every past and present Black advertising agency.

 

The author delivers the standard declaration: “Brands that invest in authentic cultural representation have a larger, more responsive audience ready to engage and convert.”

 

Okay, except history has shown brand investment rarely exceeds crumbs—and brand interest is even crumbier. Indeed, the current anti-DEIBA+ vibe in Adland fuels brand indifference.

 

Cultural Trust As Currency: Why Black Consumers Shift Spending Due To Brand Values

 

By Charlene Polite Corley

 

Black consumers continue to shape culture that captures attention, but tokenism alone is not enough to earn loyalty. Increasingly, Black consumers are making intentional decisions about where they spend their money, and those decisions are directly tied to whether a brand demonstrates real cultural understanding and alignment. In times of economic uncertainty, that bar is only getting higher.

 

The data makes the stakes even clearer. According to Nielsen’s 2025 Attitudes on Representation Study, over half of Black consumers say a brand’s stance on social issues is a major factor in their purchasing decisions, and 70% say they will stop buying from brands perceived as devaluing their community, up from 66% in 2023. That upward trend signals that Black consumer expectations are growing, and brands that are not keeping up the pace are actively losing ground.

 

What drives this shift is visibility and relevance in practice. Black audiences are more than twice as likely to rank authentic and accurate representation of their race or ethnicity as the strongest motivation to engage with new content compared to respondents overall. Additionally, 67% of Black consumers say they pay more attention to brands that reflect their culture, compared to 46% overall.

 

For marketers, this gap represents both a risk and a clear opportunity. Brands that invest in authentic cultural representation have a larger, more responsive audience ready to engage and convert.

 

Where and how brands show up matters significantly. Fifty-six percent of Black consumers prefer to buy based on ads that appear in culturally relevant content, compared to 35% overall. This is not a preference to ignore. It means that media placement is a value signal, not solely a targeting decision. Showing up in the right cultural contexts communicates that a brand understands and respects the audience it is trying to reach.

 

Earning attention from Black consumers requires cultural fluency built over time, through community partnerships, creator collaborations and storytelling that reflects the full range of Black experiences. For example, Black suburban consumers are among the most likely to agree that a brand’s stance on social issues influences their purchasing decisions, at 59%, compared to 51% of the suburban total, according to Nielsen’s 2025 Advanced Audience Attitudes Study. Strategies that treat Black audiences as monolithic will miss this nuance entirely.

 

Ultimately, brands that earn lasting loyalty are the ones that approach cultural understanding as an ongoing commitment—and a competitive advantage. Black consumers watch to see how brands show up consistently, how they listen and how they invest the time to understand the communities they are trying to reach. When consumers feel genuinely seen, they respond with loyalty and advocacy. When they feel like an afterthought, they spend elsewhere.

 

In today’s marketplace, cultural trust is a business metric, and it is one that Black consumers are actively scoring every day.

17034: Black Consumer Research—New Data, Same Old Story.

Adweek reported The Africa Channel collected new research—which feels like old research—on Black consumers. The breakthrough data includes:

 

• Black viewers are an underserved audience

 

• The Black community is not monolithic

 

• To reach Black audiences, authenticity is key

 

• Blacks represent significant purchasing power

 

• Culturally competent messages increase intent to purchase and brand loyalty

 

• Building relationships with Blacks demands more than performative promotions during Black History Month

 

Too bad such insights have never positively impacted underrepresentation, underutilization, and underfunding for Black consumers.

 

In fact, there’s ample data showing marketers prefer to connect with Blacks via crumbs.

 

New Research Reveals Gap Between Black Consumers and Brands Ahead of TV Upfronts

 

The Africa Channel shared its findings exclusively with ADWEEK

 

By Ethan Alter

 

The advent of TV Upfront season means that brands are thinking more and more about the audiences they’re reaching, or not reaching, through their investments in linear and digital advertising.

 

According to new data collected by The Africa Channel (TAC)—a pay cable network that brings pan-African programming to U.S. shores—Black consumers are among the viewers underserved in the current landscape.

 

The network and media company exclusively shared its findings with ADWEEK ahead of the upfronts, as well as the announcement that it has a potential solution. TAC is launching Pulse 360, which aims to assist brands in connecting with the wider diaspora of Black viewers in America.

 

“This community is not monolithic, and effectively engaging Black audiences requires a cultural, not just racial, approach,” Dean Cates, TAC senior vice president of sales and business development, told ADWEEK.

 

“Brands looking to succeed must align with these evolving identities to drive deeper engagement and long-term loyalty,” he added.

 

Identity matters

 

Diving into the numbers, TAC found that America’s African-born population has increased 96% since 2010. And that growth was accompanied by an equal emphasis within that audience of seeing their particular culture reflected in the media and advertising they consume. Per research assembled by Nielsen and My Code, TAC found that 69% of respondents are seeking authentic representations of their identity group.

 

“The rise of social media and the growing cultural influence of Africa in America has inspired second-generation and younger consumers to reconnect with and embrace Africa and their heritage,” noted Cates. “This shift is closing the gap between Black Americans and the African continent, creating a global cultural village and countering long-held stereotypes and misinformation.”

 

TAC’s own programming lineup reflects the broad diversity of African entertainment. The network is home to South African shows like the dramedy Lavish and the morning entertainment and lifestyle series Expresso, as well as new movies from Nollywood (the nickname for Nigeria’s vibrant film industry), and travel series like World Wide Nate and First Time Africa.

 

And the audiences for those shows have significant purchasing power. TAC cites eMarketer data indicating that Black consumer spending is projected to reach $2.1 trillion in 2026. “The overwhelming consensus in the community is that a wider cultural lens is necessary to reach all Black Americans,” Cates said.

 

On the pulse

 

TAC developed its ad solution, Pulse 360, as a way to assist advertisers with activating some of that purchasing power. Some of offerings include custom solutions like branded creative elements, as well as more general turnkey approaches. Besides its own linear network, the program brings brands to media partners that service the same audiences.

 

Drawing on research from the Association of National Advertisers’ Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing, TAC reports that authentically representing African-born cultures contributes to a 185% increase in that audience’s intent to purchase, as well as a 70% gain in brand loyalty.

 

Those findings dovetail with a 2024 report from Samba TV revealing how brands that have specifically targeted Asian, Black, and Hispanic households saw significant returns on their investment.

 

“Investing in reaching Black audiences is not just about doing good; it’s about doing good business,” Cates observed. “It’s clear: People don’t just buy in February during Black History Month. If we want consumers to show up, we need to show up—with consistency and cultural alignment.”

16969: BHM 2025—On Black Consumers & Trust.

 

This is not really Black History Month content, but Advertising Age published a perspective that opened by mentioning the annual cultural event.

 

The op-ed title proclaims: Why Many Black Consumers Are Losing Trust In Brands—And How To Rebuild It.

 

The true solution is simple, although brands and White advertising agencies have historically failed to execute it: Stop being untrustworthy.

 

Why Many Black Consumers Are Losing Trust In Brands—And How To Rebuild It

 

3 ways to stop the shift from infatuation to disillusionment

 

By Janelle A. James and Dawn V. Carr

 

Black History Month is a time to celebrate, educate and recognize the achievements of people of African descent in the U.S. However, this year carries a different weight. Amid deepening societal divisions, rising anti-DEI activism that many perceive as coded anti-Black rhetoric and brands reassessing their diversity commitments—whether by scaling back, repositioning, or reaffirming—many are left wondering how to move forward as tensions continue to mount.

 

Black people have always had complex relationships with America—particularly because for them, there is no distinction between America, corporate America and American brands. Moreover, their roles as citizens, laborers, migrants, leaders and consumers are deeply interconnected, influenced by the same societal forces that shape politics, culture and business.

 

Yet, the broader public often views these roles separately, assigning each one a different level of power and influence. Historically, the Black consumer has been the most formidable of those roles since boycotting businesses fueled the achievement of Civil Rights.

 

Today, the Black impact on business is undeniable. As trendsetters, early adopters and inventors, Black consumers are a driving force in shaping markets and signaling where business and culture are headed. This makes the relationship between Black consumers and American brands especially important—not only for understanding current market dynamics but also for anticipating what’s next.

 

The erosion of brand-consumer trust

 

Brands have long sought to build emotional relationships with consumers, leveraging concepts such as brand love, trust and loyalty to cultivate lasting engagement. But what happens when those relationships falter?

 

Recent research, social media conversations and brand tracking sentiment for several top brands reveal that many Black consumers are shifting from infatuation to disillusionment. Words such as abandoned, harmed and withdrawn are increasingly common in consumer feedback. Some people even describe their disengagement from brands in terms that mirror the end of a personal relationship—where trust is broken and power feels imbalanced.

 

To better understand this shift, we turned to the Power and Control Wheel, a framework originally developed to highlight patterns of abuse in personal relationships. While the comparison may seem provocative, it provides a valuable lens for examining how brands may unintentionally create uneven relationships—and, more importantly, how they can rebuild trust.

 

To be sure, this isn’t about villainizing brands or victimizing consumers. It’s about recognizing unhealthy dynamics and offering a path forward to restoring consumer confidence.

 

Three ways brands may be damaging trust and customer value

 

So how do elements of the Wheel of Power and Control manifest in brand-consumer relationships? Here are three key areas where brands risk eroding trust and customer value—and how they can do better.

 

Using privilege to make unilateral decisions

 

When brands make decisions without meaningful input from customers, they create one-sided relationships. Too often, Black consumers are celebrated during cultural moments but excluded from long-term strategy. This isn’t collaboration—it’s control. Brands that dictate rather than listen lose engagement. Consumers want to feel valued, not managed.

 

Key question for brands: How might our own power and privilege—whether rooted in affluence, education, gender, ability or other factors—cause us to overlook underrepresented consumers’ perspectives?

 

Using isolation to influence purchase

 

When products that consumers rely on disappear with little warning, they can feel neglected. Retailers have the right to shift focus, discontinue programs or make strategic decisions. However, it’s important to consider the meaning of what’s on the chopping block and the risks for both the retailer and shopper. If shifts are connected to values, identity or economic opportunity, much like isolation in personal relationships removes access to support, these shifts can make shoppers feel unsupported and abandoned.

 

Key question for retailers: Are we making decisions that unintentionally alienate or exclude shoppers who have supported us?

 

Minimizing, denying or blaming as commitments shift

 

When brands engage underrepresented consumers only when it aligns with the political climate, this erodes trust and damages loyalty. Sixty-eight percent of all Americans (and 82% of Black Americans) tend to buy brands that reflect their values. More than half of all Americans agree that if a corporation takes a stand on an issue, it should stick by it.

 

Just as in unhealthy personal relationships, brands dismissing concerns or shifting blame invalidates consumer experiences. When brands downplay the resulting criticism as overreaction or justify changes as “just business,” they deny the brand-consumer relationship and reinforce an unequal power structure, often making marginalized consumers feel invisible.

 

Key question for brands: How might our messaging unintentionally frame consumer concerns as a problem to be managed rather than an opportunity to improve?

 

Moving forward with intention

 

Black consumers, like all consumers, want relationships that feel reciprocal. By engaging them as co-creators, ensuring meaningful products and programs, listening to their feedback and staying the course, brands can cultivate loyalty and genuine trust, which are critical for building brand reputation, establishing competitive advantages and increasing shareholder value that extends beyond holidays and heritage months.

16936: Expertise For Engaging Black Audiences Without Employing Blacks.

 

Nielsen published Engaging Black audiences as part of its 2025 Diverse Intelligence Series.

 

For Nielsen and Adland, diverse intelligence sounds like an oxymoron—as cultural cluelessness is a primary condition of the industry’s ruling majority.

 

According to the report, Black audiences lead in engagement with TV, sports programming, and social media. Yet such information has never positively impacted the underrepresentation of Blacks at White advertising agencies or research firms. Hell, the data is questionable too.

 

All of which makes Engaging Black audiences feel like box-checking performative PR—just in time for Black History Month.

16868: Overreaction Of The Week.

 

Major brands are hyping Black Friday sales—despite abandoning Blacks via discounting DEIBA+ dedication. It’s holiday hypocrisy hijinks.

 

 

16850: There Ain’t A Big Tent In Adland.

 

Adweek published a promotional perspective, hyping the opportunities presented to advertisers by Black tentpole events. The author opened by stating the following:

 

For years—especially in the last four—we’ve watched brands expand marketing efforts holistically and prioritize voices of color through organic and paid media placements.

 

Um, advertisers have been shrinking multicultural marketing efforts and deprioritizing voices of color in recent years. In short, especially when it comes to reaching Black audiences, brands and White advertising agencies are actively seeking to fold the tent.

 

Why Black Culture-Focused Tentpole Events Should Be on Your Brand's Radar

 

At events like Essence Festival, CurlyCon, and CultureCon, there are still brands missing

 

By Shannae Ingleton-Smith

 

For years—especially in the last four—we’ve watched brands expand marketing efforts holistically and prioritize voices of color through organic and paid media placements. However, a continuously overlooked medium for major brands and advertisers is Black culture-focused tentpole events.

 

As a regular attendee at such events as Essence Festival, CurlyCon, or CultureCon, to name a few, I have noticed so many major brands missing. Maybe there’s a gap in knowledge on just how valuable these events can be and the power they harness.

 

Understanding your access

 

Although most major brands are beginning to prioritize voices of color in their marketing efforts, they are still missing the mark when reaching Black consumers where they are. There’s plenty of research that supports this, like a recent McKinsey & Company report predicting the expected expansion of Black consumer spend in the next decade, while also noting that attention to the audience of Black consumers is still underdeveloped.

 

Black-centric tentpole events are singular moments in time where brands have unfettered access to the community. Activating at these events is a prime opportunity for brands to establish relationships and earn trust within the community through direct, one-on-one interaction. These events can also be the perfect platform for allowing consumers to sample products, and for brands to obtain valuable feedback to bring to their senior leadership for thoughtful discussions.

 

We all know events like Coachella, New York Fashion Week, and Art Basel are the first to be added to the marketing plan and budgets for the fiscal year. Although events like these are great opportunities to connect with clients and consumers, there is also value in more diverse spaces. By being present at Black-centric tentpole events, you are more likely to increase brand awareness and loyalty as the Black consumer now has an understanding or sample of the product to try at home, and if they love it, they’re going to preach about it to the masses.

 

Content, content, content

 

Tentpole events within the Black community—think the NAACP Image Awards or AfroTech—have an incredibly engaged online following, especially by those unable attend in person. People are watching their favorite creator’s content from these events like it’s a primetime television show, and they’re refreshing their feeds repeatedly to see what their favorite creators are up to at these events. So, even if the consumers can’t attend themselves, they get to engage with the event through the creator’s lens.

 

This kind of content tends to perform incredibly well in viewership and engagement. Since there aren’t many high-profile events during the calendar year that are both star-studded and centered around the Black community, engagement around them is highly increased. There’s a small but mighty group of impactful events that are beloved and well-attended by key Black tastemakers, thought leaders, influencers, and changemakers, and they’re in an “actively sharing mode,” which is a rare feat in the influencer marketing world.

 

How to show up

 

If your brand is going to be on the ground activating at these events, be sure to show up in the right way. A great example of this is Shea Moisture, who hosted Camp Shea at Essence Festival this year. The brand’s activation underlined that camping is not just about “sleeping outside” or “roughing it,” but building a community through life-changing experiences. Hosting an activation for people to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences was invaluable to the brand, and as a result, creators delivered tenfold with content. This is just one example, but it speaks to how Shea Moisture has solidified its “big player” brand status.

 

If you activate at an event of this magnitude, it shows the community, and your competitors, that you’re a major player, and that you’re a brand influencers want to partner with. If you’re able to build out an activation at an event on this level, remember to create a space that people can come to and enjoy. Be clever, be aesthetically pleasing, be engaging, and create something that content creators are going to want to share with their followers.

 

If you’re still on the fence

 

I’ll leave you with this last piece of advice: NielsenIQ shared that in 2023, Black consumer dollars spent within the beauty industry alone surpassed the entire U.S. market at large. If you’re in the hair care, beauty, or skin care category and cater to Black women, you want to be where those women are and tap into those spending dollars. Black women in particular are the driving force behind so many successful products, brands, and, most importantly, trends. Because they tend to stand behind brands consistently that they believe in, make it a priority to be in front of these decision-makers whenever you can.

16770: Quietly Considering A Silent Agreement.

 

Adweek published a provocative perspective from Wil Power Integrated Marketing CEO Wil Shelton, who spoke out about the unspoken contract between Black-owned businesses and Black consumers.

 

The Silent Agreement Between Black-Owned Businesses and the Communities That Built Them

 

There’s an unspoken contract that sometimes becomes a double-edged sword

 

By Wil Shelton

 

There is an unspoken, yet ever-present cultural contract between Black-owned businesses and the Black communities that built them. It’s an invisible agreement that is rarely talked about but always understood; a relationship rooted in shared struggle, history, and identity.

 

For Black businesses, especially in industries like beauty, this contract is both a gift and a weight. On one hand, it offers a deep connection to a loyal, invested community. On the other, it comes with expectations, sometimes unrealistic, that the business must never “sell out,” change, or stray from its origins.

 

Take the recent backlash against Mielle Organics, a brand that had long been celebrated for catering specifically to the needs of Black women’s hair. Mielle, known for its beloved Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil, was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2023. Shortly after, a wave of outrage swept through Black social media. Consumers who had supported the brand from its humble beginnings felt betrayed.

 

Allegations of hair loss linked to the product have only fanned the flames, with many voicing concerns that the formulas would be altered, or worse, that Mielle’s commitment to its core Black customer base would disappear.

 

A history of loyalty

 

At the heart of this backlash is the cultural contract, the unspoken agreement that Black-owned businesses should remain loyal to the communities that built them. For many Black consumers, buying Black isn’t just about getting a product—it’s an act of resistance and resilience, a way to support Black excellence in a system that has often excluded or undermined it. These consumers have emotionally and financially invested in Black businesses, feeling a sense of pride every time they choose a Black-owned product over mainstream competitors.

 

This relationship between Black-owned businesses and their customers is rooted in shared history. Black entrepreneurs have long faced systemic barriers to success—whether through lack of access to capital, discriminatory business practices, or the simple fact that many mainstream businesses didn’t cater to the needs of Black consumers. As a result, the Black community has rallied around these businesses, supporting them not just out of necessity, but out of a sense of cultural pride.

 

But with that support comes an expectation to stay true to yourself and the people who helped build you.

 

The challenge of growth

 

The tension arises when Black businesses grow and seek to expand beyond their original base. For many Black consumers, expansion can feel like a betrayal, even when it’s simply a business decision.

 

When a beloved Black-owned brand is acquired by a major conglomerate, it can feel as though the brand has sold out and abandoned the community for the promise of bigger profits. The fear is that, once acquired, the brand will lose its authenticity, connection to the community, and cultural relevance.

 

This is why Mielle’s acquisition by Procter & Gamble sparked intense reactions. Many Black consumers were immediately wary, fearing that the product formulas would change or that the brand would lose its connection to Black women’s specific hair needs. These fears aren’t baseless—there is a long history of Black-owned brands being watered down or diluted after being absorbed by larger corporations. And in an industry like beauty, where trust is everything, even the slightest change can lead to feelings of betrayal, almost as if it’s an act of contempt for the very audience that helped the brand rise in the first place.

 

The sentiment on products for Black hair

 

In a fascinating twist of consumer allegiance, brands like Olaplex and Aussie, though not crafted specifically for Black hair, have garnered rave reviews from Black consumers.

These products were initially marketed to a broader, more general audience but have found a loyal following among Black women, who often struggle to find effective solutions within the confines of products labeled “for us, by us.” This dynamic raises a critical question that strikes at the heart of consumer behavior in the Black community: Is the effectiveness of a product ultimately more important than the cultural specificity that surrounds it?

 

For many Black women, the answer is revealing. While there is a deep desire to support products tailored to the unique needs of Black hair, the reality is that the products specifically marketed toward them aren’t always delivering the best results. As a result, many in the community have begun to look beyond the traditional boundaries of Black-owned brands for solutions that simply work.

 

It’s a profound reminder that the integrity of the product itself—its ability to perform and fulfill its promise—sometimes carries more weight than its cultural origins. In the end, what matters most is whether the product truly respects the texture, beauty, and uniqueness of Black hair, regardless of where it comes from.

 

Not all acquisitions end in disaster

 

While the fears surrounding corporate acquisitions of Black-owned brands are real, it’s important to recognize that not all acquisitions result in disaster. Some large corporations have demonstrated a commitment to maintaining the integrity of Black-owned brands and even enhancing them. Numerous companies have stuck to original formulas, ensuring quality remains consistent while using their larger resources to scale production, innovate, and improve distribution.

 

SheaMoisture, for example, was acquired by Unilever in 2017. Initially, many Black consumers feared the worst—that the brand’s commitment to Black hair care would be watered down. However, instead of altering the essence of the products, Unilever worked vigilantly to maintain the authenticity of the brand while expanding its reach. This acquisition allowed SheaMoisture to introduce new products, tap into wider markets, and remain true to its original mission of serving the Black community.

 

This example underscores that acquisitions don’t have to come at the expense of community trust or product quality. The key lies in transparency and communication. When a brand is acquired, new ownership must engage directly with the community to make clear that the brand’s core values will remain intact. Black consumers need assurance that the products they trust will continue to meet their needs, both in terms of quality and cultural relevance.

 

A double-edged sword

 

The cultural contract between Black-owned businesses and their communities can sometimes become a double-edged sword. On one hand, it ensures that these businesses stay connected to their roots and remain accountable to the people who helped build them. But on the other hand, it can also handcuff Black business owners, making it difficult for them to grow or evolve without backlash. The very loyalty that sustains the business can also be what limits it.

 

This dynamic places Black business owners in a tough spot. Do they stay small, true to their original base, and risk stagnation? Or do they seek growth, potentially alienating the community that brought them to prominence in the first place? The weight of this unspoken contract is heavy, and the fallout from violating it can be swift and unforgiving.

 

Rewriting the contract

 

The Mielle Organics controversy highlights the need for Black-owned businesses and their communities to redefine this cultural contract. Growth and success shouldn’t be seen as betrayals but as milestones in a larger journey. Black businesses should be able to scale up and reach broader markets without losing the trust of their core base.

 

The onus is on both sides. Black business owners need to remain transparent, ensuring that their growth doesn’t come at the expense of their community’s trust. This means communicating openly about changes, involving the community in decisions, and staying true to the brand’s original mission, even as they evolve. At the same time, Black consumers need to allow room for their businesses to grow, understanding that expansion doesn’t have to mean a loss of authenticity.

 

Ultimately, this unspoken cultural contract doesn’t have to be a barrier to growth. It can be a foundation, one that allows Black businesses to stay connected to their roots while reaching new heights. But it requires an honest dialogue, a willingness to redefine the terms, and an understanding that, as the great theologian Kendrick Lamar once said, “They not like us.”

 

Black businesses, and the communities that support them, operate by a different set of rules—rules that prioritize loyalty, trust, and cultural relevance above all. But if we can rewrite this contract, Black businesses can thrive without losing themselves in the process.