Everything You Need To Know About Black Pound Day
Part of making a wider commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement is acknowledging the need to support and shop from Black-owned brands. Which, when you think about it, isn't exactly a hard task. With major fashion brands like Loudbrandstudios serving up looks worn by Kylie Jenner, game-changing beauty brands like UOMA, Fenty Beauty and Dizziak and a whole host of lust-worthy Black-owned brands and businesses in between, supporting the Black economy has never been easier.
Making it official is Black Pound Day. Spearheaded by Swiss (formerly of So Solid Crew fame), the national campaign aims to support and raise awareness for Black-owned businesses.
What is Black Pound Day?
More than simply one day per year, Black Pound Day is a monthly campaign that encourages consumers to switch up their usual shopping destinations to local and online Black-owned businesses every first Saturday of the month.
The aim? To meaningfully alter the UK's shopping habits to become more inclusive and, in turn, grow the Black economy and Black communities.
'Black Pound Day is a real solution-based, community-empowering campaign and motivating endeavour that will leave a better infrastructure for the next generation to walk into,' reads a statement on the campaign’s Instagram account.
When is Black Pound Day?
Unlike other official 'days', Black Pound Day is an ongoing campaign. 27 June 2020 marked the first ever Black Pound Day. From here on Black Pound Day will follow a schedule of the first Saturday of the month. As Swiss said on his personal Instagram account, 'It is a movement, not a moment.'
See below for 2021's Black Pound Day calendar and mark it in your diaries:
2 January
6 February
6 March
3 April
1 May
5 June
3 July
7 August
4 September
2 October
6 November
4 December
As well as checking out our round ups of the best Black-owned fashion and beauty brands, you can discover amazing businesses using the Black Pound Day website. Simply type in the product or service you're looking for and let the results roll in.
How can we affect meaningful change through Black Pound Day?
Although some might consider shopping a more superficial past time, where consumers go, money follows. More money means more power. Consciously choosing to contribute your income to Black-owned businesses raises up Black communities, shifts the balance of power and significantly alters our cultural landscape.
According to the Black Pound Day website, if everyone was to spend just £10 a week on Black businesses, we could inject £1.9bn into the Black community. So, if you want to affect change it's time to put your money where you mouth is (and nab an epic outfit at the same time).
How can we show support for Black Pound Day?
Aside from spending your pennies on Black-owned businesses, as with most things in 2021, it's all about the hashtag.
Share your purchases and encourage others to do the same on Instagram and Twitter with #BlackPoundDay. There's even a social media challenge you can take part in. The #BlackPoundDayChallenge asks users to film a short video of themselves saying exactly how they'll be supporting Black-owned businesses.
There's even a function on the Black Pound Day website that allows you to upload your receipt details from that day's purchases so the total spend can be calculated.
Together our collective spending holds power. Let's put it into practice.
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