April Showers (her real name), a self-described \u201cserial entrepreneur\u201d much of her life, looks at 2020 as a paradox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
George Floyd\u2019s murder in Minneapolis and the ensuing social justice movement across the country were \u201cpainful and exhausting. Very troubling and a moment in time we won\u2019t forget,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a Black businesswoman, though, the subsequent impact of the protests following Floyd\u2019s death heightened awareness of vast social inequities and inspired the #BuyBlack movement, which encouraged support of Black-owned businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In June 2020, Canadian fashion designer and activist Aurora James reasoned on social media<\/a> that Black people represent 15% of the \u201cAmerican population and we need to represent 15%\u201d of retailers\u2019 \u201cshelf space.\u201d Companies followed her suggestion, bringing Black-owned brands into their stores and inviting collaborations at unprecedented rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soon, Showers\u2019 online business,\u2002Afro Unicorn<\/a> \u2014 a brand she started in 2019 to celebrate the beauty of Black people \u2014 tallied record sales. Her products feature unicorns in various shades of brown on clothing, bedding, backpacks and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A considerable number of her customers were white shoppers who supported the cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy e-commerce business took completely off during that time,\u201d said Showers, who lives in Los Angeles. \u201cIt went crazy. Remember, it wasn\u2019t just the uprising after George Floyd\u2019s death. It was Covid, too, and there were all kinds of situations where people got breaks on paying their electricity or rent. So they had extra money, and they were spending. And they were buying Black.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n But as so-called Black Friday arrives, with sales and promotions for the holidays just about everywhere, Black entrepreneurs who spoke to NBC News said they hardly feel the support of 2020. In fact, they say, they feel abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s tough,\u201d Showers said. Because of the #BuyBlack surge, her business went from online to store shelves. In August 2020, Walmart, as part of its push to support Black businesses, offered her space in 3,800 of its stores across the country. Then came Target, JCPenney, Kohl\u2019s, HomeGoods and NovaKids, giving her the unique distinction of being a Black woman with a licensed character brand in major retail stores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was amazing, but it would not have happened without that Buy Black movement,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But as the calls to support Black businesses faded during the pandemic, so did the number of customers, creating a struggle for many Black owners. In 2020, as an example of the fluctuation, Groupon searches for \u201cBlack-owned\u201d increased nearly 400%, according to a survey<\/a> \u2014 a testament to the force of the Buy Black challenge. But just a few months later, when the catch phrase faded, so did searches and revenue, the study said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Showers\u2019 products are on shelves competing against major brands like Disney, Marvel and Nickelodeon. Those retailers \u201cgrade me on the same level,\u201d Showers said, \u201cso I can\u2019t even look at the glass being half-empty. I can\u2019t say, \u2018Oh, so after George Floyd, things have slowed down.\u2019 I\u2019m in here now. I have to figure out how to get all of the 12% of Black people who shop at Walmart to buy Afro Unicorn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would be easier if there were another national call to support Black businesses. \u201cIt needs to come back,\u201d Showers said. \u201cThe problems that made them and everyone buy Black in 2020 still exist today. Can we rely solely on Black support to survive? Put it like this: If we do not continue to support Black businesses, especially in retail, you won\u2019t see them anymore. That\u2019s real.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nicole Mitchell had visions of creating a versatile sportswear line before 2020. Seeing the groundswell of Black business support inspired her to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She launched\u2002Goddess Athleisure<\/a> this year, featuring gear that can be worn during workouts and socially. Mitchell, of Detroit, spent two years working with a California design team to create leggings and fashionable tops that suited her vision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo this has been a labor of love for me, hand-picking every element of the products, not just slapping a name on it,\u201d said Mitchell, who eventually would like to drop a swimsuit line. \u201cI worked really hard and labored over every detail to give our community a high-quality product.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Witnessing the reaction to the call to buy Black three years ago \u201cwas inspiring,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was great to see other people who were not Black actually promoting and buying Black and then actually promoting it to other people and encouraging people outside of our community to support and buy Black. I loved seeing that,\u201d Mitchell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And she\u2019d love to see a similar movement now. Mitchell runs her business while working three nights a week as a veterinarian at a 24-hour emergency hospital. And because she financed her startup without bank loans, she said, it\u2019s paramount that support from her community holds her up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m going to have some Black Friday sales, like everyone else,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cBut that\u2019s unfortunate, because as a relatively new small business, we can\u2019t afford the discounts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mitchell said she has noticed a lack of support in the years since \u201cthe tragedies of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery. That support that was about solidarity is not here anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said relying on Black support alone can be challenging, because \u201cwe\u2019ll spend big money on designer labels; we are the consumers that spend money. But when it comes to us, we often have to prove that we\u2019re worthy or that we\u2019re quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n