ABOUT SHOPBLACKCT

ShopBlackCT is a volunteer initiative and not-for-profit website featuring 1,800+ Black-owned businesses ​in Connecticut.

Free to list. Free to browse.

categories

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

CONGRATULATIONS!

Arts, Entertainment & Events: Royal Lilac Photo & Design
Professional Services: B&A Benefit Solutions
Food: The Wright Slice of Cheesecake
Health, Wellness & Beauty: FLYY Movement
Retail: Brosu Boutique
Non-Profit: Hartford Lending Hands

NEW TO THE SHOPBLACKCT BLOG:

Submitted by Natural Annie Essentials

FEATURED BUSINESSES

INFINITE BEAUTY BAR & APHRODITE'S MANE
WEST HARTFORD

Photo courtesy of Infinite Beauty Bar/Aphrodite's Mane
With a passion to make a difference by helping men and women feel good about themselves, owner of Infinite Beauty Bar and Aphrodite’s Mane DeAndrea Abrahams is doing it all at her modern West Hartford salon—hair, braids, weaves, facials, lash extensions, teeth whitening, waxing, and she will soon offer makeup and nail services.

REALIZING HOMES
ROCKY HILL

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)
Nasha Rhone purchased her first home—a condominium in Bristol, Connecticut—at the young age of 22. She quickly realized the empowerment, stability and equity that was afforded to her through homeownership and then discovered her urge to share the experience with others.

DEEPER VIEW HOMEMAKERS & COMPANION SERVICES
WATERBURY

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)
Waterbury-based Deeper View Homemakers and Companion Services was launched in 2018 after co-owners Josephine Ahiati and Solomon Darko noticed a trend in caregiving companies they had encountered.

I'M CUTE WORLDWIDE
WEST HAVEN/EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)
While her day job kept her busy, at night Fendi Bentley-Samuels and her 10-year-old stepdaughter JuLynn Samuels enjoyed doing their nails together. That’s when inspiration struck and not long after, they launched a new business together.

KHAIIM KELLY, RAPOET
HARTFORD

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)
Khaiim Kelly, better known as RapOet, does it all—he is a creativity and culture teacher, poet, artist, inspirational public speaker and even Hartford’s first city troubadour. In all he does, his community-minded spirit and exceptional talent leads the way.

TEQUANNA'S SOUL FOOD & SWEETS
TORRINGTON

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)
When Tequanna Tyson was a little girl, she remembers her grandmother, a Southern woman, cooking all the time. She never dreamed of owning her own restaurant, but is now serving up fresh, home-cooked meals at Tequanna's Soul Food & Sweets!

THE FLYY MOVEMENT
WEST HARTFORD

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)
As soon as you walk through the doors into FLYY Zumba®, you are drawn into what's known as the FLYY experience. Sistah Anyangō energizes those in attendance by calling out, in traditional African Call and Response form, and the attendees respond.

RICHUAL BOUTIQUE
BRIDGEPORT

Photo: Larianne Tide (Photography By LarJ)
Fashion has always been Brittany Rae’s first passion. So much so that in 2021, she made it her full-time career and opened Richual Boutique—pronounced "ritual"—in Bridgeport, Connecticut, a curated thrift, vintage clothing and accessories shop.

BLACK DRAGON MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY
NORWICH

Photo: Brenda De Los Santos Photography
Dan Jenkins always had big shoes to fill. His father was Norwich's first Black police officer and his grandfather opened the first Black-owned business in the city in 1950s. For him, carrying on his family’s legacy of serving his community would be through teaching karate. ​

DRIPAVELLIS MOBILE CLOTHING STORE
NEW BRITAIN

Photo: Leaja Johnson (Exhibit Leaja)
Jerae Williams, owner of Dripavellis Mobile Clothing Store, knew from an early age that he had a natural gift for fashion. Now, his mobile shop is breaking boundaries and surprising customers at every event since turning the first corner.

Zeni Beauty®
MIDDLETOWN/EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE

Photo: Corey Lynn Tucker Photography
Minna Murphy, owner of Zeni Beauty, has been helping people through the art of makeup for more than two decades and has a heart for helping everyone look and feel like the best versions of themselves.

HARTFORD LENDING HANDS
HARTFORD

Photo: Courtesy of Hartford Lending Hands
Latasha Townes, founder, director and owner of 501(c)3 non-profit Hartford Lending Hands, is on a mission to help families during the holidays and beyond—especially those who cannot afford to purchase toys, groceries or clothing.

ARTIC ICE JEWELRY
MANCHESTER

Photo: Sarah Thompson Photography
Rashee Russell, owner of Manchester-based business Artic Ice Jewelry, is making every customer she meets sparkle and she has one mission: to help spread joy and positivity, while making people feel great about themselves.

HIGH KEI BEAUTY
HARTFORD

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)
Keiwana Hanley, owner of lash extension, brow tinting and beauty product business High Kei Beauty, reminds everyone to also put themselves on their gift list in the midst of the busy holiday season. After all, self-care is the greatest gift out there.

BLACC BOTTLE
BRIDGEPORT/EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)
Bridgeport-based BLACC Bottle is not just a reusable water bottle company, it’s a lifestyle brand. Standing for “Bonafide Love Advancing Cultural Change,” the bottles serve as canvases to promote love, unity and positivity.

GO PLATINUM SERVICES
HARTFORD

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)
Tyshawn “FREEK” Robinson’s life hasn’t always easy. But now he’s working to flip the script about what it means to grow up in the inner city through his firearms training business Go Platinum Services in Hartford, Connecticut.

BRIDAL AFFECTION
HAMDEN

Photo: Terrence Irving Photography
​Imagine a place where brides are welcomed with open arms, greeted by personal stylists, and cared for every step of the way—even before they enter the doors. Bridal Affection in Hamden is just that.

HEAVENLY HAIR PRODUCTS
BRIDGEPORT/EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE

Photo: Larianne Tide (Photography By LarJ)
It’s often said that there’s no love like a mother’s love. After Val McCray's mother suffered from hair loss due to worry over her daughter's health, a new product line was launched to help.

SUPPORTING 1,852 businesses and growing!

95% of businesses owners surveyed said ShopBlackCT is helpful for CT Black-owned businesses.

83% reported more exposure, increase in sales or new connections to other business owners thanks to ShopBlackCT.
"Without ShopBlackCT.com I wouldn't have that big showcase I have now. My business has increased 15%."

- Reggie White, Crab Shack King, A Touch of Soul
​
“ShopBlackCT.com has been a real vessel for bringing visibility to our Black-owned businesses, giving us the services of taking pictures and doing articles that we can use as marketing material and share with our networks and theirs.”

- Khamani Harrison, The Key Bookstore
​
“They have dedicated their time and their resources to create a platform that has been very instrumental in the growth of my business and the growth of many other Black-owned businesses in Connecticut. A lot of times us small business owners don’t have the means to get our names out there, but this platform was created to do that. It was so needed.”

- Shawnee Rochester, Escape Massage & Esthetics Studio
​
“The positive image, the positivity coming out of ShopBlackCT.com is so powerful and such a great movement that as a Black-owned, veteran-owned business myself I get to show my sons this great positive image and I love it.”

- Chef Jay, Fud, Inc. & Baby J's Spices
"ShopBlackCT.com has been a blessing for our business. ShopBlackCT.com helped us gain greater exposure within our local area and started a conversation around our story, our value and how we were working to uplift our community." 
​
​- Nakia Kearse, Your CBD Store Simsbury
​
"Business has increased since the launch of ShopBlackCT.com. My BBQ bowl sales have jumped."
​
- James Hanton, The Singing Sliders
​

UPCOMING EVENTS

THE ECONOMICS OF RACISM

By Yvette Young
People often ask, why does ShopBlackCT.com only focus on Black-owned businesses? The quick answer is because of the impact systemic racism has had on the Black community.

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SHOPBLACKCT IN THE NEWS

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