ShopBlackCT - Black-Owned Business Guide

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ShopBlackCT is a volunteer initiative and not-for-profit website featuring 2,000 Black-owned businesses in Connecticut.

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FEATURED BUSINESSES

NATURALANNIE ESSENTIALS
BRIDGEPORT

Photo: Courtesy of NaturalAnnie Essentials

Some of the best ideas are born out of frustration. In 2015, Annie’s daughter was experiencing skin care issues due to multiple surgeries. Traditional products were not working, so Annie turned to her Jamaican roots and begin to concoct natural healing products to combat the breakouts her daughter was battling.

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)

In June 2020, Morgan-Doe launched her online business African Hair Bonnets by Edzorna out of Bristol, bringing a splash of gorgeous, colorful hair bonnets for the whole family. To keep busy during the pandemic, she started sewing several types of African fabrics—which ultimately grew to a growing business with several employees.

Photo: Blu Alys Photography

In the vibrant world of fashion, one name is rewriting the rules and bringing accessibility to the forefront: Clancee Victor, affectionately known as 'Fancee Clancee.' By day, she's a dedicated social worker, but when the sun sets, she's the driving force behind 10Thirteen Vintage, an innovative business that's all about making fashion accessible without compromising on style.

Photo: Shariffah Mason (Reef's Views)

18-year-old James Judkins of Hartford, Connecticut was looking for a meaningful way to spread positivity into the world. He made the discovery with the opening of his online clothing brand of street gear he calls Free Therapy.

Photo: Blu Alys Photography

Look out, all you health-conscious consumers and smoothie bowl lovers—there’s a new acai in town! Playa Bowls announced its grand opening in April 2023 in Avon, marking the third Playa Bowls location in Connecticut for Mitch Jackson.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

MORE FEATURED BUSINESSES

SUPPORTING 2,058 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

ON THE SHOPBLACKCT BLOG:

UNLEASHING YOUR BUSINESS'S FULL POTENTIAL: HOW HOSTIG EVENTS CAN BOOST YOUR REVENUE

Submitted by Natural Annie Essentials

UPCOMING EVENTS

VIEW 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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