Lily Pillsbury
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, there is another movement that is bringing systemic change to our country. After the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many more at the hands of police officers, community members have been flooding the streets supporting the movement and protesting against the police.
The demand for deep and structural change is growing rapidly, and there are a multitude of ways that communities can come together to create positive change at a local level. At Colu, supporting small businesses is a large part of our mission, and this includes black-owned businesses which need your help now more than ever.
Colu has recently partnered with Akron, Ohio, in an effort to emphasize the importance of supporting and shopping at black-owned businesses. Using our app and Akron’s City Coin, residents can sign up and start earning rewards by shopping at selected local businesses. More about this exciting launch in Akron can be found here. Supporting the small businesses that are in your community not only help motivate black communities, but also boost financial stability of the businesses and the community.
If you are not located in Akron, this website will help you find the black-owned businesses that are in your local neighborhoods. Additionally, Forbes came out with a list of 75 Black-owned businesses that you can support from your home.
Many groups who are leading these peaceful protests are asking for solidarity and support moving forward in order to bring about concrete solutions and policy changes. Besides supporting black-owned businesses, there are various other ways that you on an individual basis can help to show allyship and solidarity with black communities. Here are a few to get started:
The change that this movement is demanding will come from grassroots organizations and local communities coming together, which is what Colu is doing in Akron and hopefully many more places.