#SupportBlackBusiness - Hey Black Seattle, a hub connecting Black residents of central Puget Sound with community organizations and businesses, launched its inaugural "Let's Pull Up!" Community Meetup Tour this month. The first stop on the tour was The Scene in South Park, a Black-owned coffee shop serving up more than just coffee.

#SupportBlackBusiness - As long as Seattle stays hungry, Nita Jackson will be whipping up a batch of her famous five-cheese mac and cheese, a crowd favorite at her pop-up restaurant and private catering business JJ’s House of Soul.

#SupportBlackBusiness - In a moment of joyful solidarity and support in Black History Month, three Black woman-owned businesses came together at The Postman in Seattle’s Central District on Thursday to launch their new candle collaboration called “Together.” 

#SupportBlackBusiness - Caribbean hands sifting through Washington soil represent the cultural intersection at YES MA! Backyard Farm, a small family farm in Puyallup.

Besa Gordon appeared on Good Day Seattle with Erin Mayovsky to discuss a special collaboration for Black History Month. The segment focused on the "Together Candle," a project that brought together three Black-women-owned businesses. Noir Lux Candle Bar created the candle, Jesse Lipscomb designed it, and you can purchase your candle and ship it to a loved one from The Postman.

By Besa Gordon - ☕ #SupportBlackBusiness Coffee lovers, this one’s for you! Let's talk about The Station Coffee Shop, a Black and Latino-owned gem in Seattle's Columbia City—literally right across from the light rail 🚆. You might recognize this spot from Back2Besa when we highlighted 3 Black-owned coffee shops, and trust me, it's STILL a whole vibe.

#SupportBlackBusiness - Founder of Intentionalist, Laura Clise, discusses Intentionalist's mission to support diverse local businesses, the Buy Black Card initiative, and Black History Month collaborations with Seattle sports teams to promote intentional spending in black-owned establishments.

#SupportBlackBusiness - Catrice Dennis, the self-proclaimed melanated Miss Frizzle, operates her mobile classroom Teaching with Love and Care (TLC) from a shuttle bus based in Federal Way. With the help of her daughter Asiyah Davis, Dennis brings her passion for nature and experiential learning to young children and parents who struggle with aspects of traditional education.

#SupportBlackBusiness One of the businesses that recently reached out for a Black Business Uplift was Noir Lux Candle Bar, a Black-owned candle-making experience in Downtown Seattle. Besa Gordon, Trae Holiday, DeAunte Damper, and Takiyah “T Dub” Ward—stopped by for some team building and to show love to a thriving local business.

The Black Owned Business Excellence (BOBE) symposium was a resounding success, and DeAunte Damper, host of "We Live in Color" on Converge Media, was in the heart of it.  Not only did he experience the energy of Black excellence and entrepreneurship, but he also received the Elijah L. Lewis Community Advocate Award.

The Black Owned Business Excellence Symposium (BOBE) was a resounding success, focusing on Black excellence, business, and elevation. The event provided valuable resources and tools for Black business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, including training sessions and networking opportunities.

Tucked behind a fluorescent mural of fruits and beaches is Taste of the Caribbean and Red Lounge, a vibrant restaurant and bar committed to bringing authentic Jamaican culture to Seattle’s Central District. 

In his interview with Trae Holiday, La’Keith Asphy owner of Presidential Transportation shared the inspiring story of his transportation business's expansion, speaking about the pride of owning commercial vehicles with his name on them, a rarity among Black business owners. Asphy detailed his company's growth from a small limo service to a fleet including luxury coaches and party buses.

#SupportBlackBusiness - Stephanie Morales is looking to fight gentrification through community ownership. Her business, Made Space Seattle, is a local event and art space rooted in support for Black creatives. Originally an artist herself, Morales has taken on the role of manager, fundraiser, program coordinator, and everything in between — often falling back on her artist income to keep the business running.

#SupportBlackBuiness - During her interview on The Day With Trae with Trae Holiday, Laura Clise, the founder of Intentionalist, shared her inspiring journey and shed light on the impactful work Intentionalist is doing to support Black-owned businesses in the greater Seattle area. 

#SupportBlackBusiness - No one knows the Northwest of the Northwest like Tony Robinson, the owner and sole operator of the charter company Bellingham’s Luxury Tours. Built from his own love of the Whatcom County area, Bellingham Luxury Tours is Tony’s way of sharing his knowledge and passion with curious locals and tourists.

Buddy's journey began in his brother's kitchen during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We were stuck at home during COVID," Buddy recalls. "I was trying to replicate the KFC recipe, and I ended up with something that basically beat the recipe." Word of Buddy's delicious chicken and waffles spread to his brother's friends, and "Waffle Wednesdays" soon became a weekly event.

Tina Fahnbulleh's passion for cooking began at the tender age of four, leading her on a flavorful journey from Philly to Minnesota and finally to Seattle. Her culinary adventure started with pop-ups and catering gigs, eventually blossoming into the beloved Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen seven years later.

Besa Gordon hit up Good Day Seattle to rep the Support Black Business campaign—something she and the whole Converge Media squad are serious about. During the segment, Besa talked about the struggles Black-owned businesses are facing. “It really started out earlier this year when we saw a lot of our Black-owned businesses going online and just talking about how they were having a hard time,” Besa shared. “Some were even going out of business. So our quick question was, what can we do to help?”

Via KUOW - What does it take to run a thriving business in Washington? Lately, for a number of business owners around the Sound , the answer seems to be “too much.”