Five Ways To Support Black-Owned Businesses

In the midst of a pandemic, we are also battling the current societal ills of racism, police brutality, and institutionalized systemic oppression. The recent injustices, abuse, and senseless loss of Black lives have been horrific, leaving many feeling outraged, saddened, and helpless. 

As a company that values and celebrates the diversity of our community, Yelp stands in solidarity with our Black employees, community members, and business owners. We’ve always remained committed to connecting people with local businesses, and of the millions of amazing businesses, there are so many that are Black-owned. 

Here are five ways that you can easily support Black-owned businesses.

1) Seek out Black-owned businesses

There are so many different types of Black-owned businesses that you can support. Whether you’re looking to order food from a local restaurant, purchase products from a wellness company, find a new dentist, buy new apparel or home goods, or get a virtual workout, you can find Black-owned businesses on Yelp. We have also launched a new, free searchable attribute that will give businesses a way to identify themselves as Black-owned, and make it easy for you to seek out and support a Black-owned business. This attribute is opt-in only as the decision to self-identify as Black-owned should rest solely with the business. 

2) Actively follow, share, and promote

Make an active effort to connect with and promote Black-owned businesses. Follow them on social media, sign up for their newsletters, repost their calls-to-action within your own social network. You can also follow Black-owned businesses on Yelp to see their latest updates. Business news includes information about new menu items, special offers, and other updates the business wants to share.

3) Add or update business listings 

Don’t see one of your favorite Black-owned businesses listed on Yelp? You can add them. If you notice any information that needs to be updated such as business hours, phone number, or website, you can suggest changes be made to the listing. By helping to keep Yelp updated with the most accurate information, you’re helping the community connect with and support these businesses.

4) Share your experiences

If you’ve recently supported a Black-owned business, you can share your experiences by writing a review or adding photos that you feel will be helpful to the community. You can also create your own Collection of Black-owned businesses. Our team of Yelp Community Managers from all over North America are also busy curating collections of Black-owned businesses to share with their local communities.

5) Donate to non-profit organizations

There are plenty of non-profit organizations that are working hard to fight racial injustice and further support the Black community. Here are just a few NPOs to consider when making donations:

• NAACP Legal Defense Fund 
• Black Lives Matter
• Black Visions Collective
• Advancement Project 
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 
• The Loveland Foundation

Be sure to also check which local non-profits exist in your city that work to support Black-owned businesses and Black causes. 

We’ve been discussing additional ways that Yelp can do more to support the Black community. As part of Yelp’s commitment, our CEO Jeremy Stoppelman shared the initial steps Yelp is taking to lay the groundwork for change that is long overdue.

We’re proud of and grateful for our vibrant community filled with Black voices that we remain committed to lifting up. We are with you and we support you.