How To Support Black-Owned Businesses In Brookline

BROOKLINE, MA — Amid the recent civil rights demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, many are wondering how they can help causes of racial equality and support black and brown communities. At Black Lives Matter rallies across Greater Boston, speakers are encouraging participants to vote and to support by shopping at black-owned businesses.

But what does that mean for Brookline?

There are more than 1,000 black-owned businesses across the state and Black Economic Council of Massachusetts Executive Director Segun Idowu said a good start is to frequent those, including the at least five in Brookline.

"It's a critical moment because people are looking beyond police brutality and seeing it for what it is: a systemic issue," Idowu said.

That systemic issue is connected to the economy, he said.

Previous Black Lives Matter protests seemed to focus on policing, but today in the context of COVID, it has laid bare systemic failures leading to racial gaps, wealth gaps, education gaps or health gaps, he said.

"Folks who were able to ignore it before are no longer able to do so," Idowu said.

"Folks are starting to realize... if we address economic issues it relates to housing, it relates to mental health, it relates to the wage people earn and the ability to own rather than rent, all these things matter and prevents police from having to be in the community in the first place," he said.

"Our businesses are the most direct way for communities to thrive," Idowu said.

A List Of Black-Owned Businesses in Brookline:

Food:

Rhythm N Wraps: 1096 Commonwealth Ave. (617) 566-4144

Brick-and-mortar outpost of a vegetarian food truck with unique wraps, tacos and pizza. Open for takeout or contact-less delivery.

Programs & Services:

Drums & Wellness: 30 Webster Place, (617) 735-5839

Drums and Wellness is a drum-based educational program for personal and community development. Read more: Brookline Man's Life Takes Unexpected Turn Amid Pandemic

Viking Sports: 143 Cypress St. (508) 358-5066, info@vikingcamps.com

One of the largest sports recreation companies in the area, offering services for kids to adults throughout the state. It's headquarters are at the corner of Cypress Street and Route 9, but co-owner LeRoy Watkins says not to be fooled by the currently empty-looking storefront.

Mom's Heirchy of Needs

Leslie Forde owns the business based in Brookline and helps connect moms to services and resources.

Retail:

L'Accent Women's Fashion: 395 A Washington St, (617) 879-0027

Women's boutique that focuses on couture suits, dresses, gowns and hats.

Other guides to black owned businesses in the state: Black Economic Council of MA

Know of another? Email Brookline@Patch.com and let us know the details, we'll update this list.

As corporations begin to make statements to support the Black Lives Matter movement, Idowu said they need to go beyond just words.

"Corporations and other large businesses need to take a look at leadership and who they are doing business with. That's how they'll prove that Black Lives Matter— or else we'll be in the streets again," he said.

According to the last Census, there were 1,200 black firms employing 14,000 people and contributing several billion dollars to the state economy, Idowu said. And that means beyond just the social justice aspect, there's an economic reason to support such businesses.

Giving contracts to black-owned companies, who are much more likely to hire black and brown people, helps to stabilize the entire economy.

"This economy that the governor gets to gloat about is just the way it is because of black businesses and other minority-owned businesses," he said, adding that businesses owned by people of color account for an even larger chunk of the economy and they're having a hard time connecting with funding to help them through the pandemic.

"We can not allow other minority businesses to fail," he said. "If minority-owned businesses fail so does our economy."

If economic predictors are saying 20 percent of businesses across the country will fail as a result of the pandemic, he said, look for triple that to fail among minority businesses, which he described as already in a terrible place.

Idowu recommended calling on the governor and secretaries to set aside funds to help black and brown business owners get access and get through the pandemic.

"It's not just on the average citizen who needs to make those investments," he said. "It's also on the government to do the same."

Previously:

Viking Sports: Helping Kids Be Kids

Brookline Man's Life Takes Unexpected Turn Amid Pandemic

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).Have a press release you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how to post a press release, opinion piece.