In 2015, millennial entrepreneur Mandy Bowman created Official Black Wall Street, which quickly became recognized as the largest global directory of Black-owned businesses on the web. Now, the next generation digital platform is making it even easier to find and support Black-owned businesses with the launch of its highly anticipated new mobile app. The app, which will be the first of its kind to alert users when they’re near a Black-owned business, has an overall goal of helping users to seamlessly circulate the Black dollar.
Bowman hopes to give quality Black businesses the exposure and sales they deserve. “I believe it’s due time for us to make a conscious effort to buy Black. We’ve heard the stats that we have a $1.2 trillion dollar buying power yet a dollar only stays in our community for six hours whereas in Jewish and Asian communities, their dollar circulates for 20 days and a month, respectively. With our current political state it’s becoming more evident that supporting Black-owned businesses will allow us to vote with our dollars while strengthening the local economy in the Black community,” she said.
Some of the app’s most notable features include the ability to submit Black-owned businesses, search by category, location, open status, and keyword, view all Black-owned businesses around your current location on a map, leave reviews, and more.
Black entrepreneurs are also able to message their followers from the app, get premium search placement, and analytics amongst other features designed to maximize exposure and bridge the gap between the consumer and the business.
Black businesses have in the past, and still today, play an integral role in the progress and forward mobility of the African American community in regards to both economic stability and social issues.
History shows us that even in the toughest of economic times, support of Black-owned businesses has consistently translated into substantive progress in the Black community.
From the Black business boon right after Reconstruction, to 1920s Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Okla., to the vast businesses entities of the Nation of Islam in the 1960s and 70s, economic growth in Black communities resulted in progress in politics, employment, education and family.
At the root of those economies were Black people supporting Black business. It was often viewed as a catalyst to begin solving the problems plaguing the community.
When asked about the potential impact of the app, Bowman said, “I believe the Official Black Wall Street app is our first major step to creating a wealthier and stronger Black community. We’ve gotten feedback from so many Black business owners who saw positive effects from listing their business on our web-based platform. We’re excited to see the app take things to the next level.”
You can download the Official Black Wall Street app on both Android and Apple devices. If you’re a Black entrepreneur, you can also list your business for more exposure.
