Beyoncé Launches “Black Parade” Initiative to Support Black-Owned Businesses

By wazup on June 20, 2020 Comments Closed / 95 views

Beyoncé Launches “Black Parade” Initiative to Support Black-Owned Businesses

Beyoncé is marking Juneteenth by launching “Black Parade Route”, a new initiative supporting Black-owned small businesses.

The newly launched section on Beyoncé’s website includes an expansive list of Black businesses filtered by categories such as “Art & Design”, “Beauty”, “Fashion”, “Lifestyle”, and “Restaurants & Bars”.

“Being Black is your activism. Black excellence is a form of protest. Black joy is your right,” reads a tagline for “Black Parade”, which “benefits BeyGOOD’s Black Business Impact Fund, administered by the National Urban League, to support Black-owned small businesses in need.”

In a corresponding Instagram post, Beyoncé writes, “Happy Juneteenth Weekend! I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle. Please continue to remember our beauty, strength and power.”

Black Parade “celebrates you, your voice and your joy and will benefit Black-owned small businesses,” Beyoncé adds.

Last month, Beyoncé gave a commencement speech as part of the Obamas’ “Dear Class of 2020” virtual graduation ceremony. She spoke about own experiences with racism and sexism in the music industry, and how she sought to be a leader for equality by launching her own company. “Not enough Black women had a seat at the table. So I had to go and chop down that wood and build my own table. Then I had to invite the best there was to have a seat. That meant hiring women, men outsiders, underdogs, people that were overlook and waiting to be seen,” she said. “One of the main purposes of my art for many years has been dedicated to showing the beauty of Black people to the world, our history, our profundity and the value of Black lives. I’ve tried my best to pull down the veil of appeasement to those who may feel uncomfortable with our excellence.”