iZania Blogs

Supporting black business has become an exercise that is asking a lot of your every day common consumer. The Empowerment Experiment

This is an ongoing series I'm developing to begin dialogue and education around a topic that is rarely discussed except to encourage consumers to support black

To braiders, like Oumou Wague of Chicago , her talent for weaving women's hair into elaborate styles isn't just a livelihood, it's an art form. But in a growing trend across America, this "art form" which dates back thousands of years in the African culture is illegal to practice without a state license.

Now in a clash between rules and tradition, hundreds of African American braiders in Illinois have chosen to ignore the law — including Wague, who said threats by state regulators to shut down her shop forced her to go underground, working only with established clients.

In the Institute

 See that living off of Black business is not that much of sacrifice and has nothing to do with exclusion... it is about love, pride and enlightenment. In the Andersons' EE journey, they've supported dozens of quality Black businesses, professionals, and Black-made products that they would not have even known existed had it not been for their pledge. They have lost nothing in terms of quality or in higher prices. They've gained much in terms or knowledge and power. They live a powerful life! They spend their money in places and in ways that can contribute to their community's improvement.