Black-owned businesses we love
As a parent, incorporating education about diversity into your everyday life and having open and honest conversations with your kids about race and equality is vital. One of the simplest and most helpful ways to make an impact is by prioritizing conscious purchasing decisions and choosing to buy from companies you believe in and want to stand behind. Start by supporting Black-owned businesses, or better yet, black female-owned retailers now and in the future. Switching to these stores can uplift the Black community while providing your child with diverse, high-quality products.
At Doona, we believe in making parenting simple and fun while empowering little ones of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. So, to make it a little bit easier to locate the perfect places to shop, we have compiled a list of the Black-owned baby brands and our favorite children's focused companies that we can't get enough of!
Happy Mango
If you're searching for a one-stop shop for all your baby's needs, Happy Mango is one of our favorite local businesses based in Atlanta, Georgia. Female-owned, Phnewfula Frederiksen sought to open a brick-and-mortar that offered sustainable and eco-friendly merchandise. From strollers and car seats to feeding, bathing, and beyond, the store aims to deliver affordable, stylish, and green products. Seriously, they have everything a parent could need while providing a place for learning and play with educational classes and events! Visit their store, shop online to find the perfect products, select gifts for a baby shower, or to create your baby registry online.
The Black Toy Store
The Black Toy Store is an online destination for hand-picked, curated children's toys, games, and books that reflect the beauty and diversity of African heritage. A primary focus is to support Black businesses and showcase products that allow children to see positive representations of themselves and make children feel good about who they are. The shop includes a selection of STEM-focused toys and games that empower kids to explore their interests and find fun in science, math, and technology. From Prince to Rosa Parks dolls, books, puzzles, and more, your little one will gain a selection of educational and fun toys, and their pretend world will reflect more of the real world around them.
Annie the Brave
For parents with ambitious and brilliant little ones, look to the kid's clothing brand, Annie the Brave. Offering STEM-inspired dresses that encourage bravery, you can find dresses for kids who enjoy dinosaurs, insects, and sea creatures or want to grow up and become scientists, astronauts, or little travelers. In addition to supporting a Black woman-owned business, it empowers little girls to explore their curiosities and pursue their dreams, no matter what.
Carriage Suite
Any parent with a baby on the way is likely looking for a beautiful, well-made stroller. For high-end picks, Carriage Suite is the perfect option. Female-founded, this luxury boutique offers baby products and services, including photo sessions. The store specializes in strollers, selling Cybex, Doona, Mima, and more, but also walkers and additional resources for parents. Visit locally in New York, or buy online to get the gorgeous stroller of your dreams.
Kids Swag
With a mission to build confidence and self-love in black children, mother, founder, and speaker Kiera West created Kids Swag. A play on words, Kids Swag is a one-stop destination for swag to inspire swag, meaning self-confidence. With a need for more toys and accessories to uplift black children, Kids Swag is the perfect shop to provide your child with empowering tools for life while also supporting a Black-woman-owned business. The online shop offers inclusive dolls, apparel, backpacks, notebooks, books, puzzles, and even plates! The products promote the founder’s philosophy, Mindful Representation, and intentionally seek products and images to reinforce and celebrate a sense of self. Focusing on diverse visuals, experiences, and positive words, Kids Swag wants to help families adopt this philosophy in their lifestyle to help raise confident kids that appreciate differences. The shop’s fun and playful gear are available online, along with resource guides discussing race and culture for non-black and black parents.
Shine Cloth
For eco-conscious families or parents looking for budget-friendly options, cloth diapers can be a lifesaver! Black-owned baby brand Shine Cloth is a female-founded business providing black sewn cloth diapers handmade in Los Angeles. With empowering designs featuring history, cultural pride, and social justice in mind, each cloth diaper cover is reusable, giving an average of 3-4 diaper changes per day. Make your baby’s bum cuter than ever, and visit Shine Cloth at their online shop.
Loving Me Books
No matter what your family’s background is, diverse and inclusive books are crucial. Behavioral therapist Angela Nesbitt founded an online specialty bookstore, Loving Me Books. To address the lack of inclusive books in schools, she created the business to provide books that highlight and bring together kids of all racial backgrounds, for newborns to young adults. Popular books such as Woke Baby, Think Big, Little One, Skin Like Mine, and more, can be purchased on the website. Plus, each month, avid readers from K-12 can join families across the globe for a book club where members can discuss and learn together.
We hope you enjoyed discovering a few businesses we love and know will quickly become favorites. Whether you’re raising black children or not, teaching your kids the value of diversity and reinforcing positive relationships with people of all backgrounds is necessary at a young age. If you’re looking to shop Doona, consider supporting one of our retailers, Happy Mango and Carriage Suite, when you buy.
