Photos sourced from Project Pop, Partake, and Golde.
Since the killing of George Floyd, protests against racism and police brutality have erupted in all 50 states and over 17 countries worldwide. This massive mobilization of protestors against systemic racism and inequality has put each of us in the middle of one of the biggest social justice movements to date. From educating ourselves on antiracist thinking and practices to donating to radical justice organizations to voting in our local elections — there is endless work to be done in order to dismantle our current racially-biased economic, social, and political systems and rebuild them around inclusion and equity.
One way to do this is to use the power we have as consumers to shift demand and promote brands that we believe reflect our values. Thus, in the pursuit of anti-racist actions, one thing that we can do is to actively promote and buy from BIPOC owned businesses. While we’re not experts in anti-racist education (you can find a detailed list of sources on this at the end of the post), we are experts in high quality, tasty snacks. So, we’re more than excited to share our favorite BIPOC-owned snack brands:
Blondery
Well, first off, who wouldn’t eat an entire box of blondies in flavors like s’mores, pecan and salted caramel, and strawberry rosé? Plus, Blondery has mastered the art of presentation making these delicious bites that much more of a special treat.
Blondery was founded by Auzerais Bellamy who uses her more than 10 years of experience as a pastry chef to produce a distinctive collection of handmade blondies. Blondery ships nationwide so they make the perfect gift for any loved one or even just yourself (we won’t tell you if this is from experience or not). You can visit the site here.
A Dozen Cousins
Anyone else with us on the fact that there is nothing as comforting as a bowl of arroz con frijoles? With extra ripe plantains on the side? Well, A Dozen Cousins has mastered the love of beans. Each flavor is slow-cooked using real, wholesome ingredients and authentic seasonings.
Founded by Ibraheem Basir, and named after his daughter and her eleven cousins, A Dozen Cousins is committed to providing families with healthy, delicious, foods that are easy to prepare. In line with their mission, A Dozen Cousins provides a yearly grant to non-profit organizations to help people of all socioeconomic backgrounds access nutritious foods. You can visit the site here.
Aesthete Tea
Okay, we know we’re a coffee-based snack company (our collective coffee consumption is probably terrifying)… but we also know a good cup of tea. Aesthete Tea has delicious proprietary tea and herbal blends that are created by Herbalist, Maggie Cassidy, who happens to be the Founder’s mother. With blends like Wake Up Maggie and Summer Nights, there’s something for everyone.
Founded by Briana Thornton, Aesthete Tea is a Woman, QPOC owned organic loose leaf tea and herbal blend brand, based in Portland, Oregon. They make it a priority to know their farmers and source from individuals and collectives that share the same values in quality, ethics, and health. You can visit the site here.
Sweet Dames
When we thought we couldn’t be more impressed with Sweet Dames’ Coconut Macaroon Bites, we met the CocoMallow Sandwiches — a gourmet marshmallow sandwiched between delicious, chewy coconut cookies. Sweet Dames specializes in handmade, gluten-free sweets with high quality, clean ingredients that put an elevated twist on childhood favorites.
The Founder Genelle Drayton, also known as Sweet Dame G, wants to bring joy to people’s lives through an inspired, dessert, indulgence. "I want to take the simplicity of a classic cookie, the coconut macaroon, and marshmallow and elevate them with a new flavorful spin," Sweet Dame G told us. You can visit the site here.
Project Pop
The popcorn world has been making a comeback in the last few years with delicious, clean popcorns — and Project Pop is no exception. Made in small batches, Project Pop’s “healthyish” popcorn gives snackers everywhere a treat with simple, worry-free ingredients. Plus, all snacks are vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free!
Founded by Chauniqua Major-Louis, Project Pop is on a mission to create a healthy-ish, vegan snack with simple, organic ingredients for the masses to enjoy and to always put people and purpose first — before money, growth, and anything else that’s often prized in business. You can visit the site here.
Partake Foods
Sometimes you just want a great cookie. Sometimes you just want a great, gluten-free cookie. And sometimes you just want a great gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free cookie. This, and beyond, is where Partake Foods delivers. With delicious flavors ranging from Ginger Snap to Birthday Cake, each Partake cookie is free of the top eight allergens so everyone can enjoy healthy, safe snacking!
Partake Foods is a Black-owned company founded by Denise Woodard who started the company for her daughter who has many food allergies. You can visit the site here.
Basbaas
We know this is a snack list, but these sauces are so good that you can basically eat them with a spoon... or on some chips as an actual snack. Basbaas has two sauces — coconut cilantro and tamarind date — that are handcrafted in small batches and bring a chili pepper heat and Somali flavor to any dish. We’d love to give you our favorite, but we just can’t choose.
Founded by Hawa Hassan, Basbaas is the only authentic, packaged Somali line of hot sauces and chutneys currently available in the United States. You can visit the site here.
Golde
Golde embodies the “your body is your temple” mentality. They make health and beauty products, from latte blends to face masks, all powered by superfoods. Our personal favorite is the Cacao Turmeric Latte Blend — all the benefits of superfoods like turmeric and coconut with the taste of an artisan hot chocolate.
Founded by Trinity Mouzon Wofford and Issey Kobori, Golde is a Brooklyn-born brand focused on superfood-boosted essentials for health and beauty. At the core of Golde’s mission is ensuring that being well, feels good. You can visit the site here.
Snack boldly, deliciously, and for change. Keep educating yourself and take radical action:
Places to Donate
While we’ve made the decision to donate to ACLU, Lake Street Council, Color of Change, Reclaim the Block*, and Black Visions Collective, there are many other places you can make a difference such as NAACP, Black Lives Matter, and The Bail Project.
*Reclaim the Block has received many donations since the death of George Floyd, so they put together this resource of other organizations doing powerful work to donate to.
Books to Read
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
- How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X Kendi
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
- American Prison by Shane Bauer
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
- Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Bookshop, which supports local bookstores, has plenty of anti-racist reading lists like this one for extended recommendations.
Things to Watch
- 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
- When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
- American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
- Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
- Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent
- If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
- I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
- Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
- Get Out (Jordan Peele) — Available to rent
- Malcolm X (Spike Lee) — Netflix
- What Matters (Black Lives Matter Documentary) — Available to rent
- Sitting in Limbo (BBC) — BBC iPlayer
Things to Listen To
- 1619: A New York Times Podcast on how slavery has transformed America.
- About Race: Co-Hosts Anna Holmes, Baratunde Thurston, Raquel Cepeda, and Tanner Colby explore national conversations (or lack thereof) about race.
- Code Switch: An NPR podcast hosted by journalists of color exploring how race impacts every element of society.
- Intersectionality Matters!: Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American civil rights advocate, tackling intersectionality with deep, moving conversations.
- Pod for the Cause: New podcast by The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights.
- Pod Save the People: A Crooked Media podcast where DeRay Mckesson (organizer and activist) explores news, culture, social justice, and politics with fellow activists Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Sam Sinyangwe, and Kaya Henderson, and De’Ara Balenger.
- We Live Here: An NPR podcast that explores how systemic racism impacts individuals and the collective well-being of people.
