What Is Black Pound Day And How Can You Get Involved?

Today is Black Pound Day, the day (always the first Saturday of the month) when shoppers are encouraged to spend money on services and products from businesses that are Black-owned. Founded on Saturday 27 June 2020, the monthly event was set up to support the growth of the UK’s Black economy. And while it might have ‘day’ in its name, the point is to incorporate these brands into our lives in the long-term, changing our shopping habits to make them more diverse.

In the US, thanks to movements like Aurora James’s 15 Percent Pledge, the disproportionate effect of the coronavirus pandemic on Black-owned business closures has been brought to the public’s attention. As James highlighted on @15percentpledge, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research found that 40% of Black business owners reported that they weren’t working in April 2020.

Black Pound Day's website has a searchable directory in the UK - everything from grocery stores to sports and fitness centres (although these remain closed during the country's lockdown) - so that you can find shops and services in your local area. With not much to do at the moment, and almost nowhere to go, tomorrow is the perfect opportunity to show your support and begin as you mean to go on.