Hello there! I’m Brooke, a motherhood + lifestyle blogger based in Richmond, VA. In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you ten Black-owned businesses for babies and children to support. I am a huge advocate of shopping Black as it strengthens the Black economy and helps shrink the racial wealth gap. Purchasing from Black-owned businesses is just one way to celebrate and show your support this Black History Month. My hope is that this post encourages you to check out other Black-owned businesses within and outside of your community for years to come.
1. Little Nomad - https://littlenomadshop.com/
About the business: Little Nomad started as a line of fresh, modern, gender neutral children's graphic tees inspired by a sense of humor, curiosity, and hip hop culture and grew into shop that is dedicated to sourcing engaging and meaningful goods for your little ones. Our store, inspired by curiosity, exploration, and community, aims to be a modern alternative to typical retailers. Our name aims to express the wonderment shown by our little ones.
Why I love them: I love supporting local businesses (they’re based in downtown Richmond). I also love that they offer a wide range of items from clothes to toys. I’ve purchased from Little Nomad numerous times over the last two years and everything I own is in top notch condition. The owner, Anthony, is also one of the kindest people ever.
2. Harper Iman - https://www.harperiman.com/
About the business: We are committed to making dolls of color that represent the type of dolls that we wished we had and dolls of color that we needed growing up. We are dedicated to creating dolls that reinforce to children of color how important they are, how smart they are, how beautiful they are, how talented the are, how creative they are, and dolls that provide positive affirmations of themselves that they can actually identify with. It is hard to be what you cannot see. Dolls of color are underrepresented. The truth is that there weren't many choices on the market to choose from and the ones available did not accurately represent our different skin tones and hair textures. Our children are left playing with and trying to identify with dolls that look nothing like them. Our vision is to create dolls of color that are more relatable.
Why I love them: I absolutely love everything about Harper Iman's mission. Growing up, I owned very few brown dolls and the one’s I had weren’t a true representation of how I looked (ex: straight hair). I love that Harper Iman makes dolls that represent both different skin tones and hair textures so that children can see themselves within their toys.
3. Pretty Please Teethers - https://www.prettypleaseteethers.com/
About the business: It started with one mission in mind: to find safe, stylish, natural handmade items for my little one-- something that fit my modern and minimalist style but was functional. It felt like it should be simple but was, surprisingly, harder than expected. Being pregnant with my youngest and on bed rest with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG, or severe morning sickness), I had a lot of spare time on my hands; and since I couldn't find what I wanted elsewhere, I decided to make my own. Since then, Pretty Please Teethers has been designing and hand-making products that babies will enjoy and we, the parents, will love.
Why I love them: I own several of their silicone bibs and the quality is honestly unmatched. I love that every item is handmade with organic and natural products. I also love that they offer so many neutral-toned items.
4. Kido Chicago - https://www.kidochicago.com/
About the business: Kido is a combination of our most clever and colorful ideas and the affirmations we give to our children every day.
Why I love them: Kido Chicago has quickly become one of my go-to places for children’s books. They have such a diverse collection for all ages!
5. Heritage Baby Designs - https://www.heritagebaby.ca/
About the business: Heritage Baby is the brainchild of Kayleigh, mother to William who resides in Simcoe County in Ontario, Canada. Before her son was born, she knew that she wanted to try to be one of those moms with her baby strapped to her body. As her obsession for baby-wearing grew, so did her desire to find a product and brand that fit her wants; eco-conscious, company that gives back, parent-owned and operated, handmade, and cute (think patterns). She made her first sling to fit these wants and more, and so Heritage was born. Each carrier purchased from Heritage will support Plan International Canada. This gift will save lives by providing malaria medications, antibiotics and other important medicines, as well as supplies such as stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs and delivery tables.
Why I love them: After giving birth to my daughter, I began baby wearing on the regular so that I could have two free hands - it honestly was a GAME CHANGER. I wish I knew about Heritage Baby during her newborn days, but I plan to stock up on their products for my next baby.
6. Little Human Expression - https://www.littlehumanexpression.com/
About the business: Little Human Expression was created for the sole purpose of providing intentional children’s clothing with a modern aesthetic. What do we mean by “intentional?” It’s simple. We believe that when you set your mind to do something, you should do it with purpose and it should reflect your best self. EVERY. SINGLE. THING. we do as humans, conveys meaning - both the good and the not so good. Our little humans are constantly picking up on these things - especially those that are unsaid (i.e., our behavior). At LHE, we strive to create clothing that conveys acceptance, equality, empowerment and love. Our statement tees say everything without actually “saying” anything. Get it?! As a mama, I know that there are ALWAYS teachable moments and we hope that our intentionally-made tees can help you create even more of those learning opportunities with your family. But we are not only intentional in what we say. Our tees are ethically-made and reflect some of the best quality on the market. We do things right because we think that's the right thing to do. We just hope that you love our handmade items as much as we love the process of creating them for you.
Why I love them: First and foremost, the owner of the shop, Christa, is one of the sweetest people ever with the biggest heart! I love the message behind her business and her mission to create intentional clothing. All of her t-shirts and banners are designed with powerful and important messages, such as “Future World Changer” and “Black Lives Matter". I own two items from Little Human Expression and can vouch that the quality is excellent!
7. Bash Baby Clothing - https://bashbabyclothing.com/
About the business: Inspired by my muse and son, Sebastian ("Bash"), Bash Baby Clothing offers Christian themed Tees and Bodysuits for mamas and their little blessings. My hope is to create something that not only looks beautiful, but inspires women/mothers to fulfill their God given purpose by spreading His word.
Why I love them: I absolutely love matching with my daughter and can always find so many mommy + me options on their site! I also love the faith based messages on many of the shirt designs!
8. Mama & OG - https://www.instagram.com/mama.and.og/?hl=en
About the business: After being consistently upset that she was unable to find a resin-letter making company that verbally acknowledged that #blacklivesmatter anywhere in their feed, Lanée, the mama behind the Instagram account, @mama.and.og, decided to make her own!
Why I love them: I absolutely love what drove Lanée to create her own line of resin letters and numbers. It’s extremely important to know the values of the company you’re supporting. I’m glad she chose to create her own line rather than purchasing from a company that couldn’t verbally acknowledge that Black lives matter. I purchased a set of resin letters for my daughter and was completely blown away. The letters are beautifully crafted, durable, and will last for years to come. I love how they can also grow with your child! I pllan to use them now for letter recognition and in the future for spelling!
9. Yuuma Collection Diaper Bags - https://yuumacollection.com/
About the business: “Yuuma”, is a bold and unapologetic way of owning our roles as mothers without letting go of our individuality. It is also believing in ourselves as women FIRST. YUUMA was born through the desire of continuously serving mothers. With her hobby as a content creator, Donnya was able to grow a community of mothers through her influence. Her voice and her story has even reached Parent's magazine, giving Donnya a place in the Top 10 Black Mom Bloggers to follow! Behind the scenes, being a mother has always been her first priority. After her first child, she knew that there had to be a better diaper bag design that offered more freedom and space for mothers, so she designed her own! These crafted bags are tailored for mothers through all stages of motherhood. Whether you just had a child, or a mother of two toddlers, our diaper bags are suited for YOU.
Why I love them: While pregnant with my daughter, I searched high and low for the perfect diaper bag. Being a first time mom, I didn’t know what to look for and what type of design would be most practical. I ended up settling on a pricey diaper bag that was highly rated. Long story short - I hated it. It was difficult to open, the inside was small and non-practical, and it was uncomfortable on my back. Almost a year later, I was introduced to the YUUMA diaper bag and I’ve never looked back. The buttery vegan leather, the practical, yet functional design, and the sleek modern look made this diaper bag a winner for me. It also comes with a beautiful vegan leather changing pad with their signature logo embossed in the corner. This diaper is now my go-to gift for all new mamas in my life.
10. Polished Playhouse - https://mailchi.mp/016017aaedb1/book-box-notifications
About the business: @polishedplayhouse curates monthly book boxes that include one hardcover book featuring diverse characters, prompts and materials to complete 2-3 developmentally appropriate crafts or sensory experiences based on the book and one related product from a Black-owned business. Why I love them: It’s no secret that Black protagonists in children’s books are underrepresented. I love that these monthly boxes highlight books with diverse characters which is so needed! I also love that crafts are included which helps continue the conversation after reading!
If you enjoyed this post, click here to check out my running list of 500+ Black-owned businesses to support, from clothing, to haircare, to restaurants and more!
Xo,
Brooke
*Follow Brooke on instagram @_brookeangelique