Black-Owned Businesses

NBC gave three business owners cameras to document their journey as they fought through shutdowns, positive coronavirus tests, and a test of their pandemic endurance. The owners of Dallas’ Recipe Oak Cliff, Philadelphia’s Kayuh Bicycles & Café, and the CEO of Boston’s Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center joined NBCLX storyteller Jalyn Henderson to talk about how they rebounded from unforeseen...

See why Recipe Oak Cliff, a plant-based restaurant in Dallas, Texas, closed its kitchen and launched a virtual series of healthy recipes for “one more pandemic pivot.”

See why Recipe Oak Cliff, a plant-based restaurant in Dallas, Texas, closed its kitchen and launched a virtual series of healthy recipes for “one more pandemic pivot.”

After facing positive coronavirus tests, shutdowns and a citywide bus crisis, Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center looks toward the future and makes plans for how they’re going to adapt. Despite the hardships they’ve faced during the pandemic, Sportsmen’s says it’s committed to taking whatever new challenges arise so they can continue to support families across...

Tisha Crear, the owner of Recipe Oak Cliff, wants to change the way people see her neighborhood by letting the history of its people and the land dictate the aesthetic.

After positive coronavirus tests shut down Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center the last week of summer, staff were thrilled to reopen for the first week of school. But when Boston school buses sat empty due to a driver shortage, it wasn’t just public schools that felt the hit— centers like Sportsmen’s, and the families who rely on them, were left...

As gentrification threatens to whitewash her neighborhood, owner of health food eatery Recipe Oak Cliff Tisha Crear is finding ways to revitalize parts of historically Black Dallas by cultivating health and community.

Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center made it through nearly a whole summer of children’s programs when a staff member’s positive coronavirus test brought everything to a standstill.

In season three of NBC’s Rebound, we gave three business owners cameras to document their journey as small Black-owned businesses in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. The owners of Chicago’s Lingua Nigra jewelry company, Miami’s hair care brand Kazmaleje and DC’s Goodies Frozen Custard and Treats joined NBCLX storyteller Ngozi Ekeledo to talk about the importance of supporting Black...

Hair discrimination has existed for centuries, but recent legislation, like the 2019 CROWN Act, seeks to change that. LaToya Stirrup, co-founder of Kazmaleje, talks about how Kazmaleje is working to pass on a legacy aimed at supporting and empowering men, women and kids alike, no matter what type of hair they choose to rock.

After a year of delays amid the coronavirus pandemic, Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats finally opened its first brick and mortar location in a historic ice house in Old Town Alexandria. Owner Brandon Byrd talks about the historical significance of being one of the few Black business owners in the area, which played a prominent role in the transatlantic trade...

With increased sales in the last year, Chicago-based Lingua Nigra founder and designer Alicia Goodwin hopes to move into a bigger space and expand her team to increase jewelry production. Being a Black, female-owned business, Lingua Nigra was in high demand as a social justice movement saw many around the country seeking to elevate and support Black-owned businesses. But she...

Whether you have straight hair, curly hair, locs, waves, braids, a perm, or a wig, everyone’s hair journey is different. But unfortunately, the wide variety of hair types and textures isn’t always evident in mainstream media or marketing. LaToya Stirrup, co-founder of Kazmaleje, shares how the company is trying to break the mold to be inclusive of all hair types,...

Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats, a Black-owned dessert truck in the D.C. area, is on its way to expanding its dessert empire by opening its first brick and mortar store in Old Town Alexandria. After an electrical issue delayed his grand opening, the only thing stopping owner Brandon Byrd from realizing his dream is the sign-off from a city...

NBC 7’s Monica Dean introduces us to the mother-daughter ownership team of Cafe X, who described how the pandemic forced them to get creative.

This Black-owned coffee shop in San Diego was designed for the community, serving as an event space, too. But when the pandemic hit, the mother-daughter duo was forced to pivot.

Lingua Nigra largely depends on beautiful online publicity to display new and current pieces. Along with travel restrictions and travel fears, founder Alicia Goodwin found creative ways to keep her social media active and even bought an extra set of ears to help get the job done. After not being able to execute a photoshoot for new designs in...

Juggling motherhood, a hair care business, and the challenges that come along with being a “mompreneur” can be overwhelming — but Kazmaleje co-founder LaToya Stirrup finds a way to balance it all while still prioritizing self-care and mental health. With passion for Kazmaleje’s mission and support from family and friends, LaToya shares how she gets it all done.

Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats, a Black-owned dessert truck in the D.C. area, created a loyal following by focusing on its signature flavor: vanilla custard. As cities begin to open back up from pandemic shutdowns, owner Brandon Byrd is hoping that loyalty follows his business to the new Goodies brick and mortar store.

Lingua Nigra founder Alicia Goodwin recounts last year’s delays with the U.S. Postal Service and explains how she manages sending out orders now. As more craft shows start to open, along with new mask guidelines in place, Goodwin decides to not rely on mail shipments as much. “That’s not a possibility for me,” Goodwin said.