February is dedicated as Black History Month, honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history. Did you know: according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are nearly 141,000 Black-owned businesses in the United States. To celebrate and honor Black History Month, we encourage you to shop at Black-owned businesses, especially those local to you, as a way to uplift diversity and increase representation of the Black community.

If you’re not sure where to start, ByBlack is an online resource you can use to find local Black-owned businesses in your area. Simply put your city or zipcode into their search and you’ll instantly find Black-owned businesses such as retailers, vendors, service providers, etc. Additionally, here’s a list by Good Housekeeping of 82 Black-owned businesses that you can shop online (or in store if they have locations near you).

gita tip: take your gitamini robot with you when you shop locally and pack it with all of your new goodies. gitamini keeps you hands-free and eliminates the need to drive.

Here are some of our favorite Black owned businesses near us in Boston:

• Airi Jewelry: Artisan wire jewelry handcrafted with quality wire, that is lightweight, durable, and hypoallergenic. AIRI Jewelry & Gallery holds several timeless collections, each thoughtfully created to be the perfect balance of minimal and modern elegance. AIRI jewelry complements all personal styles and ears (sensitive, pierced, and non-pierced), which makes for a perfect gift or keepsake. We also have a number of original posters, prints, and apparel items. All work is designed and created by hand. We are based in Boston, but ship everywhere!

• ANNIKADECOR: ANNIKADECOR is based out of Dedham, MA and offers handcrafted aromatics, wax melts, body oils, butters, and souffles, body, face and lip scrubs, hair serums, beard oils, and more. We have also partnered with artisans in Rwanda to offer a limited selection of home decor items and jewelry.

• Camps Bay: Established in 2020, Camps Bay LLC is a boutique blanket business that manufactures and designs 100% Merino Wool Blankets. All of their products provide a sense of luxurious comfort while simultaneously incorporating unique designs. Additionally, each blanket is adorned with a hand-stitched custom Camps Bay patch as a reminder that every blanket is tirelessly and meticulously woven, maintaining the attention to detail that our customers expect.