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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the economy on a global scale. Unemployment, local business closures, and the entire economy has reported losses not seen since the Great Recession. 

As vaccination becomes more common, the economy has a chance to open up and rebound. So how can we help the black community recover? We can start by buying black. 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed severe inequality and insufficient preparation at the government and corporate levels. Governments and health agencies in various countries urge people to use personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves and prevent widespread infections, which has led to a large shortage of disinfectants and surgical masks. 

With the disproportionate rate of COVID-19 mortality in black communities, more serious economic inequality has been revealed. Black-owned companies do not receive the same amount of government support as white-owned companies. The U.S. Federal Payroll Protection Program (PPP) aims to help keep small businesses through the pandemic. According to data released by it, as of May 24, only 5.6% of the $525 billion allocated to small business loans went to black-owned businesses . The previous rounds of reports showed that this percentage was higher than 0.8% of the staggering funds lent to black-owned businesses. 

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again-new concerns have been raised around Omicron variants and Delta variants (still the main strain)-and continued use of PPE is more important than ever.

You can support the following 9 black-owned businesses and black entrepreneurs to ensure your own safety and fashion. 

Safety is sexy, especially these goggles. These women-owned fashion brands turned to the PPE market and discovered innovative ways to meet demand with their own artistic style.

Image: Courtesy of Nikki Billie Jean/All Things Ankara

The fashion blog and brand All Things Ankara created by Nikki Billie Jean have been featured in the "New York Times" and changed from selling Ankara fabrics to two-in-one PPE. As the chief editor, designer, stylist, etc., Jean is responsible for all aspects of brand operation. Jean lives in Washington, DC, and his initial inspiration came from the lack of representation of African prints in the fashion industry. All Things Ankara not only produces these energetic masks with removable eye masks, but also lip reading masks, masks suitable for drinking and eating, masks and masks with matching scrub caps. View the full selection of the brand here. 

Lush Life sells decorative goggles in various colors that are both declarative and safe. The brand was founded in 2019 by 29-year-old female entrepreneur Yaya Gaither with the aim of creating affordable fashion looks. 

When people realize in the early stages of a pandemic that disposable masks are unsustainable, unavailable, and cannot be matched with every piece of clothing, masks are more than just a preventive measure. Here are some reusable mask options that can stop transmission while staying stylish. 

BERIQISU is a female-owned New York brand that brings textiles from Ghana to life through clothing, household goods, accessories, and most recently masks. The founder, Belkis Whyte, was a designer for brands such as Burberry, Kate Spade and Ralph Lauren. White finally decided to pursue her own business and named it BERIQISU, which is her real name. She founded the brand with the mission of inclusivity, transparency and education. White never ignores his roots and regularly returns to his home in Ghana to select textiles and support education for women and girls in Accra.

BERIQISU began hand-made masks at the beginning of the pandemic, matched the purchased masks with donations to medical staff in need of PPE, and donated up to 2,000 masks. You can buy the brand's exquisite and ethical mask series here. 

Natural Bunch Kids is a hair care company founded by Haitian immigrants and the mother of two children Betty Ceus. Ceus began her hair care mission as a child educator. She has observed that other parents face the same challenges as her when looking for quality products for their children's hair. Ceus and her daughter set out to create a hair care series to give children a natural hair texture and teach their parents how to care for their hair. 

Natural Bunch Kids hopes to protect children's health like hair. Check out its I Am Protect-AID kit, which includes a children’s face mask, hand sanitizer and vitamin gums, all in a reusable pouch. Each purchase matched the mask donated to Nicklaus Children's Hospital in South Florida. 

SchnelleCares was established in Boston, Massachusetts in 2020 to help alleviate the shortage of masks in the United States caused by the pandemic. Female-owned and black-owned SchnelleCares has donated more than 100 masks to basic workers and Boston community organizations. SchnelleCares won the Best Locally Designed Mask Award in Boston Magazine's 2021 Boston Best List. It is a great company that can support a portion of all mask sales to donate to the Boston Resilient Fund. Check out the brand's wide range of exquisite cotton masks here. 

Blended Designs is not only owned by blacks, but also by the family. Founder Casey Kelley's hobby in 2014 began in 2017 and completed a mission inspired by her son. Her son's request for a backpack that represents someone who looks like him turned into an overall underrepresentation of the black character on the backpack. Casey’s mission began to take shape. She invited her husband Harvey to help her achieve her goal of supporting and empowering BIPOC students. 

The Kelley family has successfully sold backpacks featuring black characters and has donated tens of thousands of backpacks to children in marginalized communities. Now, you can express your support for this black-owned business by purchasing a reusable mask that is "I can do anything". Face masks are available in various colors, sizes and styles, including two filters. 

LauraKay innovation begins with the labor of love. These environmentally friendly cleaning products were created by chemists to commemorate the mother and wife of the founder's family. LauraKay Innovations opened in 1989, but its mission has never been more important: more environmentally friendly cleaning products that get the job done. From hand sanitizers to soaps to multifunctional cleaners, LauraKay Innovations has the PPE pandemic essentials you have been looking for. Buy its series and bundles here.

eLo Vegan Lifestyle was founded by Timothy George in 2016. Image: Courtesy eLo Vegan Lifestyle

eLo Vegan Lifestyle is the premium brand you need in your home. eLo was founded by Timothy George in 2016 with a mission to create sustainable lip care and reduce the amount of waste generated from single-use plastics. George created a wax-free vegan lip care line using only natural ingredients, with the goal of creating a lip balm that feels, looks and smells great. 

Since then, eLo has expanded to include products such as aromatherapy sprays, insect repellents and now hand sanitizers. Its refillable hand sanitizer CLEAN not only considers the environment, but also carefully mixes the natural gas smell to keep your hands sterile and emit a wonderful smell. 

Stay healthy Leola ends our list with a selection of PPE products it contains. Founded by Daisy Award winner, nurse and veteran Leola Riley Williams, Stay Well Leola was created from personal experience. BlackNews.com reported that the company was established in 2020 in collaboration with Glenn Gorden of We Gotcha Back to provide services to black communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay Well Leola's products have been approved by the FDA and include personal protective equipment (such as hand sanitizer and soap). It also offers bulk purchase options for face masks, goggles, surgical gowns, KN95 masks, nitrile gloves, and Tyvek protective clothing.     

Looking for more black-owned brands to support brands that sell more than PPE? Check out We Buy Black, where you can find a selection of products to help you fill your home with Black private label. You can also find them on Instagram, which highlights black stories and great brands.