H&M USA and Buy From A Black Woman (BFABW) kicked off the start of the non-profit’s 2022 Inspire Tour in New Orleans with a celebratory dinner hosted by artist, poet, activist, and author Cleo Wade. Preceded by a special screening of BFABW’s new documentary, “The Story Behind A Black Woman,” the dinner was followed the next day by the tour’s first pop up at H&M’s French Quarter location, which highlighted Black Woman owned businesses from all over the country.
“As a New Orleans native, its’ so special to me to be supporting Buy From a Black Woman and the kick off to their Inspire Tour 2022 here in the Crescent City,” says Wade. “I’m inspired by the work Nikki Porcher and the organization has done in empowering Black Woman business owners, and I look forward to continuing my work with them this year.”
The Buy From a Black Woman Inspire Tour is a series of pop-up shopping events across 12 U.S. cities, highlighting local Black Woman owned businesses and providing them options in a world that limits their voices. July 1 marked the beginning of the Inspire Tour in New Orleans. On July 1 and 2, customers shopped from vendors, including Perfectly Cordial, Flyest, Stepstitches, Taupe Coat, Oasis Soul Scent Co., Dirt Don’t Hurt, Kindred Paper Company, Kate Lynn & Adwoa, Conditionher, Mlp Media and Lamik Beauty.
“I’ve often said that Buy From A Black Woman brings Black Women into spaces that we never thought we could imagine, but that is not true,” says Nikki Porcher, Founder of Buy From A Black Woman. “The Buy From A Black Woman Inspire Tour has proved that wrong. Black Women do imagine these spaces, we just do not often get the chance that we deserve as there are people who believe Black Women do not belong in certain spaces. That is why this partnership with H&M is such a valuable one. H&M is one of the few companies that continues to stand up and show their support to Black Women Business Owners. H&M gave Black Women space. We live in a country that uses Black Women as examples without ever admitting how inspired they are by the way that we, Black Women, are living. Black Women are the Living Examples and I am excited to travel the country and showcase all the things that we can do.”
Events in New Orleans, Dallas, Oakland, Detroit, Milwaukee and Memphis will be hosted in H&M stores where customers can meet and shop from local vendors. A variety of businesses will be featured, ranging from skincare, stationary, to home accessories and more. Many of those featured support additional causes, standing true to Buy From A Black Woman’s motto, “When you support a Black Woman Business Owner, you support a whole community.”
“We thank Cleo Wade for joining us to host tonight’s joyous dinner. We appreciate her taking the time to lend her support and her voice to our celebration of Buy From a Black Woman and the start of the Inspire Tour 2022,” says Donna Dozier Gordon, Head of Inclusion and Diversity for H&M Americas. “We continue to be proud of the partnership we’ve forged with Buy From a Black Woman which exemplifies our commitment to meaningful community engagement.”
