Month: August 2020

By Megan Hartig,

It’s no secret that we love plants. Plants are an integral part of making your home an inviting, livable space.

We’ve put together this list of Black-owned plant shops that ship right to your doorstep as we work towards elevating more diverse voices across The Spruce. Our mission is to help everyone make their best home.

If you have any recommendations for businesses to include on this list, please email us.

Here are eight black-owned plant stores to support.

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01 Planting With P

“Being able to provide positivity for people while stuck at home makes me very happy,” says Paris Hannon, the owner of this delightful plant business. Planting With P sells indoor plants, succulents, floral arrangements, and smudge sticks. Smudging is a method of cleansing a space to invite positive energy. Virtual plant consults are also available for $10 should you need some guidance on proper care or pest problems.

02 Tal & Bert

We adore Tal & Bert’s hand-poured planters designed from raw natural minerals and industrial concrete. Based out of Pittsburg, PA, the husband and wife owners joined forces to design thoughtful home goods.

Their work is inspired by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which is based on finding beauty in imperfections. And as an extra little touch when checking out, you have the option to upgrade your planter to include a tealight or live air plant.

03 Plant + Vessel

Based out of Austin, TX, Plant + Vessel sells stunning handmade ceramic planters and vases. You can also find fun tumblers, pots, and jewelry. These beauties are often in high demand, so be sure to check back for restocks regularly!

04 Natty Garden

There are endless planting options from Brooklyn-based nursery, Natty Garden. From ornamental shrubs to orchids and beyond, they’ve got you covered!

Online orders can be placed for indoor and outdoor plants as well as planters, fertilizers, and soil. Searching for a hard-to-find plant? Just let them know and they will try to special order it or find a suitable alternative.

05 Grounded

Part of Grounded’s mission is to connect plants and humans to help people feel more grounded. “With so many technological advances and shifts, our society is overstimulated and anxious,” says Mignon Hemsley, the Co-founder of Grounded. “Our goal is to bring people back to earth and take their focus off of digital life for at least a few moments of the day.” To that end, they offer select plants that actually purify the air and might help to reduce stress. According to Grounded, incorporating plants into your space is one of the easiest, most common feng shui adjustments you can make.

06 Isha Plants

Isha Plants sells individual plants as well as monthly, semi-monthly, and annual plant propagation subscriptions. Subscriptions include hard-to-find plants, video planting instructions, and access to an online plant-loving community for asking questions and sharing experiences.

07 Tennessee Tropicals

Tennessee Tropicals specializes in a variety of high-quality tropical plantsthat are sure to add some pizzazz to your home. We are especially in love with this ‘Prince of Orange’ Philodendron.

Of their June restock, they donated 10% of the proceeds to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. Flowers and philanthropy, the perfect pairing.

08 My Crazy Plant Life

My Crazy Plant Life carries a wide array of tropical plants, exotic plants, and rare aroids. After scrolling through pages of plants, we still can’t get enough of the endless options. The online reviews of this Tampa, FL based company note that the plants are thoughtfully packed and arrive very healthy.

Original article was published here.

By Piotr Orlov

I’ll be honest: we first started planing this feature on our favorite Black and Brown femme DJs from around the world and the AFROPUNK diaspora before the pandemic hit, as part of Womxn’s History month. And on some level, publishing it right now seems kinda frivolous. Like, who can think of this as a good time for dancing?

Except. Humans have always danced, it is a ritual expression joy and creativity and spiritual uplift. The art of the DJ as a conduit of joyful dancing was born in the Black communities — New York, Detroit and Chicago central to them, but everywhere that Black people “invented” Saturday night. And now more than ever. Black femmes DJs are guiding it into a new era. From the U.S. to the dance clubs or Europe, to parties around Africa and the Caribbean, the game is changing.

The 10 DJs below (presented in alphabetical order) are only the tip of a great iceberg, that no pandemic will ever stop. (In fact, many of them are live-streaming DJ sets regularly from the quarantine — stay tuned to AFROPUNK socials for announcements on these.) We can’t wait to meet you back on the dance-floor. But until then, let’s salute the DJ Queens.

ASH LAURYN

Originally hailing from the hometown of techno, Ashleigh Laurynnow lives in Atlanta, GA, reps both her own great Underground & Black (blog, radio show, podcast) and the Deep South ATL party. In addition to being an exceptional DJ, she is also a superlative writer. Lauryn’s vibe is Detroit Techno — though, as anyone familiar with that city’s hi-tech soul legacy understands, that’s a tradition which contains a multitude of Black musical experiences.

BEARCAT

London-born, Philly-based DJ/producer Bearcat (born: Kerrie Ann Murphy) brings the roughness and the global knowledge, moving from industrial techno to bass-first dembow with the fluidity of someone who’s been putting the two together for much of her life. You can find her at the great monthly party Seltzer (which she co-founded with Precolumbia, and which takes place in both West Philly and Ridgewood, Queens), making music for Fashion Week runways, and dropping bass bombs around the world.

DIAMOND KUTS

Born Tina Dunham, Diamond Kuts is the daughter of legendary Philly MC, Grand Tone, who introduced her to DJing by giving her a turntable for Christmas as a child. We first heard her through her slew of incredible weekend DJ shows on Philly’s Power99, where she was cutting up hip-hop, house, pop and R&B tracks in the B’more and Jersey club styles. Diamond Kuts is still there — on the mix is pure, hyperactive fire — and now she produces too.

HONEY DIJON

Growing up in New York City and being into house music when it was NOT the flavor of the f*cking month, we had the thrill of hearing Chicago transplant Honey Redmond spin on the regular. Which makes us that much more overjoyed that Honey Dijon is now recognized as one of the finest, most popular mixers and selectors in the world. Not just a rare Black femme that headlines lily-white-boy dance-music festival stages, but has her own Comme des Garcons line and shit. And *still* has better records than you.

JOSEY REBELLE

One of the most influential DJs in London’s Black musical diaspora, Josey Rebelle rose to prominence as a resident at Plastic People, the legendary club that closed in 2015 and was famous for its musical anything-goes ethos. That is still very much her style, whether on her excellent Sunday night Rinse.FM show — the mix above is from the last one she did, and the first in the age of corona — or at headlining gigs all over the world.

JULIANA HUXTABLE

Juliana Huxtable is who we think of when we think of the DJ as a contemporary artist. (As opposed to famous artists who think they know how to DJ…usually, a must to avoid.) Huxtable’s DJ sets are not only there to set off dance-floors, but to explore the intersections of race, gender, queerness, and identity, through sound. (Juliana also does this with performances and visual art.)  She’s in the tradition of the griot and the storyteller, whose tools are two decks, a mixer and a lifetime of sonic sources.

LAKUTI

Lakuti is the South Africa-born Berliner Lerato Khati, an incredible house/funk/jazz/anything-goes DJ and also the founder of Uzuri, a talent management company, booking agency and record label which has been a leader of global Black dance-music creativity by example. For us Americans, with our fucked international-artist visa laws, hearing Lakuti is an all-too rare treat, but if you ever get the chance, run to that club. And be ready to get all-in.

NATASHA DIGGS

The record queen of New York City, Natasha Diggs is a musical engine of two of the best grown-ass people dance parties in the Big Apple: Mobile Mondays and Soul in the Horn. Her vibe is funk, soul and the classics, whichever direction and era that might entail. And setting off the proceedings, especially peak-time selections, is guaranteed. Fuck everything else, Natasha Diggs is very much a great singular reason to visit NYC when the dance-floors re-open.

UNIIQU3

The Queen of Jersey Club, Uniiqu3 (born: Cherise Gary), is one of the great perennials — never not delivering, always expanding. When she made this mix for AFROPUNK in 2019, she said “I like to tell take my audience on a journey and give them a experience. On this mix is a blend of Jersey Club, House, GQOM, Baile Funk, Hip-Hop and Ballroom. It’s the soundtrack that fuels the underground out here on the East Coast.” Believe that.

VENUS X

Back during the last time the entire planet seemed to be heading for man-made meltdown, one party staved off the apocalypse in NYC, GHE20G0TH1K. And over the course of that party’s initial run, one of its architects, Venus X, helped reshape the sound of dance-floor, cutting up hip-hop, baile funk, dembow, African, house and club beats, experimental noise, techno, everything under the sun. Venus is still going strong, and this incredible mix she made with Asmara (of LA’s great Nguzunguzu) is proof.

Original article was published here.

Typically, we don’t give much thought to who is the owner of the companies that produce the products we use. From toothpaste to mouthwash, soap to laundry detergent, bathroom products, and all the other products we use on a daily basis, all are made by companies that were started by entrepreneurs with an idea to solve a problem or make life a little easier. And guess what? Some of these entrepreneurs are African American.

Here are three Black-owned companies that make common household products that we use every day:

#1 – Toilet Paper

Freedom Paper Company – headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, this Black-owned manufacturer and distributor produces economical bathroom tissue for both residential and commercial use. Privately owned and founded by CEO Kamose Muhammad, they also produce economical paper towels, paper products and dispensers. 

#2 – Mouthwash

Garner’s Garden – Based in Fort Washington, MD, this Black-owned company makes 100 percent all natural body care products, including mouthwash and lip balm, organic hand soap and body wash, hand and foot creams, hair care products, and facial cleansers and oils. Their extensive product line can be ordered online.

#3 – Laundry Detergent

The True Products – Based in Atlanta, Georgia-based, this company is owned by 3 African American founders who are all experienced entrepreneurs. Their unique, eco-friendly laundry detergent can be purchased online or through distributors located across Georgia and several other states.

By  Joseph Omotayo,

Otto Orondaam has announced the launch of a virtual learning classroom that would help kids during the present coronavirus period

– The initiative will be able to help 948 kids learn from home, an idea that will go a long in helping them access education

– Otto said that his organisation, Slum2School, will not be resting on its oars as they plan to build capacity for 10,000 kids

The founder of Slum2School, Otto Orondaam, has proffered a very big solution to the problem of learning in this period when children are forced out of school by the coronavirus. He announced his organisation has made it possible for 948 kids to learn remotely with their first Virtual Learning Classroom in Africa. Otto said his aim is to reach 10,000 kids during this season. Impossible is really nothing.

Impossible is Nothing. I'm so excited to announce the launch of our first Virtual Learning Classroom in Africa.
Today 948 kids can learn remotely but we want to reach 10,000kids.
Kindly RT & let's support kids across communities to learn during & after this period. #Slum2School pic.twitter.com/hntaWfkfSD

— Otto Orondaam (@Otto_Orondaam) July 13, 2020

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that secondary schools under the control of the federal government will not be reopening for the forthcoming WAEC examinations, the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, announced.

Top presidential aide Tolu Ogunlesi made this known via a thread of tweets on his Twitter account on Wednesday evening, July 8. The minister also called on the management of WAEC to suspend the exams just as he urged state governments to toe the federal government’s line.

The tweets partly read: “There’s an EDUCATION UPDATE: Minister of Education has just announced that schools under control of the Federal Govt will NOT be reopening for the forthcoming WAEC Exams. Says WAEC should suspend exams, and urges State Govts to toe the FG line.” In other news, Evangelist Adekunbi Akin-Taylor, the owner of Charlie Marie Group of Schools, Likosi in Sagamu, Ogun state, has lightened the burden of many parents.

The proprietor gave out palliatives to 27 of her workers and 100 parents whose children are her students, she told the media. She said that some of her students come to school really hungry and giving out the relief materials was her own way of contributing to their parents’ welfare in this trying time.

It should be noted that each package contained rice, beans, indomie, oil, salt, biscuit, sweet, and garri. She said she paid her workers full salary in March and 60% and 70% in April and May respectively.

Olajumoke Amos, a parent, thanked the proprietor for taking care of their needs, saying that despite the fact the woman is not in the country, she still extended her love to them. Akin-Taylor has not been able to take her school’s learning online because she said parents cannot afford it.

Original article was published here.