Facebook announces #BuyBlack Friday

Facebook has launched a three-month long ‘Season of Support’ to provide free resources, education and training to help businesses all over the world.

As part of the initiative, Facebook has announced #BuyBlack Friday in the US, to celebrate and support black-owned businesses and their communities which have been hit especially hard by Covid-19, closing at twice the rate of other small businesses.

More than 3.5 million people on Facebook in the US have joined new groups created to support black-owned businesses since the start of the pandemic.

The social network will be working closely with an influential network of black entrepreneurs, the US Black Chambers, to encourage people to #BuyBlack. This was announced in a blog post from Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg.

Starting 30 October, new features in the Facebook app will encourage people using the platform to create posts in support of black-owned businesses, and the businesses themselves will also be able request a toolkit which will help them spread the word through their own channels.

There will also be a range of events and resources within Facebook’s ‘Lift Black Voices Hub’ and on their Facebook App Facebook Page, including the #BuyBlack Friday Show, which will air live every Friday from 30 October – 27 November, highlighting black businesses, artists and entertainers.

Later this month, ‘The Facebook #BuyBlack Friday Gift Guide’, will be introduced, showcasing products from US black-owned businesses, and a ‘businesses nearby’ tool will be installed to help people find local businesses, including those that have chosen to self-designate as black-owned.

Photo credit: Facebook