Facebook to launch #BuyBlack Friday in support of Black-owned businesses

By

Robin Driver

Published
Oct 10, 2020

American social networking giant Facebook has announced the launch of its Season of Support for small businesses, kicking off the three-month-long initiative with the #BuyBlack Friday campaign supporting Black-owned businesses.

 
Announced in a blog post from Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, #BuyBlack Friday will run in the U.S. from October 30 through November 27, 2020. The campaign seeks to capitalize on the momentum of Black Friday, the biggest annual retail day, to support Black-owned businesses, which have been particularly hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and are closing at twice the rate of other small businesses.
 
The initiative will see the introduction of new features in the Facebook app encouraging users of the platform to create posts in support of Black-owned businesses. The businesses themselves will also be able request a toolkit which will help them spread the word about #BuyBlack Friday on their own channels.

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On top of this, Facebook is hosting a number of events and resources on its Lift Black Voices Hub, as well as on the Facebook App Facebook Page. This offering includes the #BuyBlack Friday Show, which will air live every day during the campaign, spotlighting Black businesses, artists and entertainers.
 
October will also see the launch of The Facebook #BuyBlack Friday Gift Guide, which will contain products from national Black-owned businesses, covering categories such as beauty, fashion and home.
 
Throughout the campaign, Facebook will be working closely with the U.S. Black Chambers, a network of Black entrepreneurs.
 
No further details were provided concerning other campaigns that might be launched as part of the wider Season of Support, which, Sandberg said, will “provide free resources, education and training to help businesses all over the world.”
 
“This holiday season will be immensely challenging for many small businesses, with more people shopping online than ever,” commented the executive, explaining the reasoning behind the three-month project. “Facebook is determined to do all it can to help small businesses not just survive online but to thrive.”