4 moving Black History Month efforts from QuickBooks, Hulu, BLK and other brands

From Black entrepreneurs getting candid about obstacles they face to a timeline chronicling the endurance of Black love, here are four standout campaigns that truly honored Black History this year.

BLK honors Black love through its many eras throughout history / Credit: BLK

4. GoDaddy commissions Black entrepreneurs to pen letters to future Black business owners

The latest social campaign from website domain registrar GoDaddy put several Black small business owners from the US and Canada in the spotlight. In ‘Dear future Black entrepreneur’, Black business owners of Baltimore-based artist platform 247 Artists, LA-based Malik Books, Cincinatti’s Empire Beauty Bar and Ontario comic book publishing house Freeze DNA write short notes to future Black entrepreneurs, motivating them to start writing the next chapter of Black-owned business history. On February 28, GoDaddy will release the messages as four individual videos on 3BL, like the one of Malik below:

3. Intuit QuickBooks & MailChimp uplift Black entrepreneurs Issa Rae & Nate Burleson

On the first day of Black History Month, expense tracker Intuit QuickBooks and email marketing platform MailChimp hosted a 53-minute, virtual fireside chat between American football commentator Nate Burleson and Issa Rae, the creator and star of HBO show Insecure. During their open-hearted discussion, Burleson and Rae mused the importance of courage, providing personal and practical advice for other Black entrepreneurs. At the same time, QuickBooks released an insights report investigating the Black entrepreneur experience in America. The findings – which are based on a survey of 2,000 business owners (both Black and non-Black) across the US – highlight several persistent social and economic disparities. For example, 79% of Black entrepreneurs report experiencing racism from a customer – with 48% saying they’ve had at least one racist customer interaction in the past year. Meanwhile, 57% of Black entrepreneurs say they were denied a bank loan at least once, compared to 37% of non-Black business owners.

2. Hulu engages Black artists to ‘give flowers’ to other Black trailblazers

Streaming service Hulu tapped talent from across Hulu, Onyx Collective and The Walt Disney company to honor those who have paved the way for them to succeed. Throughout the month, Hulu’s social media channels saw some of the most accomplished Black artists in entertainment, like rapper RZA, investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, singer-songwriter Trevor Jackson and many others, “give flowers” to those who have personally inspired them.

In addition to running on Hulu’s social media channels, the streaming service says it will celebrate these honorees in real life with flowers sourced from Black-owned florists across the United States. Black-owned Bia Blooms created the set decor in several of the campaign videos.

1. Black artists create a touching timeline of Black love for BLK

BLK, the largest dating app for Black singles, is celebrating Black History Month with artwork honoring the enduring legacy and evolution of Black love. Co-created by Black artists Davian Chester, Sabine Quetent, Halimah Sith and Asaad Thorne, the timeline stretches as far back as 900 BC until the present day, crafting a compelling story of heritage, resilience and beauty.

The illustrations are being released throughout the month on BLK’s Instagram page.

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