by Selena Hill
June 18, 2026
A growing faith-led initiative is urging Black consumers to support Black-owned businesses.
Black churches are stepping beyond the pulpit and into community leadership with a renewed focus on economic empowerment.
Black Churches Are Taking Initiative
Salem Baptist Church of Chicago recently partnered with elected officials and community leaders to launch “Spend in the Black,” a faith-driven initiative designed to encourage consumers to support Black-owned businesses. The movement, led by Rev. Dr. Charlie E. Dates, senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church and Progressive Baptist Church, aims to transform everyday spending habits into a tool for collective economic growth.
“This is about resurrecting the Black dollar,” Dates told The St. Louis American. “So rather than being in the red, we are spending in the Black.”
What Is Spend In The Black?
The initiative has taken shape through large-scale vendor marketplaces on Chicago’s South Side, where more than 100 Black-owned businesses have gathered to sell products ranging from food and coffee to jewelry and beauty items. Organizers say the events are designed to recreate the economic vitality once found in historic Black business districts while helping a new generation of entrepreneurs build sustainable enterprises.
According to Alderman William Hall, the economic impact can be substantial.
“We can literally see half a million to $1 million spent between three blocks,” Hall said.
Business owners participating in the initiative say the support has already produced tangible results. Stephanie Hart, owner of Brown Sugar Bakery, described the effort as “absolutely a blessing” and “so inspiring and encouraging.” After more than two decades operating on 75th Street, Hart said seeing dozens of Black entrepreneurs gathered together has renewed optimism about the corridor’s future.
“Last year’s event gave all the established businesses hope for a future—that we won’t be alone over here, that there’ll be new businesses and fresh blood,” Hart said. She added that the community support generated through the initiative resulted in “the absolute largest day that we have ever had.”
Organizers say “Spend in the Black” is not intended to be a one-day event but rather a long-term strategy that encourages churches, consumers, and entrepreneurs to work together to build sustainable economic ecosystems rooted in community.
The effort arrives as Black consumers continue to wield significant economic influence. Black consumers account for more than $370 billion in spending across consumer packaged goods, general merchandise, and quick-service restaurants, according to recent market research.
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