Representation feels good, but ownership is what really builds us. Red Lobster, Target & Corporate Catfish.

Sometimes we just want to feel good about where we spend our money. We want to feel like we’re supporting something that looks like us, that understands us, that feels close to home.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement when we see a familiar face leading a big brand. We celebrate, we share it with friends, we start making plans to show up and spend.

All of that comes from a real place of pride and hope. We want to believe we’re moving with intention.

But it’s worth pausing to ask: Who really owns this? Who truly benefits when we show up? Does this choice help build the kind of community and future we talk about wanting?

The power of our dollars

Black consumers hold immense power, and the numbers prove it.

“Black Americans’ buying power has grown 2.4 times since 2000 to $2.1 trillion,” reads the Diverse Intelligence Series by Nielsen. “With 48 million people, the Black community in the U.S. is young and growing in both size and economic impact. For advertisers looking to reach this powerful consumer segment, understanding who they are, what motivates them, how they consume media, and what pushes them to purchase is key to creating authentic connections.” (Chicago Crusader)

We set the trends. We decide what’s cool. We make something go from overlooked to sold out overnight. And corporations know this that’s why they work so hard to feel like us and market directly to us.

But even with all that spending power, only about 2% of Black American dollars circulate within Black-owned businesses. Most of that $2.1 trillion leaves our communities as soon as we spend it, never coming back to build our neighborhoods, fund our schools, or create generational wealth.

Corporate catfish in real time

Comments sharing ideas on how to improve. For Free.

Red Lobster brought in a new Black CEO who feels like family, someone we see as a brother, someone we can root for. It feels good. But behind that face, Red Lobster is owned by RL Investor Holdings LLC, the entity that acquired it after the chain exited bankruptcy. RL Investor Holdings is an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group, which led the acquisition and restructuring. That tells you exactly who holds the real power and who truly benefits when we show up and spend.

Target didn’t show up at Essence Fest in their classic bright red. They shifted to soft pinks and blush tones, almost blending into the background to feel like they belonged. They didn’t want to stand out as corporate; they wanted to feel like us.

Then they brought in that young Black Twitch streamer, the one who was just being celebrated for launching his "all-Black Streamer University". We uplifted him, and he became the trusted face leading a whole new generation. And now? He’s guiding that trust right across our boycott lines, straight into more spending. That wasn’t by accident. That was the strategy: make us feel connected and proud, then turn that pride into profit.

It looks like community investment on the surface. But if we’re being real, it’s marketing designed to tap into our influence and our dollars, not to build true ownership or power for us. We end up moving our dollars into a system that isn’t designed to build us; it just knows how to make us feel seen enough to spend.

Representation is not ownership

Representation matters. We do need to see ourselves in leadership roles and big rooms. But we can’t confuse seeing our faces at someone else’s table with owning the table.

Look at the current administration. They are moving quickly and boldly to protect and prioritize their own base, their people, and their ecosystem. Policies around immigration rollbacks, book bans, and restrictions on diversity initiatives all show us exactly who they’re serving. They aren’t worried about including everyone; they’re focused on building and protecting their community, no matter who gets left behind.

So why do we feel bad about centering and protecting our own? Why do we worry about being too exclusive or making others uncomfortable?

Liberation starts with taking care of our own people first. It starts with building power for ourselves and not apologizing for it.

The impact on local, Small & Black businesses

When a big chain gains 10 new customers, how many do you think a local Black-owned, small-owned business loses?

Every time we flock to a national brand that uses our culture as marketing, our local Black businesses, the ones who are the culture, are left fighting to survive. Small businesses everywhere are already facing some of the toughest economic conditions we’ve ever seen, and for Black-owned businesses, the challenge is even greater.

Local Black-owned businesses already face higher operating costs, less access to funding, and systemic barriers that make growth difficult. When we shift our dollars away from them, we make it even harder for them to survive.

Build intentionally for all our communities

This isn’t just about one person or one store. It's about small businesses, local businesses, and community-based businesses. It’s about rebuilding that time when communities and businesses supported each other, kept money flowing locally, and helped entire neighborhoods thrive.

We have the power to decide what we build up and what we let fade away. Our power isn’t just in where we refuse to spend it but in who we keep standing with, day after day.

Next time you reach for your wallet, ask:

• Who owns this business?

• Who benefits from this purchase?

• Does this move us closer to the future we say we want?

If you’re ready to move intentionally, start today:

• Visit the Buy From A Black Woman Online Directory to find Black women-owned businesses to support.

• We are still working on the Buy From A Black Business Directory, so sign up to be part of our launch.

  
  

Let’s move with purpose.

Let’s build boldly, intentionally, and without apology.