digital originals

Hair discrimination has existed for centuries, but recent legislation, like the 2019 CROWN Act, seeks to change that. LaToya Stirrup, co-founder of Kazmaleje, talks about how Kazmaleje is working to pass on a legacy aimed at supporting and empowering men, women and kids alike, no matter what type of hair they choose to rock.

After a year of delays amid the coronavirus pandemic, Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats finally opened its first brick and mortar location in a historic ice house in Old Town Alexandria. Owner Brandon Byrd talks about the historical significance of being one of the few Black business owners in the area, which played a prominent role in the transatlantic trade...

With increased sales in the last year, Chicago-based Lingua Nigra founder and designer Alicia Goodwin hopes to move into a bigger space and expand her team to increase jewelry production. Being a Black, female-owned business, Lingua Nigra was in high demand as a social justice movement saw many around the country seeking to elevate and support Black-owned businesses. But she...

Whether you have straight hair, curly hair, locs, waves, braids, a perm, or a wig, everyone’s hair journey is different. But unfortunately, the wide variety of hair types and textures isn’t always evident in mainstream media or marketing. LaToya Stirrup, co-founder of Kazmaleje, shares how the company is trying to break the mold to be inclusive of all hair types,...

No one knows better than Brandon Byrd that running a business can be precarious: In his journey toward opening a storefront for Goodies, a frozen custard truck in the D.C. area, he’s rebounded from several setbacks. One of them being a worldwide pandemic that hit when he was preparing to remodel an old ice house for his storefront in Old...

Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats, a Black-owned dessert truck in the D.C. area, is on its way to expanding its dessert empire by opening its first brick and mortar store in Old Town Alexandria. After an electrical issue delayed his grand opening, the only thing stopping owner Brandon Byrd from realizing his dream is the sign-off from a city...

Lingua Nigra largely depends on beautiful online publicity to display new and current pieces. Along with travel restrictions and travel fears, founder Alicia Goodwin found creative ways to keep her social media active and even bought an extra set of ears to help get the job done. After not being able to execute a photoshoot for new designs in...

Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats, a Black-owned dessert truck in the D.C. area, created a loyal following by focusing on its signature flavor: vanilla custard. As cities begin to open back up from pandemic shutdowns, owner Brandon Byrd is hoping that loyalty follows his business to the new Goodies brick and mortar store.

Lingua Nigra founder Alicia Goodwin recounts last year’s delays with the U.S. Postal Service and explains how she manages sending out orders now. As more craft shows start to open, along with new mask guidelines in place, Goodwin decides to not rely on mail shipments as much. “That’s not a possibility for me,” Goodwin said.

Hair. It comes in all textures, colors, lengths, types and densities. But for Black women, the topic of hair can be complex — especially when it comes to caring for your natural locs. Enter Kazmaleje, a Miami-based business focused on creating hair tools and products for curly and kinky hair types. The business was launched by three sisters with a…

As the coronavirus pandemic collided with a surge in calls for racial equity over the summer, jewelry brand Lingua Nigra gained thousands of followers and new orders almost overnight after being included in many lists of Black-owned businesses to support. With a new increase in orders and a larger following, founder and artist Alicia Goodwin is trying to keep that...

The pandemic has hit Latino families harder than any other ethnic group in the Bay Area. Now, an all-star team of researchers and community organizers backed by funds from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is working to change that.

The pandemic has hit Latino families harder than any other ethnic group in the Bay Area. Now, an all-star team of researchers and community organizers backed by funds from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is working to change that.

Vicktor Stevenson founded Gourmonade in 2018. Now, as he finds new ways to sell his gourmet lemonade, we look to the future and meet the customers who’ve kept his business afloat through the pandemic, in the final installment of our 4-part series.

Vicktor Stevenson founded Gourmonade in 2018. Now, as he finds new ways to sell his gourmet lemonade, he reflects on the challenges of being a Black entrepreneur in the third installment of our 4-part series.

Vicktor Stevenson founded Gourmonade in 2018. Now, he’s trying to keep it afloat as California slowly reopens. In part two of our “Rebound” series, we join Vicktor as he looks for new ways to expand his business while keeping his family safe from the pandemic.

As the raging pandemic continued to devastate Black-owned businesses, Vicktor Stevenson fought to protect his burgeoning lemonade empire by doubling down with a new brick and mortar location in Oakland, Calif. – but after losing the commercial space, Stevenson realized that in order to keep his business going, he’d need to pivot by expanding his company in unexpected ways.

Vicktor Stevenson founded Gourmonade in 2018. Now, the pandemic is putting the squeeze on his gourmet lemonade business. In part one of our “Rebound” series, we join Vicktor and his family in the Gourmonade kitchen to see how they’re pivoting the business to stay afloat.

A Bay Area environmental research center suggests our pets could be a significant contributor to climate change — and says the fix could be easier than we think.

Raw sewage spewed out of their shower and destroyed the first floor of Sarah and Peter Glover’s home. Experts say we may see more sewage backups as seas rise.