Staff

American Express—in a joint campaign with the U.S. Black Chambers (USBC)— has announced the expansion of ByBlack with the first national certification program exclusively for Black-ownership designation. First created as a directory of Black-owned businesses, ByBlack provides businesses an approved accreditation trusted by customers and enables consumers and other companies to easily find U.S.-based Black-owned businesses.

“The success of Black-owned businesses benefits the communities they anchor and in turn, the country at large,” said USBC President Ron Busby.  “The Black business community generates more than $150 billion in revenue but has even larger potential. We are continuing to expand ByBlack across the U.S. to help further propel the growth of Black-owned businesses….”

Actress Issa Rae is one of the entrepreneurs benefitting from the program, having certified her business, Sienna Naturals, with the hopes of reaching more customers, and encouraging other Black businesses to do the same.

“We have only scratched the surface of the collective power of Black businesses, so I am excited to join American Express and the USBC to shine a light on the opportunities ByBlack presents,” Rae said. “ByBlack is a powerful platform that connects Black business owners with new revenue streams and helps all of us find and shop at standout businesses.”

The no-cost certification process takes just thirty minutes to fill out online. Businesses need only provide proof of identification, that their business is 51% Black-owned, and is controlled by a Black owner. For more information, visit https://usblackchambers.org/certification.