BAOBOB - Bay Area Organization of Black Owned Businesses Directory

05/02/2020

UBUNTU: The kindness and compassion which come from understanding that each of us is part of a greater whole”


Have you noticed that the more we “do” social distancing the more we need and amplify our connections? The more they require us to keep apart, the closer we’ve become. We see you stepping up to share deeper, reach out further, and refocus spending patterns.



Y’all keep elevating and we’ll keep celebrating UBUNTU! Stay rallied in support of Black owned business.

#supportBlackownedbusiness #startnowdontstop #ubuntuinthebay #baobobdirectory

04/17/2020

Black Businesses & Community with Oakland CityCouncilmember Loren Taylor

HAPPENING NOW
Well worth the listen

In this chat, we will talk with Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor about Black Owned Businesses as well as Women Owned businesses during Covid19. We wil...

04/16/2020

California independent contractors can apply for unemployment in 2 weeks, top labor official says

Hold on two more weeks...

Self-employed Californians who lost work because of the coronavirus can start applying for federally funded “pandemic unemployment assistance” in two weeks and receive payments within 24 to 48 hours, state Labor Secretary Julie Su said.

04/13/2020

Taxes and Finances: 📑 💡
Tax season is extended this year until July 15th 2020! Which provides some relief as dealing with COVID-19 which is about right because filling out relief applications is driving most everybody crazy right now.
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The July 15th date gives a little extra time to prepare a beneficial return for ourselves. 💰
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Here is a list of write-offs for small business owners to make the most of your tax filing:
Hired services
A portion of your rent! (For home office)
Retirement plans
Transportation (public transportation costs, gas ,insurance, car repairs)
Technology and equipment (did you buy a new phone or laptop?)
Depreciation your work items
Liability Insurance for employees
Carryover deductions from the previous year. •
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Do you have any other tax tips? Drop them below! 👇🏿
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You'll also find a tax preparation worksheet to guide you here:
https://www.efile.com/tax-return-preparation-checklist/

#workit #2019taxes #W2 #baobob #alphabetsoup #yougotthis

04/10/2020

Diddy’s “Black America & Coronavirus” town hall with Angela Rye, Killer Mike, Yara Shahidi and more

And so our national response begins...
Diddy, van jones, kamala harris, AOC, Ariana Presley, killer mike, a$ap ferg, big sean, fat jie, yara, and more... FUBU...

Diddy will host a virtual town hall joined by Angela Rye, Big Sean, Reverend Al Sharpton, Fat Joe, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Congressperson Alexandr...

04/04/2020

BLACK SOLIDARITY PEOPLE'S RELIEF FUNDS: $100 FOR 100.
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$10,000 was recently donated to the Black Solidarity Fund. SO WE'RE GIVING IT TO THE PEOPLE!!!! Text us at 925-388-6565 for a $100 gift card to either Mandela Foods Co-op, Community Foods Market, or FoodMaxx. Let us know which store you would prefer. Corona supplies also still available.

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#GiveThatSh*tAway #BlackSolidarityFund #GetReadyStayReady GetReadyStayReady.org

Repost:
https://m.facebook.com/100008302500206/posts/2650995238520534/?sfnsn=mo

03/27/2020

Interested to seize opportunities opening up for new business in today's new normal? Now might be the perfect time to work that business idea you've be thinking about. Uptima Business Bootcamp is offering 100% scholarship to their Impact Fellowship and other programs.

Bay Area! Today is the FINAL day to apply to our Freelancer and Launching a Business Courses in SF and Oakland. The deadline to apply for Boston residents is Friday, April 3rd!

Link to apply: https://uptimabootcamp.com/apply

For entrepreneurs of color, we are now offering financial assistance covering 100% of your course fee, regardless of household income.�

#Community #Resources #COVID19 #Freelancer #Oakland #Berkeley #SanFrancisco #Boston #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurs #FreeCourse #FreeOnlineCourse #BusinessCourse

03/27/2020

Since the Bay Area has been hit with the Corona Virus, we have been told to “shelter in place”, and many have been laid off from service-based jobs. Independent contractors, artists and small busines owners have also undoubtedly been affected. Grocery stores have had long lines and empty shelves and it is safe to say there is an overall air of uncertainty. •
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Historical inequities have meant Black business owners are too often no strangers to uncertainty. In fact, this is a rare opportunity for all to share the reality that Black business owners face on a regular basis (when navigating capitalism while Black.) All are now managing an equally real sense uncertainty. What will life post-quarantine look like? How long will this shut down last? •
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In support of our beloved Bay Area Black Owned Business community, we are creating a Living Social Distancing Buyers’ Guide that will include a list of businesses who are active in these times. We will highlight some of them in the coming posts as well. •
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For now, please tag any Black-owned businesses who should be on this list!

Photo by Rachel Martin 🖤

#baobob #livingsocialdistancing #supportblackownedbusiness #startnowdontstop

03/27/2020

Groceries/Fresh Produce:
Many of us are scrambling for groceries, and basics.
Mandela Food Co-op is a black owned in West Oakland BART Station.
Mandela works with many black-owned farms and food distributors who you can get to know through them.
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We encouraging getting to know your black-owned farms in the area such as Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project in East Oakland, Soul Flower Farm in El Cerrito, Yisrael Farms in Sacramento.

We now start to see that we need farmers more than we have realized in the recent and distant past.

More resources of all kinds in our Social Distancing Buyers’ Guide.
Link in Bio!

#essentials #baobob #livingsocialdistancing #supportblackownedbusiness #startnowdontstop

03/20/2020

Berkeley passes law to halt evictions of renters, small businesses during shelter-in-place

Shout out to to the city of Berkeley... Dont wait til later to wonder where they went, help small and local business now.
Oakland, SF are you with it?

Berkeley's move is a direct reaction to what California Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcement on Tuesday, specifically telling local governments they had the power to halt evictions for commercial tenants, residential tenants, and homeowners who have been affected by COVID-19.

03/18/2020

Oakland Chef Offers 'Pay-As-You-Can' Caribbean Cuisine, Soothing Bush Tea During Coronavirus Lockdown

Yum and thank you Sar Ah Kirnon!!

During the coronavirus lockdown, renowned chef Sarah Kirnon, owner of Miss Ollie's Caribbean Restaurant in the Swan Marketplace was offering a sliding scale menu on Tuesday, making sure her patrons were well, and well-fed.

03/18/2020

COVID-19 Relief Fund for Self-Employed & Service Economy LGBTQI+ BIPOC (Black and Indigenous Folks & Other People of Color)

Small Business owners (aka self employed folks) here's an opportunity you want to seize...

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

02/12/2020

Black History Makers Highlight!:
Carroll Fife, who's on the front lines with Moms 4 Housing.

Carroll has also contributed to the following wins:
Oakland’s Emergency Housing Moratorium. Carroll organized community mobilizations, salons and protests which led to the attendance of 600 people at an Oakland City Council meeting to ensure passage of a 90-day moratorium on evictions and particular rent increases. She also participated in the writing of the ordinance which City Council passed unanimously.

Coliseum Zoning. She organized a campaign to prevent the rezoning of an area of East Oakland Industrial zone in order to prevent the potential loss of approximately 8000 jobs as the area was proposed to be rezoned to allow for high-end residential development which would have forced the move of many businesses.

Department of Race and Equity. Recognizing the need for a systemic approach to racial inequity within city government, Carroll organized individuals and community groups to support the initiative for a Department of Race and Equity.
Cannabis Equity: Do the Right Thing campaign. This historic first, led by one committed council member and the stubborn determination of Carroll Fife, resulted in the unanimous passage of the nation’s first Cannabis Equity Permit Program which leveled the playing field for people targeted by the racially motivated war on drugs. Read more about her here:
http://www.creatingfreedommovements.org/carroll-fife.html

02/07/2020

What are we doing today for our generational wealth in 15 years time?

It took 15 years to build "Black Wall Street"- a thriving economy in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. There were black-owned movie theaters, banks, hotels, and grocery stores.

It took one night of raids by racists who set flames, gunpowder and bombs from above to destroy Black Wall Street. Up to an estimated $100,000,000 worth of property and assets in today's money was devastated.

This history was actively suppressed for 90 years.

However, every time we talk about Black Wall Street, we fixate on its tragedy and loss. What about the monumental achievement and model of economic excellence?

What could our version of Black Wall Street look like today?

01/30/2020

Best of Oakland & the East Bay 2020 — Phase 1: Nominations

Best of Oakland & the East Bay 2020 — Phase 1: Nominations

Nominate your favorites for the Best Of Oakland & the East Bay.

01/20/2020

Today we honor the esteemed Dr. Martin Luther King! 👑

A few Key points of understanding:

1. The history of MLK has been diluted. He fought for radical change of institutional structures through the organizing of black labor and black dollars!

2. Dr. King was a devotee to nonviolence not as a submissive approach to social justice, but as lifestyle and philosophy.

3. Nonviolence practice requires intentional building of character, mental fortitude and the building of solidarity-based leadership qualities.

4. We can honor Dr. King and his legacy every day by committing to call out and resist systemic racism, by being of service to our community, and being intentional with our dollars!

5. He was a revolutionary.

12/30/2019

Kwanzaa Day 4: Ujamaa - Cooperative Economics!

Today we were sitting with two questions: 1. How can we asses how black dollars actually circulate in our community. And 2. What are tangible ways we can increase that circulation within the black community, starting here in the Bay Area?

12/27/2019

Happy Kwanzaa: Day 2!
What does self-determination look like in your community and your home?

12/27/2019

Happy Kwanzaa!
May we all embrace the principles in the coming days and year ahead.

#kwanzaa2019 #community #unity #umoja #joy #blackunity

12/24/2019

2019 Highlight:
The 👑CROWN Act (Creating Respectful and Open Work Environment for Natural hair) was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The bill was drafted and presented by the amazing Holly Mitchell. Watch her amazing proposal here:

https://sd30.senate.ca.gov/news/press-releases/2019-03-26-march-26-2019-video-sen-mitchell-bill-end-discrimination-against

12/09/2019

Who Wrote “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, the Negro National Anthem?

A: Langston Hughes
B: Booker T. Washington
C:James Weldon Johnson
D: Maya Angelou
(wipe for answer)

Did you get it right? More trivia at the 9th annual Black HIstory Bowl now.
Link in Bio for tickets! @ Black Repertory Group Theater

11/22/2019

The Black Repertory Group Theatre is the culmination of three generations of history. Today it's led by Sean Vaughn-Scott, grandson of Birel L. and Nora B. Vaughn who are the original founders.

In 1957, the Vaughn's reluctantly fled their southern town of Vicksburg, Mississippi after receiving multiple threats from the KKK. They set out to continue to realize their purpose which was to educate the people about culture and history through the arts. Birel left first and found himself in Berkeley, California where worked in masonry and shipyards in order to make a way for the rest of his family to relocate. After building a house and finding a church, the family joined him in Berkeley, made the house a home and spent four years forming a theatre group in Downs Methodist Church. After those years were up, the theater group, or "The Group" set out to perform in countless places around the Bay Area and including outside.

In 1970, Birel surprised Nora with a storefront which he secured for them. The Group began to call themselves "The Black Repertory Group" and they, with the help of community members, converted the storefront into a theater that seated 99 people. In that space they produced works of over 50 different playwrights from Langston Hughes to Charles Fuller. Also during this time they developed programs for emerging artists, youth and health education until being forced to close its doors due to a fire code regulation.

In search yet again for a new home, Nora found a spot on the Adeline corridor that she rallied for at city hall and in the community with a 9 year-long campaign. Then on October 11, 1987 the members opened the Black Repertory Group Theater at 3201 Adeline Street in Berkeley. The Center boasts a charming 250 seat theater house, state of the art technical equipment, community room and dance studio. With continued support, the community propelled the BRG into the future and provided the cornerstone of the BRG Legacy.

#shareblackstories #thecomeup #legacy #blackrepertorygroup #blackrepertorygrouptheater

11/20/2019

Do you recognize this beautiful theater? Comment below if so!

If no, here's some background:
Established in 1964, the Black Repertory Group Theater (BRG) in South Berkeley exists as the first theatrical griot group of its kind in the nation. The mission of the BRG is kin to all of the Black Cultural Movements and struggles. It provided a premier platform on the West Coast to showcase the black experience to the people.

The culture embraced the concept; soon the nation became populated with Black Repertory Groups. Those still in operation include: the Detroit Black Repertory Theater (1957), the St. Louis Black Repertory Theater (1976) and the North Carolina Black Repertory Theater (1979).

Their #1 goal continues to be “Keepers Of The Culture”, by promoting and preserving theatrical arts.

We are HONORED to be hosting the 9th annual Black History Bowl here. See flyer for details!

Tune in tomorrow for some amazing (hi)stories behind the the theater and the family who formed it.

#blackhistory #blackrepertorygrouptheater #everymonthisblackhistorymonth

11/19/2019

Courtesy reminder of today's Info Session!
Last chance to build this year.
Bring your business buddy and we'll see you in an hour!

11/16/2019

Where are our small business owners? Stand up!
We want to meet with you this Monday for our last Info Session of 2019!

This event perfect if you if you want to:
Build community with local entrepreneurs
Hear success stories from business owners
Learn how to grow your Berkeley market

Info Session: Retention Success Stories
Monday 11/18 6-8pm at Spats in downtown Berkeley.
Please share the flyer attached to any business owner you know who wants to grow!

09/06/2019

Berkeley's Afro-vegan cuisine you didn’t know you were missing

Go Kana Azhari!!

Every Tuesday afternoon, chef Kana Azhari serves up plant-based interpretations of African diaspora-inspired dishes at the South Berkeley Farmers Market.

08/27/2019

Black Family Day

Busy festival weekend coming up, y'all... vendors are you in position?
https://www.itswenotme.org
Black Family Day, 8/31, Vallejo

www.PanAfricanFest.com
Pan African Family Day, 9/01, Oakland

#steady #grind #targetaudience #oakland #vallejo #popup #bayarea #blackentrepreneur ##blackownedbusiness #value #culture

 Dedicated to bringing people of African decent together in unity for the benefit of our community. A people divided is a conquered people.

08/27/2019

The Life is Living vending application is now live! Follow the link below to get locked in with us and claim your spot! October 12th, let’s get it! 🙌🏿🙌🏿
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https://forms.gle/JMnEkauq1kV6PzH67
#baobobdirectory #oakland #bayarea #lifeisliving #berkeley #supportblackbusiness

08/24/2019

Black-Owned Oakland Coffee Roaster Announces Big New Headquarters

Big ups and hearty congrats to the fam at Red Bay Coffee. Check out their new location!! 3136 International Blvd.

Red Bay Coffee Roasters is taking over a bank in Fruitvale

08/15/2019

Join us on September 1st at the PanAfrican Festival for our 1st annual Bones & Spades Social! For details, follow the link below ✊🏿:

https://m.facebook.com/events/623069061516611?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2298%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&aref=98
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#baobobdirectory #spades #bones #oakland #eastbay #bayarea

@ Oakland, California