This week, we asked you to share your feedback and questions about how we could use our platform to serve the community as protests continue in cities around the country, including in Chattanooga.

We’re here to listen, learn, and facilitate positive conversations about our diverse and vibrant community. (Share your voice here.)

We heard you all this week when you asked for a list of local black-owned businesses. And before we could create our own list, members of the community did it. 👏

Local residents Alecia Vera Buckles and Kristy Graves created a list of black-owned businesses and we pulled 20 businesses to highlight from the working document, where black business owners can add their information. You can also use this doc.

Buckles also created this QR code to connect people with black-owned businesses.

Bonus: We hear a website with this info is coming soon.

And shoutout to the other local businesses who have worked to lift up black-owned establishments. We saw Barley Chattanooga and Thai Esan promoting black-owned businesses on Instagram Tuesday.

Note: Due to COVID-19, some businesses may currently be closed or offering limited services.

Arts

○ Charlie Newton & Iantha Newton | Charlie started drawing at age five and hasn’t stopped creating since. He has work in private + public collections. He and his wife, Iantha — who is also a painter — founded SPLASH, a free art school for urban youth. More information here.

○ Christian J. Collier | Christian is an artist, public speaker, educator and 2015 Loft Spoken Word Immersion Fellow. He has merch here and more information here.

Construction

○ JM Hanner Construction | 1100 S. Highland Park Ave. | This business is a specialty trade general contractor that offers an array of services, from residential work such as retainer walls and decorative concrete projects to light excavation on commercial projects. Get more information here.

Consulting

○ Donivan Brown | Donivan is a consultant, speaker, organizer, and facilitator with more than two decades of experience. In his blog, he writes about the experience of thinking he was white as a child. He discusses the realizations that came after that. He’s presented at many local churches and schools.

Cleaning

PCS Cleaning | This business provides cleaning of schools, churches, medical facilities, office buildings, residential homes, multi-tenant facilities and more. They can customize services to meet your needs.

Education

○ Culture Books of Chattanooga | This nonprofit aims to bridge the gap between literacy + culture. Leaders are currently raising money for its first event.

Entertainment

○ Seaux Chill | Chill is an artist and educator with musical training in various fields including jazz, gospel, and classical. He has merchandise here.

Event planning

○ Cue the Champagne Event Planning | 324 McCallie Ave. | Shaun Mosely is the founder, curator of happiness + an award-winning wedding planner. She’s also a mom and she’s working to show her son a world without limits.

Food

○ BBQ Rowe & Catering | Owner Pat Rowe has a passion for cooking + entertaining and founded his business in 2016. He offers individual orders, and delivery is available + he does catering.

○ Coco Asante | Ella Livingston founded her chocolate company in 2018. You can buy her products online or get more information about distributing her products here.

○ Not Your Mamas Greens | Amanda Greenidge + Chef Rasean Greenidge offer (mostly) plant-based products and information. They have online resources, like recipes, and they offer food for takeout, catering upon request + classes about plant-based diets.

○ Loadebar | LoAdebar is a natural, certified organic energy bar. Founder Norma Maloney started making them for her cyclist husband before turning it into a business. You can order online here.

○ Together Café | 801 South Orchard Knob Ave. | With a mission to help survivors of human trafficking, Together Café offers coffee + food, as well as event space.

Personal care

○ April Moore | 2115 Gunbarrel Road | April is a hairstylist who offers a range of services, including moisture treatments, blowouts + scalp treatment. She also has digital gift cards for purchase.

○ The TimeOut Chair Men's Grooming Spa | 423 E. MLK Blvd. | This business offers grooming services for men from haircuts + styling to foot and nail treatments.

Photography

○ Airdography Visual Communications | Benji Aird is the mastermind behind this company, which uses photography and print to tell stories. He’s worked with big corporations, like BCBST, and offers everything from portraits to wedding photography.

Senior services

○ Sharon's Adult Day Center | Multiple locations | Registered nurse Sharon Kelly founded the business and her staff includes three other black women. They offer a range of adult health care, including in-home personal care and assisted living facilities.

Retail

○ Kwonnies Enchanted Moonstones | Get your handmade Black Lives Matter jewelry here.

○ Natty Naturals | Dominique and Syeed Harris are behind the brand of this black-owned beauty line,

which offers an array of products, including bath and hair products, lip care, and oral hygiene.

○ Princess Child Soaps | This is your place for artisan soaps. You can buy Turmeric Facial Soap, 100% African Black Soap, and more. You can also buy hand sanitizer.