Five black-owned businesses in Royal Oak you can support right now

Trump’s America was already here, but now we’re seeing more examples of this. Look no further than this video from Royal Oak Middle School where students are chanting “build the wall”:

The school district hastily issued a statement, saying that “we need to find a way to move forward that respects and values each and every member of our community.” You can expect this to happen more frequently in Metro Detroit; as we reported in our current issue, it’s already happening in Birmingham.

In the meantime, there are ways we – and I’m not just talking to black folks, this goes for you white allies as well who talk about it on Facebook and check in to Standing Rock more than they check in to places they can actually visit — can show our support for people of color in Detroit’s suburbs. Here’s a list of some black-owned businesses in Royal Oak that could use your dollars.

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1. Skinphorea, 621 S. Washington Ave.

Opened earlier this year, Skinphorea specializes in creating custom facial cocktail treatments and educating each client on how to achieve healthy, beautiful skin while using all natural products. Its co-founders, Jessica Hayes-Stallings and Shareese Shorter, had a goal of changing the facial experience.

2. Burn Rubber Sneaker Boutique,  306 S. Main St.

Co-owned by rapper Ro Spit, Burn Rubber is where all the local sneakerheads get the freshest kicks. Custom sneakers, like these Boblo Island-themed Reeboks seen above, sell out fast. The boutique also carries several notable streetwear brands.

3. Royal Oak Ford, 27550 Woodward Ave.

The father-son duo of Eddie Hall Jr. and Eddie Hall III also operate Briarwood Ford in Ann Arbor and a Chrysler dealership, Vicksburg Chrysler, in Greater Kalamazoo. (Can’t afford a car at the moment? You can at least get your oil changed there…just sayin’.)

4. The Accessories Shop, 511 S. Washington Ave.

Opened in 2007, The Accessories Shop deals in both men’s and women’s jewelry at affordable price points, as well as some handbags and clothing items.

5. The Dirt Label, 319 S. Washington Ave.

A favorite among local tastemakers, Chris Morris founded this independent label in 2006 and expanded to a storefront offering men’s and women’s tees, hoodies, pants, hats, accessories and more.

Did we miss anyone? Let us know at info@blacdetroit.com!