The Notable Black Dollar: Columbus’ Black-owned businesses connect communities of color

By: Mariah Muhammad

Perhaps you’re looking for delicious food to host your next social(-ly distanced) gathering, perusing for a snazzy getup to update your wardrobe, or even searching for the perfect photographer to capture that special day — an online page may be your one-stop shop for all those needs and more.

Boasting over 75,000 members, Columbus Black-Owned Businesses, a public group on Facebook that features hundreds of Black-owned companies throughout Columbus, hosts services ranging from eateries and catering to photography and clothing. 

Founded last summer by 27-year-old Columbus-native Autumn Perry-Robinson, the group remains rooted in the belief that it’s Black-owned businesses’ time to shine, a sentiment that swelled following disappointment at other companies’ response to the murder of George Floyd in May, Perry-Robinson said.

“I saw that big companies were taking action, but I didn’t feel like they were being genuine. I feel like they were being forced to act like they cared,” Perry-Robinson said. “So, I wanted a platform where people can easily access Black-owned businesses here in Columbus, locally, so we can support the business owners.”

The Black Lives Matter movement was still in full effect when Perry-Robinson initially created the group and, as a result, African Americans from all over Columbus flocked to the group to support one another. 

But even after cultivating a following, Perry-Robinson said she still faces some challenges with running the page. Her main issue? Consistency. 

“[It’s] just due to the heavy volume of posts that we receive, just making sure all posts are following the guidelines and making sure all of my moderators are on the same page,” Perry-Robinson said.

Along with Perry-Robinson, the page is run by a team of 27 moderators, whose work is voluntary and completed mostly during their own free time, Perry-Robinson said. 

The admins are careful about what is posted, she said. Some of the group’s rules include: no hate speech, negative reviews, gambling or cursing, and contact information is required. In Perry-Robinson’s words, “anything that would go against Facebook’s code of conduct is applied to my group.”

Despite the difficulty of maintaining the group, Perry-Robinson said she believes it was all worth it.

“I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from the business owners,” Perry-Robinson said. “For the members, they’ve been able to shop a lot of places they didn’t even know existed until the group. So, overall, I think it’s been a wonderful asset to the community.”

Donna Anderson, a first-year in social work, said she uses the group because she loves seeing people of color grow and develop into successful business owners.

“A lot of Black-owned businesses have very great qualities and attributes about them, but no one pays to keep it going, or support them enough to financially stay in business,” Anderson said. 

She said that while the group connects people through recommendations, it’s also great for short-notice issues. 

“If you need something ASAP, nine out of ten you’ll be able to have someone who can help,” Anderson said. 

Moving forward, Perry-Robinson said the goal is to start a non-profit organization, so she can provide businesses with grants and host expos to expand the page, connecting with people all over Columbus. 

“I am so proud of everyone. I see people in there grinding so hard and seeing that their dreams are coming to fruition,” Perry-Robinson said. “I hope we can continue on the path of success we’ve been on.”