The people, places, and things we love.

Minuteman Press Philadelphia

A Black-owned print shop in Philadelphia handling business printing, signage, and the kind of work that keeps a small operation looking like it means it.

Culture 12

Apparel that says what it means. I loved so many pieces that narrowing it down took a minute.

My picks: the liberation crop tops, the James Baldwin sweatshirt, the No To War “F* Conflict” hoodie, and the Grace Jones mockneck dress.

Black Rally X

Apparel built around the idea that some things are not for sale.

My pick: the Soul Not For Sale sweatshirt.

Graetful

Pieces that carry a message you can stand behind all day.

My pick: the Community Is Currency hoodie.

Coral Oral

Black-owned oral care. I just ordered the mouthwash and the toothpicks. I wanted the charcoal mouthwash and it was sold out, so peppermint it is. I have not used them yet and I will report back.

Swapping mainstream products for Black-owned ones is always the goal, until most of what I use comes from Black-owned businesses and makers.

Ashaka Givens

Ashaka is one of my favorite people in my Brooklyn community. Her talent and her eye for style are part of why I rock with this sista, and her heart is the rest of it. It is never lost on me how brilliant the people in my community are. She has been making ready-to-wear, custom bridal, and hats since the nineties, and I own three of her pieces.

My favorite shape on the site right now is the 88 Cap. When the weather warms up, the brimless crown and the straw beanie.

Cocoa Butter & Clarity

Thema is one of my best friends, and I had the pleasure of supporting her through the launch of How to Radically Soften: A Liberation Practice. She is on a mission for Black women, and part of that mission is getting us back to our soft selves.

The course is a guided somatic practice for Black women who have been living in the necessity of strength and survival. It is for those of us ready to release over-functioning so we can get to ease, presence, and self-trust. Eleven modules, self-paced, and yours for good once you are in.

If you are looking for a practice directly connected to your liberation, this one is it. I encourage you to get into it.

Grain Management

A Black-owned investment firm founded by David Grain, putting capital into the communications infrastructure the rest of the economy runs on.

Recent news: Grain has announced a definitive agreement to sell its nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio to SpaceX.

Cioré

Founder Chrissy Gilmore is building a phone around the people who use it: made to last, made to repair, with plain-language privacy settings and an AI indicator that lets you choose rather than assume. Early testing is targeted for winter 2026.

I am looking to move away from Apple and the rest of the mainstream handsets, and this is one I want to buy when it ships.

Cioré names materials, labor, and waste in phone manufacturing as part of why they started. That is the same chain I traced in Issue 02 of the Brief.

Derek Automotive

Founded by Derek W. Bailey and recognized as the first Black-owned electric vehicle manufacturer in the United States, building on the legacy of C.R. Patterson, the Black carriage maker whose family was building cars in Ohio in 1915.

Men At Work Healing

Brotherhood and healing work that reimagines manhood through story, purpose, healing, and play. They run The Check-In, a monthly virtual conversation for men who want community and want to move away from unhealthy versions of masculinity, and their facilitators work with groups and organizations.

Being honored at this year’s Extraordinary Men Awards.

Idrissa Writes

Idrissa is part of my community, a genuinely beautiful person, and a writer whose work is worth your time. Her book Backstitch is on my order list. Go read her, buy the book, and show her some love.

Follow on Instagram →

The Extraordinary Men Awards

The BRO Experience Foundation honors men of color for courage, leadership, and service, and raises money for its mentorship and education programs. This award goes to Black men who show up in their communities and who do the work on their own healing, which is so needed.

Among this year’s honorees are people whose impact I have seen directly: Dr. Rob Gore, the Brooklyn emergency physician who founded the Kings Against Violence Initiative, Christopher Williams, and Men At Work Healing. Williams founded Heart, Body & Soul after his first heart attack at 42. The Brooklyn nonprofit works on the physical and mental health of Black men in neighborhoods where good wellness programs and health education are hard to come by. Congratulations to every one of them.

13 November 2026 · Dumbo Loft, Brooklyn

Monica’s new channel

My dear sister friend has launched her YouTube channel. She is a Black feminist and a lifelong advocate for racial and gender justice, with more than 25 years curating spaces for radical joy, collaboration, and future visioning. She is going for 1,000 subscribers by 5 January.

Watch, like, comment, and subscribe. Let us get her there.