Supporting black businesses can help the black community progress, and a circulation of wealth can be established with black dollars. When black businesses thrive, it can create sustainability and prosperity within the community. There is strength in numbers and when black people come together to support one another there can be a tremendous impact.
Ernest Nelfrard, 36, is a recent graduate of Florida A&M University and founder of Rattlers United. Rattlers United is a multimedia platform with a strong digital network. Through this platform, organic content is shared and displayed, reaching millions of viewers on popular social media sites. Nelfrard is a content creator with plans of generating a creative agency that can expand globally.
“It’s important to support black businesses because it keeps the creativity going and it’s a creative outlet for the black community,” Nelfrard said. “We are silenced in so many ways. Through black businesses we have still been able to tell our story, we are able to be creative.”
Rattlers United was established in 2015 and with the right support it can become global.
Supporting black businesses can generate wealth within the community by having events as well as donating money or items to those in need. Nelfrard expressed that following his business on social platforms can help to support his business, and wants to use donations to give back to students.
“I want to be able to pay the students if they take pictures for Rattlers United once I leave Tallahassee,” Nelfrard said. “I would like to be able to help a student buy a book, help a student do something, because I know what it’s like to not have anything.”
Some local black businesses in Tallahassee include Chicago’s Chicken and Grill, Diva Pops, Soul Vege, O’Lean’s, and many more. There is also an entire Instagram page called @RattlersInBusiness dedicated to promoting FAMU students.
When black people come together to promote our own economic stability it also promotes inclusion and positivity in society and gives us positive representation.
“We need our money the most within our homes, schools, and communities,” said senior political science student Keturah Priester. “We need to show other people that black businesses can thrive and do well if they have the same support as any other business.”