Social media is buzzing with a bold new economic challenge: for the month of September, Black women are being urged to purchase hair care products exclusively from Black-owned brands.
The initiative, led by influencer Jamila Wright (@richiewritz), has quickly gained traction after her Instagram post and video went viral, calling for intentional support of Black businesses in an industry that relies heavily on Black women’s spending power.
In her video, Wright breaks down the numbers: Black women spend an estimated $1.2 million annually on hair care products — more than $100 million each month.
This includes shampoos, conditioners, wigs, weaves, edge control, relaxers, and other essentials. Yet, despite being the industry’s most loyal consumers, Wright notes that the majority of those dollars do not return to Black-owned businesses.
“We are the number one consumers but barely see the profit,” she explains. “So imagine this — for the month of September, we only buy products from Black-owned brands, period. No middlemen, no big corporations, just us investing in us.”
Wright argues that even if only a fraction of Black women participated, the economic ripple effect would be powerful enough to disrupt the multi-billion-dollar beauty industry. Lower sales at major corporations, she suggests, would force the industry to reckon with the influence of Black women, who have long shaped trends and purchasing power in beauty markets.
The movement has quickly taken hold across social media platforms, with Wright encouraging followers to tag Black-owned brands in her post. Supporters are sharing product recommendations, from natural hair care lines to wig makers and small-batch beauty startups, amplifying businesses that often struggle to compete with large, multinational corporations.
For many, the challenge is about more than just buying shampoo or edge control — it’s about reclaiming economic power and cultural influence.
“This is bigger than just hair,” Wright explains in her video. “It’s about finding our power and teaching these industries that without Black women, there is no hair market.”
The campaign coincides with broader conversations about economic justice and wealth circulation within Black communities. Advocates have long argued that intentional spending is one of the most effective tools for reshaping industries and creating sustainable growth for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Whether the September push will generate measurable financial impact remains to be seen.
But what’s clear is that Wright’s message has resonated widely, sparking a month-long test of collective consumer power.
