15 Black-Owned Wellness Brands To Shop Today, Tomorrow, Forever

While coworking spaces like The Wing have become go-to spots for the self-employed, as anyone who’s ever frequented one (or read recent criticism of their leadership) knows, membership is often overwhelmingly white. Ethel’s Club was founded with the intention of providing an inclusive alternative: A safe, comfortable space where people of color can be their full selves. “There is both power and safety in shared, collective experiences,” Austin says. “Black people and people of color deserve a space where they can show up and not fear being excluded, considered, or discriminated against.”

Most public spaces have closed for the time-being due to the pandemic, but Ethel’s Club is still offering online events and workshops. “In our digital clubhouse, we’ve seen members take advantage of our intimate programming, wellness offerings across varying modalities, and curated subcommunities where they can thrive professionally, personally, and creatively,” Austin says.

The wellness programming, including group grieving and healing sessions, is what she points to as being particularly helpful to members—especially now. “We deserve to unburden ourselves, cry, and scream in spaces that really see us for who we are.”

Drinking tea was commonplace in Shanae Jones’s household growing up. She’s a first-generation American and grew up in a Jamaican household to a British mother, so she says holistic health was always a priority. At the same time, she understands that tea may have certain posh, colonial connotations, and when she created Ivy’s Tea Co. in 2016, her aim was to change the way people see tea drinkers. Specifically, “to get rid of the super-stuck-up image our established and ritzy counterparts showcase, while being welcoming enough that you don’t feel like you’ve got to have quartz, sage, and a yoga mat just to drink herbal tea either.”

Jones’s tea blends are handcrafted, full-leaf, and organic, ranging from Red Bone—a hibiscus tea with cranberry and chile pepper (the brand’s most popular)—to Sister Sister, a mint-rose-and-cinnamon mixture. Others, including C.R.E.A.M. and Nip’s Tea (named after the late rapper Nipsey Hussle), are a play on the pop culture and hip-hop inspirations Jones draws from. Beyond teas, you can also pick up some orange-infused Shmoney honey or a Bad and Boujee teacup.