At the 2024 Essence Festival of Culture, Stephanie Hodges-Dunivan hosted two Black-owned brands that embody Black excellence to the fullest during a Shop ESSENCE Live segment at the Soko Mrkt stage.
First up was Melanin Gang, a brand with a personal touch, founded by a married couple, Myesha and Mohammed Shuaibe, who left their corporate jobs at AT&T to launch the brand and live a more fulfilled life through entrepreneurship. “Melanie Gang is a brand formed to inspire, celebrate and empower black people, and we do that through apparel, through motivational t-shirts,” said co-founder Myesha on the SOKO MRKT stage. “We have to combat problem after problem, but you can look at yourself in the mirror and see these affirmations,” she added.
The brand recently released an ABC affirmation children’s book, starting with “A” for Amazing and “B” for Believe. Some of the other items available at the festival included a hoodie with a sticky note-style 3D graphic featuring affirmations and a sweatshirt that read “Each Day Is A New Opportunity To Live Your Life To The Fullest” on the back.
Next up was a scented candle brand, Bright Black, based in Durham, North Carolina. Founded in 2019 by Tiffany Griffin, who is a trained psychologist. She found that scents psychologically affect your mood. She crafted these candles to reflect her cultural heritage and celebrate her Black identity. “Bright Black is all about community, so we start with the main practicalities of things like what smells good. We’re playing around with scents and just thinking through what combinations {smell good together}. In addition to that, it’s about how we can make an impact, not only on your memories and your daily living but also on our community?”
Griffin’s brand offers a variety of scents including Tall Grass, which is dedicated to supporting Black farmers. A portion of the proceeds from this candle goes directly to supporting Black farmers. She is passionate about supporting Black women and aims to highlight their beauty and brilliance through the scents she creates. In addition to Tall Grass, the brand also offers scents like Rise and Rest, designed for both men and women to incorporate into their daily routines. Rise is crafted for meditation and starting the day peacefully, while Rest is intended to help wind down at the end of the day and promote a comfortable mood for sleep. As someone who struggles with insomnia, Griffin highly recommends the Rest scent for achieving a healthier circadian rhythm.
There is so much more to come from Shop ESSENCE Live. There will be more clothing and beauty brands, along with products that the Black consumer can proudly purchase at the myriad of booths at ESSENCE Festival. We’re putting our money where our mouth is and opening up our pockets to these incredibly intentional brands. These brands align with the notion of building the Back community. Support these shops all weekend long at SOKO MRKT for the 30th Anniversary of ESSENCE Festival of Culture.