Blackout Tuesday impacts black business owners worldwide

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI)-All over the country, people are participating in Blackout Tuesday. Black people and allies are encouraged to spend their money at Black-owned businesses.

This movement is to force politicians to end institutional policies and practices leading the deaths and marginalization of Black-Americans.

Every year, African-Americans spend nearly $1 trillion at major retailers. The Blackout Tuesday movement was created to give their own businesses a chance for growth in revenue.

“I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur, I’ve always wanted to own my own business,” said owner Deloris Doss.

Doss owns ‘3 Daughters on Main’ in West Point. She says the journey to opening her doors wasn’t easy, but it’s the adventure that made it all worth it.

“I came from a family of 14, 7 girls and 7 boys. Seeing my mom and my dad work and struggle to have things, it just motivated me even more to that when I grow up I want to have something on my own. You know we can go into a restaurant, a black restaurant and eat. We can go to a black boutique or a black store. We can do that now so I’m very proud of where we come from,” said Doss.

Doss, along with her 3 daughters, says it’s a way to leave their mark in the community.

“It’s kind of like a legacy that I wanted to leave with them to show them that you know you don’t have to work for anyone. You can have your own business, you can own your own business, and you can work it the way you want to work it by putting God first,” said Doss.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for black owners because it gives everyone a chance to make money and prosper in their business and things. It encourages other people to start something that they’re wanting to do and help the community more,” said Co-founder Shelisa Doss.

And that independent spirit is spreading.

“It’s just something that God put in my spirit to do this business. I didn’t know a whole lot about it but it learned it, I studied it a lot over a couple of years about it and He just made it happen for me,” said Hair 4 U owner, Steven James.

James says he’s had to re-stock his shelves just days after opening.

“We’ve had a lot of support from a lot of people. We’ve had our city leaders here, our mayor and a lot of people came and they supported. I think they were waiting on something like that in the black community,” said James.

This movement has been anticipated on social media for a few months now.

Celebrities have encouraged people to still support Black business even after Blackout Tuesday.