Buy Black 30 Challenge urges people to support black-owned businesses in June

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A new challenge started by an activist from New York is urging people to spend their money at black-owned businesses during the month of June.

Just as voices can effect change, so can the dollar.

"There is power with our black dollar," journalist and activist Dorissa White said. "We no longer need to be consumers. We need to be investors."

This month, White launched the Buy Black 30 Challenge, a campaign that urges black people to spend their money differently.

"The thing is, black business is an afterthought in a lot of people's minds," she said. "We want you to consider black business first."

The first phase is focusing on black-owned grocery stores and restaurants, like Melba's in Harlem.

Melba Wilson opened her namesake restaurant 16 years ago, and she knows the time is now to make a difference.

"We've got to support our community," she said. "We are about it."

Wilson makes it a point to support the black-owned baker, beauty shop and pet grooming business, which plays into Phase 2 of the challenge -- focusing on black-owned retail.

Phase 3 calls for cutting off white-owned streaming subscriptions, while Phase 4 involves only supporting black-owned salons and beauty services.

"We will go where we are celebrated and not where we are tolerated," White said.

And White encourages allies to take the challenge as well.

"A lot of our allies message us on a daily basis, and we just tell them, support, support, support," White said.

While the Buy Black 30 Challenge is meant to be a 30-day challenge for June, White says anyone can do it at anytime.

The more who do it, she says, the more impact it will have.