

20+ Black-Owned Businesses That Are Rooted In Self-Care & Wellness
Sistas, how you feelin'? Brothas, you feel alright? Admittedly, if I had to title this period of my life with a word, I'd use two: "Still processing." When I think of the events that we've endured collectively as a community in these past several weeks, I can only imagine how weary a lot of us must feel - mind, body, and spirit. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, as well as our brothers and sisters taken from us before him at the hands of police brutality, we are tired. As Black people living in America, it's hard not to be in a constant state of being woke. Tired can sometimes feel like the understatement of a century.
This past weekend, news of protests spread like wildfire on our timelines and feeds as protestors gathered to stand in the frontlines and use their voices to roar so mightily it shook the earth to its core. However, everyone isn't built to show support for the cause by being on the frontlines in the action of furthering Black interests. Thankfully, there are still powerful ways to show up and show out, well beyond protesting. Some of those ways include donating to organizations (The Bail Project, Reclaim the Block, and the Atlanta Solidarity Project are a few), using your platform to spread awareness and resources, and using your dollar to help fuel Black communities by buying black.
We here at xoNecole are firm believers in showing support to Black businesses and Black women and will continue to do so. In honor of self-care and needing to use this time to pour a little more into ourselves, we've compiled a directory of 20+ black-owned businesses to show love to that are rooted in self-care and positive well-being. This is by no means an exhaustive list and we will continue to update it as time goes on. Check out them out below.
Mental Health
Green Goddess Glow
Beauty
Koils by Nature
Living
Food
Fitness
Fit Queen
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Featured image by Shutterstock
Originally published on June 3, 2020
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Exclusive: Gabrielle Union On Radical Transparency, Being Diagnosed With Perimenopause And Embracing What’s Next
Whenever Gabrielle Union graces the movie screen, she immediately commands attention. From her unforgettable scenes in films like Bring It On and Two Can Play That Game to her most recent film, in which she stars and produces Netflix’s The Perfect Find, there’s no denying that she is that girl.
Off-screen, she uses that power for good by sharing her trials and tribulations with other women in hopes of helping those who may be going through the same things or preventing them from experiencing them altogether. Recently, the Flawless by Gabrielle Union founder partnered with Clearblue to speak at the launch of their Menopause Stage Indicator, where she also shared her experience with being perimenopausal.
In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
Queen Naija Opens Up About Feeling ‘Envious’ Of Women Who Are Child-Free
The journey of becoming a mother can come with its set of personal struggles, and singer Queen Naija is opening up about the impact that motherhood has had on her personal growth.
On the first episode of her new podcast Let’s Talk About It — with her best friend Dominique Moore — the 28-year-old admitted to occasionally feeling “envious” of women who don’t have children, expressing her desire for the freedoms that come along with a childless life.
“Sometimes I envy the girls that get to wake up with no kids and like literally get to design their apartment the way that they want and literally just go and do whatever they want,” she says.
The social media personality started her motherhood journey and marriage at 19 with ex-husband Chris Sails. At the time, the two shared a YouTube channel, Chris and Queen, documenting their life and relationship. The two soon had a son, Chris Sails Jr., but divorced due to his infidelity.
Following the breakup, Naija entered a relationship with her current boyfriend, Clarence White, with whom she has a child named Legend Lorenzo White.
While the "Karma” singer expresses deep love for her sons, she highlights the need to find balance between motherhood and continuing the journey of self-discovery beyond her music career and public persona.
“I never got to learn myself,” she said. “I’m still trying to learn myself outside of just music while still trying to become a wife too and the best mom. It’s hard to do all of that, I feel like sometimes I’ve got to choose.”
Queen Naija and her co-host continue by emphasizing the pressure to perform “the titles” of mother and wife, while still uncovering deeper layers of themselves as individuals.
Although the two agree to be “blessed” and “grateful” to be mothers, the need to make the choice between these responsibilities and identities still leaves residual curiosity about the lives of women who are single and child-free.
“It just goes back to that, I envy girls that can…because it seems their life is so organized. I don’t want to say envy like I’m jealous, but you know, fake envy,” she says.
Girl Talk | Let's Talk About It (Ep. 1)
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Featured image by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images