LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Because of what is happening across the country right now there is a push to support black-owned businesses. 

However, instead of doing a routine Google search, Tanika Bryant put all local black-owned businesses in one app. Buy Black LOU, originally started when Bryant realized her spending capital did not reflect the support needed in the black community. 

“Upon further research, I am seeing that they’re estimating that it would take 250 years for us to close the wealth gap and about 2 cents of every dollar that black people spend goes to a BOB or a black-owned business so imagine in totality it circulates in the community,” says Bryant. 

Bryant took action, intentionally spending her money with local black-owned businesses. She would share the information with family and friends but figured it would be more beneficial for the community to create a Facebook page. The Facebook page has gotten traction over the years, but to make businesses more accessible she created an app that would put them all in one place. 

“It's extremely easy to use and navigate. Once you get in there it asks you 'Hey what are you looking for? What do you want to do tonight?' and you just type into the search bar, what is it you need or what services you’re looking for,” says Bryant. 

The Buy Black Lou app has been available for the past few months, but due to COVID-19, it has been slow to catch on. But now with the current social climate, the app is getting about a thousand views a day and an influx of new members in the past week. Bryant says that along with protests and social media campaigns another great way to show support for the black community is to spend in the black community. 

“This was one of the action items that different organizations in the city suggested for them to do and assist in the black community because you know equity matters as well as equality,” says Bryant. 

Bryant hopes to see the app flourish in the future and make it available for various cities, states, and countries. “

"It's not only for black people, it's just by black people We’re advocating and promoting for everybody to participate in buying black and helping to generate the dollars in the black community,” says Bryant. 

You can find the Buy Black LOU app on all iOS and Android devices.