Black households contributed $835 billion in consumer expenditures in 2019 alone and the combined spending of these households has increased by five percent annually over the last twenty years, according to reports. With the holiday season at our front door, the Black purchasing power is predicted to be at an all-time high. Although many companies will reap the benefits of the Black dollar, few are embracing representation in their products.

Black Paper Party is on a mission to create more inclusive items for Black families to shop for this year. Founded in September 2020 by Madia Willis (chief executive officer), J’Aaron “Jae” Merchant (chief product designer) and Jasmine Hudson (chief merchandising officer), the trio reckoned Black families were underrepresented each holiday. Combining their love for the culture with 25 years of experience in retail, product development, and creative design, they knew it was time to create products that were reflective of the Diaspora.

“Having spent about ten years working in corporate retail and design, creating graphics, print, and pattern, it’s often a struggle to advocate for Black characters that you see on products,” Willis shared with AfroTech. “The reasoning is, ‘That will not sell’ or, there is just not even enough people at the table to advocate for diversity in products, especially in the seasonal market. Being a person of color working in retail was one of the reasons to create the products we are launching now because it is an underserved and untapped market.”

J’Aaron “Jae” Merchant

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