Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities and many are facing an economic crisis, due to the pandemic. Black-owned businesses have been disproportionately affected, closing at 2X the rate of non-diverse businesses due to COVID-19.

So, we wanted to redistribute focus during the biggest retail season and day of the year toward celebrating and supporting Black-owned businesses and their communities.

Every Friday from Oct 30 through Nov 27, we partnered with businesses, thought leaders, influencers and entertainers to feature Black-owned businesses, celebrate Black culture and encourage consumers to #BuyBlack.

For the #BuyBlack Friday live show, the featured links product was used as part of the live stream, with product details appearing beside the stream as soon as they were shown by the business. Our host, Phoebe Robinson, also took questions from the audience. Simply picking out her favorites out from the comments section and asking them to the business-owner in real-time. All of this ensured that the show felt responsive to the Black community.

The live show was designed as a true TV show, with a visual identity that spanned across the live and pre-recorded segments and thematic programming to ensure each episode was unique. There were also segments in each show that took it beyond just shopping, highlighting the culture with necessary conversations between influential guests, product demonstrations that told the story beyond the sales pitch, and musical performances that helped to make it a celebration.

The pandemic took a toll on small businesses everywhere, but none were affected as harshly as Black-owned businesses. In fact, over 40% of Black-owned businesses are not expected to survive the economic climate created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Buy Black Friday Show became a living case study for what is creatively and technically possible on our Facebook app page. We leveraged the simplicity of existing formats and tools to provide real utility in support of the Black community. We transformed the Facebook app's cover photo space into a virtual shop window and leveraged the 'Shop Now' button to make it actionable. With one tap, a user was able to buy the products on display in the window at the website of the business on display. The entire series built up to the finale on Black Friday and gave the day a genuine purpose.

From musical performances by names like H.E.R. and Miguel, to sets from DJ D­Nice and panels with celebs like Marsai Martin, Daymond John and Gabrielle Union, it was clear that a lot of people had something to say about the power and impact of supporting Black entrepreneurs.

Each of our 5 episodes was dedicated to a different part of the culture and featured Black business owners, celebs, influential figures and conversations that fit the theme. From the live show episodes and gift guide, to adverts in the New York Times and an lnstagram challenge, shoppable carousels, shoppable cover photo, digital stickers and more, it's clear that #BuyBlack Friday helped to raise awareness of Black-owned businesses. It also gave our guests and hosts a platform to share the parts of Black culture you don't normally see in mainstream media.

This is the programming that the Black community and our allies had been waiting for, as evidenced by the success of the show: it received 86M views across the series, 900k lnstagram Stories made with the #BuyBlack Sticker and over 200K clicks to business owners' websites.

In a year where Black people were torn down and frankly exhausted by racism, police brutality and shallow attempts of support made by billion dollar brands, our live show gave viewers a genuine place to feel seen and share in the joy of being Black.