June 23, 2025
Launched on Juneteenth, consumers can shop their favorite brands ranging from beauty to workout gear to seasonings.
With major retailers pulling back on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Black-owned brands are looking for new shelves to call home. That’s where Shop Red Bag comes in.
Shop Red Bag is an online marketplace created for supportive Black-brand consumers to show support by putting the Black dollar back into spaces that support them. As corporations like McDonald’s, Target, and The Home Depot have scrapped their DEI policies and initiatives, veteran media executive Candi Carter hopes her new platform will be a safe space for those entrepreneurs. “When I saw the outrage and the backlash online around all of these DEI programs being rolled back, or we’re just not gonna call it that, or we are caving to the administration, I just felt like because of what I did, what my company does, even though we are small, we are mighty,” Carter said, according to The Grio.
“And I decided to be part of the solution.”
Launched on Juneteenth, consumers can shop their favorite brands, ranging from beauty to workout gear to seasonings. The platform started with 80 different brands and hasn’t slowed down since. Brands like Copper and Brass Paper Goods, a stationery company, and Glamourina, an activewear line, have used the hashtag #shopredbag to boost traffic. “Every time somebody buys something on Shop Red Bag, we want them to post it, put up the hashtag, and say that your money matters—because your money matters. Every dollar matters,” Carter continued.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on day one of his second term, eliminating DEI policies from federal agencies. Corporations followed suit shortly after, but not without backlash from Black customers. In particular, Target, known for supporting Black-owned brands with products on its shelves, caused shock nationwide with its dial-back announcement.
Civil rights and religious leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jamal Bryant curated a 40-day boycott from the retailer, which data has shown to be a massive success, with its revenue taking huge hits quarter after quarter. The former producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show says she respects what Bryant has done, highlighting how successful one can be in support of their own community. “I know we can all come around each other and uplift each other,” she said.
“But it’s not open air. We did it. We set up the store. Come and shop. That’s all you gotta do. Just change your habits.”
Outside of being a boss in the media industry, Carter is known for taking matters into her own hands for causes she is passionate about. After efforts to help her son, who was born with a rare chromosome abnormality that causes learning delays, find friends, she started a nonprofit called We’ve Got Friends.
The safe space allows teens with intellectual and developmental disabilities to socialize with free programs. Started in Montclair, New Jersey, the program has expanded with groups in West Orange, Newark, Paterson, and Morristown.
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