 |
| @moemelanin |
By Winnie Gaturu
Standard school supplies are often plain and boring. The ones that are a bit more vibrant tend to be way above the normal price list. In addition, most of these supplies do not have themes that resonate with black kids. However, there’s an increase in the number of black-owned companies that target their own communities even in the school supplies sector. Moe Melanin LLC is one of these companies.
Continue
Started in 2016, Moe Melanin LLC is an online store that sells school supplies intended to motivate and empower kids in the black community. I’m sure you’re wondering how simple school supplies can do all that! Well, their products have images of black people drawn on them both young and old, all being fabulous as they carry out their day-to-day activities. Since kids will definitely use the supplies everyday while in school or homeschool, they’ll be constantly reminded that they are beautiful and they can be successful in life.
Moe Melanin LLC was started by a young black married couple residing in Monroe, Louisiana. (That’s one stereotype broken right there!) The pair, Terrence Price and Constance Price saw the need to empower black kids through what they use most, school supplies! At the time, both were students at the University of Lousiana Monroe. They operate the company from their home with each item being made by hand.
Perhaps their most outstanding product is the notebook. One glimpse of them and you’ll be hooked. The covers show colorful images of black men and women in different professions. There are doctors, teachers, nurses, business people, astronauts, students and many more. The people on the covers also don different hairstyles that are common amongst black people, like afros and braids. The main aim of doing this is to make black kids aware that they have many more career options available to them. That they don’t have to limit themselves to the typical careers in sports and music. Not that sports and music are bad, but there are many more options to explore. It is also great when kids see people that look like them on the covers of these notebooks.
Moe Melanin LLC has been experiencing a steady growth rate since they began. They receive close to 1,000 orders per month. The numbers keep increasing as more people learn about their wonderful products. The vibrant and colorful nature of their products cannot be ignored. Their customers are extremely happy with what Moe Melanin has to offer. Here’s a supper hilarious review from @supa_cent.
One of the greatest challenges the founders have encountered is meeting the rising demand. However, they’re hell-bent on ensuring that they don’t disappoint their customers. Although Moe Melanin LLC is a small company, it has a great future and is already touching the lives of many. Hopefully, their products will make many more black kids smile and encourage them to diversify their career options. This might one day lead to a higher presence of black people in all types of careers.
Gaturu is a writer, tech lover, mom, wife and student from Nairobi,
Kenya. During her free time, she loves trying out new recipes, diy
projects, filling in crossword puzzles and spending time with her
family. You can catch up with her.
