In this edition of instock, we’re focusing our lens on Black Business Month and celebrating it throughout the month of August. One of the many reasons pocstock was founded was because our founders personally experienced the decades-long challenge in finding high-quality, authentic images of Black professionals. As a majority Black-owned and operated company, we’ve taken a level of care and thoughtfulness about how we present images of us to the world. For us, the business of stock imagery is personal. We’ve seen how the images we constantly see in the media can shape public perceptions, reinforce negative stereotypes, and ultimately impact the lives for those deemed to be beautiful, important, and valuable to society, and those who are not.
This month, we want everyone to take a few minutes to support a Black-owned business, and after reading this newsletter, you will understand why. Thank you for your support!
What’s instock?
- Caregiver photo contest
- Latest images and collections
- OpEd: Let’s Talk About Equity by Lisa Hurley
Photo contest to capture images of Caregivers, chance to win $1,000!
We’re excited to launch this new photo contest for World Photography Day!
Quick overview:
- We’re looking for photographers to create a collection of authentic and natural images of the people who care for the people we love, both inside and outside of traditional medical settings.
- Submission Deadline: Tuesday, August 13th 11:59PM EST
- Winner Announcement: World Photography Day, Monday, August 19th!
- Prize: $1,000 USD
More info at https://www.pocstock.com/contests
Black Jobs photo collection
Image by Westend61 GmbH | Available on pocstock
Recently, there’s been quite a bit of debate about what a “Black Job” is so we put together this collection to help end the debate. Why? Past stereotypes in the media would usually depict Black people as maids, butlers, caddies, elevator operators, drivers, nannies, shoe shiners, etc. So when you hear the term “Black Jobs”, these are the types of jobs “they” imagine for us. You know what we’re talmbout! It’s 2024, we’re redefining Black Jobs to include CEOs, corporate executives, professors, pastors, activists, politicians, medical professionals, entrepreneurs, farmers, engineers, astronauts, investors, elite athletes, entertainers, and everything in between including President of the United States.
Support us during Black Business Month by downloading your favorite images and show off your Black Jobs: https://www.pocstock.com/collections/black-jobs/711
POV: the moment you nailed that interview for that Black Job
Black Business Facts - Did you know?
Image by Westend61 GmbH | Available on pocstock
- Black Americans spend over $1.8 trillion dollars annually
- Black founders receive approx. 1% of the investment dollars from VC funds, Black women in particular receive .35%. These numbers doubled after George Floyd, but returned to the status quo immediately after.
- There are 3.5 million Black-owned businesses in America, only 160k have at least 1 employee
- Black-owned businesses generate over $200 billion in annual revenue, and employ 1.2 million
- The wealth of a typical Black family is $44,900, compared to Hispanic households with an average of $61,600 and White households that average $285,000. Asian Americans have the highest median net worth at $536,000
- The median wealth of Black Americans is predicted to fall to zero by 2053
- This month and every month, Black businesses need you to purchase their products & services
Now, let’s talk about equity.
At its foundation, that’s what Black Business Month is all about. Launched in 2004 by Frederick E. Jordan and John William Templeton, Black Business Month was created to highlight organizations founded by Black entrepreneurs and to change policies that adversely affect Black business owners.
A report released this February by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration reveals that there are over 3.5 million Black-owned firms, employing more than 1.2 million people, and generating $217.3 billion in sales. Clearly there has been progress, but these numbers, while impressive, could inadvertently obscure the fact that forces are still actively at work to make it difficult for Black-owned businesses to thrive, especially those owned by Black women.
For example, it is no accident that the Fearless Fund, co-founded by Ayana Parsons and Arian Simone, has been legally targeted. The venture capital firm was sued by a conservative group called the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER), which claimed that the Fund’s grant program for Black small businesswomen was essentially reverse racism—financial edition. Unfortunately, an appeals court ruled against the Fearless Fund in June, deciding to uphold a preliminary injunction barring them from making grants to Black women. This is troubling for many reasons, not least of which is that, according to Crunchbase, “Less than 1% of all VC dollars in 2023 went to Black-founded startups, which amounts to around $661 million out of $136 billion.” I’m no mathematician, but that doesn’t look equitable to me.
Image by Kostiantyn Postumitenko | Available on pocstock
As a Black woman who owns a business, this lack of funding is not abstract or theoretical. This is my reality. It is also the reality of many Black small business owners in my circle.
No bootstraps. No boots.
Although laws, policies, and systems must evolve to redress this inequity, I posit that systemic change can and must be catalyzed at an individual level. We the people help make up the system. We must move beyond the theoretical. We (I’m especially looking at you, allies) must move from the performative to the practical. Rather than waiting on someone else to swoop in and magically make modifications–you can be the change.
What does “being the change” look like, you ask? The answer is simple.
Right now in your circle, in your connections, in your spheres of influence, there are Black business owners that you know.
Support them. Support us.
Not only with tags and likes, but also with funds and purchases. We cannot sustain our businesses with comments and kudos. We cannot pay our bills with exposure.
Get active. Use some verbs:
Hire.
Fund.
Donate.
Promote.
Purchase.
Subscribe.
Want to support us?
Say it with your checks!
Support a Black-owned business today, and tomorrow, and the day after that…
By Lisa Hurley, Founder of The Great Exhale
"There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish. Black women in business show us the power of perseverance and vision, turning obstacles into stepping stones and driving remarkable change."
– Michelle Obama
We've got all kinds of poc in our stock!
A lot of our clients use multiple stock companies, because no one stock company has everything. You can use our platform for all of your images featuring people of color, and others for everything else. We have hand-curated over 275,000 images on pocstock.com, so it’s the perfect time to sign up!
If it’s pocstock you need, we’ve got it in stock!
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instock: illustrations of everyday people at work
We’re tackling the challenge of inclusivity by providing a wide range of illustrations, graphics, and vectors that represent all skin tones, identities, and sizes. Our collection ensures you get the authentic and inclusive visuals you need for any project.
Find more illustrations at pocstock.com
Our new office and studio in Newark is coming soon!
We’re excited to share that our new office and studio space in Newark is taking shape. The framing is up, our designer Alescia Peytonhas chosen the decor, and we’re rapidly moving towards launch.
Our new studio will be open to our community of photographers to come in and create with us. Make sure to sign up as a contributor on pocstock to learn about any special perks.
https://www.pocstock.com/users/sign-up
Stay tuned!
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If you've made it this far it means you love Black Businesses & so do we!
Growing a business focused on diversity & inclusion in today’s climate isn’t easy, but we’re happy to do it with your support! If you’ve made it this far down, you’re truly an ally and supporter, and for that, we sincerely thank you! Please like, share, and comment to help us amplify our message and make pocstock a household name!
Thank you from our amazing team: Ailyn Robles, Nicole Richardson, Michael C. Carter, MJ Sansait-Benito, Derrick Larane, Nathalie Heywood Smith (she/her/us), Nyla Christian Rozio, Chad Comiteau, Kevin Noel, Sheilla Tendero, Jennifer Comiteau, Armando “OUTthere” Diaz, Jade Andal, Glenda De Chavez, Afotey Annum, Fred Sly, Justin T. Shockley, and Dominic Saraum
And from our board of directors and advisors: Dr. dt ogilvie, Fred Toney, Matthew Field, Justin Thomas-Copeland, Richard Ortega, Tara J. Agen, Walter T Geer III, Free Marie Wright, Gerard Marrone, Karen Q. Pisciotta, Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay, Adrienne Fox, and Perri Richman, MSOP