It’s the last Black Pound Day of the year and a great time to highlight some fantastic products by Black creators and entrepreneurs. If you are still on the hunt for a Christmas gift for a friend, family member or just to treat yourself, then have a look at the goodies listed below. My Black Joy Matters: A Christmas Gift Guide offers a range for kids, adults and the whole family. Spread the love because Black joy matters every day and everywhere.
Black Joy Matters: A Christmas Gift Guide
Bringing Up Race by Uju Asika (Yellow Kite) from £15
Ahem. There’s this book yeah, and it’s written by someone you might know right… anyway, I just thought I’d bring it to your attention (cough). Alright, so if you’re a follower of my blog/socials you’ve probably heard me bang on about this book. Bringing Up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World is billed as parenting book but it’s aimed at people of all ages and ethnicities, whether or not you have kids. Filled with personal stories along with expert insights, it’s designed to help you understand and empathise with how racism feels and give you the tools and confidence to challenge bigotry, however it shows up in your life. Get it for yourself, your big kids, your parents, your neighbours, your school… keep sharing the message until it sticks.
Jamaica Colour In T-Shirt by Very Puzzled £9.99
You’ll find a variety of puzzles that reflect African Caribbean heritage on this site, such as their flagship Africa map puzzle. They also offer other products, such as this Jamaica colour in t-shirt, that comes with eight fabric colour in pens that use high quality UV ink. The ink can be air cured for 24 hours or ironed by a parent and it makes a memorable gift or party/playdate activity. Available for ages 3-11.
Shantay You Sleigh Christmas Card by Sareta Fontaine £3.99
Sareta is an influencer known for creating hilarious and quirky content on Instagram and as half of the duo (Cee and Sareta) behind fab YouTube series Come Wine With Me. Her online shop features cards, postcards and other stationery that reflect her fun-loving personality and pop culture references.
Africa’s Little Kings & Queens by Kunda Kids £25.99
We are totally loving the sound of Kunda Kids, an all-African content creation team made up of writers, illustrators, editors, musicians and animators whose goal is to bring African history and culture to life for the next generation. They are launching with a collection of four gorgeously illustrated, rhyming picture books titled Africa’s Little Kings & Queens. Each one features an iconic African leader: Queen Yaa (Ghana), Mansa Musa (Mali), Queen Kitami (Uganda) and Shaka Zulu (South Africa), and they’re best for ages 3-8. Pre-order to receive gifts including character stickers and downloadable activity books (pre-orders shipped week of Dec 7).
Pounded Yam Organic Cotton t-shirt from Hey Is That Me Shop £25
I’m a big fan of Chioma aka Cee who runs the blog and social account Hey Is That Me? So it makes perfect sense that I’d be a fan of everything in her family’s online shop. What’s cool is that the designs were created by the kids, along with photography by their dad, and the collection is modelled by the whole crew. The King boys’ sweatshirt would suit my own King Jed down to a tee (pre-orders until Dec 15). Personally, I want the Pounded Yam meets Scrabble t-shirt. So dope.
Beats of War Comic £4.99
He fights, he shape shifts, he DJs. Welcome to Beats of War starring DJ E.T., Scotland’s first Black super hero. Comic designer and DJ Etienne Kubwabo created this groundbreaking comic after looking at shelves and finding no hero that resembled him or his family. The first in the series tells of how the superhero lands in Glasgow and has to find his footing as he searches for a solution to help his ailing planet. It’s well written, funny and engaging with great graphics and I enjoyed hearing some of the characters speaking in Scottish brogue (as opposed to the usual American jargon). We can’t wait to see what happens in the next episode!
Duodu London African Mask Print Sweatshirt £55 and Babygro £15
How cute would it be to pop father and baby into this matching set (click on link for babygro)? The sweatshirt is actually unisex, so mama can wear it too or gift it to a friend (whether they’re a parent or not). Each product features Duodu London’s African inspired, hand-drawn designs printed onto cloth. I love their range of t-shirts, sweatshirts, babygros, bomber jackets and accessories.
Elysian Baby Angel by March Muses – £17.99
Christmas baubles make a lovely gift. They can be so personal and often become an heirloom treasure, handed down for generations. March Muses, created by two London mums, produces limited edition Christmas decorations inspired by Black cultural icons. Each figurine is named after a celebrated person of colour who was born in March, just like the company founders. As a mother of two angel babies, I am especially drawn to Baby Elysian. It’s a beautiful baby angel in a clear Christmas bauble created to support baby loss awareness charity Sands. Statistics show Black women are 5 times more likely than White women to lose their lives during childbirth or to experience baby loss.
All I Want for Christmas Unisex Sweater $29.99
When Kwame Adjei got in touch about his company My Black Clothing, I knew I had to bookmark it for Christmas. Their All I want for Christmas is Justice for Black Lives slogan is right on time. You see, even in a year when Black Lives Matter became a global rallying call, we’ve had countless reminders here in the UK that not everybody sees it that way. For instance, a Black family celebrating Christmas in a Sainsbury’s ad turning into yet another social media sh!t storm… If you and your family, whatever your complexion, believe in this cause then this jumper is a great way to make a statement. Proceeds from each sale at My Black Clothing go to support the Innocence Project, a US organisation fighting inequality in the justice system. (US based but shipping worldwide, UK deliveries estimated 3-5 working days).
Personalised Letter and Magic Key from Noir Kringle (The Black Santa’s Grotto Experience) £12
A few years back, Charlotte Lewis was searching for a Black Father Christmas to take her daughter to, she came up short. So in 2018 she launched Noir Kringle: The Black Santa’s Grotto Experience and was overwhelmed by the response. Representation matters, even in a Lapland story. Noir Kringle couldn’t hold live events in the year of the pandemic but they’ve been selling beautiful, personalised Christmas letters. Each letter includes Mr Kringle’s magic key that kids can hang on the front door on Christmas Eve, to ensure Black Santa can deliver his presents without any issues. Order by Tue Dec 15 to receive your letter before Christmas (UK only).
Muffin Sisters Christmas Stocking £15.50
We’re past our baby making phase but I can’t help feeling broody as I browse Muffin Sisters’ range of African wax print baby clothing and nursery products. I’m especially taken with their elephant soft toy collection (how cute, just £14 each) and these funky Christmas stockings. A great way to add a bit more Black joy to your festive celebrations.
Fill in the Black – A Guessing Game £21.99
Well, this looks like a blast. Fill In The Black is a family friendly guessing game that gets people talking about Black culture and personalities in a fun and educational way. Created by travel influencer Funmi Oyatogun, CEO of TVP Adventures, Fill In The Black challenges you to describe a Black word without using any of the forbidden words listed on each card. After you play, you can search on the website to learn more about the backstory behind each word. An entertaining way to celebrate the Diaspora and connect across ethnicities.
How to Make the Most of Christmas in London with Kids this Year
