August 2026

Hey Reader,

Did you know August is Black Business Month?

It's no secret that this is a space where we not only promote Black-owned business but shop them as well.

But I also know that sometimes shopping Black-owned is easier said than done.

You want to incorporate more Black-owned brands into your everyday life, but you're not always sure where to start. Or you just don't have the time to scroll through product recommendations on social media.

I got you covered!

Between the founders I've interviewed on The Kickback With Keri podcast and brands I personally use, I put together a list of 12 products you can actually use in your everyday routine without overhauling your shopping habits or spending hours trying to find them. We're talking home, bodycare, food and beverages. Black-Owned, non-toxic and worth every dollar.

Over the last two years, we've also shared book, tv, film and music recommendations by Black authors, creators, producers, directors and artists. I share these on social media each month and they are some of my most saved content.

So instead of swifting through your inbox trying to find a previous month's recommendation list for your next book to read or show to binge watch, I put together a list of all of the Read/Watch/Listen recommendations that have been shared.

Black-Owned | Non-Toxic. 12 Black-owned brands that actually fit into your everyday life. Download List

Read | Watch | Listen 100+ books, shows, films and albums featured in the newsletter. Download List

If you have any Read/Watch/Listen recommendations you want to share with The Kickback community, reply to this email and let me know so they can be featured in future editions.

I hope you've been enjoying your summer!

XO,

Walk of Faith: Philadelphia community activist and Streamer Isaiah Thomas aka HMBL Zayy, completed a 3,000 mile cross-country walk to raise money to build a trade school for at-risk you. He began walking on March 26th and reached California on July 27th. He joined The Shade Room Live to talk about his experience. So far, he's raised $178,000 with a goal of raising $200,000. You can donate to his GoFundMe here.

Home Is Where The Art Is: Photographer and Creative Director, Amadeus Purcell, recently opened Purcell House, the first Black-owned studio and gallery in Eden, North Carolina. The gallery is located across the street from the barbershop Purcell's father has run for years. The inaugural exhibit on display is HOMECOMING featuring over 36 works from Black artists.

Sweet Home Alabama: Ralph Lauren tapped Gee’s Bend, Alabama for its fifth Artist in Residence collaboration, teaming with textile artists Loretta Pettway Bennett and Claudia Pettway Charley to translate their quilting tradition into a limited-edition capsule. The collection highlights the two craftswomen’s renowned work, including a jacket and a tote bag built around their signature patterns.

Expanding Opportunities: Bowie State University launched the first Ph.D in Nursing Education at an HBCU. The university will welcome its inaugural cohort this fall. The Ph.D. announcement comes on the heels of other major milestones for Bowie State’s nursing program. The school’s December 2025 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduating class achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

There's A New Class: The 2027 class of entertainment professionals in the categories of Motion Pictures, Television, Live Theatre/Live Performance, Radio, Recording and Sports Entertainment have been selected to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The honorees include Idris Elba, Delroy Lindo, David Alan Grier, Keke Palmer, Raven-Symoné, Joseph Saddler (Grandmaster Flash), Lil Wayne and Lenard “Charlamagne tha God” McKelvey.

Forever Whitney: Arriving on her 63rd Birthday, Mattel is releasing its first ever Whitney Houston doll on August 9th. The doll celebrates her enduring influence across music, fashion and culture. Check it out here.

Durags & Bonnets: Tuskegee University's updated dress code was released online last week. Most of the people who had an opinion about the policy don't attend the University, so journalist Phil Lewis spoke to those whose opinion matters most, the students. Check out what they had to say here.

Cooper & Brass Paper Goods Back-to-school shopping is in full effect, and Cooper & Brass has the tweens and teens covered. Set the tone for the school year with stylish notebooks, journals, planners and pens. Cooper & Brass offers a variety of items to shop so when you grab some back-to-school items for the kids, make sure to grab some items for you too! SHOP COOPER & BRASS

Expanding Black Media Reach: ESSENCE Ventures has announced its investment in Offscript Worldwide, the parent brand of REVOLT. ESSENCE Ventures will now have a minority stake in Revolt New Media Holdings LLC and will give Sundial founder and Chairman Richelieu Dennis a seat on the board. This deal brings together two of the largest Black-owned media portfolios in the US.

Locked In: Black women are now the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the country. As a result of the layoffs over the last two years, instead of diving back into the labor market, many are turning to using AI to build something of their own.

Hair Revolution: The bio-engineered braiding hair company, Ruka Hair, launched online at Sephora on August 4th and will expand to 10 stores in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta on Aug. 14th. This is the first braiding hair brand to launch at Sephora in 20 years.

Building Our Own: Optus Financial Corporation and M&F Bancorp announced a merger agreement to combine Optus Bank and Mechanics & Farmers Bank. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals and would create the nation's largest African American-owned financial institution.

At What Cost?: Fisk University President Dr. Agenia Clark is defending the school’s proposal to build a data center on its Nashville campus. The proposal has generated concern among those who point to growing criticism of large data centers over issues including water consumption.

READ: Muted Hopelessness (3-Book Series)​
​This contemporary romance series centers angst-driven storytelling that follows Tori McNabb, a tough female fighter from New Jersey, and Ashton Spencer, a popular star athlete at Blakewood State University. The narrative examines relationships that develop in imperfect conditions with emotionally charged conflicts. Perfect for readers seeking contemporary romance with heavy angst, and protagonists whose connection defies their initial expectations and disrupts their individual futures.

WATCH: Nemesis​
​If you're looking to binge watch something this month, check out Nemesis created by Courtney Kemp, who gave us Power on STARZ (I'm late watching this show!). This series follows a relentless LAPD cop who becomes obsessed with taking down the master thief behind a string of daring heists and only one can come out on top. Nemesis has been renewed for another season.

LISTEN: Saturday Night, Sunday Morning​
​Saturday Night, Sunday Morning is a double album that features both an R&B/Soul and a gospel album respectively. While artists have been made to choose either genre, PJ Morton has been able to live comfortably in multiple genres whether it's his work as an R&B/Soul artist, his writing and production in gospel music or his work as a member of Maroon 5. This album celebrates all those sides of his journey in one place.

Good News!: Black Farmers won a court case that restores $127 Million in Federal grants. Black Farmers sued USDA over canceled grants as a result of last year's executive orders targeting DEI efforts. The $127M in grants were part of former President Joe Biden’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program, which awarded millions to 50 projects. 24 farmer organizations or entities will have their grants restored.

A Call For Accountability: There's currently a Change.org petition calling for an independent investigation into the conduct of Mississippi Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Staci Turner. There are four cases, including Nolan Wells' case, where the actions of the Chief Medical Examiner's office has raised public concern.

Modern Day Shackling: Haitian immigrants in Cincinnati Ohio have been given the option to either wear an ankle monitor that restricts them to a 75-mile radius around their permanent residence unless given permission by ICE officials or be deported back to Haiti with $2,600. This follows the Supreme Court ruling that the current administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protective Status (TPS) was legal. Cruelty continues to be the point.

It's Giving Fahrenheit 451: A recent report by 404 Media found that AI companies have quietly purchased large numbers of physical books, scanned them to train AI models, and then destroyed them. With the internet being full of AI slop, companies are turning to older books as resource material to continue to train its models.

Reflection Of Reality: Arizona State University launched a bachelor’s degree in content creation for the a creator economy that what valued at $252.3 billion in 2025. The program’s coursework focuses on content planning, video and podcast production, global perspectives, and personal branding.

If you could star in a Netflix documentary, what would yours be about?
Click below to watch and let me know in the comments! 🤣

Shop My Favorites My go to products for skincare, beauty and haircare. KERI'S MUST HAVES

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