How to Be a Changemaker This Holiday Season
Being a changemaker is more than just advocating for social issues, justice, or equality. It’s also about calling for change in the small, ordinary, everyday facets of life.
PUBLISHED
09 Dec 2021
CATEGORY
Activism
Conscious Consumption
Society & Culture
JOURNAL
How do you shop your values?
Being a changemaker is more than just advocating for social issues, justice, or equality. It’s also about calling for change in the small, ordinary, everyday facets of life. As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season picks up, here are some ways to stay true to the activist in you.
Shop Small
Challenge yourself to find small-business alternatives to big-box suppliers. The Amazon's of the world are extremely enticing because of their convenience and monopoly, but there are plenty of small businesses that can meet your material needs and feel-good service expectations. Here are some brands and businesses to check out:
This is a resource compiled by another organization. Connect with a resource that’s been curated, compiled, or created to catapult your journey.
This is a resource compiled by another organization. Connect with a resource that’s been curated, compiled, or created to catapult your journey. Thank you for the resource recommendation, Donna!
honors black hair and ancestry through natural, homemade hair care products and recipes.
nourishes and empowers curl patterns of all types with affordable, hydrating products with healthy ingredients.
serves as a platform, marketplace, and movement to increase the visibility of Black business and community, far outlasting mainstream trends and performative activism.
reclaims black history with powerful apparel and accessories that celebrate black culture.
celebrates blackness and the beauty of black hair through expressive apparel, community, and lifestyle tools.
supplies new prints, stickers, sketchbooks, planners, journals, and other stationery needs created by Morgan Harper Nichols.
is an Amazon alternative for top-of-the-line music equipment, instruments, and sound engineering services.
is a conscious alternative to Amazon for avid readers, in which the online bookstore financially supports local and independent bookstores.*Bookshop is a Team Alchimie affiliate partner. This link is an affiliate link.
makes sustainable lifestyle products to reduce environmental impacts, setting new ethical standards in the process.
features motivational stories, products, and media to help womxn foster a greater connection with the self and/or others.
makes handcrafted, one-of-a-kind jewelry collections for nature-inspired, quality-focused consumers.
offers organic homeware collections that are answering the question as to how people and plants are connected, as well as how they can help each other.
is making sustainable living accessible to all with carefully-crafted lifestyle products that support local designers, businesses, manufacturers, environmental organizations as well as the planet.
is applying a modern approach to aromatherapy by offering natural essential oils, space-saving diffusers, and mood-regulating kits.
curates green skincare/beauty products and brands to correct the presence of toxic chemicals in everyday personal care products.
is on a mission to bring more economically responsible sneakers to all, in which leaving a positive impact is incorporated in every single step of production.
engages in a skilled, slow production chain that offers ethically-made, organic pieces that value fair wages, workers’ rights, growers, gender equality, and abolishing child labor.
provides craftsman lifestyle goods with the goal of telling artisan stories and building a more gratitude-filled, investment-focused community.
makes comfortable lounge and activewear that gives back to mission-based causes and organizations.
describes itself as a sustainable clothing project adding to a slow, conscious consumption cycle that will leave a positive mark on society.
works to create 100% Organic Cotton, chemical-free goods with the help of Fair Trade Certified factories.
is an LA-based fashion brand making in-house, non-toxic apparel to reduce waste and elevate production standards within the fashion industry.
creates curated wardrobe capsules that feature timeless and ethically-produced pieces to streamline the transition to slower, more conscious buying cycles.
features fair-wage head and knitwear collections made by worldwide locals and sold to break global cycles of poverty.
makes sustainable lifestyle products to reduce environmental impacts, setting new ethical standards in the process.
partners with ethical factories worldwide to create earth-friendly fashion and accessory collections for all.
seamlessly combines recycled materials with nature-inspired designs to bring vegan leather goods to the fashion space.
is a specialty fashion label anchored by globally-sourced, vintage-inspired, classic, minimalistic, pre-washed, and pre-shrunk designs produced locally in the USA.
Shop BIPOC
With the recent pique of interest to invest in BIPOC creatives and brands, supporting Black, AAPI, Latinx, and Indigenous shops is a classic showcase of crowd power. Doing so signals to investors the importance of amplifying diverse missions, as well as showing artists and brand owners themselves that their craft (or storefront) is appreciated and can stand tall on its own. Here are some brands and businesses to check out:
is a pop-up yoga and meditation experience that alleviates burnout, providing tools for mind-body relief and renewal.
helps people battle acne and acne scars with small-batch skincare and micro needling tools.
This is a resource compiled by another organization. Connect with a resource that’s been curated, compiled, or created to catapult your journey.
This is a resource compiled by another organization. Connect with a resource that’s been curated, compiled, or created to catapult your journey. Thank you for the resource recommendation, Donna!
honors black hair and ancestry through natural, homemade hair care products and recipes.
nourishes and empowers curl patterns of all types with affordable, hydrating products with healthy ingredients.
serves as a platform, marketplace, and movement to increase the visibility of Black business and community, far outlasting mainstream trends and performative activism.
reclaims black history with powerful apparel and accessories that celebrate black culture.
celebrates blackness and the beauty of black hair through expressive apparel, community, and lifestyle tools.
supplies new prints, stickers, sketchbooks, planners, journals, and other stationery needs created by Morgan Harper Nichols.
supports black womxn with mental health support through the power of breath work and community.
is a home and garden website offering guidance and representation for Black womxn navigating the gardening space.
is a home and garden website where Black mxn share their stories, as well as a love for gardening.
is a wellness community creating a safe space for Black people to heal from generational trauma.
Jessica Alexandria is an astrologer and intuitive healer creating natural oils, remedies, spiritual courses, and energetic readings to empower self-healers through the BehatiLife YouTube channel and BehatiLife Apothecary.
Lauren Toyota shares vegan comfort food alternatives with video demonstrations and published recipes.
features culturally-inspired textiles, illustrations, and handmade items for the home by Élan Byrd—all of which deconstruct the idea of perfectionism.
consolidates a variety of healing modalities and wellness practitioners to cultivate a community focused on releasing the stigmas still attached to self-healing.
hosts meditation concerts to bring back the calm to modern-day life through guided visualizations and eclectic sounds.
is making sustainable living accessible to all with carefully-crafted lifestyle products that support local designers, businesses, manufacturers, environmental organizations as well as the planet.
designs silk and satin-lined protective hair care, accessories, and products for all hair types and growth journeys.
is a black-owned, eco-luxe skincare and wellness brand creating self-focused products intended to help users rediscover, reconnect, and recover.
is an online marketplace featuring only black-owned businesses and toxic-free products made by black artisans.
sells the full, self-care luxury experience with handcrafted candles, teas, and playlists to unwind in one’s own idea of peace.
offers guidance, books, courses, a natural apothecary, and insights on how to welcome transformational life experiences through astrological forecasts and tarot readings.
Shop Green
Tackle intersectional issues when you shop green and forest restoration projects. When scrolling for the perfect gift, check to see if the brands and service providers you frequent are partnering with farmer coalitions, replanting organizations, eco-friendly packaging initiatives, community gardens, and conservation organizations. Wherever it applies, also try to buy refurbished, upcycled, or used. Even the smallest contribution towards sustainability makes a huge difference.
This is a resource compiled by another organization. Connect with a resource that’s been curated, compiled, or created to catapult your journey.
This is a resource compiled by another organization. Connect with a resource that’s been curated, compiled, or created to catapult your journey. Thank you for the resource recommendation, Donna!
honors black hair and ancestry through natural, homemade hair care products and recipes.
nourishes and empowers curl patterns of all types with affordable, hydrating products with healthy ingredients.
serves as a platform, marketplace, and movement to increase the visibility of Black business and community, far outlasting mainstream trends and performative activism.
reclaims black history with powerful apparel and accessories that celebrate black culture.
celebrates blackness and the beauty of black hair through expressive apparel, community, and lifestyle tools.
supplies new prints, stickers, sketchbooks, planners, journals, and other stationery needs created by Morgan Harper Nichols.
creates dialogue centered around natural hair, black beauty, and black hair culture to showcase a new standard of beauty that celebrates black women in print.
Atiya shares her journey as an emerging actress and entrepreneur to motivate others to live the happiness within.
Kelly creates motivational vlogs, taking viewers along as she diversifies her income and actualizes her manifestations to live a life of fulfillment.
Amanda provides commentary on media, music, makeup, and everyday life, oftentimes highlighting how sexism and racism play out in social structures.
Ambrosia shows how busy moms can utilize self-care and minimalism to add value to their lives.
Tee talks about how media and society profit off of marginalization and internalized toxic social conditioning, especially as it pertains to feminism, gay rights, and racial trauma.
Kat speaks on trans rights and issues to confront transphobic media and social beliefs in video essays and a call-in podcast show.
Kenya critiques pop culture topics and social norms that allow white supremacy to reign supreme in media, politics, and everyday facets of life.
Stephanie provides legal analysis on pop culture and social issues through the lens of being a corporate negro and practicing lawyer.
is creating space where black womxn can be embodied by speaking on social and pop culture issues that impact them and the Black community.
Morgan interviews other lifetime storytellers about the meaning of peace, and how to find it in both life and work.
Alex Elle hosts women of all walks of life to create sisterhood through the art of storytelling.
Lauren Ash puts listeners at ease with inspiring affirmations, meditations, and conversations with black leaders that breathe life back into the culture.
Aileen is a positive, mindfulness-based creator and entrepreneur creating resourceful content and products through the Lavendaire YouTube channel, all of which encourage people to live in their fullness and with intention.
Jennifer Nini is a writer, farmer, and environmentalist advocating for fair, sustainable living with other green dreamers through her media brand, Eco Warrier Princess.
Carrie Rad is a lifestyle and mindset content creator encouraging others to live their best, natural, nurturing life in tune with their soul.
Carolyn shares slow living sentiments and finds, highlighting ethical and sustainable goods in the process.
Shop Local
Reduce shipping stress by shopping your local bookstore, e-boutique, or home goods store. This goes hand-in-hand with shopping small most times, but shopping local also tells the market that supporting your next-door neighbor is more in demand. Skip the stress, scour your map app, and take a stroll to see what love-infused gifts and products you find.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Making conscious decisions is how consumers can shift the market and tip the scale towards a more balanced society. Relax, it’s not as daunting as it sounds. The more you put these small steps towards unified progress, the easier it becomes — and more of a normalized ritual.