“blkLSTed” FAQs

6 min readMay 25, 2020

FAQs written by co-creators Elijah E. Davis + Keri Freeman

What is “blkLSTed”? Why now?

blkLSTed is a community building initiative and economic empowerment strategy for Birmingham that utilizes an open-source, collaborative, living and unapologetic entrepreneurial directory for Black-owned, Black-led businesses and organizations in Birmingham.

It’s long overdue.

We want to list 1,000 Black-owned and operated businesses and organizations by August 31, 2020 (August is usually the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival and National Black Business Month) and 500 by Juneteenth 2020.

As we enter the “next normal” ushered in by COVID-19, it’s important now more than ever that we stay resilient and innovative to support one another.

What’s up with the name? Isn’t being “blacklisted” negative?

It’s a list of Black entities. It’s also an acknowledgement that Black people and their institutions have been historically locked out of the economy which have created cascading effects of wealth inequality. We are changing the narrative of a “Black business” for the “new majority” in the “next normal”.

What is BE BHM and why is it launching this list?

BE BHM is the signature entrepreneurial support program of Urban Impact, Inc., and Urban Impact’s vision for BE BHM is to be a spark for a sustainable, thriving, equitable and Black entrepreneurial ecosystem that makes BHM become its best self.

Why focus on Black businesses? Don’t ALL small businesses need help?

What was / is the criteria?

Here’s the rationale:

51% of owners identify as Black or of African descent
Be located in the Birmingham Metro area
Be operational
Have reliable points of contact
Do not have a reputation of causing repeated social harm (no respectability politics here though)
For nonprofits, the board must have majority Black members and executive staff. No religious organizations were included (unless they were CDCs).
Community verified initiatives that may not be organized into an entity were also included

Through public dialogue we will continue to refine and amend these criteria as need be.

Who owns the data? Will my data be shared unknowingly?

While Urban Impact will be the primary database manager for the first year, and Urban Impact pays the platform (Airtable) fee, the data belongs to everyone. As we have only assembled publicly available data, the data can be downloaded into CSV (comma seperated value, something excel can read) at anytime, anyplace (UPDATE: E-mail info@bebhm.com for access). The point is close the information gap so that we can support each other more.

That said, don’t be a jerk. WE STRONGLY DISCOURAGE DOWNLOADING THE LIST AND SPAMMING / OPTING IN FOLKS. YOU WILL BE REPORTED.

We will never sell your data, as there is nothing to sell. We are also open on community feedback on how navigate this and make it better. Research and entrepreneurs alike are free to download the data and make what they make of it.

In the event that something happens it is our desire to store a backup at a local HBCU.

How is this different from other directories in the past?

We deeply appreciate and respect the work of previous directories, and we hope to work collaboratively with them in the future. The list came from companies we have in our database, living in Birmingham, ALDOT DBE list, the district we serve and scrolling on FB. We did not plagiarize from any list.

That said, the are a few features that make this different:

Geo-location (a map!) — Using the map “Block” in Airtable, you can not only look at and sort a list, but you can look at a Google map to find your favorite Black business.
A good base — Though we hope to one day be like BLKRVA, we believe that complete and usable data is first in the sequence. Airtable is a recent miracle, and its user interface and data power. We start this campaign with 270 black businesses and nonprofits listed.
Associated records and flexibility — even with a meager data set of 270, all of the information is not the same. Some don’t have websites, some don’t have phone numbers. Instead of having a website and interface that can’t makeup for the natural lack of standardization, Airtable makes it an “incomplete” record feel full. The grouping and filtering functions also allow you to cut through the noise and find the type of businesses you want to support. There’s also a business card view that’s really cool.
It’s a living list — Businesses and organizations self-submitting will automatically populate into the sheet. As easy as a 1-minute online form.

When is the directory updated?

While businesses “self-submitting” will auto-populate, our team will verify each batch of new businesses each Friday for consistency and tagging updates.

How is this project being funded?

While Urban Impact, Inc. has investors and BE BHM has program sponsors, this is endeavor is a public service and we are not yet being paid directly for this service. We do seek to develop more resources for community volunteers and data fellows.

It is important to note that portions of this work began in 2019 thanks to the City of Birmingham’s inaugural BOLD program.

How do I list my business or organization? Is my business eligible?

Any business or organization who meets the above criteria is eligible to list for free. It will always stay free.

How are the businesses categorized?

The taxonomy has three to five levels. Biz Category, Biz Type, Key Feature, Biz Stage, District or City. Instead of mainly segmenting businesses by small descriptors, we decided to group them in to larger categories and “tag” them with descriptors. This helps the search engine in the “Blocks” section of Airtable match you with the best possible businesses. You also can combine multiple tags under Biz Type to become more precise.

Here are the Biz Categories:

Eat — food trucks, restaurants, cottage foods, delivery etc.
Shop — retail, e-commerce (B2C products)
Drink+Play — Bars, lounges, clubs, music venues etc.
Stay — hotels, motels
Services — everything from banks, consultants, contractors, lawyers, landscapers to doctors.
Venue — event rental spaces

Biz Type are the descriptors. For example, under Green Acres Cafe, you have

“Eat” for Biz Category
“Food Takeout” for Biz Type
“Multiple locations” and “N’hood staple” for Key Features
“Legacy business” for Biz Stage
“4th Ave. / Civil Rights District” for District or City

If you search “takeout”, Green Acres will show in the the results. And that’s the goal. Or perhaps who want to filter to “co-op” , “women-owned” or “black doctor”, we want to help you support the businesses you identify with and care about.

Tags will get better over time, please offer feedback.

How does business verification work?

The “checkmark” will be applied once it is determined through, visit, call or relationship that a business has met the above criteria.

Can I opt out of the directory?

Certainly! Just send us an e-mail at info@bebhm.com.

What if I don’t have a computer? Can I still access it?

Yes, though wonky, you can download and print the list. Just call Urban Impact’s office at (205) 328–1850 if you would like assistance.

How can we partner? Will we be recognized?

Please do! We see success as a collaborative, multi-partner and co-branded initiative with Black-led and Black-serving organizations. Anyone can be a “lister” or a “partner”. It is our goal to convene a collective to co-manage and evolve the platform long-term.

Lister — add 5–25 businesses or organizations that meet the criteria. Your name will be enumerated in social media marketing.
Partner — add 25 or more businesses and organizations. Your logo will appear with all branding as “powered by” and will require a MOU.

Current Listers include Victor Brown (BBA), Keri Freeman

Current Partners include Urban Impact, Inc., Elijah Davis