Readers point the way to trusted businesses in Black St. Louis
More than 5,000 nominations submitted for the inaugural St. Louis American Reader’s Choice Awards have produced more than a list of winners and finalists. The process also created a broad, community-generated guide to restaurants, retailers, health care providers, contractors, nonprofit groups and other services across the St. Louis region. The nominations, submitted by readers throughout […] The post Readers point the way to trusted businesses in Black St. Louis appeared first on St. Louis American.
Black News 
More than 5,000 nominations submitted for the inaugural St. Louis American Reader’s Choice Awards have produced more than a list of winners and finalists. The process also created a broad, community-generated guide to restaurants, retailers, health care providers, contractors, nonprofit groups and other services across the St. Louis region.
The nominations, submitted by readers throughout the metro area, spanned approximately 150 categories and recognized more than 1,200 companies, organizations and individuals during the voting phase.
For readers, the resulting list serves as a resource for discovering restaurants, contractors, retailers, nonprofit organizations and professional service providers they may not have previously encountered. The nominations effectively created one of the most comprehensive crowdsourced directories of businesses that welcome Black customers in the region.
Winners and two finalists in each category are being announced this week following several weeks of reader voting.
The effort builds on a long tradition of connecting African American consumers with businesses and services. More recent examples include STL Black Biz, a directory founded in 2014 during the Ferguson uprising, and For The Culture STL, a website and festival founded by Ohun Ashe that promotes Black-owned businesses and community engagement.
That tradition stretches back decades. The Urban League of St. Louis Black Business Guide, which served the Black community during segregation, is documented as having a 1934 edition. That predates the better-known Negro Motorist Green Book and The Negro Travelers’ Green Book, national travel guides published from 1936 through 1966.
Those publications helped African Americans identify businesses that welcomed Black customers during an era of legal segregation and widespread discrimination. While those barriers have changed, many consumers still rely on trusted recommendations when deciding where to spend their money.
The nominations included both established institutions and newer enterprises.
A special Reader’s Choice tabloid featuring the winners is scheduled for publication Aug. 6. Winners, finalists and category results also will remain available online through the next nomination cycle.
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