Cashblack Launches US App for Black History Month: A Call to Action in Challenging Times

By Matthew Addai, Co-founder and CEO of Cashblack and Afrofiliate

The penultimate Monday before Black History Month—and the US launch of Cashblack—was as stark a dichotomy as you can get in modern America. That morning, we commemorated the great strides taken in the pursuit of equality by celebrating the birth of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. By the end of the night, we witnessed the fanfare of Inauguration Day culminate in a jarring juxtaposition: the endorsement of executive orders signaling intent of the death of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives. The sheets of paper signed by the new commander-in-chief now serve as a memento mori for the work done to protect people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, the differently abled, and other historically disenfranchised groups in America (Cashblack, 2024; Keep The Faith, 2024).

The pushback should be no surprise to the cynics among us who anticipated such a turnaround. We’ve read major corporations’ statements about pulling budgets, watched words like “woke” leave the esotericism of African American Vernacular to become pejoratives used by some in lieu of words they can’t say (yet), and seen social media overrun with emboldened rhetoric that not even the First Amendment should defend (Cashblack at CogX, 2024; Face2Face Africa, 2024). It’s been coming. Made more apparent after the election result and, now, made certain since that Monday.

The current political and social climate can make our project seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things. However, it’s also a reminder of why projects like ours are needed now more than ever.

Introducing Cashblack and Afrofiliate

At Cashblack, my two younger brothers and I built a platform that rewards you with cash back when you shop online with Black-owned businesses. Through Afrofiliate, our affiliate network, we connect Black-owned brands with diverse affiliates to help them grow while earning passive income by promoting these brands to their audiences.

We’ve also created a browser extension—The Cashblack A.F.R.O.B.O.T—that notifies you of Black-owned alternative brands when you visit your usual retail websites. Additionally, we match members’ cash back rewards donations to our affiliated goodwill causes at 100%.

Our mission is simple: to remove as much friction as possible to literally pay you to support Black-owned businesses.

Our Origins and Purpose

Like so many companies founded during the global pandemic in 2020, Jonathan, Nicholas and I started this from a desire to make the world a better place. Coming from a belief in the potential for a better future for us and a desire for change to make it happen—for us. As the world watched the injustices that took place early that year and participated in the subsequent global protests that illuminated the pandemic that summer, this was our protest.

We created Cashblack and Afrofiliate to combat systemic economic disparities brought on by the racial wealth gap. We do this by incentivizing the patronage of Black-owned businesses—paying you cash back rewards when you purchase from them and affiliate commissions when you promote them.

We, and countless other Black-owned businesses founded that year, did our bit. As did many major organizations through their promises to “do better” by the Black community. To their credit, many did. However, energy by some can only be kept for so long. Worse still, the impact of these changes will be felt far beyond the quiet cessations of anti-discriminatory initiatives by brands.

The Broader Context: A War on DEI

Increased militarization of the police and a freeze on reform agreements, elimination of the Department of Education, plans to scale back Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and attempts to end birthright citizenship are just a few of the policies that threaten to roll back progress (Politico, 2020; The Hill, 2024; Current Affairs, 2023). And this is just in month one. Be under no illusion: this is anything but new attempts at subjugation. It is a reminder that, once again, we are alone in this. The war on DEI is a war against us.

A Message of Hope and Resilience

Two months before he was assassinated in Memphis in 1968, Dr. King delivered a speech in Washington, D.C., saying, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” This reminds us that we’ve been through 400 years of being put down, and only we, over the next four years and beyond, can raise ourselves up.

Where they don’t want to protect us, we must protect ourselves. If they don’t want to employ us, we must employ ourselves. And if they don’t want to support our businesses, Cashblack and Afrofiliate will do everything in our power to support ourselves—and all of you—in supporting Black-owned businesses.

Join Us This Black History Month

This Black History Month, we invite you to join us in our mission to empower us all. Register as a member on Cashblack, download the Cashblack app, install the A.F.R.O.B.O.T browser extension, register your Black-owned business or sign up to be an affiliate of one on Afrofiliate and become part of a movement that pays to support the Black community.

Together, we can create a future where economic equity is not just a dream but a reality.