Beyoncé donates additional $1m to help small black-owned businesses for her birthday

Beyoncé has celebrated her 39th birthday by pledging $1m to black-owned small businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, the singer announced through her philanthropic organisation BeyGOOD that she had partnered with the NAACP on the donation.

"Proud to announce $1m in additional funds from Beyoncé to help black-owned small businesses," the foundation wrote in an Instagram post shared two days before Beyoncé’s birthday. "Round two of funding opens this month, with our partner NAACP."

The new pledge comes after the organisation announced earlier this summer that it would be donating $10,000 to black-owned small businesses amid both the pandemic and protests against police brutality and systematic racism that arose following the killing of George Floyd.

“Over the last couple of months, the pandemic and outpours for justice throughout the black community and across the country has been felt in every imaginable area of our lives, including in how our local businesses continue to operate," the NAACP said in a statement at the time. "The challenges of black business owners navigating in the climate cannot be understated, as the effects of uprisings across the nation have led to many businesses being placed in dire straits due to damages and other small business needs."

The first round of donations helped businesses in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York and included a barbershop, a bakery, and a martial arts school, among others, according to the organisation’s website.

The Halo singer also donated $6m back in April to Covid-19 relief, with the money helping provide “basic necessities, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines, face masks, and personal hygiene items” to areas that were hit hardest.

“Communities of colour are suffering by epic proportions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many families live in underserved areas with homes that make it harder to practice social distancing,” the foundation wrote in a statement at the time, explaining that “void of these basic necessities, mental burdens are also accelerated”.

On social media, the 39-year-old’s latest donation was met with praise from her fans, who applauded her for continuing to help.

“How beautiful and generous of her,” one person tweeted, while another said: “Generous queen and happy birthday Beyoncé.”

The Independent