All across the United Sates, peaceful demonstrators have gathered every day weeks in support of Black Lives Matter.

1. 6 D.C. Restaurants Helping
BLM Protestors
All across the United Sates, peaceful demonstrators have gathered every day
weeks in support of Black Lives Matter. Protests were sparked by the death of
George Floyd in police custody on May 25th, but in the weeks following this
event, the movement has snowballed to address much larger issues of
systemic racism and white supremacy.
While individuals send donations, attend protests and raise awareness for
various causes associated with BLM, businesses big and small are looking for
ways to do their part for these freedom fighters. A lot of BLM efforts center in
Washington, D.C. as protestors seek political reform. As a result, many small
businesses in the area are donating their time and effort to help
demonstrators continue marching throughout the day.
Here are six of the many restaurants in D.C. helping out BLM protestors right
now:
1. Beuchert’s Saloon
This New American restaurant has opened its bathrooms and electrical
outlets so that protestors can freely come in and charge their devices. Cell
phones are important for sharing important information with emergency
contacts as well as for recording videos to broadcast news from the front.
Additionally, Beuchert’s provides protestors with snacks, sandwiches and
water to keep them fueled during their long days in the heat. They’re also

2. letting demonstrators fill up bottles with cold water and ice, and giving away
face masks and gloves to help protect them from COVID-19 while they protest
peacefully.
2. Serenata
The Afro-Latinx owned cocktail bar is hosting pop-up events throughout the
month of June. A portion of the proceeds from these events will go directly to
Black Lives Matter D.C. as well as other, similar activist organizations in the
area. For added fun, each pop-up is different from the last: They’ll have vegan
dinners, a bartending event called Back to Black, a pastry sale named Bakers
Against Racism and much more. You can view their schedule here to see
when and what they’ll serve next.
3. Call Your Mother and Timber Pizza Co.
We already did a highlight on this duo to showcase the innovative adaptions
they made to help their businesses and employees weather the COVID-19
crisis. They’re back and still fighting for causes that matter to them; these
co-owners donated $6K to Black Lives Matter D.C. and Visit Lake Street, an
initiative dedicated to revitalizing the Lake Street corridor in Minneapolis, the
city where the protests began.
In addition to that, they handed out free bagels to D.C. protestors to keep
them invigorated through their demonstrations.
4. Red Bear Brewing
For Pride Month this year, this gay-owned brewery is giving back to the black
community. Located in NoMa, Red Bear is accepting supplies to pass out to

3. demonstrators as they come by. Freedom Fighters D.C., a young activist
group founded and led almost entirely by black women, started in response
to both COVID-19 and the protests; they’re distributing the accumulated
supplies at the marches.
Already they’ve given away sunscreen, gas masks and snacks. Check out their
company Instagram for running updates on when donators can drop off
supplies, what they’re most in need of and more information about the
brewery itself.
5. sPACYcLOUd
Almost entirely owned by women, the vegetarian restaurant will donate 10%
of all their profits to Black Lives Matter D.C. They’re also giving away masks
and water while offering their bathrooms and charge cords to passing
protestors. They’re open from 4PM-8PM, and customers can buy
sPACYcLOUd gift cards here to support their efforts.
6. Chaplin’s
Themed after Charlie Chaplin and the 70s, this Japanese restaurant has been
giving away water bottles to help protestors stay hydrated throughout their
demonstrations. They and their sister sushi bar, Zeppelin, are both donating a
portion of their sales to Color of Change. They’re not the only ones in the area
giving to this cause; South Block, a juice and smoothie shop with multiple
locations in the area, give away the proceeds from their açai bowl kits to the
same cause.
Color of Change is a racial justice organization that campaigns to end a
variety of racist practices embedded into the fabric of our society; from

4. legislation blocking black-owned businesses from receiving COVID-19
financial relief to universal basic income, they fight for the future of black
Americans nationwide. Find out more about the organization on their
website.
These aren’t the only businesses donating to these types of organizations, but
they’re all helping the Black Lives Matter movement in a substantial way by
giving to their local chapter and directly giving supplies to protestors on the
ground.
You can find more D.C. restaurants who donate portions of their proceeds to
their local chapter of Black Lives Matter here as well as D.C. restaurants
supporting BLM in other ways here. D.C. citizens can support Black Lives
Matter by patronizing these businesses as well as black-owned businesses in
the area. Regardless of where you are in the U.S., you can help the cause and
support black business owners by frequenting black-owned restaurants in
your area.