It's not like we needed a report to fill us in on the fact that the Black community, specifically Black women, are trendsetters... but a little recognition never hurts!

In 2017, Nielsen took a look at African-American consumers, and for the second time they have focused on Black women specifically. The Diverse Intelligence Series report, “African American Women: Our Science, Her Magic," let it be known that Black women are trendsetters and loyal shoppers.

“Now more than ever, African-American women’s consumer preferences and brand affinities are resonating across the U.S. mainstream, driving total Black spending power toward a record $1.5 trillion by 2021. At 24.3 million strong, Black women account for 14% of all U.S. women and 52% of all African-Americans,” the article states.

The global performance management company paints a portrait of Black women as not only trendsetters, but brand loyalists and early adopters who care about projecting a positive self-image. 

“Black women have strong life-affirming values that spill over into everything they do. The celebration of their power and beauty is reflected in what they buy, watch and listen to, and people outside their communities find it inspiring,” says Cheryl Grace, senior VicePpresident of U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement, Nielsen.

“Understanding how Black women’s values affect their buying decisions has long been a marketing necessity. Now, marketers must also recognize the intercultural influence of Black women on the general market as an increasingly vital part of how all women see themselves, their families and the rest of the world.”  

This report just validates what we have known in these streets for years. From Kim Kardashian receiving credit for hairstyles that are historically Black from rappers name-dropping fashion brands in their music, we know that our Black influence keep brands poppin’. Hopefully, this report will get companies to start recognizing the influence of Black spending power, and "mistakes" like Gucci's blackface turtleneck will be a thing of the past.