Yes Mommi, it’s that time of year again: Back to School time!

Although many of us are excited to see these little people finally get out of our fridges and out of our pockets–for at least 6 hours a day, thank God and thank schools–this also means that we have to spend all the coins on some ten-page Back to School Supply List. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m sure that I’m NEVER ready for the list, the cost and the blah products!

Representation Matters (that’s where your girl comes in…)

I make sure that I deliberately and intentionally bombard my children with images, stories and people that look like them; next level Queens and Kings doing next-level things, with means (y’all know that was dope). About three years ago, I decided to incorporate as much #BlackGirlMagic and #BrownBoyJoy into their lives as humanly possible. This includes products that they use every day; like backpacks, lunch boxes, notebooks etc. Every year, the number of companies that show up and fulfill this need is higher and higher!

I said all of that to say this: if you want to send your kids back to school this year, filled with pride in who they are and in where they came from and in where they are going, melanin happy and loving the skin they are in; check out my Ultimate Melanin Back to School Shopping Guide below!

Ultimate Melanin Back to School Shopping Guide

The guide is broken down into sections, just in case you don’t have time to check out every site.

One-Stop Shops- have just about everything

Backpacks

Notebooks, Pens, and Supplies

Teens and College

Apparel

Unique Extras

Something for Mommi 

One Stop Shops

Moe Melanin LLC

If you haven’t seen a Moe Melanin spiral notebook you must not have any social media LOL! But they’ve expanded past notebooks and now have everything you need from notebooks, backpacks, 3 ring binders, planners, clipboards and pocket folders. They feature doctors, scientists, scholars and dancers and much more on all of their products of course with melanin skin. The Unapologetically Black collection released recently and it’s giving me ALLLL the feels.

Brown Girls Stationery

Brown Girls Stationery is the baby of a Mini CEO that I’ve been watching and supporting for a few years now, and her products have only gotten better. I’m totally in love with the fact that she generally produces lines so the backpack, lunchbox, notebook, umbrella and tee just like her new Mermaid Line.

Backpacks

Brown Kids Swag Com

They have a full line of backpacks and lunch bags that truly showcase black kids achieving, doing and being unapologetic. From a black mermaid to an artist, from playing sports to being on the moon they’ve got the perfect backpack and lunch bag combo for your kid plus they can be personalized. The bags are relatively priced at $35 and $27

Custom 2 Fly

If your looking for something original then this is surely where you need to look. Custom 2 Fly has custom hand-painted backpacks so that you can put your little girl or boy’s face on their backpack, that’s too cool for school (do they still say that LOL). And I’ve got to be honest as a Mommi I was looking at the luggage, cosmetic bags and wallets for myself. Hey, a Mommi has needs too! They also have some really cute ones that aren’t custom for your child but really fly! Backpacks start at $29.99 for non-custom and $39.99 for custom.

Blended Designs

Blended Designs has truly taken over the marketplace with their ‘I Can Do Anything’ collection of backpacks, pencil cases and lunch boxes. My kids got these last year and the backpacks are all still living (y’all know how kids are on backpacks LOL).

Zazzy Creations by KZ

Zazzy Creations has some really cute backpacks, lunch bags and pencil cases that feature black mermaids with a couple of different color backgrounds. The backpacks start at $39.99.

Coco’Pie Clothing

I loooooove when we can CO-OR-DI-NATE #inmyMr.Jacksonfromboomerangvoice and coco’pie has the backpack that matches the tee, that matches the bag that even matches the pillows for the bed all the while giving our little girls the feeling and reminder that their melanin kissed skin and puffs are enough! The backpacks start at $46 for the small.

Notebooks, Pens and Supplies

Raye’s of Blessings

The Custom Notebook and Pencil Pocket Holder definitely have a cultural feel with the traditional fabric use, and it’s priced right at $9.95

Oh So Paper

From cell phone cases and travel bags to notebooks and planner stickers Oh So Paper is easily an addiction that we can be proud of! Your teen, college student and even you are sure to find a few things that make you whip out the credit card and BUY!

 

Teens and College

Chocolate Ancestor

If you have a tween, teen or college student who isn’t going for the character looking backpacks chocolate ancestor has exactly what you are looking for. They have a variety of backpacks, lunch bags and notebooks that make a statement without being corny as the kids would say.

Apparel

Typical Black Tees

So I have this thing for products especially tees that take popular sayings from Black Culture and turn them into merchandise for our kids. Like it’s nostalgia and culture for our little ones, and Typical Black Tees has done an amazing job at just that with their Is That You Playa Tee for $20.

Maddi Rose

Maddi Rose offers three unique graphic tees that allow your little girl to showcase her personality with a character that looks like her! Naomi, Charlotte and Brooklyn are available for $25 each

Emo by Ava

If you’d like to support a young Melanin entrepreneur and your kids are artistic and love artistic expression check out Emo By Ava she has some cute totes, tees and hoodies.

Unique Extras

Inclusive Randomness

Buttons are the latest craze and inclusive randomness has some of the coolest melanin proud buttons around, but just in time for back to school they have these cool zipper pulls that you can customize with your child’s name with is a great way to tag their backpack, lunchbox and even jackets. They are $3.00 each or a pack of 12 for $5.00

Confident Girls

Little girls needs self care just like Mommis do and confident girls has everything your little one needs to wash the day away and even have a mini spa day. From bath bombs to body washes and lotions and even lip balm. And the packaging is totally cute with the little brown girls on the bottles.

Something for Mommi

Hustle Blendz Coffee

Getting back into the swing of school is a lot for us Mommis too so try a cup of Hustle Blendz ‘Shot Caller’ or ‘The O.G.’ to get you going in the morning. They even have ‘Up the Ante’ coffee mug to motivate you.