The Black Belt Soap Company is a wonderful business started by the very talented Dr. Temeka L. Carter. She is featured in the above photo with her associate, Jeff Petrishen. Dr. Carter uses all natural ingredients including plant-based essential oils and fragrance oils . The small-batch, hand-blended products are fresh and vegan- with the exception of locally-sourced goat milk. With over 50 items on their website, there is something for everyone: banana chai smoothie soap, cedar wood and orange IPA beer soap, room sprays, coffee whipped shea body butter, lip balms, monthly subscription boxes, and more. We were on location at the Hand to Hand Market at Gibbs Hundred yesterday and were quite taken with their products. Indeed, we fell in love with all of their products.
The Black Belt Soap Company is not named after martial arts; it is named for Dr. Carter's home region in Alabama. Alabama's Black Belt Region is known for its black soil, perfect for growing cotton. On her website, Dr. Carter explains that the region "continue(s) to be defined by the legacy of slavery and the plantation agriculture system." It is high-poverty, has low-achieving schools, and has experienced considerable out-migration. Dr. Carter is committed to giving back to community, and a portion of her proceeds go to scholarships to help children in the area. As taken as we were with the Black Belt products, we were equally smitten with Dr. Carter's warm, friendly demeanor.
Greensboro is so lucky to have community members like Dr. Carter, committed to helping others and giving back. Visit the website for the Black Belt Soap Company, here. See some beautiful merchandise here:
It was my pleasure to sit across from this lovely couple on my first and only visit to The Grub. I certainly hope to be able to visit her shop before Christmas! (Hint, hint, Janis.)
Posted by: Jane Tucker Mitchell | Monday, March 20, 2017 at 08:55 AM
She certainly is doing good.
Posted by: William Kendall | Monday, March 20, 2017 at 05:12 PM