WCU Student Turns Cruel Event into a Six Figure Business

West Chester, Pa— Gabrielle Garrett, senior at West Chester University is the owner of Hello Black Child LLC, a successful beauty and apparel brand created to empower Black women. 

Garrett, now a Marketing Major with a Minor in Digital Marketing was not always on this path in college; she began her college career as an accounting major. During this time, she was on the board for the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) as the Public Relations chair. She said she joined NABA as a means to find other students who could relate to her and her background as a Black woman after being made anxious by the lack of diversity in her classes.

Along with her “NABA family,” Garrett was invited to a workshop at Ernest & Young in Philadelphia. In preparation for the workshop Garrett went with her mother to King of Prussia mall to buy business attire as that was the dress code. Garrett said she was very excited about her new black suit and striped button up shirt. She reported her appearance at the workshop to consist of her new outfit, black heels, blonde braids, long nails and small heart hoop-earrings. But, she very quickly began to lose her excitement regarding her new outfit.

After one of her workshops Garrett was pulled aside by a partner at the firm and was told she looked unprofessional and that there had been complaints about her demeanor so she was told to smile more. Fighting her shy feeling due to being separated from the rest of her NABA group she put herself out there and took notes, smiled and networked. Regardless of that fact, the partner told her that her appearance was too much, ignoring her brand-new business attire, and that she would not be taken seriously in the field if she continued to present herself in this manner. Minus the business attire that was Garretts typical appearance and she said she was unaware that it would have been a problem. The unkind commentary from the partner resulted in Garrett pulling back and to stop participating because she said she was “scared and embarrassed to do something else wrong.”

Upon her arrival to Killinger hall after her trip to Philadelphia she began to cry for the rest of the night and thought about how when other races wear braids, have their nails done and accessorize with jewelry they are praised and considered trendy, but when Black girls apply the same elements to their appearance, they are deemed ghetto even though most of these styles stem from Black culture.

Garrett said: “That same night I decided that I wanted to make a brand for Black girls & sell the things that are popular within our community. I want Black girls to not feel embarrassed, ashamed or scared to wear things that we created and made popular.”

That same night, from her cruel experience stemming in racism the idea for Hello Black Child was born.

Hello Black Child LLC, was launched on January 20, 2020. The name Hello Black Child came from her Instagram handle and YouTube channel name, localblackchild. She told me she replaced the word local with hello, because it is a positive and welcoming word.

Garrett’s brand is all about empowering and appreciating Black women while embracing Black culture and urban fashion, but some people believe that Garrett’s intentions are not what she says they are.  

“I’ve gotten a lot of disrespect from white people on Tik Tok. Calling me ‘racist,’ ‘nig**r’ and ‘porch monkey,’ etc., because they are upset that they aren’t included in my brand. Some people don’t understand that my brand isn’t about exclusion. It’s about appreciating Black girls and showing love to them because other people and brands don’t. We really don’t have many brands catered to us and if we do, we have to go so far out of the way to find them,” said Garrett when asked about how people who are not in the Black community can support her business. 

Along with refraining from posting hateful, racist comments and being respectful on Garrett’s Instagram and Tik Tok accounts, non-Black people of color and white people can support Garrett by liking, sharing and following on social media and buying apparel and beauty products for friends and family.

Along with Garrett growing her business and going to college full time she also runs a successful YouTube channel, LocalBlackChild.

“I use my channel to make people laugh and lift their spirits, but most importantly to uplift girls around the world. I am passionate about helping girls feel beautiful inside and out while reminding them of their worth,” said Garrett under “Meet the Creator” on her business website.

No matter what Garrett is doing she always has the lives of women in mind. Whether it is making them smile on YouTube or creating clothing that allows Black women to embrace who they are, she is always providing and creating a safe place for women to come and feel happy. 

At the end of the “Meet the Creator” section of her website, Garrett leaves customers with this: “My message to other girls around the world is that you don’t have to take on the opinions of others. Your style, your personality, and your black is beautiful.”