BLACKLIT

What's in the box: Each box contains a book by a Black author, a shirt, and three to five products from Black-owned businesses.

BLACKLIT calls itself the first monthly subscription box to feature only Black authors and Black entrepreneurs. It was founded by Nia-Tayler Clark, an educator and diversity and inclusion advocate. Its stated mission is to help close the literacy gap and to increase representation. When you sign up, you choose a genre and answer a few questions about yourself, and the team picks the contents from there. The site says the boxes mix well-known Black-owned brands with newer makers, so you may come across businesses you would not have found yourself. Your welcome box ships within 7 business days. After that, boxes arrive around the 25th of each month. You can switch, pause, or cancel at any time, which keeps the commitment low. The site also mentions a men's version of the box. The site does not list pricing or say exactly which products might show up, so it is hard to judge value before you subscribe. Because the contents are curated for you, your control over the specific items is limited to choosing a genre and filling out the profile. For readers who want to find new Black authors and support Black-owned businesses at the same time, the concept is clear and well focused.