My story doesn't start with a business plan.

It starts with a conversation I had with my daughter in 2020, during a year that was heartbreaking for many of us. We were talking about scent, memory, and what connects people across cultures, ethnicities, and generations.

We talked about how some of our most meaningful memories don't live in photos. They live in scent. The way the smell of your grandmother's garden comes back to you before you can even name what you're remembering. The way cleaning can take you back to Saturday mornings with the music turned all the way up and the whole house smelling like open windows and something good on the stove.

That conversation became Black Culture Candles.

I wanted to create something that honored those memories. I wanted to honor the joy, tradition and fullness of American Black culture and the universal everyday experiences that connect us to ourselves and each other.

So in 2021, I started pouring candles in small batches in my studio in Akron, Ohio.

Every fragrance begins with a shared memory. Every glass vessel is etched with a maker's mark by hand. Every candle is made to embody something that deserves to be remembered.

That's still how I work today.

The Four-Stage Artisan Process 

Each Black Culture Candles piece is created as part of a larger Scent Journey , one that begins with memory, takes form through craft, and continues in the spaces where we live.

From concept to completion, the process moves deliberately; from memory and material selection to form, light, and finish, allowing scent, vessel, and light to work together.

I. The Curation — The Beginning of the Journey
Every fragrance begins with a shared memory or cultural touchpoint. Signature scents are developed over time using high-quality, phthalate-free fragrance oils blended to reflect specific moments: the exhale of a Friday Night, the warmth of a Grandmother's Garden, the feeling of a Cleaning Day well done.

II. The Etching — Giving the Journey Form
Each matte glass vessel is etched by hand in the studio. This isn't a label. It's a permanent maker's mark cut into the glass, allowing candlelight to pass through for a soft ambient glow. The vessel becomes part of the journey by  holding both scent and light and stands as a reminder long after the wax is gone.
 

III. The Detail — Grounding the Experience
Before pouring, sustainably sourced wood wicks are carefully centered and set. Chosen for their steady, clean burn and gentle crackle, they add a subtle layer of sound that grounds the experience in the present moment. 

IV. The Pour — Bringing the Journey to Life
Each candle is hand-poured in small batches using a vegan coconut apricot wax blend that’s selected for its clean burn, strong scent throw, and the faint shimmer it carries when lit. The result is a refined, long-lasting experience that respects your space and honors your story.