Listing policy

Who can be listed

• Businesses that are at least 51% Black-owned, as stated by the owner or an authorized representative.
• Black-led organizations, nonprofits, and historically Black congregations, as stated by someone authorized to speak for them. These sign a leadership statement rather than an ownership one, because a congregation has no owner.
• Businesses with a physical location in Champaign County, a service area that includes part of the county, or an online business owned by a county resident.
• Sole proprietors, side businesses, nonprofits, and licensed professionals are all welcome.

Who may submit a listing

Only the owner or someone they have authorized may submit a listing. Every submission requires a signed statement to that effect. We never infer ownership from a name, a photograph, or a neighborhood.

Listings we compiled

Some listings were not submitted by their owner. To make the directory useful from day one, we compiled a starting set from directories that are already published publicly — taking only the business name, address and phone number, never another site's descriptions or photographs.

• Every compiled listing is labelled “Listed from a public directory” and names its source.
• Its description is written by us and says plainly that the owner has not confirmed it.
• No compiled listing is featured, and none is presented as owner-attested.
• The owner can claim it, correct it, or have it removed at any time — no questions asked.

When an owner claims a compiled listing, their own words replace ours and the label changes to reflect their attestation.

What we ask for

• Accurate contact details that the business actually monitors.
• A description written by the business, not copied from another site.
• Photographs the business owns or has permission to use.

What we will not publish

• Listings for businesses that are closed, or that cannot be reached at the details given.
• Content that is harassing, discriminatory, sexually explicit, or unlawful.
• Claims we cannot support, such as licences or certifications the business does not hold.
• Multi-level marketing recruitment presented as an independent business.

Profiles and paid placement

Basic profiles are free. A Membership profile may add a member badge, a larger photo gallery, and more room to present the business. If featured placement or sponsorship becomes available, those listings will be labelled “Sponsored” wherever they appear. Membership or payment never changes a listing's ownership status, its review status, or its position in normal search results beyond a clearly labelled placement.

Changes and removal

A business can ask for a correction or removal at any time, and we act on owner requests without argument. See the removal policy for how to ask.