Side hustles have always held us down.
They’ve been part of our mutual and collective economic survival long before the term ever became trendy. The moms who did hair on the side in the kitchen. The aunties who sold Mary Kay on the weekends or after work. The friend who sold real estate part-time or threw rent parties to help neighbors avoid eviction.
The career chaos of 2025 reminds us why side hustles play a key role in our economic survival. “2025 had hands,” says Celeste Bell, a human resources professional and adjunct professor at the University of California, Berkeley, borrowing a phrase popularized by author Luvvie Ajayi Jones. “Workforce disruption was very visible, and Black women felt it acutely.”
Between rising costs of living, layoffs, contract instability, and the quiet rollback of workplace protections, Black women were left even more financially vulnerable and forced to rethink how we earn money and secure stability on our own terms. What once felt like supplemental income suddenly became necessary income.
The Side Hustle Has Officially Reentered The Chat
We’re going back to basics and doing what we’ve always
Author: Kimberly Wilson
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