Hattie McCutcheon, Toure Muhammad and Maggie Anderson at Kudos Health Food Store on May 21, 2012.

Margarita “Maggie” Anderson, the woman behind The Empowerment Experiment has launched Maggie’s List, a mobile app designed to help consumers support Black-owned businesses and professionals and firms that support Black business.

Five years ago, Maggie’s family made national headlines and touched people across America as they documented their year-long struggle to use their buying power to counter the social and economic crises that ravage their community. Chronicled in her book, Our Black Year the family touched millions and the experiment turned into a movement that has generated interest and heightened understanding of the race and wealth gap in America, she explained.

The Empowerment Experiment partnered with Bean Soup Times and George Fraser to host a buy Black event at Kudos Heath Food Store on Chicago’s southside.

“It also proved that we can change that by proactively supporting locally owned businesses and professionals, and driving more corporate engagement of Black-owned businesses,” says her website. Maggie is determined that the movement continues.

Maggie’s List is named after and inspired by Maggie Anderson and The Empowerment Experiment. For an entire year, Maggie and her family sacrificed and took a stand, publicly and proudly, in honor of and love for their community. They lived off Black-owned businesses amidst vicious criticism and attacks, deprived their children of basics like food, clothes and toys, all because they believed someone needed to stand up for the Black businesses, families and neighborhoods who were being left out and are falling apart.

“Join us as together, quality businesses, conscious consumers, committed corporate, faith, community, and university partners, we create jobs, wealth and role models in the Black community,” she said. For more information or to join the movement, click here.