History of Candles: Stay Lit Forever with Denequa Williams Clarke founder of Lit Brooklyn
Every year Americans spend three billion dollars on candles, which is odd considering that the original usefulness of candles disappeared around the time Edison invented the light bulb. Yet, candles have reinvented themselves as a staple in home decor, celebrations, and religious ceremonies.
In this week's episode of That Wasn't In My Textbook, I interview the founder of Lit Brooklyn Candles, Denequa Williams Clarke, a Black-owned candle company that has been killing it for the last six years. In this episode, you will learn:
What the 18th Century Slave -Trade and Whale Sperm (real sperm) have to do with the first standard candle?
How Denequa launched her company and the mission behind Lit Brooklyn
Denequa's secret to sold-out launches, collabs, and features, in Essence, Yahoo, and everywhere in between
I met Denequa at an event when her brand was two years old. Now she's celebrating six years in business! In the interview, we discussed her entrepreneurial journey the science of candle-making, and she even shared some tips for preserving your candles. You can check out the full interview here:
In this blog post, I'm sharing a few key nuggets:
How do you define a candle, Denequa?
I define a candle as a symbol of peace, and you get to decide what peace looks like to you. For some people, a candle creates a mood or changes the mood; something about a candle puts you in a state of Zen.
What is the vision behind Lit Brooklyn?
I'm a black woman first, so I'm always looking for ways to make our lives healthier in everything that I do. When I created Lit Brooklyn, I was looking for a cleaner alternative to the candles I was using because many of the candles in big box stores are made from harmful toxic ingredients. When I couldn't find what I was looking for, I decided to launch my own business.
What are the benefits of ethically sourced candles?
I use soy wax which is ethically sourced and provides a cleaner burn. So you notice occasionally in candles that may have paraffin wax, they don't burn correctly. When you use materials that are not natural, microscope particles are released - you can't see them, but you are ingesting them.
Also included in this episode is information about how Denequa chooses brand partnerships managing her business, and we discuss the need for cleaner products and awareness in the black community. Don't forget to follow the show on Instagram for behind-the-scenes highlights.
How early candles were made?
The earliest candles were made in China from dried dead fish. The "candlefish" was high in body fat and burned slow enough to be used as a candle. Other items that were used were trees, fruits, beeswax, and later whale sperm. Later India began making candles as well. With the 18th-century slave trade, the modern-day candle came on the scene. On the podcast, I discuss why Ancient Egypt isn't giving credit for the candle and how the widespread use of paraffin candles became a common yet toxic practice in the candle-making industry that is still used today.
