While perusing the halls of the LA Times, I came across an article that I hope inspires more folks of color to employ a similar agenda. What is this agenda, you ask? It is actually the novel idea that people of color patronize businesses of color...exclusively. A well-heeled professional Black couple are attempting to buy Black to serve as an example (and perhaps a catalyst) to aid our economy-specifically, the Black economy. Here's the piece in question, courtesy of the Times:
'Buying black': Illinois couple's economic experiment
2:37 PM, March 10, 2009
Store owner Karriem Beyah, left, talks with Maggie Anderson as she shops at Farmers Best Market in Chicago A Chicago-area couple are taking unusual measures to repair what they term "the crisis in the black community."
Oak Park residents John and Maggie Anderson are working to make sure they spend their money in a way that benefits African American business owners, sometimes traveling miles out of their way to buy from black-owned businesses. The Chicago Tribune's Ted Gregory explains:
They call it the "ebony experiment."
"More than anything, this is a learning thing," said Maggie Anderson, who grew up in the crime-ridden Liberty City neighborhood of Miami and holds a law degree and an MBA from the University of Chicago. "We know it's controversial, and we knew that coming in."
But the Andersons said they also knew that a thriving black economy was fundamental to restoring impoverished African American communities. They talked for years about how to address the problem.
What they came up with is provocative. One anonymous letter mailed to their home accused the Andersons of "unabashed, virulent racism. Because of you," the writer stated, "we will totally avoid black suppliers. Because of you, we will dodge every which way to avoid hiring black employees."
Apart from that letter, most comments have been encouraging, the Andersons said, adding that most people see the endeavor as beneficial to all.
Do you think the ebony experiment is a good idea? Why or why not? Share your thoughts here.
Now check out a few of the comments in response to this article, again, courtesy of the Times:
This racist crap is a big problem in America. Whaqt if we had an experiement where Whites or Asians stated that they were only going to buy from like kind. Racism of any type should not be tolerated!
Posted by: Wally | March 10, 2009 at 04:00 PM
No matter how high-minded and faux-erudite the rhetoric used to try to dress up this "experiment" in bigotry, it doesn't change the fact that it is bigotry. No one owes any kind of economic "allegiance" to people who share the same skin color (or the same religion, creed, sex, etc.) as an accident of birth. I buy from merchants who offer quality goods and services at competitive prices, and who treat me fairly, irrespective of their ethnic affiliation. No one will ever make a compelling case that any other criteria ought to supplant those.
Interestingly, these bigots, the Andersons, seem not to be aware that the number of black-owned businesses rose 45% from 1997 to 2002, a rate FOUR times the national rate for the same period (see http://goldsea.com/903/02racial.html); yet the Andersons blabber on about a "crisis in the black community", by which they purport to mean there are not enough black owned businesses. This seems to show, yet again, just how out of touch with reality some overeducated people can be. But that can't be seen as too surprising - bigotry occurs in the first place primarily among people who are only loosely tethered to reality.
Posted by: Lou Bricano | March 10, 2009 at 05:44 PM
If a caucasian couple said this, or any Protestant couple said they were only going to buy from Christian merchants, or any other group, they would be slammed (rightfully) for being horribly racist bigots - but it's okay if you're black????? That's completely ridiculous, and does not at all uphold the "Liberty and Justice for ALL" that we are trying to achieve. Every time you insist on identifying yourself first by the thing you claim is holding you back (being black, gay, fill-in-the-blank religion, etc...) you have already defeated any possibility that people will judge you by what kind of person you are, and not by the identifier you force them to accept first.
Shame on them.
Posted by: Nina | March 11, 2009 at 03:47 AM
Can this really be construed as racism? Why is this couple being condemned when other communities do this to such a degree it should be considered high art! Interesting how the Black community receives this criticism when ethnic patronage is a staple for everyone else. I would like everyone to buy Black but I believe this couple's efforts are being misinterpreted-what say you?
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