Couple's 'buy black' experiment becomes a movement

i completely agree and i see this very often myself

I 'm feelin ya

the problem with buy black vs buy american is we are all american but only some of us are black.

Our common goal should be to unite as one race the Human race, with this buy black nonsense we are keeping segregation alive in our society.

they were probably worried about being able to find enough stores to meet their long term needs. the majority of small business owners who receive affirmative action funds are white women, not minorities of either gender. So you can probably find businesses that don't take as much start up capital but larger businesses such as appliance stores, car dealerships and the like take more start up capital. Because of the history of racism related to programs like the GI Bill and other wealth building programs, African Americans often lack the built up wealth that whites and to a smaller extent, Mexican americans have.

they arent bringing light the are going the other way.

dont you see what this is? Its segregation, only its self imposed which is worse.

The civil rights movement might as well of not happened if we are going to start segregating ourselves from each other.

Its idiotic and detrimental to societies advancement. If we really want to solve the race issue we would cross the racial boundries of the decadent past.

What they are doing is immature, idiotic and racist. It is nothing to look up to.

Well, I doubt you have had much experience with race issues but it is something to be proud of if you buy with a moral purpose in the USA.
I understand that this makes you feel defensive but this is not racist.
It would be bigoted if they said, "I don't care for white people, I'm not going to give them my money." What they are saying is I'm going out of my way to infuse money into businesses that are owned by people of their own race.

unfortunately hundreds of years of genocide, slavery and rape don't go away with "can't we all just get along."
I forgot who this is credited to but this quote comes to mind. "A nation that doesn't know it's past has no future."

racial empowerment and racial superiority are two radically different ideas, why do you lump them together?

Racial empowerment and racial superiority are the exact same thing.

Why? because they both do one thing really well, they segregate the races.

Segregation was the reason there was a civil rights movement because BLACK people wanted to be EQUAL with WHITE people. not better, not safer, not smarter, not richer, not poorer, they just wanted an equal chance.

They faught for that equal chance and now these two idiots who think they are doing something great are only repopularizing the idea of seperate races. Now tell me why in the hell would that be a good thing?

The ignorance and racism that "their" people faught against and they are going in the complete opposite direction, these two morons should be ashamed of what they are trying to do.

that's the thing, white people do that, they just don't say that's what they are doing.

Interesting. You white? You do this?

Conniepae, good points!

There are also other definitions of racism. These are the ones they use in cultural/American studies. I think it is a little better than our current mainstream definition.

Racism- A system of privilege created by whites that systematically de-privileges those considered as non-white.

Prejudice- a feeling of hatred or dislike of a person because of perceived group membership.

According to this definition, a black person cannot be racist because they do not have a system to back up their prejudices (not that I think they are prejudiced). They can act in prejudiced ways but they have no way to systemically oppress others.

It's true that prejudice is wrong either way. As a mixed race person I have received it from all sides of the spectrum. However, I don't think that supporting one's community is wrong. African Americans patronizing all-black businesses has a long history in our country. White people don't generally patronize black businesses, do they? I'm not sure but I know that most white people in my city don't even like to go into areas of town that they perceive as non-white. if black people don't support their own businesses then who will?

I don't shop at wal-mart because the racial and gender make-up of their workers does not match the makeup of my city. They tend to employ predominately white women in a city that is more than half Mexican-American.
Why would I shop there when I can shop somewhere that the I know will employ a spectrum of people that more closely matches the actual layout of the city?

right on my friend!

I'm just acting like I read an article about a black couple who boycotts ALL non black business's for no other reason but color of skin. Not quality, not service, not proximity, just flat out color of skin.

You clearly get it..I applaud you!

Thank You!

I agree. Kudos to them.

See that's what sucks.

"Do you people really think that we don't know how most of you feel and talk about us behind our backs?"

A small group of close minded people cause you and whoever shares your opinion to judge everyone for (and this is the funny part) judging you.

I'm a white person, that in no way means that I have any cognitive link with other white people, it just means that we have had white parents. Just like you don't necessarily share the opinion with every latino person, you just happened to be born of latino parents.

I'm sick and tired of people acting like white people as a whole are out to get them. I'm equally tired of any person acting like there is some vendetta by another race to get them. The amount of people actively trying to destroy a 'rival' race are the vocal minority, unfortunately they are the noisiest assholes to have ever lived and thus you'll find tons of crap from them.

If the world was as bad as everyone makes it out to be we wouldn't be alive to complain about just how shitty it is quite honestly.

I'm very sorry you feel like everyone is out to get you. it must be horrible for you, but the fact is that most of us (whites) don't feel that way at all, and you're stereotyping us in the same way you accuse others of doing to you. even if it was all true, being a bigger person would change minds much faster than defending stupidity and racism.

Brian did you notice i said most not all...believe me my friend if you lived in California there would be no question as to how the majority of the 'white" people feel about us...any proposition on the ballot that takes a whack at us passes with wide margins...in the past we have been rounded up, yes even those of us born in the U.S. and shipped off to mexico..to save "real Americans" jobsdo you doubt me? go to this link and read about the lawsuits that are addressing this miserable act.

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/7-16-2003-43055.asp

Right on Elaganza

I'm so sorry, it's nothing like that where I'm from, just know you have friends elsewhere!

Rule of Thumb #49

If it involves black people and isn't an absolutely unmistakably positive thing; it is racist.

---

It is a good rule and is so powerful that in the case of white people being degraded the term "reverse racism" was coined.

Reverse Racism should hopefully blow your mind just because the mechanics of it are essentially impossible :P. If you treat someone special in any way because of their race you are being racist.

Affirmative Action is Racist for instance. People just tend to act like it isn't. It's no different than saying "You are less than other people and require special treatment to keep up."

no ultimate affirmative action is about back pay...in other words the descendants of the people that your parents and grand parents and great grand parents and great great grand parents fucked are now being given a chance to catch up...you don't have the moral fortitude for reparations so this is the next best thing. If you had to do what the Germans have had to do for the Jews your treasury would be empty. Stop whining.

Black is a color of skin, not nationality, If they were buying from only Nigerian businesses for example you would have a case.

So wait.

Because people you never met were treated special because of their differences you feel that you deserve the same?

On my Fathers side my family is Irish and they were treated terribly in the Early stage of American growth. When you wanted people to work that weren't expensive to replace you grabbed a group of Irish immigrants and worked them to the bone.

My Mothers side of the family is Italian as far back as you want to go.

"In 1912 the average income for a native white American was $14.37 per week, while a Negro earned about $10.66 a week. The North Italian immigrant averaged $11.28 a week; the southern Italian a meager $9.61. Compared with that of other immigrant groups this pay was indeed inadequate. For example, Germans averaged $13.63; Russian Hebrews, "

- http://www.clevelandmemory.org/italians/partii.html

Do I feel that either of these things mean that I should be treated special? No I would like to be treated with the same eye as anyone else because I would rather my life be good because I'm a competent human being.

I don't see how anyone can take hand outs like that and still sleep at night without feeling inferior, but to each their own.

I would argue that affirmative action was not put into place because it was fair but because it was necessary. It worked too. There will be a time when it stops being a net positive force in society, but that time has not yet come IMHO Affermative action is much more than just a black/white thing too. Title 9 came out of affirmative action policy.

thats due to a language barrier man, it's discrimination plain and simple. and it's horrible.

You are putting one oppression against another oppression when you mention blacks dislike gays in california. That doesn't make sense since there are black gays, who are fighting for the equality of both groups. That is like saying Black people hate poor people when there are black poor people. Intersectionality learn about it.

Im saying that as a whole the black community in California voted strongly AGAINST gay marriage.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/06/AR2008110603880....

The article states rather clearly that 7 out of 10 blacks voted against gay marriage. Which i find interesting since Blacks know what its like to be discriminated against and yet they dont seem to care much for gay rights.

Facts are important to get before posting a response. Learn about it.

"An older guy"

I think these are the key words in this post. While i wont say that the youngest generations are perfect i feel that racism isn't as big a factor in my generation as opposed to the generations before it.

People don't need to grow up.

Younger people are fine.

Old people just need to get to dying.

Once the racists and extremists all die the world is going to be pretty lax.

Even nations that are consistently labeled as extremists are primarily populated by young individuals that on the whole consistently report that they have little interest in the political or religious vendettas of their home countries.

The majority of people who voted against gay marriage in every state were old. In fact just about any time you see something incredibly close minded happen you can be pretty sure that when you research it that old people are behind the issue.

It's part of where the dissonance sets in. Young people are more open to change and new experiences and they are in a constant battle with old people who would sooner see the world die than change.

@theultimateend...
Someday... if your lucky... you'll be old and should get to dying...
You have a fairly inaccurate one dimensional opinion of how old people are... Wake up...

Actually I was making a statement that is backed up by the voting records of a majority of old folks in the US.

I'm also making a statement that is entirely accurate in reference to Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Then again its not like we have idioms that would describe this phenomenon. Nothing about teaching old dogs new tricks or silly things like that that stem from the general truth that people aren't unreceptive to change as they get older.

Nah...psychology case studies haven't shown for the last 15 years that this is the case or anything. I'm just another loopy fellow spouting hateful things that are in no way supported by reality. *slaps self on hand*

Edit: Likewise I hope by the time I'm old I won't have forgotten what made me happy to be young.

>"Edit: Likewise I hope by the time I'm old I won't have forgotten what made me happy to be young.

@theultimateend...
Case studies?
Show me one...
It is rather irresponsible to say science has shown this and not back it up...

That's crazy.What economic trade war ? This is the very reason that we have ghettos in America. Most people, including a lot of Black people, do not "shop Black". It's as if we're only suppose to work for others and not have the right to be in business. When was the last time that you patronized a Black business ?

As a race, we are known as a group that produces very little, and consumes everything that other races produce. I personally, go to Black neighborhoods in Atlanta, once a week, and spend money with Black business just so they'll stay afloat. When America was booming as an economic giant, very few us cared about whether or not Black business were patronized. Now that America has fallen, you're complaining about people supporting Black business. How many Black business owners have you ever none in your life and ever supported ? You shouldn't feel threaten. Are we just suppose to work for others and not own businesses ?

The dollar circulates the white community 9 to 10 times before leaving, while it barely circulates the Black community once before leaving. What that means is that the chances of a White own business to be successful is 10 times greater than that of Black own business.Black owned businesses have a stigma of inferiority attached to them.This in turn creates an inferiority workforce and product, which in turn supports the illusion that Blacks are also inferior businessmen.Having said that, why shouldn't we support Black business ? It just might be the link to saving America.

Do you complain about the fact that Asians,Hispanics, and Arabs all shop with their own first ? They support each other. That's why they come over here and prosper so quickly.

I buy, Time, Newsweek,People ,Car and Driver, Home and Garden Magazine. I buy Exxon, BP, and Texaco gas. I shop at Kroger, Sears,Macys,Home Depot and Starbuchs.My auto insurance company is Geico. I wear Hanes underwear. I used Crest toothpaste. Get the picture.
I have no choice. When was the last time that you ordered a 12 month subscription to Ebony or Black Enterprise magazine ? Ebony, for the past 50 years has been the largest Black-owned business in America. We don't own jack shit and you have the nerve to complain about a few people supporting Black business.I respect you views, but honestly speaking, I thought more of you. You should be ashamed. Is this what you called equality ?

This isn't racism.

It's called survival !

keithponder:

I believe the whole idea of creating ethnic equality is to not look at white and black, or yellow, brown...whatever. There is a difference between being culturally proud and only supporting your culture. When anyone of any race starts patronizing businesses based on the color of the owner's skin, it is supporting a separatist society. How can you argue that that isn't racist? While you can argue that a lot of blacks are repressed or of lower economic status than others in this country, keeping things separate (obviously) does not support equality and only promotes racism.

I shop at general markets, Asian markets, African markets...wherever I need to get my things. Buy the products that you need and that are the of the best quality. I'm sorry, but it is ignorant and stupid to support something based on ethnicity. If someone supports something like that they are a tool who is helping to tear down the framework that respectable black leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. helped put in place to someday hopefully create equality.

Slarabee, I don't see these people as racist. If they want to help the less rich Black businesses in their area, it just does not seem racist to me.
I belonged to a lilberal group and we had a buy blue motto. We tried to find which businesses supported liberal causes or were owned by Democratic supporter and our goal was to give them preference.
I guess we could be called ideological racists by that definition, and our membership is all ages from teens to people in their 80s.

"If we start a trade war between blacks and whites at the small and medium sized business level I have no doubt that the ultimate winners will be the large corporations"

Very well put, Slarabee.

BUY LOCAL whenever you possibly can!
That is the only answer, and that is the rule I live by.

Do these people actually call a shop and ask the skin color of the owner before going there? That's unreal. Are they asking white people to do the same? They should try to be colorblind and simply look to their own community. We must support local small businesses because that is the only way for the "little guy" to get ahead, no matter WHAT his skin color...

But if they want to be elitist and boycott local small businesses owned by whites, they are being petty and absolutely racist. However, it is their decision to do so. They are allowed to take their business wherever they please.

I am anti-Walmart, so I don't shop there. Their efforts would be so much better spent convincing the rest of America to do the same. In fact, Walmart has been so overtly destructive to so many Black communities in America... if the people behind this movement simply focused their efforts on getting black customers to boycott Walmart, they would see an IMMEDIATE change, including a growth of small businesses in their own community.

I see what they're trying to do, but they are going about it all wrong.

Black, white, Asian who cares? Most people don't pay attention to race when they buy things. People pay attention to quality, price, etc. which is how the markets work. A system where blacks support blacks in this way could not last if the products they are buying are not as good as the alternative that other races produce. Not saying that they are though, as I have no idea who the owners/CEOs of most companies/stores/corporations are.

@keithponder:

"......... Asians,Hispanics, and Arabs all shop with their own first ? They support each other. That's why they come over here and prosper so quickly."

You're absolutely right, keith. They give each other a hand up. It's not any more racist than trying to support your home town merchants over big city stores, or your grandpa's neighborhood market.

slarabee,

This is not about shopping Black only. That's impossible to do. They couldn't support their households. Black people don't produce goods that are sustainable, because we've never had the economic power or support to become that strong. This is about supporting Black business. Every corporation mention above is "White owned". You might have Black employees and managers, but the companies are White owned. I really don't see what is so difficult about to understand, unless you really just don't care whether or not Black people should own anything of value in this country. If we should be business owners, there shouldn't be a complaint about people supporting Black business to help empower the Black community. Now unless you don't have a problem with Black ghettos in every American city, I rest my case.. Ethnic communities across the country are empowered when their own are empowered. The people who have made a conscious decision to ( not shop Black only, but ) support Black business understand our plight.

If you really want to deal with , illiteracy, crime, drugs, violence and teen pregnancy, you have address the problem of failing Black businesses in America. These are all bi-products of poverty. Poverty breeds ignorance, while wealth, on the other hand, usually creates an environment of arrogance.Now if you see otherwise, and believe that Black people should not complain about not owning anything of value, and should just be happy employees of other people's companies, again, I rest my case.

slarabee, I've read most of your post, and I truly believe that you have a good heart and you mean well, but you are way off base on this one. None of us are right all of the time. When I'm proved wrong, I'll admit it and say, "hey I was wrong" ! That's not the case, however,on this topic. I'm been Black all of my life. Our employment rate is always twice the national average, and Black business ownership is the worst per capita (outside of Native Americans) by far than any other race of people in this country.

You want us to ignore or own old troubled communities, and support this new failing economy.

Dr. King said, " when the economy sneezes, Black people catch a cold and get sick first". It's easy to support the dreams of a dead man, but white people, for the most part hated Dr. King while he was alive for this very reason that we're debating.

Once again I ask a question that you've yet to answer.Have you ever supported a Black owned business ? I've been supporting White owned businesses every since I started spending money. Thousands of them, too many to count.

keithponder-

What the hell are you going on about? You act like we are actually a divided society. While there are people who are still racist idiots, I would like to belive that we have grown up as a society and that we are getting better. If we havent gotten any better then people like these two morons who are responsible. Going around preaching racial empowerment... and you wonder why things havent gotten better!
This racial empowerment thing is really a roadblock to total equality. What if some white couple made it to the news because they only shopped at white businesses. They would be labeled racist.
So what is the difference?!

Same shit different race. We really need to stop worrying about black and white, we need to learn that we are in this all together. These people are telling people its ok to think your race is more important, and that is never a good thing.

Remember if white people still openly practiced their form of racial empowerment then we would still have jim crow laws or even worse slavery, is that really the direction we want to be going in?

blaino,

Go and tell people who live in the ghettos all over a America that we are not a divided society.The middle class is committing a disappearing act as we speak. There are more Black people, (total & per capita) living in poverty in America now, than any time ,now since World War ll. You cannot preach your weak ideology to a whole and complete man. I don't waver in the wind today. How many meals do you miss every week ? Where do you sleep ? You don't even come close to knowing what you're talking about.The vast majority of Black families in this country don't even have laptops and computers in their homes to answer back and tell you to shut the fuck kid, so I'll do it for them.

Economic empowerment means that a people will no longer have to beg from and depend on others for their basic needs. You cannot help others until you've helped yourself first. That's the first law of nature (self preservation ). Why on earth would that bother anybody, unless you actually feel that our place is in the welfare lines ?

You can't have it both ways.

keithponder-

Your arguments are completely one sided. Your focus is entirely on the black community you fail to recognize that it isnt just the black community living in poverty but the white, latin, asian, native american so on. It doesnt matter what skin color you have, and its foolish to fall back on skin color as a reason why people are poor.

This is the problem If we are ever going to get past skin color we NEED to start recognizing Americans as Americans. Not white american or black american, just American.

If you want to help the poor American communities its going to take a COMPLETE reform of the American system. Public education and healthcare would be good places to start. Give the americans living in poverty good health and a good education and see where that takes them.

Education and Healthcare are going to help solve this poverty problem not commercial intrests. Buying from black storeowners is just golng to make those few black store owners rich, its not going to give the black commuity a better advantage and its soo foolish to think it would.

Thats why what they are doing is racist, thats why racial empowerment is retarded and nothing but a roadblack to total equality.

LMAO first off I want to say that I am hispanic, but you wonder why the ghettos look like crap it's because the people who live there have no pride. Blacks and hispanics want to blame others for their problems. How about some personal responsibility? Go ahead start a movement to buy from blacks only and then we can separate out even more. How would you feel if they had a white only school, white only store, or white only neighborhood. You would cry your eyes out and pout about how unfair it is. I think it's funny. Infact I wish a white person would have the balls to actually do something like that. Then maybe there would be a white and hispanic movements. Maybe after that we can have an all out race war???