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Are "Buy Black" Campaigns Racist?
posted by blackunitedsuccess on 8/7/2009 1:50:34 AM
"Buy Black", "Support Your Own", "Everyday Is Buy Black Day", "Do For Self"
These an many other slogans are used in the African American Community to promote African American owned businesses. But are these slogans racist? Should you support your own race before others? Is the African American experience different from other ethnic minority groups?
Let me start with some data from the National Black Business Trade Association.
Fact: African Americans have over $700 Billion dollars in spendable income.
Fact: African Americans only spend 6-7% of that $700 Billion with Black owned businesses.That means 93-94% is spent outside of there own community.
Fact: Other ethnic groups spend with themselves 3-6 times before their dollar leaves there community.
Fact: African Americans are at least 12 % of the U.S.population, but only account for 2% of all business receipts.
I have an online friend who agrees with our cause(supporting Black Businesses), however somewhat disagrees with the methods of supporting one group over another. Here is some of what my friend had to say:
I feel honored that you want to include me (and/or my beliefs) in tomorrow’s message from you. I did a speech in college regarding segregation and discrimination in which I tried to point out that these characteristics apply to ALL people, all over the world – not just in the US. I studied Literature in college and I discovered that war after war after war was initiated by small minded yet powerful people, yet took sooo many lives of individuals who were willing to fight for their "cause."
I asked my audience (mostly white) to really think about their own personal views. I asked them if they would be afraid if a black man came walking down their street toward them, or following them, or just their presence in general. I challenged the black people in my audience to really think about their own prejudices against white, American Indian, Hispanic, Oriental, French, Irish, German, Iranians, Iraqies, etc. The concept of discrimination and segregation goes both ways. Does a Black (Hispanic, etc) person feel and think of their inferiority as justified. MLK did “have a dream” which was one of peace and prosperity for all. We are now a product of his words, yet our endeavor of equality has not, to this day, been truly achieved…35 years later.
We have all been raised by parents of a very different generation, a generation who supposedly finally accepted desegregation an equality, offered to people of all “races, creeds, colors, sexual orientation, etc.” – simply the same dignity and respect that they themselves demand.
I feel so sad and angry that our own people (Blacks, Whites, Chicano, Puerto Rican, etc.) cannot just accept all people for who they are as individuals. God made us all, and no one that I know of on this entire earth can change who our parents are, or from which country or ethnicity’s that we were brought into this world.
I agree with my friend on most things, However my friend missed the point of the whole matter. As African Americans our experience is unique from any other group of people in the world. We brought over to the Western Hemisphere as slaves stripped of our culture & identity. Self hatred was breed into us. No other group in the history of the world have suffered & endured the the things that we have. You might say that was years ago; Yes but we are still feeling the effects today. Even Israel under the bondage of Pharaoh was allowed to keep there culture. An today they are an independent nation & It would be an insult to a Jewish person to tell them to spend their money with someone else before spending with their own people. And they are right.
The Civil Rights Movement made a lot of progress & today we have an African American President. However it did not truly address the condition of our people. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was working on a campaign to end poverty in America at the time of his death. He wanted to end poverty for all people. However his own people were in the worst shape.
"Economic Unity Is The Key To Our Success!" Economic Power gives us Political Power . Political Power gives us the Governmental Power to solve the many problems that plague our community!
We should spend with our own first to uplift our community. If you spend with the Black Business owner he or she will be able to re-invest in his or her community . This will help to level the playing field . Then & only then are we able to help & support other people. If you come home from work & your whole block is on fire ; By nature you will run to your house first to save your family first and only after they are safe will you attempt to save your neighbors. Think About It!
To Be Continued…..
http://www.blackunitedsuccess.com
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