An article in the Chicago Tribune caught my attention this morning. It’s about the “Ebony Experiment,” an Oak Park, Illinois, couple’s controversial mission to “buy black” and spend their money exclusively with black-owned businesses for an entire year. John and Maggie Anderson’s purpose is to encourage the growth of African American business and entrepreneurship and help solve what they call “the crisis in the black community.” Here’s an excerpt from the article:
“More than anything, this is a learning thing,” said Maggie Anderson, who grew up in the 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 have known that a thriving black economy is fundamental to restoring impoverished African-American and other “underserved” communities, and they have discussed for years trying to find a way 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, a solid majority of comments they have received have been encouraging, the Andersons said, adding that most people see the endeavor as beneficial to all.
“Supporting your own isn’t necessarily exclusive,” said John Anderson, a financial adviser who grew up in Detroit and has a Harvard University degree in economics and an MBA from Northwestern University, “and you’re not going to convince everybody of that.”
The undertaking “is an academic test about how to reinvest in an underserved community” and lessen society’s burden, John Anderson said. Focusing the estimated $850 billion annual black buying power on black businesses strengthens those business and creates more businesses, more jobs and stronger families, schools and neighborhoods, the Andersons and other advocates said.
In today’s crippled economy, is there a place for the Kwanzaa principle of Ujamma, or cooperative economics? Furthermore, is there a legitimate place for this kind of activism in the lives of people, like many of the readers of this blog, who desire racial and social reconciliation in an already fragmented nation?
This issue elicits many questions, particularly the one alluded to in the excerpt above concerning the criticism that if members of the white community promoted something as brazenly separatist and racialized as this, they would be immediately castigated as racists. And that suggestion of a double standard is understandable. Yet, whether we agree or disagree with that contention, I think it’s important to acknowledge the complexity of our national history around the issues of race, slavery, segregation, and social justice. Though we’ve long since repudiated and attempted to move forward from our nation’s biggest failures on the matter of race, a lot of the residue of our failures continue to inform our personal and institutional relationships today. To ignore that fact only hinders our efforts toward true progress and reconciliation.
This commentary by blogger Fredric Mitchell presents some interesting food for thought that, at the very least, can help bring context to our thinking on topics like the Ebony Experiment.
Still, there’s so much to ponder here: Isn’t this Ebony Experiment inconsistent with the Obamaesque notion of a “post-racial America”? Is there a place for an ethnically-exclusive approach to economics in our day and age? And, if so, what does it say about our commitment to diversity, justice, and reconciliation?
I suppose one touchstone of the issue would be what would the response be to me, as a White man, swearing to buy only from White businesses for one year?
Frankly, I think the couple is in a lot of difficulty. The primary reason that “Black money doesn’t bounce” is that they’re aren’t enough Black businesses in the 1st place. How are the couple going to “buy Black” for a year?
This sounds inherently racist. The logical corollary then is that the Andersons should return their degrees (Harvard and Northwestern are not owned by blacks), shun any white contact and in fact not accept paychecks unless they come from black-owned enterprises. Neither should they invest in non-black securities (since John is a financial planner) nor should they accept business from whites and other ethnicities (since their theme seems to be ‘black only’). More importantly, by definition, whites (and Asians and Hispanics) should not be expected to patronize black entertainers, black sports figures, etc. Of course if they simply believe that they should extract the most out of other ethnicities (pay, clients, etc.) and yet only spend their money at black-owned businesses then they are no different than the KKK.
Last week I drove past a “korean” Bank and I thought to myself, “I wonder how many “Asian” banks are failing?” There are those within the Asian community who focus on sowing primarily into businesses of there own culture in order to build up their own race and communities, and they prosper in a way that Black communities, and communities who pour their resources elswhere do not, because in response to the guy in the article who said, “Because of you we will totally avoid black suppliers. Because of you, we will dodge every which way to avoid hiring black employees”, isn’t that pretty much what already happens, anyway? Isn’t that one of the reasons many believe the Ebony experiment to be necessary?
“What would the response be to me, as a White man, swearing to buy only from White businesses for one year?” Most White men do this already, by default and for MANY years, without ever giving it a second thought (because they don’t have to). I’m not so sure that the Ebony experiment is a racist response to white businesses, but rather a pragmatic one, born out of a desire to prosper in a way that other cultures ensure their own success, even though they don’t “have to” intentionally encourage their own people group to invest in the interests of their own communities. I think this is what the Ebony experiment is attempting to do, though I’m not convinced of its potential for success.
My first thought upon reading the Chicago Tribune‘s story is how much fun it must be to shop at the God First, God Last, God Always, Dollar and Up General Store, which I’m pleased to see has a page on FindMeChicago.com.
I admire the Andersons for following a discipline that is not convenient and will enrich the lives of the merchants they choose. In a land so dominated by chain stores and distant stockholders, the concept of even meeting an on-site store owner seems endangered.
I have to wonder if reconciliation-minded Christians may do just as well to send their money through ShoreBank, Pittsburgh’s Dwelling House Saving & Loan, or a credit union in their community.
I think many people will shop close to home, with no regard whatever for anything about a store manager or owner. The personal touch always helps, though. Recently I drove more than 40 miles (roundtrip) to eat at a small restaurant in downtown Richmond, Va., called Louisiana Flair. I choose Louisiana Flair for two reasons: It serves the food of south Louisiana and it is close to the workplace of a friend, which made it easier for us to meet for lunch.
Nathaniel Sams, the owner of Louisiana Flair, served us great food and greeted me as a new friend when I stepped to the counter to pay. If race was a factor between us that day, it remained unspoken. His friendly eyes and ready smile guarantee that I will eat there again.
I don’t see a huge problem with someone trying to support black-owned businesses and trying to support their own culture or community. I guess I do see a problem with it on a larger scale, encouraging all blacks to only buy from black owned businesses all the time, because that does encourage division, and probably a backlash that would end up being detrimental in the end.
I think the way to promote more black owned businesses would be to encourage and enable more black entrepreneurs, rather than create an artificial customer base for the ones that already exist. This artificial customer base is usually unsustainable anyway. It’s like the whole “Buy American” thing. If the Japanese make a better car, then eventually they’re going to win out regardless of “Buy American” programs.
Buying local has positive ramifications. You purchase from your community, from those you live around and from those that you interact with – rather than from big box stores and companies that don’t connect to your community. That doesn’t mean that your money won’t go outside of that realm it just means that it is concentrated in one primary locale.
Perhaps this buying local is what communities need to do – whether black, white, or otherwise. Honestly, in a city as segregated as Chicago buying local, would be buying “black” but not explicitly so. The central premise of supporting one’s community is positive, the dangerous element is defining one’s community primarily by race. Doing so, further widens the gap between races. It takes us further from reconciliation.
There are two flaws that come with comparing this to Asian or Latino businesses. First off, many of the businesses that are patronized by these folks are run by immigrant population. That is a completely different mindset. Once a generation has been in the U.S. they begin to invest more mainstream economics. Also, these businesses serve as a niche resource in the community. Koreans (or Korean-Americans) aren’t going to find Kimchee (a Korean spicy Cabbage) at Walmart, so they go to their local shop.
Also, these ethnic businesses, when they do escape niche markets create isolated enclaves. I liked in Koreatown for a time and everything was Korean, the banks, the shops, everything. While this made me feel like I was in Korea, it realized that many of these folks don’t engage anyone outside of Koreatown, they are isolated and isolating. The greater culture was not able to engage in and value the food, values, language of Koreatown. A multi-cultural nation is one where cultures collide not co-exist.
A final thought, while black business men and women don’t do as well as white business men and women those who are really in need aren’t the ones that own businesses, but those that are working underpaying jobs.
Judy and Blackwasp19,
I agree with both of you. You both touched on points I was referring to when I said I wasn’t convinced that such a project would be successful. People are going to buy the better mouse trap; nor wouldn’t want to live and do business in an isolated enclave.
I meant to say “nor would ‘I’ want to live and do business…”
I don’t think they’re doing anything wrong.
Also, I agree that buying from locally owned businesses would be better for keeping communities strong.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong, but the black community would have to become more entrepreneurial, and the quality of the products and services would have to remain high or else even the African American consumers will go where they can get a better product at a cheaper price. But I would think that even if the community chose to only “Buy Black”, the business proprietors would need to remain open to doing business with Non-Blacks in order to ensure the best product for their consumers.
I’m agree with many of the comments here about buying local. Maybe a better initiative would be to buy regionally rather than racially? Not many communities are purely made up of one ethnicity. It might be more prudent to choose only to buy from people from an underserved community than a specific ethnic group that makes up most of an underserved community.
There is so much that may transpire from this article. First of all, I may need some clarity on what the Andersons mean by “the crisis in the black community.” There is a crisis in the black community in many domains: family, marriage, economy and education — to name a few.
Economically, there has always been a crisis. Blacks have always built the economy of our country, but they have never been the direct beneficiaries of the health of our wealth. They have always been exploited, both by government and the private sector. Fast-food restaurants and retail stores, or grocery stores like Walmart, abound in lower socio-economic neighborhoods, which are predominantly black. Those are multi-billion-dollar industries. While they claim to bring the jobs to those neighborhoods, they walk out with huge profits that amply compensate them for their production of jobs. If black sought to invest only in black businesses, it does not mean that things would get better for blacks, but the blacks businesses would grow and create jobs for blacks. While I do not by any means encourage a separatist way to invest, I believe that many overlook the plight of blacks feeling constantly exploited.
I agree with most of the comments that were made, but I really perceive a need for Christians to help bridge the race gap, for it seems that the Andersons feel compelled to help their race improve by giving them an economic boost of their own making. it probalbly would not work on a large scale, but I know many people who do just that: buy black, so they could help blacks.
Great Post Ed!
The genius of the experiment is the resulting conversation as evidenced by all the comments here. . Those who are prickly about the issue of race will of course see it as a racist experiment. Those who are interested in grappling with the disparities our society creates and maintains will find it intriguing at the least.
There are many nuances to consider here but I’ll just suggest that not only do whites normally do exactly this, but most other immigrants to as well. Jewish, Korean, Middle Eastern and Hispanic communities here in Chicago routinely have a heavily focused correlation between the ethnicities of the owners and clients.
To me it seems unique that most black folks would have to go out of their way to do this intentionally and as has been said, this would be a real challenge.
The shore bank reference is a good one. . . I’d also encourage you to put money in a CD issued by the Southside Community Federal Credit Union in Chicago to facilitate this sort of community investment. A good, safe FDIC insured CD which is used for direct lending in a predominately low-income black community. Plus they are nice folks!!
[…] to jump on the “Year of Living [Adverb]ially” bandwagon in a controversial way: they’re going to exclusively “buy black” – that is, from black business owners and black service providers. As expected, charges of […]
Buying local for me includes banks for sure. I think big corporate banks have lost their souls. At least local banks treat you like a human being. Definitely better service and often better interest rates as well.
This entire concept is somewhat racist. If a white person were to “buy white” for a year he or she would be called a racist by blacks.
From an economic standpoint, the free market should not be driven by race. If a black-owned store was selling a certian product for example, and a white-owned buisness down the street was selling the same product for a better value, why punish the white-owned buisness for being successful in the marketplace?
I highly doubt they will even be able to only buy black. If they needed a doctor for example, would they request a black doctor rather than a white one? If so, that sounds more like an excuse for a racist to pick who they want to be with.
Is the Ebony Experiment racist? I think ultimately that depends on the motivation of the heart, something only the Lord knows. If the goal is a punishing boycott of non-Black businesses motivated by hatred and unforgiveness, it is indeed racist. However, if the motivation is to extend special favor to a marginalized segment of society, we may be looking at a beautiful example of “gracism” (to quote Dr. David Anderson) rather than racism.
As black people we have to build up our own race by any means necessary. Other cultures do , most of the time hurting and exploiting us to do it.
A great depression is coming and if you think people of other races are going to hire you and not their own, you are crazy. Because we suffer from a lack of entrepeneurs we will again bear the brundt of this economic crisis.
We have to take care of our own now!
So what your saying is we need to be segregated. Great, I guess all that work done by Dr. King, you might as well throw that back in his face. Or how about the others who fought for your right to even be allowed to drink from a water fountain, lets just say they believed in a lie. oh well so much for the melting pot of america.
For all the white saying I will not shop again or do business with a black business? I pose a few questions for you. Outside of the neighborhood soul food/ rib shack, what black businesses do you deal with?
Can you name the last time you have been in a black business?
Are there black owned businesses in your community?
Name a black-OWNED contractor, plumber, electrician you have done business with?
Ever step foot in black owned bank to do business and not just make change for a $20 bill?
How many of your white friends and family member frequent black-OWNED businesses.
For blacks I pose the same questions. We blacks have no problem frequenting white owned businesses. Don’t give me that crap about “if customer service is good, it don’t matter what race” cause its very often on the news we hear about class action lawsuits for discrimination against blacks by major retailers and corporations.
Please, this is racist. What ever happened to the notion of a color blind society?
I’m sick of these people with the chips on their shoulders. They need to get over themselves once and for all.
lets take race out of the equation and look at it in a different perspective.
If your child had cancer, are you going to fight for more funding for autism?
The Anderson’s are helping a community that they find close to their heart.
If your white, no one is stopping you from helping the small white owned businesses in your community and if your afraid of being called a racist, you won’t be alone. The Anderson’s are being called racist too!!!
There’s a huge difference between helping a local business and vowing not to use any business owned by another race, blindedbyblonde.
The first is helping your local community; the second is racism.
Black apologists can spew all they want about how it’s OK for the Andersons to do this; it doesn’t change the truth.
The Anderson’s ARE racist, this whole “experiment/empowerment” theory they are bringing forward is ignorant in and of itself. They are wanting to buy only from blacks and segregate again the same way they once had to be EVERYWHERE whites were, schools, restaurants, churchs, Miss America Pagent, more movies and TV. NOW, they want their own schools, etc. back just the way it was before! There is no pleasing these ignorant people! They are trying to make the US another Africa! I SAY NO, HELL NO! Enough crap is enough!
Okay then. I always appreciate the diversity of opinion in the comments here. Occasionally, though, I need clarification. Peroque, you seem a little angry. I’d love to hear your story sometime. Just curious, what do you mean by “these ignorant people”? Is that a reference to the Andersons or a blanket statement? Either way, seems a bit harsh.
How is this not racist? If I said I am only going to use my “white money” to buy from “white stores” the NAACP would be all over me with a lawsuit. Please help me understand why it is not wrong for them, but it is for me.
Absolute RACISM! To only spend your money with someone specifically based on their race is nothing but pure racism. If the shoe were on the other foot and it was a white couple vowing to only buy from white store owners, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be picketing and threatening like crazy.
If these people really wanted to help the black communities there are other things they could do like donate their time and money or set up scholarships for kids in those communities.
There is such a double standard in our society today in regard to race its sickening. There is racism in America, but I think more of it comes from the non-white side- Its just called something else like the Ebony Experiment.
Great idea!! You guys just inspired me to ‘buy white’!
I do not necessarily feel the Anderson’s are meliciously setting out to racially segregate “white” stores. There is nothing wrong with supporting your own culture, as a matter-of-fact, as a white male I would like to contact them and learn what I may do to help. The fact of the matter is, businesses do not have many black owners and the few that do deserve to thrive equally. It is sad to see so many of my own race getting so offended by what the Anderson’s are doing, you are missing the real meaning and it is a shame. This is exactly why America is not nearly as advanced as the Election of President Obama would lead us to believe. So Mr. Gilbreath, if you have any ideas on how I can help please feel free to e-mail me.
Am I wrong in saying that the civil rights movement was about equality? Where the great men and women from that time not searching, fighting and dying for equal rights and opportunities? Why then are their children and grandchildren fighting for separation? Why do they not want to be involved in the local and global communities? I know that the road to equality and friendship between black and whites has been a hard one and its not over yet. What the black community needs to stop trying to separate it self from the rest of the world and start working on solutions to stop the hatred, crime, and poverty that is with in the black community. They need to start educating each other on how not to have three children and be on well fare while the babies daddies are in jail or what ever crime they committed. And we as a white community need to start helping with that, wether it be with funding or just a helping hand we have got to stop judging and rolling our eyes and thinking well thats just the ghetto mentality. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! We need to help each other. Does it not bother any body else that the young black community is keeping them selves enslaved to a life style while new generations of immigrants are thriving here in the US? So yea it has been 400 years and there have been no black walgreens, well I look around and see that they are run by people from Pakistan or India or Mexico! They work hard and let nothing get in their way! They grab America by the horns and say give me all you have and I in turn will give back to this country. So black america, get off your high horse, Jessie Jackson and friends stop complaining and making a spectacle of your self, stop this generational curse that keeps you enslaved. Lets all join together and do this and make us a united country. We are a race of Americans, not blacks, whites or hispanics or what not, we are Americans, only divided if we keep letting this issue of skin tone be out stumbling block.
You know. I got an e-mail from this wuthor that I can not reply back to. If you sent me an e-mail, at least let me reply.
Though I absolutely agree with Ms. Bennett, I do not see anything wrong with supporting your own people.
In old America, the KKK and people like most likely refused to shop at black owned stores or support black businesses if there were any. We know that to be obviously racist. This family comes up and states that they will only shop at black businesses, they might claim it to be in the purpose of science, but obviously it is racist. If a white family even attempted this, they would be labeled racists, the only thing that is stopping this racist label from being branded on this racist family is the fact that they are black.