The Ebony Experiment: Buying Black For a Year
Meet John and Maggie Anderson, a middle-class, Black family willing to change the comfort of their daily life in order to do their part in stimulating a failing economy. For one calender year, the Anderson family has publicly committed to only support Black owned businesses and professionals in hopes to encourage economic growth within the Black community and motivate others to do the same.
This project launched on January 1, 2009 and has already gained national media attention. As of January 26, the Andersons have spent $5,689.64, and have experienced challenges with some of modern life's necessities like finding a Black owned grocery store and gas station. At the experiment's conclusion, a study and book will be published to show their progress and success as well as chronicle the hurdles they encountered along the way. Please keep in mind that they are completely committed to this experiment. This will be no small undertaking and will come at the expense of general convenience. But, they understand that this is bigger than them and necessary to achieve their goal. For more info: http://ebonyexperiment.com
Could your survive buying Black for a year? Do you feel more pride in buying from Black and what are your favorite Black-owned businesses?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by monniej on -
i have never stepped foot in walmart! i have never spent a hard earned dime of my money in their establishment. i found out about their pratices while helping my son on a book report in 2000. again, this is about saving our communities. there are independent businesses of all kinds in my neighborhood and i want to see them survive. it can be done and may just be the way to save our way of life.
marcy said:In a way I see where you are coming from. Kudos to those who take advantage of capitalism, but let's flip the script for a second. If a white person shopped at only white owned businesses, that'd be considered racism. How do those Anderson's do it with all these greedy multi-national corporations everywhere like WalMart
Why is Leo being attacked? He has a valid point about imports. As far as all that skin color mumbo jumbo, why can't we all just be Americans and support capitalism since these greedy corporations kill capitalism.
I just so happened to go to a black owned beauty mart and the service stunk like a septic tank. the clerk behind the counter had an attitude and looked at me like i had a problem when i asked her for help. Merchandise was thrown everywhere. the whole store looked sloppy like they didn't take pride in their store. I'm never shopping there again.
We're better off supporting capitalism regardless of skin color
Am I the only one that sees where Leo is coming from?
Leo said:I think this is truly racist and very ignorant. Why would you deny your dollar to a business because of the color of their skin? Do you realize the products they sell or use in their business are most likely from china or some other country? Wouldn’t it make more sense to not use a product that was not made in the USA? You shared how it was hard to find a Black owned grocery store and gas station. Well let me tell you it is hard to find an individually owned grocery store and gas station. Most are big corporations who have squeezed out the small guy. I see Obama is on your cover. I might be wrong but I thought Obama being elected would help the removal of racism and segregation in America. Sure doesn’t sound like that is what is happening.
Moral of the story get over the color of your skin and Buy American!!!!!!! Promote jobs for anyone who pays the same taxes we do!!
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Permalink Reply by Wla on -
This is wrong. I always support black business but at this time of econmoic crisis we need to be supporting US products. Everyone deserves to eat...you cna't cry racism when it's good for you then turn around & do it to someone else.
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Permalink Reply by monniej on
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why is being pro black viewed as negative everything else? it's not my fault that most of the businesses in my community are black. they've made a decision to open their businesses in my neighborhood, even though in some cases they could do better somewhere else. i'm an american and no matter how much i might want to there are some things that i may have to venture out of my community to purchase. i don't understand making this a racial issue. what am i missing here?
Wla said:This is wrong. I always support black business but at this time of econmoic crisis we need to be supporting US products. Everyone deserves to eat...you cna't cry racism when it's good for you then turn around & do it to someone else.
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Permalink Reply by Leo on
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My Point was that is wrong to seek out only black owned businesses. I applaud you for not shopping at Wal-Mart I too believe their practices are wrong and are at the root of the problems we are facing today. Out-source, Out-Source, Out-Source whether it is manufacturing or services. Yes Black people are Americans but so are white people. So are you saying these big chains are owned by white people? They are owned by our own greed! (The Stock Market) Most are publicly held and profits are driven by the stock market. In order for their stocks to show increases every quarter (and make people want to buy them) they need to find new ways to show profits and that includes all their bad labor practices. I agree; you should support the small guy not the chains. It just should not matter what color your skin is.
Leo
LaKeyshia said:Isn't supporting Black owned businesses supporting American busninesses. Are black people non-American in this country now? Whoever cry's reverse racisim is crazy because large captialist business have enough money to advertise and over-take small businesses so how is buying black affecting them in anyway. I get rude service and attitudes in Walmarts and other national store chains.
I think it's great idea to support black owned businesses! I only wished there were more black owned businesses in my area.
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Permalink Reply by Sharon L. Comer on -
We all can survive buying black. First you buy based on quality and professionalism then you find what you are looking for from black owned businesses. That way we reward those you have a standard of excellence and then it causes a ripple effect of higher standards. Doing it in that order will cause all sorts of people to "buy black". We have to continue to raise the bar.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Bailey on
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Great Idea, I think its about time we stood up and for ourselves. And, for all too see what great people we are.. Its a shame we can spend our money with others and never, NEVER see it come back into our communties. I support them and I tell you I will start looking in Chicago for more Black-owned Business.
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Permalink Reply by Sonja Perdue on -
Chicago's Black Business Network.com is down with The Ebony Experience.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORKS!
Sonja Perdue
Founder
Chicago's Black Business Network.com
Host of CBBN on Blog Talk Radio
Chicago’s Black Business Network
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Permalink Reply by Sandra Price on -
I think this is a great Idea and I wish them well in their quest. I watched 'the oprah effect' one day last week or early this week where this one woman is doing everything 'oprah' anything oprah likes or says to read or promotes this woman is doing and spending only on that. I thought "how interesting" So this story is certainly worth keepin an eye on..
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Permalink Reply by Terry D. Morrison on
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This subject has been bothering since I became a Man and now I'm 49 years old. I learned about Kwanzaa in 1980 and it was created by a Man with 2 Doctorate degrees in 1966. It has 7 core principles. And one of those principles is UJAMAA ie COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS. And it is defined as ," To build and maintain our own stores and shops and other businesses and to profit from them together". And what this family is "Doing", is practicing Africentric Culture according to Kwanzaa. But not out of Love for the African American community (Self) it seems but rather for the Love of the Nation. (WHICH ONE SHOULD COME 1st) ( Bill Cosby says,"Come on People". But people have to have their "PRIORITIES", right before they can,"COME ON". You don't put the cart before the horse when Bill gets done talking) I Love what they are doing but I have a problem with their reason for doing it.( "in order to do their part in stimulating a failing economy") Me being a person that studied the whole concept, principals and philosophy of Kwanzaa and observed the actions in our community feel that the African American Community has had a failing economy for many years. I'm talking about us not buying "necessary businesses" when we should so that we can claim ownership and have a Cultural reason (That Positive BINDING GLUE) for hiring African American workers just like "OUR" Kwanzaa principals tells us to. I've been argueing about this subject for years and years but 90 % of the African Americans that I have this conversation with finds a resigning reason to not try. Reasons like," Black folks will do you wrong", or "Black folks will charge you waaay more", or "Niggas ain't going to do it right". The "Good Book" says "So a Man thinkith, so is he". And I say fix what's broken. If we have bad customer service ethics then we ought to make a program that works on that. If we charge too much for items, bring the big-shot Black folks out and persuasivly talk to that store owner. Don't just give-up. The Stakes are too high. We should'nt not fix a problem because it's hard. I buy Black whenever I can because other folks look out for their own "group", best interests 1st and we should too! If all African Americans do what this family and I are doing we won't just "survive, we will be developing. And to be honest, I resent the writer calling what this family and others are doing, "an experiment". HELLOOOO, it's what other ethnic groups have always done and what we only stop doing in large part since desegregation. Dr. King said we want the right to go to their stores and be treated equally. He did't say close our businesses down and just go to other ethnic groups businesses. If we as a people stop hating on our own Culture you'll find that many of our internal problems will go away. ( And we wonder what's wrong with our youth) Have a great day !
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Permalink Reply by Terry D. Morrison on
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Hello, I'm Brother Terry and I respectfully have a problem with calling what this family is doing,"an experiment"! We had been doing this in large part from the end of our Slavery until the early1970's. (After Dr. Kings assasenation) And why a commitment for one year? I have an uncle that's 81 years old and he's been doing it all of his adult life. I do understand that certain businesses in our communities are not,"Black Owned". But my uncle and I ,"Buy Black", whenever we can. How this article is presented is a "Testament", to the fact that we don't even know our recent history let alone long, long time ago History. And we wonder what's wrong with the children! I have a question for reasonable thinking African Americans. Did you know that what this family is doing is part of our Culture and Tradition? And do you understand how important it is? Did you know that what this family is doing is one of the Seven principals of Nguzo Saba/Kwanzaa/ the Kawaida philosophy? I'm 49 years old and I learned about Kwanzaa in the early 80's. I have another question. What % of our Editors, School Teachers, Clergy, Civic Leaders, Business Professionals, "Educated African Americans", can recite the 7 principals of Nguzo-Saba without help, RIGHT NOW? I am ashamed. I got another question. I wonder if Tavis Smiley, Bill Cosby, Alvin Pusant (?), Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Oprah, Cornell West, etc can tell us what non-Religious Philosophy, Game Plan, Strategy, is more bennificial for the African American Community than Kawaida/Nguzo-Saba/Kwanzaa? Or are we too afaid of the African words to even look into it? I often wonder if African Americans know less about our History, Culture and Human interests than all other ethnic groups in America. Oh, and by the way Kwanzaa has been on paper in this Country since 1966. Please read about it and let us know if you know of anything non-religious, more powerful! Thank You Terry
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