Consumers are scratching to survive the economic crisis and small businesses being hit as worse as corporations. Yet, in this treacherous economic climate, John C. Anderson and his wife, Maggie Anderson have vied to "buy black" to show support for black businesses the entire year.
Mr. Anderson, a Harvard graduate with a MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and Mrs. Anderson has a JD and MBA from the University of Chicago, said they will make every possible effort to hire or work with black owned businesses or professionals whenever they need to make a purchase or they are in need of services.
"We hope to prove that African-American communities can be improved when African-American consumers and investors support their own," said Mr. Anderson.
The Andersons, who live in a Chicago suburb, have pioneered "The Ebony Experiment," a grass-roots campaign that seeks to encourage middle-and upper-class blacks to buy exclusively from black companies and professionals during 2009 to stimulate job creation and overall economic growth.
"We will prove that we have everything we need to maximize our community's potential – if we just learn to strategically and seriously support our own strengths," said Mr. Anderson.
For the Andersons, "The Ebony Experiment" will be no small undertaking as they will transition their standing contracts and household expenditures which include loans, utility bills, credit cards, etc., to truly execute their initiative.
The Andersons will track their progress on the experiment's Web site, www.ebonyexperiment.com. The website will feature a ticker that tracks the Anderson's expenditures in real time with a national goal of one million dollars by 2010.
"During the coming months we want ‘The Ebony Experiment' to become a national movement connecting black consumers and investors to black businesses and professionals," said Mrs. Anderson.
Mrs. Anderson also created a blog where she shares the triumphs and disasters of buying black.
Campaigns that encourage support of black owned businesses have been around a long time. The Andersons suggest that the experiment will be the first time a black couple provides an invitation to watch how they do it and follow their lead.
There are nearly 2.5 million African-American households with incomes over $100,000, the Andersons say. These are the households ‘The Ebony Experiment' will target.
"The black community is energized and engaged as we look to 2009. This is the perfect time to leverage that excitement by maximizing the potential of our business community and the bargaining power of black consumers and investors," said Mr. Anderson.
The concept has attracted the attention of numerous leaders and scholars including renowned author Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and Steven Rogers, the director of the Levy Institute of Entrepreneurial Practice at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
At the end of the experiment, a comprehensive study and book are planned, according to the Andersons.
"Ultimately, this will unify the struggling and successful sectors of the black community so we can determine and improve our standing together," Mr. Anderson said.
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29 comments
as you just did. Racism thats all you can say then the rest is jibberish and dont make sense lmao. And dont lie your not white. If your are then you are BET cultured witch means your black, everyone here has made perfect sense, its like you didnt even read anything, by the way my WIFE and her entire family is asian, and they eat at asian restraunts not to support asians but because thats what they eat, and they dont eat ASIAN ONLY as you people like to say. Yeah thats right "you people" racist biggot niggs. and nor does any asian think hey my goal is to ONLY support asians only. You will never hear an asian person whining about anything like blacks do. they are to proud and its not in there culture to act like a whiney baby, By the way every asian restraunt I go to has more whites then asian and please sir, dont confuse the ancient and proud cultures of asians and caucasians, with that of Black America of witch has no culture but a hip hop prison jail mentality, television music video invented culture, time to integrate, But I tell ya my goal now too, is to ONLY BUY WHITE ONLY and I dont care if a "slave" made the product as long as the money goes to white, AH OH I white and I said I will buy white only, thats racist right. SO GO CRY WHY DONT YOU.
"I will not buy at 'white' stores"...? Absolutely, unequivocally, RACIST.
This 'buy black' story is on a huge amount of news and other sites.
The entire 'black' thing makes me sick.
It literally turns my stomach how things like this are allowed, sanctioned and promoted!
I am of Irish descent. However, I am American. Not Irish-American.
I don't bitch, piss and moan about the injustices upon Irish peoples of early America or the injustices in Ireland by the British, such as; slavery. Yes, many Irish people had been sold into slavery as well.
"Minority". The term should be abolished. Technically, I am a minority. Where are my "special" rights?
"Black"-anything should be eradicated, outlawed. Black News, etc. Completely racist materials.
A black person can walk through a white neighborhood and be asked if they need a ride.
Driving through a black neighborhood, people had thrown bottles at my car and yelled racial slurs.
Blatant intolerance.
America needs to end the "babying" and cut every minority program.
Tell the real news, speak the truth, call a spade a spade.
Equal rights for everyone. Not unequal rights.
Racial crimes should be re-labeled as terrorist crimes and treated as such.I once heard on tv that police using dogs was racist lol. It never ends.
Police should use dogs muzzled with tasers.Until America strips away all special terms for groups of people, this will never stop.
It is absolutely unjust to allow one group of people the distinct privilege of having their own everything and disallow it for other groups of people. That in itself is purely racist.Anti-white is anti-American and should be treated as such.- Thank you.Severely sick of it all American.
getting ridiculous, yes, Its not racist when, how do you people say? TELL LIKE IT IS? Well read, people are telling it like it is and all you can say is racism blah blah blah,
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.
Yeah we no, racism I am a black slave who cant read and the lenders targeted me. yeah yeah yeah .
Here is some great knowledge for all ya retards who learn everything you no by watching only bet or cnn. "LOSERS" Stop playing victom slave its grossly disgusting, Well the NAACP is playing black slavery victom card as we speek lol. Just like everything else. Go ahead but no that all white people see through you all now and are done with your crap way of thinking. Instead of blaming your loser parentless parents or yourselves for your loser failure hip hop culture way of life. KEEP ON BLAMING WHITEY LMFAO.
That racist whaaaa whaaaa im criing so hard I am a fatherless cry baby,. wow black people neeed to chill the F out dude. You people are Fing wierd