via Flickr
A litany of reasons exists around why fewer Black people are buying Black. Some factors are rooted in practicality and economic disparity, such as location and the affordability of products at big-box chains.
But other reasons are steeped in dangerous stigmas and stereotypes.
There’s a circulating belief amongst many Black people regarding Black businesses that we don’t often address: the idea that they are inferior.
Such myths are not only killing these businesses but also the possibility of collective economic independence.
Preferences for national brands versus Black-owned ones might be linked to the politics of respectability. It might even be a means to give the middle finger to a world that has denied Black people so much.
As noted by Ron Busby, president of the U.S. Black Chambers, “There’s a myth that’s been placed on our communities for many generations: White people’s ice is colder. White businesses are superior to Black businesses.”
Letting go of negative and false biases that confirm negative beliefs about Black people could be the key to the survival of Black businesses.
Instead of creating wealth for others, let’s put our 1.2 trillion dollar buying power to good use. Let’s create wealth within our communities by releasing these stigmas and buying Black!
It takes more effort, but in the end, it’s what’s best for us.