The Ebony Experiment

3/23/09

This article, that I posted the week before spring break really struck me as a couple who is very much involved in their immersion / emersion stage of Racial Identity Development. They really want to support the Black economy and help other Black people thrive in this failing economy. It doesn't say anywhere in the article that they even pay attention to White people - they're kind of off the radar and more focused on their own racial group.

What I found interesting is although this family lives in Oak Park (a relatively diverse community) which is near the city, we still see the effects of oppression that are found elsewhere. The article stated that this family had to drive fourteen miles to buy groceries. That is actually surprising to me - I would have thought that there would be more Black owned stores and companies than it appears.

I'm personally very glad I have taken this class because I am armed with the knowledge about racism, so that I don't sound ignorant like this one letter the Anderson family received:

"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.""

Black people cannot be racist. Racism is a system where minorities are oppressed... and minorities cannot do the oppressing. It's really sad, actually that people can be so ignorant to not understand that this "Ebony Experiment" as they called it, was not to bash White businesses, but rather to help boost their fellow Black community members.