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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009

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|NEXT STORY »

Couple Buys Black-Owned Only in 'Ebony Experiment'

By Nick McMaster| Posted Mar 9, 09 3:32 PM CDT|

(Newser) – A Chicago family is trying to use its household spending to invest in the black community by buying exclusively from black-owned businesses for 1 year, the Tribune reports. The Andersons’ ambitious “Ebony Experiment” has them driving 14 miles for groceries (and farther for other stuff) and has earned hate mail accusing them of racism—but they say it’s worth the costs.

“More than anything, this is a learning thing,” said Maggie Anderson, who has a law degree and an MBA. Her financial-adviser husband concurs: It’s “an academic test about how to reinvest in an underserved community.” The couple has set up a website to promote the businesses they patronize and have invited Northwestern academics to analyze the impact of their spending on the community.

[Images (1)]

[Videos (1)]

John and Maggie Anderson, the Chicago couple behind the 'Ebony Experiment.' (EbonyExperiment.com)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

The Ebony Experiment is grounded in John and Maggie Anderson's public pledge to try to exclusively support Black businesses and professionals and buy Black-made products for all of 2009. (EEFounder)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

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41 comments

VIEWING:

JeansNotGrey
Mar 9, 09 4:20 PM CDT

How righteous. Well, in the spirit, I think I'll only buy from white people for a year. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

shaniqua.jackson
Mar 9, 09 4:36 PM CDT

i'm black and i'm livid !! folks need to get a life and these morons just don't get it. this is absurd in 2009. i' m guessing they would approve of white only supporting white........nah; didn't think so. that would be racist. whatver they think/say, they are racist and devisive. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

NutsInNY
Mar 10, 09 12:12 AM CDT

you are a right wing troll

IN RESPONSE:

Rob
Mar 10, 09 12:34 PM CDT

Nuts, you are a left wing whack job with skewed moral judgment. And I say this realizing that only left wing whacks are allowed to openly stoop to name calling and feel it is acceptable. Don’t bother responding. You aren’t worth it.

| 0 minutes ago

piesmusher
Mar 9, 09 4:54 PM CDT

who cares? Reply

| 0 minutes ago

paul123
Mar 9, 09 5:00 PM CDT

What's the point of it all? Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Sniffer
Mar 9, 09 6:03 PM CDT

This comment has been removed by Newser’s community. You must be logged in to view this comment. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

pplgoncrazi
Mar 9, 09 8:58 PM CDT

yes

| 0 minutes ago

MedicOni
Mar 9, 09 6:09 PM CDT

I'm still amazed at how they are not considered racist, but most people would consider anyone who shops only at places owned by white people as racist Reply

IN RESPONSE:

pplgoncrazi
Mar 9, 09 8:59 PM CDT

Only whites are racist?

| 0 minutes ago

anchower
Mar 9, 09 6:20 PM CDT

You know why this isn't racist? Because black people never enslaved white people, or lynched white people, or subjected white people to Jim Crow, or locked up every white man they possibly could. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

PhillytoWinnetka
Mar 9, 09 8:16 PM CDT

Actually, blacks can pat their African ancestors on the back for slavery. Way back when warring tribes captured each other's people, they would enslave them. Before long "enterprising" tribe leaders decided it would be much more lucrative to sell the captured blacks to Europeans, etc . Try really hard to look at all the facts of history, rather than swallow down those that have been revised and re-manufactured in order to further myths about the origins of slavery in the pre 20th century USA. No doubt slavery is a sad chapter in our history. We need to finally move on from it.

IN RESPONSE:

shaniqua.jackson
Mar 9, 09 11:14 PM CDT

nigga

IN RESPONSE:

radnip
Mar 10, 09 3:16 AM CDT

Blacks enslave/enslaved blacks. Is that a problem?

IN RESPONSE:

Chilblain
Mar 10, 09 2:32 PM CDT

No but Africans enslaved each other long before and after the "white man" came. The problem isn't race, its human nature. All humans.

IN RESPONSE:

anchower
Mar 10, 09 4:01 PM CDT

EastCoastPhilly: Whatever. Intra-African slavery was nowhere near as bad as slavery in the Americas. Read a book, you dumb, hypocritical, racist s---.

IN RESPONSE:

northeast
Mar 10, 09 7:53 PM CDT

Anchower, all he's saying is that slavery and racism aren't unique to white people.

IN RESPONSE:

Rob
Mar 11, 09 5:57 AM CDT

You haven't got a clue, Anchower. You are amking stuff up and aren't even smart enough to know it.

| 0 minutes ago

Umlaut
Mar 9, 09 7:09 PM CDT

There is some confusion here about the essence of racism. Racism is fuelled by hatred and steered by ignorance; this couple is clearly just not going down that road. For those of you who think that these people are engaging in racism, open your mind and read the article. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Rob
Mar 10, 09 12:35 PM CDT

Of course it is racism. You can twist it every which way and it smells the same.

IN RESPONSE:

ezrider
Mar 11, 09 9:13 AM CDT

Amen

| 0 minutes ago

bunn16
Mar 9, 09 7:20 PM CDT

The people who enslaved blacks have been dead a long time. The blacks alive today have never been slaves and this is racist no matter how you spin it. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

NutsInNY
Mar 10, 09 12:16 AM CDT

Read: racism is over because I'm tired of hearing about it.

| 0 minutes ago

PhillytoWinnetka
Mar 9, 09 8:06 PM CDT

How can they be sure that every black business owner is in fact 100% black? Are they going to ask them to submit a family tree and blood test? It's ridiculous b/c they are black. If they were white...it would be considered racism. I guess this is progress??? Reply

| 0 minutes ago

JeansNotGrey
Mar 9, 09 9:36 PM CDT

My ancestors were enslaved by the Nords for over 5 centuries. And you know what? I don't care. Get over it. We don't punish German children for what their grandparents did in the 40's. Black slavery doesn't even come close to some of the things that are going on in the world right now. Why do we continue looking behind us? There are problems RIGHT NOW that we can actually change. So stop singling yourselves out with things like BET and Ebony Experiments, and be a part of the world. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

NutsInNY
Mar 10, 09 12:18 AM CDT

You hear that Black people: you have upset the Angry White Whales with your talk of racism, so stop it right now or they will throw the label 'racist' right back at you! Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Addyp
Mar 10, 09 1:37 AM CDT

So I take it only an enlightened person such as your self would dismiss reasonable arguments so cavalierly while depending on shallow ad hominem attacks to further your points ad discredit others? Liberals like you give the rest of us a bad name. Go take a critical reasoning class.

IN RESPONSE:

NutsInNY
Mar 10, 09 5:21 AM CDT

Confused sentences like this give the English language a bad name: "So I take it only an enlightened person such as your self would dismiss reasonable arguments so cavalierly..."

IN RESPONSE:

Rob
Mar 10, 09 12:37 PM CDT

You are still a fool, Nuts. No matter how many posts you make or snarky lines you write. A fool.

| 0 minutes ago

BackAgain
Mar 10, 09 5:43 AM CDT

Ok the point is that if a whitey did this or even thought it the Black Machines would crucify them. Another Democratic double standard! Stand on principle. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

shady_lane
Mar 10, 09 8:44 AM CDT

Well given that most Americans, white or otherwise, spend 99% of their money at white-owned businesses, I don't think it would be difficult for a white person to manage this. I fail to see how wishing to support an underrepresented group in American business could ever be called racism. It's not racist to want to support your own community. When people say "Buy American" are they xenophobes? Give me a break.

| 0 minutes ago

magooflower
Mar 10, 09 9:39 AM CDT

Let a white person buy only form white retailers and see how it will take for them to be called racists. Not long. I don't care which way you look at it, what they are doing is racist, but it's only WRONG if a white person does it. Srewed up. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

wwwonderer
Mar 10, 09 10:04 AM CDT

Here's the thing. The reason for such a movement is that blacks have been driven out of legitimate business unfairly. Blacks have been discriminated against unfairly. Any remember Jim Crow, let alone slavery, or the Klan --a Christian organization. Who remembers the Nat King Cole show? Not many. Why? Because no company would sponsor such a show for fear of boycotts and other retaliation, and the show never gets moving. It is residue from slavery and Jim Crow. In the history of America, blacks have spent more time IN slavery than OUT. Secondly it is about supporting ones culture. Not being a racist, but when an Asian immigrant comes over and sets up a shop, they earn some money, send that money back to bring someone else over to set up a shop, and the cycle continues. Keeping money in the black community is a worthwhile goal for those in the black community. Here's a hint. All you right wing nuts that want to be tough on crime, try being tough on poverty and see what happens. Being tough on crime and building more jails and enacting tougher sentencing is like being tough on broken legs and building more crutches and enacting more stringent cast-wearing guidelines; you're only treating the effect, not the cause. Better economic conditions IN ANY IMPOVERISHED AREA will reduce petty crime. And if you choose to support a store that supports your community then fine, it's your money. White corporations found this out some time ago: If you don't want to feed blacks --or asians, or latinos, or muslims, or gays, or whatever-- in your restaurant, there are other businesses that will take their money. Now, I don't think it will work as they have to buy their electricity, gas, and city services from someone. And I'm black BTW. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Sniffer
Mar 10, 09 12:19 PM CDT

This comment has been removed by Newser’s community. You must be logged in to view this comment. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Rob
Mar 10, 09 12:39 PM CDT

Not angry. Just sick of the victim mentality and the extreme sense of "anything goes" privilege. Oh yes, and the fact that you are smugly racist doesn’t help.

| 0 minutes ago

chasmokasperski
Mar 10, 09 2:10 PM CDT

Fuck all of you. the problem stays alive when you keep a light shining on it. bad things have happened to people everywhere everytime in anyway possible. shit just happens. here's an example of shit happening: I'm white. didn't choose it, ain't gonna loose it, quite frankly I'm not too proud of it. but i am white, and that's that. what are we to do about it? Reply

| 0 minutes ago

ezrider
Mar 10, 09 3:28 PM CDT

Lets see if i buy only from blacks for ONE YEAR at 30 years old ,but before and after it does not matter why am i racist?(this is overblown) Reply

| 0 minutes ago

riffran
Mar 10, 09 5:13 PM CDT

Now if there was a IVORY experiment, that would be a no no.....you cant justify one misdeed by pointing out past misdeeds, and whining well YOU did it....it's still wrong....and as for this ebony experiment....whatever...just more breeding of hate and resentment, whether it's their intention or not Reply

IN RESPONSE:

ezrider
Mar 10, 09 9:41 PM CDT

Where do you see that those people would not buy from whites at all.It said for ONE YEAR.There are mInority own stores where i live and i have never seen whites in ,but that don't mean that they don't shop there because the owner are black.The only things that they are wrong for is advertisng this and not thinking about who it may hurt. WE ALL NEED TO GROW UP

| 0 minutes ago

Tetjet
Mar 10, 09 6:29 PM CDT

A Nation of Cowards … Let’s Talk About Race The Nation’s chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Eric Holder, says that “we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. If we are to make progress in this area, we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough with each other to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us.” Well let’s talk in honest, brave and real world terms about racial bias of past profiles in courage and cowardice that prevent our citizens from overcoming the important divisions that plague our nation. Mr. Holder says he wants “frank conversations about race,” but it is unclear what he means. He is tragically remiss if he fails to acknowledge the long cowardly history of minorities getting a pass for their racism, while many innocent whites are often unapologetically destroyed with false accusations of bigotry, persecuted for imaginary offenses and exploited by race merchants who eagerly denounce them for personal gain. Leery white folks often speak of race with carefully worded apologies and guilt laden tones to avoid expulsion, revulsion and labels of RACISM! Meanwhile, many black celebrities, politicians and journalists act as though they are the only one’s qualified to address racial matters because after all, their ancestors were victims of slavery nearly 150 years ago. Well beyond this tragic past we’ve had blacks elected, appointed and success attained at every conceivable level of the American dream. Race baiters preaching black victim-hood, political correctness police and liberal elites stand ready to club and pounce on any white man who dares to comment honestly about their view of race relations in America. Mr. Holder’s comments are more pardonable than former felon Mark Rich, but no less offensive. There are reasons that millions of white Americans distrust Barack Obama, with his “hate whitey” Jeremiah Wright affiliations at the Trinity United Church, just as we would distrust anyone else who hatefully denigrated blacks and disparaged our country. The appointment of Eric Holder and his incendiary comments add to pre election concerns that questionable affiliations really do matter, redistribution of wealth is wrong and our country is under siege by liberal elites who have no understanding of Middle America and the values that made this country great. If Mr. Holder wants frank discussion of racial matters in the future then let’s first define what that mans to have civil rights, those rights which are considered to be unquestionable; deserved by all people under all circumstances, especially without regard to race, creed, color or gender. Are we really a nation of civil rights or has this inalienable right been weapon-ized by the left? Civil?: (1987) Tawana Brawley falsely accuses six white men (who are assumed guilty) of rape, and Reverend Al Sharpton uses this incidence to achieve national recognition... Reply

IN RESPONSE:

northeast
Mar 10, 09 7:59 PM CDT

Jesus Christ, if people wanted to read big things they wouldn't come to Newser!

| 0 minutes ago

View all 41 comments »

race • Chicago • African Americans • economics • business • black • experiments • African-Americans • Northwestern University

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