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On so many occasions, for so many people, such talk usually
ends when the waiter brings the check. The Andersons
discussed action on this occasion, however. They knew that
Black America has a buying power approaching one trillion
dollars annually but that not much of those dollars end up
in the black community – two percent typically goes to
black-owned businesses.
Finally, several years later, the Andersons were ready to
take action. In 2009, they went black – they made the effort
to only buy black. And what an effort it was.
Black-owned grocery stores were particularly difficult to
find, black-owned clothing stores almost as rare. Long
drives through the inner city to find businesses that had
closed before the Andersons arrived.
The Andersons chronicled their adventures on a web site and
then in a book titled Our Black Year.
Why was Anderson so driven to undertake such a challenge –
the “Empowerment Experiment?”
“It was mostly guilt,” Anderson told The Truth several years
ago when we spoke to her from her home in Chicago. “And
secondly, frustration. As a financially-blessed black
mother, I felt so powerless and frustrated by the asymmetry
between all out talents, resources and buying power … and
what was actually represented in and reinvested in our
neighborhoods. I hated feeling like the system and some
unknown, uncontrollable forces were dictating the future of
my kids and my community. The Experiment showed me that I
could do something and that everything that hurts us is
absolutely reversible. That kind of enlightenment and
empowerment is a precious blessing that cannot be expressed
in words. The overwhelming sense of depression is gone now
because I support black businesses every day.”
What do black-owned business need to do to enhance their
presence in the consciousness of potential black consumers?
“I get that question a lot because people see struggling
black businesses that are not delivering the best possible
goods, value or service and use that as an excuse not to
seek and support their own,” said Anderson. “So those folks
want to hear Maggie Anderson blame our businesses so they
can be justified for preventing the recycling of our wealth
and feel no responsibility for contributing to the demise of
our culture and neighborhoods.
“I think that if our people were to look at how hard it is
for our businesses and accept responsibility for crippling
them, maybe we'd focus more on supporting them and less on
stereotyping and criticizing them and talking about what
they need to do to earn our business. And then we
should be spending just at least as much time talking about
what all those mainstream brands and all those outside
groups, that do nothing for our community, need to do to
earn our blind support.”
What are the great challenges for black-owned businesses in
their pursuit to grab a piece of the consumers' dollars?
“It is obvious that the major problem facing our businesses
is lack of access to capital and influencers,” said
Anderson. “In addition, the spirit of entrepreneurship has
faded in our community. Before, it was a survival strategy.
Other folks would not hire or sell to us, so we were forced
to create for, sell to and hire each other. We did it and
got better and better at it. Our businesses, as they were
able to depend on a loyal black consumer base, made money
and were able to re-invest in their own growth, while
gradually being able to control more parts of the supply
chain relevant to their industry. They were able to
diversify, own multiple firms and had the wherewithal to
support each other's businesses, even if it cost a little
more to do so.”
What are the long-range benefits for the black community as
a whole when we become infuse with the spirit to support our
own black businesses?
“We believe that these challenges can be resolved with
heightened and proactive demand from black consumers,” said
Anderson. “We must focus on supporting top-quality black
businesses that do exist. Once we do that, those businesses
can grow and locate their plants and retail outlets in
underserved black neighborhoods. Not only could they counter
unemployment there, they could help attract more investment
– black and not – to the struggling areas that are currently
underserved.
“Another major impact is that black businesses trying to
earn more contracts and partnerships with major main stream
corporations can more effectively negotiate and might even
be actively recruited if those big firms see the power of a
mobilized black consumer base. We would see a lot more of
our products on the shelves of the major retailers, a lot
more black franchises and a lot more contracts being given
to our entrepreneurs and professionals if corporate America
were to see that black consumers are starting to be more
loyal to black businesses.”
In the time since Maggie Anderson started The Empowerment
Experiment Foundation, she has appeared on a variety of
television and radio shows explaining the purpose of the
Experiment.
Anderson earned her BA from Emory University and her law
degree and masters of business administration from the
University of Chicago.
“I cannot, after our journey and living my life as a
conscious consumer now, say that black businesses need to do
more to appeal to me,” said Anderson. “Once I realized how
important it was to find them, I was able to support them.
It is not as hard as people think” |
