Racism in full swing... Options

[impala454]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519965,00.html

Maggie and John Anderson of Chicago vowed four months ago that for one year, they would try to patronize only black-owned businesses.

Never understood the notion of making things equal by making them unequal...

[Hartmann]

I'll go out on a limb here and say that it seems like they are not saying they want to discriminate, but instead encourage supporting black businesses. It follows the idea that I think Booker T. Washington or MLK Jr. stated (can't remember), that African Americans cannot change the minds and attitudes of whites, but must change their own attitudes.

As long as there is no discrimination, I see no issue with encouraging black businesses, in fact, it's a good idea.

[impala454]

I'll go out on a limb here and say that it seems like they are not saying they want to discriminate, but instead encourage supporting black businesses.

Replace the word black with white and decide if it sounds like discrimination to you.

[Inferia]

Replace the word black with white and decide if it sounds like discrimination to you.

I think you have to make a point. Their idea is to support business owners and entrepreneurship for black Americans. If somehow white people are underrepresented in some form or another in this country as a result of historical discrimination or lack of self-confidence in doing certain things, than I don't think it's that big of a deal. It is very much like the people who do the $1-a-day diet, it's to bring awareness to world poverty, not because they hate people who can afford to eat more than $1 a day. Alternatively, you can do that $1000-a-day diet, but I'm not exactly sure what point you would be proving then.

[impala454]

I think you have to make a point. Their idea is to support business owners and entrepreneurship for black Americans. If somehow white people are underrepresented in some form or another in this country as a result of historical discrimination or lack of self-confidence in doing certain things, than I don't think it's that big of a deal. It is very much like the people who do the $1-a-day diet, it's to bring awareness to world poverty, not because they hate people who can afford to eat more than $1 a day. Alternatively, you can do that $1000-a-day diet, but I'm not exactly sure what point you would be proving then.

What difference does the intention make in whether or not it's racist? And "historical discrimination" doesn't mean anything. These people aren't shopping black businesses because of historical reasons. They just want those businesses to succeed for the sole reason that the owner is black. That, is racism.