US News
Warren Ballentine calls day of boycotts for African-Americans
By Karyn Chenoweth Nov 1, 2007, 15:56 GMT
Al Sharpton - © J. Bailey / PR Photos
Black America is fed up with injustice and racism, says Warren Ballentine, a nationally syndicated radio host who is hoping to send Washington a message this week by calling for a mass boycott.
CNN reports that Ballantine who is asking African-Americans to boycott businesses for a Friday "national blackout," has been called un-American.
He says that is not the case.
"The history of our country is about what I'm calling for," Ballentine said. "If the federal government is not doing what it's supposed to do, we protest. There's nothing more American than what I'm calling for."
According to CNN, the tipping point for the boycott are in the headline news: Nooses hung in public places; the case of six teens charged as adults with attempted murder in Jena, Louisiana, after a racially charged school fight; the conviction of Genarlow Wilson, a black teen charged with child molestation after having consensual oral sex with another teen; and the rape and torture of Megan Williams, a West Virginia woman forced to eat animal feces by six whites who berated her with racial slurs.
Ballentine's hope is that elected officials will listen when money talks.
His efforts have drawn the support of several heavy hitters in the civil rights movement, the Rev. Al Sharpton among them.
CNN reports that if the more than 40 million African-Americans keep their wallets in their purses and pockets Friday, the effects will be felt.
CNN lists States that led the nation in terms of black buying power in 2006:
• New York -- $75.6 billion
• Texas -- $58.1 billion
• California -- $55.7 billion
• Georgia -- $54.4 billion
• Florida -- $52.7 billion
• Maryland -- $47 billion
• Illinois -- $39.4 billion
• North Carolina -- $35.9 billion
• Virginia -- $35.1 billion
• Michigan -- $31.8 billion
Source: Selig Center for Economic Growth
The number is skewed, too, because it doesn't account for expenditures such as mortgage payments and utility bills, said Selig Center Director Jeffrey Humphreys. Housing-related expenditures, which account for 36 percent of money doled out by black consumers, are "unlikely to be affected by a one-day boycott," he said.
Dr. Claud Anderson, president of the Harvest Institute, a Washington-based think devoted to black empowerment, applauds the idea of "group economics."
Asians, Arabs, Hispanics, Jews and whites in the United States generally spend money among themselves, "bouncing" dollars an average of six to 18 times before the money leaves the communities, he said.
"The black dollar does not bounce, not one time in America," Anderson said. "The only way to eradicate these problems in the black community is to help these people do what everyone else does."
Sharpton said in a statement that until recently the federal government had a good record of combating racism over the past 50 years.
President Eisenhower defended the Little Rock Nine, President Kennedy protected the Freedom Riders and President Johnson stood up for voting rights, "but this federal government has done nothing for the Jena 6 or to stem the rising tide of hate that includes a proliferation of nooses and swastikas," Sharpton said.
CNN reports that Ballentine, who is known as "the people's attorney," said he also is dismayed by issues like shoddy imports from China, the outsourcing of jobs overseas, the housing market's flood of foreclosures and President Bush's request for $196 billion in war spending and his veto of a children's health insurance bill.
Ballentine said he realizes it will be impossible for everyone to make it through the day without spending a dime. If you have to spend money, Ballentine said, be conscious of where it's going.
"Spend it with people or organizations that are actually doing things to help us and our community," he said. "My hope is that we can all come together. Part of our healing is working together."
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Older Talkback
page: 1
If society isn't shallow then the comment above wouldn't have reflected such.The Blackout to is show that WE as a people are tired of the differential treatment recieved.. it is a known fact which is greater then the baggy pants,and slang used. this is the way All Whites In America View Blacks whether we put on a good face or not you ALL are always waiting on us to Fauck up. You do not have us pegged. From what i see other cultures try to simulate what the Original Race(BLACKS) do,say,make-- carry yourself with dignity and respect, treat all others with dignity and respect,This what we do and why you all follow us,will you all do the same for us(not only in public) but from the heart, behind closed doors,teach you kids to not hate or stare when we are in a prominent area as if we are on display and don't belong?Will we get the same sentence for the same crime? WILL WE.
As a Japanese woman who is now an American citizen for over 30 years, I don't understand what the argument is all about. There may be a few jerks on the streets that make comments about what color you are, but on average there just isn't the racial bigotry around that there used to be. Why is the black community boycotting anything? It makes me angry to see a group of people putting such negativity in their stead. Part of me understands both of the above posters, don't act like a punk, and take pride in yourself. All of us could learn from both of them. Please don't boycott anything, all you're doing is taking money away from people who probably love you, and making yourselves look bad in a negative light. Just ignore people like Jackson and Sharpton, who would have you keep yourself separated from society as a whole, because that's what we've become, a society. We're not white, black, yellow, red, or anything else anymore. We're all the same. If we just ignore the fools who think there's a difference, this includes the reverends Jackson and Sharpton, they'll eventually give up and shut up. Trust me on this, it's just human nature.
you got issues girl. my partner here in the office is a black man, and also my best friend. i'm hoping someday to find a wife as sweet and caring as his wife (yes, he's married to a black lady), they're both respectable, upstanding citizens, and both of them despise and disrespect gang bangers (any color-white, black, mexican) as much as i obviously do from my post. my buddy has a 4 year degree in engineering, and his wife is going to school to be a nurse. i admire and love them both very greatly. so don't go spouting off about my comments about our society not being that shallow anymore, especially after you lump all whites together as a group that views dark skinned people as something lesser. you're obviously the one who has the shallow mentality here little girl. grow up, you couldn't be more wrong about what people are truly like nowadays. why don't you move from the obviously crime ridden town you're in, and go somewhere like, say, Lake Oswego Oregon, where we live. you'll see what it's like to be part of a community where everyone belongs. now if you'll excuse me, this white guy needs to go make fishing plans for this weekend with his black guy friend. (oh no-whites and blacks hanging out together! the world is coming to an end!) lol
I be spending twice as much as normal tomorrow
Dear poster ,did you also protest when that 17 year old black kid got a 10 year jail sentence for getting a blowjob ? I don't think so.Do you think a white kid would have gotten the same sentence ? Or a japanese kid ? You know better than that...
I be spendin' twice much wit you bro!
I guess that not all blacks see themselves as something other than members of the American society. Not only did I see my black neighbor from down the street filling up his SUV, I saw a group of kids (half of them black) buying their morning coffee at Starbucks. Good for them.
Hate whitney,
What world are you living in? This is the most shallow nation in the world. Everything like riding white cops through black neighborhoods throughing blacks in jail in record numbers to being thugs with countries around the world. Yes america. Wake up write me and I will school you no educate you on what is going on here in america..
Will...
Thanks Shannon,
you have a lot of kiss up to whitey mentality in this country because they have been given a bone by people who stole this land from someone else. America needs to stop the thugery here and leave Iraq and Iran and everybody else the F alone. No racism left? who said that dumb sh$$%T? check the stats and see who has got their foot on everybodies neck in every industry in this country and around the world. American people better wake up before those dumb ass racist in the white house attack another country like the thugs they are and end up having those people finally retaliate and F some Sh#$%t up here. What america is doing is practicing racism here and around the world. You never going to learn the truth by watching all of this american owned corporate media. Wake up people and stop living in disneyland..Racism is alive and kicking, they are in the white house, the police etc. and have figured out different ways to go about inforcing racism.. Check the history of what I'm saying don't just respond ignorantly. I like talking to people who know what they are talking about, not someone who quotes the disneyland media in this country..
Will..
...boycott? Anyone wanna ask whitey about that? Go tell Warren THAT and see how he feels...
looks like ol Warren needs to Boycott Popeye's Chicken for a spell and drop about 100 lbs!
page: 1
this hate whitey mentalityNov 1st, 2007 - 19:13:48
needs to stop. boycotting innocent businesses that are trying to feed their children is immature and won't get anyone anywhere. all you have to do is accidentally bump into a black man and he freaks out on you saying you did it on purpose in order to disrespect him (seen it more than once) the real problem here isn't skin color, it's behavior. carry yourself with dignity and respect, treat all others with dignity and respect, and quit swaggering into offices in baggy pants talking like a gang banger when you want to get a job. (real turn-off to the hiring manager) it's not because you're black that certain things are out of your reach, open your eyes and realize that. nobody is going to give you a handout because you're black, you're going to have to do the same things that the rest of us do to get ahead in life. it's not your color, our society isn't so shallow anymore.
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