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Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy
Maggie and John Anderson were successful African American professionals raising two daughters in a tony suburb of Chicago. But they felt uneasy over their good fortune. Most African Americans live in economically starved neighborhoods. Black wealth is about one tenth of white wealth, and black businesses lag behind businesses of all other racial groups in every measure of success. One problem is that black consumers--unlike consumers of other ethnicities--choose not to support black-owned businesses. At the same time, most of the businesses in their communities are owned by outsiders.
On January 1, 2009 the Andersons embarked on a year-long public pledge to "buy black." They thought that by taking a stand, the black community would be mobilized to exert its economic might. They thought that by exposing the issues, Americans of all races would see that economically empowering black neighborhoods benefits society as a whole. Instead, blacks refused to support their own, and others condemned their experiment. Drawing on economic research and social history as well as her personal story, Maggie Anderson shows why the black economy continues to suffer and issues a call to action to all of us to do our part to reverse this trend.
On January 1, 2009 the Andersons embarked on a year-long public pledge to "buy black." They thought that by taking a stand, the black community would be mobilized to exert its economic might. They thought that by exposing the issues, Americans of all races would see that economically empowering black neighborhoods benefits society as a whole. Instead, blacks refused to support their own, and others condemned their experiment. Drawing on economic research and social history as well as her personal story, Maggie Anderson shows why the black economy continues to suffer and issues a call to action to all of us to do our part to reverse this trend.
298 pages, Hardcover
First published February 14, 2012
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Maggie Anderson
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November 17, 2012I didn't want to give this any stars because I'm still so unclear on how I feel about it. There are moments when the author's voice is insufferable and she seems to write off her class privilege, but then there are moments in the book where she hits on some things that I know are true, specifically because I used to live in Chicago and I saw certain things every day. Her exercise in trying to buy from all black businesses in a year highlights I think simply all of the things that black people do not own or manufacture. Simple things like diapers and nail clippers. We spend billions of dollars every year to help keep this economy afloat and very little of that is within our neighborhoods or returns to us in the form of higher incomes for black business owners, who could then employ black employees and raise their average incomes. The book drove this home in a major way. However, her interactions with a lot of the people she would meet were condescending, judgmental and lacking empathy. Maybe she wrote it that way on purpose because she was trying to show how deep into her class privilege she really was. Dunno. Chicago is an interesting place to even do an experiment like this because of the city's past and present segregation. To me, the messenger was a hard sell, though.
February 28, 2012
Our Black Year; that title makes it sound like some kind of curiosity experiment. The first thought that comes to mind for me is how can Black people have a black year? Isn't your whole life black, all of your years filled with the wonderful sights, tastes and sounds of black culture. Ok, just had to get that out there. Now, having said that, it is a great thing that Ms. Anderson has undertaken. Basically, Ms. Anderson with support of her husband made a conscious effort to spend as much of their disposable income as possible with Black businesses. They made it a point to go out of their way to patronize their own in hopes that support will help turn around struggling businesses and impact the communities they serve. This book is in essence a journal/report of their efforts.
The book makes for good reading and she skillfully weaves history and personal family issues into the narrative. That keeps the book moving and adds depth and perspective for the reader. Readers will get a sense of some of the hurdles black businesses face and the structural barriers, however I don't think the book has the power to transform behavior, because it never shakes the feeling of being an experiment. She is often condescending in her writing when describing certain neighborhoods and the people she encounters in those 'hoods. This was very disappointing for me, and speaks to the Anderson's obvious haughtiness, and distracts from the good prose. I wish the editor would have advised her to remove some of those painful-to-read passages, perhaps they're included to make it resonate and relevant with like minded class conscious people.
The effort to support Black business is clearly noble and necessary, and it should be second nature for all African-Americans, but what we are suffering from is a crisis of consciousness. We really don't see each other as extended family and all our actions stem from this disconnect, so support of black business becomes an experiment, a project, rather than expected and everyday empowerment behavior. For those of us who grew up with a sense of this responsibility, this book will just reinforce and buttress our current behaviors. And for others, for whom this is all new they might get a lot from this text. Maggie Anderson has laid the blueprint for the bourgeois set to help spread around some of their disposable income, but without a shift in consciousness, for many it will remain an experiment and something to talk about at the latest cocktail party.
I wish I could go 4 stars, but the demeaning passages are too much to bear. The writing and the purpose will keep it from going lower than a 3.
The book makes for good reading and she skillfully weaves history and personal family issues into the narrative. That keeps the book moving and adds depth and perspective for the reader. Readers will get a sense of some of the hurdles black businesses face and the structural barriers, however I don't think the book has the power to transform behavior, because it never shakes the feeling of being an experiment. She is often condescending in her writing when describing certain neighborhoods and the people she encounters in those 'hoods. This was very disappointing for me, and speaks to the Anderson's obvious haughtiness, and distracts from the good prose. I wish the editor would have advised her to remove some of those painful-to-read passages, perhaps they're included to make it resonate and relevant with like minded class conscious people.
The effort to support Black business is clearly noble and necessary, and it should be second nature for all African-Americans, but what we are suffering from is a crisis of consciousness. We really don't see each other as extended family and all our actions stem from this disconnect, so support of black business becomes an experiment, a project, rather than expected and everyday empowerment behavior. For those of us who grew up with a sense of this responsibility, this book will just reinforce and buttress our current behaviors. And for others, for whom this is all new they might get a lot from this text. Maggie Anderson has laid the blueprint for the bourgeois set to help spread around some of their disposable income, but without a shift in consciousness, for many it will remain an experiment and something to talk about at the latest cocktail party.
I wish I could go 4 stars, but the demeaning passages are too much to bear. The writing and the purpose will keep it from going lower than a 3.
December 7, 2015
Our Black Year: One Family’s Quest to Buy Black in America’s Racially Divided Economy” is the story of a Chicago couple that attempted to shop only black owned business for a year (2009) and document the experience. It contained quite a bit about the history of Chicago (more than I wanted to find here) but it also documented the history on the rise and fall of black businesses in general. Although I never made the connection, I wasn’t surprised to learn how the trickle-down effect of race relations in this country is still impacting potential black business owners today. But it is noted that we also have ourselves to blame.
This book addresses failed attempts to promote the growth of businesses in the black community, the reputation that precedes black businesses, and ways money is leaking out of the community. I commend the author for not only identifying the problem but for also proposing solutions along with a list of resources included in the back of the book.
Although she knew the experiment would be challenging, the author was not prepared for the lifestyle change that would come with this undertaking. There were many products and services that were not provided by black business owners. But even having to compromise her family's diet did not prevent her from following through on their one year commitment.
The takeaway message is that Maggie Anderson doesn’t expect anyone to do what she did. She just wants us to do more than we’re doing. And doing a little more could mean a change in the lives of an entire generation.
This book addresses failed attempts to promote the growth of businesses in the black community, the reputation that precedes black businesses, and ways money is leaking out of the community. I commend the author for not only identifying the problem but for also proposing solutions along with a list of resources included in the back of the book.
Although she knew the experiment would be challenging, the author was not prepared for the lifestyle change that would come with this undertaking. There were many products and services that were not provided by black business owners. But even having to compromise her family's diet did not prevent her from following through on their one year commitment.
The takeaway message is that Maggie Anderson doesn’t expect anyone to do what she did. She just wants us to do more than we’re doing. And doing a little more could mean a change in the lives of an entire generation.
January 27, 2020
I was really looking forward to reading this book but can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone who actually cares about empowering poor, working-class, and middle-class black communities.
Anderson's tone and language were infuriating. She was often condescending, snobby, and downright hateful. As an example, at one point toward the end she referred to Chicago's black West Side and South Side neighborhoods as "feral." Yup. I read that and had to flip over to the about-the-author flap to confirm this book was in fact written by a black woman and not whoever is responsible for Donald Trump's Twitter feed.
Harmful respectability politics and self-hatred permeated every page, which is what happens when a "self-help" ideology isn't properly tempered by empathy for your human subjects and appreciation of the external forces causing black economic disenfranchisement. Anderson only passingly mentioned important socio-political factors, including the 2007-2008 financial crisis(!!), that had and still have a disproportionate effect on black Americans. At the same time, she was overly critical of black small businesses for normal small business struggles (particularly, their failure/closure rates).
Anderson's exhortation to "buy black" is welcome and important. Unfortunately, this book has not aged well and, in my opinion, harms rather than helps the cause. The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation and Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side do an excellent job discussing the hardships Chicago's black communities face, while also explaining the complex historical contexts that led to those hardships and displaying profound respect and compassion for the human beings dealing with those hardships day to day. I would recommend either of those over Our Black Year.
Anderson's tone and language were infuriating. She was often condescending, snobby, and downright hateful. As an example, at one point toward the end she referred to Chicago's black West Side and South Side neighborhoods as "feral." Yup. I read that and had to flip over to the about-the-author flap to confirm this book was in fact written by a black woman and not whoever is responsible for Donald Trump's Twitter feed.
Harmful respectability politics and self-hatred permeated every page, which is what happens when a "self-help" ideology isn't properly tempered by empathy for your human subjects and appreciation of the external forces causing black economic disenfranchisement. Anderson only passingly mentioned important socio-political factors, including the 2007-2008 financial crisis(!!), that had and still have a disproportionate effect on black Americans. At the same time, she was overly critical of black small businesses for normal small business struggles (particularly, their failure/closure rates).
Anderson's exhortation to "buy black" is welcome and important. Unfortunately, this book has not aged well and, in my opinion, harms rather than helps the cause. The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation and Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side do an excellent job discussing the hardships Chicago's black communities face, while also explaining the complex historical contexts that led to those hardships and displaying profound respect and compassion for the human beings dealing with those hardships day to day. I would recommend either of those over Our Black Year.
April 22, 2012
It's hard to serve people you disdain, but that is what the Andersons attempt in their misguided quest to "buy Black" for an entire year. As representatives of the so-called talented tenth, I'm surprised they never really acknowledged their hatred of the follow peers as well--card carrying members of the Black Bourgeoisie--that they were surprised at the level of indifference and sabotage shown to their efforts. What did they think was going to happen? Seriously. American society has never been fond of those of us of African descent and has clearly shown its hatred of the poor so what gave them the idea that anything connected to impoverished Black uplift was going to be a walk in the park, especially when relying on other Black "elites" in Chicago of all places?
Two things were missing from this experiment that was greatly needed: 1) a mythologicalunited Black community with generational wealth and oodles and boodles of disposable income and 2) Black owned businesses that all races frequent in locations less than 10 miles or 30 minutes from potential customers' homes.
Two things were missing from this experiment that was greatly needed: 1) a mythological
June 25, 2012
I loved this book. This woman went through hell trying to buy from only Black-owned businesses for one year, and it's a very thought-provoking account of that experiment, but that's not the only reason I loved it. I loved her honesty about the experience -- about her own bitterness and discouragement, her mixed feelings about race, the way it affected her children, etc, etc. It must have been hard to write.
There are some sad moments in the book. The author learns the hard way that anonymous Internet commenters are hateful idiots. And near the end of the experiment, when the family's options for buying produce run out (her favorite Black-owned grocery goes under; her fallback Black-owned minimart goes under; farm stands run by Black farmers close for the season), she has to shop at a Hispanic-owned grocery and she talks about feeling envious of recent Mexican immigrants who can make a successful grocery business. This from a successful middle-class woman who has a JD and MBA from the University of Chicago. (I kept wondering if there was another approach that would have saved her favorite Black-owned grocery-- could he have moved to a better location, changed his hours, cut costs? Anderson was very focused on marketing as the way to help that business, which didn't seem to work).
One flaw in the book is that the author, who succeeded in climbing the ladder in the current American capitalist system, doesn't seem to envision any other model of success. I mean, I'm not an economist, but it strikes me that it's not possible for every poor person in America to get an MBA from an elite university or become a CEO. The marketing of elite universities relies on them being elite. And middle-class White people have just as much reason as Blacks to question the current system where you need two incomes to pay your student loans and all of your disposable income other than that is flowing to the people who run Target, Wal-Mart, Google and so on. Those kind of rich fat cat CEOs don't help poor White Americans anymore than they do poor Black Americans. So I like to try and envision a model where there is a place for everyone -- for example, where a living wage could be earned from skills that don't require a fancy degree. (The kind of success the Andersons have achieved seems completely out of reach to ME, and I'm a White person with middle-class roots who got a decent good start in life. Owning a home? TWO advanced degrees? More power to them.)
In general Anderson's ambivalence about White involvement in her project comes through loud and clear. That was also a little sad to read. She does illuminate one particularly contemporary aspect of racism in America, which is that disadvantaged or struggling Whites view programs to assist Blacks as a threat. Anderson seems puzzled and hurt by Whites who saw this project as racist--and I guess, putting myself in her shoes, I'd have felt the same way. I'd suggest that maybe White people need to get their heads around the fact that poverty is a corrosive problem in America, and that if even one group was lifted out of poverty, it would be a huge success. But then again, Anderson seems to hope that Black people can accomplish this by themselves, without White people being even peripherally involved. I'm not sure that's possible.
Also the chapter about gentrification was completely confusing to me. (She actually uses the term "sellout" to apply to middle-class Blacks-- that seems to run counter to everything she hopes to accomplish!) But again, she gets huge points for honesty there. She's ambivalent about gentrification--I got that much. Hey, I am too. Actually, that in a nutshell is the biggest strength of the book. I really related to this woman and her desire to DO SOMETHING about the problems of Black Americans -- and her bitterness about how hard that actually is to achieve.
There are some sad moments in the book. The author learns the hard way that anonymous Internet commenters are hateful idiots. And near the end of the experiment, when the family's options for buying produce run out (her favorite Black-owned grocery goes under; her fallback Black-owned minimart goes under; farm stands run by Black farmers close for the season), she has to shop at a Hispanic-owned grocery and she talks about feeling envious of recent Mexican immigrants who can make a successful grocery business. This from a successful middle-class woman who has a JD and MBA from the University of Chicago. (I kept wondering if there was another approach that would have saved her favorite Black-owned grocery-- could he have moved to a better location, changed his hours, cut costs? Anderson was very focused on marketing as the way to help that business, which didn't seem to work).
One flaw in the book is that the author, who succeeded in climbing the ladder in the current American capitalist system, doesn't seem to envision any other model of success. I mean, I'm not an economist, but it strikes me that it's not possible for every poor person in America to get an MBA from an elite university or become a CEO. The marketing of elite universities relies on them being elite. And middle-class White people have just as much reason as Blacks to question the current system where you need two incomes to pay your student loans and all of your disposable income other than that is flowing to the people who run Target, Wal-Mart, Google and so on. Those kind of rich fat cat CEOs don't help poor White Americans anymore than they do poor Black Americans. So I like to try and envision a model where there is a place for everyone -- for example, where a living wage could be earned from skills that don't require a fancy degree. (The kind of success the Andersons have achieved seems completely out of reach to ME, and I'm a White person with middle-class roots who got a decent good start in life. Owning a home? TWO advanced degrees? More power to them.)
In general Anderson's ambivalence about White involvement in her project comes through loud and clear. That was also a little sad to read. She does illuminate one particularly contemporary aspect of racism in America, which is that disadvantaged or struggling Whites view programs to assist Blacks as a threat. Anderson seems puzzled and hurt by Whites who saw this project as racist--and I guess, putting myself in her shoes, I'd have felt the same way. I'd suggest that maybe White people need to get their heads around the fact that poverty is a corrosive problem in America, and that if even one group was lifted out of poverty, it would be a huge success. But then again, Anderson seems to hope that Black people can accomplish this by themselves, without White people being even peripherally involved. I'm not sure that's possible.
Also the chapter about gentrification was completely confusing to me. (She actually uses the term "sellout" to apply to middle-class Blacks-- that seems to run counter to everything she hopes to accomplish!) But again, she gets huge points for honesty there. She's ambivalent about gentrification--I got that much. Hey, I am too. Actually, that in a nutshell is the biggest strength of the book. I really related to this woman and her desire to DO SOMETHING about the problems of Black Americans -- and her bitterness about how hard that actually is to achieve.
January 17, 2021
I chose this pick with enthusiasm and could not wait for it to become available at my local library. I was intrigued by the subject matter and even happier when I learned that the Andersons reside in Chicago and we even attend the same church. They appeared to be an educated African American couple about to embark on something wonderful. I figured their experiment, whether they failed or succeeded would bring attention to the racial disparities of economic growth and highlight African American vendors.
Early on, I realized that something was off with the tone of the book. I tried to ignore it, but as the story progressed I realized the issue. The story is told from Maggie's point of view and while I find the Ebony Experiment to be commendable, Maggie comes off quite bitchy. I wish there was another way that I could put it, but that is the nicest description that I can think of. I have to wonder if the story would have been relayed better by her husband John.
I think when you are attempting to do something radical (I know that buying Black should not be radical, it should be the norm), such as supporting only Black vendors for a year in order to set a wonderful example and strengthen Black economic growth, you should take on this project with at least a modicum of love in your heart for the people you are attempting to help and enlighten.
That does not come across in this book/experiment. Perhaps, Maggie was jaded by the experiment and it was a huge undertaking, but it was one that she and John chose to do. This is illustrated in the beginning when Maggie describes rolling her eyes at the "punks" in front of the stores that she has to shop at and her irritation with the cashier who changes the way she speaks when she realizes Maggie is an educated middle class woman. I wondered why she was so bothered by someone attempting to speak to her in a more eloquent manner. Why did that bother her when the goal was simply to procure groceries from a Black business? Code switching is common in the African American community. Some people change their speech based on who they are speaking to.
It gets worse after that. The irritation at Karriem for failing to mention that his sister owns a Black owned business, her snapping at the Trinity member for not knowing that Karriem's business failed, her snapping at her own child for not wanting to wear shoes that were too tight and then attempting to get John to cheat on the experiment with her.
The list goes on and one and these are all scenarios presented by the author. At least she is honest, but she does not cast herself in a positive light. Of all of the unpleasant scenarios she describes, I am struck by two-the debacle with Ebony magazine and her experience with a Black owned grocery store on the South Side of Chicago.
The Andersons are well educated people. They had to know that naming their project the Ebony Experiment would link them to Ebony magazine, especially since they were aggressively seeking publicity from the magazine. The owners had every right to insist that they change the name of their project. It is clear that they had hoped to align the project with the magazine. I know that the real story is why Ebony wanted to distance themselves from the Ebony project, but it really does not matter. They had every right to do so.
Maggie Anderson also details an exchange with listeners of Doug Bank's show and she expresses irritation with Black consumers who refused to shop Black, because of one negative experience that they have had with a Black vendor years prior. I totally understand that, but what I don't get is in the next chapter she visits a new Black owned grocer and though she is aware of the challenges involved in running a grocery store, she snaps at the owner's assistant because the store is not open when she arrives. She does not mention giving them another opportunity or writing it off as bad timing. She even goes so far to name the business and the owner while mentioning her negative experience with them. How is this promoting Black businesses? I expect her to be honest, but she could not give them a second chance? I personally have heard wonderful things about this particular vendor.
Maggie does this with many of the vendors. Even if the service is great, she make sure she details the things that she does not like about the vendor. Now, some may say that it is being honest, but take for example the store she frequents on 71st and Jeffery. The community is not great in that area. She mentions this while detailing her first visit. The owners are wonderful, the inventory is just okay, but it is a Black business and it fulfills her requirements. Each time she mentions the store she goes on and on about the depressing neighborhood. As the reader you get it the first or second time. She does not have to drill it in. It almost sounds as if she doesn't want the readers to shop there anyway.
It's the same thing with J's market. She obviously hated the place and only shopped there because she ran out of options after Karriem's store closed. I don't understand the aggravation when it closes down. She said herself that she did not want to see places like that grow. I think the final insult is when she went off on the drunkard for trying to sell her his link card. That is a way of life for some people and yes, it is wrong, but berating a man in public does absolutely nothing to help.
I don't think Maggie went into this project with a good heart or a love for the Black community. I think she saw a gap and decided that she could jump in, bring attention to the situation and be heralded as a hero of the Black community. This story seems to be more about her than the economic plight of African American vendors.
The positives: the research is excellent. The detailing of Karriem's plight was well done. I wish I had known about his store when it was open because I definitely would have shopped there. Other than that, reading this book was a waste of my time and I would not recommend it to anyone.
Early on, I realized that something was off with the tone of the book. I tried to ignore it, but as the story progressed I realized the issue. The story is told from Maggie's point of view and while I find the Ebony Experiment to be commendable, Maggie comes off quite bitchy. I wish there was another way that I could put it, but that is the nicest description that I can think of. I have to wonder if the story would have been relayed better by her husband John.
I think when you are attempting to do something radical (I know that buying Black should not be radical, it should be the norm), such as supporting only Black vendors for a year in order to set a wonderful example and strengthen Black economic growth, you should take on this project with at least a modicum of love in your heart for the people you are attempting to help and enlighten.
That does not come across in this book/experiment. Perhaps, Maggie was jaded by the experiment and it was a huge undertaking, but it was one that she and John chose to do. This is illustrated in the beginning when Maggie describes rolling her eyes at the "punks" in front of the stores that she has to shop at and her irritation with the cashier who changes the way she speaks when she realizes Maggie is an educated middle class woman. I wondered why she was so bothered by someone attempting to speak to her in a more eloquent manner. Why did that bother her when the goal was simply to procure groceries from a Black business? Code switching is common in the African American community. Some people change their speech based on who they are speaking to.
It gets worse after that. The irritation at Karriem for failing to mention that his sister owns a Black owned business, her snapping at the Trinity member for not knowing that Karriem's business failed, her snapping at her own child for not wanting to wear shoes that were too tight and then attempting to get John to cheat on the experiment with her.
The list goes on and one and these are all scenarios presented by the author. At least she is honest, but she does not cast herself in a positive light. Of all of the unpleasant scenarios she describes, I am struck by two-the debacle with Ebony magazine and her experience with a Black owned grocery store on the South Side of Chicago.
The Andersons are well educated people. They had to know that naming their project the Ebony Experiment would link them to Ebony magazine, especially since they were aggressively seeking publicity from the magazine. The owners had every right to insist that they change the name of their project. It is clear that they had hoped to align the project with the magazine. I know that the real story is why Ebony wanted to distance themselves from the Ebony project, but it really does not matter. They had every right to do so.
Maggie Anderson also details an exchange with listeners of Doug Bank's show and she expresses irritation with Black consumers who refused to shop Black, because of one negative experience that they have had with a Black vendor years prior. I totally understand that, but what I don't get is in the next chapter she visits a new Black owned grocer and though she is aware of the challenges involved in running a grocery store, she snaps at the owner's assistant because the store is not open when she arrives. She does not mention giving them another opportunity or writing it off as bad timing. She even goes so far to name the business and the owner while mentioning her negative experience with them. How is this promoting Black businesses? I expect her to be honest, but she could not give them a second chance? I personally have heard wonderful things about this particular vendor.
Maggie does this with many of the vendors. Even if the service is great, she make sure she details the things that she does not like about the vendor. Now, some may say that it is being honest, but take for example the store she frequents on 71st and Jeffery. The community is not great in that area. She mentions this while detailing her first visit. The owners are wonderful, the inventory is just okay, but it is a Black business and it fulfills her requirements. Each time she mentions the store she goes on and on about the depressing neighborhood. As the reader you get it the first or second time. She does not have to drill it in. It almost sounds as if she doesn't want the readers to shop there anyway.
It's the same thing with J's market. She obviously hated the place and only shopped there because she ran out of options after Karriem's store closed. I don't understand the aggravation when it closes down. She said herself that she did not want to see places like that grow. I think the final insult is when she went off on the drunkard for trying to sell her his link card. That is a way of life for some people and yes, it is wrong, but berating a man in public does absolutely nothing to help.
I don't think Maggie went into this project with a good heart or a love for the Black community. I think she saw a gap and decided that she could jump in, bring attention to the situation and be heralded as a hero of the Black community. This story seems to be more about her than the economic plight of African American vendors.
The positives: the research is excellent. The detailing of Karriem's plight was well done. I wish I had known about his store when it was open because I definitely would have shopped there. Other than that, reading this book was a waste of my time and I would not recommend it to anyone.
July 2, 2012
Unfortunately I never finished this book mostly because I couldn't get past the author's tone. She obviously is very detached to the common concerns of the lower and middle classes she purports to support in her " experiment" which she seems to have undertaken as a way to assuage guilt or maybe garner gratitude. Although I enjoyed the analysis explaining the dearth of Black owned businesses, I stopped reading when Ms. Anderson had a meltdown over her daughter's outfit because it didn't match her shoes. The predicament is inconsequential, yet the author displays such resentment and anger over having to participate in her own experiment that the validity of her altruistic intentions were nullified in my opinion and I just closed the book. This wasnt the author's first exposition of resentment or condescension ,but it was the definitely the last time I was willing to read it.
April 24, 2012
This book affirmed what I've always known to be true. We must engage in "conscious consumerism" where possible in order to create and support black businesses. This is not an exercise in racism, but rather in community and racial self-preservation and determination so that we can create intergenerational wealth and increase life opportunities for subsequent generations in the same manner that other groups of people always have.
September 1, 2016
A Harrowing, inspiring, depressing exploration of where Black people are today. Smart, funny and sweet. Makes you want to try harder.
January 24, 2020
Oooh boy.
Ok.
I'm trying to figure out who this book is for. I think it's for upper class Black folk and in that vein I agree 100% with the fact that Black folks with money need to support Black businesses whenever they can, hands down. On the other hand this book came off to me as insanely classist and condescending.
My personal take: I have some money now and try to always buy Black first--that part of me agreed with her enthusiasm and was behind her call to action. But I also grew up broke as hell in a home where McDonald's was a special occasion and gas was put in the car a single gallon at a time, so I'm still working on bringing my eyebrows back down over the way she regularly referred to or characterized non-rich Black folk, or blamed them. Had me mad as hell sometimes, hah.
Good information, good call to action for those who can afford it, but prepare for some sincere rich ass condescension when reading this. 😐😤😑
Ok.
I'm trying to figure out who this book is for. I think it's for upper class Black folk and in that vein I agree 100% with the fact that Black folks with money need to support Black businesses whenever they can, hands down. On the other hand this book came off to me as insanely classist and condescending.
My personal take: I have some money now and try to always buy Black first--that part of me agreed with her enthusiasm and was behind her call to action. But I also grew up broke as hell in a home where McDonald's was a special occasion and gas was put in the car a single gallon at a time, so I'm still working on bringing my eyebrows back down over the way she regularly referred to or characterized non-rich Black folk, or blamed them. Had me mad as hell sometimes, hah.
Good information, good call to action for those who can afford it, but prepare for some sincere rich ass condescension when reading this. 😐😤😑
March 12, 2020
My anticipation for this book was quickly replaced by irritation for the author. She comes across as judgmental and condescending towards the very community she claims her experiment is supposed to be supporting. And as one who lived not far from the town she resides in, I’m wondering why was she struggling to find Black owned businesses as I know plenty right around that area. (Shout out to AfriWare in Maywood, at least she did find them!). Calling people feral, yelling at the homeless guy trying to sell his Link at the gas station, critiquing the young mother working in the corner store...all the while hailing from Liberty City, which is just as, if not more, “hood@ than the neighborhoods she was afraid to get out of the car. Girl, you live in Oak Park, literally down the street from the West Side of Chicago, give me a break. The best parts of this book is when she went clinician on us and shared research and data facts, then it seemed to be a useful book. But all the in between, the look at how “woke” I’m being, oh what a hardship to support my people (who aren’t really my people), look at me on the speech circuit, just LOOK AT ME! I could have done without all of that.
September 2, 2013
Pretty amazing, pretty heartbreaking and embarrassing, yet very hopeful. If you're a know-it-all snob choc full of pride you do not want read this book, you can't handle it. I loved getting to know the author in this book through her writing style - her voice. I heard a mother, a wife and a professional sporadically throughout and felt as if we were having a very long, rich conversation. I felt her anger, her grief and her passion, which I can't say I expected a lot of seeing that this was a study, but because of her love for her family and her devotion to them through this EE journey - I got carried away into a fantastic work of creative non-fiction. Her husband seems like such a hero, a solid rock - I would've liked to have seen his perspective in a couple of chapters, but nonetheless this book was great for me. This will be passed along to my Facebook and Twitter feed and I will be following the EE Foundation shortly after this is posted!
July 7, 2013
I thought I had grown weary of the "do something for a year" types of books, but this one rejuvenated me on the genre. Anderson provides sobering statistics and anecdotes on the realities of Black-owned businesses -- their prevalence, how they are/are not supported, the positives outcomes they can bring to their communities, and how many seemed doomed to fail. It's not enough to just shop locally; we need to be hyper aware of where our dollars and cents end up and which communities benefit from our daily transactions.
February 11, 2020
I’ve heard a lot about this book over the years and I was excited to read it. However, I was so disappointed. The author is condescending and demeaning. I found it impossible to finish. She trashes other African Americans that she had issues with while working on the project and spends considerable time looking down on the people in the communities she visits. At one point she says she visited a store she believed was black owned but as she walked around it and saw how clean and organized it was she questioned that it was black owned. So much so that she asked to speak with the manager to confirm that it was. Really? The concept is great but she is definitely not the right person to champion this cause. I regret recommending it to a friend before reading it.
March 10, 2016
I read so many articles about this experiment and the book fell flat for me.
I really enjoyed the history of expansion and decline of 'buy black' movements over the years as well as the statistics on African American businesses and how our contribution can aid or detract from the cause. However, these interesting details were sometimes repetitive, confusing and overshadowed by mundane details.
I didn't appreciate her tone or manner of describing some of the businesses that she patronised. I think in her effort to 'keep it real' she sounded very condescending and a little uppity. I mean, do you really expect to find a Black bakery that sells bagels?
I also enjoyed learning more about the history and makeup of certain Chicago areas. I am really interested to see how Bronzeville has shaped up in 2016. I also liked the section talking about the pros and cons of gentrified areas but again very convoluted.
This book was merely a stepping stone to heightened Mrs. Anderson’s profile so that she could be able to make speaking engagements and TED Talks. This book felt like a soap opera.
If you are considering ‘buying black’ read the summary of this book and undertake your own research.
I really enjoyed the history of expansion and decline of 'buy black' movements over the years as well as the statistics on African American businesses and how our contribution can aid or detract from the cause. However, these interesting details were sometimes repetitive, confusing and overshadowed by mundane details.
I didn't appreciate her tone or manner of describing some of the businesses that she patronised. I think in her effort to 'keep it real' she sounded very condescending and a little uppity. I mean, do you really expect to find a Black bakery that sells bagels?
I also enjoyed learning more about the history and makeup of certain Chicago areas. I am really interested to see how Bronzeville has shaped up in 2016. I also liked the section talking about the pros and cons of gentrified areas but again very convoluted.
This book was merely a stepping stone to heightened Mrs. Anderson’s profile so that she could be able to make speaking engagements and TED Talks. This book felt like a soap opera.
If you are considering ‘buying black’ read the summary of this book and undertake your own research.
August 15, 2013
Maggie Anderson's Our Black Year is a thought provoking book about self-help economics to support black owned businesses. Her year of patronizing black owned businesses showed how much progress could be made if capable black house holds followed her family's lead.
What stood out was my position as a conscious consumer. I understood that the only business consistently patronized is the barbershop. Our Black Year Highlighted what could happen if that included just one more business like a black owned book store.
It also encourages the reader to examine where their dollars go. Unfortunately, much of it doesn't go to black businesses. Due to their scarcity, clever marketing that gives off the perception of being a black owned business and lack of support.
I do feel that Maggie's Empowerment Experiment has the potential to discourage low-middle income households by the sheer amount of work and time needed to find and shop at black owned stores. Of course her EE was an outlier not the rule in supporting black businesses. Overall a book I would recommend for anyone curious about how they can influence the outlook of black businesses and as a result the black community.
What stood out was my position as a conscious consumer. I understood that the only business consistently patronized is the barbershop. Our Black Year Highlighted what could happen if that included just one more business like a black owned book store.
It also encourages the reader to examine where their dollars go. Unfortunately, much of it doesn't go to black businesses. Due to their scarcity, clever marketing that gives off the perception of being a black owned business and lack of support.
I do feel that Maggie's Empowerment Experiment has the potential to discourage low-middle income households by the sheer amount of work and time needed to find and shop at black owned stores. Of course her EE was an outlier not the rule in supporting black businesses. Overall a book I would recommend for anyone curious about how they can influence the outlook of black businesses and as a result the black community.
February 17, 2025
I have a soft spot for stunt non-fiction. In Our Black year, Maggie Anderson set the deceptively simple task of shopping for black-owned stores only. Despite living in Chicago, there were few such business and then some of them went out of business.
The language could sometimes get heavy on economic jargon. There was a lot of information about her mother's struggle with pancreatic cancer.
Her struggle to support black businesses was inspiring. It was also important in that she discusses the poor conditions of some stores and the lack of support from black shoppers. Her dashed hopes in the support of Prominent Black Figures was kind of shocking, but it also makes me wonder because I sometimes hear people throw out that idea as a way to improve various black problems.
The writing was so-so and the transition between topics were kind of weak, but he topic was important and thought-provoking. The Appendix and advice on how to support own black businesses is something I will try.
The language could sometimes get heavy on economic jargon. There was a lot of information about her mother's struggle with pancreatic cancer.
Her struggle to support black businesses was inspiring. It was also important in that she discusses the poor conditions of some stores and the lack of support from black shoppers. Her dashed hopes in the support of Prominent Black Figures was kind of shocking, but it also makes me wonder because I sometimes hear people throw out that idea as a way to improve various black problems.
The writing was so-so and the transition between topics were kind of weak, but he topic was important and thought-provoking. The Appendix and advice on how to support own black businesses is something I will try.
July 1, 2020
I have had this book on my shelf for about two years and I pulled it down in January to study and learn about exclusively buying Black. I plan for 2021 to be my Black year. I believe that the intent of this book is wonderful, but it was such a terrible experience to read it. I am convinced that this author hates poor Black people and possibly Black people in general. Her tone and the language that she used to describe Black people and Black culture was so vile that I really wanted to stop reading. Class is a real issue in this book. I really cannot say that enough. I would be interested to read a book about a similar experience within the last 2-3 years. The book did give me a few things to consider for my own Black year, but sadly, I cannot recommend this book.
October 8, 2023
I was really rooting for 'Our Black Year'. However, what I thought would be a book about effectively supporting Black businesses was actually an apathetic 200+ pages worth of finger-wagging at Black consumers for our failure to buy our way into equality. Anderson is a loud and proud Black elitist who went out of her way to describe Black buyers as 'unsavory', 'unkempt', and 'lazy'. At one point, when a Chicago church woman asked why a local Black-owned produce market closed, Anderson told her, 'Because of you!'. A. Mess.
April 20, 2012
Interesting and an easy read, though frustrating in certain ways. I mean, it took her 11 months to find Carol's Daughter??? (On the other hand, she routinely name-drops a brand that's owned by a friend of ours, which I did like even though it was obtrusive.) I do think it's going to push me to be more proactive in buying local, buying black, buying gay, just buying mindfully.
November 18, 2012
This is a fantastic read about a very important subject! Ms. Anderson manages to focus her laser-like research on the complex and compelling disenfranchisement of Black businesses, despite the enormous Black buying power.
A call to arms to the Black middle class for 'conscious consumerism' and a must read on how to harness the enormous Black buying power - one purchase at a time!
A call to arms to the Black middle class for 'conscious consumerism' and a must read on how to harness the enormous Black buying power - one purchase at a time!
February 27, 2016
The author is coming to speak at Iowa State and the Black Graduate Student Association is using this book as our fall read. We are excited to meet her!
August 17, 2020
I love the topic but the book got very tedious and what felt like repetitive after a hundred or so pages. The book could have been a little more tightly edited but I like Maggie's voice.
March 19, 2018
An Oak Park family embarks on a yearlong "Empowerment Project" to only buy from Black owned businesses - an overwhelming challenge.
March 31, 2020
When on a Black Chicago radio program John and Maggie Anderson asked the audience, “Should Black people do more to support Black Business” they were shocked that the answer was a resounding, “No bleeping way!” from all but a single caller. One scholar concluded that Blacks “don’t see Black empowerment as a positive step…” but as a “denigration and denial of their status as ‘equal’…” The Andersons, John a Harvard economics AB and an MBA, Maggie an MBA/JD and one of Barak Obama’s former students, founded the Empowerment Experiment, originally the Ebony Experiment, by shopping only in Black owned businesses for one year. In going public with the experience they gained scorn from poor Blacks and the brush off from wealthy blacks. Ebony Magazine even threatened suit over use of the word “Ebony” while Whites called them racist and suggested they go back to Africa and stop dividing America. Around the 1920s African Americans owned some 6,000 grocery stores. In 2010 there were only three nationwide. Karriem Beyah learned the business in his godfather’s grocery and opened his own South Side Chicago grocery, Farmer’s Best, in 2008. It was “…clean. It was bright. The produce was fresh. The selection of foods was wide. The employees were professional…” But it went out of business during the Empowerment Experiment’s single year due to lack of patronage and supplier price hikes. African-American journalist, newspaper editor and early leader in the civil rights movement Ida B. Wells, and a 1931 sociology report deemed one rational reason for Blacks’ rejection of Black business: only 20 percent of the Jim Crow South’s lynchings—and perhaps the majority of Chicago Blacks hail from Mississippi roots—was for alleged rape of white women. Most of the other 80 percent was of Black business people who competed with white businesses. Wells herself was born in Mississippi and died in Chicago in 1931. Our Black Year is a very eye opening book and a must read for any person hoping to improve the lot of the African American majority.
June 12, 2014
A good reminder that the Black community does not do enough to support and strengthen ourselves! I found this to be an invigorating book. Yes, Anderson does repeat herself unnecessarily sometimes, but I think she is a first time writer, correct? The story of her family's struggle to fully "Buy Black " fascinated me because I have never considered the full dynamics of the position. she moved me to sit down and think it through. In Prince George's County, MD, one of the richest majority Black areas in the country, where the heck would I find a full scale Black owned grocery store?! Now I'm on a mission to move some things and think before I buy. I can do better, which will better my community, and eventually, my country! I thank Maggie Anderson for the reminder!
September 11, 2014
I'd give this book 2.5 stars. It's an extremely important topic but Maggie Anderson's disdain for lower class Blacks is nearly unbearable. There are many things to think about in this book, I just wish the author had made her points without the unnecessary moral judgement and condemnation.
September 25, 2014
An interesting example of the burgeoning one-year personal-sociology experiment literature. I was much more interested in Anderson's discussions of the structural issues facing Black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and wealth-building than in the personal aspects of the story.
November 23, 2021
I enjoyed the narrative but not the writing.
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