[...] There's one main reason I support "Buy Black" campaigns: I like to encourage capitalism among blacks to counter constant bashing from the left.. Too often, black business people must justify and explain their community involvement as soon as they start to get successful. Somehow, "public service" is held up as the ideal, while there supposedly is something wrong with being a greedy businessman who provides goods and services that customers want. A politician making a speech at a convention is hailed as a hero. But the best service provided in this country, whether public or private, is by people who risk their money and capital, open businesses, employ people, and make it easier to acquire the things we want or need.
But:
There's one main reason I criticize "Buy Black" campaigns: Race loyalty itself is more valued than the business focus of offering a good product/service at a good price. What I don't hear from advocates of such campaigns is that I'm going to be getting a better deal than I would have gotten somewhere else. Instead of saying, "These great black businesses have been overlooked," the point is that businesses that aren't as efficient somehow deserve my business. I'm supposed to somehow be helping out the community by taking more money out of my own pocket. Help the flock by helping the shepherd?
Most business people don't stay in business through the race loyalty demanded too often in urban areas. They don't even necessarily make it by coming up with the best product. Rather, they do it by offering people what they want at a low price. The reality is that people want to get the best deal possible.
The question a business person must ask is: Do I provide value to my customers?
Making a purchase a matter of race loyalty is an attempt to eliminate the value of what a business is offering. Race loyalty as a value demands that a customer be willing to overpay. I just can't bring myself to be a customer who willingly overpays.
But there apparently are some who are more than willing to overpay--and businesses more than willing to play the victim to squeeze out competitors. [...]
| Go back for the rest of Casey J. Lartigue's "Buy black or else!"
posted in weblogs on August 29, 2004 3:30 AM | t (0)
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