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I was intrigued by a recent call for a boycott of non-black beauty supply stores by Professor Devin Robinson. I wasn't intrigued by the boycott out of a desire to endorse or oppose the movement. My imagination was captured by the reasons that someone might consider a boycott. According to Professor Robinson, African Americans represent 96% of the consumption in beauty supply stores, but only 5% of the ownership.
Robinson is planning his boycott for the week of November 16 - November 22, to be launched in St. Louis. This will be the same week as our rally in support of a black woman, Heather Ellis, who is facing 15 years in prison for cutting line at a Walmart. It will be interesting to see if the boycott of the haircare industry raises awareness. I personally applaud the idea of finding constructive ways for African Americans to engage in more business ownership. Chris Rock's recent film, 'Good Hair' got us talking about the importance of hair in the lives of black women, and perhaps now is the time for a regime shift. At the very least, one can argue that an industry that takes so much from the black community should be expected to give something back. But this trade will never occur if black women and men are not conscious about where we are purchasing our haircare products.
A documentary presented below by Aron Ranen (he seemed to want me to know that he is a white man) breaks down the industry and presents some disturbing realities that black people may have to confront when we think carefully about how much money we are giving away. Consumers are relatively weak when compared to producers of valuable commodities. African Americans must stop focusing solely on consumption and find paths toward ownership.
The documentary is below, enjoy!
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (35)
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By: Shahid Raki on 11/07/2009 12:32PM
I'm puzzled by first, so many African American women who wear their hair in some other state than what they were born with. I wonder why they take the risk of "burning" their hair and scalp getting it "did", and why in the world so many of us would never be seen with "nappy" hair? I also wonder why there are so many other people who have control over an industry that is completely for people of color like us. Do any African Americans have hair businesses that cater to other than us kind of people? There was one really reputable black owned hair care product company here in Dayton, OH, but that has been gone for than 5 years. Do these other people really take better care of our hair or do they just make a better effort at making a profit in doing it? Somebody needs to tell me what the real deal is.
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By: Burles Cooks, Jr. on 11/07/2009 3:51PM
My Brother,
The real deal is, in the past, there were plenty of Black owned beauty supply stores. But, as these owners became rich and successful, some owners got hooked on crack and sold their businesses to Koreans. Others just sold-out.
I am from Los Angeles, California, the wig/weave wearing capital of the world, and everyday, I witness first hand, how our sister's disregard sound economics and practice prudence in their buying habits and patterns.
The Koreans are just like pimps, and crack dealers, they have identified our sister's weaknesses, and are capitalizing, and taking advantage of those weaknesses.
It's called the Willie Lynch Syndrome, a mind-control technique that has been used against Black females for hundreds of years. This brainwashing technique is designed to destroy all cultural identity, self-love, self-worth, and respect for a Black man, in order for her, and her offspring to survive in a Caucasian, European (white) dominated world.
When a female has no pride, self-love, or respect for themselves, or confidence in a Black man, she will let others infiltrate, and control our community economics that decide our destiny, whether its hair care products, education of her offspring, the type of clothes she wears, how she wears them, etc. Ultimately destroying positive imagery for a strong Black family unit.
When a Black female refuses to wear her own natural hair, because she is ashamed of, and embarrassed by her Nappy Hair, she is conforming (bowing down)to fit into, and be accepted by a European (white supremacy) standard of beauty, this destroys our cultural heritage and identity, confusing our impressionable Black youth as to who, and what we are as a people.
Unfortunately, this the real deal. I hope this sheds some light on OUR problem.
Burles Cooks, Jr. MBA, PhD Candidate
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By: Mike on 11/11/2009 4:34PM
Burles Cooks Jr., I can't say I agree with your Willie Lynch theory. I believe that particular letter has been debunked but OF COURSE there were many written rules/letters regarding regulating slaves, plantations, slave auctions, slave punishments. There's tons of documentation out there.
I think we sometimes forget that estrogen and testosterone cause men and women to act and react to the same stimuli/invents in ways that sometime perplex each other. It's unavoidable folks - it's a natural and not insignificantly, hormone driven reaction.
Estrogen, the maternal/nurturing hormone promotes community. Women just might be more susceptible fashion trends - which some are arguably just capitalist scheme - because of a natural need/drive to fit in and conform for optimal community dynamics. Of course children are alway priority #1. Yes, some women become competitive, narcissistic snobs. It'll be much tougher convincing your to stop. There's always extremes.
Yes, as men, our testosterone makes us the obvious protectors of the 'whole' situation and requires we understand why she's doing this and then come up with the words to tell her and convince her of different plan of action if we believe that's best course of action.
#1 - you HAVE to be able to communicate - how else you gonna get it done?
Don't call me a sexist (that's some word invented in 1969 right?). We simply disagree to what extent these hormones direct our actions.
Why African Americans aren't the mfg/sellers of these beauty products is a long story. They should be and once were. This requires perspective. The USA is a 400 yo capitalist system has always targetted African Americans for exclusion & discrimination. It was all done with govt statutes and applied to NO OTHER group.
A literal, structural govt created tradition of oppressing black people was established. It's a structural system and it's still firmly in place. One must have perspective in order to under our predicament. Just read eveything you can about Africa & diaspora. IMO, we're barely a step above slavery because of, still in place, system forces that ALWAYS had the black man and woman as the central target - right?!
It's very important to never forget the effect the Hamitic Myth had on Africans & diaspora. Talmud scholars (so-called jews) created that out of pure hate and economic concerns and we don't seem to realize that story's significance in our story.
So hey, just some different thoughts on this hair issue - some other ideas to run by you.
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By: Burles Cooks, Jr. on 11/12/2009 1:53PM
Brother,
Whether you feel the Willie Lynch Letter (syndrome) has been debunked or not, you can not refute the fact, we as African people have been psychologically, and spiritually reprogrammed, resulting in our genetic traits being altered, because of the way we have been trained, and by our environment.
As African people we are products of the Slave Masters, it's called social engineering. I am very familiar, and educated with regards to the Africa Diaspora.
Willie Lynch's mind-control methods, developed a cycle to give African people a different mind-set, and in giving African people a different mind-set, actually changed their genetic (traits) make-up. Utilizing forced cross breeding, rape, torture, envy, etc. Changing the people that we were. Becoming a negative people, not sure of ourselves (will go for anything).
So, we came from a confident people who were able to build, who were master builders, very creative people, very positive, to people who aren't confident, not sure of themselves, that don't know who they are. Which is a genetic defect, (a germ) pass-down generation to generation.
I won't debate you on hormones playing a role in community, but, I do know, unrealistically long, blond, or any unnatural weave/wig style (trend) is a sign of immaturity (a genetic defect), because African women don't consider the negative effects they are having on other African people.
The African female is the problem, but, she is also the solution. If she is unconsciousness, unbalanced, and out of alignment, the (whole human family) planet is unconsciousness, unbalanced, and out of alignment.
All human life came from the African women (womb), it is up to her to take responsibility, and save her people, therefore the planet.
Peace and Blessings
Burles Cooks, Jr. MBA, PhD Candidate
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By: Michele Kong on 9/09/2010 10:58PM
After stumbling on these article,what got to my mind first was the origins of the holoucast,the bad media inciting the german population to hate jews,our people has suffered enough,so its disturbing to be incited to hate another race who choose to work very hard to make a living to survive as we do.And thanks to freedom,there were and still have many black millionares ,and more to come,and no one could stop us except the slave mentality that still haunts some of us.
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