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Suppose black women got tired of the litany of bad statistics and frequent character assassination in popular culture and decided to throw up the deuce. What if they walked away and took all of their resources with them?
If they ever decided to engage in a series of targeted withdrawals of their time, talents and treasures, they would quickly cripple nearly any institution they targeted. The black church would collapse. Most civil rights organizations would fall apart. Many consumer goods companies would immediately go in the red because a withdrawal of black women's dollars would destroy their profit margin.
Let's state the obvious. Black women have tremendous economic power. According to a study by Lattimer Communications, black women control 85 cents of every dollar spent in the black community. Our buying power is estimated at over $565 billion.
There is nothing new about black women using the power of economic sanctions to challenge powerful institutions and individuals. In 1955, Jo Ann Robinson, head of the Women's Political Council, worked to launch one of the greatest displays of massive economic sanctions carried out by black folks in U.S. history -- the Montgomery Bus Boycott. You can read about Mrs. Robinson's experience in her memoir 'The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It.'
Just three years ago, my readers reached out to sponsors and successfully defunded a piece of multimedia crack cocaine being peddled by Black Entertainment Television. So yes, if this massive withdrawal of black women's economic resources actually occurred, it would have a devastating impact on any target. That's not a new concept.
What is new is the context in which these more recent conversations are taking place -- within the very public relationship battles between black men and women. Economic sanctions (or divestment) are not being recommended as a tool for empowerment, but rather as a punishment for black men's perceived failures. This frequent suggestion is often bandied about in the black blogosphere. A popular manifesto expressing this desire is offered by the blog Von's Black Consciousness. The blogger advocates that black women should separate from black men and create their own black-male-free utopias:
We need a matriarchal society governed by a commission of successful black women (not a president). "For us by us" will be our motto. Everything and everyone outside of black women and black children will not be our concern.
Under the new black feminist movement black women can network, start businesses (take back old businesses---the black hair care industry) lean on each other for support, bring back that "village" needed to raise children and work together to solve pressing issues. We can centralize our wealth and help each other climb the ladder to success. Black children can get ahead in the world with proper education (funded through the matriarchal society). We can help each other become homeowners and grow our wealth. The sky is the limit. (Von's Black Consciousness)
While I am a strong proponent of black women imposing economic sanctions, and implore them to "stop funding foolishness," I tend to avoid these discussions like the plague because the likelihood of changing any minds on the matter is minuscule. But I was asked for my opinion and here it is:
Discussions like this are great for the Internet because they immediately drive knee jerk angry reactions from readers. They press all the right buttons -- black women's fears of never finding a mate and black men's resentment for being branded with a broad, unflattering brush. These discussions are always guaranteed to generate lots of commentary, and a furious exchange of angry recriminations, yet do very little to address the underlying needs of black women. One need only look at the recent viral video Black Marriage Negotiations to get a glimpse of the level of vitriol and mutual disdain some black women and black men are willing to heap upon each other in the public sphere.
I suspect that those calling for a male-free utopia have not experienced many functional relationships with men. Male allies are a powerful asset to any woman in business or life in general. It's no less dehumanizing to characterize all women as sex objects than it is to characterize all men as merely sperm donors. In other words, there's a whole lot of black pain flying around in these conversations about black women "withdrawing" their resources. Some of the worst strategic financial decisions you can make are those made in the middle of extreme pain.
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As I look back over the past four years as an accidental entrepreneur, the greatest lesson I could share with someone starting out is that you never know where your help will come from. I'm not about to peremptorily declare who is and who isn't willing to help based on whether or not they have a penis.
Gina McCauley is the CEO of the Blogging While Brown Conferenceand the blogsMichelle Obama Watch and What About Our Daughters. She is currently completing her first book, 'Michelle Obama Watch.'
Comments: (169)
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By: MrsMom on 11/10/2010 4:09PM
LOVE this article, because, though you will have some who won't admit it, people love to stomp all over the Black female, but yet, we seem to keep rolling right along. Black women need to start taking stock in WHO really appreciates our dollar. I know this is hard for many of you, but if that means refusing to shop at your favorite beauty supply store, as most Koreans I have encountered, viciously hate the black woman. I told one one time, she would not sell me an item, that was no good, then dismiss me like I was some fly buzzing around her. I demanded my money back, or I was on the phone, to call the police for them stealing. I didn't get loud, I didn't make a scene, but I let her knew right then, I was getting a refund, and I never returned, to that store! Yes, although not totally feasible in this time, if black women bowed out of a lot of stuff, including PRE-MARITAL SEX, that would also stop a lot of jive.
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By: Zartan on 11/11/2010 11:03AM
Was gona post how sisters have the ability to set the standered across the board.
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By: oknow on 11/11/2010 11:07AM
right on.. lol. i bought a pack of hair back to the store because i wanted something different. because the pack was bent she didn't want to exchange it.. she said the next person wouldn't buy it. she knows how the women in this are was.. black women.. i called the police and told her i'm not leaving til she exchanges the hair because i'm not asking for a refund. i told her - i'm the reason you have business and you acting like u don't need my $$$? the guy that owned the store apologized and exchanged it.. i never went back.. i feel the same way as you do..
how are they dominating things sold to us for us?!
that's exactly why i'm natural now.. F them..
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By: cookie on 11/11/2010 7:06PM
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENT MISS.I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER.I HAVE FOLLOWED YOUR GUIDE FOR MANY YEARS.
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By: lue on 11/11/2010 7:34PM
you are sooo right their is power in patronage
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By: lue on 11/11/2010 7:18PM
she who controls her body controls the relationship. the body lies to the heart and puts the mind to sleep.
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By: john on 11/12/2010 1:35AM
A lesbian society course of action. What If Black Women Bowed Out: Are Male-Free Societies a Solution?
What you are really saying is that the society you want is a black lesbian society. You already know that American laws are female based benefit and protection, not equally based, so stop thinking that We, the people of America, are fools. Though your writing says one thing; your real voice says lesbianism America, and enslavement of men at any means.
We also need a military draft registration at 18, so these women only society folk can provide their own military units. I don't like having women excluded from signing up at 18 like their male counterparts. Equal Rights was your fight along with equal pay, so step up and be all you can be. A woman's death in battle is no different than a man's death; they both fought for their freedom.
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By: Lahelama on 11/12/2010 11:31AM
Amen Sis, I absolutely refuse to spend my money in any store, shop, or industry that doesn't show me the proper respect as a customer.
i've never understood how people could stand in a carryout/hair supply store and curse out the owner about poor service then hand them money.
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By: Lahelama on 11/12/2010 11:30AM
Sigh Clarke if would just figure that the "Lesbian/Men Hating" banner would be unfurled in the course of this conversation.
Geez to listen to the stats, black women are damn near living without black men now. Why the uproar now that a sistah is saying "Lets make this situation work" ?
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By: Alexis Stodghill on 11/12/2010 1:45PM
Hi -- I really appreciate everyone's comments.
I just want to point out, our writer says she DOES NOT agree that black women should bow out.
A friendly FYI.
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