The Toledo Black Market Place

Nothing wrong with that. It's not much different than Toledo Choose local which encourages people to ONLY shop locally owned businesses. I don't see this as being a "race relations" issue for anyone unless people decide to make it an issue.

However, this isn't a economic community based on location, rather it's based on race and is specific to exclusion of other races.

I briefly read their site and noticed nothing about the exclusion of other races. I certainly don't see anything wrong with "a website designed to put the spotlight on African-American owned businesses and business owners in the greater Toledo area". I don't deny that there's an African-American community in the greater Toledo area.

Under "About Us" I took this as exclusion

"If you are a black business owner and would like to be listed on this site, email fletcher@toledoblackmarketplace.com or call 419-243-0007 for more information."

Not sure what you meant by

"I don't deny that there's an African-American community in the greater Toledo area."

I don't have a problem with it. Have you seen my website?

www.shopcaucasiantoledo.com

We encourage shopping at white owned businesses.

I was afraid of that.

It's exclusive, not inclusive. Anything that promotes racial exclusion is bad for race relations.

I think that another pertinent question is: Who cares? I, for one, really don't care one way or the other, so long as I'm free to put up a similar site about a white market place - without the anticipated criticism.

I'm all for it, but only if they promise to keep the crimes being committed by blacks also in the black community.

Simply that there is a place for specifying or identifying oneself as a " black business owner".

Unlike some of the posters who replied after me, I'm not an insecure white male who has never studied or understood race in America.

You may as well start that site. Your posts here indicate a strong ignorance.

BFD. Move along folks. Nothing to see here.

I find it very weird that on the right side of the page the first business listings and ads I see are for two bail bonds companies and Church's Chicken, why not try to elevate and promote black owned businesses that do not feed into the same old stereotypes. I hope they work on building their brand and market themselves to better reflect all the black owned businesses out there.

Maybe no one else would advertise there.

Historically, different ethnic groups have always shopped at businesses owned by "their own kind" and the money circulated within that community. A point the website makes:

--------

Why a website to spotlight black-owned businesses?

According to Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, when money hits the African-American community, that dollar circulates between zero and one time on average within the community. This average is woefully poor when compared to the way other ethnic communities husband their resources.

That dollar will circulate six times in the Latino community, nine times in the Asian community, for example.

----------

My wife is of Chinese descent. Her mother buys groceries in the Chinatown area of her city every time. Every. Single. Time. Never Safeway, Ralphs, Albertsons. Chinese community. Better produce, she says. Keeps those (mostly) Chinese immigrant workers working, that's for sure.

In an African-American community with (officially) a 13.8% unemployment rate, another website promoting business can't hurt, IMO...

Why a website to spotlight black-owned businesses? According to Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, when money hits the African-American community, that dollar circulates between zero and one time on average within the community.

And that isn't going to change. If the dollars are there to pick up by some capitalist, they'd already be picked up.

That stat tells you all you need to know about so-called Black communities. They aren't communities. They are open air prisons.

All so-called white communities are just redneck inbred festivals.

Anything that promotes racial exclusion is bad for race relations.

I will agree with you on this one madjack.

As long as we continue to draw lines between races, it is an indication that those lines mean something. If we really want progress, we have to move away from classifying people based on biological traits (small exception for medical purposes).

To some, it's drawing lines. To others it's celebrating their lineage. The only people mentioning exclusion are scared white people.

Researcher - you are definitely drawing the lines. Why the hatred?

I'm certainly drawing lines, but not racial lines. Who doesn't hate ignorance?

Oldhometown brings up a good point about ethnic groups and grocery dollars. We have specialty Italian markets (which were the only source of olive oil for over 100 years in the US) and there are Jewish places (delis, bakeries) and there are halal butchers serving their niche. All would be considered white-owned, white-oriented enterprises.

For anyone who would like a cheerful take on race relations, go to Youtube and watch anything by biracial comedians Key and Peele. If you're hungry, watch "Soul Food." If you work in the school system, watch "Substitute Teacher." If you liked Django Unchained, watch "Auction Block." Those guys are my cultural heroes right now. They bring joy and laughter that blesses all races.

I am more into the Marketing aspects of this and how it can help the community or hurt it.

Two thumbs up for Key & Peele...the substitute Teacher bit was hilarious !!!!!

Researcher,

I have no problem with celebrating ethnicity. Our culture as a whole benefits through ethnic diversity. Race, however, is not ethnicity.

Race is not descriptive enough to be meaningful for a given person's lineage.

This sounds great if you're white and ignore all of US history.

Well I'm glad we have white people to claim the Toledo Black Marketplace is of no importance. Good work!

Who says this is some kind of unified "white person" opinion? I believe it's more so of a modern approach to living in a post-racial society (at least for some of us).

What does race even mean, researcher? Let's get philosophical!

http://www.pbs.org/race/000_About/002_04-background-02-09.htm

I didn't say it was a unified "white person" opinion and I'm not sure anyone else has.

A white person talking about a "post-racial society" throws up all kinds of warning signs, by the way.

My comments here are not quaint enough to be personal, unless you want them to be. I don't assume anything specifically about you.

6th floor... "I'm all for it, but only if they promise to keep the crimes being committed by blacks also in the black community."

did you intend a knee-jerk racist response that is totally off topic? i don't understand how such stereotyped thoughtless answers get "liked". plus, i would rather have the crimes committed by mostly white bankers, investment firms, and insurance firms out of my neighborhood because they stole sooo much more from us all.

it is a tough question molsonator posed... should minority groups band together for mutual support in un-official ways; is that a form of reverse discrimination.

it is obviously wrong for the majority to band together in such a way, intentionally or in some documented way... but the silent unackowledge but largely understood discrimination that occurs already works against minority communities to great effect. to think blacks don't continue to experience predjudice against them from the majority white community is wrong.

nobody can really believe that one race or nationality is prone to criminality or lazyness or drug use more than any other group. therefore scientifically, these are matters of cause and effect.

perhaps maybe it is a case that every white benefits a little by every small silent act of discrimination that occurs... one by one... straws on a camel's back. to be sure lots of whites still fail and many minorities are able to rize above tough circumstances... but with a lot more effort than most of us would had to have made. and to be sure, the hopelessness that those innumerable acts of hidden predjudice can add up and lead to criminality, helplessness, and drug use with some.

in an ideal situation, no, reverse-discrimation shouldn't exist... but this is no ideal situation and the black community trying to find ways to pull themselves out of the hole in which they are stuck can't do anything but help everyone

Which store has the best popcorn? I'm out and need more for reading this thread!

I'm looking right now at the program from a Greek-American festival I recently went to in Florida. A number of businesses are promoted within that program, all prominently featuring their "Greekness", either being owned by a "_________opolous" name or other cultural markers.

I don't think anybody seriously believes they want only Greeks in their businesses or that they are somehow exclusionary. So, why the suspicion here? Because it's a website instead of a pamphlet?

There's a difference between a site like this promoting African-American owned businesses and a site that proclaims hurtful messages. I'm not sure how this is hurting anyone, just like the Greek festival program isn't hurting anyone.

From EnjoyEverySandwich: i don't understand how such stereotyped thoughtless answers get "liked".

Don't assume that the motivation for 'liking' a particular post is agreement or support.

From OldHomeTown: I don't think anybody seriously believes they want only Greeks in their businesses or that they are somehow exclusionary. So, why the suspicion here?

Because the website specifically solicits advertising from black business owners exclusive to all others. From the site:

If you are a black business owner and would like to be listed on this site...

The owners of the site discriminate against all other business owners because of race and nothing else.

madjack needs to consult a dictionary.

Do I need to mention Conservapedia?