Black People : BUYING WHILE BLACK

I'm saying what King said,

"Blacks are 11% of the American population, and consume 40% of the Scotch Whiskey imported to the U.S., and spend 72 million at the jewelry store, and when we come asking for Civil Rights donations Negroes are just trying to make ends meet."​

Or what Woodson said,

" If the Negroes of this country are to escape starvation and rise out of poverty unto comfort and ease, they must change their way of thinking and living. Never did the author see a more striking demonstration of such a necessity than recently when a young man came to him looking for a job. He was well bedecked with jewelry and fine clothes, and while he was in the office he smoked almost enough cigars to pay one's board for that day. A man of this type in a poverty-stricken group must suffer and die."​

This isn't new. Mis-Education is a book from 1933 and the Mis-Education itself is much older than that.

Why are we supposed to sympathize with every bad choice our neighbors make? The same women buying luxury bags are begging for tampons on the regular. Believe that. I know of a woman starving to death trying to go to school; the Brother going for his belt could have done a lot more good in this world than that feminine peacocking.


Buying a belt and buying something that will kill you is different





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Why does this not surprise me? A dope dealer that brags about getting money from those that exploit his people

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© AP/ Jay-Z
Jay-Z defends deal with store accused of profiling
Oct. 26, 2013, 7:33 PM EST
By KAREN MATTHEWS , Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) -- Jay-Z-- under increasing pressure to back out of a collaboration with the luxury store Barneys New York after it was accused of racially profiling two black customers -- said Saturday he's being unfairly "demonized" for just waiting to hear all of the facts.
The rap mogul made his first statement about the controversy in a posting on his website. He has come under fire for remaining silent as news surfaced this week that two young black people said they were profiled by Barneys after they purchased expensive items from their Manhattan store.
An online petition and Twitter messages from fans have been circulating this week, calling on the star to bow out of his upcoming partnership with Barneys for the holiday season, which will have the store selling items by top designers, inspired by Jay-Z, with some of the proceeds going to his charity. He is also working with the store to create its artistic holiday window display.
But Jay-Z -- whose real name is Shawn Carter-- defended himself, saying that he hasn't spoken about it because he's still trying to figure out exactly what happened.
Also: 'Treme' actor: NY Macy's stopped me because of race
"I move and speak based on facts and not emotion," the statement said. "I haven't made any comments because I am waiting on facts and the outcome of a meeting between community leaders and Barneys. Why am I being demonized, denounced and thrown on the cover of a newspaper for not speaking immediately?" he said, referring to local newspaper headlines.
The two Barneys customers, Trayon Christian and Kayla Phillips, said this week they were detained by police after making expensive purchases.
Christian sued Barneys, saying he was accused of fraud after using his debit card to buy a $349 Ferragamo belt in April. Philips filed a notice of claim saying she would sue after she was stopped by detectives outside the store when she bought a $2,500 Celine handbag in February.
As the criticism grew, Barneys said Thursday it had retained a civil rights expert to help review its procedures. The CEO of Barneys, Mark Lee, offered his "sincere regret and deepest apologies."
Kirsten John Foy, an official with the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, said he would meet with Barneys officials on Tuesday to discuss the racial profiling allegations.
Jay-Z — who rose from a life of crime in Brooklyn to become one of the most heralded rappers and one of entertainment's biggest superstars — has in the past called for a boycott of labels perceived to be racist, and has become more political in recent years, from speaking out about the killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin to campaigning for President Barack Obama.
Jay-Z said in this case, he's still trying to find out what happened —which is why he was silent.
"The negligent, erroneous reports and attacks on my character, intentions and the spirit of this collaboration have forced me into a statement I didn't want to make without the full facts," he added.
He also dismissed reports that he would profit from the collaboration. He said he's "not making a dime" from working with Barneys. Instead, his Shawn Carter Foundation, which provides college scholarships to economically challenged students, will get 25 percent of all sales from the collaboration.
"This money is going to help individuals facing socio-economic hardships to help further their education at institutions of higher learning," he said. "My idea was born out of creativity and charity... not profit."
He also said that "making a decision prematurely to pull out of this project wouldn't hurt Barneys or Shawn Carter but all the people that stand a chance at higher education," he said. "I have been working with my team ever since the situation was brought to my attention to get to the bottom of these incidents and at the same time find a solution that doesn't harm all those that stand to benefit from this collaboration."
Jay-Z said he understood what it felt like to be racially profiled — but also didn't want to jump to unfair conclusions.
"I am against discrimination of any kind but if I make snap judgments, no matter who it's towards, aren't I committing the same sin as someone who profiles?" he asked. "I am no stranger to being profiled and I truly empathize with anyone that has been put in that position. Hopefully this brings forth a dialogue to effect real change."
Earlier Saturday, Sharpton held a rally at his National Action Network headquarters in Harlem, saying black New Yorkers should put shopping at Barneys "on hold" if the retailer's response is inadequate.
But it is not the only retailer accused of racially profiling its customers.
Some Sharpton supporters who attended Saturday's rally said they had been profiled in other stores, too. Shane Lee, 51, said he went to the high-end store Bergdorf Goodman to buy shirts last year and the sales staff would not assist him.
"Instead of helping me, they were staring at me," said Lee, who is black. "I felt so uncomfortable that I just left."
A Bergdorf Goodman official did not return a call seeking comment Saturday.
On Friday, Rob Brown, a black actor on the HBO series "Treme" said he was stop because of his race while shopping at Macy's flagship Manhattan store. Brown said in his lawsuit that he was detained nearly an hour by police June 8 after employees contacted authorities about possible credit cardfraud.
Macy's didn't comment on the litigation but said in a statement it was investigating.




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Yet we have no money for Black Organizations . . ..
Isn’t that a very separate issue, as opposed to the FACT that WE are so committed to the very manipulative consumerism, by striving to pay huge sums for ludicrous designer label clothes, accoutrements, toys with which the current status quo keeps us all on the so very bizarre treadmill/altar to the newest most allegedly fashionable goods and services/means of projecting that we’ve made it/are materially successful [while highlighting just how fundamentally insecure we are]?


The real cutting edge of these incidents just how traumatized the whites are that ANY of us other than the obvious sports stars celebrities have the legal means of acquiring these so overly hyped super expensive objects; as THEY are very aware aren’t they, that within the institutionally racist status quo there is no way we should be able to get most luxury goods without them either being fakes or by fraud/theft?

With regard to our organizations isn’t there always a problem centered around what these organizations are actually producing for us individually and collectively, especially as our leadership structures tend to be overly elitist/only intersested in having yes men type underlings/withhold as opposed to widely dispersing strategically vital knowledge/information thus ensuring that if their leadership is removed the unit can no longer viably function [whereas aren’t the POWER ELITE’s political front men/puppets of the lobby that installed them/completely expendable as highlighted by Gore, Bush, Kerry, Obama and Hilary Clinton]? Well!
We can all make Organizations, much like a Family is an Organization. This woman buying the $2,500 bag is a mother. What can $2,500 do for a child?
What about the opulent lifestyles of celebrities in general which might appear insensitive but what sort of world would we be living in if that was the worst thing happening TODAY, as opposed to the so determined ongoing initiative by the POWER ELITE to export the CHAOS MACHINE template [which was and still is systematically looting the Kongo and resource rich regions of ‘Africa] to Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Lebanon with Iran STILL their prime target in the region?[/SIZE]

BTW why aren’t YOU answering questions in the direct manner possible with this medium?

Isn't ANYONE who genuinely believes they are not programmed
graphically illustrating that their programming is COMPLETE?
 
Al Sharpton And Barneys CEO Had 'Very Candid And Open' Meeting About Racial Profiling Case
By KAREN MATTHEWS


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Instagram Rachelnoerd


NEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — Civil rights activist Al Sharpton met with the CEO of Barneys New York on Tuesday to discuss allegations of racial profiling at the high-end retailer, while the New York state attorney general's office demanded its own meeting with Barneys and also Macy's.
Two black customers accused Barneys of discrimination last week after they said they had lawfully purchased items but were detained by police on suspicion of credit card fraud.
"We had a very candid and open meeting today to begin a dialogue," Sharpton said after the private meeting with Barneys CEO Mark Lee at Sharpton's National Action Network office in Harlem.
Lee said Barneys' own initial investigation showed no employees were at fault in the two incidents, but he said the retailer does not tolerate discrimination and wants "to be part of the solution" to racial profiling.
Macy's flagship Manhattan store also has been hit with a claim from a black actor that he was stopped because of his race while shopping. Macy's didn't comment on the litigation but said in a statement it was investigating.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office sent letters to the executives at both Barneys New York and Macy's East noting that racial discrimination in places of public accommodation including stores is prohibited under state and local civil rights law. The letters dated Monday asked executives at both stores to call the attorney general's office to schedule meetings.
Speaking Tuesday in Buffalo, Schneiderman said, "We're now demanding information from Barneys and Macy's to assess their policies and their conduct in this regard." He added, "Apparently there was some sort of policy in the stores and in some part of the NYPD to profile certain types of customers."
Lee said Barneys would "cooperate fully" with the attorney general. Macy's spokeswoman Elina Kazan said in a statement: "We have received the Attorney General's letter and are fully cooperating with the request."
One of the Barneys shoppers filed a discrimination lawsuit against Barneys, the city and its police department, while the other filed a complaint with the city's police watchdog agency.
"Our preliminary investigation has concluded that in both of these instances no one from Barneys New York raised any issue with these purchases," Lee said. "No one from Barneys brought them to the attention of our internal security, and no one from Barneys reached out to external authorities."
Lee deflected questions about whether he was suggesting that police acted on their own to detain the customers.
The police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Lee's remarks.
Lee also alluded to Barneys' relationship with rap mogul Jay-Z, who has faced pressure to distance himself from the retailer since the profiling allegations surfaced.
"We deeply regret that these recent events have distracted from the great work of the Shawn Carter Foundation, and we offer our sincere apologies to Mr. Carter," Lee said, using the entertainer's real name.
An online petition and Twitter messages from fans have called on Jay-Z to bow out of his partnership with Barneys, which will have the store selling items by top designers, inspired by Jay-Z, with some of the proceeds going to his charity. Jay-Z said Saturday he was waiting to hear all the facts.
Also attending Tuesday's meeting were Hazel Dukes, president of the New York chapter of the NAACP, former Gov. David Paterson, other civil rights leaders, pastors and elected officials.



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Barneys And Macy's Racial Discrimination Cases Stir Talk Of 'Shopping While Black'
By JESSE WASHINGTON

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-- The usual scenario involves suspicious glances, inattentive clerks or rude service — not handcuffs.
Yet when a black teen said he was wrongly jailed after buying a $350 belt at a Manhattan luxury store, it struck a nerve in African-Americans accustomed to finding that their money is not necessarily as good as everyone else's. Shopping while black, they say, can be a humiliating experience.
Much attention has been paid to the issue over the years — Oprah Winfrey complained that a Swiss clerk did not think she could afford a $38,000 handbag, and even President Barack Obama has said he was once followed in stores. But according to shoppers interviewed Monday, many people don't recognize how prevalent retail discrimination is, and how the consistent stream of small insults adds up to a large problem.
"It's one thing if you don't understand. But don't ever tell me it doesn't happen to me," said Natasha Eubanks, who shops often at high-end stores in New York City. "You can't assume it doesn't happen just because it doesn't happen to you."
Sometimes, Eubanks said, it takes clerks more than five minutes to simply acknowledge her presence. Or they brush her off after a token greeting. Or they ask her question after question: "You're a black girl up in Chanel. They want to know what you're doing here, and what you do for a living."
She says she has dealt with this type of treatment at least 20 times in New York City.
"I don't look like that typical chick who walks into that type of store," said Eubanks, owner of the celebrity website theYBF.com. "It feels differently than when you go into a store and are treated properly."
Trayon Christian's problem was not how he was treated when he went into Barneys New York — it was what happened afterward. In a lawsuit filed last week, the 19-year-old said that he bought a Ferragamo belt at the Manhattan store, and when he left he was accosted by undercover city police officers.
According to the lawsuit, police said Christian "could not afford to make such an expensive purchase." He was arrested and detained, though he showed police the receipt, the debit card he used and identification, the lawsuit said.
After Christian's lawsuit was filed, another black Barneys shopper said she was accused of fraud after purchasing a $2,500 handbag, and the black actor Robert Brown said he was paraded through Macy's in handcuffs and detained for an hour after being falsely accused of credit card fraud.
For Yvonne Chan, the reports were a painful reminder of when she worked in a liquor store in a predominantly white Massachusetts town. Every few months someone would be caught stealing, and about half the time it was a black person.
"You find yourself watching black people. (The stealing) only happens once in a while, but it changes your perception," Chan said.
Chan, a graduate student, always tried to remind herself not to act on stereotypes, but, "Like it or not, I'm going to have a preconceived notion of races from my experiences. As much as I would like to force my brain not to think like that and put everyone on an even playing field, stereotypes play a role in our society ... we skew the view of people as individuals."
Those skewed views can affect who gets arrested for retail theft, said Jerome Williams, a business professor at Rutgers University who has studied marketplace discrimination.
Many people justify racial profiling by saying that black customers are more likely to steal. But one study has shown that white women in their 40s engaged in more shoplifting than other demographic groups, Williams said.
"The reason they don't show up in crime statistics is because people aren't watching them," said Williams.
Statistics showing that black customers steal more "are not really an indication of who's shoplifting," he said. "It's a reflection of who's getting caught. That's a reflection of who's getting watched. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."
Dido Kanyandekwe knows he is being watched. "But I joke with them; I see them looking at me and I say, 'Hello, I see you!' And I wave," said the 18-year-old college student in New York City, who was in Barneys on Monday buying a $600-plus pair of Italian designer sneakers.
"Most black people don't have the money to buy stuff at Barneys," said Kanyandekwe, the son of wealthy parents, before paying for the black leather shoes with a credit card. "But that does not mean all black people are not able to buy these things."
Black people are not the only ones who can face unequal treatment in stores. Hispanics have made the same complaints. And Sher Graham, a white woman who lives in Mobile, Ala., says black servers in the fast-food restaurants she visits often wait on black customers first.
A few months ago, she said, a black cashier started talking to black women standing in line behind her about their order. "When I brought this to her attention, she just shrugged her shoulders and completely ignored me. This action happens more times than not here in the Gulf Coast region," Graham, a consultant and speaker, said in an email interview.
Yet if the number of complaints is any guide, the experience is most common for African-Americans.
Candace Witherspoon, a wardrobe stylist in Los Angeles, went to a store in Century City last April to buy a purse and shop for one of her celebrity clients. She was wearing a T-shirt and jeans. In a letter to the company, Witherspoon said the sales associate barely greeted her, then ignored her, in contrast with her treatment of white patrons.
"As the other customers left, she said 'Thanks ladies for shopping. Have a good day.' When I left she gave me a nasty look and didn't say anything," Witherspoon's letter said.
Toni Duclottni, who runs a fashion web site in Los Angeles, recently went to a Beverly Hills department store intending to spend about $4,000 on shoes. But she took her business elsewhere after being ignored.
"It's frustrating to be constantly ignored and people pretend it doesn't happen," she said.
To her, the solution is simple.
"They rush to judgment, they jump into it assuming something without speaking to a person," Duclottni said. "They'd be surprised if they just walked up and said, "Hello, can I help you find something?' They'd be surprised."
___
Associated Press writer Verena Dobnik in New York contributed to this report.




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