Are You Guilty?

Commentary by Cheryl Brewster
From The Grand Rapids Times
February 15, 2008

Yesterday, I went shopping for one of my girlfriends’ Mother who is well passed 80 years old. She wanted some mustard and turnip greens, a piece of firm soft pork, one turnip and a few more items from Madison Square Grocery Store aka Family Fare. As I walked by the Store Manager, I reflected on a discussion before the Western Michigan District Lay Academy Black History Program began and remembered key members of the community discussing if we, as a community could have saved this store from being sold to Duthlers’. So I asked the Store Manager, “What could we have done as a black community to save this store?” He replied, “Shop here instead of Meijer’s.” He continued to open up boxes of Ramen noodles and put them on the shelves. I was sort of shocked by his response. He went on to explain himself and stated that he and his son thought that if they owned a minority owned grocery store in the heart of the community they assumed that black people would shop at the store. He stated further that he thought that if the store was clean, well managed, stocked with a variety of good name brands and well secured, his people would patronize the store. I immediately apologized and said that he was right; I shopped at Big Top more than at Family Fare which is only two miles from my house. We began to discuss the large corporations such as SAMS, COSCO, WALMART and MEIJER’S who have just taken over the grocery business from the family owned and minority businesses. Mr. Nate went on to say that a survey previously taken in the surrounding neighborhoods indicated that there were enough families to support the grocery store and that only very small profits are made in the grocery business. I thanked him for taking the time to talk to me and made up my mind that I too was guilty of not supporting black businesses and now have made a resolution to shop at this store at least once or twice per month. Then my mind started wondering whether this is the only store where people ask you on a consistent basis if you need any help or respond to you saying, yes or no Ma’am. Just think; if every African -American household had shopped at Family Fare in Madison Square once a month it would have been black- owned for many years. Instead, the new owners will take over– beginning in the middle of next month – but under the same management team with of course, a few changes. Are you guilty too?