Ebony Experiment
Encyclopedia
The Empowerment Experiment (formerly called the Ebony Experiment as of March 12, 2009), was co-founded by John and Maggie Anderson of Oak Park, Illinois. Steven Rogers, director of the Kellogg Entrepreneurial Practice Center at Northwestern University
's Graduate School of Management, serves as an Executive Advisor to the experiment, which is a year-long study designed to find out what happens when people buy things only from black owned businesses.
Some participants who are committed to this movement have been willing to drive substantially longer distances than what they had driven before the movement started, in order to purchase goods from black owned businesses.
By May 12, 2009, 4,000 people had signed up on the Andersons' website to participate in their experiment.
The U.S. has one million black owned businesses, which account for more than $100 billion in annual sales. Blacks have more than $800 billion in expendable income each year.
, praised the experiment as being "brave and courageous," and said the rationale for it was "exactly right."
James E. Clingman, who writes frequently about African-American economic empowerment, and also teaches a class on black entrepreneurship at the University of Cincinnati
, said, "I'd rather have more black businesses than black politicians."
Gregory Price, chairman of the economics department at Morehouse College
, said the ideas behind the movement were similar to the ideas expressed by black visionaries like Booker T. Washington
and Marcus Garvey
. Price also said, "The idea is a sound one, given that black Americans are still underrepresented in the ranks of the self-employed and that entrepreneurship is a key component to wealth."
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's Graduate School of Management, serves as an Executive Advisor to the experiment, which is a year-long study designed to find out what happens when people buy things only from black owned businesses.
Some participants who are committed to this movement have been willing to drive substantially longer distances than what they had driven before the movement started, in order to purchase goods from black owned businesses.
By May 12, 2009, 4,000 people had signed up on the Andersons' website to participate in their experiment.
The U.S. has one million black owned businesses, which account for more than $100 billion in annual sales. Blacks have more than $800 billion in expendable income each year.
Praise
Lawrence Hamer, associate professor of marketing at DePaul UniversityDePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
, praised the experiment as being "brave and courageous," and said the rationale for it was "exactly right."
James E. Clingman, who writes frequently about African-American economic empowerment, and also teaches a class on black entrepreneurship at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
, said, "I'd rather have more black businesses than black politicians."
Gregory Price, chairman of the economics department at Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
, said the ideas behind the movement were similar to the ideas expressed by black visionaries like Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
and Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
. Price also said, "The idea is a sound one, given that black Americans are still underrepresented in the ranks of the self-employed and that entrepreneurship is a key component to wealth."