“White Lives Matter” Spray Painted on Boston Black Market
The Boston Black Market, a space for minority artists, was vandalized Tuesday. The Black Market hosts a variety of African American vendors and have an overall goal of helping local black businesses grow and eventually open up in vacant Dudley Square spaces.
The Black Market Facebook page posted the following in response to the vandalism:
- That moment you discover that “WHITE LIVES MATTER” is spray painted on Black Market’s building just days before our Spring Grand Opening. Welp. We knew it was coming. We knew it was just a matter of time. We expected it would happen during our first grand opening last June. It’s one of the reason’s we have a specially trained 6foot5 security officer every time we pop-up. It’s unfortunately no surprise to us. We live in a city with history so deeply rooted in racism and division, its’ not a shock to us that this type of bullshit occurred. Especially as our community gets more and more gentrified. It is proof that it is getting more difficult to stay culturally-rooted and grounded in our own Roxbury neighborhood. We have been battling with graffiti outside on the fencing beside our business for 2 months and going back and forth with the City of Boston Roxbury Neighborhood Constituent Service Representative, Josh McFaddin who has been working on solutions with us. Chris was taking a series of pictures of the graffiti on the fence yesterday to only to discover that in the background of some of the photos, the business’s wall was littered with hate speech. What this egocentric, evil person does not understand is how resilient we are as a people and community. WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED. We are blessed with the strength of our ancestors who have gone through a million times worse and WE WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. We believe this person is simply suffering from what we deem as “White privilege syndrome”. We perceive that they may be enraged by the positive impact and effect that Black Market is having in our community without dependency or a handout from him/her. Perhaps he sees himself not benefitting directly from the outcomes of our Business. White Privilidge syndrome is steeped in the fantastical myth of REVERSE RACISM- and is perpetuated by thoughts of pro-blackness and Black Pride being anti-white as though our community’s self-affirmation and esteem takes away White lives mattering in the world. #crymeariver It’s a syndrome based in narcissism and institutionalized racism that sparks reactions to Black and Brown peoples determination to self-preserve and self-care when they are shut out of the mainstream system and end up with $8 of networth. Navigating White privilege syndrome is just another problem we have to deal with as a Black-business owners. Our tool-kit has to be chock-full of Black Powertools to pivot, protect and maintain the safety of our Brand more than an entrepreneur that does not have to face racial obstacles and challenges from every side. We don’t have a choice. We must keep going. And for those who need, we have some tissue in our toolbox for all the white privilege tears shed. This small bump in the road will not stop us from achieving our mission: to eradicate Boston’s $247,500 wealth gap- NOR will it hinder our Spring Grand Opening this weekend. And for the record, we intend on creating more opportunities for hundreds more Black-Owned Businesses all over New England and the nation. I am calling it out today and bursting all white privilege bubbles- Reverse racism doesn’t exist. I repeat: Reverse racism does not exist- and any person who claims otherwise has little to no experience or knowledge of what racism is. Racism is based on historical, systemic oppression and power. Historically, white people have never been persecuted for the color of their skin—so there’s no point comparing their experiences to those of black, brown, and Indigenous folks. Comparing the two would be FALSE EQUIVALENCY! Enslavement of Africans + Colonialism- the theft and sale of humans, stolen legacies, names, occupations, families, culture, art, religion, wealth, melanin on systemic proportions… versus someone’s feelings being hurt because the conversation is not about them. #BooeffingHoo There’s a difference when white people who are in positions of power in every industry in the world espouse a hatred of Black and Brown people of African descent than when it’s done the other way around because it wouldn’t affect a white person’s ability to buy a house, get a job, receive an education, or increase the odds that they’d get profiled while waiting for a contractor at a local Starbucks in Philadelphia The exclusion of white people in the narrative of safe-spaces created for Black and Brown people is another controversy that causes a passive-aggressive responses like the “White Lives Matters” graffiti written on the wall of our business the weekend before our Spring Grand Opening: It’s interesting that as soon as you de-center whiteness, it becomes about people being anti-white, versus having pride in their heritage. So I leave you with these questions: Why is it that in a place created for black people to have an economic base amongst themselves… to eradicate the $247,500 wealth gap, that white folks feel like they have to be at the center? How is it that I can not conduct a cultural-based business in the middle of my own neighborhood which is the epicenter of Black culture for the City of Boston? Would this hate-crime of privilege happen in China Town? Would it happen in Hyde Square, the latino central of Jamaica Plain? How about Fields corner where the Vietnamese business community shines? Their is a Casablanc (White House) in New Market…. Is any body graffiti their building with racist white privilege slogans? or the other Markets in around the city that have ZERO Black businesses vending with them? White people, friends and family- get your peoples yo. Teach your children how to allow Black People to Shine. Build within them the strength to cheer on the sidelines for Black Boston and to financially support our businesses without introspection or fragility. When you shop Black Market, you are supporting LOCAL BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESSES, FEMALE-LED BUSINESSES, AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIES around the African Diaspora. . We are the most diverse Market in New England. AGE, GENDER, RELIGION, INCOME, EDUCATION, ZIP-CODE… you name it! We are having major positive impact on Boston’s local economy and in the district of Dudley Square. So how does this story become about you, privilege white person? We are Black. We are Proud. We are UNASHAMED and UNAFRAID. We will not be intimidated. We stand strongly on the backs of our ancestors that walked these very ROXBURY streets: Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglass, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Sojourner Truth, Melnea Cass, Martin King and the like. THIS IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE AINT GOING NOWHERE……. Kai + Christopher Grant Owners, Black Market Dudley
See the photos below:
https://www.facebook.com/blackmarketdudley/posts/500692163679832
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