KBSS Boycott Planning Thread

What should the name of this boycott be?

  • UnOccupy the BSS

    Votes: 48 34.3%
  • Stop the BSS

    Votes: 85 60.7%
  • I have another suggestion (please make it known in the thread!)

    Votes: 7 5.0%

  • Total voters
    140
ITA. A fact sheet would be great, and I would love to help contribute. I would also be willing to make an FB page. I'm pretty sure we would get people leaving stupid comments on the page and whatnot, but FB and Twitter are really good ways to spread the word, especially if we get a major blogger/YT personality backing us.
Maybe we should create a task list?
We could just compile all the things we want to accomplish and set a date on them.
For instance:
  • Contact some Black-owned BSS for facts about business and for support (numbers, stats, etc) - by November 4
  • Contact xyz people to ask for support/advertising - by November 5

There's a lot to do in a little bit of time but we have a lot of people willing to help, so I don't think it will be too hard. Plus, November 20 would just be the launch date. If we decide to go for 3 months, people will join in as the time passes.

A task list is a must.
 
What about websites such as sleekhair.com, beauty-mart.com, beautyofnewyork.com, etc. Is there a way of verifying who owns these companies? I bet they're Asian/Korean-owned ...

Do you know what state they are based in? Checking with the secretary of state often says who the registered owner is.. and you can go from there.
 
I'm down with this...I haven't been shopping at a Korean BSS for a while now due to the same reasons that were stated in the first thread. I also like #StoptheBSS

Ladies in the BK area there is a black owned store in downtown Brooklyn called Nicholas. They are very friendly and sell a variety of things. I go to them to pick up shea butter, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, other oils and some older shea moisture products. Here is their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicholas-Variety/114795421870728?sk=wall

You can find the contact and location in the info section. I also think they have a sister store in Harlem.
 
Thanks for tagging me!

Now I'm just thinking out loud:

I will be doing extensive research about this myself so I can try to help compile some concise information about this issue. That way it'll be easier to spread the word elsewhere, like on other forum sites.

It also wouldn't hurt to get this out to people we see on a daily. If you can find a way to bring this up in conversation, DO IT!! That will help spread the word beyond the cyber world.

Also, I just realized that back home I have come across a couple of black owned beauty supply shops, but they weren't on the list on that urban salon network link. It's been a while since I've been to them so I'm not sure of their status as of today, but I will be looking into it. If they are still in business, I will try to get in contact with them about this brewing movement and try to pick their brain about the industry. I wonder if they're affiliated with bobsa. I'm downstate for school currently and I don't have a car down here but when I go home for Thanksgiving break on the 16th I'll definitely do some "fieldwork".lol Putting my anthropology skills to work.
 
I smell tons of work, lol but i will develop an actual site to list the BSS stores (as well as the black hair care lines<-- THOSE DEVELOPED BY -- NOT SIMPLY MARKETED TO) as we compile these lists

i really like the #occupyblackbusiness tag honestly
 
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We'll need a spokesperson and a person to write copy. If the boycott takes traction someone will need to speak for the group and someone will need to respond to written inquires.
 
I can respond to written inquiries. What is the name of this movement so we can create an email account? [email protected]? [email protected]?

As a boycott idea: why don't we chose the dates with the biggest profit margin and boycott then. For example, Black Friday = Black Out Friday. We could do a Black out Friday every month, starting in November. Christmas/New Year - Support Black Owned BSS for Kwanza or something to that nature.
 
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Yes, we definitely need spokespeople. That's a great idea!

I was also thinking of how this boycott will affect their business. With Christmas around the corner, I know their pockets are gonna be hurting (at least, I HOPE they will :giggle: )

BTW, I'm still waiting for a response from beetee beauty supply. I thought they would have written back by now. :perplexed

To the ladies who have black owned bss' in your area, it would be awesome if you guys could tell them about what we're doing, so they can help spread the word as well. :grin:
 
precisely what i came to say... same here:yep::look:
FYI = same practices (in fact, back in 2004-5) I tried to open a BSS store in my home state/city and was flat out told: "they won't sell to you":look: By the BSS stores (huge chains ) from our areas. I was also told "they will not sell to you, and if you open a store we will essentially continue to LOWER PRICES UNTIL YOU ARE OUT OF BUSINESS"

as god as my witness, this is verbatim what I was told. But as for our immediate area, only about 1-2 asian owned BSS tops! majority are of Arab descent, etc

(actually they even bought my mom's company after being their for 30 yrs & the 1st done was to rid ALL their retirement plans:sad:) but tha'ts ummmm off topic:look:

Really? This Is So Interesting To Me.
Around My Area There Is One From The Middle East, A Black (Descendant Of Trans Atlantic Slave Trade), And One From Libya. I Did Not Know It Was This Deep.:look:
Now Back Home All The Asians Own The Beauty Supply Stores.

Are All Non Blacks On The List To Not Buy From?
 
Love it...count me in...agree that we need to coordinate making this a trending topic on twitter...maybe on 11/20 we can agree to flood twitter with the message?

Sent from my DROID3 using DROID3
 
  • find alternatives for traditional BSS products- like weave
  • recruit, recruit, recruit - start the boycott here, but spread it!
  • compile a list of resources about the issue so that it is clear and understandable
  • make a plan of action: when do we want to launch this thing?
  • Create a name (we had several suggestions. Stop the BSS, Occupy Black Hair, Unoccupy the BSS.... am i missing any?)

Resources:

List of Black Owned Beauty Supply Stores

I like these suggestions. Also, find ways to grow and make the BSS industry better for US.
What I mean is in terms of making our stores serve better and look better than anything those Koreans/Muslims have to offer.

Get more black people to want to own a business to consider owning a beauty supply.
 
I think we need to go hardcore and go for 1 year!!!

I also think we need that much time to get the maximum shock value.

We all need to compile a list of black-owned distributers and stores that are safe for shopping at. I am willing to go all the way when it comes to avoiding patronizing BSS that are Asian owned.

Same for online stores! We need to patronize online stores that are black owned.

We need a FB page and a twitter feed. I don't use twitter much but I am willing to re-activate my account to make it a trending topic.

I personally have not had a negative encounter with Asians I see at my local BSS's but I don't think its fair that we patronize and give our hard-owned $$ to people who at best "tolerate us" because we pay well. Its very ironic. How can you not respect the very people who keep you rich? Because we have simply become complacent.:nono:
 
I also want to add to other's sentiment that its not about HATING Asians and Muslim-owned businesses. Its simply about taking charge of where our $$ goes. And just like they are unapologetic about not helping others outside their race, we should be unapologetic about keeping our $$ within the black community.

The name we use should reflect that. BoycottAsianBSS!
 
I'm all for it! NYC ladies.. Fo you all know of any Black beauty supply stores. The ones I used to know about were in Cambria Heights.. But they've closed! I'm ready to start making mention of this on my Twitter account! November 20th sounds good.. It would also be a great idea to target.. Thursday through Sunday.. It's closer to payday and the weekend!

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What do you guys think of starting a blog? We can make one for free at blogspot.com

I think it would be easier to keep everything there, it would be more organized and easy to keep track of.

We could have a "contact us" link, a list of black online merchants and a seperate list of brick and mortar BOBS', as well as links to documentaries, interviews and articles having to do with the Korean take-over.

Shoot, we could even become affiliates with some black online merchants and we'd be able to link the blog with our FB and twitter accounts. :yep:

What do ya'll think?
 
I agree with starting a FB/Twitter/Blog etc but first.... we need to decide on a name and a plan of action. We shouldn't go forward without a clear message of what we are boycotting,why, and useful alternatives for people who depend on their local nonblack BSS.

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eta: i will start a google doc with a list of black owned beauty supply stores and websties. that way we can all contribute to it and keep it updated. How does that sound?
 
We have focused on the issues of why we are boycotting. I think we need to have a succinct answer of what changes we want to see. If it gets media attention we will seem more organized if we have an answer. This was one of the issues they stated with the Occupy Wallstreet. There were no definitive goals.

I also think boycotting until we see changes versus a set time will be more effective. If we boycott for a time period and nothing has changed in 3 months to 1 year then what recourse do we have? Are we just going to go back to visiting Asian BSS stores? I think that will move us backwards versus forwards because they will then know they have the power to wear us down.
 
I think one of our objectives should be to have the Distributors end their discriminatory practices and to provide fair service and pricing to all beauty supply vendors/stores.
 
Contacting BOBSA would be great! Perhaps they could send out a mass email to all BOBSA members and help spread the word. :D
 
I think that we need to make it clear that this is not a Us vs. Them boycott. I don't think that "Asian" should not be included in the boycott title because it does sound a little racist. We know that racism is a huge variable in this industry, but to get things accomplished, we should make it clear that this is about putting money back into our communities, and not just a way to oppress another minority group.
 
I'm all for it! NYC ladies.. Fo you all know of any Black beauty supply stores. The ones I used to know about were in Cambria Heights.. But they've closed! I'm ready to start making mention of this on my Twitter account! November 20th sounds good.. It would also be a great idea to target.. Thursday through Sunday.. It's closer to payday and the weekend!

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

I live in the Springfield Gardens/Rosedale area, not far from C. Heights. I do not have Twitter and am willing to bring awareness on my FB page.
 
Thanks for tagging me!

I think to spread the word here, we should have a "sticky" thread on the list of BSS (especially offline) we should be supporting in the vendor thread (?) I think the key is to focus on realistic alternatives or it will slowly fall apart.

Sorry if this has been mentioned...
 
This is a very good idea !
I don't thunk the word Asian or Korean should be prominent because it makes it about them and not about us
They'll also feel attacked
 
I will volunteer myself to run the twitter account (once we pick a name) - if there are any others who are very active on twitter and would like to share responsibility, please make it known and @ me (lol).

Is someone willing to volunteer to write a draft statement? something about 200 words about the issues and goals of the boycott?
 
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