When They Tell You Your Dollars Don't Matter, Believe Them: and Move Them
Look, we need to have a real talk: soul to soul, brother to brother, sister to sister. We’ve been living in a cycle that feels like it’s designed to keep us running on a treadmill that’s bolted to the floor. We wake up, we work hard, we sweat, we bleed, and then we take that hard-earned paper and we hand it right back to the people who wouldn't cross the street to save our lives.
The acquittal of Rick Chow in the killing of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton isn’t just a "miscarriage of justice." It’s a loud, ringing alarm clock. A young king: a child: is dead over a bottle of water he didn’t even steal. And the system looked us in the eye and said, "Not guilty."
But the disrespect didn't stop at the courtroom steps. It spilled over into our neighborhoods, onto our screens, and into the very stores we’ve been funding for decades. When a store owner looks at a camera and tells the world they don’t need "Black dollars," or dares us to boycott because they think we’re too dependent on them to survive: believe them.
They are telling you who they are. They are telling you what they think of you. Now, the question is: What are you going to do with that truth?
The Vacuum vs. The Partner
For too long, we’ve allowed our communities to be treated like a vacuum. You’ve seen it. You walk into the beauty supply shop, the nail salon, or the corner store. They don’t look you in the eye. They follow you down the aisles. They take your money with one hand while holding a "no bathroom" sign with the other.
That is the "Vacuum Effect." Our wealth: over $2.1 trillion in spending power: is being sucked out of our neighborhoods and deposited into the bank accounts of people who don’t live where we live, don’t care where we’re going, and clearly, don’t value our lives.
When you spend your money with a business that doesn't respect you, you are literally funding your own oppression. You are paying for the bullets, the lawyers, and the signs that tell you you're not welcome.
A Partner, on the other hand, is someone like Nagast Footwear. When you buy a pair of our Negus 1 sneakers, you aren't just getting fresh kicks. You’re investing in a brand that is 100% Black-owned. You’re supporting a company that celebrates your heritage, your kings, and your queens. You’re ensuring that the dollar stays in the family.
Why Economic Withdrawal Is Our Only Strategy
The "Buy Black" movement isn't just a slogan for a T-shirt. It is a survival strategy. In a world that refuses to give us justice through the courts, we have to take our justice through our pockets.
When we organize: when we collectively decide that no beauty supply store, no nail shop, and no convenience store gets another cent from us until they show us respect: the world moves. We saw it in Montgomery, and we’re seeing it now.
The viral response from owners saying "we don't need Black dollars" is a bluff. They are terrified. They know that without us, those neon "Open" signs start flickering out. They know that we are the engine of the global economy.
The Shift Is Happening Now:
- Beauty Supplies: We’re moving to Black-owned beauty brands and distributors.
- Nail Shops: We’re seeking out Black technicians who know our style and respect our skin.
- Convenience Stores: We’re supporting local Black markets and food co-ops.
- Apparel & Footwear: We’re trading in the brands that profile us for brands like Nagast that empower us.
Support the Brands That Support You
If they say they don't need us, let’s show them what "not needing them" looks like. It looks like us building our own. It looks like us wearing our culture on our feet and our history on our backs.
At Nagast Footwear, we don’t just sell shoes. We sell a vision of a world where we aren’t just consumers: we’re owners. Whether it's our Africa Unite Collection or our Black Leaders Collection, every piece we create is a middle finger to the systems that try to keep us down and a hand up to the brothers and sisters who are ready to rise.
Look at the Nagast Footwear Collection. This isn't just "streetwear." This is heritage-wear. This is footwear designed for the journey from oppression to liberation.
Take Your Power Back
We can’t wait for a jury to decide if our lives matter. We have to decide that our dollars matter. Every time you open your wallet, you are casting a vote. You are saying, "I support this."
Stop voting for people who hate you. Stop voting for stores that follow your kids around. Stop voting for a system that acquits the people who kill us over a bottle of water.
Move your money. Move your loyalty. Move your mind.
The Takeaway:
- Believe them when they show you who they are. If they disrespect the community, they don't deserve the community's wealth.
- Economic withdrawal is power. It is the most effective tool we have for immediate change.
- "Buy Black" is a strategy, not a trend. It builds the infrastructure we need to protect our own.
- Support the ecosystem. Choose brands like Nagast Footwear that reinvest in our culture and our community.
We are not a vacuum. We are a powerhouse. It’s time we started acting like it.
Stay visionary. Stay focused. Stay Nagast.