This is a fascinating thread about the history of Sears battling white supremacy. We tell people all the time that money does not override whiteness. In some cases, those with power can choose profit over social pressure though.
It's also a personal lesson that brings home to me how our history impacts us. I grew up in the deep south, outside of Atlanta, GA. My family and community always had a strong preference for Sears as a brand. I never understood why, and I'm not sure they knew either.
History impacts us even when we no longer remember the details. The founder of Sears standing up for black progress and black dignity probably made an indelible mark on our community for generations.
We can acknowledge that Sears may have only made these choices because they wanted our money. I don't actually care that much. The more important thing is that respecting all customers is a path to profit.
Don't miss this. Once slavery ended, that means they couldn't treat our bodies like an owned commodity. We went from assets representing free labor to potential customers. With that change, white supremacy actually became contradictory to pure capitalism.
I didn't mean to get this deep right now. For some reason the Sears thing is having a big impact on me.
