Posted on 08/24/2013 1:19:57 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
A group of African-American activists, community leaders and college professors are calling for the boycott of Koch Industries as a way to honor slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, pushing for continued dialogue on race relations nationwide.
While speaking at an event titled “From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin: A Town Hall Meeting on Black Bodies and American Racism” at Washington, D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theater, a panel of prominent African-Americans gathered to examine ways to combat the racism that they say led to George Zimmerman’s acquittal last month. When asked about the failed boycotts of places like Disney World in Orlando, Fla., one panelist revealed her efforts to combat the proponents of “Stand Your Ground” laws.
“We’re asking people not to buy from that company that created those ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws,” said the Rev. Carolyn Boyd, an adjunct pastor at Plymouth Congregation United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C. ”Y’all know that company with those people, the Kochs. Paper towels and all those products that we buy — Walmart — all the time, that make those people rich and make us poor.”
The pastor directed the audience to stop purchasing things like Angel Soft toilet paper, Brawny paper towels and Vanity Fair napkins — all subsidiaries of Koch Industries — in an initiative called “No-Buy Fridays.”
“…We begin to elevate our power to say, ‘No, I’m not buying your products because you’re harming the black community,’” Boyd said.
The town hall, sponsored by Rock the Vote, among other organizations, addressed concerns from members of the African-American community and featured a panel of six speakers: Boyd, Louisa Davis, Jessica Frances Dukes, Dr. Dennis Rogers, Dawn Ursula and Gabriel Rojo. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) was also in attendance for a brief period of time.
The group acted to facilitate a dialogue on the actions of Zimmerman — the 29-year-old Hispanic man who shot and killed Martin, an African-American — and called Martin’s death the catalyst for a “renewed civil rights movement.”
“To me, it’s a continuation of a tough conversation … that puts more to our argument that there can never be justice on stolen land,” said Rogers, an assistant professor of political science at Bowie State University.
While many on the panel believed Zimmerman killed Martin because of his race, others saw it as a failure of the justice system, faulting the jury’s inability to see past Martin’s black skin and Zimmerman’s white complexion. The six-person jury consisted of five white women and one Hispanic woman.
“Emmett Till was a young prince who broke our hearts years ago, but now, I guess what I want to say is I don’t want to blame George Zimmerman,” said Davis, an adjunct professor at Montgomery College. “I want us to look at the system that let him free and not make it personal … It’s the propagation of fear and we have to take our legal system back from fear.”
Following Zimmerman’s acquittal, many African-Americans took to the streets of major metropolitical cities nationwide in protest. The Rev. Al Sharpton called on the Department of Justice to bring up civil rights charges against Zimmerman. And even President Obama spoke about his disappointment surrounding the not guilty verdict, saying Martin could have been him.
Still, many remain standing in solidarity with Martin. Earlier this month, Ebony magazine unveiled four tribute covers to the Florida teen, one featuring Martin’s family and three featuring well known African-American men and their sons and the words “We Are Trayvon.” Additionally, Oprah Winfrey spoke openly about the case with theGrio’s Chris Witherspoon, saying Martin paralleled Till.
Ok, I must have missed something. Exactly what does Koch Industries have to do with the Zimmerman / Martin shooting? I can see a call for or against Kel-Tec .... but Angle soft toilet paper???
I don’t get it. Would someone please explain this to me.
LOL, these people definitely have $#!+ for brains. Boycott the Koch products, and put more minorities on unemployment?? Yeaaah, that’s the ticket!
”Y’all know that company with those people, the Kochs. Paper towels and all those products that we buy — Walmart — all the time, that make those people rich and make us poor.”
What a complete idiot. Socialism is the new god of the black community.
blah, blah blah...I have heard little ducks fart underwater before....
Opinions other than those held by the black, racist haters are not tolerated.
Trayvon Martin
"And the truth of the matter is, Emmett Till became a symbol for those times, as Trayvon Martin has become a symbol for this time. I mean, there are multiple Trayvon Martins whose names never make the newspapers or the headlines. The circumstances surrounding that allowed it to be, but there were multiple Emmett Tills. There were multiple lynchings. There were multiple, you know, young black boys..." - Oprah Winfrey
" We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin." - President of the United States Barack Hussein 0bama
The workings of the liberal, race-baiting mind cannot be explained.
Including the refreshing Kochy-Cola?
Trayvon Martin - darwin award.
who all knows what products are koch brothers related?
average trayvon is going to react with “I ain’t boycottin coke, that’s my soda!”
The difference between Till and Martin is that Till didn’t what he deserved. Martin did.
Would someone please explain this to me.
I can't. Don't know why I read the whole article. I now feel five IQ (EQ) points less in intelligence.
I have wasted two minutes of my life.
5.56mm
I too fail to see the connection.
The ghetto will be bereft without Coke products. Would that include Pepsi and Arizona Tea?
I wonder if the event's participants know just how tragic and revealing that title is. Don't guess they do.
I think of a good way of describing this "reverend" without insulting honest morons in the process.
the streets of major metropolitical cities nationwide in protest.
Metropolitical ?
These communists suck.
——at an event titled “From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin: A Town Hall Meeting on Black Bodies and American Racism” -——
I wonder if they understand how unbelievably ironic that title is as a condemnation of black culture....
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