‘They come as a vacuum, not a partner’: black Americans deploy $2.1 trillion weapon after Asian man walks free in child’s killing
Members of the black community are hinting at a boycott of all Asian-owned businesses. It’s in response to an Asian store owner being found not guilty of killing a black 14-year-old.
Chikei Rick Chow, 44, was acquitted of murder charges last month. He killed the teenager, Cyrus Carmack-Belton, outside his store.
Investigators said Chow believed he had stolen a bottle of water. Now, many members of the black community are calling for a boycott.
Sportswriter Jemele Hill posted a video on YouTube asking her followers what they think about boycotting all Asian businesses.
“There has, over time, been tension between these two communities,” she said.
Hill added that she believes members of the Asian community are being used as a tool of “White supremacy” to dismantle programs meant to benefit people of color.
Atlanta black Star spoke with Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Life Missionary Baptist Church.
He helped promote a national boycott of Target after the company rolled back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.
The leaders of the Target boycott, Nekima Levy Armstrong, Monique Cullars-Doty, and Jaylani Hussein, started the movement in 2025.
Bryant pointed to a video he reposted on social media of an Asian man seemingly mocking the looming boycott.
“Please do! We’ll get rid of Chinese takeout.. the liquor store.. the Jordans you guys wear..” the man rants in the video. “The microphones you use to rap and speak about black culture, where do you think that’s made? All in Asia, baby.”
Bryant said the man is pushing the narrative that the black community is dependent on the Asian community.
“I think it’s that kind of arrogance that has led us into this place,” he said. “We have no record of Korean businesses giving to black charities, to black schools, to black colleges, to black groups, to black mothers. They come as a vacuum but not as a partner.”
Another woman on Instagram posted a video shaming the black community for wanting to boycott.
“None of this would have happened if you guys f—king raised your kids right,” she said, referring to Carmack-Belton’s death. “I might not agree with Mr. Chow shooting him… but if you disciplined your boy right, he wouldn’t try to steal a 50-cent bottle of water.”
Atlanta black Star reached out to multiple Asian American-led organizations for comment, but has not received a response.
Joseph Von Nessen, a research economist at the University of South Carolina, offered insight into the economic impacts of a boycott.
“The question is how large it is and what the impact is on the businesses; is it going to be a major factor or not?” he told the Atlanta black Star.
Von Nessen said it’s hard to tell whether a boycott is successful based on what consumers buy each day.
“Consumers do vote with their dollars,” he said. “When they go into a store and buy an item, then they are supporting that business over a competitor.”
The black community holds an estimated $2.2 trillion in buying power in the United States, according to black Wall Street. That’s about nine to 10 percent of the nation’s total consumer spending. (The black community is also responsible for an estimated $6.6 trillion in inventory shrinkage/ Opinion of Sal)
Von Nessen added that inflation will also be a factor for consumers.
“It has to be examined in light of these broader trends with [South Carolina] and the national economy,” he said.
Black consumers significantly outpace the national average in media consumption, according to Forbes. They are also key drivers in the beauty and personal care markets.
Akua Page is from Charleston, South Carolina. She suggested looking into alternatives.
“A lot of people use the Montgomery Bus Boycott as an example,” she said. “They were successful because they had an alternative. They say our lives don’t matter, OK, then don’t ride the bus.”
Page talked about how members of the 1955 boycott began carpooling. It was after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus.
“Do we have black-owned gas stations in Charleston?” Page asked. “Do we have black-owned nail salons, grocery stores?”
Page suggested new businesses could take advantage of empty buildings in Charleston.
“What if we pooled our resources and created a black Wall Street right here in Charleston? The original black Wall Street in Tulsa was burned down because it worked,” she wrote in the video’s caption. “Imagine what we could build if we stopped spending our dollars with people who don’t value our lives and started investing in each other again.”
black women online have also been looking for black-owned alternatives to support.
Bryant said this boycott could be successful.
“We’ve not had a real successful movement in 70 years,” he said. “People initially didn’t think that it could get done. But the traction that took place nationwide is really a nod to say that the civil rights movement continues even with the new generation.”
Atlanta black Star also reached out to members of Justice For Cyrus, but has not heard back.
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