By Hiran Ratnayake
The Wilmington News Journal
(February 7, 2009) One thing is clear about Acme Markets' recent Black History Month circular: It sparked a debate.
Two NAACP chapters have different views about the circular. It has forced Supervalu, which owns Acme, to defend itself against accusations of racism.
All for an advertisement the company says it has been running for seven years and never caused a flap before.
In its Jan. 29 circulars, under a "Black History Month" banner, a set of specials is advertised for products including corn bread, collard greens and grape soda. Since then, the Delaware chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People says more than a hundred people have complained the products perpetuate stereotypes. Delaware NAACP President Cecil C. Wilson called for Acme to immediately run a full-page apology "in all of Delaware's newspapers."
cred:
Target Market News
Rainbow Store Serves It Up Too...
At least they try and serve you a side of Black History facts as well. https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
1 comment:
I hate to say this but...
This is not shocking to me what so ever. Of the 12 Acme Supermarkets that are in Delaware...I grew up in walking/driving distance of 2 and shopped at about all of them....Delaware is a small state(for those who have never been there). Maybe it may have been me...but there was always a strange feeling that Acme would deliberately exclude certain items from the shelves that would show up at other supermarkets like Super G, Food Lion, Pathmark,Genaurdi's, Safeway, Sav-A-Lot or Wal-Mart(recent addition to Delaware's roster). Almost like they kinda used the scarcity of popular food products to keep you out of the store...hmmm?
Even more fascinating was the fact that there is only one (raggedy) Acme within the limits of the city of Wilmington (Ah..Trolley Square) while the other (bright and clean) Acme supermarkets sit on the super "suburbanized" outskirts...
It's really hard to pin down if it's deliberate but I can say that other supermarket circulars never went to this ridiculous length to court African American shoppers...so that says something.
And what is the deal with grape soda being tied to African Americans...that's the weakest stereotype I've ever heard of...
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