An Insensitive Question

[Zacha341]

True Coogi is not a cheap brand [[the price of urban wear has little to do with it value or diversity of use) but it is limited in terms of versatility... None of that stuff can be worn in an office and working with teens towards getting them ready for work/ business, I push them towards standard clothing that does not "speak" negatively to an potential employer before they even sit down for an interview.

Well, retailers do cater to their perceived market. Why stock things that won't sell well to their customers? It's another case of 'which came first?', slow sales in mainstream stock, or inadequate stocking in that area which then limits customer base? If you shop at Northland, you get a whole different range of goods than you find at Laurel Place. At least the salesperson tried to help. Coogi isn't a cheap brand.

[EMG]

I'm glad somebody asked this "insensitive question" because the whole issue of race is the big "elephant in the room" when it comes to just about any discussion about Detroit. I think a large part of the issue comes to conflicting experiences and perceptions [[both valid and invalid) when it comes to the role of race in crime and in law enforcement. I'm short of time now but am going to try to come back to this.

[ejames01]

Coogi WAS in fashion during the 90's

True Coogi is not a cheap brand [[the price of urban wear has little to do with it value or diversity of use) but it is limited in terms of versatility... None of that stuff can be worn in an office and working with teens towards getting them ready for work/ business, I push them towards standard clothing that does not "speak" negatively to an potential employer before they even sit down for an interview.

[R8RBOB]

The black owned retail shops in detroit only caters to the trendy, the funky, the hip hop kids. I had went to one estabishment and asked if Levis, Lees, Wranglers, or Dickies jeans are sold here. The salesperson had said "No. But I could HOOK YOU UP with a pair of COOGI jeans with the design on the pocket". I told him that there is nothing in this establishment that I would buy. Too cheap looking and tacky. That is the reason why these ghetto shops in detroit can't appeal to the masses. The merchandise are too ghetto and the enterpreneuers are too limited[[one dimensional) in the thinking

I was going say Black-owned but I know for a fact that there are Whites and foreigners who own businesses in Detroit that cater to Detroiters so I will change Black-owned to Detroit-based and White-owned to suburban-based.

The Detroit-based retail shops cater only to the trendy, funky hip hop kids because that is their only clientèle. My cousin and I have argued on this subject and he made me understand something that is true. Some if not most suburbanites will not come to Detroit to buy from Detroit-based businesses. Suburban-based retail businesses have a huge advantage over Detroit-based because they will have a diverse clientèle and they could sell Levi's and Wranglers as well as Coogi to satisfy their clientèle, however, a Detroit-based business knows no Whites are going to shop with them so why bother stocking Levi's and Wranglers.

I for one can't stand that designer garbage they call clothes so I will go to Casual Male that cater to clothing for Black, White, Arab, Chinese, German, etc... They have a diverse clientèle and they are going to make money. If a Black man or woman was to open a store like Casual Male in Detroit their foot traffic would be Black males which would keep them afloat but no where near what their counterpart in the suburbs would be getting in foot traffic.

[Zacha341]

Interesting points! Indeed.

I was going say Black-owned but I know for a fact that there are Whites and foreigners who own businesses in Detroit that cater to Detroiters so I will change Black-owned to Detroit-based and White-owned to suburban-based.

The Detroit-based retail shops cater only to the trendy, funky hip hop kids because that is their only clientèle. My cousin and I have argued on this subject and he made me understand something that is true. Some if not most suburbanites will not come to Detroit to buy from Detroit-based businesses. Suburban-based retail businesses have a huge advantage over Detroit-based because they will have a diverse clientèle and they could sell Levi's and Wranglers as well as Coogi to satisfy their clientèle, however, a Detroit-based business knows no Whites are going to shop with them so why bother stocking Levi's and Wranglers.

I for one can't stand that designer garbage they call clothes so I will go to Casual Male that cater to clothing for Black, White, Arab, Chinese, German, etc... They have a diverse clientèle and they are going to make money. If a Black man or woman was to open a store like Casual Male in Detroit their foot traffic would be Black males which would keep them afloat but no where near what their counterpart in the suburbs would be getting in foot traffic.

[maxx]

Slavery. The white men hundreds of years ago could have never envisioned our country having "free" black citizens here. It is their fault for not educating them.

And how does that pertain to today? Sounds like you think education is something that is done to you instead of something that an individual must do in coordination with teachers. Every child is given the opportunity to learn how to read and write and work with numbers in school. But the family needs to supplement the fifty minutes of reading that school provides and encourage the child to read, write, and cipher. Daily trauma at home will make it harder for a child to learn; it affects the amygdala.

So now we are left with the aftermath. Punishment for what we did back in the slavery days. We'll have 200 years of punishment until the whole world becomes globalized and skin pigmentation becomes a hazy brown.

Your conclusion smacks of fundamentalism. It completely overlooks the minorities who have come to this country and prospered even though they could barely speak English when they came. The individual's success is a result of choices made by that person and the people around him/her when s/he is growing up.