Economic Blackouts & Corporate Takeovers: The BET Example

Think about the economic blackout the same way you think about BET no longer being Black-owned. When Robert L. Johnson founded Black Entertainment Television (BET), it wasn’t perfect, but it catered to a Black audience. Over time, corporate investors influenced the content, but it was still a Black-owned company. Then, Johnson sold BET to Viacom (now part of Paramount Global), and suddenly, it became just another brand under a massive media corporation.

Now, when you open Paramount+, you see networks like Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, and CBS all categorized under one corporate umbrella. BET, once a cultural staple, is now just a content filter, pushing out programming to target specific demographics without reinvesting in the community it once served.

The same thing happens with big-box businesses. The money we put into them helps them expand, but if we choose not to spend, it disrupts their business model and forces them to close. Some might think that’s bad because they rely on those stores, but let’s put it into perspective.

Imagine your mother owns a small chicken restaurant that’s been open for 30 years, thriving because the community supports it. If business goes well, she might expand, and her daughter could take over, modernizing the menu and attracting younger customers. Over time, she opens two more locations, but unexpected financial setbacks force her to shut one down. Despite that loss, she keeps the other two running for another 30 years—making it a 60-year-old, locally owned business.

Now, let’s say city leaders decide Buffalo Wild Wings would be a better fit. Instead of taking her business directly, they gentrify the neighborhood, displacing the people who supported her restaurant. A Buffalo Wild Wings is built in days, packed with customers, especially on game days. Now, her business struggles—she can’t compete with the big-chain model. Eventually, she’s forced to sell, and the city sells that property to yet another corporation.

This is how supporting big-box businesses over small businesses leads to economic displacement. It keeps the rich rich and the poor struggling, funneling money out of communities instead of allowing local businesses to grow. If we truly want economic power, we need to be intentional about where we spend our money.