I remember working at the Delk’s 5&10 store. It was located on main street in Mooresville, NC. I worked 5 days after school and all day Saturday. I remember pricing and shelving stock on Mondays and Tuesdays. Some of the stock was already priced by the time I got to work. I remember people coming in and buying the new merchandise on Wednesday and Thursday. But Friday was my favorite day. That’s when I got to see Black people coming in to shop. I don’t know why Friday was the only day that the majority of the Black folks shopped, but it may have something to do with how we were treated on weekdays other than Friday. The local newspaper would have sales advertisement that came out on Wednesday stating that the sale starts on Friday. Was this the reason? Or, was it because it was the only day that Blacks was not harassed and followed about as though they were going to steal something? Why, why was Friday so different? It was made uncomfortable for Blacks to shop on any weekday other than Friday, New stock came in on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. After it was picked over and, returns were made, it all coincided with the Friday Sale. So, when you go shopping this "Black Friday", remember how and why it all got started. Most companies depend on "Black Friday" to put their bottom line in the "BLACK". They depend you shopping on "Black Friday", then things get back to normal like "you know" the rest of the weekdays.
Written by Johnny B. Moore
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