Black Culture, Inc.: How Ethnic Community Support Pays for Corporate America

Black Culture, Inc. explores how corporate America has leveraged Black culture for profit, arguing that such giving is not altruistic but rather serves to signal diversity, equity, and inclusion. It reveals the hidden transactions that make corporate America dependent on Black culture and the cost of ethnic community support to obscure an otherwise poor track record with social justice.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 19 April 2022
Publisher: Stanford University Press

A captivating and thought-provoking exploration of the intricate relationship between corporate America and Black culture.

Explore the brochure for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and you'll encounter logos for esteemed corporations like American Express. Visit the website for the Apollo Theater, and you'll notice acknowledgments to prominent corporations like Coca Cola and Citibank. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, owe their existence to substantial corporate donations from companies like General Motors. While it's understandable that such funding is crucial for sustaining cultural spaces, the motivations behind these corporate donations remain less apparent.

In Black Culture, Inc., Patricia A. Banks delves into the notion that such giving is purely altruistic, advocating for a deeper understanding of the concealed transactions that perpetuate corporate America's reliance on Black culture. Banks draws from a diverse array of sources, including public relations and advertising texts on corporate cultural patronage and observations at sponsored cultural events. Through her analysis, Banks compellingly argues that Black cultural patronage serves as a strategic tool for firms, signaling their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. By supporting Black cultural initiatives, these companies acquire a valuable asset known as diversity capital, which holds significant value in today's business landscape. While this support may contribute to social good, it also reveals a hidden cost: the potential overshadowing of ethnic community support, which may conceal an otherwise questionable track record in social justice.

Banks skillfully weaves innovative theory with detailed observations and a discerning critical eye, examining the various agendas that infiltrate memorials, museums, and music festivals. This book offers a profound exploration of the complex dynamics between corporate America, Black culture, and social justice, shedding light on the hidden transactions and power dynamics that shape our cultural landscape.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503606777