Thema A

Material 1

How Sears Helped Oppose Jim Crow

by Louis Hyman

Every year I give a lecture on the history of retail in which Sears, central to American shopping

for a century, plays a starting role. On Monday, when Sears filed for bankruptcy protection, I

got a little wistful – not because I was particularly attached to the company, but because of the

largely unsung role of its iconic catalog in helping African-Americans evade the injustices and

humiliations of the Jim Crow era.

Historians typically date the Jim Crow era to the Mississippi Plan of 1890, which amended

Mississippi's Constitution to allow the disenfranchisement of African-Americans. But the true

onset of this era came earlier, and it started with shopping. In 1883, the Supreme Court voided

the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which had banned discrimination in public businesses like

theaters, restaurants, trains and shops. The loss of political rights, then, followed the loss of

consumer rights. Jim Crow was active white resistance to black people’s freedom both at the

ballot box and at the local shop.

Every time black Southerners went to a local store, they were forced to wait as white

customers were served first. Serving white customers before black ones might seem a

relatively small insult, but behind that racial ordering was an omnipresent threat of violence.

Products in these stores reminded black shoppers that whites did not consider them deserving

of human dignity: Grotesque caricatures of black faces were used as a “humorous” way to sell

toothpaste, soap and nearly anything else […].

Waiting for service was not mere discrimination. It was part of a larger world of white

violence.

Then there was the matter of buying items on credit. Farmers, white and black, depended

on credit to survive until the harvest. Credit came through small general stores, where the

(white) shopkeeper would decide what you were allowed to buy. Black sharecroppers would

often be in perpetual debt to a store, which was often owned by their landlord and employer.

The credit price for goods, higher than the cash price, always managed to leave sharecroppers

a little in the red even after they were paid for their crops. This debt system bound black farmers

to the land in an almost feudal fashion. Adding insult to injury, black people were often even

not allowed to purchase the same quality clothes as white people.

If you were a black Southerner in 1900, finding another way to shop would have been a

godsend. Enter the Sears catalog.

The catalog, which was introduced around 1891, undid the power of the storekeeper, the

landlord and, by extension, the racially marked consumerism of Jim Crow. All of a sudden,

black families could buy whatever they wanted without asking permission. The Sears catalog,

unlike the earlier Montgomery Ward catalog, also offered credit. With that credit, black farmers

could buy the same overalls and hats as white people, and even the same guns (and farm

equipment).

Prices were lower, too. Indeed, the catalog was so successful in part because it brought

low prices to the countryside. And flipping through the catalog was like strolling through a

department store in Chicago. For sharecroppers who would often never have left the county in

which they were born, the catalog was a window into another, freer life.

Shopkeepers resisted this newfound freedom. They convinced their customers to burn the

catalogs in public squares, and offered prizes for the most catalogs destroyed. Part of the

resistance was economic, pushing back against the catalog’s threat to local businesses, but

the racism of Jim Crow was also at work. In an attempt to discourage whites from using the

catalog, shopkeepers told them that Sears was a black company, and that was why it sold by

mail – to hide its black face.

Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck, the company’s founders, published photos to “prove”

they were white. They were not anti-racist crusaders. But in an important sense, it didn’t matter

to black customers whether Sears itself was for or against Jim Crow. Simply by giving African-

Americans equal access to consumer goods, the company was doing something radical, even

if it was profitable.

This aspect of the Sears legacy is a reminder that retail is never just about buying things; it

is also part of a larger system of power that seeks to define and control us. Politics and

commerce are never far apart. Capitalism promised both the right to property and the right to

shop. Jim Crow denied both.

Today, it is easy to take for granted the ability to buy what you want, if you have the money.

But that still is not always the case. In some ways, the freedom of the Sears catalog is echoed

in how online shopping allows transgender people to buy clothes without being harassed and

African-Americans to browse without being followed down the aisles. Even the conservative

right to spend your own money still contains radical possibilities.

810 Wörter

Hyman, L. (2018). How Sears Helped Oppose Jim Crow. The New York Times. 20 October 2018.

Material 2

The mail-order juggernaut is crushing the lives out of hundreds and thousands of local merchants, and hundreds of towns and villages as well. When you send a dollar to the mail-order house you are but operating the lever that keeps this death-dealing machine on the move.

N. N.: The mail-order juggernaut ... (Buchanan Record, 2 July 1907), Quelle

Assignments

Outline what the shopping experience for African Americans was like before and after the introduction of the Sears catalog. (Material 1)

(30%)

Analyze how the effects of mail order catalogs are depicted in the article (Material 1) and in the cartoon (Material 2). Focus on use of language and visual elements.

(30%)

Choose one of the following tasks:

3.1

“[T]he catalog was a window into another, freer life.” (l. 40)

Taking the quotation as a starting point, assess the significance of the catalog for the development of African Americans’ chances of pursuing the American Dream.

(40 %)

3.2

You are participating in the international UN project #FightRacism. Write an article for their website, discussing whether the Black Lives Matter initiative “We’re dreaming of a #Blackxmas. Don’t buy from White businesses this holiday season” helps to fight racism.

(40%)

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Please Note: The solutions presented here are just one possible way to approach the task. There are often multiple valid methods and perspectives, and alternative approaches may be equally effective.

Before the introduction of the Sears catalog, African Americans faced multiple forms of discrimination in local shops. One of the most common practices was that they had to wait to be served, as white customers were always given priority. This unequal treatment was a daily reminder of their lower social status in a racially segregated society.

In addition to this, African Americans were often forced to pay higher prices for goods, especially when purchasing on credit. This financial discrimination made it even harder for them to achieve economic stability. Furthermore, they were frequently denied access to certain products, especially high-quality goods, which were either reserved for white customers or not offered to Black customers at all.

Another humiliating aspect of their shopping experience was the widespread use of offensive and degrading images of African Americans in advertisements. These images reinforced negative stereotypes and added to the overall feeling of disrespect and exclusion.

To make matters worse, many African Americans found themselves trapped in a cycle of debt to stores owned by white shopkeepers. Since these stores were often connected to their landlords or employers, Black customers had very little financial freedom and remained economically dependent. This system created a situation similar to feudalism, where African Americans were tied to the land and to those who controlled their livelihoods.

After the introduction of the Sears catalog, many of the racially motivated shopping restrictions that African Americans had faced began to disappear. All of a sudden, Black families could buy whatever they wanted without asking permission. This allowed them to avoid the harassment and discrimination they usually experienced in local stores and gave them a safer and more respectful way to shop.

Through the Sears catalog, African Americans also had the opportunity to buy on credit without having to pay higher prices, just like white customers They also had access to the same quality goods, which had previously been denied to them in many local shops.

Another important advantage was the wide range of products available, which meant that customers no longer needed to travel long distances to find what they needed. The prices were often lower than those at nearby stores, making the catalog not only more convenient but also more affordable.

Overall, the shopping experience offered by the Sears catalog was comparable to that of a department store in a city, something that many rural African American families had never been able to enjoy before. It gave them a sense of dignity, independence, and inclusion in the modern consumer world.

In Material 1, the Sears catalog is described as a liberating experience for African Americans. The author’s position becomes clear from the beginning. The headline suggests that the catalog eased the unfair treatment of Black customers.

The author shows what changed by describing earlier discrimination. The list of places like theatres, restaurants, trains, and shops emphasizes how racism affected all areas of life and limited African Americans as consumers.

The catalog is portrayed as a revolutionary invention. Positive terms like “iconic catalog,” “godsend,” and “freedom of the Sears catalog” highlight its powerful impact and the new opportunities it offered.

Direct address such as “If you were a black Southerner in 1900” draws the reader in and builds empathy. It helps the audience imagine life with limited opportunities and how the catalog changed that.

Stylistic devices strengthen this image. A simile compares flipping through the catalog to strolling through a department store in Chicago, showing a new experience for many Black customers. The catalog is personified as having a “starring role” and “undoing the power” of discrimination, showing its active role in change. The metaphor “a window into another, freer life” illustrates how the catalog offered hope and the possibility of a better future.

In Material 1 and Material 2, the mail order catalog is portrayed not only as a liberating tool for African Americans but also as a serious threat to white-owned local businesses. In the article, this perception is shown through emotionally charged words like “destroyed” and “threat to local businesses.” Such language reflects the strong reaction of white shop owners who tried to prevent the catalog from reaching African American customers, fearing loss of control and income.

Material 2 visualizes this threat even more drastically. The catalog is depicted as a giant steamroller, crushing small businesses. This powerful image highlights the devastating effect mail order shopping had on local stores. The caption supports this idea, calling the catalog a “death-dealing machine” and directly addressing the viewer with “When you send a dollar…,” aiming to create guilt and responsibility in the customer.

The cartoon also shows the helplessness of small business owners. Two men, a local capitalist and a customer, appear tiny next to the machine and are about to be run over. This symbolizes their lack of power against the growing influence of mail order companies. The engine is powered by the mail order buyer, showing that customers play a key role in the survival, or destruction, of small businesses.

At the top of the machine sits a wealthy man with money bags, smoking a cigar on a throne-like chair. He represents the capitalist system behind the catalog, unaware or uninterested in the destruction below. This image criticizes the growing power of corporations and their careless attitude toward the consequences of their success.

Finally, Material 1 quotes criticism of the catalog’s intentions, claiming it sold by mail “to hide its black face.” This metaphor accuses the company of deceiving white customers by hiding that it served African Americans, exposing the racist attitudes and hypocrisy of the time.

3.1

The quotation highlights how the Sears catalog allowed African Americans to shop without facing discrimination. This opportunity is connected to the idea of the American Dream, a concept deeply rooted in U.S. society. It stands for freedom, equality, and the chance for upward social mobility, promising a better life based on personal effort.

The Sears catalog supported this dream by offering everyone, regardless of color or status, the freedom to buy what they wanted. It gave Black Americans in both urban and rural areas access to the same goods as white customers and allowed them to avoid racist treatment in local stores. The option to pay on credit and at affordable prices made consumer goods more reachable for people with lower incomes.

However, the American Dream includes more than economic freedom. It also involves access to education, fair laws, and equal opportunities. The catalog could not replace justice or end racial inequality. While it opened new possibilities, African Americans still earned less than whites and continued to suffer under Jim Crow laws.

The metaphor of a “window into a freer life” reflects that access to the American Dream was possible but not guaranteed. The Sears catalog was a step forward, but many more were needed—such as those achieved through the Civil Rights Movement — to turn this dream into a reality for all.

3.2

Should We Boycott White-Owned Businesses at Christmas to Fight Racism

A look at the effectiveness of protest through consumer behavior.

Racism continues to be a serious issue in many societies, and active efforts are needed to overcome it. In recent years, protest movements such as Black Lives Matter have brought attention to systemic racism and demanded change. One campaign, calling for a boycott of white-owned businesses during the Christmas shopping season, aims to support African-American-owned businesses and raise awareness. But does this initiative truly help in fighting racism?

Arguments in Favor of the Campaign

One of the main goals of the boycott is to make people think more critically about where the products they buy come from. It encourages consumers to reflect on the economic structures they support and to be more mindful of their spending. In this way, the campaign supports Black-owned businesses by increasing their turnover during the most profitable time of the year.

Supporters argue that the initiative is a form of economic empowerment for Black communities. It promotes autonomy and self-determination, giving these communities more control over their financial future. At the same time, it challenges systemic racism by drawing attention to long-standing economic inequalities between white and Black Americans.

Critical Perspectives on the Campaign

However, the campaign is not without criticism. Some argue that it may deepen the divide between different social groups. A boycott focused on race could lead to feelings of exclusion and hinder constructive dialogue. There is also concern that it might be seen as a form of reverse discrimination, which could alienate potential white allies in the fight against racism.

Another problem is that many white-owned businesses employ African Americans. If these shops lose income, it could lead to job losses that negatively affect Black workers. Furthermore, critics question the long-term impact of a seasonal campaign. Once Christmas is over, the attention and momentum may quickly disappear. Some even warn that the campaign might unintentionally promote consumerism within Black communities without tackling the deeper issues of structural racism.

Conclusion

The boycott campaign sends a powerful message and brings attention to economic inequality and racial injustice. Supporting Black-owned businesses is a valuable step towards empowerment and equality. Still, for lasting change, more comprehensive strategies are needed. Real progress comes from combining economic action with education, dialogue, and legal reform. A single campaign may raise awareness, but the fight against racism requires consistent effort across all parts of society.

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