b"Wolf in Sheeps Clothing: The Amazon EffectWatchoutforfalseprophets.Theycometoyoutoughodds.Avastlydisproportionatenumberoftoilet break. in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferociousshuttered businesses in the past year are MinorityFurther, 80% of Amazons non-corporate facilities wolves,ownedwhile the Amazons andarelocatedinzipcodeswithMatthew 7:15. Googles of the World make it soa high percentage of people of much harder. color. The dangerous emissions By Maya Wheeler Itcomesasnosurprisetofromthedieseltruckscom-me that small business ownersingandgoingfromAmazons feel this way. Amazons actionswarehousesdisproportionately I n the news lately, we have been hearing what ahavebeenwelldocumentedaffectthesecommunitiesof goodcorporateneighborAmazoniswiththemand their crusade against Maincolor, putting them at risk for suspendingParlersaccount,aconservativesocialStreetisrelentless.InApril,asthma and other health prob-media network after the Jan. 6 insurrection at thethe Wall Street Journal report- lemsinthemidstofaglobal U.S. Capitol. edthatoftenwhenAmazonpandemicthatcontinuesto But are they really? Over the last ten months,makes and sells its own prod- disproportionally kill people of Jeff Bezos net worth rose by over 70 billion dollars.ucts, it uses information it col- color. In September it was reported that almost 100,000lects from the sites individualBlackcommunitieshave businesses have permanently shut down during thethird-partysellerstoreplicateshoulderedtheburdenand pandemicacrosstheUS.Whileequallystaggeringproducts.Thisposesseriousrisked their lives for of Bezoss statistics,theformerrepresentsanunfathomableconsequences to smaller sellerspandemic boom. amount of wealth for one individual. The latter rep- whocannotcompeteonpriceAmazonsgrowthandJeff resents thousands of lost jobs and less food on theandscaleoftheproductandBezoswealthcannolonger tables of hard working families, especially families ofeventuallylosesoutasshop- gounchecked,especiallyasit color, in Colorado and beyond. The rise of AmazonpersbuythecheaperAmazonisbecomingincreasinglyclear and other Big Tech companies has gone too far andcopy. Maya Wheeler thatastheyamassmoreand their wealth, harmful actions and market dominanceFurther,thecompanynowmore of the market, they active-must end now. controlsnearlyhalfofthelyworktohurtsmallerbusi-As Christians, we understand that this is not justonline retail market in the US and is an active a mar- nesses and damage Black communities. an economic or political issue this is a moral issue.ket place for sellers. However, Amazon often changesRep.KenBuck(R-CO)hasspokenoutagainst Our friends our neighbors our sons and daughterstheir polices, taxes and fees with little warning andAmazons predatory tactics that disincentivize the arebeingharmedbytheseimmoralpracticesofits erratic behavior can greatly affect small business- kindofinnovationthatcomesfromsmallbusi-Amazon. es who are having to jump through Amazons hoopsnessesandIapplaudhimandothersthathave In Lendios recent American Dream Survey of morejust to stay afloat. One seller described the situation,taken key steps. However, we cannot stop now and than 2,000 small business owners; it was clear thatby explaining Amazon is the judge, the jury, and themore must be done. I urge all Members of Congress manyviewedAmazonasathreattotheirbottomexecutioner. from Colorado to take a leadership role by passing line. In fact, two out of three small business ownersBeyond small businesses, Amazons actions havethoughtful, bipartisan legislation that will unequivo-said they view large corporations, such as Amazonseepedintoourcommunities.InJune,Amazoncally address the unregulated power of Big Tech com-and Google, as having a negative impact on growthcalled for an end to the inequitable and brutal treat- panies now. I would hope that our Representatives opportunities.WeallknowthatMinorityownedment of Black people in the US and put a Blackfrom Metro Denver Jason Crow, Dianna DeGette, Ed businessesalwaysstrugglemightilyagainstverylives matter banner at the top of its home page. LikePerlmutter and Joe Neguse will step up on thisthe other large tech firms, that was as far as they went.communities they were elected to serve our the hard-No tangible action has been taken by the company toest hit and we need leadership NOW!improve the lives of their Black employees and they Amazon is the judge, themaintain business practices that hurt communitiesWith antitrust cases being brought against Google of color. For example, 15% of Amazons workforce areand Facebook across many states in the last week, we must capitalize on this movement before it is too jury, and the executioner. Blackand of those, 85% work in its warehouses;late.Ourfamilies,workersandsmallbusinesses warehouses where employees have reported havingneed help today and if not now, when?to urinate in plastic bottles due to lack of time for a Denmark Vesey (1767-1822)Henry Ossian Flipper (1856-1940) D enmark Vesey was born in St. Thomas on the island of San Domingo. WhenH enry Flipper was a small he was about fourteen he was captured and brought to the United States asboy when 10 freedom a slave. He was purchased by a Captain Vesey and spent twenty years as a slavecametotheslaves.He on Captain Vesey's ship.received his education at a One of the many places Vesey visited while a slave was Haiti. There he saw blackschool run by the American men working in their own government and he remembered what freedom wasMissionary Association and like when he was a boy on the island of San Domingo. He decided that all slaveslater at Atlanta University. should be free. While studying at Atlanta In 1800 Vesey won a lottery of $1500and used the money to buy his freedom.University, Flipper became He began to plan a way for the slaves of Charleston, South Carolina, to gain theirthefirstblackmanto freedom.receive an appointment to He told the slaves they should rise up against alltheUnitedStatesMilitary thewhitepeopleinCharlestonandtakecontrolAcademyatWestPoint. of the city. Vesey and other slaves who joined himFlipper was treated very badly at West Point but refused begantobuygunsandhidethem;theyalsopur- to quit. At the graduation exercises in 1877, he was the chased wigs, false beards and clothing. They plottedonly cadet to receive a standing ovation, deservedly so, and planned several years for their revolt and by thesince all knew of the cruel treatment he had endured. timeVeseythoughttheywereready,9,000slavesFlipper became the first black officer in the 10th Cav-had joined in the plan.alry, the famed black unit known as the Buffalo Soldiers. Vesey was betrayed by a black man who worked asAfter leaving the army, Flipper became a mining engi-a house servant. He was captured and sentenced toneer. He also served as an agent of the Department of hang. An offer was made to save his life if he wouldJustice. He became an outstanding petroleum engineer, confess and reveal the other leaders of the revolt, butdiscovering oil fields in Mexico and Venezuela. He died Vesey went to his death in 1822 rather than confess. in his home state of Georgia in 1940. 8 FEBRUARY 2021 BOCNEWS.com"