Opening a retail store in any city in America on Martin Luther King Blvd. is a mistake.
Actually, in this case, not. It would likely be successful at this particular MLK location.
But that's why the community organizers are fighting it: they don't want success, because success threatens to make their community fade away, in which case they will no longer have anything to organize.
Here's a comment to another article by a black prospective resident:
newportlandresident 58 Minutes AgoAs a new African-American resident to the Portland area, I find this decision of Trader Joe's very disheartening. In my former state, Ohio, I shopped at Trader Joe's. Their prices were decent for single low end of the middle class salary. I found their food choices enlightening for those who have to manage diabetes and high blood pressure...two major chronic illnesses that plague the African-American community. Good health leads to good outlook for one's community.
I have recently been driving to the MLK considering moving to the area and taking up roots, but after reading this, I cannot see myself supporting a neighborhood with such leadership views.
And here's another, by an admitted liberal:
Poohzkv 7 Minutes AgoBeing a flaming tree huggin lib, I find the discouraging of Trader Joe's an asinine move on the "activists" part. I also hate the word "gentrification". Why is upgrading a community and bringing in jobs turning in to a dirty word?