By Jurry Taalib-Deen
A post on Facebook, on May 30, by John Monnette, owner of Monnettes Market on Reynolds Rd, set off a firestorm of angry responses by Toledoans, many of whom, say they shop at the market.
In that post, as well as responses to people who commented on his post, Mr. Monnettee criticized Black Lives Matter by posting, “A lot of BLM, Black Lives Matter, and white privilege crap coming across my Facebook right now. If you are this person, please delete me! I do not need to hear your bull@#%*! You are the problem…”
In a later response to someone, Mr. Monnette posted, “Funny…the only thing keeping the “good” people from killing the bad people is the police. Go ahead kids. Defund them. Daddy needs some target practice.” This response was referencing a call by Black Lives Matter leaders, to defund the police department.
His comments would resurface a few weeks later, when many people said that was the first they seen of them. Calls of boycotting all Monnette’s markets began to grow. Owners of the other Monnette’s markets, began to distant themselves by posting, on Facebook, they’re separate from the Monnette’s market on Reynolds, and John Monnette doesn’t speak for the rest of them; therefore, they shouldn’t be subject to the boycott.
As people, on Facebook, went back and forth on whether or not all Monnettes’ should be boycotted, or just the one on Reynolds Rd., LJ Hamilton, a local activist, publicly made his view on the subject clear, on the social media site, by saying that although each market is independently owned, they were all in the same family. Mr. Hamilton followed up by saying that, if the other owners didn’t believe as John Monnette, then why did they wait until public outrage, to distant themselves, instead of criticizing him from the beginning.
Tired of continuously patronizing businesses that don’t want black dollars, Mr. Hamilton organized an effort to not only stop shopping at all the Monnette’s markets, but to spend their money with black owned businesses that cater to their needs.
“We need our own space, especially if we’re not welcomed,” he said. “He plans on continuing his support of black businesses, as well as, encouraging others to do the same.”
