for businesses, honoring king is not always a simple decision
By PHILIP WALZER; BY PHILIP WALZER WORKING IT OUT | |
Proquest LLC |
In eight days, the country will formally commemorate the anniversary of the 85th birthday of
About 35 percent of businesses polled by Bloomberg BNA will give their employees the day off. That's a big jump from the 14 percent that told the
The decision to open or shut weighs social values versus business realities, and even raises the question of whether closing is the best way to honor the civil rights legend.
Government offices, of course, will mostly be closed. Same for many banks. Because the
Among the local businesses I surveyed that also will take the day off:
Having the day off was important to workers at Smithfield's largest plant, in
The history in
It's "one of our busiest days" at
Other places that will stay open include MacArthur Center;
I found differences, too, among small businesses.
But Masusu Kinks, which has four braiding stores, will be open - and will offer 10 percent discounts. King "was an advocate of economics in the black community, and I don't think he would have a problem with it," owner
Not all retailers get big traffic. In its first year, Evangeline's Closet in
Probably the biggest one here will be the breakfast sponsored by the
White, though, voiced surprise and frustration at the BNA numbers and said businesses that stay open could pay a price: "A lot of people make conscious decisions about where they shop based on whether that company supports their belief system."
Maybe, but
More important than whether a business closes, he said, is how it treats its employees and customers year-round. "That tells them what your values are and if they are aligned with Dr. King's," he said.
"I am fairly certain we're more likely to engage in meaningful reflection by virtue of coming together on campus and setting aside time to consider Dr. King's example," said
In case you were wondering
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Wordcount: | 1057 |
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