Originally posted on August 7, 2020.
In Louisville’s Cuban community, members recently rallied together in support of an immigrant-owned business, James Freeman reports in the WSJ.
According to Tyler Emery of Louisville’s ABC affiliate WHAS, “The owner of La Bodeguita de Mima, Fernando Martinez, came under fire recently after he publicly spoke out against a list of demands Black Lives Matter protesters gave” to business owners in the city’s NuLu neighborhood.
Fernando Martinez “was one of dozens of business owners in the downtown Louisville district who recently received a letter from protesters laying out demands that aim to improve diversity in the area, which is known for its locally-owned shops and restaurants.”
BLM Uses Mafia Tactics to Intimidate
Baily Loosemore in the Louisville Courier reports:
Martinez has publicly denounced the demands on Facebook, calling them “mafia tactics” used to intimidate business owners. And on Thursday, a small group of protesters confronted him outside his newest restaurant, La Bodeguita de Mima, on East Market Street.
All Good People Need to Denounce BLM
“There comes a time in life that you have to make a stand and you have to really prove your convictions and what you believe in,” Martinez wrote in his Facebook post. “… All good people need to denounce this.
“La Bodeguita is open to everybody,” Martinez said. “If you’re gay, this is your home. If you’re Black, this is your home. If you’re white, this is your home. If you’re human, this is your home.”
“How can I be called a bigot and a racist when my family is Black? When my son is gay?” he asked. “I’m the proud father of a gay son, and I’m gonna fight for him against anybody.”
What are some of the demands from Black Lives Matter protesters? Mr. Freeman reports:
NuLu Businesses adequately represent Louisville’s Black population by having a minimum of 23% Black staff, purchasing a minimum of 23% inventory from Black retailers or donating 1.5% of net sales to a local Black nonprofit or organization and requiring diversity and inclusion training for all staff members on a bi-annual basis.
What if Business Owners Don’t Comply?
The release states that La Bodeguita de Mima was forced to close July 24 during a demonstration that shut down East Market Street, at which several protesters presented Martinez with the list of demands and said he “better put the letter on the door so your business is not f*cked with.”
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