Valentine's Day has long been embodied by saccharine treats andchocolate sweets, but a Pennsylvania organization has become bitterover this long-standing holiday tradition.
The Interdenominational Ministers' Conference of GreaterHarrisburg, led by Rev. W. Braxton Cooley, is calling for anational chocolate fast beginning Valentine's Day and continuingthrough Halloween. The aim of the fast is to "put justice in thechocolate business," said Cooley in a statement.
Members of the IMC are targeting their boycott at Hershey Foodsand Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company because of the forcedchild labor used during cocoa production in West Africa, inaddition to Hershey's low local minority hiring and contractingdecisions on a new $223 million Harrisburg airport expansion.
"After 100 years of black patronage, its time Hershey Foodsdemonstrated some concern as well as economic reciprocity withpeople of color," Cooley said. "Hershey should provide industryleadership to establish price supports, rather than dress up modernday sharecropping arrangements, which deny our African brothersdecent earnings for their crops."
Recent data from the International Labor Rights Fund indicatescocoa planters on the Ivory Coast are aware of the use of forcedchild labor in cocoa production.
However, local chocolate retailers are unaware of the practiceor of the boycott.
"I haven't heard anything about the boycott, but if you've everknown (someone) who loves chocolates, you'd see how unlikely aboycott would stand to affect sales," said Jack Rice, president ofDinstuhl's Fine Candy Company. "This (Valentine's Day week) is ourbusiest week of the year."
While Rice admits having little concern over the impendingchocolate boycott, he does assure consumers Dinstuhl's cocoa beansare from South America, not West Africa.
Other area businesses appear similarly unaffected by thechocolate fast.
"People are going to buy chocolate during Valentine's Dayanyway," said Tieasia Moseley, assistant manager for Walgreen'sDrug Store on Union. "We sell more chocolate for Valentine's Daythan we do for Christmas."
Moseley was uncertain if she'd participate in the boycott.
"I might support something like that if I could see some factsto back it up, but I really don't like chocolate that much anyway,"said Moseley.
Students were also unable to offer total support for Cooley'scause, and many said the chocolate boycott was a stretch.
"I don't think any child should have to work in those situationsjust so people can eat chocolate," said Carrie Larson, freshmenmarketing and management major. "But people are going to eatchocolate during Valentine's Day because it's just not as goodwithout it."
U of M alumnus Cleo Hayes has a different rationale about thematter but reaches a similar conclusion.
"I'm not a big chocolate eater, but females can be prettydemanding (during Valentine's Day) about that stuff," Hayes said,"so it's a big decision."
Some students also questioned whether there was a possiblesolution to the problem in Africa.
"For all we know, those could be the only available jobs incertain parts of West Africa," Hayes said. "What would they dowithout them? They wouldn't have any revenue at all."
Despite the chocolate controversy, some say Valentine's Day isabout more than chocolate.
"Valentine's Day is one of the few times of the year where allyou're doing is saying 'I love you' to somebody," Rice said, "andthat's a great way to be."
