What’s going on at the Co-op? Has a local institution that has admirably served the community for over 50 years finally been exposed for being a secret cabal of racist, transphobic bigots?
That, I think, is what a few people are inviting us to believe. So they have taken to the Leader’s op/ed pages in recent months to hurl vague accusations because the power dynamics at the grocery store aren’t operating exactly as these people think that they should.
They’ve talked about “harm” being done to employees and shoppers, without providing evidence or description of said harm. They’ve listed the management’s shortcomings in the realm of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion — again without providing examples, and in the hope that we haven’t noticed that DEI has proven to be a somewhat problematic set of concepts that not just corporations and educational institutions are starting to reconsider, but which prominent black intellectuals like Glenn Loury of Brown University, John McWhorter of Columbia and author Coleman Hughes have for a long time openly criticized. For an excellent critique of these concepts, read McWhorter’s book, Woke Racism: How a New Religion has Betrayed Black America, or Hughes’ The End of Race Politics.
In a recent op/ed, Cameron Jones who is a leader of Black Lives Matter Jefferson County (BLMJC) — and who has been alleged to have demanded the removal of an Hispanic man from his BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) yoga class because the man’s skin color was not quite dark enough for inclusion to this class — reiterated previous claims with the same lack of specificity.
He alleged “harm” but didn’t bother to detail the harm… or bother with the notion of evidence at all. He decried a lack of commitment to DEI and to community values without specifying examples. In short, he added to the smear campaign of Co-op leadership in a public format without evidence, perhaps hoping that he could persuade people to boycott the grocery store on the basis of his allegations alone.
Mr. Jones was forced off the board of The Food Co-op because a disagreement occurred between himself and the management.
Excerpt in The Food Co-op Board of Directors minutes book (available in the front of the store), from letter to BLMJC in 9/4/2024 meeting packet.
And now he wants you not to shop there until they satisfy his requirements that they are diverse, equitable, or inclusive enough.
Enough for whom? Well, Mr. Jones, of course — who has appointed himself the moral arbiter of Port Townsend.
If he can tell a man that his skin isn’t brown enough for BIPOC yoga, why can’t he tell a grocery store that they aren’t DEI enough?
As we all know, a cultural shift has happened over the past several years that has signaled that America hasn’t done enough to remedy deep-set racist, sexist, transphobic, or ableist attitudes and that people aren’t going to stand for it. Nor should we.
As Americans we can be proud to be living in the land of Frederick Douglass, MLK Jr., Harvey Milk, Elijah Cummings, Susan B. Anthony and so many others. We know we ain’t perfect, but we strive to be better.
For some people, striving to be better simply isn’t cutting it. This group demands that we adopt their views of the world, their way of communicating, and that we challenge power in the ways that they prescribe. In short, they demand adherence to an orthodoxy of their creation and when we don’t conform, we are accused of demonstrating serious moral shortcomings.
Who are these people?
Some — like Professor McWhorter — call them “woke,” or “identitarian.” They used to be called “politically correct.” They are a fundamentally illiberal movement. Regardless of the fact that we don’t seem to have an apt or well-fitting label for them at this time, I have observed that they seem to share similar hallmarks and can be detected by their methodology:
- Always focus on power differentials and view the world through the framework of oppression. There are only two types of people: the oppressed, and the oppressors. Use “victim” narratives as much as possible;
- Make everything about groups and not individuals. Make pronouncements about people based on their skin color, sexual orientation, gender etc. rather than the content of their character;
- Make vague accusations of harm (where those harmed are always members of a historically marginalized group). You needn’t bother with specific evidence because “words are violence”;
- Employ Mob Mentality: Use social media to try to get someone cancelled when they don’t adhere to your dogma;
- Appoint yourself as the authority on morality and virtuousness;
- Use diversity, equity, and inclusion as a cudgel you get to wield because your identity gives you insight that others don’t have so that you can demolish power structures and reorganize them according to your own values;
- Police other people’s language. Demand they use your vocabulary and prohibit them from speaking in ways you don’t approve;
- Rely on the collective guilt of gullible people to give your weak claims cover.
So, what’s actually happening at the Co-op?
You can’t really tell from all the accusations, recriminations, and moral bullying underway in the Leader and elsewhere, but for my money it seems pretty clear that someone with a particular ideological framework is attempting to force his views of the world onto other people who have different ideas in their head. And for the crime of thinking differently about notions of fairness, equity, justice, kindness, dignity and respect, this person is attempting to cancel them and/or get them fired, and enlisting any allies he can to do so.
Because their way of thinking — which is to say the old, liberal way of thinking — just isn’t good enough anymore. There is a new way of thinking now, an absolutist, intolerant morality that sees the ugliness in all of us, all of the time. It demands a purge of the old ideas, and it’s starting with a local grocery store.
Think about that for just a second. The culture wars have come to The Food Co-op.
As a public educator in a “progressive” school district, I’ve encountered these ideas frequently, and witnessed firsthand their impact on colleagues and students alike. While not yet a resident, I have property in Port Townsend, spend half of my summers with family in the area, and shop exclusively at the Co-op when I am there. I have a stake in the town and feel a deep connection to the place. I was moved to write because I feel what is happening to General Manager Kenna Eaton, the Co-op and the community is the result of really bad ideas finding a foothold in society.
In the end, regardless of what an asset it is to Port Townsend, the Co-op is simply a grocery store. If Mr. Jones wants to insist that others follow his moral instruction, then maybe he should aim his sights a bit higher and run for public office. Let the voters decide if they want to get embroiled in another round of identity-based politics. Good luck to him.
A speech language pathologist working in special education for the past 26 years, Keith Early supports a large high school in Portland, Oregon, and has worked for the Bellingham School District as well. He enjoys learning about neurodiversity, specifically autism, and supporting young autistic adults as they navigate an educational system that has largely been unaware of their needs.
It’s a grocery store, and I only want to buy quality food at a fair price. I don’t care at all who sleeps, dresses or wants to identify as what. I don’t belong to make a political statement or change the world. Just sell me my food and don’t f**k it (the co-op) up.
Yep. Enough already.
Thank you so much for opening our eyes to what is happening in our community.
Bill, happy if you found it useful. Similar issues cropping up all around the country, it seems. I really don’t want PT to be a victim of these strange, illiberal and intolerant forces that are so convinced that they are doing the right thing.
Thank you, Keith, for this insightful and thoughtful expose.
Add to the list of required reading: The Identity Trap by Yascha Mounk. It’s all about people with basically good intentions getting caught up in a totalitarian and illiberal approach to making society better for all. Some people are getting away with acting like selfish bullies by standing behind the shield of their identity rather than the substance of their arguments.
Thanks Lee. Appreciate your kind words. And thanks for bringing up Yascha Mounck book – I had listened to Mr. Mounck discussing some of the ideas in this book on a few of the podcasts I follow and was meaning to add it to my reading list, but forgot.
Mr. Early, you nailed it! Thanks so much. I wish I could formulate even half of your skill in laying this campaign out clearly. I linked this article to the PT Leader.
Thanks Janine! I’ve never written anything this public before so it felt like a bit of a risk to take the leap. I appreciate your kind words.
Dear Mr. JONES… No one cares what you think or say about our co op. Thanks to the political climate of the day.. we are awake and quite capable of making our own decisions and coming to our own conclusions about our co op. I hardly think BLM makes you an authority on ANYTHING. Go find a true worthy cause to blather on about and leave those of us who shop at and adore the hard work being done at our Co op…alone! Might I suggest you move to Seattle where someone might care about what you have to say!
Meh. I’m headed to the co-op to do my grocery shopping now.
To put these last months of attacks on the Co-op in context, prior reporting by Jim Scarantino in the Free Press, along with the Co-op board information noted in the article above, are instructive.
Cameron Jones’ history goes far beyond ousting an Hispanic man from his yoga class because his skin wasn’t dark enough. Documented run-ins with law enforcement include being arrested for attempted residential burglary after trying to force his way into a private home while drunk, a felony record for vehicular theft, crashing into the closed Fort Worden gate on his bicycle when drunk, and conduct outside the Bishop Hotel which led to an employee calling police. (See Black Lives Matter Leaders Generated Police Calls for Help, Investigation and Arrests)
Jones’ response to law enforcement being called to the scenes of these and other incidents was to run an ad in the Leader under the BLM umbrella demanding public proclamations from the Jefferson County Sheriff and Port Townsend Police Chief admitting that they and their departments were guilty of racism. (See Black Lives Matter Sought to Humiliate Sheriff, Police Chief)
Jones’ engagement with The Food Co-op appears to follow the same playbook. The behavior which led to his removal from the Co-op board may never be fully disclosed — the Co-op has scrupulously avoided detailing the ways in which he violated their Code of Conduct for board members — however the scuttlebutt is that he exhibited aggressive and demanding behavior on multiple occasions, especially in interactions with General Manager Kenna Eaton. The response to the consequences for that behavior (his removal from the board) was once again to go on the offensive. A letter from BLMJC (of which Jones is a signee as “Program Director”) includes the demand that both the general manager and board president be replaced, with the threat that if these and other demands “are not agreed to by August 15, 2024 we will be forced to launch a campaign in response” (see Co-op document here).
This time around BLMJC did not need to pay for ad space to launch their campaign. The Leader has afforded them months of free attacks through Guest Columns and op-eds, most recently the lengthy assault by Jones that Keith Early describes here. And unlike our Sheriff and Police Chief who had no cause to admit to allegations of racism, the Co-op board president HAS resigned, bowing to the pressure for a public apology in a cringeworthy Leader piece.
The Leader has fomented this nonsense. We Free Press editors are pleased to have a contributor put it in perspective. Thank you, Keith!
Ana, an important point of correction. Mr. Jones did not engage in vehicular theft. That was another former leader of the Jefferson County Black Lives Matter, the keynote speaker at the 2020 march down Water Street when anti-police bullies requested police protection. In that incident, the JCBLM leader, as a minor, had stolen a pick up truck, and when fleeing police at a high rate of speed went off the road, hit a horse and killed it. Mr. Jones, for his part, has plenty of interactions with the police. The attempted forced entry into a residence in PT was shortly before he ran for City Council.
Thanks for the correction, Jim!
Cameron Jones is a Vulture who has been flying over easy marks that is, the naive’ liberal white folk whom never want to be misconstrued as being even the slightest bit bigoted. These genuine good hearted people in Port Townsend are easy marks to a race baiter like Cameron Jones.
Jones’ number got called out elsewhere, so he landed on a branch over P.T. and saw the easy pickens to be had.
As soon as he is “called out” for what he is, he’ll take to flight to another high branch over some other easy pickens until he is found out once again.
Perhaps this article will wake up somebody to call out this race baiter, so he will take flight like the vulture race baiter that he is,
As of 25 January there are now complaints at the Labor & Industries Board and the NLRB that deal with violations of labor laws and violation of safety rules at the Co-op. Not about race or diversity. Additionally, a Co-op employee fired in December has recently filed suit against the Co-op. Again not about race or DEI. There are real problems, management problems inside the Coop, and people won’t cite names or examples because they can tell you who the last person was who was fired (in August) for speaking up against management.
This fight at the Board is keeping people from looking at what is going on inside the Co-op, protecting the GM’s job. The Co-op already paid a substantial cash settlement in 2023 for wrongful termination of a former HR manager, how much will they wind up paying this year? None of it about race or DEI.
Once again, allegations without substance. No specifics. And, since you seem to have some inside knowledge, can you tell us what is was that Cameron Jones did that resulted in his removal from the Board?
Thank you for describing a perfect example of ritual defamation – the power tool of Marxist cancel culture. The article could potentially help people recognize threats to reputations and livelihoods from Cameron Jones types.
The first rule for survival is to NEVER apologize for an alleged thought crime. Once a person is targeted, it’s very difficult to survive in a community that engages in ritual defamation. An apology is an admission of guilt. Arguing, explaining and attending struggle sessions steal time and energy better used to negotiate a settlement / departure deal.
Thanks MJ. I would propose that another way to push back on this crowd is to drag their ideology and tactics into the light in the way that places like PT Free Press does. Lively discussions have a way of separating the good from the bad for one thing. Discussions are also opportunities to learn something from the other side as well. The people on the other side of this debate have some valid concerns that are worth consideration and reflection.
All of humanity is under attack by a clique of Global Psychopaths that takes the form of “Vaccine Mandates”, censorship, “Woke Culture”, 15 Minute Cities, Weaponized Weather, i.e. Chemtrails, HAARP, Geoengineering, lock downs and destruction of entire nation’s economies by way of fake pandemics. As a long time admirer of Port Townsend and its culture I feel sad that so many of its citizens have fallen under the hypnotic spell of the Globalist Mass Formation Psychosis. The good news is that people are starting to wake up.
I’m not going to comment on the substance of the article, though I thank the author for their perspective. My comment has to do with the management of the Co-op. I was elected to the Board of Directors in 2013 and spent the next five years on the Board as the Treasurer. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and the relationships i developed there. Over that period of time, however, I have had many conversations with current and former employees about the negative conduct and management style of the General Manager. I also observed a definite tendency by the Board to defer to the GM on almost every issue dealing with day to day management. This is because of the way the Policy Guidance the Board has adopted as the guiding principles for the organization restrict the Board from intervening directly in the store management, and instead only allow the direct management of the GM themselves. In other words, the Board’s only employee is the GM, and GM is the boss of everyone else in the organization. This is a problem, since what has happened is that mistreatment of employees have gone unaddressed and allowed to continue, since the Board leaves the GM to deal with them. The result is a de facto dictatorship by the GM, that can only be ended by the termination of the GM by the Board. In my opinion, it’s time for that to happen, so that new leadership both in terms of a new GM (or no GM, like the Co-op in Olympia), and new Board can address the deficiencies of the Policy Guidance so that the management of the Co-op is more balanced, fair and transparent.
Specifics, please. A little substance would help. What are the facts, even the specific claims in these alleged personnel issues. It seems not one involves allegations of racial or other prohibited discrimination. Also, do you have any knowledge of what it was Cameron Jones did that resulted in the Board taking action against him for violating the Co-op’s policies on personal behavior?
Case Number: 19-RC-358893
Date Filed: 01/22/2025
This is a petition filed with the NLRB by the United Food and Commercial Workers local 3000 for a union election at the Coop. When a coop’s “employees” need a union, that says something about how the organization is running. Coops are supposed to be cooperative: that includes members(customers), employees(workers), directors(the board) and supervisory staff(management). Something appears to be amiss, going beyond any ideological DEI hocus pocus.
And by the way, Mr. Jones did run for office, City Council 2021; he did not prevail.
Thanks Paul. Regarding Jones’ failed political run – I was actually aware of that and was being a little tongue in cheek. Political campaigns work differently than smear campaigns where (most of the time) character matters, and Jones’ character has been well documented.
Hi David, thank you for your comment. The focus of my piece was on accusations of mistreatment of individuals on the bases of their group identity, the subsequent public smear campaign and Jones’ proposed DEI remedies. The events have the hallmark of an ideological take-over playing out in PT just as similar events have happened across the country. My concern arises from what I observe to be the effects of this ideology: the stifling of thought and policing of speech, the attack on liberalism (the philosophy, not the political movement), the practice of shaming and cancellation and the insistence on a new moral code of conduct that requires us to view each other as groups of people who have been wronged, or who have wronged each other so that we finally adjudicate past historical aggrievances according to our skin color, gender affiliation, sex and so on.
I have nothing to say about other aspects of the co-op, except to note that you seem to be making a different case than what I am talking about. Some businesses are more top-down than others. Some employees dislike their bosses. I don’t know — those claims don’t seem that remarkable in all honesty and as I’ve said, are unrelated to the topic at hand.
Yes, I fully understand what focus you have. And I understand why it is the focus of your article. That is obvious. You are using the difficulties at the Co-op as an opportunity to promote your ideology, by profiling Mr. Jones as the counter point to that ideology. Congratulations. You did a fine job. But instead of focusing on a symptom of a problem, I took a different approach to try to point out the possible root cause of the problem, or trouble, if you will. You see, I actually care about the Co-op and want to help fix the problem. You don’t seem to care about that. What you want to do is use the trouble at the Co-op as an example of the much broader issue; what you call the “Culture War,” which is valid, to a point, but really just stirs up more divisiveness. That will not fix this problem. But that was never your intention. Was it?
Hi David – Not sure what it was I wrote that convinced you that I am hoping to increase divisiveness. Have a great day.
Quoth David: “Yes, I fully understand what focus you have … You are using the difficulties at the Co-op as an opportunity to promote your ideology … That will not fix this problem. But that was never your intention. Was it?”
Yikes, David, calm down on the mindreading claims. At face value, Keith’s article isn’t promoting any particular ideology, instead exposing the problems when “a particular ideological framework is attempting to force his views of the world onto other people who have different ideas in their head” via “accusations, recriminations, and moral bullying … the practice of shaming and cancellation” as has been recently unleashed on the Co-op.
Thanks for your board service and raising the larger issue of Co-op labor relations, which could make for an interesting article, so long as it’s not just part of the current ideological harassment campaign.
I do not know what to say here. Find it strange that the Jefferson County seat is home to what democrats say they don’t do while doing it. Seems to me that some people aren’t happy unless they are working to destroy the happiness of others. I do hope Mr. Jones runs for office. I haven’t worked in a campaign for a while, and I would be very involved in seeing he does NOT succeed in EVER achieving a public office which would allow his judgement to affect others..