August 24, 2020
Over the weekend, an Asian-owned boba tea shop (boba was created in Taiwan in the late 1980s) in Aurora, Colorado was harassed by a female African-American customer who was irate the business was not black-owned and that the businesses’ name was Trap Tea. She felt the word “trap” was an African-American slang word, therefore, using the word was cultural thievery.
The Asian owners and employees tried explaining to the customer the error of her logic and were met with rude interruptions from “This establishment is not black-owned, but you’re stealing black culture!” to “It’s okay, you’ll be exposed, so, you’re not black-owned, you’re stealing black culture!”
The event that started this off. Click HERE
About two weeks ago, Shanae, founder of Ivy’s Tea Co., who started her business in 2016 because there were “not enough black people drinking tea,” was told an Asian company stole her name, even though most likely, the Asian company never heard of Ivy’s Tea Co.
Shanae posted a nearly 20-minute long video on her Instagram account after the Trap Tea footage exploded over the weekend. In this video, Shanae explained who she is, what she is, and why she thinks the name “Trap Tea” belongs to her and her culture, even though her company is called Ivy’s Tea Co.
Shanae’s mission is to create a new tea culture, which she believes to be European and force Americans to assimilate to black culture, “screw ‘em! America assimilate to us!” she stated. However, every credible historical source agrees with the fact the Chinese invented tea around 1,500 BC, which Shanae vehemently disagrees with.
One of many current campaigns to rewrite history and claim all accomplishments and inventions are from black people. There is also a campaign claiming Buddha was black as well and Asians should worship their true God, black people.
Shanae continues to state in her video that she sides with the black woman who berated the Asian tea shop for naming their store Trap Tea. “An Asian company that has stolen my idea and is now profiting off anti-black rhetoric against this black woman. And I am hot, all I see is red,” she emotionally described.
“I am a black woman, I work hard, and what I’m doing is to celebrate us. It’s not about bringing collaboration over competition or whatever foolishness this other Trap Tea company has put in their captions, this isn’t about highlighting the opportunity to work with other minorities, this isn’t about celebrating cross-cultures, this is about amplifying black voices, this is about celebrating black women, this is about celebrating black women’s entrepreneurship, and this is about empowering other young black girls who might look at me and see me as a success,” Shanae said.
“I’m not here to bend to anybody else, I want you to bend to me. But I don’t want you stealing from me, I don’t want you taking my ideas, I don’t want you to take from other black women, I want you to apologize, I want you to change your name, and I want every dime you’ve made since you changed your name because it’s mine, it’s my hard work, it’s our [black community] hard work,” Shanae continued.
Feature Images via Ivy’s Tea Co. & @ivysteaco (Instagram)