The Persistent Manipulation of Black Consumer Behavior: From Exploitation to Marginalization

Executive Summary

This article, titled "The Persistent Manipulation of Black Consumer Behavior: From Exploitation to Marginalization," delves into extensive research on Black consumer habits and how these insights have been exploited by corporations and institutions to perpetuate economic marginalization. Beginning with historical context from the 1954 video "The Secret of Selling the Negro," it outlines key attributes of Black consumer behavior, such as brand recognition and quality preference, which have been manipulated for corporate gain. Contemporary analyses reveal similar exploitation patterns, with modern corporations leveraging cultural values and altruistic spending trends among Black consumers to drive profits, often without genuine benefits to the community.

The article highlights how these behaviors have metastasized across generations, allowing institutions to continue exploiting Black consumers. It underscores the systemic challenges and widening wealth gap, emphasizing the need for broad structural changes to address these long-standing inequalities. The interplay of inflation further exacerbates these issues, creating an even more challenging economic landscape for Black Americans. The article concludes by advocating for continued advocacy and reform to promote economic equity and justice.

Keywords

Black Consumer Behavior, Brand Recognition and Trust, Cultural and Altruistic Spending, Exploitation and Marginalization, Systemic Economic Inequity, Wealth Gap and Inflation

Introduction

The Black community has long been the subject of meticulous consumer behavior studies, revealing unique patterns and preferences. Sure, even the rat was White, but let's not kid ourselves—Black folks have been thoroughly examined, too. While these insights should ideally empower and uplift the community, they have, unfortunately, often been exploited by corporations and institutions. This article delves into how research on Black consumer behavior has been used to marginalize and economically burden Black consumers across generations, enabling exploitative practices to persist and evolve.

Nielsen’s report from September 12, 2019, titled “African American Spending Power Demands That Marketers Show More Love and Support for Black Culture,” highlights this ongoing exploitation and marginalization. Despite their spending power and growth outpacing national trends, Black consumers are often financially injured by corporations that market heavily to them. Their culturally driven preferences for high-end brands and values-aligned products are manipulated by advertising, wielding an economic hammer that leads to significant disadvantages and financial harm, as the forthcoming example demonstrates.

As we will see from the Dior portion of this article, Black consumers are often financially injured and disproportionately disadvantaged by the same corporations and individuals selling them their goods. The exploitation isn't just a relic of the past but a clear and present danger. If marketers continue to undermine rather than support, they risk not just a backlash but a complete consumer revolt. The game is up, and it’s time for genuine change or face the consequences of neglecting a powerhouse market.

Historical Context

From brand loyalty born of necessity to quality sought as status, the Black consumer has always navigated the market’s maze with resilience, only to find that trust can be a double-edged sword in the hands of profiteers. The 1954 video “The Secret of Selling the Negro,” financed by the Johnson Publishing Company, provides an early look into Black consumer habits. It identifies five key attributes of Black shoppers: brand recognition, quality, a dislike for being switched, the influence of the family unit, and the significance of a pre-sold market. These attributes, deeply rooted in historical and cultural contexts, have been systematically exploited by corporations. Brand recognition ensures that consumers gravitate toward familiar products, often because previous encounters with substandard goods necessitate a reliance on known entities. This need for quality, seen as a symbol of achievement and status, is manipulated by marketers who position high-cost items as essential to personal and communal pride.

The video also highlights the Black consumer’s aversion to being persuaded to switch brands, a behavior stemming from a long history of mistrust and discrimination in the marketplace. Retailers exploit this by stocking specific brands in predominantly Black neighborhoods, often with inflated prices, knowing these consumers' loyalty towards trusted brands. The influence of the family unit in purchasing decisions underscores the communal aspect of Black culture, which corporations target by marketing family-oriented products that promise, but do not always deliver, communal benefits. Moreover, the significance of a pre-sold market—where Black consumers rely on targeted publications for product information—has been used to push misleading advertisements, manipulating trusted voices within the community to endorse subpar products. Muhammad Ali’s words resonate here:

People don’t respect you when they think you don’t have no money… So I gotta have a Rolls-Royce, so when I pull up to that other black man with the Rolls-Royce… You got to have something… People in this world, we love wealth… People respect people with money.

This sentiment reflects how economic status influences respect and trust, yet also highlights the double-edged nature of consumer behavior exploited by profiteers.

Exploiting Black consumers is not a recent phenomenon but has deep historical roots. Robert E. Weems Jr., in his article titled “Post World War II Advertising Aimed At African American Consumers” in Voices from the Field: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, notes that the years following World War II featured a dramatic increase in advertising aimed at Black consumers. During the early twentieth century, Black Americans were viewed as a rural population with limited money to spend. However, by the end of World War II, many Black Americans had left the rural South and resettled in northern and western cities, seeking better employment opportunities and escaping overt racism.

This migration significantly altered the economic landscape, drawing the attention of U.S. companies eager to profit from what was then called “the Negro Market.” Companies recognized the economic potential of this demographic shift and began to craft advertising strategies specifically aimed at Black consumers. These strategies often involved the deliberate exploitation of cultural values and economic aspirations, framing products as symbols of success and modernity to appeal to the newfound urban Black populations. This targeting was not merely a recognition of new market opportunities but a calculated effort to tap into the cultural and economic dynamics of Black communities.

Despite the passage of time and the evolution of marketing strategies, the fundamental patterns of exploitation have persisted. Corporations continue to manipulate Black consumer behavior, leveraging historical and cultural contexts to drive profits while offering minimal genuine value in return. This ongoing exploitation underscores a broader systemic issue where Black consumers are viewed not as valued customers but as profitable targets for manipulative marketing tactics. The persistence of these practices highlights the need for a critical examination of how historical exploitation has shaped current consumer dynamics and the imperative for systemic change to ensure equity and respect for Black consumers.

Brand Recognition and Quality

Black consumers have historically favored recognizable brands to ensure reliability and fair value, stemming from past experiences with substandard products. Shelley Stewart III’s 2022 article, "Marketing to the Multifaceted Black Consumer," highlights this tendency, noting that Black consumers prioritize trustworthy brands with clear social missions and cultural credibility. However, corporations have capitalized on this by marketing inferior or overpriced products, leveraging brand loyalty without delivering equivalent value, thus exacerbating financial strain and hindering wealth accumulation within these communities.

Dislike for Being Switched

Black consumers’ aversion to being persuaded to buy alternative products is rooted in a history of mistrust and discrimination. Retailers have exploited this by stocking less desirable or outdated products in predominantly Black neighborhoods, knowing that consumers are less likely to seek alternatives once trust in a brand is established. This manipulation restricts economic mobility and exacerbates the wealth gap.

Family Unit and Pre-Sold Market

Purchases often involve the family unit, reflecting the communal values within Black culture. Corporations have targeted this attribute by marketing family-oriented products that promise communal benefits but sometimes fail to deliver, further perpetuating economic disparities. Additionally, Black consumers rely on targeted publications for product information, making them susceptible to misleading advertisements and endorsements. This manipulation has long-term financial repercussions, limiting wealth accumulation and perpetuating economic inequality.

Contemporary Exploitation

In a world where altruistic spending meets corporate cunning and inflation sharpens every economic divide, the exploitation of Black consumer power is a relentless cycle of giving more and getting less. Modern research continues to reveal the nuances of Black consumer behavior, but the exploitation persists. Kymberly Graham’s 2022 article, "Black Consumers Empowered by ‘Selfless’ Spending," discusses how Black consumers have embraced altruistic shopping, supporting environmental, ethical, and humanitarian causes. However, corporations have manipulated this conscientious behavior to market products under the guise of ethical and philanthropic causes, often without delivering genuine value or impact. This strategy preys on the Black consumer’s desire to make socially responsible choices, turning their goodwill into a profit mechanism while failing to deliver the promised benefits.

Alan S. Gutterman’s 2023 LinkedIn article, "Marketing to Black Consumers," suggests that businesses can improve their bottom line while supporting racial equity by entering the growing market of Black consumers. Yet, this perspective often disguises the underlying exploitation where businesses focus on profit rather than genuine support for racial equity. While the fa?ade of supporting racial equity can attract a broader consumer base, the primary goal remains profit maximization. This shallow commitment to equity reveals itself through minimal, if any, substantial investment in the Black community, perpetuating a cycle where Black consumers' economic power is harvested without contributing to their financial upliftment or addressing systemic disparities.

A May 15, 2024 article by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) titled "Unfair and Unjust Practices and Conditions Harm African American People and Drive Health Disparities" highlights how tobacco companies heavily advertise in stores frequented by Black consumers. They use price promotions like discounts and multi-pack coupons, predominantly utilized by Black consumers, to boost sales. Additionally, tobacco companies support cultural events to draw in specific groups within the Black community, exacerbating health disparities. This practice underscores how systemic racism creates "built-in systems that undermine life opportunities and outcomes by racial category," as noted by Mahzarin R. Banaji, Susan T. Fiske, and Douglas S. Massey in their December 20, 2021 article. These unconscious biases, empirically rooted from perceptions onward, further entrench the exploitation of Black consumer behavior, perpetuating economic and social inequalities. As CDC data reveals, marketing tactics exploit vulnerable communities, turning health hazards into everyday purchases.

In her renowned book, The Blackwoman’s Guide to Understanding the Blackman, Shahrazad Ali in 1992 laid bare how the Black male consumer gave the shoe industry an inroad into the Black community by relaxing their standards. She wrote that many Black men wore the best shoes white shoemakers could design, ranging from $75-$500. Shoes were once a necessary and prideful component of the Black man’s wardrobe. However, as leisure became more prioritized, shoe requirements relaxed. The shoe industry quickly responded by providing footwear to reflect this trend. The growing popularity of Black men as basketball stars and other public sports figures, from whom many Black men and boys derived pleasure and heroism, gave the shoe industry a foothold. What started as gym shoes became known as sneakers, running shoes, or tennis shoes, thus marking the acceptance of gym shoes for everyday wear. Gym shoes stepped up to the plate, evolving from sports gear to a daily necessity, turning Black consumers into sneaker-crazed zombies, all thanks to savvy marketing and societal pressures.

Few remember the Nike controversy today, but Matt Wilsey and Scott Lichtig highlighted this exploitative practice in their article "The Nike Controversy" on July 27, 1999. They noted that Nike was portrayed as a company willing to exploit workers and deprive them of a basic wage to sustain themselves in the pursuit of expanding profits. This episode serves as a testament to how companies manipulate Black consumer loyalty for profit, often at the expense of vulnerable populations.

The luxury bag industry presents a modern parallel to this exploitation. In an article titled "Italian Court Reveals Dior’s Unethical Supply Chain And Puts Other Luxury Brands On Notice" by Pamela N. Danziger on June 24, 2024, in Forbes.com, a tone reminiscent of the decades-old Nike controversy emerges. Danziger reveals that unethical manufacturing practices are systemic throughout Italy, where thousands of small foreign-owned manufacturers supply luxury brands with goods that can claim the prized ‘Made in Italy’ label but are produced at ‘Made in China’ prices. These practices allowed one manufacturer to supply a ‘Made in Italy’ Dior-branded handbag for $57 that Dior then sold for about $2,800. For Black consumers, this translates to paying through the nose for "luxury" that’s barely worth the box it came in. A $57 bag turned into a $2,800 status symbol—luxury never had a better con game.

Despite looming economic downturns, the luxury industry remains robust, buoyed significantly by Black consumers. In Jasmine Browley’s article "Despite Looming Recession, The Luxury Industry Is Still Thriving—Here’s How Black Consumers Are Driving The Boom" on November 2, 2022, it is noted that luxury houses like Christian Dior, where a single, lower-priced bag can command $4,000, saw startlingly high patronage. Browley prominently noted that the increase in sales in the luxury industry could be specifically attributed to Black consumers, stating that consistent growth in the sector is linked to Black consumers. More than ever before, Black shoppers accounted for 20 percent of luxury spending in the US market in 2019—a number forecasted to increase by 25 to 30 percent by 2025. The luxury market thrives on Black consumers' desires, turning wallets inside out while promising opulence.

The exploitation of Black consumers is a persistent and evolving phenomenon. From the shoe industry's historical manipulation of gym shoe popularity to modern luxury brands' egregious markups, the narrative remains unchanged. Companies continue to capitalize on the economic power of Black consumers, reaping profits without substantial reinvestment into the community, perpetuating a cycle of economic disparity and exploitation.

The historical and ongoing exploitation of Black consumers underscores a pervasive problem within corporate strategies. Companies recognize the economic power of Black consumers but choose to exploit rather than uplift them. The consistent pattern of targeting Black consumers with overpriced, under-delivering products highlights a troubling dynamic where the promise of value and equality is continually unmet.

Systemic Challenges and the Wealth Gap

Decades of systemic bias have woven a financial straitjacket, where every dollar earned by Black Americans must stretch further, fight harder, and defy the gravity of an ever-widening wealth gap. This straitjacket is not merely a historical artifact but a present-day reality exacerbated by the exploitation of Black consumer behaviors and systemic economic challenges. The article "Black Wealth is Increasing, but So is the Racial Wealth Gap" by Andre M. Perry, Hannah Stephens, and Manann Donoghoe (2024) underscores that centuries of discrimination in public policy, financial practices, and societal norms remain unaddressed, necessitating broad structural changes. Despite an increase in Black wealth, the racial wealth gap continues to widen, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic reform.

Dr. Claud Anderson's seminal work, "PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America," delves deeper into the roots of these disparities. Anderson, writing in 2000, astutely observed on page 6, “There has been no equal sharing of burdens in our equal opportunity society… Blacks are the only group forced to practice capitalism without capital in the richest and most capitalistic nation on earth.” He identifies three critical barriers that hinder Black competitiveness: the skewed distribution of wealth and resources, counterproductive behavioral patterns, and the absence of a cohesive national empowerment strategy. These systemic issues are not relics of the past but ongoing obstacles that continue to shape the economic landscape for Black Americans.

The exploitation of Black consumer behaviors compounds these systemic challenges. Black consumers are frequently targeted by predatory financial practices and are often confined to consumer deserts, areas where access to essential goods and services is limited. This exploitation perpetuates a cycle of economic disenfranchisement, making it difficult for Black communities to build and sustain wealth. The financial strategies imposed on Black Americans often involve higher interest rates, subprime loans, and other disadvantageous terms, further exacerbating economic inequities.

The McKinsey Global Institute’s 2021 report, "The Economic State of Black America: What Is and What Could Be," offers a glimpse into the future, projecting that Black consumers' economic power will expand dramatically by 2030. However, this projection comes with caveats. The report highlights that Black consumers are more likely to live in consumer deserts and be underserved in all areas of consumption. This persistent inequity underscores the systemic barriers that continue to impede economic equity, despite potential growth in Black economic power. These barriers are reflective of Anderson's analysis, illustrating how historical injustices perpetuate contemporary economic disadvantages.

The Subtle Science of Persuasion

In Roger Dooley’s article for Forbes on July 9, 2024, titled The Psychology Hack That Gets Customers to ‘Yes’ Without Thinking, he highlights what Nancy Harhut termed ‘automatic compliance triggers.’ Dooley elucidates that these triggers are simple yet potent tools that can markedly enhance marketing effectiveness. However, the insidious potential for manipulation, particularly among vulnerable consumer groups such as Black consumers, cannot be overlooked.

Robert Cialdini’s 2021 book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, underscores that people are naturally inclined to seek reasons for their actions. He advises leveraging reciprocation, liking, and unity to build relationships; social proof and authority to reduce uncertainty; and consistency and scarcity to drive action. These principles, while effective in guiding consumer behavior, can be manipulated to exploit it, especially through the use of automatic compliance triggers.

Automatic compliance triggers, while seemingly innocuous, serve as a gateway for exploitation by compelling individuals to agree almost instantly, bypassing their analytical faculties and engaging the subconscious. Vulnerable groups, such as Black consumers, who are already subjected to systemic biases, are particularly susceptible to such manipulative strategies.

Charts and graphs, utilizing the "picture superiority effect," exemplify these triggers. Our brains are predisposed to process and retain visual information more effectively than text. Terry L. Childers and Michael J. Houston, in their 1984 article Conditions for a Picture-Superiority Effect on Consumer Memory, demonstrated that verbal recall has limitations, whereas visual information is retained more robustly in both immediate and delayed contexts. This visual superiority can be weaponized to reinforce misleading or manipulative messages, disproportionately impacting those without access to comprehensive consumer education.

Moreover, Ellen J. Langer et al., in their 1978 article The Mindlessness of Ostensibly Thoughtful Action: The Role of "Placebic" Information in Interpersonal Interaction, illustrated how the mere inclusion of the word “because” in a request can spike compliance, even when the rationale is nonsensical. This tactic can be particularly exploitative, as it elicits compliance from consumers who may not have the luxury of critically analyzing every purchase decision due to systemic socioeconomic pressures.

By understanding and mitigating the impacts of these sophisticated marketing techniques, a more equitable consumer environment can be cultivated. The challenge lies in recognizing the fine line between effective persuasion and manipulative tactics, ensuring all consumers, regardless of background, are treated with fairness and respect. Embracing Cialdini’s principles with ethical consideration can foster transparency and trust, rather than exploitation, within the marketplace.

Automatic Thinking and Black Consumers

In the realm of consumer behavior, automatic thinking plays a significant role, particularly in how corporations and advertisers target Black consumers. This concept revolves around the idea that consumers often make decisions based on automatic, unconscious processes rather than deliberate, conscious thought. For Black consumers, these automatic processes are influenced by cultural and historical contexts, making them particularly susceptible to specific marketing techniques that aim to exploit their consumer behavior.

Research indicates that implicit biases and stereotypes significantly impact how products are marketed to Black consumers. According to Chlo? FitzGerald et al. in their article titled "Interventions Designed to Reduce Implicit Prejudices and Implicit Stereotypes in Real World Contexts: A Systematic Review" (May 19, 2019), implicit biases often operate without full conscious awareness, affecting behavior in subtle but powerful ways. Advertisers leverage these biases by creating marketing campaigns that resonate with the unconscious preferences and stereotypes held by consumers. In their research titled "Behavioral Biases in Marketing" (October 28, 2019), Katharina Dowling et al. note that this technique ensures that the targeted demographic makes purchases based on ingrained psychological triggers rather than rational decision-making.

Furthermore, the American Psychological Association highlights in a 2013 article titled "Physiological & Psychological Impact of Racism and Discrimination for African-Americans" how chronic stress and racism can influence consumer behavior among Black consumers. This stress often leads to coping mechanisms that include retail therapy and other forms of consumption. In Kate Meda’s article "Biased Advertising: Identifying & Addressing the Problem" (October 27, 2023), it is noted that advertisers exploit this by promoting products that are positioned as stress relievers or status symbols, playing into the automatic thinking that drives consumers to seek quick, albeit temporary, solutions to their stress.

Additional research shows how systemic biases in advertising persist. For instance, an article by Jinyan Zang titled "Solving the Problem of Racially Discriminatory Advertising on Facebook" (October 19, 2021) discusses how Facebook's advertising algorithms inadvertently reinforce racial and ethnic biases by using proxies like names and ZIP codes, leading to discriminatory ad targeting that disproportionately affects Black consumers. This technological bias ensures that ads are tailored in ways that exploit automatic, unconscious responses, further embedding systemic discrimination within digital advertising platforms.

The insidious nature of this targeted advertising aims to create consumers who act on impulse rather than thoughtful deliberation, effectively turning them into automatons who respond predictably to marketing stimuli. By constantly reinforcing automatic thinking patterns, marketers perpetuate a cycle where Black consumers are driven by immediate, unconscious triggers. This strategy not only exploits existing biases but also fosters a generation of consumers conditioned to act without thinking, further entrenching systemic inequalities and making genuine empowerment and economic progress increasingly difficult to achieve.

Conclusion

Despite the positive spins often put on these findings, the reality remains stark: exploitative practices, no matter how they are framed, are damaging and dangerous. They perpetuate economic inequalities and hinder genuine progress. The exploitation of Black consumer behaviors underscores the ongoing struggle for economic justice and equitable treatment. These behaviors, nurtured and reinforced over generations, reflect the resilience and adaptive strategies of the Black community. However, systemic exploitation reveals the need for continued advocacy and broad structural changes to rectify these long-standing inequalities.

To dismantle these exploitative frameworks, it is crucial to delve deeply into the historical context and contemporary manifestations of these practices. From the early strategies depicted in the 1954 video "The Secret of Selling the Negro" to modern marketing techniques that exploit altruistic spending trends, corporations have systematically targeted Black consumers for profit maximization. This exploitation is not only a relic of the past but a persistent issue that modern companies continue to perpetuate. The targeted advertisements, inflated prices, and strategic placement of products in Black communities highlight a deliberate effort to extract economic value without contributing to the community's financial upliftment. Addressing these issues requires a multi-faceted approach that includes policy reform, corporate accountability, and community empowerment. By fostering an environment where equitable treatment is the norm rather than the exception, we can begin to dismantle the economic barriers that have long oppressed marginalized communities.

Moreover, promoting genuine economic equity necessitates a collective effort from policymakers, businesses, and individuals. Advocating for inclusive policies that ensure fair wages, equal opportunities, and access to resources is essential. Businesses must commit to ethical practices that prioritize the well-being of all consumers over profit maximization. The pervasive impact of systemic biases, automatic thinking, and technological discrimination further compounds the issue, making it imperative to address these unconscious mechanisms that reinforce exploitation. By standing together in solidarity and fostering a critical examination of these exploitative practices, we can drive the systemic changes needed to foster a more just and equitable society. Understanding the exploitation of Black consumer behaviors is not merely an academic exercise; it is a call to action to transform our economic systems and uplift those who have been unfairly disadvantaged for far too long..

Blurb

In "The Persistent Manipulation of Black Consumer Behavior: From Exploitation to Marginalization," Shawn Anthony McCastle, Ph.D., delves into the intricate dynamics of Black consumer habits and how these insights have been historically and contemporarily exploited by corporations. Beginning with the 1954 video "The Secret of Selling the Negro," Dr. McCastle meticulously traces the manipulation of key aspects of Black consumer behavior, such as brand loyalty and quality preference, demonstrating how these attributes have been leveraged for corporate gain.

Dr. McCastle highlights how these exploitative practices have persisted across generations, revealing a troubling pattern of economic marginalization. He sheds light on how modern corporations continue to exploit cultural values and altruistic spending trends among Black consumers, driving profits without delivering genuine benefits to the community. The article underscores systemic economic challenges and a widening wealth gap, exacerbated by inflation and systemic biases.

Through rigorous analysis and compelling narrative, Dr. McCastle calls for broad structural changes and continued advocacy to promote economic justice and equity for Black Americans. His scholarly approach not only illuminates the historical context but also provides a critical examination of contemporary marketing strategies that perpetuate inequality.

Key themes include:

·???????? Historical exploitation and manipulation of Black consumer behavior.

·???????? Persistent corporate strategies capitalizing on cultural and altruistic spending.

·???????? Systemic economic challenges and the widening wealth gap.

·???????? The necessity for policy reform, corporate accountability, and community empowerment.

Shawn Anthony McCastle, Ph.D., an eminent scholar in management and workplace psychology, leverages his extensive academic and professional expertise to dissect these complex issues. His dedication to research and advocacy for economic equity positions him as a pivotal voice in addressing long-standing inequalities and fostering genuine economic upliftment for Black consumers.

?2024 All Rights Reserved by Shawn Anthony McCastle, Ph.D.

Note: Shawn A. McCastle, Ph.D., stands as a distinguished author, educator, and researcher. His doctoral investigations delve into the phenomena of non-death loss and grief within workplace environments. Equipped with an MBA, Dr. McCastle integrates artificial intelligence (AI) with human resources management (HRM) to mitigate AI-human conflicts and foster healthy organizational cultures. His expertise extends further into executive coaching and leadership development, underpinned by his Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (MSIOP). Dr. McCastle's career is a testament to his unwavering commitment to understanding the intricacies of business and human behavior.

Dr. McCastle is the author of several influential books, including:

1.????? The Vaxxed: Culture War in the Workplace

2.????? Atlas of the Soul: Charting the Depths of Empathy and the Vocabulary of Human Connection

3.????? Recession-Proof Side Hustles: A Step-by-Step Guide to Launching a Profitable Side Hustle During a Recession (Co-Authored with Jeffrey Hayes)

Moreover, Dr. McCastle contributes regularly to "The Business Brain," a weekly LinkedIn newsletter that melds insights from business, psychology, and law. This publication aids professionals in making informed decisions and amplifying their organizational impact. Featuring contributions from experts across these disciplines, it explores a breadth of topics, including leadership, decision-making, organizational culture, employee engagement, and legal issues pertinent to businesses. For further engagement with or to learn more about Dr. Shawn A. McCastle, please visit his website at https://www.shawnmccastle.com/ .