Co-optation

From the Free Online Encyclopedia:

co-opt (k-pt, kpt)
tr.v. co-opt·ed, co-opt·ing, co-opts
1. To elect as a fellow member of a group.
2. To appoint summarily.
3. To take or assume for one's own use; appropriate: co-opted the criticism by embracing it.
4. To neutralize or win over (an independent minority, for example) through assimilation into an established group or culture: co-opt rebels by giving them positions of authority.
[Latin cooptre : co-, co- + optre, to choose.]

From the Baltimore Sun, "Minority bank to lease at Wal-Mart":

Urban Trust Bank, the Bethesda financial firm formed by Black Entertainment Television founder Robert L. Johnson, has struck a deal with Wal-Mart Stores to lease space for branches in the giant retailer's outlets in large cities. ...The deal marks a significant step forward for a bank that's less than a year old and has just two branches but with an ambition to forge a national franchise.

See these articles from the Black Commentator:
-- Wal-Mart and the Economic Destruction of Black Communities
-- A ‘Movement’ Against Wal-Mart?
-- Why Black Leaders Are Stone Silent on Wal-Mart Abuses.

Index Keywords: retail; Growth-Machine