Posted on 07/17/2009 7:46:19 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In 1960, Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond walked into a Woolworth's store and sat at the lunch counter. With money in hand, ready to do business, they ordered coffee. They were refused service. These young men refused to be refused. Because of their efforts and the efforts of countless others, African Americans are free to do business where ever they please in America. These young men fought the fight of that day. Today is a new day...and a different struggle.
Last year, African Americans spent approximately $600 billion in goods and services in the United States. What if 55% to 65% of that money was spent in African American owned businesses? What would that do for the Black economy? What would our streets and neighborhoods look like? How would that change the scope and perception of our "Martin Luther King Avenues?"
Research studies have shown that when we travel, we spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $700 per trip. Imagine being able to leave more than half of that $700 with African American owned businesses in that city. What would that do for their community?
The "Spoils" of the Civil Rights Victory of 1964
This isn't a sweeping indictment of any group of people. However, we do have a challenge and the opportunity for a solution exists.
Prior to and during 1964, we had African Americans who were active in the civil rights campaign. We had a group who nonviolently boycotted and marched for freedom. We also had a group who fought for our freedom by any means they thought necessary. Yet there were others who sat on the sidelines, in the safety of their homes and jobs, and simply watched.
When the Civil Rights Act was passed, some of our misguided activists and most of those who sat on the sidelines proceeded to take the spoils. The "spoils" being, among other things, the right to go into a department store and "try on" a suit before buying it. Another spoil would be the right to walk through the front door of any establishment serving the public and do business. As we learned when the Israelites sacked Jericho; not all spoils should be taken back to the camp! As a result, a mass exodus began in the black business district in the mid to late sixties.
A couple of things occurred as a result of this mass exodus from the black business community. The one's who left gave the impression that the grass was indeed greener on the other side. They claimed the stores were cleaner, there was more selection, and prices were better than in the black businesses. As the allegations grew, a dislike for black business also grew. Suddenly the black businesses were viewed as "trying to do business" and not really as accomplished business men and women. Black business folk in return, developed a hatred for the black consumer. The Black consumers' treacherous acts were neither forgiven nor forgotten. Worst of all, both sides taught their virulent and insensitive views to their children. Today, we see some of those children [now empty nesters] as consumers, still skeptically thumbing through the various Black business directories, and as business owners, refusing to specifically market to Black consumers. All of them loving the concept of community empowerment through economics, but never trusting anyone enough to ever achieve it.
Now that this particular problem has been stated, what will YOU do to solve it? What will YOU teach your children through your actions? Will you remove the "spoils" from the camp so that the community will be blessed?
I am a black business owner and I disapprove of this message.
I am an American business owner and I disapprove of any hyphenated prefixes that divide us.
Aye!
No, I will teach my children to shop at the store that gives them whatever is deemed to be the most superior goods and services in return for the money paid for said goods and services.
They won't care if the person's running it are white, black, Asian, or anything in between. Also, if that place of business is located 25 miles away instead of "in the neighborhood", then so be it.
Will all the shoplifitng also be done there?
A person I know owned a store in a very white community- 90% of the customers were white 10% black
The shoplifters where 90% black and 10% white
this is NOT racist.. it is fact. What would you do?
She had to stop accepting checks from 100% of her customers (at a large inconvenience) because of the 10%.
Could she put up a sign saying “no more checks from black people”? Even with drivers license ID they still wrote bad checks.
She had to install TV cameras monitors and watch 100% because of the 10%
If one pet snake is stolen, she has to sell FIVE MORE just to break even.
10% of the people almost wiped out her business for the 90%
WHERE THE HELL IS BARACK OBAMA ON BLACK CRIME AND THE EMBARRASMENT OF ILLEGITIMATE BLACK CHILDREN????
Sounds like they want to go back, kind of, on this point
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abe Lincoln
The author is correct at least in that the entire parallel economy that segregation gave rise to lost its raison d’etre in the wake of integration.
But the idea that it should be artificially sustained is worse than ludicrous. Americans of all ethnicities should shop for the best product/service for the best price, period. And those who aspire to be businesspeople should strive to give the best value for the customers dollar.
This is called “capitalism.”
I believe that was Jesus Christ, but Abe was quoting Him.
:0)
Tagline change
I got bitten above the eye by a German Shepard named Bobo when I was three. That’s my contribution for this thread.
No, she had to inconvenience 100% because of 1%, or even less. She became suspicious of 10% because of 1%. If 1% gave a d--- about the rest of their 10%, or 10% policed and shamed their 1%, it would be better for everyone.
How about white businesses only hiring white employees?...Oh, that’s against the law, isn’t it. The race hustlers are getting more brazen now that BO is ruling the US.
Well somebody had better inform Oprah, Bill Cosby, Michael Jordon, and Tiger Woods that they’re denying people of their nationality wealth by doing business with “Whitey”.
Let’s see how far this plan goes.
A bit of a different “take” on this...
As a baseball fan, I watch and read a lot of the historical stuff about the sport. One of the more interesting things, is how much damage integration of the major leagues did to the economics of black communities. Turns out, when the Negro Leagues existed, they patronized black owned restaurants, hotels, service stations, etc. while traveling the country. Much of that was due, of course, to the “whites only” rules that existed in parts of the nation. It seems reasonable that some of it was due to a cultural comfort, as well. But the players also relied on these kinds of businesses to hire them in the off-season to help make ends meet. (This was in the time when baseball players actually had to WORK in the offseason. Imagine! Bob Feller sold insurance!) When Jackie Robinson (NL) and Larry Doby (AL) integrated the leagues, many of these businesses lost a significant source of income. Thus, as the Negro Leagues withered from player defections to the newly integrated leagues, the cost to black businesses in these communities was serious, and in many cases, fatal.
Just my 2 cents worth...
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” Jesus (Matthew 12:25)
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