Posted on 11/26/2003 11:25:55 AM PST by Luke Skyfreeper
Forty years ago next week, a prominent black businessman, SB Fuller of the Fuller Products Company, addressed the National Association of Manufacturers.
Because Fuller refused to "toe the party line," his speech touched off a firestorm of rage that would lead to much of black America boycotting his businesses -- thus destroying much of his fortune.
Nevertheless, although his business enterprises were forced through bankruptcy, he managed to hold on to at least a portion of his wealth. When the great businessman died some 25 years later, at age 83, he was still quite a prosperous man.
SB Fuller was born into abject poverty. His rise to wealth and prominence has to be one of the great success stories of all time. It is hard to imagine a least likely candidate for success.
As a young man, Fuller started out literally penniless.
He was a black man in pre-Civil-Rights America.
To top that off, he was a black man with only a sixth-grade education.
And to top that off, SB Fuller's search for success began... during the Great Depression.
In 1935, Fuller started his first business, with only $25.
He would eventually become a multimillionaire who owned or controlled 9 different corporations.
Below are excerpts from SB Fuller's earth-shaking speech of December 6, 1963. [Note: I have edited out Mr. Fuller's use of the (then-current) word "Negro," replacing it with more current language.)
It's Not Racial Barriers That Keep Blacks From Prospering:
American Blacks Must Pool Capital in Order to Help Themselves
[Reprinted from Issues & Views Summer 1991, with phrasing edits]
[Address by businessman S.B. Fuller to the National Association of Manufacturers, December 6, 1963.]
. . . . It is contrary to the laws of nature for man to stand still; he must move forward, or the eternal march of progress will force him backward. This the black man has failed to understand; he believes that the lack of civil rights legislation, and the lack of integration have kept him back. But this is not true. . . .
In 1952, the average black man's income was 57% of that of the white man's, but in 1962 it was only 53% of his income. In a period of ten years, the black man's income had dropped 4 percentage points in comparison with the white man's income. The main reason for this is black lack of understanding of our capitalistic system of government. Capitalism is defined as "an economic system in which capital and capitalists play the principal part. Specifically, the established economic system of most modern civilized countries, in which the ownership of land and natural wealth, the production, distribution, and exchange of goods, the employment and reward of human labor, and the extension, organization, and operation of the system itself, are entrusted to, and effected by private enterprise and control, under competitive conditions."
This black America does not understand. Let's take, for example, distribution at the retail level. One-sixth of all people employed in America are employed in retail selling; 11,650,000 people in retail sales as of 1962. If the black man had the amount of initiative, courage and imagination required, he could control the retail selling in his own community. Since he represents 10% of the population of America today, he would be able to employ 1,065,000 people. There are 1,788,325 retail establishments in America and yet in New York City, where there are over 1,000,000 black people, they do not own over 15 businesses which employ over 10 people.
Unfortunately, blacks believe that there is a racial barrier in America which keeps them from succeeding, yet if they would learn to use the laws of observation, concentration, memory, reason, and action, they would realize that there is a world of opportunity right in their own communities. . . .
Because [the black man] does not own and control retail establishments in his own community, he is unable to stabilize his community. For every evening, at the close of business, the substantial citizen leaves that community and goes to another community to live, thus leaving black community improverished, and the wealth derived from the community through retail sales is transferred to the other community, thus building up that community. These merchants are not to be blamed for this, because the supply and demand must be satisfied. Since blacks do not supply the demand in their own communities, the white man must come in, and he takes advantage of the opportunity. Then blacks think that there is a racial barrier that keeps them from making progress. Therefore, blacks ask for legislation to remove the barrier which they automatically created themselves, due to their own lack of action.
The average black man believes that the purpose of business is to furnish jobs, but this is not true. The purpose of business is to render service and to make a profit, and by doing this, it must employ people. These people must be able to render service and produce a commodity that the businessman can sell at a profit. If not the business can no longer employ the individual. . . .
Black people must pool their capital in order to help themselves. They must establish retail sales organizations throughout their communities and also must go into light manufacturing where retail selling has already produced an outlet for the products light manufacturing can produce. This will enable blacks to help solve their own problems. . . .
Since our capitalistic system is a competitive system, the black man must learn to compete with his fellowman. He must not only seek jobs, but he must own establishments which will give jobs to others. . . .
[Courtesy of Hagley Museum & Library, Wilmington, DE]
Unbelievable. What's also unbelievable is that everybody in America doesn't know this story.
But, I guess it's easier to blame someone else...
The way my life has unfolded, I have had a considerable amount of contact/association with blacks. I went to schools with blacks that have been materially successful and with whom I maintain contact to this day. OTOH, I went to school with blacks (a couple were friends) who were dead before I got out of college.
Ok, that's all prologue to this (off the wall?) observation. I believe that blacks may be (for whatever reason) more risk averse than other segments of our population. I wish someone would do a study/paper on this hypothesis. It intrigues me.
"her level of experience in government" - You think two years as a Presidential advisor is adequate Presidential training, I do not.
Hmm, well I'm not Mh but playing Devil's advocate I would observe that with respect to risk aversion trying for a career in entertainment or sports (or playing the lottery) is hugely risky, yet young blacks will often set those professions as a goal. To me this would reflect a "shoot-the-moon" philosophy rather than risk aversion.
Maybe the problem is that the more traditional path of getting an education, working hard and grinding your way up the ladder is held in lower regard? Or, in the case of entrepeneurship (sp?) the traditional way of starting small and growing gradually is disdained?
I firmly believe the path to black success has to come from within, but how to achieve that is another story. Black leadera are not exhorting people to work hard and stop having babies so young. White conservatives (like me) generally seem to be viewed with suspicion and distrust, while white liberals will pretty much echo the black leaders. Black conservatives are often vilified by the press and academia. One other impediment is that a frank discussion on this and other race relations is rarely heard, in fact this board is about the only place I see it.
Ain't that the truth!
Success is regarded as "white," and those who succeed as "race traitors."
I demand both in my President. Geez, get off it. There are many people of good character with experience too. She could use some more before being elected President. She would be the least experienced person even to serve in that office with her current background.
The big chains won't open a store in a ghetto area for several reasons. The biggest is that it is much more expensive to do business there due to the increased need for security and the shoplifting losses. This means that they lose money if they charge the same prices as in the suburbs -- but if they charge more, they risk discrimination lawsuits and bad PR. So they stay away.
If it were possible to make a living running a retail place there, people would have done it. It generally isn't. It's not like there's a need for a huge capital outlay, either. Somebody could start a small operation out of their home for just their friends in the neighborhood -- get basics from a wholesaler in your pickup, sell at a moderate markup, operate as a sideline. But you don't hear about it.
Because the ones who work hard, get ahead and save up enough money to open a store are going to move out and open a store in a middle class neighborhood just like everyone else.
I think it depends on which blacks you meet --- the military is full of blacks who aren't risk averse and are doing what they can to pull themselves up. When you look at intact black families, their kids are doing pretty well --- at least as well as any others even if they aren't wealthy. Inner city or welfare blacks have some pretty bad problems that makes it hard for them to get ahead even if they wanted to. It's got to be very difficult to raise kids in some of those neighborhoods with the drugs and crime ---- but some do seem to manage.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.