Hey everybody,
I have not read the book Yurugu, but I do think that economics plays a big role in the formation of any unified community. I'll admit that I am not for TOTAL segregation and separation, but it would be nice to go into a Black community and be greeted by Black-owned businesses. And I mean more than the churches and liquor stores that seem to frequent our communities.
In Chicago, where I'm from, African Americans are not that spread out. As many of you know, Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the country. Despite this, most of the businesses in the Black communities are not Black-owned. In the South Side community where I grew up there is a HUGE shopping area that spans for blocks. To this day, 95% of these stores are owned by Asian or Middle Eastern people though 98% of the community is Black.
I think that Black people need to realize how important the Black dollar is. This can be done through education. We should also make an effort to support those businesses that support the Black community. If there is not a business like that in your community, help start one. I know that is SO much easier said than done, but initiative, motivation, and probably a few Small Business Administration (SBA) loans can make many of these entrepreneurship dreams a reality. There also needs to be a way to ensure that once Black businesses open up, these same businesses donate some money back into the community.
A large part of these problems are a result of the lack of unity among most of the Black community. It goes back to what The Original Ape said: there can never be another Black Wallstreet because "We don't trust each other." Many Black people have no problem buying from "others," when a lot of these same people won't even consider buying from another Black person. Many have this screwed up notion that everything European, Asian, etc. is better, while everything Black is second-class. We need to educate people, through programs, volunteer work, etc. that these notions are wrong.
To sum up my rambling... :-) I think that we can take back the power we lost through education, economic support, and entrepreneurship.
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