Friday, March 29, 2024

Yes, Employed by the Unemployed.

February 8, 2014 by  
Filed under Business, News, Opinion, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) “Because the Negro does not own and control retail establishments in his own community, he is unable to stabilize his community…The Negro must pool his capital in order to help himself….This will enable him to solve his own problems.” S.B. Fuller

Has the thought ever occurred to you that despite having the highest unemployment rate in this country, our job creation rate is perched at the other end of that spectrum? That’s right, Blacks are some of the best job creators in this nation. We have created jobs in the clothing industry, the entertainment industry, the communications industry, the food industry, the liquor industry, the music industry and, oh yes, the prison industry. There are many other areas I could name but I am sure you get what I’m driving at by now.

Amos Wilson, in his book, Afrikan-Centered Consciousness Versus the New World Order, posits, “How different our education would be if we sent our children to school to create jobs for themselves, to create their own economic and political systems, to see themselves as the major source of their own employment.” He continued, “…I heard about some people protesting for jobs and pushing other people for jobs. I asked the question: Do we know how many jobs we really create for other people?”employed-unemployed-written-inside-vector-illustration

No, Brother Wilson, I don’t think we do. Paradoxically, and much to my chagrin, Black folks, the very ones who need jobs the most are too busy “ma-chin’” and begging someone else for jobs rather than using the same money we spend to create jobs for others to create jobs for ourselves. In other words, we, the unemployed, are virtually employing others via our silly response tactics and our ridiculous spending habits.

We live our lives vicariously by buying a $500.00 bottle of vodka because we want to run in Diddy’s circle of friends. We hoist a bottle of outrageously expensive cognac up in “da club” trying to be Jay-Z, a guy who could buy and sell most of us in a heartbeat. These celebrities and others hawk the wares of folks who make a very good living from the $1.1 trillion Black people earn each year. We provide the profit margins for several industries, thereby, keeping many people employed.

The other point is that high profile Blacks, mainly entertainers and athletes, earn a large portion of their money by being entrepreneurs. They sell stuff, some of which creates jobs for others, but all of which allows them to fly on private jets and drink high-priced liquor. We cannot do that, and all the fake, pretentious, wannabe, spending in the world will not make that possible; what it does is continue the cycle of the unemployed creating jobs and keeping others employed.

Economic freedom, not “economic equality” must be our goal. Equality requires measurement; it requires the party seeking equality, by default, to elevate someone else and seek his standard and his approval. It also requires an effort to be accepted by the party to which one aspires. It makes little sense to get into that game because every time we reach that standard it can—and will be changed to an even higher standard.

Economic freedom is the clarion call in years past and now. Many have propagated that message and we have yet to heed it in a collective manner since we lost our minds over politics in 1965. Economic freedom means setting our own standards, and not having to meet those set by others. Economic freedom means the ability and willingness, and dare I say eagerness, to create jobs for our children.

Economic freedom means that we have multiple streams of income that can, of course, empower us individually and then empower us collectively. Economic freedom means producing, manufacturing, and distributing; it means owning natural resources to whatever extent possible and vertically integrating our businesses.

Economic freedom, as Dr. Claud Anderson advocates, means aggregating our dollars and utilizing them to our own advantage rather than some else’s. Economic freedom means what Pastor Jonathan Weaver and the Collective Empowerment Group are doing: leveraging the large number of church members and their spending capacity, and obtaining reciprocity from the marketplace. Economic freedom means, as S.B. Fuller and Malcolm X said, “Control.”

Currently Black folks for the most part are out of control and/or under control. We cannot be economically free under those circumstances. “No people can be free who themselves do not constitute an essential part of the ruling element of the country in which they live. The liberty of no man is secure who controls not his own destiny. For people to be free they must necessarily be their own rulers.” Martin Delaney – “The Political destiny of the Colored race on the American continent

Written By James E. Clingman

Official website; http://www.blackonomics.com/

 


Comments

5 Responses to “Yes, Employed by the Unemployed.”
  1. toomanygrandkids says:

    “Because the Negro does not own and control retail establishment in his own community, he is unable to stabilize his community.” Yet Negroes of all ages give store owners a rough time which only shows that Negroes are out of control and disrespectful. How can Negroes possibly own and operate a business with such bad attitudes? Then when non-blacks open up a store, Negroes get mad.

    “The Negroe must pool his capital in order to help himself. This will enable him to solve his own problems.” Negroes are entirely too selfish, criminal-minded, and unintelligent to pool ANY capital for his own benefit. Negroes problems are self-inflicted and they’d much rather blame others instead of realizing that they are the real problem.

  2. I don’t think the majority of Black people want to be free. They don’t know how. We’ve been so used to people outside our community telling us what to do; we have chosen to take the path of least resistance. As the article explained, our real leaders have been telling us to unite for some time now, still to no avail, we haven’t, yet.

    Only when something of an extreme circumstance like the Trayvon Martin murder do we ever think to come and work together. I still believe this is the greatest example of the psychological effects of slavery because no other group gives its best and brightest to help other communities, rather than help ourselves first, as we do.

    At the very least, we’re afraid to come together for fear of what might happen. Understandably so, considering our past history in this journey towards unity, but we can’t afford to continue to think this way if we are ever to reach our full potential as a community. I will continue to support and create opportunities that are focused on bringing us closer together. But as one commenter said, it starts with how we think.

    Black Unity means financial independence and happiness

  3. cicero says:

    Once again, we got an old narrative laced with linear debate tactics. I would want the author to educate us more on the creation of money. Its the carrot that is dangled to all us rabbits, hopping at the chance of it. Let’s see the arguments presented for the cause of our demise. 1. We are beggers (aka welfare babies) 2. We spend too much ($100 Nike’s) 3. The guys with balls (athletes) have none when it comes to leading the black nation from demise. All old and tired narratives.

    Economic freedom is understanding the pure and simple creation of the American Dollar i.e. money.
    Better understanding of compound interest and interest rates.
    Basic stock market trading principles.
    Learn what is true capital versus assets accumulation.

    I do agree with the author in regards to pooling are efforts together , two is better than one. But I don’t care how many bullets you got if you can’t shoot straight.

    We must truly free our minds first.

  4. toomanygrandkids says:

    Amen! Another great article, Mr. Clingman. I agree 100%.

  5. Pat says:

    Excellent article!

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