(ThyBlackMan.com) Entrepreneurship is typically not something that you’re taught in school, it is something that good parents build into the souls of their children. In a way, you can compare it to being able to grow your own economic food, instead of depending on someone else to feed you. It gives you freedom in the event of disaster, or in the case that you decide that you simply want something better out of life than enduring the stress of doing work that you actually hate.
Think for a second about just how vulnerable you are when you depend on someone else to give you the things you need. In fact, imagine if your family needed food, and the only person supplying the food was your worst enemy. The food wouldn’t come for free, nor would it be easy to obtain. Your enemy would feed his children long before he chose to feed yours. The cost for obtaining the food would be high, and you would only be fed if you did what your financial master told you to do.
In the scenario I just described, you would either be stressed out or hungry. You would be without dignity. You would be disrespected because no one respects a man who has to beg in order to feed his family. You wouldn’t be truly living your life, you would only be surviving and waiting to die. Even if you were to receive everything you needed, there is a very good chance you would be MISERABLE.
That’s where black people are in America when we depend on White America to feed us. We get jobs with big corporations and then get angry because they subject us to discrimination. We wonder why our unemployment rate is twice as high as whites, yet virtually no government official has tried to help alleviate the problem. We express outrage that economic inequality has not dissipated since the 1960s, yet we continue to pursue the same weak, tired and ineffective economic models.
When you gain the ability to create jobs, you don’t have to beg for them. When you run your own enterprise, you don’t have to worry about racism. Instead, you have the ability to do what you want, when you want, and not feel that you’re trying to become comfortable under somebody else’s roof.
When I learned to run my own business, that’s when racism effectively disappeared from my life. Of course, it still exists in some situations, like when dealing with police, trying to obtain financing or obtaining white customers. But when it comes to my day-to-day existence, I am constantly marveling over how stress-free my life has become. I get to take freedoms for granted everyday that some of my corporate friends can only dream of. I can say what I want, do what I want, work when I want, and make my own money.
In fact, my new life after working for somebody else was such an improvement that I usually don’t care if I make a little less money than I expected. I was just happy to get off the economic plantation and go to work each day feeling like a MAN. You really can’t put a price on freedom.
Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.
Reality Check, you are right Reality check. We hold the keyys, I am using the key and Black folks wont even use what I offer, even thought the evidence has been shown, proven, the business is solid, 20 years old and growing.
Black people for the most part could care less especially when they realize it is me running bhe business. We are a franchise online, Web Center, with a paid training selection,. or simply register as a preferred customer and get cash back on everthing. Noooo! they rather pay more and go to the local store !!! This is a disease
What an article. Its makes me laugh at the double mindedness. The reality is the very people who talk this talk, and that is all it is constant talk, are actually the very people who do not support their own.
So why complain when you yourself have turned down supporting Black Owned or run business and preferred to use a white own business because apparently like many people who look like me, Black People, are so mind trapped and trained to hate themselves that you would rather support outside the community even though I have the exact same product, same business, even better price point.
Why is it that I have more people outside my race as customers and partners? Because we are so concerned with the TRUST issue, even envy issue, God forbid if I become more successful then you.
It is just a sick disease dna’d into the mind set of Black People. Last year the African american community spent 1.2 (it went up from 1.1) TRILLION DOLLARS ON LINE ALONE. Most of that probably went to Amazon, who give you nothing back nor supports your community, In fact they are building vehicles and planes that you the average person cannot ever afford.!
The only concern they have of you while they kill your brothers in the streets and treat them lower than animals, if your almighty dollar. You go into their stores and are followed like a thief but you don’t mind as long as you can shop for your overpriced items along with the rest of the white folks so you can feel equal opportunity.
Do I sound mad? Yes, I am sick to death of Black folk behavior! Black Wall Street Members have to be turning over in their graves at the spinelessness of the black community!
Realman2, you are right, its more than stone age disease, because we have brilliant and intelligent gifted people who put their gifts on the back burner unless Master tell them to do otherwise. They have been brainwashed through and through.
The European has done a absolute GOOD JOB on the Black Community.
It is a good thing to discuss and exchange views. It is how we learn.
Look, the bottom line for me in any discussion of African American economic development is that blacks must resolve the issue of how to obtain risk capital which does not depend upon the capricious nature of white racists. Reparations for blacks due to having been enslaved is a great solution but does not stand a snowball’s chance in hell of becoming law in next few years. However, the Davis Deficit Neutral Job Creation Plan does have a more than even chance of becoming law. This plan will pump as much forty million dollars a day directly into black communities across this country for as many 16 years or even longer. Does not sound like much money…does it?! Do the math. Forty million dollars multiplied by 365 days (one year) works out to $14.6 billion dollars a year. Over tens years, that means, $146 billion dollars would be placed directly into black hands. From this pool of capital can spring the risk or venture capital money needed to create businesses. If you can illustrate a better plan of pumping independent money into the black community, step forward and put your plan on the table. I for one am interested. You can read about the plan @ http://www.Jobcreationnow.com
God’s speed to you and yours.
@James Davis, although I respect your commentary, I can’t say that I agree with it. You and I have two different schools of thought on economic empowerment. You seem to believe that economic development/empowerment comes from an external source (lending institutions, government, etc.) and I believe it comes from internal sources (group economics, collaboration, shared lending, etc.).
You seem to be conflating two different issues. You start by arguing about the lack of black businesses then go on to talk about the lack of black businesses with over 100 employees. This doesn’t make sense given that the average American business has nowhere near 100 employees- so I don’t see where you are going with this line of thought. A successful business is defined by the amount of profits said business generates and NOT by the number of employees it has. Don’t believe me? Think about this: the average Asian-American business (e.g. Asian restaurants, dry cleaners, nail salons, beauty supply) does NOT employ 100 people, yet you can’t go to any town with more than 50 people and not see the Asian-American business footprint. These are very successful enterprises that maintain minimal headcount. So I’m not following your line of reasoning. Perhaps you can elucidate this line of reasoning for me and the rest of the readers.
Unlike you, I believe blacks DO and CAN have access to risk capital- IF we practice collaboration and group economics. Think about this: if blacks were to start their own banks and credit unions and SUPPORT and INVEST in these institutions, then you would see the increased access to that ‘risk capital’ you speak of. Blacks do have the capital, we just refuse to pool and leverage it.
By the way, last time I went to NYC I took a stroll to China Town. What I saw amazed me. Not only were there Chinese/Asian street vendors, there were Asian restaurants, convenience stores and BANKS! That’s right, the Asians had their own banks. I took a look through the windows of these banks and guess what I saw? Asian tellers, Asian customers, Asian bankers, it was a complete Asian collaboration. These people are not only embracing group economics, but they are practicing and LIVING it. So when the next Asian entrepreneur wants to open a restaurant, he already has his financing source available to lend this ‘risk capital.’ He doesn’t have to go to Chase, Bank of America or any other mainstream lender for funds. See how that works? Blacks have a collective $1 TRILLION dollars in buying/spending/investing power, so, I ask you…what is preventing blacks from doing the same thing the Asians do? I’ll tell you what, we’d rather invest our money into these black churches (which we get absolutely ZERO return from) than to invest in our collective success.
Another reason why I reject your ideas Mr. Davis is because history has proven that blacks firmly understood the power of group economics PRIOR to desegregation. In any major American city, blacks had their own enclaves with thriving, successful black-owned businesses (which included banks btw). Not only were these businesses THRIVING, but they were doing so without government intervention or assistance. So if we can create black success in 1915, tell me again why we cannot do this in 2015? This time I want the REAL reason why you think this can’t be done.
I’m here…and I’ll wait.
Here is the reply to your question:
The answer to this question is well within your ability to discern. Nevertheless, I’ll make some comments.
You say,
“The problem with statements like yours (mine) is that they are predicated with the belief that the keys to our (blacks’) freedom lies with the government or the majority population. Neither is true. “Blacks have enough economic power to create their own destinies. We just don’t realize it.”
If you live in America, I suggest you look around your city and count the number of partial or wholly owned black businesses that employ 100 people or 500 people or either 1000 people. I live in an area in Central Florida where there is a highly educated black populous with a law school sponsored by an HBCU and an HBCU not less than 75 miles from the city in which I live. Within my immediate community, there is not “a single black owned business” that is partially or wholly owned that employs 100 people. Is this true for your community? Now, ask yourself why is this the case? Is it due to lack of economic or political power of blacks in your community that this situation exist, or is there something else going on? I put this question to anyone who is reading this response to ask themselves the same question.
The reason there are not more black businesses is not due to the lack of economic buying power or political will. It is due to the lack of risk capital. If more individual blacks were able to control risk capital, more black businesses will result. Where there is no risk capital, the likelihood of business development is nil – it matters not if the community in question is black or white. It is illogical to say that the responsibility for increasing black businesses rest with black people as a group. This expectation of “group responsibility” is not something you see in the economic rise of any group of people in the United States, when it comes to creating and sustaining businesses that employ a significant amount of workers. Mom and Pop business operations might be called group operations where families engage in the operation of businesses, but for the most part these are very small operations employing less than a 100 workers. Businesses that employ workers of any significant numbers involve risk capital!
So from where does the risk capital come? Who controls the ability of any group to obtain risk capital. There is no secret in how to create jobs and businesses in this country. The majority population has been doing this for decades through the use of venture capital which is another name for risk capital.
If you are seriously interested in learning more, read this article which I submitted to ThyBlackman.com. This will help me to gauge whether you have a sincere interest in understanding the economics of the creation of black businesses or you simply want to engage in a conversation of buffoonery.
https://thyblackman.com/2013/08/15/40000-00-to-each-black-person-retirement-is-the-answer/
http://www.Jobcreationnow.com
Here is the reply to your question:
The answer to this question is well within your ability to discern. Nevertheless, I’ll make some comments.
You say,
“The problem with statements like yours (mine) is that they are predicated with the belief that the keys to our (blacks’) freedom lies with the government or the majority population. Neither is true. “Blacks have enough economic power to create their own destinies. We just don’t realize it.”
If you live in America, I suggest you look around your city and count the number of partial or wholly owned black businesses that employ 100 people or 500 people or either 1000 people. I live in an area in Central Florida where there is a highly educated black populous with a law school sponsored by an HBCU and an HBCU not less than 75 miles from the city in which I live. Within my immediate community, there is not “a single black owned business” that is partially or wholly owned that employs 100 people. Is this true for your community? Now, ask yourself why is this case? Is it due to lack of economic or political power of blacks in your community that this situation exist, or is there something else going on? I put this question to anyone who is reading this response to ask themselves the same question.
The reason there are not more black businesses is not due to the lack of economic buying power or political will. It is due to the lack of risk capital. If more individual blacks were able to control risk capital, more black businesses will result. Where there is no risk capital, the likelihood of significant size business development is nil – it matters not if the community in question is black or white. It is illogical to say that the responsibility for increasing black businesses rest with black people as a group. This expectation of “group responsibility” is not something you see in the economic rise of any group of people in the United States, when it comes to creating and sustaining businesses that employ a significant amount of workers. Mom and Pop business operations might be called group operations where families engage in the operation of businesses, but for the most part these are very small operations employing less than a 100 workers. Businesses that employ workers of any significant numbers involve risk capital!
So from where does the risk capital come? Who controls the ability of any group to obtain risk capital. There is no secret in how to create jobs and businesses in this country. The majority population has been doing for decades through the use of venture capital which is another name for risk capital.
If you are seriously interested in learning more, read this article which I submitted to ThyBlackman.com. This will help me to gauge whether you have a sincere interest in understanding the economics of the creation of black businesses or you simply want to engage in a conversation of buffoonery.
https://thyblackman.com/2013/08/15/40000-00-to-each-black-person-retirement-is-the-answer/
http://www.Jobcreationnow.com
How exactly does America hold blacks’ economic freedom hostage @James Davis? I really want to know what you think about this.
Like I said in my post, blacks, and blacks only, hold the keys to our economic freedom. The government has and continue to undermine black empowerment, but if it is the will of the people then there isn’t a dayum thing the government can do to stifle it.
The problem with statements like yours is that they are predicated with the belief that the keys to our (blacks’) freedom lies with the government or the majority population. Neither is true.
Blacks have enough economic power to create their own destinies. We just don’t realize it.
Entrepreneurialism and the War of Black Economic Development
To believe that African Americans are somehow uniquely different from rest of civilization when it comes to their aspirations,and their desire to own and operate businesses to me is illogical. Given the opportunity to obtain venture capital,blacks will behave like any other entrepreneur group. We live in a society that, from the outset has largely stacked the deck against black economic success. The Civil War, the Constitution and the force of law did nothing to change the minds and hearts of those who harbor feelings of racial intolerance. There are conscious decisions made every day by individuals in businesses and in personnel offices of corporations across this country that result in depriving blacks of equal employment opportunities.
The origin of entrepreneurial inspiration maybe or can be a matter of some debate. However,there is no question when blacks in earnest start knocking on “the door of opportunity to obtain access to venture capital,” the war of racism in America will enter a different phase. It will become a war of commercialism. This will become a war where the participants are warring for economic advantage with an emphasis on profit-making.
It is inevitable that such a confrontation will become a reality. Only a fool believes that you can both educate and continue to exert complete economic control over the aspirations of a people in a free society such as ours. The United States in the final analysis will have to either declare itself a totalitarian society or allow African Americans to pursue some semblance of economic freedom. It cannot both hold African Americans economic aspirations hostage and continue to be a free society.
http://www.Jobcreationnow.com
I used to think like you Dr. Watkins that the problem is lack of black businesses, but when you look deeper, you see that the problem is actually lack of black UNITY. Blacks have a perpetual inferiority complex that prevents us from uniting with and supporting each other. I say this because, even if blacks were to open these businesses you mentioned, they would be overwhelmingly depending on black patronage to remain a going concern. As you alluded to in your article, non-blacks are not quick to patronize black establishments- so as a black business owner you are depending on blacks for your livelihood. This is, unfortunately, a precarious situation to be in as blacks love to spend their money outside their community.
I do agree with what you said in your article, but the situation is a LOT deeper than noted. Also, there isn’t a damn thing the government can do to help black unemployment as you cannot force businesses to hire blacks. Blacks hold the keys to reducing black unemployment.
Bottom line is that black america is and always had stone age thinking when it comes to understanding Economics, Politics, and Power. And unfortunately I don’t see that ever changing.