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Money, Entertainment, And Black Lives Matter.

September 10, 2015 by  
Filed under Business, Ent., Money, News, Opinion, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Black Americans are not poor. Black Americans are among the wealthiest people on Earth. According to Hollywood’s number one rating and advertising standard, Nielsen- African Americans will spend $1.3 trillion dollars in 2016 http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2013/african-american-consumers-are-more-relevant-than-ever.html.  That is an amount greater than the total economies of Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland combined. These are three of the wealthiest countries on Earth http://www.businessinsider.com/top-countries-on-oecd-better-life-index-2013-5?op=1. This amount of cash alone makes Black Americans the 19th wealthiest “nation”  in the world out of 230 countries that the CIA ranks  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html. This places us in the top 8% of countries as a global economic super power. We spend so much money that our consumer spending dwarfs the economy of the entire continent of Australia.  So why do we “think”  and insist that we are poor while everyone else on the planet KNOWS we are rich?

 
The direct answers to why we think we are poor are two equally important reasons: 1) Leadership  1) Entertainment. I will address entertainment first. When I say entertainment, I mean any media, be it television, magazines, online outlets, or movies. Blacks think we are poor because the White media constantly tells Blacks they are poor, and portrays Blacks as being poor. It is as simple as that. This is why we MUST have our own unfiltered news sources like Thyblackman.com, our own movie production and distribution corporations, our own Apples and Googles PERIOD.  Think about it, as long as we “think” we are poor and give away over a trillion dollars a year, “they”  don’t just get rich, but WEALTHY off of our ignorance-very wealthy. Their kids become doctors, engineers, millionaire business owners, and  what do our kids become? Victims, prisoners,Trayvon Martin’s, Mike Brown’s, and Freddie Grey’s.
 
Example: The total value of Disney ($172.2 billion), Caesars casinos ($1.38 billion), and Viacom ($17.85 billion)  (http://www.viacom.com/brands/pages/default.aspx) is $191 billion. This represents less than 15% of what we spend annually, and it took each of these corporations nearly 100 years to get to this size. Blacks could OWN Caesars, the largest casino corporation on Earth for 1/1000 of what we spend in a year. Blacks could own every network and studio Viacom has for less than 1.5% of what we spend a year. We could have hundreds of thousands of Blacks in the industry as actors, singers, dancers, set designers, camera operators, executives, and most importantly OWNERS with the same money we waste and give away. We can do what our fellow Africans are doing in Nigeria, the 2nd largest producer of films in the world after India http://mic.com/articles/54609/3-countries-with-booming-movie-industries-that-are-not-the-u-s.  So the TRILLION dollar question is WHY don’t we?  The answer is so obvious Stevie Wonder can see it, an unpleasant answer, but a truthful answer. LEADERSHIP.
 
Which brings me to Black Lives Matter. I admire the protesters for standing up for themselves and Blacks saying “enough is enough.” However, I have seen this movie before. Blacks march, protest, and shout, and end up worse off at the end of the day as in Baltimore http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/05/23/violent-crime-surges-as-arrests-drop-in-baltimore-post-riots/.  Marching “ain’t” owning a movie studio, protesting “ain’t” owning a network, you can shout for days, it is not POWER.  Power in America and the world is ownership, it is economics. Ownership is jobs, opportunity, college graduates…it is protection from being shot in the back in broad daylight like a runaway slave as  Walter Scott was. When you don’t get this in America, you and your children die.
 
Examine the case of Sureshbhai Patel, who was body slammed by an Alabama cop while visiting his family because the police thought  he was a Black American http://www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-indict-fired-alabama-police-officer-who-slammed-indian-man/. Once the police, and more importantly the Governor and the White House found out he was Indian,  immediately they called the family and apologized, fired the officer, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted the police officer in a New York minute.  Put this up against the opposite behavior of these entities in the deaths of BLACK teenagers Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown. Why did authorities triljoenOneand politicians move so swiftly in the case of an injury, and not in a case of deaths? Sit down, and get ready to be shocked.
 
MONEY, ENTERTAINMENT, and BLACK LIVES MATTER. You see when Bollywood, India’s greatest movie star, and second wealthiest actor in the world was racially profiled by the Department of Homeland Security TWICE, Indians all over the world made it clear that they would not tolerate the $600 million star’s treatment http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2129442/U-S-apologizes-Bollywood-heartthrob-Homeland-Security-detained-HOUR-AND-A-HALF-airport-AGAIN.html.  Immediately India threatened economic sanctions, and Indian Americans followed suit. President Obama personally apologized to the Indian Prime Minister and the Indian people because he is aware that Indian Americans are the largest motel owners in the US, among the largest hotel owners in the US, produce the highest number of doctors per capita in the US, have one of the highest business ownership rates in the US, and are major players in Silicon Valley and feared their economic reprisal. Simple as that. The insane aspect of this double standard is that  it is Black American money that feeds the Indian American economic juggernaut?  Indian Americans have this power because Blacks won’t give the very same power to themselves. We supply the money to them and their businesses, and they use the power of our money to protect their community from the police.
 
Not why, but HOW is this happening in 2015? It is like Donald Trump continuously says about White American leadership, the opposing foreign leadership is smarter, more cunning, and point blank more LOYAL to their people than White American leadership. Ditto for Black Americans.  We, like  White Americans have bet on the wrong people with the wrong plans for the past 35 years and look what we have-more poverty, more violence, more everything negative. This while our leadership is wealthier, living like kings, and are not LOYAL to us, but to those that they have cut side deals with from other communities.  Just examine Jay Z and Beyonce’s infamous charity that gave less than $7,000 to the Black community after the Black community gave them $150 million in a year http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2013/07/harry_belafonte_jay_z_feud.html. I say we are responsible for ALL of the money because we invented Hip Hop and supported them when the people that they now are loyal to didn’t and wouldn’t. Black Americans gave them a chance and GIVE them the unbelievable lifestyle they have, not anyone else, and I assure you most of the celebrities don’t appreciate it one bit. I know these people, have discussed helping the Black community in the way Indian stars, White stars, and quite frankly all other stars help their communities, and without exception their response was and is the same, “I don’t give a F*** about NWORDS”- literally.
 
It is time for us to grow up, every dollar counts, jobs just don’t fall out of the sky, they are created by the investment of trillions of dollars (for every $1 billion spent 29,000-50,000 jobs are created).  We create almost 30 million jobs a year due to our consumer spending-we just don’t create them for Black people.  This must end. Our money needs to go where it does the most good- to Black entrepreneurs, college students, and Black families . We ALL should be living well, very well due to our status as a global economic powerhouse. According to the laws of economics the average Black should have twice the amount of money and wealth that we have. It is insane any person or group would make the decision to live in poverty rather than no when all they have to do is behave “normal.”
We donate at least $11 billion a year to charity (I say more) and get NOTHING for it. We don’t even know where the money goes and what is done with it http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/23/us-usa-blacks-donors-idUSTRE81M1WI20120223.  Although the source of the recent report stating that Blacks donated $420 billion to churches between 1980 and 2009 is questionable, the numbers are extremely accurate http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/49615462.html.  A breakdown of the figures shows that Blacks donate over $230 million a week to churches and over $1 billion a month, which holds up based on our verified charitable giving.  What was the result of buying preachers Bentleys and luxury jets? Our kids getting mowed down in the streets by the police and ignorant Blacks, while simultaneously sentencing Blacks as a whole to ultra poverty.
 
This is why police, America, and the world have no respect for us, this is why we are shot down in the street like dogs, this is why we are in the position we are in.  Everyone knows these economic facts about us, but us. We are dying of ignorance. That ignorance has following  people like Jay Z and Black Lives Matter, although what they espouse does not work, cannot work. The proof: If their plans are so great, WHY don’t Indian Americans, White Americans, or any other SUCCESSFUL group in America follow them? The only people other than us that are willing to follow this road to hell are poor Whites that live in trailer parks, and you know what other Whites think of them…they despise them. So just imagine what they think of us. They think that cops should not get indicted for strangling Eric Garner right in front of your face on camera- that’s what they think.  However, ain’t no victims here, just volunteers. We put enormous energy into be weak by how we deal with our great economic wealth, and in America the weak get attacked. If these leaders are so great, ask yourself why THEY didn’t tell you the information that I have told you in all the time they have to do so. It’s like this the Gay community got done in 3 days what Black leaders have not in the 3 years since Trayvon Martin’s murder http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/02/indiana-lgbt-protections_n_6992184.html.
 
As I warned the Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice the ONLY way they would get justice is by following competent leadership and doing what the Gay community did when faced with their issue.  The thing is I warned them of this BEFORE the Gay community enacted their economic sanctions against Indiana.  Get it?
 
Finally, only thing America and life owes anyone is opportunity, and we have the opportunity to be powerful and in control of our own destiny. If we CHOOSE not to take advantage of this opportunity by using our money in a fashion that is best for us that’s our fault. If we choose not to own entertainment companies, banks, tech companies, and  choose not to support those leaders that are most loyal to us, then pay your loved ones burial insurance…you’re going to need it.

 

Staff Writer; Jerome Almon

One may contact him at; tracy@caligirltracy.com.


Comments

7 Responses to “Money, Entertainment, And Black Lives Matter.”
  1. Kermit Vick says:

    I’m sure you’ll be surprised to hear that I agree with the facts you have presented. However, regrettably I’m forced to mention that you make the mistake that most African-American deep thinkers have made: you’ve thought about the problems/symptoms-of-the-problems but you have not “thought” it all the way thru.

    Problem 1: We don’t support African-American businesses.
    Problem 2: When we DO support African-American businesses, these “brothers” take ALL the money they earn from OUR neighborhoods and SPEND IT in the rich conservative neighborhoods (not ours, of course) where they currently live or ARE TRYING to move to.

    You’ve got to start any plan at “Point A”. What is your complete specific plan from Point A to Point ZZZZ? What problems will you encounter implementing Point A & the other Points? What is your alternative if Point A is unsuccessful? What is your next move if Point A is successful? Where will you begin to implement Point A? At what point will corollaries be required to the various Points? Where will Manpower come into play, how much & when will it be employed at the various Points? Etc., Etc., Etc., and…Etc. Like Denzil said, “Explain it to me like I’m 6 years old…”

    That’s why when “black” conservatives say the solution is, “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps & take responsibility”, they insult your intelligence by “conveniently” forgetting that no organization, public & especially private, cannot initiate any change without proper funding. If you want to increase sales, you spend money on a sales campaign. If you want to increase production, you invest in additional equipment. I’ve never heard of a company that wanted higher profits simply telling their employees to reach within themselves and magically make it happen. Even changing attitudes takes funding! And the “black” conservatives, being the hypocrites that they are, never mind giving the Military-Industrial-Complex, the Corporations, and The Lobby more money to “change” (increase) their “circumstances” (wealth).

    Malcolm X (my hero) said that the struggles of the future will be about class, not race. He also said we need some allies, & those allies (my words) can even be newly-educated poor “conservative” whites or sympathetic foreign NON-terrorist financiers or any legally-operating entity or person (I have to say that, so the “black” conservatives won’t run back to Massa & accuse me of being “A Terrorist”).

    Now, my apologies, but I have to get back to work for MY business. Please inform any “black” conservatives that you run into that there are Leftist (I’m way to the Left of “liberal”) brothers that don’t fit their Master’s “Lazy Negro” stereotypes…

    P.S. I wish that Nigeria would take control of its greatest natural resource (oil), and emulate the “West” and not settle political/economic differences by violence.

  2. Jerome Almon says:

    Kermit it’s no secret or program. It is normal to ACT on economics 1st. It is normal to own rather than not own. It is normal to put your money where it does you the most good. Blacks just have to behave normally and:
    3) Own all the needed basics in their families and neighborhoods-food, fuel, clothing, and technology

    2) Own the businesses that most affect us-banking, media/movies, service, and production companies for basic necessities

    1) Choose wealth over poverty by NOT giving away over $1 Trillion a year rather than invest it in YOURSELF and a good life. In other words the most basic of common sense. It is better to make $1 million a year than $20,000 a year.

  3. Kermit Vick says:

    MLK also said that the US was the #1 purveyor of violence in the world. If conservatives think that MLK was “all-that”, why don’t they heed ALL of what he said, instead of cherry-picking MLK to forward their racist agenda?

  4. Jerome Almon says:

    Black Lives Matter is just a mini-me version of the FAKE, CORRUPT, and DUMB (I mean that as in dictionary definition) leadership we have had for 45 years. In any other community-Indian, Arab, German,etc. the people heading Black lives matter would be JANITORS. The fact that we are depending on a group of globally illiterate foolish kids to save us would be laughable if Blacks weren’t serious.

    Black Lives Matter is a lot like American political leadership-they can’t come up with answers because they understand the problem. This is WHY we have the problems we have with police, poverty, and just a community in chaos. 99% is due to groups and individuals like BLM, and the fact we don’t see what any child anywhere else in the world does. I mean that literally, most of the people I know are not Black-they are not even American. Talking to the 12 and 14 year old siblings of the people I work with in Germany, Australia, Canada is a “normal” sane conversation. Talking to an American is like talking to the slowest child in class. Talking to a Black American about what is just normal concerning economics, police-community issues, etc. is like talking to a child…a very HIGH,DUMB CHILD.

    How can we be literally DUMBER today than we were when MLK walked the Earth or the 1920’s? Because we are lazier and won’t read or put in the effort to find competent leadership. Read “Where Do We Go From Here: Community or Chaos” by MLK out of his own mouth-it is NOT what you have been told. But he addresses and warns of all the scams Blacks are falling for AGAIN.
    FOR EXAMPLE:
    -He said he NEVER wants us to give up our Black BUSINESSES or Black schools
    -That the people that hated on him most were BLACK LEADERS seeking to keep the exploitation of the Black community going
    -Did you know MLK was 26 with a PHD when he took over the movement? Most of the Blacks we follow can’t even read and write properly and have no economic sense, and worse are disloyal. Read the interview with me “Motown’s Road To Ruin” out of Australia-welcome to REALITY.

  5. Kermit Vick says:

    Ok…walk me thru exactly how this situation can be alleviated, from “A” to “Z,AA” to “ZZ,AAA”, etc. Guide me thru all aspects of the implementation phrase. I have my specific implementation methods. I’m just curious to hear yours.

  6. Nicholas says:

    @James Davis and Jerome Almon

    I salute you brothers for this enlighten discussion. An old African saying goes something like this: All knowledge does not dwell in the same house. therefore your contributions to this discussion is a valuable gift to all of us. The one thing that seems to be missing in the equation, is the need for us to educate our OWN young people to understand that in order for us to compete in this world we must become producers of the basic goods and services we consume. (ei: Food,Transportation, communication, legal/medical services and education.

  7. James Davis says:

    @ Jerome Almon

    You did a great job of delineating the wealth of the black community. It appears to me you put a great deal of research into it. To be frank with you, I was unaware of the specific amount of wealth in terms of spending power (consumption) the African American community really possessed. That comparison when it came to countries was very well done. If I get your point as I read the piece with attentiveness, you are basically saying blacks are ready for lift-off as an economic power house if they could strategically bring under control and direct their spending to African American businesses who should as a result of black spending positively support the economic needs (when it comes to employment especially) and aspirations of the black community. Your concluding statement appears to support that conclusion. You said, If we choose not to own entertainment companies, banks, tech companies, and choose not to support those leaders that are most loyal to us…”

    So, essentially you presented most effectively one side of the equation which was the spending side and the need to control spending. By doing this, the implied imperative is in order for “lift-off ,” to truly occur, there is still a lot of work to be done on the owner/producer side of the equation. Did I get that right?

    If that is correct, let’s explore what needs to be done on the owner/producer side of the equation to make that happen. Black Enterprise magazine recently did an article on investments in minority businesses. Did you know that records are actually kept on the specific amount of capital that flows into minority( black ) business development. The majority population wants to know if blacks are increasing in power economically and so they keep records. Here is the link to the article;

    http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/morehouse-college-to-increase-pool-angel-investors/

    Here is the link to the source report of investing referred to in the article regarding angel investors;

    https://paulcollege.unh.edu/sites/paulcollege.unh.edu/files/webform/2014%20Analysis%20Report.pdf

    You will note in the Black Enterprise magazine article that it states, “Yet, less than 1% of all U.S. private equity is invested in black owned businesses.” I bring this point to your attention to illustrate why blacks may have money to spend on consumption, but they do not yet possess in large enough amounts and numbers money or capital to risk on business investments, hence the 1% investment. To produce the variety and amount of businesses you are proposing in your article, African Americans would have be able to increase that 1% amount exponentially. You see, the question of how to move capital into the black community has to be addressed, otherwise Africans American at large are left with money truth enough but basically this is money that blacks need to live ( consumption), with some left over for pleasure or for giving to churches and other institutions they choose to support. Blacks will always yearn for business ownership, to have their own and it is the very nature of capitalism that a means to that end should be provided in a Democracy. In order for that to happen, laws which govern how money or capital resources are allocated have to be changed. When you change the way the system operates, such changes create opportunities for blacks, poor and middle class whites to put their hands on money or capital in large enough amounts that can be used for other than consumption expenditures. When the pathway to this kind of money is available you will see the black businesses you are proposing in your article come into being. The bottom line is that African Americans on a large basis need to have access to risk capital.

    Here, finally is a link to a proposal on how that could occur. Note I suggest what system needs to be changed. I don’t generalize! That means if you seriously want to see change in the black community – you too should not generalize and come up with specific answers that can be reduced to legislative action. Don’t you think it is time for people to stop generalizing? Purchase the book, “The Fix This Time” at Amanzon.com, and encourage people in your circle to do the same. In this way we can advance the economic black agenda and our strong desires for its success.

    https://thyblackman.com/2013/08/15/40000-00-to-each-black-person-retirement-is-the-answer/

    http://www.thefixthistime.com

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