My First Topic

• Questions:
  
  1. Your views on recycling the black dollar?
  2. Do you seek to find a black business first? If so, how have you found the experience, what resources do you use and if not, then what would it take to get you there?
  3. Have you heard of Dr. Carl Anderson and his book on Palonomics?
  4. Any ideas to further the cause?

• My View:
  The more I learn of the world, the more I hear of how our people are on the bottom of the totem pole in almost every society in the world (except Fiji), the more I want to help raise us up. Even in our Motherland, we are fighting to take back, keep, what is ours. There is a man (I will get the name later, but he comes on FrontPage a lot, I apologize for not remembering it) that travels all over the world seeking African descendants immersed in the civilizations of the different lands and he finds us, in China, in South America, everywhere, and we are repressed, oppressed and powerless. It breaks my heart.

  As I think on it and as much as I am a lover of all beings and as much as I was not raised to hate or be against any race, I cannot even think anymore about trying to come together and make it all just the human race. I don't hate anyone, but I am for my people and until things are on an even footing, no one else's issues matter as much. I am not interested in the rights of another race because even that other race is placed above us in this world.

  My personal response is to do what I can, and one of those things is to help keep the money in black hands. I don't go to Starbucks, I go to Doboys Dozens Coffee house, or I make it at home. I am not getting a manicure/pedicure until I find a place that is black owned/operated. I am not much of a doctor or dentist person, the need is not there, but before I see a doctor now, I am calling Blue Cross and asking for a list of black doctors in my area and I will find a black dentist. Etc... As I find a need for something, unless it is a specialized product that I need, I will seek to find it, buy it at a black business.

  There is a movement going on and I invite people to examine this issue and learn the concepts and consequences behind this approach. Personally I think if we were to mobilize this way, we would be a force to be reckoned with... As it should be!

Decide your view so that you know what you want to do.

La Femme Nkechi

quote:

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Consider how hard it is to change yourself & you'll understand what little chance you have of changing others

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- Create thyself first!

Nkechi, I'll post on this later (I have to go in a minute), but I believe the man you're talking about, who travels the world looking for black populations, is Runoko Rashidi.

quote:

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As I find a need for something, unless it is a specialized product that I need, I will seek to find it, buy it at a black business.

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Proactive

The support black business initiative; we can talk about it, but it's good to see more people doing it.

On question 3, no. Number 4 (and this may be redundant if it already exists) a directory or "Black Pages" to facilitate the search for black businesses.

I thought of that, I like that name. I think the information is still very scattered. Its a big country/world, but we have to start somewhere.

What about this idea: If each person who has a web page, creates their own link page that lists the black owned/operated businesses that they use or know of. It could become like a cult thing until we have a centralized worldwide site dedicated to this endeavor. Its more word of mouth, but its still something.

I've already decided to create a Black Pages web page on my web domain. This is part of the reason why I am working on my website development skills. Coupled with my programming skills, I should be able to contribute to the movement somehow. I see so much that we can do and develop, its just a matter of people being proactive, getting together and making something happen. Even if it is not widely used, the experience increases our knwoledge base for other projects.

Another idea, similar to what the homosexual society does out here with the rainbow stickers, is to have a sticker that businesses could put on their doors to let people know that this is a black owned business and that this business is also dedicated to recycling the black dollar.

La Femme Nkechi

quote:

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Consider how hard it is to change yourself & you'll understand what little chance you have of changing others

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- Create thyself first!

If we were to create a campaign to encourage black folks to spend a higher percentage of their resources on black businesses what would we do?



Onward and Upward!

****If we were to create a campaign to encourage black folks to spend a higher percentage of their resources on black businesses what would we do?****
1. Ensure the quality of products being sold.
2. Cater to all blacks and not just the trend of the moment.
3. Don't beg for respect, earn it.

MBM, I am not sure I understand your question correctly. Are you asking what would be accomplished if we succeed?

If this is your question, then my answer is... Because I am not sure of the real numbers, lets use 1 billion dollars as one half of the the amount of money we spend as consumers (I am sure it is more).Imagine that money staying in our communities instead of as the profit of others. Because of the laws of supply and demand, we would end up creating more jobs, we would spend more on education because we would need more people with degrees. We could have major corporations who compete on the same level as the other fortune 500s. We could take over entire cities, get elected who we wanted to elect, enforce our agendas, because after all money still talks. Imagine controlling a major city government, the school boards, oh the things we could change! Overall the standard of living for our people would increase through the trickle down theories. We could be the corporations who make investments in Africa and keep that in control of black people. And we would take care of our own, just as every other ethnic group does. The list goes on, but I feel inadequate to do it justice because I am not a business person and there are others better qualified to answer on a higher level. I will see about getting a copy of the book mentioned when I started the topic.

La Femme Nkechi

quote:

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Consider how hard it is to change yourself & you'll understand what little chance you have of changing others

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- Create thyself first!

No - I certainly understand the value of 'buying black'. I just want to get beyond talking about it and actually generate some dialogue about exactly how we can get more folks to do so. I actually think that its more of an awareness thing than anything. We are surrounded by so many non-black businesses that most of us probably just don't think to first look for a black-owned establishment. We go to what may be more convenient as opposed to what may uplift the communty.

My question was what do we need to do to get people to first think about going to a black business or doctor or accountant etc.



Onward and Upward!

quote:

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Originally posted by MBM:

We are surrounded by so many non-black businesses that most of us probably just don't think to first look for a black-owned establishment.

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I have heard people say countless times that they won't patronize a black business for fear of price gouging, poor service, unkempt facilities, etc.

there is a general perception (not always) that black businesses aren't good businesses.

IMHO
there is an image problem

What if some organization coordinated all of black media to donate advertising space (PSA-like) to run ads encouraging us to "Buy Black"? I don't know what the words or images are, but I imagine that a campaign like "Only you can prevent forest fires", or "Just say no.", or the like, might make a positive contribution to this problem.

Funny - I could even see white conservatives and big business getting behind this (after their initial spasms)!



Onward and Upward!

As far as black owned businesses, I would also agree that many have a poor rep. Yes the rep may be unearned and magnified b/c of race but the only way to change the trend is to start some sort of campaign. I haven't been stateside in awhile but even then i could count the number of commercials on TV representing black business on one hand. Secondly as a collective we need to stop frequenting black businesses just b/c they are black and start holding them to the same standard as we would hold any business. Either they produce adequate products and service or get out of the way.
I think there are some good businesses out there but they suffer b/c of the few bad apples.

Several years ago, there used to be radio commercials advertising such a book, The Black Pages, which was a Yellow Pages-type listing of black-owned businesses. If I remember correctly, though, they were in danger of having to go under because of a lack of support and financial hardship. I don't know if they are still in existance today or not.

Also, just a few months ago, I was surfing through a website and saw an advertisement for something similar .... it had a different name, but I thought it was a great idea and I don't think it was only an Internet listing ... I believe it was a real book!!

I will be on the lookout for it again (I have no idea what I may have been looking at at the time ... Sorry!) But, I will try to gather more info and come back and post it here!

MBM .. I like the ad idea! And yeah, the mainstream media would jump on it like a fat rat in a cheese factory if it were to become successful!

I had a copy; but, that was a long time ago. It was a Baltimore/Washington based yellow pages for black businesses, healthcare professionals, lawyers, money lending institutions, et cetera. It was called The Black Pages. It's funny, but in a 'chocolate city' like this one, you really don't need such a reference guide {black professionals are all over the damn place!!}.{ my doctor, lawyer and accountant are all blacks. Even the director of my child's private preschool is black}.As far as other means of advertising, i know nothing about marketing, but what about doing some kind of cable thing where they have those community services notices that run non-stop and instead have black owned business addresses running non stop? Anyway, and unfortunately, we have to be even better than anyone else out there to get even our folks to buy-in. We do have an undeserved rep/rap just like 'jewish lawyers' have an undeserved, always good , rep.

Your views on recycling the black dollar?
*it's a great idea and the first step in us unifying and making our dollar work for us. has anyone ever heard of black dollar day? or black friday? it was a friday in feb or march 2001..im not sure if it happened this year.

Do you seek to find a black business first?
*really depends on the service im looking for and what my time frame is.

If so, how have you found the experience, what resources do you use and if not, then what would it take to get you there?
*i have had a copy of a seattle area "black pages" and have used it. i have also found a lot of the business listed are no longer in business, or they are more expensive, and unreliable. my primary care physicians have always been black women and i've never had a negative experience with them. my gyn was listed as one of the top female doctors in the nation in essence last october -- say's a lot for her up in the pac nw!

i also know there are quite a few black directories online that point you to black businesses.

National Campaign To "Buy Black"
i agree with ocatching:
1. Ensure the quality of products being sold.
2. Cater to all blacks and not just the trend of the moment.
3. Don't beg for respect, earn it.

we all vote with our dollar, whether we know it or not. we can buy most of the things we buy at a multitude of places but we buy where we buy for because we are satisfied with the quality, price, service...if any one of those things is missing we buy elsewhere.

we have the ability to keep a very large percentage of our money in our communities...

The wise woman wishes to be no one's enemy, the wise woman refuses to be anyone's victim. -Maya Angelou

LaFemmeNkechi: "The more I learn of the world, the more I hear of how our people are on the bottom of the totem pole..."

LaFemmeNkechi: "My personal response is to do what I can, and one of those things is to help keep the money in black hands.

Nykkii: "it's a great idea and the first step in us unifying and making our dollar work for us."

Carla: "I had a copy; but, that was a long time ago. It was a Baltimore/Washington based yellow pages for black businesses, healthcare professionals, lawyers, money lending institutions, et cetera. It was called The Black Pages. It's funny, but in a 'chocolate city' like this one, you really don't need such a reference guide {black professionals are all over the damn place!!}.{ my doctor, lawyer and accountant are all blacks. Even the director of my child's private preschool is black}. (Emphasis mine)

Carla... Many in the Black community feel that if more of the money spent by Blacks was kept within the Black Community that the overall welfare of the community will uplifted....

Since you are experienced at living in a community that has an abundant amount of Black professionals and Black businesses, do you find the availability and recirculation of "Black money" to be as uplifting, unifying and "salvational" to the community as has been promoted by those that believe such???... Would you say that many of the expectations that Black folks are looking forward to can be found within your own community, due to the fact that much of the money spent remains within the Black community???... In other words... Is it working???...

And why are there, to use your own words, "black professionals are all over the damn place" in your city and not others???...

.

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The Liberal/Progressive mantra: "We are the champions of diversity and opinions... We tolerate all beliefs, all religions, and all customs.......... Unless they disagree with ours!"

Thanks Carla and Nykkii I knew that I had heard of such a book ... I live in Houston and they must have been advertising it for here, since it seems that there were different books for different areas!! I knew it wasn't time for the memory to be going just yet!!

Anyway, the other site I was talking about did turn out to be an Internet-listings of AA websites called The Universal Black Pages who's web address is www.ubp.com. There is another such site that lists business, organizations and schools, etc. that is called The Black Pages and their web address is www.blackpgs.com.
There aren't a whole host of black-owned businesses in my area, but when I find one I will make a conscious effort to patrionize their establishments first and foremost. Sometimes, I will even go out of my way to get there, just because principally, it's the right thing to do. I've had good and bad experiences with businesses of every kind ... hell, I've even had bad blood with Walmart on occasion!! So, race isn't the only factor in receiving shabby service! You get what you pay for is the truest measure of how you spend your dollars.

Les Apt
Mayor
posted January 03, 2004 05:26 AM
quote:
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Originally posted by James Wesley It's the same phenomenon that makes a "black" person buy a Buick from a "white" dealer when there is a "black" dealer in the next town.

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Jim:

"Phenomenon?"

Why is it a "phenomenon" to do business with an auto dealership in your own town?

One that pays taxes to your own municipality and employs local residents?

So, you're saying that you'll drive to the next town, just to buy from a black man?

Sounds a bit racist, eh, Jim?


Posts: 77 | Registered: December 30, 2003

I am new on this website and to message boards in general, but I saw this topic and wanted to add some comments.

I believe it is very important to support Black-owned businesses. I don't mind going out of my way to do so; I am happy to have the chance to support and strengthen the Black community.

I think the book Nkechi is referring to is actually 'Powernomics', by Dr. Claud Anderson. This book is a true eye-opener.

There used to be a 'Black Pages' in northern/central New Jersey, but to my knowledge, it is no longer being published. I have learned of a number of Black-owned businesses through Black-owned newspapers. Also, even in this computer-age, I have learned of Black-owned businesses through word-of-mouth.


I was sorry to read that some people have negative views of Black-owned businesses; my experiences have been quite the opposite--the store owners are very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly.

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I read the following numbers in a book(I don't recall the title):

When a dollar gets in the Asian-American community, it stays for 28 days.
When a dollar gets in the Jewish-American community, it stays for 21 days.
When a dollar gets in the White-American community, it stays for 14 days.
When a dollar gets in the Black-American community, it stays for 6 hours(hours, not days).


When Asian-Americans do business with one another, and do financially well in this society, they are praised as the 'Model Minority'. They are hailed for their 'natural intelligence', and 'hard work ethic'.

When Black-Americans even talk about doing business with each other, we are called 'racist', 'black-separatists' and 'unpatriotic'.

It is not our job to provide other groups with financial security.

Why is it a "phenomenon" to do business with an auto dealership in your own town?

One that pays taxes to your own municipality and employs local residents?

So, you're saying that you'll drive to the next town, just to buy from a black man?

Sounds a bit racist, eh, Jim?---Les Apt

Right??

Thst is indeed making a decision based on race, and having the power to make it true. Patently racist.

For the sake of objectivity, that person paying taxes and employing people also controls where I can rent, buy a home, and does not, rather will not, employe someone who looks like me.

I'm late in replying because I wasn't paying attention.