A question for black people who think wealth will solve all of our problems. (fast food, regular)
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Majority of Blacks in the U.S lack the characteristic of being adventurous. I believe this trait is important because it's one of the reasons why whites have so much economic power in the world. They like to explore and find out what's out there in the world. They are open to moving/going to the "unknown"
The unknown may have a lot of resources/ new opportunities.
Traveling to new places/ being open to new things isn't a priority to most blacks. There are many blacks who don't even leave their respective states. A large portion of blacks don't really go abroad nor emphasize it. Sitting in the house, and digesting every negative statistic that they throw out about yourself won't bring unity. One being complacent is not good.
I really think traveling to different areas, talking to different types of people will open people's eyes on a larger scale. Being more adventurous will help to increase economic awareness.
I guess an example would be a black individual that lives in a state or area where there really isn't a true black middle/upper class. They one day take a trip to Georgie.For the first time they get to see a true black middle class and blacks who run their own business/run things. That little trip may give that black individual more confidence and open their mind up to new ideas. If that make sense. Please chip in.
The bolded part has been happening in earnest for well over two decades. There is has been much written about blacks from the West Coast and the Northeast leaving family, friends, and long time connections to move South and start new lives. It also proves the part above about blacks in the U.S. not being "adventurous" to be patently false. Older blacks are less likely to move for obvious reasons. But the younger generation, particularly the college educated ones, are going where ever they think the opportunities are.
This most recent wave moved to the Southern U.S. As more opportunities open up abroad the next wave will surely follow suit.
The bolded part has been happening in earnest for well over two decades. There is has been much written about blacks from the West Coast and the Northeast leaving family, friends, and long time connections to move South and start new lives. It also proves the part above about blacks in the U.S. not being "adventurous" to be patently false. Older blacks are less likely to move for obvious reasons. But the younger generation, particularly the college educated ones, are going where ever they think the opportunities are.
This most recent wave moved to the Southern U.S. As more opportunities open up abroad the next wave will surely follow suit.
Interesting post. That's true alot of blacks are moving to the South. For some reason it just seems that it's not really ingrained in the culture to travel( that love of traveling). I have also read black bloggers talking about the lack of African Americans traveling and the creation of websites trying to encourage more African Americans to travel. African Americans are big spenders but I am not sure if spending money on traveling is a priority? I know they travel but it just seems to be lower in comparison compared to others. Maybe AA perfer to travel to other black cities within the U.S? Can you eleborate on why many AA don't really travel aborad? I don't see that much but maybe I am missing something? You don't have to be rich to travel abroad. You really think the interest is there in large numbers?
Wherever african commerce people have to compete with, say the Chinese, the africans lose.
If you've been to Paris you've noticed that the african food is sold by the Chinese.
I've read that the Chinese have taken over even street markets in countries like the Congo.
They're just way, way better businessmen and until we blacks grow our own multi-generational business class we will have a hard time competing.
Do you take into account the anti-capitalist thinking that took root in much of post-colonial Africa as affecting the economic development on the continent? After gaining independnece many of Africa's new leaders adopted State Socialism as the way to develop. They avoided capitalism as "western" and associated it with colonialism. The adoption of State Socialism ended up producing too many badly run economies with inefficient industries etc. All of this may have played a role in keeping a strong private sector from developing in many African countries so now Africans are playing catch up.
Trade was very common in many parts of pre-colonial Africa. So many Africans do have an economic tradition that involved free trade that they should have built on after gaining independence.
Quote:
The Saharan trade extended from the Sub-Saharan West African kingdoms across the Sahara desert to Europe. The Saharan Trade linked such African empires as Ghana, Mali, and Songhay to the European world...
I recognize all of that with Black people. But then the question is how do we change things with us? I think it starts with economic awarness from a Black perspective which many Black people lack.
This is why I'm a big fan of someone like George Fraser. He's an example of someone who can help to change the mindset of many Blacks. He is a big advocate of Blacks networking with each other. I feel that he's putting out the info that can bring about this Black economic awareness if more Blacks get exposed to him.
Other than making speeches about what other black people should do how is he doing? I do know that 20 years ago he was quite popular, but now has all but disappeared, after running into financial difficulties. Is his income from making speeches, or does he have a real business with a payroll?
His heart is in the right place. Maybe instead of fighting to east in white own restaurants we should have had a more economic focus. That horse has long galloped out of the station how ever.
My point is that while theoretically what you say makes sense I have heard this talk for 25 years, and it has remained just that. TALK. I really can't point to any real successes, and George (I have actually met him) has been doing this for a LOOOOOOOONNNNGGGG time!
Black owned businesses which will succeed will be more in the professional services arena, where margins are higher and over heads are lower. The retail sector is severely stressed and tiny operators establishing enterprises now are in seriously trouble. There is a reason why black owned groceries and clothing stores are an almost extinct breed.
The retail sector is doing well at two ends of the market...the high end (definitely off limits because our high end consumers have no interest in supporting blacks unless they are competitive). Or the low end where margins are low and people who have no control or contacts in the wholesale end will be squeezed out.
freedom is not attained thru money. if you are a slave to violence, drugs and alcohol and hate & lust, you will not escape with money. you ask unfair things of gold and silver. the demons that possess many-- cant be bribed with money.
I have to completely disagree with you here. I know a lot of full blooded African immigrants who are stick thin genetically and always complaining about lacking curves.
I am referring to West, Central, and South Africans here. Where do you think that black American and Caribbean women got their curves from, including the notorious booty?
Majority of Blacks in the U.S lack the characteristic of being adventurous. I believe this trait is important because it's one of the reasons why whites have so much economic power in the world
I guess there are many reasons as to why Black-Americans haven't become more economiclly self sufficent.
One reason I found interesteing was the view of columnist William Raspberry:
You should know that the majority of Africans in Africa are skinny in general and always has been.( .
So where does the build of a fit black American and Caribbean woman come from? Interestingly when I see women from Ghana, Nigeria, etc., they don't seem to be skinny to me.
I am referring to people who can afford decent diet so aren't skinny die to inadequate caloric consumption.
There are traditionally commerce oriented black populations like the Bamileke of Cameroon.
I've known (acquaintances) a few who made good money in Europe serving the local black communities and beyond. Those people are renowned for being obsessed with money, lol, and are often resented by other Blacks for that.
Still, what the Bamileke do looks like primitive commerce that the phoenicians, jews, chinese were doing thousands of years ago. It's just very hard to compete with people who have a commerce and money tradition going back several centuries.
To some extent, in most developped countries, the natives managed to grow their own commercial class and that allowed them to benefit as a whole instead of all the profit going to a minority of culturally foreign middlemen.
In my own city I see caribbean shops having a hard time competing.
As you mentioned, there is little advanced knowledge of finance, customer service, etc.
Wherever african commerce people have to compete with, say the Chinese, the africans lose.
If you've been to Paris you've noticed that the african food is sold by the Chinese.
I've read that the Chinese have taken over even street markets in countries like the Congo.
They're just way, way better businessmen and until we blacks grow our own multi-generational business class we will have a hard time competing.
Africans have long had a tradition in trading, and most people in Africa are self employed. So you can't compare our problems with theirs. We under went slavery which made us a very risk averse people, in addition to having a consumption orientation.
The presence of over 100 million of us outside of Africa is testimony to their trading prowess. Africans sold millions of people, in addition to other products to Europeans and Arabs. They controlled the supply chain within Africa. In addition they were self sufficient in most of the goods and services needed by their populations.
Chinese have the advantages of economies of scale and greater connections in the supply chain. They are entering the Caribbean and putting locals out of business in the retail sectors. And I am talking about Lebanese and Indians. I understand that this is also happening in parts of Africa.
If the purchasing power of the local population is low they look for cheaper products. The Chinese can source more cheaply as they are in direct contact with manufacturers, buy in bulk, ship in bulk so have lower costs. It is also a known fact that the Chinese gov't provides low cost credit to many of these businesses, as this is part of their export strategy.
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