African Town

I believe that black people already have the means to empower themselves. It starts with home, family, education, values and a solid work ethic. Successful black entrepreneurs already know this. Unfortunately substantial numbers of blacks don't subscribe to these values, nor take advantage of the opportunities being a citizen affords them. Immigrants face many more obstacles when coming to this country--not being citizens and overcoming language barriers. They are primarly successful because they sacrifice, get educated, pull together and help each other through collective efforts. The same government funds available to these groups to start businesses are generally available to all minority groups. I have a hard time understanding why black businesses need what some deem as 'preferential treatment' than these other ethnic groups, when they actually start out ahead of the game.. they are blessed as citizens, to have the opportunities available to them. Many of these other groups have faced much worse adversity in their own countries of origin, came here, took advantage of the opportunities available here and have prospered.

I'm not sure education is the deciding factor with respect to immigrant business owners. You'll find that most of these entrepreneurs are first generation business owners. Nonetheless, I do agree that 'sacrifice' and collect work and responsibility are common threads within their community.

"I have a hard time understanding why black businesses need what some deem as 'preferential treatment' than these other ethnic groups, when they actually start out ahead of the game." - Charlene

That question can also be applied to the preferential treatment that big corporations receive in the form of corporate welfare and tax subsidies. To further answer that question, I recommend Dr. Claude Anderson's book BLACK LABOR, WHITE WEALTH and also Joel Kotkin's TRIBES: HOW RACE, RELIGION, and IDENTITY DETERMINES SUCCESS IN THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMY.

I believe it is necessary to understand the historical experience of the Black Detroit community before we make such comments. I'll post that history soon...However, you can read about it in the current FINAL CALL NEWSPAPER for the week of 11/7.

There's a strange paradox that takes place when Blacks begin to "do for self" that no other group in America experiences. Immigrants, pretty much create their own economically viable and self-sufficient communities and are championed as model immigrants while Blacks are labeled as promoting segregation and reverse racism for attempting to do the same. Historically, whenever Blacks begin to "do for self", their communities were destroyed thru overt violence (i.e.-the 1921 bombing of Greenwood's Black Wall Street community in Tulsa-OK) and/or displaced through eminent domain (i.e.-the construction of Highway I-95).

In addition, immigrants don't come from a background of Jim Crow, segregation, terrorism, violence and overt racism and discrimination in America. Their struggle hasn't been one for integration and gaining acceptance. What's disturbing about the rejection of this African Town plan in Detroit was the response by the Black City Councilmember who rejected the plan. She basically stated that she would not support any initiative that would appear that Blacks are "segregating" themselves from the mainstream and our foreparents fought hard against segregration and she won't voluntarily go back to that period in time she concluded. This is the mindset operating among too many Blacks in the community, especially among many educated Blacks unfortunately. Furthermore, in this whole controversy about using public funds, no one mentioned that public funds were used to establish economic empowerment plans for Mexican Town and GreekTown in Detroit.

The mindset of too many folks in our community regardless of educational background is to embrace anything other than their own. We don't hold each other in high regard, and I believed this is a learned behaivor from living a hostile anti-Black society. An old Negro League BaseBall player once stated that it was more important for him to integrate the Major Leagues and be acknowledge by others than it was to support the Negro Leagues, although it was a multi-milliion dollar enterprise that created employment for Blacks as owners, managers, vendors of uniforms, sportswriters, etc....

A sense of "self-worth and culture" is the primary advantage that immigrants have coming to America that Blacks lacks, and these traits are more important than education per se as a determining factor in group success. The Jewish writer Joel Kotkin speaks about this in his book.

In no way, am I absolving us our responsibility to each other and ourselves. Randall Robinson raises this in his book: THE RECKONING - WHAT BLACKS OWE EACH OTHER. Yes, there are self-inflicted wound that we must repair ourselves, be we can't pretend we are operating on the same playing field as immigrant communities and others without acknowledging the current hostile, overt and subtle psychological attacks on our community.

Whether you agree or disagree with my analysis I always recommend books to read in order to gain a further perspective on things rather that reacting emotionally based on one's personal experiences however valid it may be. I highly recommend the books listed above.

AFRICAN TOWN PROPOSAL REVISITED: http://www.detnews.com/2004/editorial/0409/27/a19-284300.htm

Respect and Peace to all fellow BKAEG Bloggers.

Note: Highly Recommend Book on my current reading list.
The Mind Of African Strategists: A Study of Kalabari Management Practices by Nimi Wariboko

S:
I agree w/your sentiments. It does appear that any programs specifically earmarked for the improvement of black folks are not held in high regard. Many other ethnicities and religious groups have been the benefactors of aid programs (ie reparations, etc).

Just a couple comments to add - I listened in as two white women from my job chimed in about the casinos and how the Native Americans were doing. Their comments were that they drank the money away, and those who had the cash never shared it with the poorer of their kind. Sounds like resentment of a whole race to me - I'm sure it's not only white folks that have this sentiment.

Sports heroes and entertainers have been paid millions of $$$ - if not right away, it's deferred so they can have it later on in life. Some live comfortably, some build and run many of their own businesses so they can continue living comfortably, and others spend the money until it's gone and they wind up broke with high priced addictions such as gambling, drugs, or strippers.

So if we *were* able to convince some more of our sports players and entertainers to give money, we'd still have to deal with the powers that do not wish to see such self-empowerment.

I'd like to raise a question - would a situation like Rosewood repeat itself in this day and age? If so, then we are still a ways off from being able to put together an empowerment zone that isn't underground.

I don't think athletes will ever be the philanthropists for the black community. After all, they are entertainers, and arguably most are not very conscious. Successful, athletes are a very small minority with our community. The strength and consciousness must be a grass roots effort.