Black People : Is the Black economy built on vanity and insecurity?

[enquiring_mind]

I did and do find it pretty ironic that when some blacks in the states point to those blacks who've gotten rich they always bring up Madame C J. Walker,
i. e., yes who was a black woman--but one who got rich by selling stuff which were meant to allow other blacks to look like like themselves--and more like white people!
So are some operating on the 'ignorance is bliss' side as regards the rest of us:

Or does self hatred abound, among a handful of would be black capitalists, too?

Yes, back in the day, some black business owners were trying to make a buck, but not at the expense of their people...

Let today's folk truly do their homework:

Then they would put forth notions of business ownership etc. other blacks would be able and wiling to support...

Simply put:

The words 'civic responsibility' come to mind...

FYI...

Take care...

Later...

Cheers...

I have always found that BEYOND ironic

Hotep

 

[chuck]

I hear that.. and these shops that I mentioned are doing just that.. they
employ black folks.. their customers are black folks.. it's all in the family..
the question becomes is all business good business? does the growth of
50 cents publishing company really mean progress for our people? Does
a black owned nationwide chain of affordable hair weave shops mean progress..
or does it just mean money.. ?? I really don't know.. because, financial
empowerment is very important for those families in those businesses.. and
those customers truly feel better after they get their hair done.. they feel
cuter.. happier.. better.. it seems to be a win-win.. but what if white
supremacy never came? and we didn't have these issues with our appearance..
and we didn't eat this unhealthy food..?? It's like, we are indirectly living off
of what white folks did to us... and I agree it has a sadomasochistic kind of
ring to it..[/QUOTE]

I truly feel that a large part of the economic world is profiting off of the 'Black condition', 'Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder'...we have a few names for it. How many other groups do we know who buy packets of hair to stick on their heads?? We know that others with 'European' hair have started doing this too, but I believe that our reasons for doing this are far more complex and deep-rooted. Lighten our skin when others want to tan?? madness! Putting acid on our scalps to deaden our hair? What about putting coloured discs of plastic on our pupils to attain an eye colour that's not black/brown? Like I said, I can view this objectively, I will never cast judgement on a sister or brother for opting to use these products...never. I understand something of the origins of these sub/unconscious/conscious self- perceptions...I relaxed my hair from the age af 11 to 24, I wore weaves and even hazel contacts at one time...I just decided that enough was enough and I wanted to break this 'cycle' for my unborn childrens' sake, so they can embrace their natural selves; I began to despise putting money into these businesses that profit from our peoples' insecurities.

Touching on what Chuck said...I do feel that in some instances in our community, too many....economic 'success' or 'strength' for one, does not equate to the same for the whole community...some are not interested in using their economic/educational/whatever status to uplift the rest of the community...some refer to these people as the 'Black Bourgeousie' the upper/middle classes who want to 'remove' themselves from the community, despite having the capability to help uplift and fortify it. So as far as 50 Cent goes...well, we'll see...has he done anything for his community thus far? I'm not a fan LOL

Hotep

First of all?

Nice to meet you!

(Smile)...

Second of all?

On the personal side, I'd like to reread what that beautiful young black brit sista wrote, i. e., which got broadcasted during the PBS special during the ushering in of this new century...

Her and you let us know over here that if you had known we existed before, we know and understand you and yours exist as well...

Then, too, I'm a sf fan, whereas that afro bit bro with the cornrolls, etc. on the classic series--Red Dwarf-was both an amusing and intriguing wake up call, since we get british imports (ala public TV etc.) all of the time, anyhow!

(BIG smile)...

But not to digress (too much)...

And more to the point:

At best, most blacks-- in the states--only know OF--and not a lot ABOUT-- how much the globe's other people of color's siuations have ALSO changed-- over the decades...

I. e., hence is why they don't make a connection ot the need the videocasette fueled African (Nigerian) movie making biz reflects, how some cities in South Africa might as well be Chicago or Philly, while some of the more progressive Afrobralizians do hope and pray to take advantage of the modernism taking place in their midst, however much living in those shantytowns/etc. called favelas is not for the faint of heart--or the timid, etc.

I mean, in a place like NYC or L. A., one would've expected some folks who also post on these boards to have seen BLACK ORPHEUS--or CHILDREN OF GOD, let alone get the drift of BLOOD DIAMOND, y'know?

Otherwise everybody and everything-- here--isn't just confined to folk into being ethnic (via having roles models who are actually black guys in drag-- and playing 'the big bad momma' role in flicks)...and/or black entertainers (most of the time) fronting like those real thugs (ala folk being ghetto and "I'm down with my 'hood'), whereas both reflect an ongoing identify crisis we're having as individuals and as a people, on this side of the oceans...

Simply put:

Everybody is not just buying what some entertainer (or opportunist) is selling them...

Though only forums (like the dear black sista's) allow us to refute somebody else's self serving doubletalk about who we be (and what we choose to be about)...

Didn't mean to editorialize':

Do hope and pray you get my drift...

Again...

Cheers...

 

[enquiring_mind]

First of all?

Nice to meet you!

(Smile)...

Second of all?

On the personal side, I'd like to reread what that beautiful young black brit sista wrote, i. e., which got broadcasted during the PBS special during the ushering in of this new century...

Her and you let us know over here that if you had known we existed before, we know and understand you and yours exist as well...

Then, too, I'm a sf fan, whereas that afro bit bro with the cornrolls, etc. on the classic series--Red Dwarf-was both an amusing and intriguing wake up call, since we get british imports (ala public TV etc.) all of the time, anyhow!

(BIG smile)...

But not to digress (too much)...

And more to the point:

Blacks in the states generally don't know a lot ABOUT and not a lot ABOUT how much the globe's other people of color's siuations have ALSO changed over the decades...

I. e., hence is why they don't make a connection with the need the videocasette fueled African (Nigerian) movie making biz reflects, how some cities in South Africa might as well be Chicago or Philly, while some of the more progressive Afrobralizians do hope and pray to take advantage of the modernism taking place in their midst, however much living in those shantytowns/etc. called favelas is not for the faint of heart--or the timid, etc.

I mean, in a place like NYC or L. A., one would've expected some folks who also post on these boards to have seen BLACK ORPHEUS--or CHILDREN OF GOD, let alone get the drift of BLOOD DIAMOND, y'know?

Everybody and everything here just isn't confined to folk into ethnic (gansta rap) or ethnic (Movies with black guy's in drag and playing the big bad momma role flicks)...

Simply put:

Everybody is not just buying what some entertainer (or opportunist) is selling them...

Though only forums (like the dear black sista's) allow us to refute somebody else's self serving doubletalk about who we be (and what we choose to be about)...

Didn't mean to editorialize':

Do hope and pray you get my drift...

Again...

Cheers...

I think I do, Bro/Sis? and thankyou very much for the welcome too

 

[chuck]

I think I do, Bro/Sis? and thankyou very much for the welcome too

I'm a bro!

 

[Ankhur]

yemeni grocery stores sell liquor, cigarettes and swishers for blunts.. everything
else in the store is just for show.. they are parasites.. and their is nothing
about that to admire.. nothing.
​

what are you talking about, they own every grocery store in every Black neighborhood in Harlem, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten island and the Bronx, in fact they are the main franchisers of Key Food, and what about the Koreans and Dominicans?

they open businessess without having to go to white banks and will do quite well when the economy collapses while we will be at each others necks scrambling at thread bare shelves for food, because we did not unite to prepare for the ovious.

We had the same hatred for the jewish store owners as well but if someone is using a system of collective economics that works, all the hatred in the world will not stop it from working.

The reason why we do not have stores of self sufficiency is because when we do open them we are forced to charge a few cents more becuase of the wholesale purchasing, pecking order that occurs from food terminals, a bit of research would show that.
When we charge more , we have no solidarity to buy only Black and we simply go were our dollar can be stretched the most.

Sometimes it is good to look at the south, the East coast were the larger masses of Black folks live, to really understand the situation with Black stores, folks open up businesses where they feel they have a niche market , like the ones mentioned i the initial post, and this has to do with consumer preffrence and nothing to do with vanity or lack of self esteem