Couple’s “Buy Black” Experiment Becomes Movement

ObamaHope that’s a great speech if you’re trying to win Miss America or running for a public office, but meanwhile back in reality (you know, Planet Earth) this is EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED! Personally I’ll support whatever black entrepreneur comes to my neighborhood. Guapo540 you’re absolutely right. Chinese people do this all the time Koreans also and nobody calls them racist. I actually applaud them for doing this. But they also do it in our community ALL THE DAMN TIME! Which is unacceptable, especially since they treat us like s**t when they do it. They’re often times rude and take our money for granted like we owe them. We have to support black businesses or else we’ll be in the same boat trying to explain why we’re at the bottom of the financial ladder in 50 years (just like 50 years ago…and today). It’s not racist at all! It’s common sense. And like he said, this doesn’t mean we’re going to boycott other businesses, it’s a way of building capital and improving the quality of our neighborhoods and schools. And most importantly combating this ridiculous unemployment rate within our community. Those of you saying it’s racist are trying to feel good about yourselves by shouting out politically correct rhetoric, but you need to look at the big picture. You don’t say it’s racist when white people move out because blacks move into their neighborhoods, so why is my decision to support people who actually want to live around me racist? U gotta keep what’s above your neck in check Obamahope

I agree with buying Black, specifically buying Black within the Black community to empower that community. Instead of running away from the communities we come from we must spend our money within the community to stimulate capital growth. Our communities do not thrive because we fail to invest in ourselves. The 3 businesses indigenous to the Black community are The Barber Shop, The Liquor Store and the Funeral Parlor. If we didn’t have to cut our own hair then there might not be many ” Black owned ” Barber shops. We need to add to the list of businesses in the Black community by opening Banks in that community. The Banks would give loans to “Black Entrepreneurs “to start businesses in the Black community. We need our own Dry Cleaners, Fruit and vegetable markets, Delicatessens and neighborhood movie theaters. It’s a shame when you look around an obviously “Black community” and all the small businesses are owned by other Ethnic groups. We need to open up our own salons for manicures and pedicures and massage. We like all those things, as well, but always patronize such businesses in other communities. One of my other complaints is when we do open up a business it looks like a shack! We must create a business with some ambience, which looks inviting to potential customers who will come in and spend their money there. We need neighborhood restaurants that we can sit and be served with candles on the tables and a basket of buttered bread and have a waiter / waitress come hand us a menu of great soul food cuisine. We have enough Mickey D’s and Burger King Franchises on every corner that take our money and put nothing back into the community. Not to mention the fact that all that fast food is killing us with hypertension, Diabetes, stroke, obesity and heart disease.
We benefit in many ways when starting our own business. The most important benefit is self employment. Many of us are still using the excuse that “Blacks are the last hired and the first fired. When we become self employed we create jobs in our communities to hire within the community instead of depending on someone else to hire us. We need to start getting into real estate in our communities and buying the run down tenement buildings and renovating them to create decent housing for the residence instead of being victims of a slum lord who lives miles away in a nice quiet suburban neighborhood whose only concern is collecting the rent. Slumlords who do nothing to maintain the upkeep and cleanliness of these properties.
Creating jobs in our communities by starting our own businesses and employing ourselves will be an example to our young people that they don’t have to sell drugs or hustle on the street to make a living.
The idea that this school of thought is racist is absurd because all other ethnic groups and races do this very thing except us. In addition this is not to say that we would boycott any other business of another ethnic group but by creating and supporting our own business it would make other business be more respectful of our patronage because of the healthy competition it would create. Food for thought : have you ever shopped at an establishment that was disrespectful to you because they knew you could not shop elsewhere and get better service ? In fact they charged you higher prices because of it.
Think about it people and start supporting Black owned businesses and even start your own business.

What ever happened to supporting a business because it has a good reputation ? I used to be closed minded like these people who are only “buying black” except I would only buy from american ran stores. Then one day I was in a hurry so I stopped at the Arab store and the owner was very nice to me, and years later me and him are very good friends and exchange gifts when we go on vacation. I will always support his business because of the way he treated me and our relationship now. Why limit yourself to race ?

Its sad to see so many individuals contribute their opinions and yet have no clue about how the economy works and how it trully effects. Since we as black business owners fail to educate ourselves on proper business ethics and the accounting aspect of the business tends to be the sole reason why black owned business don’t take off as expected. Its not that you created a dream that just didn’t take off, its because you didn’t set a foundation for that business, there are some good comments on here that make sense, however buying black has nothing to do with racism, you miss the point to be made. when comparing blacks to whites, you noticed obviously that whites hold more of the nations capital. Now pay attention we as in the black community can’t grasp how whites tend to become wealthy or how we used say better off. Trully is it where you spend your money that makes a difference or how you spend your money, are you willing to sacrifice or is the quick buck what you look for. Getting loans to start the business used to be impossible for black individuals, and now its that much harder due to the economy. Yet those that were blessed to be financed to pursue their dream to be self-employed never really applied themselves in the most responsible form. Don’t take basket weaving classes on business and go out and start a business, do your research and fully be aware of the ups and downs. Network, meet new venders, show for the lowest whole sale products and research popular retail items, bring that item to your community at a lower rate than your competitors and you can thrive, if you buy from the same vendor as your competitor obviously you will lose mainly because you are not established. Don’t look for profit for atleast 3 years as this is the life cycle of most new businesses. Create this busniess in the heart of your community make it available to all and most important care about those that you serve genuinely not just show concern for how much they are spending with you. You have to build a relationship with your community. Creating a business for wealth will always be the wrong reason when you should be creating business that brings opportunity and jobs to your community, hence then you wiil find more support from those you adore and your business will have the longevity as your counterparts, if your business don’t take off don’t close it try selling it to someone with the ability to endure what you can’t the time for success at the pace of your community.

I would love to support black business but where I am from it seems they fail to thrive. Most that I’ve walked in are understocked, open late, close early, and where being on the cellphone and watching TV is more important than customer service. When you find a decent place they end up closing w/o warning due to bad business ethics, finances or drug or illegal activity. So it’s not like I havent given it a chance. I want more for my money and will go to the place that delivers that.