The AC Phoenix
March 2003
Page 11
W.L. Lillard
Can Black Americans Pull
Together Economically?
By: W.L. Lillard
—Guest Columnist—
One of the biggest problems we are facing as Blacks in
America is the lack of ability to unite around economics.
We can say this is because of our home training, so to
speak.
Home training means Blacks were taught by the
American system that you should never do business with
your friends and never hire your relatives. While everyone
else does just the opposite, building relationships, shopping and trading with
one another is why businesses in other communities are successful and also
why jobs are bountiful in those areas.
Talk about not hiring your relatives is bordering on insanity; these are the
people who look out for you more than anyone. Look at the facts, the Ford
Motor Company still has a Ford at the helm. Most companies are successful
because of nepotism.
Not only do owners hire relatives but supervisors also hire their relatives to
make themselves look good, because those relatives will work hard for the
supervisor and the supervisor will look good. Contrast that with a Black
supervisor; he will not hire a relative or a friend and Black people in general do
not shop or trade with one another because of the aforementioned training.
Other cultures are told when they come to America to open a business in the
Black community because Blacks do not shop with each other by and large; they
would rather shop with anybody else but themselves.
Blacks spend all their Moines outside the Black community or with other cultures
in the Black community and then go begging for set asides and other handouts.
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Blacks in America make and spend about $800 billion per year, but because
others do the research, the figure is reported to be less—the population of blacks
in America or any other demographically information that will help blacks realize
their power is also undercounted.
Blacks are called minorities in cities when we are over 50 percent of the
population and given minority contracts and set aside jobs, even if the mayor is
Black.
When Chicago elected a Black mayor, the beloved Harold Washington, whom
we all loved dearly, it was proven at that time that the majority of Chicago was
Black. Yet Harold instituted a milestone by declaring a 30 percent set aside for
minorities, which included Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans. And
included in that was five percent for women. Look at these facts, a 30 percent
set aside for almost 90 percent of the city.
The bottom line is. Black Americans are the richest Africans on the planet but
are too diversified in their thinking when it comes to economics to realize the
benefits.
Most of that thinking is like the forbidden fruit syndrome. For so long Blacks
could not shop outside their community, so small businesses were established in
Black communities by Blacks and others to serve us; we would rather have the
others serve us because of our long-standing role of serving others. Therefore,
we shopped in the stores of others. Then when we’re allowed to leave the
community, all hell broke loose. Our communities went to the pits because
most of our monies are spent outside the community.
We must unite around economics if we are to realize the benefits; $800
billion could create 400 Fortune 500 type companies that are making $100
million or more.
That also means full employment for Black people, because by now we
would have knocked down the myth about doing business with your friends
and hiring relatives.
(W.L. Lillard is a Chicago-based entrepreneur and Black business
advocate.)
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