Editorials & Comments
Blacks Lack Marketing Skills?
Too many of black business
operators lack marketing skills
more than they do management
skills.
This lack is doing more to spell
the doom of black businesses
than all the racism, and failure
oriented government programs
in the world.
Sales is the cornerstone of the
American economy, and nothing
happens in this free enterprise
system until the sale is made.
But one of the first things you
hear from black folks when you
mention sales to them is: “Oh, I
can’t sell m$n. Shoot, I can make
the stuff, but sell it, now. Ain’t no
way.”
With this and several attend
ant attitudes, black businesses
are facing some of the greatest
pressures they’ve ever faced.
As a matter of fact, it’s quite
an interesting paradox, because
it would seem that today would
be the best day ever for blacks in
business. With black Americans
earning an unprecedented $80
million annually, and spending it
about as fast as we make it
blacks in business should be
sitting pretty.
But blacks in business seem to
have overlooked one obvious fact
about money; the more dollars
you have, the more options you
have, and the more likely you
are to exercize them.
Historically, black business
goes back to the time when
blacks had little money,1 and
therefore wasn’t a serious eco
nomic threat to whites who
wanted to be racist.
But that has changed today!
Now, many whites are still ra
cist, but they will hide it long
enough to make the money.
What that means, quite frank
ly, is that black businesses must
begin competing with the op
tions.
That’s just another way of
saying that blacks in business
must learn more about market
Consumer's Dollar
Nationally known black econo
mist Andrew Brimmer summed
the situation up this way:
“...With rising incomes, an in
creasing proportion of the better
paid black families are migrat
ing out from the central-city
neighborhoods (which are the
principal service areas of black
owned firms) to suburban areas.
Partly reflecting this trend,
black firms are encountering
growing competition for - the
black consumer’s dollar. In this
competition, black businessmen
are barely holding on to their
shares of the black community’s
total income. While black busin
esses are diversifying their ac
tivities, they are still concen
trated mainly in traditional lines
--such as retail trade and per
sonal business services. More
over, lines in which blacks are
heavily represented are project
ed to grow more slowly than the
economy as a whole through the
middle of the next decade.”
Let’s look at another possi
bility. The government allows
businesses two cents off each
piece of mail that a company
separate and bags. Can you as a
private business, separate and
bag mail for businesses, charg
ing them one cent a piece,
cheaper than they can do it
themselves ?
These are the kinds of quest
ions, plus careful study and
analysis that leads to market
able businesses.
And that has been our biggest
lack of business people. We
haven’t done enough homework,
and often found ourselves caught
between a rock and a hard place.
Then we began blaming black
Deople for not patronizing us,
criticizing black workers for not
wonting tor us, when the fault is
our own.
Another point, we must stop
trying to be all things to our
selves. Too many of our busi
nesses are still sole proprietor
ships or at best limited partner
ships. We must begin thinking
incorporation.
s
Sharing Larger Chunks
American Telephone and Tele
graph is the world’s largest
corporation, and is probably
owned by one million people. We
have got to begin trusting each
other with a piece of the action.
Once in business, if we’ve done
the necessary homework, we
must begin sharing larger
chunks of the cake. Why try to
learn the tax laws overnight, and
make a mess of it, when we can
contract our tax work out to a
black in business to do just that?
Whjrtry to keep our own books,
when we can pass that action on
to a certified public accountant?
Why try to master the intricacies
of effective advertising pro
grams when we can let a quali
fied ad agency handle our bud
get?
The examples could go on and
on, but the bottom line simply is
we must begin working better
together.
If blacks in businesses are to
become the leaders they should
be, shouldering the responsibi
lity of providing jobs for our
people, setting examples for our
young people, and generating the
capital that will give us a
stronger toehold in the American
economy, they must strive for
excellence.
We must overcome petty
jealousies, petty differences, po
litical divisions, and all the other
self-imposed obstacles that pre
vent us from claiming our right
ful place in America’s main
stream.
iqs i sec
They Call Him “Coach Moore”
U.. n IJ n - -
V*v» UJU V. VVIIIUUII
Post Columnist
_ You walk into the gym
and two basketball teams
are going through pre
game warm ups. Pacing in
front of one of the team
chairs is a tall, medium ‘
build man. Occasionally,
this man will stop and talk
to a passerby. Mostly,
though, he just watches one
of the teams in particular,
warm up.
Warm up stops and the
team- in blue and gold run
off the floor and cluster
around this man. A few
words are spoken and five
of the players take to the
floor.
The other team rushes
onto the floor and a hand
shaking ritual takes place.
A whistle blows, the ball is
tossed in the air and the
game is one.
i ne Doys in Diue ana gold
jump out to an early lead
with a run and gun type
offense. Hie play gets a
little sloppy and the oppos
ing team closes the gap.
Hie man directing the blue
and gold calmly sits in a
chair watching the action.
Occasionally this man. will
call a player over to where
he sits and say a word or
two. Immediately, the slop
py play stops and the team
is once again under control.
Hie man, coach Robert
Moore, and the team, the
Johnson C. Smith Golden
Bulls appear to be headed
for great things in their
quest for the CIAA crown.
Coach Moore in only his
second year at the helm
has taken a mediocre pro
gram and turned it into a
Gerald O. Johnson
promising program. The
excitement generated by
the resurgent Bulls is
something to behold. His
ball club has the whole
town hummfng.
What has fascinated me,
though, is this man’s abili
ty to organize, instruct,
discipline, and direct 20 to
30 boys. He never publicly
criticizes his players. He
never stamps his foot on
the floor or become overly
enraged at a bad call. He
never seems to get overly
perturbed at his players
when they become disar
rayed on the floor. He is
like a shepherd herding
sheep into going in the
same direction. For the
Bulls that direction is cap
turing the CIAA Division
crown; a direction that has
alluded them here of late.
Mr. Moore appeared on
the scene last year and
guided the Bulls to a 14-10
record. This would appear
to be a mediocre record l?
you didn’t emphasize that 4
of the 5 starters were fresh
men. Only Francis "Son
ny” Proctor gained a start
ing role as a returning
letterman. Morever, the
Bulls were the most feared
team in the CIAA by tour
nament time last year. Two
of last year’s starting five
made the all CIAA and the
All Tournament Team.
Hiis year after losing all
CIAA freshman Donald
“Mr.” Tibbs because of
knee surgery, the Bulls
have come out the gate
smoking. They look very
impressive and indeed
could take the crown this
year. Replacing all CIAA
Mr. Tibbs is a freshman,
Roosevelt McGruder, who
is destined to become an all
CIAA player.
ine mgniy touted Fran
cis Procter last year finally
became the basketball
player everybody said he
was. Another credit I will
give to coach Moore's tu
tors I iged. He will be all
CIAA again this year bar
ring any unforeseen cir
cumstances.
I’ve watched Mr. Moore
for the last four years,
prior to coming to JCSU,
guide Virginia Union
through impressive sea
sons. It was a Coach Moore
recruited and coached
team that won the CIAA
championship last year,
even though he was not at
the controls last year.
Truly this man is one of
the finest coaches in the
CIAA and we should be
proud that Virginia Union’s
loss was JCSU’s gain. I still
can’t figure out how Smith
got him, though. It is not
true to their form.
How can I say that! I
once worked there!
I
BE
EQUAL
*rV t »r.«l *
% . I • T »
Politics Of Affirmative Action
National politcal' bampaigns* generally
sh6d more heat Hurn lip on key issues.
This one will probably be no exception.
There are indications that affirmative
action is going to be injected into the
campaign. That can only oversimplify the
issue, generate misunderstandings abouL
what affirmative action is, and impacF
negatively on race relations.
One candidate has already staked out an
anti-affirmative action position, using code
words like “reverse discrimination” and
saying the programs are “divisive.” But
what is divisive is the constant misrepre
sentation of affirmative action.
The courts have consistently ruled that
most affirmative action programs are
constitutional and conform to both law and
common sense. Further, many of the most
widely attacked programs have been or
dered by the courts themselves.
Not that the courts have enthusiastically
leaped into the fray. Rather, they have
reluctantly ordered strict programs as legal
remedies for blatant discriminatory prac
tices against blacks and other minorities.
In some cases, notably involving local
police and fire forces, the courts faced
overwhelming evidence of persistent refu
sal to hire blacks. Their response has
sometimes been to order that specific
numbers of blacks be hired over a period of
time.
inai s aDoui as ciose to quotas as any
affirmative action program comes, and
even those are temporary - limited to
remedying illegal acts of discrimination.
But most public and private affirmative
action programs never go that far. Most - if
they are to be effective - include numerical
goals that may or may not be met,
depending on the circumstances.
That makes sense. Business never
mounts a sales campaign without specific
targets and guidelines on how to meet thos^
targets. Why not use targets and guideline!*
to meet minority hiring goals? Without
them such programs are bound to fall.
In the WEBER case, the Supreme Court
backed some sensible guidelines on affir
mative action programs. It stressed their
temporary, catch-up nature, protection for
majority workers, and the necessity of their
use as remedies for discriminatory prac
tices that locked blacks out of jobs.
At a time when most blacks are poor or
near-poor, when black unemployment rates
are double those for whites, and when black
family income is little more than half of
white income, “reverse discrimination” is a
bad joke.
Check any desirable occupation or pro
fession, and you find only a small percent
age of positions are held by blacks. That’s a
clear result of persistent discrimination.
And it’s not enough just to say “we won’t
discriminate any more.” The nature of
hiring systems, the escalating demands for
non-employment-related “qualifications,”
and the informal job-finding network in
which employed people recommend their
friends, all work against equal opportunit
ies.
Prom Caprtol Hill
Charlie Calls It Good - Shirley Calls It Bad
numia ti. metuiMNl
SPECIAL TO THE POST
The Democratic presi
dential candidates are off
and running, each with the
endorsement of one mem
ber of the Congressional
Black Caucus. Both of
these endorsers are from
New York.
Representative Charles
Rangel of Harlem said,
“President Carter has been
good for the cities; that he
has kept high on his agenda
urban problems of health
care, public assistance, un
employment, housing,
mass transit, economic de
velopment, education and
human rights. His under
standing of these problems
is exceptional and his per
formance is good and im
proving daily.” One has to
question Mr. Rangel’s as
sessment since his office
appraised me that overall
unemployment in the con
gressman’s district is a
round 37 percent and youth
unemployment is between
80 and 67 percent. This
means that over one third
of his constituents are un
employed and he calls that
X
Alfreda L. Madison
good
Representative Shirley
Chisholm, from the Beford
Stuyvesant section of New
York City says that 97
percent of her constituents
are unemployed and she
calls that bad. So she has
endorsed Senator Kennedy.
In her press statement
Mrs. Chisholm said that
many Democrats across
the country and in congress
have expressed dissatisfac
tion about the country’s
state of affairs for the last
two years The basic prin
ciples of the Democratic
Party have been eroded. In
that same tone, just after
President Carter’s State of
the Union message and a
few days thereafter send
ing his partial budget to
congress, Mr. Rangel said
the President seems to
have forgotten to what par
ty he belongs.
Mrs. Chisholm stated
that during the Carter ad
ministration human needs
programs have eroded. She
said the Carter Presidency,
in 1976 held out hope for the
hopeless, offered an agen
da of promises which have
been unfulfilled for the lit
tle folk, the poor, minori
ties, farmers and disen
chanted. She stated that
with malice towards none
and charity towards all,
she was endorsing Edward
Kennedy for President.
Senator Kennedy said
that Mrs. Chisholm will
serve as senior advisor to
him; that he will not re
commend gutting job pro
grams. there must be spe
cial needs programs for the
youth of this country. He
spoke of the present educa
tion loan programs as hav
t
ing the same offerings for
the rich as for the disad
vantaged. The Senator also
spoke of a better housing
and health care programs.
In response to a question
of being labelled as a “big
spender’’, Kennedy says he
has been criticized for
working for the elimination
of discriminatory practices
in the government’s eco
nomic policy for the needy,
minorities and disenchant
ed. Senator Kennedy has
been criticized for saying
that the Shah condrihted
one of the most vicious
regimes of all times, When
asked about this the sen
ator did not back away
from that statement, but
strongly emphasized that
Iran should turn over the
hostages. He said the deci
sion to bring the Shah to the
country should have been
discussed so the people
could have had some part
in the decision making. He
feels that before granting
permanent asylum to the
Shah, again the full case
should be laid out before
the people, allowing them
an opportunity to express
their views.
When asked about the
statement of some leading
educators, that the press
and leaders have failed to
enlighten the citizens on all
of the ramifications of the
Iranian case; the Shah’s
repressive regime and his
greater concern for Ameri
t
can-European interest than
for his own people and their
constant requests to PreSV
dent Carter not to let htjfr
into this country for fear W
what it would cause at
home, even probable host
age-taking, Mr. Kennedy
said the people will learn
all of that later.
FVnHA Stresses Enogy Conservation
■maaoi iiumwwnen in
Mecklenburg County who
need to upgrade their
homes may be eligible for
financing for the Farmers
Home Administration
(FmHA).
Robert V. Shaver, FmHA
County Supervisor, said
that in addition to financing
the purchase of homes, the
Agency also has funds a
vailable to families who
already own homes that
need insulation and or
weatherization improve
ments.
FmHA will offer loans
for energy conservation
improvements to afl rural
families of low or moderate
incomes who cannot obtain
adequate commercial cre
dit and are otherwise el
igible for FmHA loan assis
fence.
Mr. Shaver said that this
is not a new loan program,
but a part of uU tofei
program Pm HA has had
for a number of years.
However, the Agency is
stressing the need to con
serve energy and help fa
milies combat today’s
higher cost of home ener
gy
More information may
be obtained at the Pm HA
County Office locaed at
1501 I-M North, Room 106,
Charlotte.
■ APT
<
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