Kwanzaa: Ujamaa ('Cooperative Economics')

Habari Gani? Ujamaa!

To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them.
Cooperative economics can help African Americans take physical control of their own destinies. Did you know that 95% of all earnings in the Black community ends up in the hands of non-Black people? Is it any wonder that when one community has $1.95 and our community has a nickel ... that one community is more respected by local government; has better police relations; has better schools; has better economic outcomes? Perhaps it is time for us to celebrate this fourth principle of the Nguzo Saba principle, 'Ujamaa'!

We can always do more to support our people, because we all benefit when our brothers and sisters succeed. If it means going a block farther to a Black-owned store, let's do it. And if the quality of the merchandise or service disappoints us, let's communicate that to the owner so we give her every chance to rectify the situation and count on us as a permanent customer.

Let's buy books and albums by African Americans, and go to movies by African American directors. Remember the simple saying, "Put your money where your mouth is." Let's show support, and not decry the lack of it.

Those are my thoughts about Ujamaa. Please take a moment to join this online Kwanzaa celebration with me. What do you think when Ujamaa comes to mind?

Harambee!

Blackonomics: 'Putting Our Dollars Under Arrest'

by Jim Clingman
cross-posted from Blackonomics

Here’s an intriguing concept: Arrest the Black dollar. Say what, Jim? You read it correctly. We should arrest our dollars and charge them with neglect. Put them on trial, call the witnesses to testify against them, and convict them of crimes against Black people. Sentence them to a minimum of five years hard labor with no possibility of parole. That’s right, lock them up and make them work for their keep by producing distribution companies, supermarkets, financial institutions, and entrepreneurs.

Since our dollars are not making sense, we should discipline and punish them by keeping them locked up and making them work until they do start making more sense. Right now our dollars are “wilding out” in the marketplace, making everyone happy and secure except us. They are “raining down” at strip clubs; they are beating a path to jewelry stores and exchanging themselves for gaudy trinkets and ornaments; they are hangin’ out at “da club” to pay for expensive vodka, champagne, and other top-shelf liquors. They definitely need to be disciplined.

Our dollars are filling the coffers of profiteers who know that all they have to do is make the most ridiculous item in return for them. Black dollars are strewn at the feet of shyster preachers who “anoint” them by running back and forth on top of them, as they shout, “Money cometh to me!” At least they are telling the truth about that part.

Black dollars are running wild, out of control, in our neighborhoods. They run as fast as they can to the businesses of everyone other than Black people. They are jealous as well and are always trying to outspend one another by purchasing a bigger car, a bigger house, the latest gym shoes, clothing, and all the accoutrements of what they believe to be the “good life.”

More than one trillion Black dollars are acting inappropriately, committing economic crimes against Black people. They really need to be controlled and contained before they destroy us. Our dollars are weak, and are vulnerable to the constant lure of trivial things and dishonest people who are waiting to trap them with their platitudes and false doctrines. If we put our dollars in labor camps where they could work for us all day long, imagine how quickly we could revive our economic power.

Read the rest of this Blackonomics article.

Blackonomics: 'No Justice, No Profit!'

Jim Clingman

by Jim Clingman
Cross-posted from Blackonomics

In a previous article, “The Profit of Protest,” I noted the ridiculous scenario of Black people protesting while others profited, how we travel across the nation to march and never march into a Black hotel, a Black restaurant, or to a Black owned bus company to get to the march, or fill up at a Black owned gas station. I ended that column by noting that we count people “at” our protests while others count profits “from” our protests. Through the years I have wondered when we would “get it.” It took a group of young people who went to Ferguson, Missouri over the Labor Day weekend to encourage me in that regard.

They get it. The Howard University Student Association, led by its incoming President, Mr. Leighton Watson, organized a 13-hour bus trip from Washington, D.C. to protest alongside other students from Washington University and other colleges. They went to stand with the residents of Ferguson to seek real solutions to the issues that plague that city.

An interesting thing happened on their way to the march. Those young people marched to a Black company to charter their bus. When they got there they marched to a Black restaurant to eat. They made every effort to find a Black owned hotel, but the Roberts Hotel in St. Louis is closed. They did, however, manage to get accommodations at a black owned franchised hotel. They let their money speak as they protested; I even saw a sign that said, “No Justice, No Profit.”

Click here to read the rest of this Blackonomics article.

31 Ways 31 Days to Support African American Businesses in 2012

Soulclap to John William Templeton for letting us know about National Black Business Month.   This is a data-driven initiative to channel the creative energy of 2 million African American entrepreneurs as a driver of the global economy. Visit Black Money Worldwide to learn more.

• Wednesday, Aug. 1 Support the $6 billion African American food service industry. Buy grocery products; visit a restaurant; book a caterer; buy produce or meats from a farmer. Find restaurants, farm coops, manufacturers in Say Grace and Wipe Yo' Hands. Join 50 Top Names in Black Food at Schomburg Center in Harlem for the opening event of National Black Business Month. 
• Thursday, Aug. 2  Invest in an African American publicly-traded company such as Amarantus BioSciences or American Shared Hospital Services
• Friday, Aug. 3    Make an angel investment or use crowd-sourcing to support a start-up company.
• Saturday, Aug. 4  Book seats at the African American theater company such as Chicago’s new Black Ensemble Theater 
• Sunday, Aug. 5    Attend and contribute to the work of an African American church like Zion Global Ministries in West Chester, Ohio. 
• Monday, Aug. 6   Contracting Accountability Day.  Ask your local and state officials to boost job creation by investing in, contracting with and financing African American community based businesses. 
• Tuesday, Aug. 7   Spotlight on Uncle Sam Day.   Connect with purchasers at federal agencies in your area  to boost the 1.2 percent of purchases going to African American businesses.  Ask to see the small business contracting plans of major federal contractors
• Wednesday, Aug. 8 Higher Education Focus.  Show support for HBCUs and ask other universities and colleges to utilize Black businesses and fund research by Black scientists and engineers.  Many research universities are near Black neighborhoods but contribute little to their progress.
• Thursday, Aug. 9  Utility and Energy Focus. Invite utility companies to utilize local African American owned businesses, particularly renewable energy innovators like 510Nano or Excellatron Solid State. 
• Friday, Aug. 10    School the Administrators.   Ask your school principals and school facility and purchasing officials about using more African American-owned firms. 
• Saturday, Aug. 11 Visit one of the more than 100 African American museums such as the Charles Wright Museum in Detroit or the Schomburg Center in New York.  Support the national tour of the Kinsey Collection. 

• Sunday, Aug. 12  Support an African American non-profit organization such as as BDPA Education and Technology Foundation, NAACP or the Urban League. 
• Monday, Aug. 13 Open an account with an African American financial institution like New Orleans’ Liberty Bank and Trust or Mechanics and Farmers in North Carolina.  Find them at National Bankers Association 
• Tuesday, Aug. 14 Utilize an African American contractor for building, remodeling, repair.  Visit the National Association of Minority Contractors. 
• Wednesday, Aug. 15  Book a stay or an event with member hotels of the National Association of Black Hotel Owners Operators and Developers (NABHOOD). 
• Thursday, Aug. 16 Make an appointment with members of the National Medical Association or National Dental Association 
• Friday, Aug. 17    Connect with a member of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers about housing opportunities 
• Saturday, Aug. 18 Buy products from a Black-owned beauty products company,  support Black-owned beauty shops and barbers 
• Sunday, Aug. 19   Use environmentally-friendly products by Black manufacturers such as ChloroFill, EnCap 
• Monday, Aug. 20  Support African American beverage makers such as United Beverage Group or Heritage Link Brands. 
• Tuesday, Aug. 21 Utilize African American software and online developers such as Sciberus, Next Galaxy Media, Right Direction Technology Solutions, DB Consulting, BCA, Logicore, or Powertek 
• Wednesday, Aug. 22 Visit an African American bookstore like Marcus Books in San Francisco or purchase a book from a Black publisher; attend poetry reading or book signing at sites like Sankofa in Washington, D.C. 

• Thursday, Aug. 23 Support Black radio broadcasters by letting their supporters, advertisers know that you listen to Black radio. 
• Friday, Aug. 24   Subscribe to a Black-owned newspaper or magazine, like Cincinnati Herald. 
• Saturday, Aug. 25 Purchase a video or buy a seat for the work of a Black filmmaker. 
• Sunday, Aug. 26  Purchase gospel CDs or videos 
• Monday, Aug. 27 Select an African American independent school or tutorial service for your child; use ReUNION: Education-Arts-Heritage to provide culturally-responsive content; select African American educators for professional development 
• Tuesday, Aug. 28 Purchase back to school items from African American retailers including clothes, electronics, school suppliers or form buying clubs to gain reduced prices 
• Wednesday, Aug. 29 Buy automobile from an African American dealer 
• Thursday, Aug. 30 Invest with an African American securities dealer/fund manager/private equity broker. 
• Friday, Aug. 31  Make a political contribution to the African American candidate or campaign fund of your choice.

Read more.  Also feel free to share ways that you are supporting this effort.

Ujamaa: Top Ten Reasons to BUY BLACK

Originally posted: 11/29/2007

Drumbeats from Black In Business that gives ten reasons for us to support Black Business during this holiday season. Shop Black on Black Friday ... and beyond!

One of the principles of Kwanzaa that resonates with me strongly is Ujamaa ... cooperative economics. It is in our interests to spend our money with Black businesses that support and respect us and our interests. Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Buy Black:

1. We invest in ourselves, our communities and our future.
2. We participate in a Black self-love fest by putting our financial resources where our mouth/interest is.
3. There is a higher likelihood of finding culturally specific products for our unique needs.
4. Our dollars will stay within our community for a longer period of time when the Black business also employs Black folks, buys products from Black distributors and Black wholesalers.
5. We will have a greater chance of influencing the decisions makers where we shop.
6. We will receive respectful customer service and high quality products.
7. We contribute to the building of business institutions that can be handed to the next generation.
8. We contribute to becoming an independent group/nation able to sustain ourselves.
9. We become a force to be reckoned with and able to affect change.
10. The next generation sees a community who respects and supports itself and self esteem is increased.

In fact, we would like to use this post to identify online Black businesses. In other words, where are the Black businesses that are using the Internet to see products or services that might benefit us during this holiday season? Share your village voice and we will keep this post updated with new entries. Doable?

Here is list of Black-owned businesses that Villagers recommend for your consideration:

1. Afri-Ware Inc. - Oak Park, IL (708) 524-8398
2. AfroSpear Freedom Technology Christmas
3. ATM Typing (Clerical Services)
4. Auto Parts For Less (Auto Supplies)
5. Frontier National Products Co-Op - Norway, IA (800) 669-3275
6. National Black Business Trade Assn - (641) 953-0492
7. Preciss Data (Data Processing)
8. Sportacular Players (Sports Apparel & Equipment)

What do you think about the top ten reasons? What do you think about the concept of 'Buy Black'?

Black Unemployment Rate Falls to 15.4% in June 2010

African Americans are still being hit harder than most with the bad economy.  A new employment report released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows us that the unemployment rate for African Americans dropped from 15.5% in May 2010 to 15.4% in June 2010.

The mainstream media is painting this month's report in a negative light -- 125,000 jobs were lost last month.  The unemployment rate edged down from 9.7 percent to 9.5%.   There was some positive news with private employers hiring increasing by 83,000 jobs last month.

What do these numbers mean to you?

Black Unemployment Rate Falls to 15.5% in May 2010

People of African descent in this country need to get serious about the economic condition in our community. Perhaps it is up to us ... not President Obama ... to take steps to improve employment, opportunity and hope in the Black community.

A new employment report released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows us that the unemployment rate for African Americans dropped to 15.5% in May 2010.

The mainstream media will focus on the bigger picture -- 431,000 job were created last month. The unemployment rate edged down to 9.7 percent. However, total private employment increased by a less-than-forecast 41,000 jobs.

Power Conference for African Americans: 'We Are One'

I encourage all villagers to make plans to attend the We Are One Power Conference that will be held in Beaumont TX on November 20-21, 2009.

Compro-Tax and the Triplex African Heritage Society combine the 28th Annual CTI Awards Conference and the 11th Annual Cultural and Economic Summit in this remarkable 2-day conference for conscious people of African descent.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this event is the venue itself. In light of the fact that Black folks constantly discuss the obligations of Black businesses to “give back;” considering the fact that Black folks across this country conduct more meetings than most, in facilities owned by others; and in light of the dearth of Black owned venues in which to hold our conventions and conferences, it is worth noting that this year's conference will be held in the Compro Event Center, the full service, Black designed, Black constructed, Black operated, Black wired for the latest technology, and Black owned convention center.

Yes, my brothers and sisters ... a Black-owned business built a convention center – its own convention center. The Compro Event Center, located in Beaumont, not far from Houston, is the result of the determination and hard work of Compro-Tax Founder, Jackie Mayfield and his partners.

I remember attending a BDPA conference back in the day when Tony Brown admonished Black professionals to postpone some of our events and use the millions of dollars we would save to build hotels and convention meeting places. What if our large organizations had accepted that challenge? By now we would probably own meeting venues in major cities all across this land.

We didn't accept the challenge and now we see many Black organizations struggling financially to pay for hotel services to conduct their annual conferences.

What this company has done should be replicated from coast to coast by other Black owned companies. In order for us to be truly economically empowered we must own more assets, especially those related to the tourism and convention industry.

In any case, I hope that villagers will take a hard look at the wonderful speakers and agenda laid out for this 2-day conference in November. This is not a passive, non-participatory, rhetorical event. It is action-oriented and filled from beginning to end with solutions to the problems we face. Hundreds of conscious individuals attend each year, and villagers, a group of conscious individuals, should be there as well.

'A Good Day to Be Black and Sexy' Directed by Dennis Dortch

I'm a big believer in the concept of Ujamaa. I think that Americans of African descent should support Black business whenever and whereever possible ... including at the movie theatres. We have few movies directed by African Americans available for our viewing pleasure in the first place. So, when one comes out we need to buy or rent it right away.

Drumbeats from the Invisible Woman...Black Cinema at Large pointed us to "A Good Day To Be Black and Sexy" directed by Dennis Dortch. In fact, IW provided us with an online interview with Bro. Dortch in which he candidly answers 7 questions about his movie and the Black cinema.

Here is the trailer for the movie...


A Good Day to be Black & Sexy (The Official Bootleg Trailer) from D. Dortch on Vimeo.

It turns out that you can watch the movie instantly if you are a Netflix customer. That is what I plan to do! What say u?

Buy Black Update: Ebony Experiment

Earlier this year we asked villagers whether or not they could 'Buy Black' for a year. John and Maggie Anderson, a couple in Illinois, made a public pledge to exclusively support Black businesses and professionals and buy Black-made products for all of 2009. They hope to inspire a national dialogue about the plight and the potential of Black business.




What are your thoughts on the Ebony Experiment? Are you able to support Black-owned business in your city?

Declaration of Financial Empowerment

We are strong believers in the concept of Ujamaa (collective economics). We invited each of you to join the Blackonomics Million Dollar Club and shared with you the information about the consumer spending power in our community.

At the end of the day, each of us needs to began an individual wealth initiative. One of the first steps that we can each take is to seriously consider the Declaration of Financial Empowerment shared with us by Black Enterprise.

Declaration of Financial Empowerment

From this day forward, I declare my vigilant and lifelong commitment to financial empowerment. I pledge the following:

1. To use home ownership to build wealth
2. To save and invest 10% to 15% of my after-tax income
3. To be proactive and knowledgeable about investing, money management, and consumer issues
4. To measure my personal wealth by net worth, not income
5. To engage in sound budget, credit and tax management practices
6. To commit to a program of retirement planning and investing
7. To teach business and financial principles to my children
8. To support the creation of profitable, competitive, Black-oriented enterprises
9. To use a portion of my personal wealth to strengthen my community
10. To ensure that my wealth is passed on to future generations

I accept and make this commitment to financial empowerment. Any other villagers willing to take the pledge with me?

Wells Fargo Lends Black Businesses a Billion

Marking the tenth anniversary of its African American Business Services program, Wells Fargo Bank recently reached its initial goal of $1 billion loaned to Black-owned businesses, two years ahead of schedule.

Working with the National Black MBA Association, the bank announced a new goal of lending another $1 billion to Black business owners by 2018. An association spokesperson said, "We continue to support the significant growth of African American businesses by offering resources for existing business owners, small business professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs."

Do we have any villagers trying to take advantage of this Wells Fargo program?

Use Black Owned, Black Operated Businesses

Happy New Year! This is that time of year when all of us resolve to do better. We want to do better for ourselves ... for our family ... for our community ... for our nation. One way that Africans in America can do better is to be more conscious of how we spend out disposable income. We need to 'Buy Black' whenever possible.

We shared information on The Anderson Family and their unique experiment to 'Buy Black'. Could you make the same pledge that this family made for the new year?

Some of you tell me that you cannot locate Black-owned and Black-operated businesses. Symphony was kind enough to point us to USEBOBO.com. It is a remarkable website that provides an expanding directory of Black-owned and Black-operated businesses all around the nation.

Check it out and let us know what you think about it.

Carnival of Business and Entrepreneurship #17

Step #8 in the Declaration of Financial Empowerment calls for us to 'to support the creation of profitable, competitive, Black-oriented enterprises'.

One way that we can support Black-owned businesses is to educate and motivate ourselves on the subject of business and entrpreneurships. As such, I encourage you to take a moment to check out the 28 blog entries in the Carnival of Business and Entrepreneurship #17 compiled by Bootstrapper.

Are you a current or future entrepreneur?

Carnival of Business and Entrepreneurship #16

Step #8 in the Declaration of Financial Empowerment calls for us to 'to support the creation of profitable, competitive, Black-oriented enterprises'.

One way that we can support Black-owned businesses is to educate and motivate ourselves on the subject of business and entrpreneurships. As such, I encourage you to take a moment to check out the 39 blog entries in the Carnival of Business and Entrepreneurship #16 compiled by Bootstrapper.

Are you a current or future entrepreneur?

Carnival of Business and Entrepreneurship #15

Step #8 in the Declaration of Financial Empowerment calls for us to 'to support the creation of profitable, competitive, Black-oriented enterprises'.

One way that we can support Black-owned businesses is to educate and motivate ourselves on the subject of business and entrpreneurships. As such, I encourage you to take a moment to check out the 26 blog entries in the Carnival of Business and Entrepreneurship #15 compiled by Bootstrapper.

Are you a current or future entrepreneur?

Three Largest Black-Owned Bookstores Join Forces

One of the Ngoza Saba principles that I strongly support is Ujamaa (cooperative economics). I've blogged before about the need for each of us to be more focused with our Black spending power. We can correct many of the ills in our community if we simply support Black-owned businesses whenever possible. As such, it is great news to see that AALBC.com, Cushcity.com and MosaicBooks.com, the three largest and most established web sites focusing on African American literature joined forces to offer comprehensive online book promotion options to self-published authors and small publishing firms.

Together, the three web sites have over 30 years of combined online presence and over 4 million page views per month. Each site brings different strengths to the venture.

AALBC.com, founded by Troy Johnson of Harlem, N.Y. in 1998, is now the largest website dedicated to promoting books by and about African Americans.

Cushcity.com, co-founded by Willie and Gwen Richardson of Houston, Tex. in 1998, is the world’s largest African American Internet retailer with over 20,000 products online, including books, DVDs, Greek products, calendars and art.

MosaicBooks.com, founded by Ron Kavanaugh of the Bronx, NY, in 1996, was the first site created to showcase African American literature. It recently celebrated its 10th anniversary online.

“This effort brings unprecedented exposure to millions of African American book readers worldwide,” says Johnson. “I am pleased to work with Cushcity and MosaicBooks to bring African American authors and consumers together.”

The three sites will initially offer self-published authors and small presses simultaneous, prominent placement on each of the three sites’ home pages. There are also plans to expand these coordinated services in the future to include e-blasts and other marketing opportunities for authors.

The announcement comes on the heels of recent news reports highlighting the growth in the number of African American titles published annually and the resultant increase in book sales revenue. Based upon book sales figures for 2006 released by the American Association of Publishers, African Americans spend about $1 billion of the estimated $24 billion spent in the U.S. annually on books.

Villagers, how many of you have purchased books from any of these three online Black bookstores in the past year? Can we make a commitment to support these three Black businesses over the coming weeks and months? What say u?

Buy Black for Christmas

Drumbeats from Buzzology Surveys about ways that you can Buy Black for Christmas.

What is the point of having so much Black spending power in this country if we are not going to use it to uplift and enhance the economy in our own community?

Have you considered making a conscious effort to spend your dollars with a Black-owned business over the next few weeks?

NAACP Economic Reciprocity Initiative Gives F-grade to Target

It is no secret that I think that the NAACP hasn't been relevant in many years. When their national president resigned earlier this year I questioned whether the NAACP, with it's 64-person board of directors, could ever become relevant again. I served as a national president of a large association of Black IT professionals in 2004-2005. I know how difficult it is to move a national organization.

That being said, I was pleased to hear the drumbeats from the Wichita NAACP Blog about the NAACP Economic Reciprocity Initiative (ERI). This is a sustained effort on the part of NAACP to measure Corporate America's financial relationship to the Black community. Our Black spending power is over $700 billion. It is helpful that the NAACP provides a booklet with information that helps us spend more wisely.

One of the outgrowths of this effort is the creation of the NAACP Diversity Best Practice Guide. This guide highlights the diversity and inclusion practices of the highest performing companies in each of the categories noted in the ERI. The Best Practices Guide is meant 1) to provide corporate executives, diversity practitioners, and human resource professionals with information to begin a dialogue about diversity and inclusion in corporate America, and 2) to be used as a mechanism to highlight what works as corporations continue to evaluate their current corporate diversity programs.

There is some good news in terms of advancements in employer diversity and community reinvestment. But, there is still significant ground to cover to advance economic opportunity for African Americans. Here are the specific reports on companies in the following industries:

• Automotive
• Financial Services
• General Merchandising
• Telecommunications

For the third year in a row, one of the nation's largest retailers, Target, has flat-out refused to participate. What are they hiding? Villagers, my hope is that you will tell Target to take the NAACP Survey. African Americans contribute more than $700 billion a year to the economy--and a substantial amount of those hard earned dollars are spent in stores like Target. We are serious about holding companies accountable for respecting the value of African American consumers.

Economic empowerment isn't just a financial issue, it's a civil rights issue. African American consumers want fairness in the marketplace, just as they do in all other aspects of their lives. We must demand economic diversity and transparency from corporate giants like Target. Tell Target to clarify its position on economic opportunity for African Americans by answering the NAACP's survey and supporting the Economic Reciprocity Initiative.

Villagers, we need to use information such as this to advance our belief in the principle of Ujamaa. We simply must learn how to better use our income and spending power to create wealth. I think that this is an issue that we will address more in the future.

Ujamaa in Action

The long anticipated, new Black Business Network website launched on Saturday, June 2nd. Thousands of people all over the world are visiting the new website, logging in and checking out all of the exciting features. The new website features are elaborate. There are 14 major sections, each one large enough to be a website of their own. Not all sections of the new website are complete yet, however, there's lots for visitors to do.

We have talked about the importance of turning our Black spending power into a more positive dynamic for ourselves and our communities. One way to do that is to find Black-owned businesses to support. I encourage all villagers to log in right now to locate Black-owned businesses for a variety of your consumer needs. It is also an option for those of you that own your own business.

The Black Business Network is a membership-based organization of (1) Black business owners who are committed to selling quality products and services to Black consumers, and (2) Black consumers who are committed to buying from Black-owned businesses. The Black Business Network provides websites, training, events, publications and tools that help Black people to do business together.

The concept is a simple one --> Ujamaa, Cooperative Economics. Let us strengthen our resolve to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together. Perhaps it is time for us to celebrate this Kwanzaa principle on the other 364 days of the year ... not just December 29.

What say u, villagers?