Without harping on the myriad of issues being exposed via the media, it is evident that Black Americans are being devalued by everyone – including ourselves. Black on black crime, police brutality, and racial issues in sports are currently dominating the news. It’s promising that these issues are being exposed, but it’s unfortunate that most people are talking, with very little action to support their conversations. We need to move beyond conversation and put into action purposeful plans that lead to results. What is the change we need? Where do we invest?
I named this post, “Where Do We Invest” to briefly discuss the economics of some of the issues we are currently facing in the land of the free. I believe that most of the issues with race not only come from a difference in the color of skin, but economics. Although race seems to be a recurring theme, it’s evident that money is somewhere near the root of the problem as well. More importantly, opportunities are not readily available to minorities. I truly believe that closing the economic and opportunity gap will help alleviate some of the aforementioned problems that are related to the devaluation of Black Americans and other minorities. Once again, where do we invest?
Currently, we don’t invest in ourselves like we should. I’m sure you’ve read articles that speculate why Black Americans don’t support other Black Americans. No matter the root cause, we should look to break those generational curses and start anew. That’s why I Am Black Business was created. We want to bridge the gap and make it as easy as possible to support reputable Black Owned Businesses. For those Black Owned Businesses that need help, we look to be a resource and network for them to get the help they need to experience sustained success. Personally, I’ve always said that if I’m going to bet on anyone, I’ll bet on myself first. With that being said, I’m willing to bet that Black Americans want to make a positive change. I truly hope that IABB will be able to assist with that change.
I’ll close by once again asking – where do we invest? Keeping money in our community will help us to invest in quite a few things. From providing our children better resources, to being able to support candidates that hold our best interests – we must start the investment by simply choosing to support a black owned business. Each successful black owned business must then invest back into the black community. Once this cycle begins, it will have a snowball effect that will influence all aspects of our community.
If you are reading this article, I challenge you to purchase your next product or service from a black owned business. The change starts with you!