Though the state black entrepreneurship has progressed significantly in the past decade, the inner cities in which most of these businesses (supermarket chains, check cashing stores, retailers, banks, fast-food restaurants, service firms, churches, etc.) subsist are still perceived as poor environments that fall short in breeding proactive, high-powered educated African American women and men. Successful entrepreneurs with businesses in these cities lock their doors at the end of the day and proudly drive to their suburban homes located miles away. Thus, revitalization fails as monies are rarely ever filtered back into inner city residential districts.

There have been some instances where initiatives were set into place to make inner cities more conducive for inciting black businesses - creating jobs in real estate, health, finance, and education – simultaneously building wealth and affluence. Unfortunately, jealousy, envy and fear are caveats that perpetuate the exhibition of racial separation amongst the black population; amongst the poor and the affluent; amongst the scholarly and the unintelligent, the law-abiding and the delinquents. Thus, unlike immigrants from Hispanic, Dominican, Jamaican and Asian backgrounds, we fail to take advantage of the opportunities presented within these strategies and instead linger diligently with outstretched hands, anxiously waiting on the divine showering of reparation checks accompanied by our just due of 40 acres and a mule. Where others races see futuristic possibility in accepting laborious jobs considered demeaning and repulsive to most, we turn up our noses and sit on our asses while we wait for someone to hand deliver our golden eggs.

Even prior to the Civil Rights Movement, highly esteemed educators like Booker T. Washington(1856-1915) and W.E.B. Du Bois spoke on the support and ambition lacking among the African American collective - the very issues relevant to the deficiency of success in our community today. Booker T Washington was an advocate for philosophies fundamentally centered on racial solidarity – developing and depending our own skills and resources to build communities, housing developments and businesses. Unlike many human rights activists, Washington encouraged the people to temporarily succumb to America’s prejudices and in the interim focus our strengths and energies on elevation derived from hard work ethics and material prosperity. Becoming educated in industrial and farming while cultivating virtues of patience, enterprise and thrift would prove to be more fruitful than resistance. The ultimate objective in this notion was to win the respect of whites, which would eventually lead to African Americans acceptance and integration into higher realm of society. W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) on the other hand, argued that Washington's strategy would serve only to perpetuate white oppression and resistance. He advocated political action and a civil rights agenda. In addition, he argued that social change could be accomplished by developing the small group of college-educated blacks he called “the Talented Tenth.”

Considering their debate in today’s circumstances, Du Bois’ position would mean that professional athletes, doctors, celebrity lawyers, entertainers and politicians who make millions of dollars are responsible for reaching back and helping others (blue collar workers, poverty stricken and homeless) reach a certain level of achievement. While Washington’s argument proposes that living and depending on the affluence of those who attained success indeed cripples the opposition, rather than encouraging them to prosper through their own self will and skills. However, would placing the responsibility of overcoming as a people onto those who have “arrived” add unnecessary pressure? Most of us stand somewhere in the middle of the aforementioned points, praying for a solutions, and pondering idea that can lead us toward rehabilitation. Ideas like creating our own rules and standards that would begin the rehabilitation of our people. These standards could possibly include taking the initiative to put salary caps on our “talented tenth.” What if we took the initiative to say for the next ten years, those with salaries over a million dollars should be forced to contribute all remaining monies to an African American prosperity fund that would enable us to build districts that house our own hospitals, elementary schools, colleges and universities, police enforcement and government - 1 block at a time. After all, is it really necessary for one man to live off more than a million dollars without contemplating the scarcity in the life of a fellow man? This can actually begin to force us to see our own accountability of African American failure.

In respect to black intellectualism, we have battled issues with elitisms since the nineteenth century. However, according to recent studies, todays “talented tenth” (initially intended to serve as mitigation between underprivileged blacks and white society) seem more socially estranged from disadvantaged blacks than their predecessors were. Practicing the supposed virtues Du Bois, building aristocracy, intellectualism and affluence within our own race may have hurt us and prevented our people from learning and adapting to the ways of a society manned by white intellectuals. Even today, elite attitudes and supreme ideologies are held by affluent blacks who have graduated from HBCUs, looking down upon graduates of “ordinary” state colleges and universities, unless of course one happened to have the privilege to contend with our white counter parts at Ivory League institutions like Harvard or Yale. Instead of encouraging and assisting in enlightening of our underprivileged blacks, the upper echelons tend to neglect the masses. While other ethnicities carry out the practice of uplifting their communities as a whole - educating, supporting and funding their deprived, blacks are getting further and further behind in the race to prosperity.

Trudging beyond the stereotypes, obstacles and conspiracies that bind us is the key to triumphing, even in regards to inner racial and intellectual discrimination. The momentous Hip Hop movement is potentially one of the greatest tools we have as a tool to reach urban populations and demographics. Potentially, messages of rehabilitating mindsets, furthering education, promoting legal entrepreneurialism, combating health care disparities and economic allegiance could be dispersed through this platform. Contrarily, lackluster content encouraging the spending money on cars, jewelry, clothes and alcohol the average person can not afford, perpetuating sexual deviance and anti-intellectualism with poor grammar usage remains popular among our youth. Why have hip hoppers failed in taking advantage the mainstream media platform to deliver strong messages of influence, rather than perpetuating gang life, drug dealing, profanity and incarceration? Though part of the “talented tenth” in our community, the lack of initiative and efforts made by efficacious music moguls and producers who have made it through the trenches remains disappointing.

In an article titled Hip Hop: Today’s Civil Rights Movement, Scott Simon proclaims “The generation that emerged in the aftermath of the civil rights movement remains perplexed over whether they will actually try to integrate with mainstream society or whether they will choose to remain isolated in their own existence… Hip hop has now revolutionized the times precisely because it is music from the margins that has grown up to consume the mainstream. As Jay-Z says, "[W]e brought the suburbs to the 'hood." I dare say that there is much more to be proud about in the promotion of the successes acquired by entertainers. Bringing the suburbs to the hood merely states that our music is reaching white America and concurrently converting the privileged, polished and proper suburban kid to the likes of a slang talking, pants sagging, gold tooth wearing urbanite. What about building families and accounting for our children, purchasing property in affluent neighborhoods, building new schools for our youth, creating entertainment projects (films, music and literature) that dispel stereotypes. The list can go on forever.

Whether or not executives, rappers, musicians and lyricists wish to believe it, there is great responsibility in penning and producing content and videos that are dispersed throughout our community. In a world where statistics indicate that the purchasing power of African Americans is well over $500 billion dollars, materialism and greed continue to hinder our progress. Interestingly enough, “our economic power is going into the hands of others. We have the power to borrow, but do not have the capacity to lend. We have to go outside of our communities to get car and mortgage loans, business loans for social/community events; therefore our success depends on others. Black males aged 13-24 constitute 3% of the population, yet consume 10% of the $12 billion athletic shoe market…We spend all this money on materialistic nonsense in an attempt to obtain worth and equality by possessing and buying ‘things’,” writes author Adin Kachisi (Beyond the Talented Tenth: Transforming Black America, 2004). “There are over 600,000 children in child welfare services in the US, 70 – 80% of children, Statistics show that more Blacks die from violence in the prime of our lives than any other ethnic group…More than 1/3 of young black men 18 – 34 are either in prison or under some form of criminal justice supervision.”

If we are to win this race, a new generation of leaders must emerge to spotlight issues that will eradicate social and economic disparities, organizing avenues that provide education on methodological proficiency in technology, building business, financial development and socioeconomic rehabilitation, minimizing crime and maximizing our resources. Hip Hoppers need to stand up and take advantage of their platform. Both philosophies debated between Du Bois and Washington can be applied. Multi-millionaires need to give more money and skilled workers proudly contribute whatever and however they can.

Somehow, the passing of the cultural relay baton failed to be exchanged in a fashion that would position us to cross the finish line as victors. Elders of the Civil Rights era blame the youth for the extinguishing of our torch; while elongated fingers of today’s youth point back to those who appear to have failed to properly educate, inform and equip them with ceremonious ignition to carry out the fight. Nonetheless, it is time we learn that America owes us nothing, not even a pair of track shoes to run the course. However, we owe it to ourselves to run harder, faster – by any means necessary. There is a great lesson to be obtained in the words: “That which I resist, persists; that which I release, releases me. Until we do stop resisting and release our efforts to squeeze freedom and equality from the hearts of America, the fingers of so called “truth fighters” (which encompass radio personalities, politicians, religious leaders, journalists, newsroom executives and television producers) may never again feel the pulse of a thriving Black America.

Article Source:
Mathhew Lynch can be emailed at Lynch39083@aol.com