BMORENEWS.com

Doni M. Glover and N'yinde' Glover, United Nations, New York City, 6.15.12

We must take better charge of our annual $1 trillion in African American disposable income 

By Doni M. Glover, BMORENEWS.com by DMGlobal

(BALTIMORE – June 18, 2012) - As a black journalist, I get to hear the black experience first-hand like most others don’t. With specialty coverage of urban areas across the world – especially black communities, I have documented story after story of black people trying to find a way to make it.

It was in 2006; I was in Tanzania. It was there that I saw first-hand what can happen when one – blacks work together – and two – incorporate excellent outside support, i.e. some good white people. I call it neo-pan- Africanism.

Yes, it is important for blacks to better work together so as to better ascertain control of the one trillion dollars alone generated annually in Black America. That, according to some experts, is the equivalent of the 16th largest economy on the planet. Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Richmond, Durham: black millionaires. Reginald F. Lewis and TLC Beatrice, Isaac Myers’ and his shipping enterprise, Little Willie Adams and Tom Smith – Baltimore millionaires with millionaire mindsets.

I’d just add that money is green, and so – if some decent white folks want to work together – or Asians or Latinos or whomever, we’ve learned to do it without hesitation. Remember, small successes lead to bigger successes. And ... all things are possible - especially with a solid vision and plan.

And that is the mission at BMORENEWS.com: to inform, to inspire, to improve. We want to see more black folks thriving - as opposed to doin' bad - even in a rotten economy. Why? Because we clearly have the means to do it. We keep everybody else in business. It's time we better support our own - using what we already have. Forget about what we can't do and what we don't have. Focus on the possibilities. Free the mind, and the rest will follow. If what we’ve been doing isn’t working, then we have to go back to the drawing board and start over. You know: step back and look at the bigger picture! Otherwise, we are acting foolishly. "Those whom ignore history are doomed to repeat it." And we can't have that!

And that's exactly what Friday’s BMORENEWS.com Global Forum on Women’s Empowerment at the United Nations Sponsored by the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations was all about: Trying on something bigger, for size. Friday’s forum was about thinking from a "larger box" perspective – more globally. It was about recognizing that the only thing in between here and there is the journey - that the only thing stopping us from doing international trade is inaction. It is indeed possible. We just have to be willing to go the extra mile. Mind you, most people will not. Those who do, though, get the extra rewards. That’s just how it works. And, "No", entrepreneurship is not for everyone.

However, for those who are willing to put in the work, to meet and learn from more and more experts, and better see the possibilities of the universe – the world is their oyster! The sky’s the limit! After all, nothing can stop a determined mind.   

Therefore, here’s to better targeting black consumer dollars. It’s time to apply some common sense in our purchasing. It is time to use our dollars wisely, to spend on things that make sense, and to reduce our consumption from businesses that do not benefit the black community.

And this is applicable anywhere in the African Diaspora. If a business is not giving back to the community which supports it, starve them. If they do not hire people from the same community it is located in, stop shopping there. Vote with your dollars.

If more of us took on the mindset of a Maggie Anderson and her husband and better supported the good black businesses in existence, more jobs would be created.

I don’t know about you, but I am not waiting on the President, Congress, or anybody else to feed me. I simply know that our community can support our businesses. These businesses, in turn, can hire people in the community – including the ones with records that are finding it impossible to get a job.

At BMORENEWS.com, we strive to stay in the solution. If you feel the same way, we welcome any and all cooperation. Together, we can make a difference!        

Tags: dmglobal, doni m. glover, TGR: BMORENEWS.com: Global UN Forum to inform, to improve, to inspire