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Doni Glover (L) and Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown

(BALTIMORE – November 14, 2008) – Tonight, the Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce (GBBCC) has requested I give some closing comments at our monthly meeting. Being the first time this group has convened since the election of President-elect Barack Obama, it is painfully obvious that the efforts of people like GBBCC President Louis Fields and GBBCC Chair Raymond V. Haysbert ought share a sense of renewed optimism in both our country and ourselves.

In reading about some of President-elect Obama’s international challenges today, he was reported as mentioning the term “change in behavior” when it came to Iran.

And that’s exactly what must happen for black businesses, I think, to succeed in this the worst economy ever: A change in behavior.

Yes, I agree with Fields, dEVNIX CEO Alexis Coates and others that a bailout for small and minority businesses is necessary – especially when the auto and banking industries are being rescued.

Yes, I indeed know the feeling of seeing my own father’s business transition from a funeral home of his own to working out of someone else’s shop – just to make a living.

Yet, I am also reminded of recent visits to Harbor Place, National Harbor in Prince George’s County, and our beloved Mondawmin Mall. During all three visits, I am sad to report the overwhelming absence of black businesses.

Further, one ride out Liberty Road to the richest, most affluent and most educated part of Greater Black Baltimore and one will find essentially the same scenario: The lack of black businesses.

Despite all of the workshops given by Paul Taylor at the Small Business Resource Center of Baltimore, despite all of the entrepreneurs that WEAA’s Omar Muhammad has worked with at his day-job at Morgan State’s Entrepreneurial Development and Assistance Center, despite all of the calls-to-action by business advocates Wayne Frazier and Arnold Jolivet – black business in Maryland is suffering. Remember the adage: ‘When America catches a cold, black America catches pneumonia.’

Personally, I do not blame Mayor Sheila Dixon. I am sure that in time, she will do her best to afford access to opportunities for blacks in this a majority black city. I also do not blame Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson; although he is in charge there. I’m not sure it is exactly his fault that there is such a strong absence of black businesses in the newly-built mall there.

And on the state level, I really don’t blame Gov. Martin O’Malley. While most people I know in business have not reported much if any progress on accessing minority contracts with the state during his tenure – quite possibly due to a large budget deficit, I believe it is now time we look inside.

We have a black president, everybody. Sooner or later, I am absolutely, unequivocally confident that the much-needed attention deserved by our minority business owners will eventually be given. Meanwhile, however, the onus is on us.

A change in behavior, ladies and gentlemen, is what we need.

It is time we begin to redirect our dollars, as much as possible, towards our own businesses. It is time that we, America’s top group of consumers, become super-sensitive of the need to go to a black business whenever possible.

It really causes me angst to know that other peoples from around the world, including South Korea, India and Russia can come into our communities, set-up shop, and prosper off of our black dollars. From the beauty salon to the barbershop to the funeral home, our three last bastions of economic prowess, our black businesses are facing incredible attacks and assaults by those who see its power and want it for themselves. Remember, a fool and his money soon depart.

We must re-direct our spending behavior and put our dollars where they matter most, such that the black dollar is circulated at least seven times before it leaves the ‘hood. 

Also, it is time for black business owners to improve our businesses, investing more time, energy and resources into the infrastructures of our businesses. When things are slow, it is time to do the housekeeping chores that we don’t get to when things are busy. This includes improving our marketing such that we can better brand our company names, products and services.

Lastly and most importantly, we need to focus on loving ourselves. At this great juncture in history, it is a beautiful time to be black. No other generation has seen what we are currently witnessing. The world is changing right before our very eyes. Even more, we have to be able to adjust to these changing times so as to stay ahead of the curve. We can do it. And we must do it.

In all of this, the need for self-love has never been more critical. While we, as a people, have endured everything from slavery to lynchings to water hoses and dogs to HIV to AIDS to under-education to the burning down of Black Wall Street, love has been that guiding action – that guiding principle that has saved, healed and delivered us throughout: The love when we use to share a cup of sugar with our neighbor; the love when we used to take care of a family member’s children after they passed; the love when we used to actually be beyond our own selfishness and forgave each other.        

A black business bailout? Sure! But meanwhile, we need to be doing for ourselves what we can and should do to lift our own selves up from this blistering economy such that we can grow our businesses into the history books, leaving behind the kind of legacy of which our great grand children can be proud.

I submit that if we can modify our behavior, forgive each other by first forgiving ourselves, act kind towards each other, support each other, and speak well of each other – then we will get all of the bail-out that we need.

I say it all the time: $45 billion in annual disposable income in the black community between DC and Baltimore. Nationally, that figure is some $800 billion. Truth be told, we have everything we need. Now, we need to utilize some common sense and common love, and stop acting like “beggars sitting on bags of gold.”

And when we master that, we need to extend this self-love to the rest of black America, Africa and the Caribbean.

Today is the day that Marcus Mosiah Garvey prophesied about long ago – the day when the black man would rise up again. Today is the day that Dr. King’s dream is made a reality. Today is the day that Malcolm discussed when he said he preferred being black.

I don’t know about you, good people, but I say that day for change is here. And yet the question remains: How are we going to handle it? Are we going to blow this opportunity that no black generation has ever seen before? Or, are we going to go inside ourselves, nurture that good ol’ self-love, forgive ourselves, forgive each other, and begin to once again care about each other and grow our businesses – with the grace and mercy of God - beyond belief.

Once we get back to loving ourselves … and each other, our businesses will automatically grow and prosper.

Remember, the greatest salesman in the world is the one who enters the marketplace with love and kindness in their heart, a smile on their face, and a game plan that actually works. 

Tags: business