Did you read that title and the expression on your face completely reacted? I chose that title because we’ve all said it or heard someone else say it.
Whenever we experience poor service at a black business, we attribute it to ALL black businesses. However, if Kelly at Ruth Chris takes forever to refill your beverage, we write it off as Kelly isn’t good at her job, but not, ‘man, I ain dining at white restaurants anymore’.
Prominent shooting deaths of unarmed black men and women, injustices, and blatant racism have drawn necessary outrage and calls to buy and support black. But it shouldn’t come to that. We can’t afford to wait for the next tragedy to be temporarily outraged and woke. I’m imploring us to shop black now! Let’s generate jobs and wealth in our communities.
A Georgia University study reveals the purchasing power of African Americans at $1.2 trillion. That’s power folks! It’s time to use it and empower our own.
Rick Ross speaks of entrepreneurship on Buy Back the Block and how we should aspire to own something. The less we depend on government assistance, the more self-sufficient we can become and gain the ability to improve our communities.
Websites like izania.com and WeBuyBlack.com help locate black owned products and services. But how we think has to change. Black businesses can’t excel if we lambast them every time we feel exemplary service isn’t received. It’s speciously objective to not give black owned services the same benefit of the doubt we extend to more prominent ones.
Open an account with a black bank. Make honest efforts to shop at black stores.
If the service at a black establishment is poor, give them the opportunity to remedy it. The person that says, “That’s why I don’t deal with black businesses”, has undoubtedly experienced bad service at a white owned store or business before. But we’re so conditioned to be skeptical of all things black, we hesitate to support them. Let’s correct that and follow the lead from an unlikely source, Rick Ross. Buy back the block. Buy black.
Great post.
Much appreciated!! Thank you
This is so on point! The main ones that say they dont deal with black businesses are the ones that try a strike some type of street type deal with you about your prices, the minute they hear your voice. You cant please everyone all the time, but for the most part, I have had positive experiences with black businesses, and I consider myself to be very professional in my party rental business as well.