Its Not Racial Barriers That Keep Blacks From Prospering: American Blacks Must Pool Capital in Order to Help Themselves[Reprinted from Issues & Views Summer 1991, with phrasing edits][Address by businessman S.B. Fuller to the National Association of Manufacturers, December 6, 1963.]. . . . It is contrary to the laws of nature for man to stand still; he must move forward, or the eternal march of progress will force him backward. This the black man has failed to understand; he believes that the lack of civil rights legislation, and the lack of integration have kept him back. But this is not true. . . .In 1952, the average black mans income was 57% of that of the white mans, but in 1962 it was only 53% of his income. In a period of ten years, the black mans income had dropped 4 percentage points in comparison with the white mans income. The main reason for this is black lack of understanding of our capitalistic system of government. Capitalism is defined as an economic system in which capital and capitalists play the principal part. Specifically, the established economic system of most modern civilized countries, in which the ownership of land and natural wealth, the production, distribution, and exchange of goods, the employment and reward of human labor, and the extension, organization, and operation of the system itself, are entrusted to, and effected by private enterprise and control, under competitive conditions.This black America does not understand. Lets take, for example, distribution at the retail level. One-sixth of all people employed in America are employed in retail selling; 11,650,000 people in retail sales as of 1962. If the black man had the amount of initiative, courage and imagination required, he could control the retail selling in his own community. Since he represents 10% of the population of America today, he would be able to employ 1,065,000 people. There are 1,788,325 retail establishments in America and yet in New York City, where there are over 1,000,000 black people, they do not own over 15 businesses which employ over 10 people.Unfortunately, blacks believe that there is a racial barrier in America which keeps them from succeeding, yet if they would learn to use the laws of observation, concentration, memory, reason, and action, they would realize that there is a world of opportunity right in their own communities. . . .Because [the black man] does not own and control retail establishments in his own community, he is unable to stabilize his community. For every evening, at the close of business, the substantial citizen leaves that community and goes to another community to live, thus leaving black community improverished, and the wealth derived from the community through retail sales is transferred to the other community, thus building up that community. These merchants are not to be blamed for this, because the supply and demand must be satisfied. Since blacks do not supply the demand in their own communities, the white man must come in, and he takes advantage of the opportunity. Then blacks think that there is a racial barrier that keeps them from making progress. Therefore, blacks ask for legislation to remove the barrier which they automatically created themselves, due to their own lack of action.The average black man believes that the purpose of business is to furnish jobs, but this is not true. The purpose of business is to render service and to make a profit, and by doing this, it must employ people. These people must be able to render service and produce a commodity that the businessman can sell at a profit. If not the business can no longer employ the individual. . . .Black people must pool their capital in order to help themselves. They must establish retail sales organizations throughout their communities and also must go into light manufacturing where retail selling has already produced an outlet for the products light manufacturing can produce. This will enable blacks to help solve their own problems. . . .Since our capitalistic system is a competitive system, the black man must learn to compete with his fellowman. He must not only seek jobs, but he must own establishments which will give jobs to others. . . .
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 02:56:01 +0000
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