Thought of the Day... Recycle the Black Dollar! “And you shall remember that the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” Deut. 8:18 Habari gani FB Family! The appropriate response is the principle of the day... Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) which is Cooperative Economics- “To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit together from them.” It is estimated that the black buying power in the US will hit 1.1 trillion in 2015. That would equally to being the 16th largest country in the world. The black buying power is about 60 billion in Georgia, and 2 billion is Savannah (2007). According to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, money circulates zero to one time within the black community, compared to 6 times in the Latino community, 9 times in the Asian community, and an unlimited amount in the white community. Bottom line, we need to as black consumers support black businesses more and black businesses need to support one another more. Black businesses of course need to support the black community by providing top quality products and services. The old adage that the white mans ice is colder” must be eradicated from our collective psyche. Every year this time many of us will do the “Daniel Fast,” you know eating right for about 21 good days and then I dont know what happens the rest of the year! Well, my proposal is to do a “21-Day Buy Black” spending plan. Staring January 1, which is also Emancipation Proclamation Day, each day for a 3 week period, we agree to spend some of our dollars with at least one black business. We need to emancipate ourselves from thinking that other peoples products and services are superior to ours. We also need to have courageous conversations with our black businesses that we not only support them because they are black, but we support them because they are black and better. We must encourage them to support educational causes like grade level reading, alternative education programs (which are predominantly African American), and youth employment. When we support black businesses we would expect them to hire black people, especially our youth. As Paul declared, “For it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and then the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). I say we take the same attitude; recycling of our dollars should start first in the black community; turn those dollars over an unlimited amount of time before it leaves. Malcolm called it Black Nationalism; to own and operate the businesses at least in our own communities. The black dollar doesnt stay in the black community long enough to do much good. Additionally, other nationalities who set up shop in the black community, at the end of each day, take their basket full of money to another part of town. I am almost sure they are not banking with Carver State Bank or Capitol City Bank. Please brothers and sisters, let’s think of ways to can practice Ujamaa and support one another economically and otherwise. Harambee, lets pull together!!! Black Love, Black Peace & Black Power! Love Yall! EC Thought Prayer Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day and for being Jehovah-Jireh, our provider. Give us the knowledge, wisdom and understand to become better stewards over the resources you provide. Give us as a black community a cooperative spirit to help support black businesses as they honor you and give back to their community. Thank you Jesus for not only providing us economic wealth but also spiritual wealth in our time of need. We love and adore you endlessly. I submit this prayer in the name of Jesus and by His precious blood I claim victory on His Word. Amen!
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 16:19:53 +0000