SUBMITTED BY:
Perry Ealim
President/CEO
Merge BDS, Inc.
Everyone is talking about the Tuesday election and what it means for our community and country. I ask what will it do for the Black-African-American and the minority business community as a whole? We have place our future in the hands of people who look like us or others who say they have our best interest at heart. They come to us and ask for our support and votes, and understanding.
They make a few speeches at the local churches and take a picture or two and tell us that things are going to be alright when they are elected. They then place a person who has been around a long time in a position to over see the community that looks like us. They know there will be nothing new coming from the community that he or she has been placed to Shepard because the community will not come as one nor set an economic agenda. To think of creating an economic center in our communities would be met with such mixed feelings that some of us would look for reason to shoot the messager so the message will not get out (same groceries just a different bag) recycling the same old people and thoughts.
This was done with the Bushes doing their Presidency remember Colon Powell, Ms. Rice etc. The hand me down from one Bush to the next (sounds like what was happening doing slavery times from dad to sons).
It is time for us to to look at the bugger picture. The power to change any community is can only be had by Three things MONEY, VOTES and an economic educational plan. If you can deliver one or all three you have created power in the community.
We as Black-African-Americans need to understand that the wealth in our communities if positioned right will bring about a greater change than just hoping and praying that someone will hear our plea. We have the power to "DO FOR SELF".
I look at what we have lost in our communities after all the marches and death of people who came before us to give us "RIGHTS". I heard the state official from the NAACP once say that they fought for the rights for us to eat at local hamburger stands and restaurants. That was a great battle and I for one am very proud of what our people did to get us to that point. But now, it is time that we fight to have the right to OWN those stands and restaurants that we now can sit in and eat.
Despite the historic night for these candidates, I would like to see our Black African American elected officials hire Blacks for the “power” positions on their staffs? These positions are: chief of staff, legislative director, press secretary, or directors.
Republicans (and especially Black Republicans) always claim to not hire based on race. Well, if one is so color blind that one doesn’t realize that one has no Blacks in positions of power on their staffs, then maybe they are just blind to people of color stated Mr. Jackson.
Now if there is a White or Latino elected, I can almost garantee you that they will have a white or Hispanics in one of the power positions. It’s not about being race conscious, but rather being cognizant that you have the opportunity to open the doors for the next wave of operatives from within your own community.
Whites from both parties always complain about Blacks (and other minorities) don’t have the necessary experience for the power positions, yet they rarely give them the opportunity to rise to those positions. When Blacks get into a position of power, it is incumbent upon us to provide opportunities for those who are underrepresented to get the necessary skill set to ascend to these higher levels of power. If we don’t open the doors to those from within our own communities, then who will? If we don't do it now then tell me when? I have yet to see Blacks in power open doors of opportunities to other Blacks in any significant way. If I have offended anyone, well...... This is what I call "the same groceries just a different bag".
Your feed back please.
"If you can't help me, don't block me"
