Never A Business

Booker T. Washington

"I am afraid that there is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent [and wealthy] before the public."

Ch. V - "The Intellectuals and the Boston Mob" - 
Booker T. Washington 1911

I think the reason we lost so much ground economically AFTER the Civil Rights movement is because we did not use our newfound freedoms properly. After we gained the right to sit anywhere we wanted to on public conveyances, stay in any hotel we could afford, etc. We focused on a campaign of “acceptance” from white people (maybe because they look like "Jesus"). Trying to get white people to stop lynching us long enough to serve us some coffee and become “equal” in their eyes for the sake of general acceptance into the beautiful, lily-whited, American “mainstream.”

We marched and demonstrated to gain more opportunities for "equal" employment at all levels in “Corporate America.” Legislatures across the land made sure that we got some "Affirmative Action." Corporations hired us and we became Vice-Presidents in charge of Community Relations, and Assistant Directors of Diversity and Senior Managers of Minority Affairs. White folks gave us corporate business cards WITH OUR NAMES ON THEM. Got to eat cake at nice corporate luncheons. (Have you ever noticed how much white folks enjoy watching Black people eat cake? "Psst - look at those niggers..." I won't eat watermelon, cake or fried chicken around white folks. Period.) We became able to live next to white people without getting a cross burned on our property.

Talk about progress!

Please.

Our extreme focus should only have been on (our) Black economics, politics, entrepreneurship, total ownership of the Black community - with no exceptions, the formation of a [Black] national intellectual infrastructure (think tanks, and exclusively Black superstructuring of HBCU's), along with intra-Black educational and corporate alliances of all types. No – I am not a “Black Nationalist” that hates this country, or thinks that we should “build a separate nation” – hell no. We blood and sweat and slavery built this [America], and because we built this – we have a solid and irrefutable stake HERE.

But after the (legal - not de facto) abolition of Jim Crow - we became more concerned with being "nice" and "integrated" and “accepted” rather than using our prodigious energies and creativity to become competitive (by constructing a parallel society and economy) with the white man (like the way Jewish and Asian Americans have become). Because we continue to mis-handle our freedoms and rights - we are where we are. And this “plight-filled” position is where we will remain until we wake-up to what we really need to do.

We have totally closed the book on the business and political wisdom of Booker T. Washington (research him please). He was one of the slickest Black men ever born. Because of the times he lived in, he attempted to talk and teach us into an independent prosperity on the down-low. He wanted us to understand that the business of America is business. Not a job. Not "Affirmative Action."

Acceptance in a capitalist society comes with competitiveness.

The killer part about Booker T. Washington was that he tricked white people into paying for our education - while pretending he was on "their" side. Historically - one of the biggest American political okie-dokes was his Atlanta Compromise Speech. That was pure politics. He was telling white folks exactly what they wanted to hear - while at the same time prodding them to change some of their more egregious attitudes and actions, so as to protect and promote their own self-interests (get the play?). He smiled - and they clapped. He was hoping that we [Black folks] would quietly pick-up on what he was really doing.

He walked away from that speech with white folks making serious pledges to give him even more money... Slick.

The great intellectual W.E.B. DuBois, along with many other Black contemporaries of Washington's, really did not understand this man Washington was not a "compromiser" - he was a "player." And the white folks that dealt with him got decisively "analysed" and "schmoozed" and "played." From Washington's contemporaries, then all the way to our present-day Black Nationalists (and myself for a time, I must admit), we all unfairly and mistakenly looked upon his finely calculated "long game" persuasive methods as "accomodationism" at best, or "Uncle Tomism" at worst. We don't and didn't understand.

We must also consider the fact that white folks' racial sensitivities at the time were too hot, too retarded, and too homicidally inclined to be raised too high or too fast. He himself could not be seen as "uppity" or be seen as someone trying to raise a multitude of  "uppity niggers."

The image he wanted to project was to be a teacher of skills so that the Negro would be more useful to the white man. Without that projection - he likely would have been lynched, and the Tuskegee Institute would definitely have been destroyed. Therefore, he had to "appear" to be partly agreeable with nasty "Jim Crow" conditions while he was teaching us the basics for the future development of Black economic power. The "long game." Washington played political and racial "chess."

Our American history demanded that we create a parallel economic, investment and educational system (the capability is there - just like we did in Tulsa Oklahoma). We [Blacks] had more real business going on during the worst periods of the Jim Crow era than we do now. And we did all this stuff without marching.

Insurance companies, banks, bus companies, stores, agencies - you name it... A car manufacturing company as well (the Patterson-Greenfield Automobile). Produced several millionaires too - from Black patronage revenues generated within the community. Again - through BUSINESS - not sports or entertainment. And not by demanding that "the athletes and entertainers 'come-in' to provide financing." HEY look - we fucking created BANKS!!! In the 1910's and 1920's folks - again, without the help of athletes and entertainers.

At one time, most Black people had a very high regard and hunger for education. Now, we occupy our precious intellectual time with more important stuff - like Beyonce’s new hairstyle, what the NBA finals are looking like, who's fucking who at church, and who got shot at Pookie's party last night. Or, we are feeding the learning center of our collective brains with the banging dead-endedness of hip-hop (some of the worst hip-hop offenders – like that freak Lil’Wayne, have college educations!?).

“Education? What for? All you need is a blunt, a bitch, and a AK-47!!!”

Or – we have the Sharpton’s and the Jesse’s of our race marching us down another dead end (“We need jobs!!!”). "Up with hope - down with dope!!!" OK... And we have Tavis Smiley along with Dr. Cornell West looking for sponsors to do a "Poverty Bus Tour" (no shit) because we [niggers] need to learn MORE about poverty I guess (Well... I'm excited - OK?). And what the fuck is an "Economic Violence," Reverend Jackson? I guess somebody comes in and beats your ass with a dollar bill. Right? How is it that we can always find resources to open churches, but we refuse to have a clue when it comes to opening a business. "Economic Violence" never seems to get in the way of building churches. We have "food deserts" in Black communities because WE don't open and operate food stores - there are no "church deserts" though.

Isn't it strange how ALL of the so-called "food deserts" are always located in the areas where Jesus is praised in the most exalted ways and the most often? Always where there is an over-abundance of churches? Always where every fucking other nigger is a "minister" or a "prophet?" You know, all the places where so many of the "blessed and highly favored" live.

"Lord, can I get a witness - and a pot to piss in too?"

It is almost psychotic in how WE build so many churches that we now have a vast, nationwide block-after-block "overflow" of these facilities in our communities. But at the same time, we create very few [Black-owned] businesses. Preachers also have the tired nerve to tell our dumb asses that their new megachurch will serve as a "spiritual catalyst to bring up the community economically." And - "this church will serve as a moral anchor for the community." OK... Well, why haven't all the other churches that are already there accomplished this? Because - OK - I have never seen this happen. OK?

Just asking.

What is it about Black people that we prefer to work for the children of the lyncher and discriminator, instead of for ourselves? It is not like we do not have entrepreneurial instincts and drive. Look at how many of our young men are expertly involved in the drug trade. It is an illegal business, but a business nonetheless. So capability is there.

When its time for us to FEED ourselves - someone else (not Jesus) is always expected to "come-in" and do that - in the name of "equal access" and "providing jobs" and "investing in under-developed communities." Hell - niggers don't even "invest" in their community (Maybe that's why it's under-developed?), but we expect everybody else to. That's some crazy shit - ain't it? Really - to expect other people to invest in places (like the Black Community) where we [Blacks] won't. It is not the responsibility of other communities to invest in OUR community. How does that even fucking process? The INVESTOR is the one that OWNS. The INVESTOR may provide jobs - but HE is the one that takes home the PROFITS. Which is the object.

So are we really asking others to OWN where we are? Don't YOU deserve to OWN where YOU are? Do niggers EVER think to OWN where we are? To DO where we are? Every Chinatown in this country is a loud example of how WE should be running the Black community. No white folks, no Koreans, no Arabs, no Others - owning or running a goddamn thing in those areas. Chinese motherfuckers only! But we Black folks can always find a way, and the money, and the time, to build a church though - and feed, employ and prosper a clergyman, and his family, and his fellow hustlers - but we cannot find a way to build stores to employ and prosper our own children - like others do.

I don't get this.

No "food deserts" in Chinatown, and hey - no "food deserts" in Latino communities either. And they say the Latinos are more broke than the niggers are. Are they? Well, they [Latinos] might be more broke - but they sure have enough fucking sense as men, to make sure that "access" to FOOD and other real necessities are available in their communities - without some other community (whites and Asians) "coming-in" to do it for them.

As far as "jobs" are concerned, is working for whites a short-term "Economic Justice?" Or - is it long-term "Economic Suicide?"

People - it would seem that after the superfuck we received through the history of White Christian America that Blacks would absolutely be the most independent, entrepreneurial, asset owning, well-educated, cohesive, politically astute and atheistic minority in this country. 400 years of slavery and shitty treatment and you still prefer a white man being your BOSS? You still prefer to live next door to white folks? You still think that getting an education or reading a book is "acting white?" You still praising the lily-white name of Jesus? 

OK...

There is truly something wrong with us.

Young white men and Asians are moving trillions of dollars around the world per day - per second, with a click of a mouse or a single phone call. Many of them are being well-compensated in tens, and in some cases hundreds of millions of dollars per year (for real). But the "Civil Rights" clergy are always maneuvering us into dead-end situations where our Black asses are picking-up sticks at a construction site; or serving-up some fast-food slop to a lunchtime queue of gum-popping, phone-texting knuckleheads; or shoveling shit behind some white motherfucker's freeze-dried fart factory.

They give us nothing different to set our minds to - nor can they.

Understand - Reverend Jesse's and Reverend Al's children are all college educated. They don't shovel shit, and they don't wear their pants under their asses either (You know - just like some hip-hop artists don't allow THEIR children to listen to rap.). Why hasn't "systemic and institutional racism" deterred THEM from getting an education? Has anyone ever asked those clergy motherfuckers how they were able to overcome the "systemic and institutional racism" obstacle? Huh? We now live in a worldwide "knowledge economy" Black folks. Crack open a business magazine sometime - the "nerds" are the ones making the billions.

Those same business magazines tell the whole world that "The niggers have 900 billion dollars in annual income they can't wait to get rid of!!!"

New immigrants land here, learn how to drive, learn how to say "nigger" properly, plan, save their money and then open businesses in the Black community - so THEY can get as much of those billions as possible. How do they get those billions? One way is by selling you and your children superbly marketed "name-brand" sneakers for $200.00 a pair, that are slave-shop manufactured out of $3.00 worth of fine Indonesian plastic. Another way is via "weave" and its associated products, which are sold almost exclusively by Asians to Black women nationally at the astounding clip of 9 billion dollars per year... Do you like those figures?

No?

Well... That's CAPITALISM! Black folks...

TV cameras roll - as the nigger clergy rail and hyperventilate on podiums across the nation. A bunch of low-life cynical bastards - pissing in our faces, about "Economic Racism" and "Economic Justice" and "Economic Violence" and "Economic Parity" and "Economic This" and "Economic That."

And "Economic...What The Fuck?"

The power structure responds to this noise - and "sets aside" certain jobs for us - so we can shut the fuck up and shovel another 900 billion dollars worth of shit. The nigger clergy as the main undercover agents for the power structure then collects under-the-table political favors (for the pastor and his family - not you), and direct cash payments from the power structure as compensation for treasonous services that you never see or pick-up on. Those services only benefit White interests - while at the same time purposely undermining the Black community. These good clergy have "charity" and "services" and "programs" of various kinds to keep [us] niggers blind, stupid, and disorganized.

At the same time... The immigrants are making more money off us than they know what to do with.

The clergy is making more money off us than they know what to do with.

And the nerds sip expensive cocktails and laugh at the niggers marching on TV while they are clocking $10,000 per hour.

Beautiful.

(As a good example of this money shit: Check-out the Reverend Dr. Leroy Thompson, shamelessly speaking about his $16,000 dog on YouTube, while telling his congregation to kiss his ass(!) in the same breath - this shit is hilarious, but not funny. Did I say: "The clergy is making more money off us than they know what to do with?" Oh...)

Now – if Black churches were actually sincere about actual progress for Black people – they would preach about the importance of establishing Black businesses, and the importance of patronizing Black businesses (one of the reasons Latinos will eventually trump us economically, is that Latinos have no problem patronizing Latino businesses). Those churches would make clear the reasons why we should own and remain in our neighborhoods, why we should stop destroying ourselves with black-on-black criminality, and help young people to make the pursuit of high-level literacy, culture, science, engineering, law, political science, and business a life priority.

They would establish in the name of Jesus - real programs and mechanisms to ACTUALLY make those things HAPPEN - in the name of Jesus (Amen). If those churches have such an "anointed" connection to "The Lord" as they say they do... I mean, hey - he is the ultimate source of power and wisdom in this universe - is that correct? Right? OK? - SO, since that's the case - there should be no problem with "the church" producing hundreds of billionaires, and thousands of millionaires (other than the pastors), out of the Black community, as a direct result of church teaching and prayer. That should and would be unstoppable.

Not an unreasonable proposition - if that's the case - Right?

OK... If we truly have the "Power Of The Holy Spirit" behind us - why in the name of God, shouldn't we see SOME of that proclaimed "blessed-and-highly-favored-ness" translate into some actual "Benjamins" for the "people in the pews" - in the here and right now for a change? Jesus!!! How about some good "quality of life" in all-Black neighborhoods? We do have the favor of the ALMIGHTY there, right in our back fucking pockets? Right? Come On...

Pastor?

OK.

But of course - that will never happen. One of the main functions of the Black Church is to keep Black people economically subservient to white people, and to always have us in a tied-up, confused, childlike state. We as a people pay for these "divine blessings" at the prodigious rate of $300 million dollars a week. Yes... That is what we Black folks - just us, give to churches EVERY WEEK - $15.6 Billion dollars a year.

See any improvement commensurate with that figure?

Black clergymen are supported and directed by the white power structure (believe it) to keep us Black people deprived, disorganized, in check, and working hard against ourselves. Intellectual development of any kind, the study of science and technology, the study of economics, and displaying business competitiveness is regarded as un-godly and greedy. You know - the way they lay-on that rich man, camel and needle bullshit  (Matthew 19:24 KJV).

You should be a sheep in somebody's flock.

Poverty can be overcome through obedience to "The Lord."

And - "The meek shall inherit the earth..."

KISS MY ASS.

Clergymen have niggers looking up at clouds and shit, shouting, praising, and "seeking" a non-existent "Lord." While we are seeking "The Lord" - the rest of the world is running past us - seeking new markets to capitalize and make money on. "Did you find Jesus yet?" - "No?"

"Did you check under this rock?"

The clergy will have us proactively angry about the possibility of gays getting married, instead of being proactively angry, and being proactive to stop the high amount of crime that goes on in our neighborhoods. Think about how backwards and stupid that shit is - these preachers having us Black folks proactively believing that stopping marriage has a higher priority than stopping murder...

Brilliant.

As an aside - that's incredible, if you consider how much "fornicating" is going-on within the Black Christian community and the very low number of Black folks that actually do get married despite the very high number of children that are produced. But it may be that Black folks are opposed, not actually to gay marriage, but to marriage - maybe that's whats really up. And they don't want to be shown-up by gays as a group possibly doing - in greater numbers, what we as a community refuse to do. 

Right? 

"Shaquita - how many kids you got?" - "Nine." - "How old are you?" - "Twenty Seven." - "You a Christian?" - "Yes." - "Ever been married?" - "No." - "Do you go to church?" - "Yes." - "Do you like to fuck?" - "Yes" - "Did you fuck the pastor?" - "Yes" - "Did you fuck your pastor's boyfriend?" -"Yes" - "How you feelin' gay marriage?" - "That's ahhginst GOD!" 

Tell me you don't know her...

Now...

I sometimes act as a referral source for several leasing agents of commercial properties for a fee. I once received information about a well-located commercial property (in the Black community - but situated within an upper middle class / low crime area) with parking that was available for sale or lease that could also be divided. When I released the information about this property onto my networks – these were some of the responses I got:

1. Arab – wanted to open a grocery store.

2. Korean – wanted to open a beauty supply.

3. Greek – wanted to open a fruit market.

4. Black – wanted to open a church.

5. Korean – wanted to open a dry-cleaners with plant.

6. Indian – wanted to open a Dunkin Donuts.

7. Black – wanted to open a Christian outreach center.

8. Black – wanted to open a church.

9. Pakistani – wanted to open a Seven-11.

10. Black – wanted to open a church.

We got the best deal from No.9 – it closed as a lease/sale. The contract goes into sale mode after a three-year lease period. The lessee ended up building-out the excess space to be sub-leased to other businesses. I got a lot more responses than these ten cited, wanting to utilize the property for various commercial purposes. But EVERY response I got from one of our [Black] folks – they wanted the property to use as a church, or something Christian-related. Never a business. We Black folks seem to have a “church-only” focus that just turns my stomach.

That's why we are so fucked-up.

The next time you [Black person] walk into another $3,000,000 a year gross revenue, hole-in-the-wall Korean-owned beauty supply store, that is located smack in the middle of your neighborhood; and after you are followed around like a criminal while you are trying to shop for your "hair jam" and "doo rags;" and when you walk up to the counter to pay for your goods -  and the Korean gives you a dry-assed look, like you've just been released from prison; and snatches your money off the counter, like you borrowed it and took a long time to pay him back; and he does not want to touch your hand when he gives you change - like you're some kind of walking biohazard; and shoves your bag of purchases at you - like you're a stupid bitch; and damn near tells you to get the fuck out his store...

I want you to think about everything I said in this post.