Dear Brothers and Sisters:
The Black Community has a dirty little secret that everyone knows about, including the media, but no one discusses. It’s a secret like the “N” word. Many utter it privately, but it’s not mentioned in public. That “secret” is the very troubling difficulty that we, as blacks, have with spending our money with black businesses.
Economists say the average dollar earned by blacks stays in our community for 6 hours. Compare that to the white community. Dollars circulate in the white community for 17 days! Some laugh at our spending habits — then they harvest our dollars like locusts in a field of corn. They don’t care that strong black businesses are good for the ENTIRE community. Considering the potential to lower crime and violence, ALL people should make a point of supporting black businesses.
According to Brian Williams, MBA and Founder of PurchaseBlack.com, “If we spent nine cents of our collective dollar with black owned businesses we could employ every single man, woman and child within the black community”. More jobs will lower crime and violence. We should heed the advice of Rev. Leon Sullivan and take charge of the dollars that flow through our pockets. The power is in our hands.
Our Coalition has a 10 Point Plan to lower crime and violence through economic self-help. It is a multiyear plan that is based on a simple premise – increased support for Black Business will cure many of the ills in our community. Join us and do 3 things. (1) Make at least 10% of your purchases with black businesses. (2) Go to our web site www.buyblackapp.net and tell the world about the black businesses that you patronized this month. (3) Repeat steps 1 and 2 every week and every month until we show the world that we can control the dollars in our community.
Have a safe – and smart – holiday season!
The Coalition in Support of Black Business
Alyn Waller – Pastor, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church
Kenny Gamble – President, Philadelphia International Records
Robert W. Bogle – President & CEO, The Philadelphia Tribune
Ali Salahuddin – President, African Genesis Institute – d’Zert Club
Ryan Boyer – Business Manager, Laborer’s District Council
Rev. Gregory Holston – Executive Director, POWER
Todd Rose – President & CEO, TelRose Corporation
Rodney Muhammad – President & CEO, Philadelphia NAACP
Rev. Leroy Miles – Assoc. Pastor, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church
Sarah Lomax – President, WURD Radio
Kenneth Nurrideen – Imam, Philadelphia Masjid
Joann Bell – Convener , Black Women’s Leadership Council
Kenneth A. Salaam – Cecil B. Moore Freedom Fighters
Catherine Hicks – Publisher, The Philadelphia Sunday SUN
Mikal Shabazz – Imam, Masjidullah Center for Human Excellence
Bishop Keith W. Reed Sr. – Sharon Baptist Church
Michael A. Rashid – President, M.A. Rashid & Associates
Rahim Islam – CEO, Universal Companies
Gary Shepherd – President, 3rd Floor Media
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