By Vanessa the “Afro-Conservative”
Question: What do most women think about more than men? Answer: Their Hair. Don’t get upset ladies-we know it’s true.
Many people don’t know that the first woman to become a self-made millionaire was a Black woman by the name of Madam CJ Walker. She went from working in the cotton fields in the South-to distributing hair care products through her own manufacturing firm. For those of you who chemically straighten your hair-you can thank her for the perm. I’ll stick with my nappy hair. Thanks.
There are many lessons we can learn from Madam CJ Walker. The first is that if we have enough drive we can accomplish anything even under the most inauspicious circumstances.
In Madam CJ Walker’s time, Black people weren’t an “interest group”-so most Blacks had to depend on one other (mutual aid networks) like the church in order to survive. Madam CJ Walker understood that. Because of her entrepreneurial spirit-not only was she able to become a self-made millionaire, she was able to help lift many Black people out of poverty through EMPLOYMENT. We should always avoid class envy because if Madam CJ was poor and part of the “why me” chorus–she wouldn’t have been able to create jobs. I want you to remember that next time a Liberal politician tries to get you angry at “rich people”. Madam CJ Walker was also a philanthropist. She left over 2/3 of her wealth to organizations she felt worked towards the betterment of her community– like the Tuskegee Institute, and a historically black college by the name of Bethune-Cookman College.
Many Black people hated Reagan because they say he cut many “essential” social programs. What many Blacks fail to realize is that under Reagan, the number of black-owned businesses increased from 308,000 – 424, 000 which is equivalent to a 38 percent influx (compared to the 14 percent increase in the total number of firms in the United States). Moreover, receipts by black-owned firms doubled (went from $9.6 billion to $19.8 billion at the end of his administration). Let’s give credit where credit is due. Part of the reason why receipts for Black owned businesses doubled is because Reagan understood that too much government can stifle economic activity. Which do you prefer, a leader who promotes dependency through legislation-or one who promotes economic autonomy? I choose the latter.
Obama’s policies may sound nice but they aren’t doing anything to stimulate the economic activity in this country. When the rest of America is in a recession-the ripple effects on the Black community are even more potent. While I have tremendous respect for Obama, as an individual, I cannot willfully blind myself to the fact his policies are having a retardant effect on our economy…because his father was Black, like me.
Instead of waiting for the government to step in where we come short-it’s important for us to look to the people who came before us, like Madam Walker-who had conditions significantly more arduous-yet still managed to turn their obstacles into opportunities.
The entrepreneurs in the Inner City should look more like the people who fraternize their businesses. There are many non-profit small business networks which help individuals draft business proposals. There are also programs that help small business owners with loans and grants. Many of these programs are geared specifically for Blacks. Madam CJ Walker didn’t have any of those things in her day. So, therefore, -we have no excuses.
