An often complained about problem within the African American community centers around paying each other. We all seek prosperity. We all want to provide for our families and live an enjoyable life. What we do not always consider is how we treat those around us that want the same thing.
There are businesses within predominantly African American communities that offer equal to or better service than the same business in another community. These businesses are often overlooked by the local community. Consumers will travel outside of their own neighborhood to go to someone else offering the same business. Why?
In other cases, African Americans WILL come to a business in the local neighborhood, but if the service is not cash and carry business, at some point they may default on payment. If we understand the concept of “As Above, So Below”, “What Goes Around, Comes Around” or the more popular “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”, we would avoid defaulting on payment. Why does this happen?
The Spirit of Ujaama
The fourth day of Kwanzaa, Ujaama, means Cooperative Economics. As defined in the Nguzo Saba, (the Seven Principles), it means To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together. For reasons that are too long to go into here, we have conducted the most successful boycott in history. The problem is, the boycott is against businesses created by our own communities. When we ask someone to do a service, they complete it to our satisfaction and we don’t pay them, several events take place:
- The owner of the business cannot pay rent, lights or staff
- The business possibly can close, leaving a vacant property in the neighborhood. Property values in the community will lower.
- One less place to get the service exists. This leaves the remaining businesses with the opportunity to raise their prices, making it even more costly to the consumer.
- The business owner’s family is possibly without income.
- The risk to the consumer who decides to go into business themselves goes up.
Paying Each Other Pays YOU
The longer a dollar stays within the local community, the better that community will be able to grow and beautify itself. To understand how our local communities are being destroyed, keep track of what you spend during an entire week. Track WHERE the money being paid out goes. Like most people in local African American communities, you will find the money goes to businesses OUTSIDE of your community. When that happens, who helps beautify your block?
We must pledge to ourselves and our children to set a good example of paying each other, by attempting to buy goods and services within our own neighborhood if possible. If we contract a long term business relationship with a local business, we need to place as much importance on paying that business ON TIME as we do other businesses outside of our local area. We need to avoid over committing ourselves, therefore becoming financially overextended.
If we follow these ideas, when WE come up with a business idea, local residents will support us. This is how Ujaama is achieved. By paying each other, we are paying OURSELVES!
