Which America Are We Living In?

There has been intense chatter about Black-on-Black crime in response to the George Zimmerman verdict in Sanford, FL. The most used example is the uptick in “gang related” homicides in Chicago.  It is very easy to deflect from the larger points as to why it is happening.  Don Lemon of CNN weighed in on his five points for the African American community.   Those of us in the African American community have heard a variation of these before from our parents. He stressed pulling up your pants.  He also stressed to stop perpetrating the use of the “N” word.  Respect where you live and stop dropping your trash in your neighborhood.  Finish school and become a viable part of society.  Just because you can have a baby doesn't mean you should. He also mentioned a quote from one of his guests, “If Conservatives are so interested in helping to resolve the issues in the African American community, why do they only discuss it when they want to stick it to the African American community?” It is fairly obvious that Mr. Lemon is only focusing on the surface of the problem.

As an African American fortunate enough to live in an affluent, diverse Florida community, I believe there is a link between economic status and crime.  Two towns from my community is a large trailer park.  The trailer park racial mix is approximately 80% White.  I have spoken with Police Officers that patrol the trailer park that process the incredible amount of crime reports that take place in the park.  So, there must be evidence of linkage between income and crime.   Based on the 2011 U.S. Census survey, there are approximately 45 million African Americans and 198 million White Americans.  The Census indicates that 23.3% of African Americans (18-64) and 9.9% of White Americans (18-64) are living below the poverty level.

Fundamentalfinance.com sited their analysis of the link to poverty and crime.  Poverty can cause high levels of stress that in turn may lead individuals to commit robbery, theft or other violent acts.  Poverty may also lead to a perceived or actual inferior education which could cause young people to rely less on access to schools, jobs and role models.  These elements lower the opportunity costs of crime and increase the likelihood that young people will spend more time in the streets associated with gangs.  In 2010, White families earned $2 for every $1 African American families earned, a ratio that has been the same for 30 years.  While this analysis doesn't justify committing crime, it is import to understand the possible inputs that contribute to the acts.  

In contrast, the African American community spending power is estimated to reach $1 trillion by 2015.  Has the spending power changed the economic standing of the African American community? Jeneba Ghatt of the Ghatt Law Group shares some interesting statistics. Despite being 13% of the U.S. population, African Americans own 5% of U.S. small businesses and only 1.8% of companies that employ more than one person.  The profitability of African American businesses is bleak.  More than half the African American businesses had less than $10,000 in business receipts in 2002, compared to one-third of White-owned firms and 28.8% of Asian-owned firms.  The spending pattern of the African American community is 30% higher the rest of the population.  In terms of assets, cash savings, homes and retirement accounts subtracted from debt such as mortgage and credit cards, white families have six times wealth.    When you use that store credit card to purchase that designer label, did you ask yourself how will the dollars spent impact your community? Did the “bling” change your economic outlook or your families?  Especially since there was a 300% mark up on what you just bought.  You can’t fix a problem if you don’t recognize that a problem exists.  There are poverty and crime and there are spending and opportunity.  There is not an easy explanation for either of them.  The category that you fall into will determine- Which America Are You Living In?

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

My fascination with UK based Tesco PLC occurred when Tesco- Homeplus South Korea introduced a Subway Virtual Grocery Store using smart phones in Seoul, Korea  at the Seolleung underground train station.     Virtual grocery shopping before you board your train? The concept was unheard of and unproven.

  Subway Virtual Grocery Store South Korea video

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO of Tesco. He signed a copy of his book Management in 10 Words.   Courage and Act were two words from his book. By definition courageous acts or audacious goals take you into uncharted territory, beyond the safe borders you have set for yourself.  You have to turn your words into action. You have to be disciplined after a mistake is made to stop and identify lessons learned from the mistake and continue moving forward.  This can be applied to the African American community. 

 One example that could be applied to courage and action is the success of Paul Luyeye and his wife Martha Makuena of Congo.  The couple moved to Beijing, China for a job opportunity and later opened the first African hair salon in 2003.   There were an estimated 3,000 Africans in Beijing.  The couple had a vision, learned Mandarin and diligently set a course to capitalize on the opportunity.  

Another example is the story of Fredrick Bruce Thomas (Fyodor Fyodorovich Tomas) that migrated from Mississippi to Europe and eventually Russia.  Thanks to Quintard Taylor of Blackpast.org for sharing these incredible proof points of courage and action.  In 1894 Thomas fled to Paris to seek greater freedom.  During his time there he learned French and developed exception his skills as a waiter and valet. In 1899, Thomas traveled to Russia where there were few African Americans in a country of over one million.  By 1911, Thomas learned Russian and succeeded again as a waiter.  He succeed in two entertainment ventures.  His last one Maxim became the favorite for Russia night spot for five years.   He was the first African American to get Russian citizenship.  All of these examples have one thing in common.  They were not afraid to get out of their comfort zone to gain success.  International borders where not an obstacle. Something that we should think about.  Something that our community needs to think about.

           

"No Excuses" - Making the Effort to Success June 2013

Every person would like to envision their life similar to someone who has achieved success. Kobe Bryant made $60 million and Bill Gates is worth $67 billion. I would like to add my personal favorites, Warren Buffett with a net worth of $55 billion and Bob Johnson with $550 million.  Which person and which field of endeavor does your mind gravitate towards? Some African Americans chose to take a less traveled road to success.  These individuals understood the obstacles they would face, and dedicated themselves to challenging those obstacles.  A set of trailblazing African American CEOs accepted the incredible challenge of becoming leaders of multibillion dollar enterprises. They accomplished an incredible feat and one that should be analyzed.  Consider that African Americans make up less than 1% of the CEOs of the Fortune 1000 companies today. 

They sought the education, the experience and most of all beating the "perception" of incapability. They probably hung on to an inner belief in "no excuses" during the many difficult times in their journey. Black Profiles illustrated the top 6 African American CEOs of the Fortune 500 largest companies in the United States.  They represent $171.2 billion in revenue, $21 billion in profits with 855,000 employees worldwide. Many may not know the individual names, but the  enterprises they manage have recognizable names. 

1. Kenneth C. Frazier  -          Merck & Co., Inc.
2. Roger W. Ferguson, Jr.  -  TIAA-CREF
3. Kenneth I. Chenault  -         American Express
4. Don Thompson  -                McDonald's Corporation
5. Ursula M. Burns  -               Xerox Corporation
6. Clarence Otis, Jr.  -            Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden,etc. )

President Obama gave an incredible  "No Excuses" speech. What's your excuse? 

President Obama's May 19, 2012 Speech   

Welcome to Positive Directions (MIA) Minorities in Action

Welcome to the new Blog – Positive Directions (MIA) Minorities in Action.  Positive Directions will highlight the incredible accomplishments by Minorities are contributing to this great country.  Too often, the negative imagines capture the spotlight.   During Black History month 2013, I posted on Facebook inventions by African Americans every day of the month.  These inventions were sourced from an incredible book by @Raymond B. Webster, African American Firsts in Science & Technology.  The feedback that I received from my American, British, French, Latin American, Singaporean and Indian friends were very encouraging. It highlighted how overlooked the incredible odds that individuals powered through to get patents soon after Slavery.  When you hear about these accomplishments under those circumstances, you quickly realize that there isn't any excuse to accomplishing your goals if you dedicate yourself to achieving them.  They can be achieved if you develop a  "no matter what" mind set. I hope to interview Mr. Webster and share his inspiration for publishing such an incredible book.

We will counter the negative imagery and give readers facts, success stories and encouragement to continue reshaping and positively contributing to society.  Whether it is in Science, Finance, Global Business, Engineering, Academia, etc., we want to provide a forum that individuals can congregate every month to explore contributions that they were not aware of.  You will witness contributions of the past and present that are rarely picked up by the Media.  Minorities are successful in more than just Entertainment and Professional Sports.

 

Consider that in 1753, an African American scientist, Benjamin Banneker constructed the first clock in the United States.  It was hand carved out of wood and was reported to have kept time for 40 years.  What are the odds of this invention occurring during turbulent time? Especially since the Emancipation Proclamation did not happen until 1863!