No whining, just seizing opportunities

Here are links to recent Biweekly Commentaries describing the entrepreneurial efforts of black men -- from the eccentric, yet effective Father Divine, to Heman Perry, a banker, housing developer, and founder of insurance firms, who dreamed of helping to bring about a "self-sufficient national black economy," to the current business ventures of Philadelphia's Kenny Gamble.

The Much Maligned Father Divine
In opposition to certain government policies, Divine made his views known to the Roosevelt Administration, warning them that by diminishing the work ethic, their policies would "lower the standard of a person for the present, and for his future generation."

Black Pride and Business
"They'd go out and buy a piece of land, develop it and build homes and sell it to our people. I had a lot of that work, putting plumbing into new homes that they built. And our people started expanding, getting into these new homes."

An Indispensable Business
Less than a year after it was renovated and opened under the new ownership, a local newspaper deemed Yates & Milton a "smashing success," and the drug store was on its way to becoming an indispensable part of the busy Auburn shopping district.

Uniontown Entrepreneur
Eldridge was known as a diligent manager and a "square dealer." His mercantile company grew as he became the primary supplier of groceries and miscellaneous farm items to Uniontown residents and farmers in the region. He ran a credit business for both blacks and whites, and sold wholesale goods to smaller stores in the surrounding counties.

Making the Most of Opportunities
Although Jackson the younger was unable to obtain the license he desired, it appears that he went on to prosper in other occupations, since city records of 1830 indicate that he was well off as a property owner. Whining over the things that could not be accomplished obviously was not a Jackson family trait.

Doing It the Old-Fashioned Way
Gamble, a well-known music composer and producer and now a land developer, speaks of the thriving black communities where people once came to enjoy black food, music and clubs. "We created a community for ourselves."

Copyright © 2008 Issues & Views