Black Owned But Ideally Oppressorcentric

[preach]

 This post is first and foremost influenced by my present place of employment. The Business is black owned and operated and also under the heading of a christian establishment. Without going into grand detail I will say this experience has been my worse job encounter to date, and i have previously  worked at some black owned establishments. My question is have black owned businesses adopted the shrewd sense of business savvy from whites or are my experiences isolated?  

[empress_shanell]

   no , your not isolated many of our people have been brainwashed into thinking that we must oppress each other to get ahead.

[Oshun_Auset]

Capitalism...the equal opportunity oppressor.

[RASNUBIAN]

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

[Ayinde]

Recognizing the importance in supporting Black businesses is just a first step. One should go on to check out the awareness/conduct of the people involved. In general, people should continually strive to support those with improved awareness/conduct.

But the flip side of that is the attitude of many Blacks when they have to work for or support other Black Businesses. Many go there with their colonial attitudes, thinking they are doing the Black businesses a favour (sometimes they may be right) but they tend to demand more than their fair share for this support.

I have direct experiences with this as I have operated several businesses for many years. Often the demand on a Black entrepreneur is way more than anyone else. Simply being like the others just don't work. You have to be exceptional at what you do to succeed, and the pressure comes from both the poor and wealthy in the society. I know I was always under the microscope, which worked in my favour. With a staff size reaching 120, I had to be their social worker to keep things running. I was quite aware of how their personal issues, and the colonized mindset impacted on their own performance, and by extension our overall performance.

Anyhow, maybe I will say more if the thread develops.

[emmanuel]

Recognizing the importance in supporting Black businesses is just a first step. One should go on to check out the awareness/conduct of the people involved. In general, people should continually strive to support those with improved awareness/conduct.

But the flip side of that is the attitude of many Blacks when they have to work for or support other Black Businesses. Many go there with their colonial attitudes, thinking they are doing the Black businesses a favour (sometimes they may be right) but they tend to demand more than their fair share for this support.

I have direct experiences with this as I have operated several businesses for many years. Often the demand on a Black entrepreneur is way more than anyone else. Simply being like the others just don't work. You have to be exceptional at what you do to succeed, and the pressure comes from both the poor and wealthy in the society. I know I was always under the microscope, which worked in my favour. With a staff size reaching 120, I had to be their social worker to keep things running. I was quite aware of how their personal issues, and the colonized mindset impacted on their own performance, and by extension our overall performance.

Anyhow, maybe I will say more if the thread develops.

Growing up in the U/K back in the days...the first black man... Mr. Brown...opened his shop...the black people of the area flooded in...90% of them seem to want something for nothing...Mr. Brown had the lowest prices anyway...but no.. that was not enough...in the area were a lot of Pakistani and indian shops ...not to mention the white folks...the white shop owners were treated with unduly great respect as usual...the Pakistani and Indians treated the blacks as third class citizens...because they realized that they could supply a lot of our needs...they in turn were treated correctly...too much respect...Mr. Brown experienced only contempt...he was then BLACK LISTED...he in tern had to start cheating to pay his bills...i.e. wetting his salt fish before sale...at this point the Pakistani and Indians dropped their prices drastically... down to rock bottom...Mr. Brown couldn't keep up... didn't take long before he was bankrupt...as soon as he was out of the runnings...the prices went up more than doubled...they had no choice...they had to buy...it was then and only then that they started to praise Mr. Brown...a little too much too late.[/b]

[karibkween]

As a black business owner I can testify that the disrespect comes from all races. Latinos think that hard work is the equivalent of working like a "Negro." Blacks act like you are not deserving of the same effort they give to whites, and whites believe that they can run your business better than you can.
I once had a white employee say to me in response to a question about an unauthorized discount she gave to a customer that she thought her discounted price was appropriate.
Taking pride in ones job performance has nothing to do with race. Neither does respect for your employer, whatever their ethnicity. Why does a Black Business owner deserve less than your professional best? How is it his fault that your job performance does not meet his standards. I think that Black employees, knowing the unfairness that exists in the business community, and the exceptional quality required to merely compete should not expect to be cuddled once they are in the employ of a Black Business owner. White expectations do not change, whether you're an employee or an employer.

[Oshun_Auset]

I must agree on this point. Although capitalism fosters exploitive mentalities in many buisiness owners towards there employees. There are a lot of good small Black buisineess owners out there...and this exploitive mentality is also fostered in ther customers unfortunately. I know many Black small buisines owners(my best friend and father are two) and a large amount of people come in expecting a "hook up" they would never request from buisinesses owned by "others". That is the internalized view that if it is Black owned it isn't worth as much and doesn't deserve the same (if not more) respect another place of buisiness should get. We need to support our Black owned busisinesses. It is an extension of supporting ourselves.

[Ayinde]

I never supported a business just because it was Black owned, and I never wanted or expected people to simply support mine just because I was Black. I would deliberately support another Black business if I see the operators striving to demonstrate better qualities than the cutthroat European models. Usually I would first casually mention the poor service and products (if I see any) that could be improved, and wait to see the reactions. Once I could not see any difference in the 'attitude' together with an improved awareness, then I would simply look for the best product available and spend my funds there.

Being a Black owned business gets my attention, but it is not sufficient on its own as I am not trading a White oppressor for a Black one as a sign of self support, especially when I can find Black people who are genuinely more caring and community-oriented to support.

I had a good idea of the White business practices, and I developed my own standards, which ruled out corruption. I just could not accept supporting a Black person with poor White conduct (colonized black) as genuine Black support. That kind of support for Blacks under any condition was not self-support in my view.

Business in a Black community in light of the wider society should also be about community building.

[Oshun_Auset]

I never supported a business just because it was Black owned, and I never wanted or expected people to simply support mine just because I was Black. I would deliberately support another Black business if I see the operators striving to demonstrate better qualities than the cutthroat European models. Usually I would first casually mention the poor service and products (if I see any) that could be improved, and wait to see the reactions. Once I could not see any difference in the 'attitude' together with an improved awareness, then I would simply look for the best product available and spend my funds there.

Being a Black owned business gets my attention, but it is not sufficient on its own as I am not trading a White oppressor for a Black one as a sign of self support, especially when I can find Black people who are genuinely more caring and community-oriented to support.

I had a good idea of the White business practices, and I developed my own standards, which ruled out corruption. I just could not accept supporting a Black person with poor White conduct (colonized black) as genuine Black support. That kind of support for Blacks under any condition was not self-support in my view.

Business in a Black community in light of the wider society should also be about community building.

I completely agree.

[emmanuel]

I must agree on this point. Although capitalism fosters exploitive mentalities in many buisiness owners towards there employees. There are a lot of good small Black buisineess owners out there...and this exploitive mentality is also fostered in ther customers unfortunately. I know many Black small buisines owners(my best friend and father are two) and a large amount of people come in expecting a "hook up" they would never request from buisinesses owned by "others". That is the internalized view that if it is Black owned it isn't worth as much and doesn't deserve the same (if not more) respect another place of buisiness should get. We need to support our Black owned busisinesses. It is an extension of supporting ourselves.

True words...to black people specifically....and others generally...black people must be allowed to unfold and progress in all fields of business...our capabilites are known...but are not allowed to be exploited and shown...we have been tight casted for so long in this dubious roll of no can do...where by we know...and they know... our capabilities...when unleashed there is no stopping us...that's a fact...but black brothers and sisters should learn to allow and appreciate the roll of the black business person and give the same degree of acceptance they give to whites and other nationals...we are not only capable to sing and dance...and by the way who gives the world...SINGING AND DANCING?...let us progress and learn to become independent in all arenas...in all areas of existance...for we are more than capable... FORWARD EVER BACKWARD NEVER![/b]