I know I have asked this question before, but as I have not yet received an answer, I must ask again. Where is Little Africa? Perhaps I am simply looking around in the wrong area. But, I figured since I keep seeing African people everywhere, every day, doing everything, there must be a little Africa somewhere. I know Black folk eat, but I still have not found the Black owned and operated grocery store. I know African people attend conferences, but I have yet to locate the hotel owned and operated by African people. Lord knows Black folk can make and spend money, but I cannot find the First African Peoples Bank. And some of yall love to shop, however, it seems all the shopping malls where we spend our money are not owned by people who look like us. Sure, a few of us can rent space out to sell our goods, but the sad thing is that we continue to be consumers and not owners. Here’s an old and bright idea. How about those of us who have the funds available, hook up with each other, pool our resources and begin buying up property? Maybe even open a bank and a grocery store. Perhaps some of yall have connections and could convince some of the members of the NBA (National Brothers Association), to use those millions secured from bouncing, throwing, catching, hitting and kicking the ball, to invest in the Black community. This way all the strip malls in the Black community would be Black owned, rather than them belonging to Mr. Steinburg or Mr. Lee. Allow Keisha, Junebug and Mr. Washington to be the investors. Wouldn’t it make sense for the Black churches to put the millions of dollars they collect every Sunday in the First African Peoples Bank, rather than the State Bank, where the majority of their members can’t even get a loan? Oh, but there is one major problem. It’s not that we do not have the resources, not even that we don’t have the know-how. The problem is that many of us are still suffering from the Willie Lynch Syndrome. We hate ourselves, don’t trust each other, and still believe that Mr. Charlie’s grass is greener, and that his ice is colder. We believe that we cannot do anything, without the blessings of Mr. Charlie (or Ms. Ann), and until either of them gives us permission to be liberated, free –thinking and economically empowered, we will continue to chose White doctors over Black ones, send our children to predominantly white schools, and seek out the White salesperson to assist us as we spend our money. Well, it was a nice vision, and I will continue to believe that someday it can become a reality. After all, once upon a time there did exist several Little Africa’s. In fact some of us know of the Little Africa in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which unfortunately was firebombed in 1921 by Mr. Charlie ‘nem. Perhaps there exits in some of us, that same fortitude that existed in brothers and sisters of long ago who established their Little Africa. Remember the possibility of creating our Little Africa and ask yourself this, “If not now, then when? If not us, then who? And never forget, Aluta Continua…the struggle continues.