Think Mother Africa: “It’s Open for Business to African-Americans”

By Darwin Campbell

African Americans thinking about going into business should set their eyes on opportunities in Mother Africa.

  “Africa is a general store opportunity,” said Minister Akbar Muhammad, international representative for the Nation of Islam, who spoke at the Unity in the Community Conference in Fort Worth.

   “Whatever you do Black man and Black woman, your skills are needed because Africa is open to trade.”

   Muhammad, who often travels internationally with the Hon. Minister Louis Farrakhan, said while relations with White America are chilled on the continent because of the bad foreign policy blunders of the Bush administration, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, African brothers and sisters are eager to do business and set up cooperative business ventures with their American brothers and sisters.

   The business climate is good for those who would consider going home.

   According to Muhammad, arms of invitation and friendship have been extended in the African nations and he hopes that Black America will respond to that open door and help have a hand in rebuilding Mother Africa’s economy.

   “This is a wonderful chance for teachers, retailers, computer technicians, electrical and petroleum engineers, doctors and others to walk in, set up and be successful,” he said.

   “We need men and women with the tenacity and will to work to come forth and do it.”

 He said many Black Americans who have been unsuccessful in a racially biased and unbalanced financial structure in America can take that ingenuity, talent, spirit and desire and put it to work to help our Black people.

   “The business opportunities are open to those willing to go international,” he said.  “We must not and cannot expect the government to rescue us or take care of us.”

   In that, he pointed to the debacle of Hurricane Katrina and Rita and how the government demonstrated clearly its distaste and lack of concern for African Americans calling (American born citizens) “refugees” in their own country.

   He also cited the historical links between showing how slaves built the U.S. economy, and how many of the current multi-billion dollar banks and corporations and elitist families took the land and goods enriched themselves for generations on the backs of the ancestors.

   Muhammad said it is time for us to take our talent and use it where it will not only help us be successful, but also lift up the millions of Black people on planet Earth.

   He also noted how the ingenuity and inventions of many Blacks were exploited, taken advantage of and stolen in the quest for white supremacy.  He added that Black control their own futures and must decide to act to redirect the destiny of a people.

  Muhammad shared the African American historical connection to the great continent and encouraged people to rediscover the homeland with enthusiasm and spirit.

   He was quick to point out how other countries not in favor with the “vigilante cowboy” and “war hawk” policies of the current administration are forging ahead and making progress and advances on medical, health, disaster preparedness and relief and communications fronts – far outdistancing current trends in America.

   “For us, the door is open to do international business and make money outside of America,” he said.  “We no longer need to be training for jobs, we need to be thinking ownership and talking about being owners of businesses.”

   In America, he said youth must prepare to think internationally by learning more than one language.

   With the global economy growing, being able to speak several languages will make Black American youth very marketable and in demand, he said.

   Some of the languages he noted as markers for the future included African dialects, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese to name a few.

   “Our children need to focus and understand why the international arena is important to our future survival,” he said. “It is up to the conscious Black people in America to help turn things around.”

   He also stressed the need to weed out the distractions of current hip-hop cultural trends that seem to mesmerize and control youth and redirect their energies from healthy development, behaviors and achievement.

   Muhammad also said those doing business in Africa must stress the need and take the lead in reminding African leaders that Black Americans are descendents of the mother country.