A Real Rescue Plan for African Americans
- By Charles Bowlds
- Published 05/29/2009
- Economics
- Unrated
As of late, we have heard a lot of talk about rescuing or bailing out (whatever you prefer), just about everybody and everything in America except those of us indentified as African Americans.
I have heard about a rescue plan for just about every segment of this society, from the automobile industry; Wall Street, banks, to the coded language of saving white folk, referred to subliminally as the middle class. Now, if by some form of trickery, you were thinking that the term ‘middle class’ grew to include us (even if only so briefly) perhaps a article published by Michael A. Fletcher of the Washington Post[i] will remove the illusion that the term ‘middle class’ has any durability when referred to us within the context referred to by today’s politicians; Mr. Fletcher points out that “nearly half of African Americans born to middle-income parents in the late 1960s plunged into poverty or near-poverty as adults”.
With all this talk about how important everybody seems to be the economic survival of America, as the reason that they cannot or should not be allowed to fail, makes our invisibility in the mist of this national debate all that more ironic.
Our omission to this discussion becomes even more pronounced when viewed from the perspective that the 700 billion that we are being told should be a significant amount of revenue to rescue or bailout all of the above, is the same amount that we as African Americans annually contribute to the U.S. economy through the purchasing of goods and services that we buy within the general market, with only 3% of our expenditures returned back to serve in the economic needs of our own communities.
To put this into even more perspective means that through our spending, we contribute 679 billion (or 97% of our GNI) and/or our communal wealth, within various segments of the U.S. economy/society other than our own. It also means that we only keep 21 billion or 3% of our communal wealth/GNI in order to address the many financial needs of our own communities.
Here’s the sixty five thousand dollar question; “without our spontaneous and indiscriminate spending, would they have required (1.379 trillion) in order to bail themselves out of the mess they made of the economy i.e. 700 billion of tax payer’s money, plus the 679 billion of indiscriminate spending that we contribute to the U.S economy?
And if so, are we then being double taxed? After all we are tax payers, and as tax payer’s we are contributors to the government’s bailout sum of 700 billion that has been out laded to rescue everybody but us.
If it were not for history, instead of finding our omission to be ironic, I probably would find it to be just as shocking, that within this decision of economic survival, the automobile industry had been left out; or wall street, or the banks, or (wink wink) the middle class. But, the fact is that this is not a new phenomenon, as noted by Ralph Ellison in his (1952) novel INVISIBLE MAN whereby he stated:
"'I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids - and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible; understand, simply because people refuse to see me."
And, if you consider (1952) to be ancient history, today’s news is no better. Today, we as African Americans, exist within the calm before a great financial storm, with no leadership; our leadership have undeniably invested our economic survivability in jobs being created within the general market, despite the fact that unemployment statistics since its conception has always been double that of whites; we also find ourselves facing this great economic challenge without unity or organization; two virtues essential for the survival of any group or species when confronted with a threat to their survival. Which brings us full circle to that other sixty four thousand dollar question “is there a plan that is designed specifically to rescue the current, as well as the forthcoming economic needs of African American?
The resounding answer is yes! But the first thing that we must come to accept as African Americans, is the fact that any plan for the economic development for African Americans, will come from us as African Americans. And if you are in dispute of this conclusion, then I would ask you to ask yourself “if not us then who, and if not now then when?”
After over a decade of research, development, and design such an economic alternative for African Americans to meet this economic crisis head on, is now being made available through the self reliant application of self employment. This dynamic new system is the true embodiment of a systematic approach that has thus far fallen short, in providing a real solution(s) that would level the economic playing field for African Americans.
For the first time in African American history, a self reliant, self help system utilizing the technology of the internet is being presented as a viable solution which allows every citizen of the African American community, regardless to their social economic status, to participate in their own economic welfare.
"For over a decade we have recognized the value of technology in conjunction with the emergence of the internet throughout our communities, as an unprecedented opportunity for connecting the entrepreneurial spirit of our communities, to the 700 billion purchasing power of our communities in order to close the gap of economic disparities that have historically plagued our individual and collective economic progress", said Charles Bowlds, founder and CEO.
Upon accessing the African American Connection domain at: www.aaconnection.com you are greeted with a double portal which on one side provides free shopping from two shopping centers. The “General Market Shopping Center” which provides you with a cash back rebate of up to 40%, in the form of a check that’s mailed directly to you on products that you are already purchasing with companies like; Wal-mart, Dell, Macys, and over 1500 hundred others that have already earned your trust and patronage.
The other shopping center tilled “The African American Shopping Center” consist of businesses that chose to join as member merchants through our “AAC Business Center” which uses a color coded system that consumers can choose from, that indentifies three businesses categories- The red category or African American businesses; the green category or African American sales professionals employed within the general market who earn their living through commission based sales and the yellow category, for non African American companies whose membership is dependent upon their compliance in providing the African American consumer with the highest level of customer service, and a fair market price.
The AAC 'Business Center' will close the gap that allows the general market to reap almost an eight dollar return, for every retail dollar that we spend with these companies. Businesses are not only more effective in managing our communal wealth, small business are also the fundamental source responsible for the majority of job creation within the market, creating more retail merchants within our communities would address both of these issues that impede upon our economic development.
The common platform for all category of AAC member merchants, is a self editing state-of-the-art web store that’s stocked with cutting edge technology; a blog for connecting with social media; events for announcing events happening outside of their virtual business environment; Gallery for displaying special products or services and comments and contact for interactive communication with customers; and coming soon a chat feature for communicating with customers in real time. Thrown in with this platform is a free shopping cart, payment gateway, hosting and a back office full of everything conceivable to properly manage and operate your new or existing (AAC) business.
In keeping with our businesses motto of “In business for your-self, not by your-self” the (AAC) offers the general public, as well as their member merchants, training and support which they can participate in right from their computers within the comfort, convenience, and safety of their homes. The African American Connection is indeed the right business model, at the right time, offering the right tools, with the right affordability for starting your own business with a start up cost of :
*$29.95 for African American businesses
*$19.95 for Professional sales representatives
*$59.90 for non African American businesses
By providing realistic solutions for addressing the economic disparities facing the African American community, this new system is destined to change the economic landscape, level the playing field and swinging wide open the doors of entrepreneurial success for many African Americans.
I have heard about a rescue plan for just about every segment of this society, from the automobile industry; Wall Street, banks, to the coded language of saving white folk, referred to subliminally as the middle class. Now, if by some form of trickery, you were thinking that the term ‘middle class’ grew to include us (even if only so briefly) perhaps a article published by Michael A. Fletcher of the Washington Post[i] will remove the illusion that the term ‘middle class’ has any durability when referred to us within the context referred to by today’s politicians; Mr. Fletcher points out that “nearly half of African Americans born to middle-income parents in the late 1960s plunged into poverty or near-poverty as adults”.
With all this talk about how important everybody seems to be the economic survival of America, as the reason that they cannot or should not be allowed to fail, makes our invisibility in the mist of this national debate all that more ironic.
Our omission to this discussion becomes even more pronounced when viewed from the perspective that the 700 billion that we are being told should be a significant amount of revenue to rescue or bailout all of the above, is the same amount that we as African Americans annually contribute to the U.S. economy through the purchasing of goods and services that we buy within the general market, with only 3% of our expenditures returned back to serve in the economic needs of our own communities.
To put this into even more perspective means that through our spending, we contribute 679 billion (or 97% of our GNI) and/or our communal wealth, within various segments of the U.S. economy/society other than our own. It also means that we only keep 21 billion or 3% of our communal wealth/GNI in order to address the many financial needs of our own communities.
Here’s the sixty five thousand dollar question; “without our spontaneous and indiscriminate spending, would they have required (1.379 trillion) in order to bail themselves out of the mess they made of the economy i.e. 700 billion of tax payer’s money, plus the 679 billion of indiscriminate spending that we contribute to the U.S economy?
And if so, are we then being double taxed? After all we are tax payers, and as tax payer’s we are contributors to the government’s bailout sum of 700 billion that has been out laded to rescue everybody but us.
If it were not for history, instead of finding our omission to be ironic, I probably would find it to be just as shocking, that within this decision of economic survival, the automobile industry had been left out; or wall street, or the banks, or (wink wink) the middle class. But, the fact is that this is not a new phenomenon, as noted by Ralph Ellison in his (1952) novel INVISIBLE MAN whereby he stated:
"'I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids - and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible; understand, simply because people refuse to see me."
And, if you consider (1952) to be ancient history, today’s news is no better. Today, we as African Americans, exist within the calm before a great financial storm, with no leadership; our leadership have undeniably invested our economic survivability in jobs being created within the general market, despite the fact that unemployment statistics since its conception has always been double that of whites; we also find ourselves facing this great economic challenge without unity or organization; two virtues essential for the survival of any group or species when confronted with a threat to their survival. Which brings us full circle to that other sixty four thousand dollar question “is there a plan that is designed specifically to rescue the current, as well as the forthcoming economic needs of African American?
The resounding answer is yes! But the first thing that we must come to accept as African Americans, is the fact that any plan for the economic development for African Americans, will come from us as African Americans. And if you are in dispute of this conclusion, then I would ask you to ask yourself “if not us then who, and if not now then when?”
After over a decade of research, development, and design such an economic alternative for African Americans to meet this economic crisis head on, is now being made available through the self reliant application of self employment. This dynamic new system is the true embodiment of a systematic approach that has thus far fallen short, in providing a real solution(s) that would level the economic playing field for African Americans.
For the first time in African American history, a self reliant, self help system utilizing the technology of the internet is being presented as a viable solution which allows every citizen of the African American community, regardless to their social economic status, to participate in their own economic welfare.
"For over a decade we have recognized the value of technology in conjunction with the emergence of the internet throughout our communities, as an unprecedented opportunity for connecting the entrepreneurial spirit of our communities, to the 700 billion purchasing power of our communities in order to close the gap of economic disparities that have historically plagued our individual and collective economic progress", said Charles Bowlds, founder and CEO.
Upon accessing the African American Connection domain at: www.aaconnection.com you are greeted with a double portal which on one side provides free shopping from two shopping centers. The “General Market Shopping Center” which provides you with a cash back rebate of up to 40%, in the form of a check that’s mailed directly to you on products that you are already purchasing with companies like; Wal-mart, Dell, Macys, and over 1500 hundred others that have already earned your trust and patronage.
The other shopping center tilled “The African American Shopping Center” consist of businesses that chose to join as member merchants through our “AAC Business Center” which uses a color coded system that consumers can choose from, that indentifies three businesses categories- The red category or African American businesses; the green category or African American sales professionals employed within the general market who earn their living through commission based sales and the yellow category, for non African American companies whose membership is dependent upon their compliance in providing the African American consumer with the highest level of customer service, and a fair market price.
The AAC 'Business Center' will close the gap that allows the general market to reap almost an eight dollar return, for every retail dollar that we spend with these companies. Businesses are not only more effective in managing our communal wealth, small business are also the fundamental source responsible for the majority of job creation within the market, creating more retail merchants within our communities would address both of these issues that impede upon our economic development.
The common platform for all category of AAC member merchants, is a self editing state-of-the-art web store that’s stocked with cutting edge technology; a blog for connecting with social media; events for announcing events happening outside of their virtual business environment; Gallery for displaying special products or services and comments and contact for interactive communication with customers; and coming soon a chat feature for communicating with customers in real time. Thrown in with this platform is a free shopping cart, payment gateway, hosting and a back office full of everything conceivable to properly manage and operate your new or existing (AAC) business.
In keeping with our businesses motto of “In business for your-self, not by your-self” the (AAC) offers the general public, as well as their member merchants, training and support which they can participate in right from their computers within the comfort, convenience, and safety of their homes. The African American Connection is indeed the right business model, at the right time, offering the right tools, with the right affordability for starting your own business with a start up cost of :
*$29.95 for African American businesses
*$19.95 for Professional sales representatives
*$59.90 for non African American businesses
By providing realistic solutions for addressing the economic disparities facing the African American community, this new system is destined to change the economic landscape, level the playing field and swinging wide open the doors of entrepreneurial success for many African Americans.