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Economics is Local - February 2010 By James Clingman Jr. The economic problems we face are right in our own backyards. Unfortunately, until our problems reach crisis level we are content to engage in spirited conversations and philosophical diatribes about the likes of Tiger Woods, a billionaire who could not care less about the economic plight of Black people. We live vicariously through super rich entertainers, many of whom would not even stop to shake hands with us if we met them on the street. We get lost in the euphoria of having a Black President, arguing about his issues and his battles in DC, rather than dealing with our own in hometown USA. FULL STORY > Is the “Black Economy” an Oxymoron? - January 2004 Although the dictionary calls it archaic, the “management of a household” is one of the definitions listed for the word “economy.” Another definition is “a saving or attempt to reduce expenditure.” Yet another is “a system of interacting elements, especially when seen as being harmonious.” And still another definition for economy has to do with “the production and consumption of goods and services of a community regarded as a whole.” As I look at those descriptions of an economy, only the last one partially applies to Black Americans collectively, and that’s the “consumption” part. FULL STORY >
“Minority” Programs Keep Us Fighting Over Fifteen Percent -- February 2003 What about the 85% of the contracting, the employment, the development, and the tourism dollars? Who gets that? And, what entitles them to get it? You have probably heard the term “economic inclusion” being bantered about lately, so here’s another question while we’re at it. Who is doing the including? Who are they including? How does a public project, or one funded with public dollars, come under the authority of a white contractor or developer who, in turn, has the right to “include” a certain percentage of “minorities?” Why is it that white men, for the most part, are always the ones doing the “including” and “minorities” are always the ones being included, to the tune of an average of 15% of the pie? FULL STORY > |
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