A Self-Sustaining Black Community

By Eddie D. Gillis

Many Black Americans who lived two or three generations ago can remember a black community that was able to sustain itself by having their own businesses. One such example is the area along Desiard Street where the Miller-Roy building is located, but is currently in need of renovating. However, listening to those who can re-live the glory days of that area, just about everything Black people wanted/needed could be found right there. Monroe resident Frank Taylor is one of those individuals and he would like to see a revival of Black owned businesses in a predominately Black neighborhood where what Blacks needed, could be found within their own backyard. Now there are few Black businesses left that can be found in flourishing locales because in Taylor’s words, we have stopped being “owners” and have gone to being “employees”. The absence of Black businesses in conjunction with the many societal issues faced by Blacks such as the Black Lives Matter movements seems to have replaced the importance of having Black businesses in areas that serve people of color. Taylor said that in order for Blacks to be self-sustaining, they must not rely on someone giving them something, a comment that is sure to have feedback from those who are trying to be Black entrepreneurs. Taylor said that in many ways, “we are our own enemy” because we tend to “tear each other down”, instead of coming together as a people. In addition, he said those who don’t want Black people to “move up and succeed” will stand back and watch Black people destroy themselves. In the case of Black Lives Matter, Taylor said that first we (Blacks)needs to stop killing one another; the police does kill some of us, but we “are doing it” to ourselves also. He believes that if upcoming Black generations are taught the message of ownership(property), that can lead to the creation of more wealth for them so they can sustain themselves.

Taylor said that he is not bitter, but disappointed to see how Blacks can complain when “outsiders” can come into their neighborhood and operate businesses, a far cry from the days that he remembers before integration. “If they can do it, why can’t we?”, said Taylor, stressing that a group of Blacks with capital(wealth)could buy a block in an area and renovate it, doing what white investors do. “The idea is to be creative”, said Taylor, “we can start businesses, employ one another and create ways for other Blacks to become “the boss” and not the employee. He said that now Blacks have been “brainwashed” to only be employees, but he points to examples where Blacks have accumulated tremendous wealth and have used it to buy into businesses where large sums of capital are bought/sold, thereby creating more wealth. They do it by being silent, working behind the scene when they become owners, creating their own Black enterprise. Many Black leaders before the days of integration “preached” Black independence knowing that change will only come if one “was willing to make the sacrifice”, that is, one must be willing to give up something to get something. Taylor said in that way, we (Blacks) can leave a legacy to future generations. We can sustain ourselves, as it has been shown in parts of this nation over the last century, with Tulsa, OK being a prime example.

Taylor said that the pride that past generations showed in wanting to sustain themselves and not depend on “the man”, needs to be reborn. The tradition of hard work and sacrifice needs to be taught continually to the generation of today by those who can show them how to become the owner or the “head and not the tail”. Blacks should take advantage of the system and its laws as other races have done. “We don’t have go through the back door anymore”, said Taylor, as those with the experience needed to be successful, can and do go on to being successful, which is why Taylor said having experience as to WHAT one has done, WHERE and HOW, proves that an individual has “a track record” to create jobs. They can show others how to create wealth. “We have let things go on as they have long enough”, said Taylor. “We don’t want a hand out, just a hand up”. “We can create our own neighborhoods that we can be proud of, have property and businesses where we can have what we want/need, thereby having others come to us, instead of us going to them”, said Taylor.