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State of Black America: Land Cruisers But No Land. by Roy Primm Tell me if we ever can
Take some time to buy some land. If we can invest And buy a little less We wouldn't have a Land cruiser but no land. As African-Americans, we lead the nation in consumer spending. The purchase of Cadillac's, entertainment, jewelry, hair care products and a host of other consumable delicacies lead our list.
But we are last when it comes to purchasing the one asset that's known to build financial empowerment more than any other purchase, land and homes. Yes, down through history the one asset that meant financial stability for our race is land and homeownership. Since slavery we were a race of people who always knew the value and importance of owning land and a home. Yes, our great -grandparents would eat baloney and beans for a year to be able to afford a home, they did whatever it took. But in recent generations, we've traded other luxuries for land. History has proven financial empowerment starts and ends with homeownership - but we've had more interest in Hummers than in homes. Why are we so addicted to items that depreciate the minute we buy them, like cars, clothes, jewelry and stereos? And reject items that increase in value like real estate, stocks and mutual funds, for example? This reminds me of an article I read the other day "Do Black People Subconsciously Hate Money?" This sounded like a silly statement when it first caught my eye. But I kept reading. It stated many blacks hate money because as soon as we get it, we yearn to get rid of it. We hate saving it, we hate investing it so it will grow, and we hate spending it on items that increase in value. At first, it made me angry - but then it made me think. Although this obviously isn't true for all African - Americans, it rings true for too many of us as a race. Dr Claude Anderson, the founder of the Harvest Institute, the nations only Black Think Tank, has stated, "Unless African Americans get their act together in the next 2 years or so, we risk being a permanent underclass." We can slowly see that taking place around us each day. We're seeing other races of people come into this country and zip by us when it comes to business ownership, home purchases and higher education to name a few. While we party, black businesses vanish from our community. While we shop, more black males go to prison than to college and while we watch television, black teens reject education for gangs. Our only hope is not the Government, not marching and not even voting. It's each other. Know one can help us but us. We have to spend with each other, buy more from each other and give quality products and service to each other. This is not just a nice thought; it's starting to be a necessity, a matter of our survival. Other races have made it a point to support, shop and do business with each other. Isn't it time we joined them? __________________________________________________ _________________ Agree or Disagree I invite your comments.
I invite you to continue sending your questions and feedback to: publisher@blackhomeownernews.com
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