Vision Circle

The anecdote discussed by the fellow of the Con Bro's is nothing new, as many well know.
Increasingly, I have began to look at the situation of our people with the eye on our future 'viability' in this nation.
By the way, I would be the first to say that we, as a people, have come a remarkably long way from a socieconomic perspective, and in light of our 'peculiar' historial narrative. That being said, I also understand that we as Black Americans are probably the "most assimilated" group in the US now, notwithstatnding our very low intermarriage rates when compared to Hispanics and Asians. After all, we, with our own "special taste and flavors," wear other folks clothes, eat their food, pray to their Gods, talk their languages, and enjoy their culture, to name but a few the late Dr.Amos Wilson deserves credit for this observation). Yet we are still to a significant degree because of who were are as a group vilifed, marginalized, and short shrift in other measurable ways so as to narrow of opportunites in light.
So for me the question is how do we "secure of future viability" as a people and in light of seemingly perpetual anti-Black racsim i all spheres of our lives. I mean many will tell you education is one way, but I have quite a bit if ED, and this has certainly not provided me any measure of insurance. In fact, It seems to generate a perverse anmosity to a siginificant degree. Perhaps, if I was upstate somewhere making license plates I would be more accepted or respected and not a tax paying homeowner in Harlem. Hmmmm????????!!!!
GDAWG

Dawg,

The condition you've described isn't assimilation; it's subjugation.

You have asked the fundamental question.

I presonally believe the only thing that will ensure our future viability is WEALTH Black Enterprise magazines wealth inititative is a start.

WEALTH is future benefits arising out of ownership of a real property. So wealth is a shorthand for the future viability.

MIB, you are absolutely correct as to our being subjugated. In fact, Dr.Amos Wilson used these examples as listed above to show how we were afflicted by enslavement and its psychsocial aftermath. It came up during one of his lectures in NYC in the aftermath of the LA Riots, when some Blacks were noted to be fond of saying "we were not afflicted by slavery, at this particular time," as shown by the strong Afrocentric movement at the time, and the "expanding" Black middle class. His point was; we were, and gave the examples as listed above. Made us think.
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As to MIB's point, I absolutely agree that wealth, in part, will guarantee our future viability. I go further and suggest that the "actual proper management of wealth" is even more crucial than the actual aquisition. I mean look at alot of "our" folks with major wealth, who ultimately end up, well >>>>>>>>...........
Obviously other folks are afflicted similarly, but it seems for us, our failures, at least from a propaganda perspective, is more demoralizing than others. I dunno. Maybe its just me.
GDAWG

'Wealth' is a subjective condition and often intangible. For Blacks, I believe it's maybe a tertiary concern to the disciplines of American-style capitalism and commerce as a vehicle to social and economic vitality in this culture.

The conundrum is acquiring a sizable cache of material wealth given the limited institutional access to resources, e.g.; money (as opposed to currency or capital) and real property. A possible solution is the development of sub-economies where isolated communities defining their own values and currencies generate commercial velocity resulting in the by-product -- material wealth. For example, an urban co-operative leverages their collective social and financial capital to lease abandoned industrial property for use as a hydroponic farm. The 'farm' would cultivate organic crops (matching the neighborhood's tastes) and conduct exchanges in cash, in-house credit and barter.

The resulting velocity would create downward pressure on non-indigenous competitors while establishing economic value the co-op and its consumers could leverage for greater collective and individual gains.

'Wealth' is a subjective condition and often intangible.

It may be partially intangible, but it's not subjective. There is a definition for it: ASSETS - LIABILITIES.

lease abandoned industrial property for use as a hydroponic farm. The 'farm' would cultivate organic crops (matching the neighborhood's tastes) and conduct exchanges in cash, in-house credit and barter.

The lease is a liability. The "farm" is a pure liability because you can't sell it. The resulting business may be an asset or a liability.

From my experiences, co-ops don't last very long or if they do last, don't generate wealth.

"It may be partially intangible, but it's not subjective. There is a definition for it: ASSETS - LIABILITIES."

Perhaps, but my only point was concepts like wealth (the above formula notwithstanding) are less concrete than we're instructed to believe. I add that material wealth is commonly misrepresented as synonymous with 'quality of life'. One can be wealthy without possessing much in the way of material objects.

Second, there is no purely objective standard for gauging wealth or identifying the wealthy. In example, one can belong in the 95th percentile of income earners, own equity in a residence, and still effectively count as disenfranchised or somehow impoverished.

"The lease is a liability. The 'farm' is a pure liability because you can't sell it. The resulting business may be an asset or a liability."

Have you ever heard the adage, 'One man's garbage is another's treasure'? Apply it here for the farm and the lease. Both have intrensic economic value, a desireable commodity entrepreneurs provide investors. The word 'liability' doesn't mean 'loss'; it denotes (or better, qualifies and quantifies) the
risk(s) of enterprise. It's very possible to assign the lease and/or the farm operation to a 3rd party at a profit.

"... co-ops don't last very long or if they do last, don't generate wealth."

Again, I think you're equating 'wealth' with 'profit', but there are co-ops that achieve both conditions. But the same model could be effected as a corporation, the primary difference being the tax ramifications.

Ah. I really did not want to move the discussion into the abstraction with this wealth thing. I know that to have wealth and keep is crucial. Moreover, to have "valuated" wealth is even more important. for example, having timber or land and no infrastructure for ultimately, producing top flight furniture, in my mind, is not true/materialistic "wealth" at all.
I believe its call value-added manufactoring. Secondly having wealth and not being able to "maintined ", even though you are smart enough to keep it, is problematic for me. Having wealth, being smart enough to keep it, and having the withwithall to defend it, requires an aspect of wealth not often discuss. Good health. Therefore, our experience in the health care arena is crucial. And, i have to tell ya, for a alot of Black folks its not pretty picture.
GDAWG

MIB you don't know what wealth is. But clarify it is not quality of life, life style or income.

It cash that can sit in the bank year after year.

It can be in the from of stocks or even land. But Wealth is cash, please don't try to add other meaning to it.

It's unfortunate Scott that you employ such a limited definition.

Here's the problem with equating 'cash' with 'wealth'. At any given point in time, there's a finite amount of money in circulation; money filtered and otherwise controlled by institutions where the influence of Blacks is problematic. Neither do Blacks enjoy the ability to manufacture money in a vacuum. Therefore, to operate under the premise that you can somehow build, create or accumulate in great (but undefined) quantity any such commodity with limited access to its core elements is to live in a profound delusion.

OTOH, it's within each of our given capacities to define an individual standard of living to which we aspire, then enter the proverbial market using whatever leverage available to achieve that standard. I believe understanding the distinction is key for Blacks as we tend to embrace valuations of a culture that marginalizes the entirety of our capital.