Education being important, especially for us – Black people – I would like to spend some time on historical events which may have shaped the way in which we interact with trading. I am sorry to use the S word here but it is a no brainer that the consequences of slavery still have an impact on our community trading capacity.
Those who are the descendants of the triangular slave trade have been imported from Africa, sold, sometimes resold and reduced to a mere product. “It has been estimated that overall, about 12 million Africans were captured to be taken to the Americas as enslaved people (BBC Bitesize, n.d.).” So from that standpoint, after more than 400 years of not having any trading power and trying to emerge from slavery since the end of it legally speaking, I cannot understand why we should focus on anything else but healing.
For the rest of the African diaspora, things were not better. The introduction of Christianism and colonialism have left many scars amongst indigenous communities such as the loss of their languages, way of life, land, culture, family and community structure as well as their freedom to speak, love, dress, dance, eat or learn.
I argue that we have been abused for so long that we should not ignore that we cannot build if we have nothing to give mentally, emotionally and physically.
Have a look at the below video for more information :
Why Black-Owned Businesses Don’t Survive – YouTube
How about the fact that the ” proportion of MPs from ethnic minorities, although growing, is also lower than that of the UK’s population as a whole (Team, 2019)”?
The last question is to be explored individually and on a wider stage because the rules and regulations are made by those who have the power to do so. Katleen Thelen explains that in the United states those who are in power shape the experience of those who do not. The power struggle at play is not something that should be under- estemated because “financial interests influence” political outcomes in the USA.
Where does that lead us as black people? I am glad that there are programs that intend to help us grow such as Black Ambition | Home (blackambitionprize.com) in the USA or Partnership enquiries | The Prince’s Trust (princes-trust.org.uk) in the UK but is it enough?
Not everyone is interested in running a business but all of us need good health (mental and physical) to carry one.
This is why I would love to see more programs offering free mental and physical health care. Not a one off care assistance but a long term structure which can be combined with trading training and financial prizes.
No more food deserts, no more expensive private health care, no more cheap junk food with no access to the land.
Finally, no more pollution that creates deadly diseases.
We need care!!!
Reference
4. www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Blood On Black Wall Street: The Legacy Of The Tulsa Race Massacre. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqy2tG5w8JI [Accessed 25 Jul. 2021].
CNBC (2021). Why Black-Owned Businesses Don’t Survive. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV4Nq1GaIAA [Accessed 16 Apr. 2021].
BBC Bitesize. (n.d.). The slave trade – The triangular trade – National 5 History Revision. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqv7hyc/revision/2.
Team, T.D.J. (2019). Election 2019: Six charts on Britain’s most diverse Parliament. BBC News. [online] 17 Dec. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50808536.
www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Rethinking American Political Economy | LSE Online Event. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPAU8XBNu3A&t=2585s [Accessed 20 Nov. 2021].