Black Common-Unity

Neighborhoods are problematic for any group

seeking empowerment. Unfortunately, most
Black American live in neighborhoods, not
communities. A community signifies commit-
ment and the potential for power. Neighbor-
hood does not. Webster’s Dictionary defines
neighborhood as a vicinity or physical place
where there are “people living near one an-
other.” The concept of a neighborhood im-
plies an area that is residential in nature, with
lesser wealth, power and status than a com-
munity.
Neighborhoods Are Not
The majority of Black Americans live in im-
Enough!
poverished Black neighborhoods & spend ap-
Bridges To Wealth
proximately 95% of their annual disposable and Power
income with people who live outside of their
neighborhood. They spend only 5% of their
disposable income in Black neighborhoods.
They spend 3% with non-Black-owned busi-
nesses that are located in Black neighbor-
hoods, but whose owners live outside Black
neighborhoods. It is IMPOSSIBLE for any large
population or neighborhood to be self-
sufficient on only 2% of its income. By spend-
Serving All Coastal Regions
ing its disposable income in other groups’ Gainesville, VA 20155
Hope For Trust USA
businesses and communities, Black America Phone: 800-837-7857
Cel: 804-263-8875
impoverishes itself and impedes the growth of Tel: 800-837-7857
E-mail: info@hopefortrust.org
functional communities.
 Code of Conduct
One benefit of Jim Crow segregation was
that it forced Blacks to build what could
appropriately be called “quasi-
COMMUNITIES.” Unlike neighborhoods,
where people simply live in the same area,
during Jim Crow segregation, Black Ameri-
cans were unified with a code of conduct.
They lived together because they had the
same interests and needs, but equally as
important, they trusted and depended on
each other.
From the Civil War until the end of the
Black civil rights movement in the 1960’s,
Black successfully built a vibrant culture,
marginally competitive schools, Black
churches, personal service business and a
professional class. Though they were small
in number, these community assets produces
jobs as well as products and services for
Black people. The desire for integration
caused Blacks to abandon their businesses,
communities, culture and code of conduct.
Black Americans’ need to be accepted by
White society was greater than their need to
be accepted by Black society.
It's time Blacks focus their resources more on cultivat-
ing an independent black market, as opposed to de-
manding equal representation and access to a histori-
cally white market. We can't continue to ask for
equal opportunities in a market that was never in-
tended for anyone but other whites. Asian Americans
figured this out, and now have a collective level of
affluence (called "Chinatown") in major cities that
surpasses white America. Like/Share our message with
family and friends to remind them we must stay to-
gether, take care of each other, buy from each other,
support each other, and look after each other.
Black America
Today, Black neighborhoods are primari-
ly where the majority of Black people
eat and sleep. They do not embody the
criteria for a functional community. Con-
sequently, Black neighborhoods are typi-
cally referred to as ghettos, urban areas,
inner cities or the hood. These broad,
ambiguous terms signal the dependent,
non competitive nature of Black geo-
graphical areas across the country.
Listen, Blacks have less than 1% of the
business and wealth and no industries of
any consequence. If you cannot build
business and have a self-dependent econ-
omy and community where you can
control the elements in your communi-
ty... You are going to prison remaining a
permanent underclass of beggars and
criminals.
If Black America don’t focus on the
unique issues impacting Black people, we
will be Economic irrelevant and consid-
ering Modern Times be back in Econom-
ic Slavery on an Economic Plantation in
the next 6 to 8 years!