I've just heard that Ocean's in Hackney has gone into administration. I hear a lot of Black-owned businesses go against the wall (a la Ocean's, although I'm sure it wasn't Black-owned), or sell out (a la Choice radio, The Voice newspaper).

Why don't we, as a nation, support our businesses? The only businesses that seem to thrive are hairdressers (check out Norwood High Street for untold hairdressers!), and West Indian food shops (I can't call them all restaurants!).Are these the only commodities we have to sell? All our food is sold by Asians, all our hair products are sold by Asians. I thinks we should start selling our things to our people.

Iremember, years ago, a Black newsagent near where I lived said the Asians ran a kind of cartel, pricing him out. I make a point of trying to give my hard-earned cash to members of the Black community...it's not that difficult!

I'm sure there must have been similar threads to this on here before, but I'm relatively new to the site, so forgive me for repeating it.

Thoughts, please.

Peace.

You are right Ocean in Hackney wasn't black-owned - shame that it has closed down.

When black owned businesses start to make serious money, that's when the trouble starts. Some people don't like to see black people doing well.

There are plenty of succesful black businesses.

For example I know a Jamaican owned interior decorator firmthat my friend has been working for10 years plus..

Nuff Blacks in IT and consultancy fields.

@Lady Vee

Interesting that you mention Norwood High street. Know it well. In fact I was shocked when down in Croydon/ Thornton Heath. Never seen so much Barber shop in a 5 mile or so radius. How they allsurvive is beyond me.

Id like to see moreblacks setting up shops that sell ourfood stuffs/ look you can have 15 asians on one street all selling OUR food. And Black people swarming like bees buying from them...

Are we mad?

My take on it is this. Those of us who have a handle on the reasons why Black businesses fail/ especially in the shop front/ retail/ service provision..must take advantage and start our own business.

If you see a Black business with potential / and they are not handling shite right.. why not fill the market and provide a better service.

Eg. West Indian food shop. How somebody has not come up with a string of West Indian buffets/ top class restaurants is beyond me. Some are starting the jerk chicken etc. but why can there not be a chain of jerk chicken shop much like Dallas chicken and the like.

Too many peopleset up one shop. That sellsclothes/barber/CD's/DVD's/ nail extension parlour/ internet shop. All in the one place. Madness. Some of these brothers are trying to sell the world and its mother so you dont even kno wwhat they do in there.

We need a business class over here. Out of all theBlacks in the UK I would put those directfrom the continent/ Carribeanmore soin that category. Too many British Blacks are gazing ready to work for people when opportunity is right in their face. No drive. Not like people who come from places where there is no giro/ or dead end jobs that are ten a penny.. no sah them people see opportunity here and in the most deal with it.. we are not hungry enough in the main..

House and pretty car and we belly getfull. Nothing can run withthis 'buy from anyone'consumer mentallity we have absorbed.

But tings can run most definately. The more willing to own and run abusiness the more outstanding in that field will shine through I feel. And raise the genral perception among our own that Black businesses can maintain are are damn well expected to hold high standards. We bornin the UK maybe understand that more than most.

Patti/ dumpling/ Barberand mobile phone shop have had its day. But we need to start selling our own food. If the chinese can open supermarket based on Chinese producewhre EVERYBODY is lining their pockets then what does that say...


ps. We also need a Black engineers/ craftsman guild. Alot of young brothers in particular are not interested in the science/ engineering based fields/apart from IT.

Civil and building engineers of all sorts are needed. Firms that can offer apprenticeships and tenures to school leavers in the long run.. Not only is there a shortage of such folkin the UK market. But these skills are transferable in our original countries if we so wish.

Blacks should be specialist in dealing with the technologies that are pertinet to our needs/ eg. solar technology/ civil engineering/ renewable technologies/ indoor climate engineering/ geology/etc.

Any young brother/sister reading this. Trust me. These fields are where we need expertise/ and incraesingly more so in this world of climate change etc. back home and in the West.

Those kind of Black businesses are sorely needed.

Lady Vee wrote: ... Answer:

Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Nia (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Kuumba (Creativity)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Imani (Faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

­ Maulana Karenga





Learn it, and if you believe it, pratice it?