From the Melanated Man:

I’ve had this piece on my mind on and off for probably about a year now and I finally feel compelled enough to write about it. This may be a brief post, but rest assured this won’t be last time I talk about this subject matter either.

Before I continue, my intentions are not to  slight those of you who are entrepreneurs and own your own businesses full-time or on the side. More props to you and your success, and keep doing what you’re doing. Your determination to do for self and to provide a need or service to the community is truly an inspiration. My only goal here is to dispense some food for thought. Now that that’s out of the way…

When I was child, I dreamed of one day of not only becoming an engineer, but a entrepreneur of some sort as well. I wanted to embark on ventures that could uplift myself but my fellow man as well.

Today? Not so much.

Not with what I know about  the Matrix.

What killed those dreams, you say? Well you know about the engineer bit, if you’ve been keeping up. But that tells only one part of that story. I will be posting Part 2 very soon.

Being an entrepreneur? Maybe starting and running my own business one day? It doesn’t tickle my fancy like it once did in my adolescent state of mind. That doesn’t mean I want to work for someone else either, especially if that someone is a European/Caucasoid-owned corporation (you can include the state and federal governments in that equation as well considering they’re in cahoots with the private sector…and…they’re technically corporations themselves, too) that is only concerned about the bottom line.

And when it comes to self-determination and self-reliance for the Melanin-Dominant (Black) community on the global scale, entrepreneurship is strongly encouraged.

“We have over a $1 trillion in buying power! We should be investing that into ourselves!”

“We need our own businesses and resources!”

I understand completely  and I agree with that position. If we want to end our oppression, we need to to break ties with our oppressor altogether, on EVERY LEVEL! End of story!

Yet… I ask myself this question:  Is it really our goal to  simply emulate our oppressor’s behavior?

Does it make sense to practice capitalism, a system that was created out of theft and deceit, amongst our own collective? 

Does it make sense to adopt the same Eurocentric mindset that is ANTI-LIFE (LIGHT), destructive to our physical bodies and mental well-being as well as to the health of the planet? Just to create this illusion of progress and productivity  amongst our collective? Just to attain monetary and material wealth?!

Example: A Melanin-Dominant (Black) millionaire owns various chains of fast food restaurants giving off  the illusion of Black self-reliance and determination.

Couple of problems with this picture:

1. Eating fast food is equivalent to eating rat poison, with no nutritional value to the body whatsoever.
2. More than likely these fast food restaurants are located in low-income areas (mainly Black and/or Brown) that can afford the low-quality and more importantly, low-cost bullshit.
3. The workers (who again are more than likely Black and/or Brown) are grossly underpaid.

(Note: The above example is based off this article.)

There are plenty more examples very similar to that. What’s the point of being an entrepreneur when the product/service you’re providing does more harm than good to your consumers, no matter the ethnicity? Nor does it challenge the status quo?

In the end, nothing has changed. Exploitation and oppression still reigns.

Entrepreneurship should only be another stepping stone toward deeper spiritual enlightenment and maturation into our true selves as man/woman on an individual level. It is only one avenue to help rebuild the confidence to become self-reliant and self-sufficient (i.e. The Black Wall Street). It should NOT be the end goal.  Money is only a illusion in the first place.

If we wish to be a united collective, to bring about real peace in this world, we must RE-MEMBER the African-centered philosophy of community: we are all connected to the All, and the gifts and resources bestowed upon us and this rock we inhabit shall be shared harmoniously and unconditionally (i.e barter system.)

Just like it was in the beginning. That is our TRUE LIBERATION, TRUE FREEDOM!

The doctrine of entrepreneurship a.k.a. ownership is not a NATURAL PHENOMENON. It is just another means of survival, a byproduct of this cruel paradigm, for those of us who can’t stomach the menial routine of the 9 to 5 grind.  Either way, we are still supporting a construct that is against the nature of Earth’s ORIGINAL MAN and the Earth itself.

So the next time you see an article or post that mentions “the need to support Black businesses” or highlighting “the lack of support for black businesses”, look deeper into the situation and ask yourself this question:

Will my support for Black businesses honestly bring about the physical and spiritual independence that is desired amongst myself and the Black collective I identify with?

I’m not saying “don’t support Black businesses.” I’m suggesting we  take a different view of the situation at hand, that’s all.

 

Just some food for thought, fam!

 

Peace and Love to my melanated family,

The Melanin Man