In retaliation to the latest murder of a young black male called Michael “Mike” Brown at the hands of a white police officer, an international call was sent out to the Afrekan community. On the 8th September, the Afrekan diaspora and motherland were expected to ONLY spend their finance with other black/Afrekan businesses.
The aim? To hit white supremacy in its pocket – hard. Now I’ll be real with you. I have absolutely NO CLUE how successful that was at time of posting, but I hope this kind of initiative is repeated. When I think on the money that was earned off the backs of my ancestors’ kidnapped enslavement, and how much finance is given by modern afrekans, willingly, to keep white supremacy in luxury, my blood starts to boil. There have been many statistics bandied around by various economic polls claiming that in the hair industry alone, afrekan people contribute $8 BILLION a year. Eight fucking billion! We won’t even mention the trainer/sneaker market, or the “designer label” section. Yet afrekan people continually claim they are broke.
Eight billion dollars, yearly, as a people, would be a major contribution to the rebuilding of Mother Afreka and many of our communities in the diaspora. As a people, we invest the least in our future. As a people, we invest the least in our children, financially. As a people, particularly in the diaspora, we own the least land. We have the least properties, the least businesses, the least hospitals, the least schools, the least banks, the least social services, the lowest wages/salaries, the least respect globally. Yet we can find a collective minimum of EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS yearly, to help others possess land, own businesses, own schools, own healthcare centres, own banks, gain higher education, own properties and everything else that comes from so-called great wealth. We are the only group of people who do this foolishness. No other cultural group practices this behaviour as they know, to uplift another before yourself is to commit suicide.
No other group of people have been kidnapped, enslaved, colonized, jim crow’d, oppressed, and depressed in the same way as the Afrekan people (I include my brothers and sisters in Australasia, Polynesia, Asia and the Americas). No one. We are STILL under neo-colonial oppression, both at home and abroad. With continual harrassment, belittlement and physical abuse from state authorities wherever we inhabit, mixed with a slow awakening to the blatant racist genecide being perpetrated against Afrekan people, it was only a matter of time before something kicked off.
In the midst of the recent Ferguson riots, a call was put out and was echo’d by some members of the Afrekan community. When I first saw it mentioned on my Facebook page, I was all “About fucking time!”. But then I thought about it. I smoke cigarettes. A particular brand which is only sold in select shops near me. Where the heck will I get my fags from? There’s no black newsagents or grocers near me. I also enjoy vegetarian cuisine. None of the afrekan restaurants near me cook or provide delicious imaginative vegetarian meals. One store directly told me to my face that it wasn’t viable for them to provide vegetarian food. Most of the few afrekan-owned businesses in my area are typical afrekan businesses that I don’t have any use for – that is, barbers and hairdressers. Outside of those, the majority are afrekan cloth shops. That’s all well and good, but I’m already backed up with material. So, how can I support a local black business if there’s no business in my area?
As usual, Mon Petit gave me the solution to my dilemma. Just don’t spend with anybody that day. To make double sure, I didn’t even leave the flat. Lol. I cooked us a lovely pumpkin and sweet potato stew with brown rice and black eyed peas and side salad. We had entertainment, ciggies, food and drink, and made a day of it. My son participated by leaving his wallet at home whilst he went to work, therefore removing the temptation to spend with anyone that day.
On Blackout Monday I’m proud to say that all members of my household partook. White supremacy has to realise they can’t keep treating people like sub-human beings anymore. Due to Mike Brown, a new psyche is forming in the Afrekan mind. A new awakening. People are realising what truly affects white supremacy. Their financial pocket. I hope those who also took part and were able to spend with a black business in their area, were able to make a sufficient dent in the economy. We are a force. We do have power to make things better for ourselves. We can make a change for the positive. A minimum of eight billion dollars worth of change.