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8BODYOFCHRISTNEWSMARCH2014WeHavetoProvethatWereaMinorityAsifwehaventgonethroughenoughnowwehavetoprovethatwereaminorityordisad-vantagedintheAmericanbusinessworld.Thefactthatwearetheonlyraceofpeopletosufferchattel-slaverynotjustintheUnitedStatesofAmericabuttheentireworldthatsnotenough.OurskinhasbeenoursininandoutofNorthAmericathatsnotenough.Ourancestorswerebeatenrapedmuti-latedandmurderedthatsnotenough.Wewerecon-sidered35thofaHumanBeingthatsnotenough.Wewerepunishedbrutallyandattimesgravelyforlearningtoreadthatsnotenough.AlmosteveryeconomicallysolventcommunitythatwasdevelopedbyAfricanAmericansattheturnofthecenturywasburnedtothegroundmoniesandothervalu-ablesstolenfamiliesandhomesdestroyedthatsnotenough.GreeleyColoradoRosewoodFloridaTulsaOklahomajusttonameafewIhaveseensomeofthemostridiculousprocessesasitrelatestominoritycertificationssupposedlytoleveltheplayingfieldinthebusinessworld.Yesweknowtherearesomewell-promptedwell-scriptedexamplesbutthatisnotthenormnorevencloseAsaBlack-mandoingbusinessIwasaskedbyawhitefemaleinalocalGovernmentofficetoprovemyminoritystatusorthatIhadadisadvantageinthelocalornationalbusinessenvironment.ImustadmitIthoughtIwasbeingprankedorsomeoneIknewwasplayingapracticaljokeonme.IguessthejokeisreallyontheBlackbusinesscommunityasIsawasignificantlineofwhitefemalesbehindme.IthoughttomyselfIwonderhowanAmericanWhite-womanprovesshesaminority.Needlesstosaywestilldontknowtheanswertothatonebutitmustbeastrongandoverwhelmingsourceofproofofherminoritystatus.Aftersee-ingthatIbegantotakealittlecloserlookonlytofindthatthe1minorityinthebusinessworldinColoradoandtheU.S.toreceivebenefitsfromaffir-mativeactionwasandstillisaWhite-woman.Arecipientofover75ofUSandlocalGovernmentcontractsThiswasandstillisbafflingtomejustasequallybafflingistheacceptedeffortstopitBlackmenandBlackwomenagainsteachotherforthestorythatmenareoppressive.CorrectmeifImwrongbutitwasBlackwomeninthefieldspickingcottonrightbesideBlackmen.AgaincorrectmeifImwrongbutitwasBlackwomenbeingsprayedbeatenandbittenrightbesideBlackmendur-ingtheheightoftheCivilRightsMovementsoforBlackwomentobuyintosuchanidioticstoryasifBlackmenwereapartofthishistoricallyoppressivebehaviorisabsurd.Itisalsoverydishearteningtoseeallofthesebeneficiariesofthecivilrightsstrug-glewithoutthemhavingpaid110thoftheduesstruggleifanyatall.Andnowforthosewhodidtheworkandpaidthepriceorthedescendantsthereoftobesplitbyrankfileandtheminimalrecipientsisnotonlybafflingbutcriminalinnature.Almost2yearsagoweaddressedsomeoftheseissuesthequestionisHowmuchhastheneedlemovedItappearstheneedlehasntmovedverymuchifatall.Howeverthereareafewmoreclear-cutidentifiersofhowandwhyweareinourcurrentposition.Thequestionbecomeswhoswillingtotakeastandandalsounderstandstheneedforchangeinthecurrenteconomicandmoralclimate.WearestilllookingataoncethrivingBlackbusi-nesscommunityneglectedtoanunprecedentedlevel.InfactBlackbusinessownershipwasonceupwardof80intheFivePointscommunitynowat45andrapidlydecliningcommercialpropertyownershiponceashighas75bytheBlackbusi-nessownersnow38anddeclining.LetusnotforgetParkHill.WhilenotaslargeofaBlackbusi-nesscommunitybutstillathrivingoneownershiphasseverelygoneastrayinthiscommunityaswell.MostAfricanAmericansfromParkHillnowshopinthenewStapletondevelopment.HoweverhowmanyofthebusinessesyoufrequentareownedbyBlacksHowmanyorhowmuchoftheretailshopsorcom-mercialpropertyisownedbyBlacksWetendtogetoverlyexcitedwhenwehearthewordssustainabilityandeconomicdevelopmenthoweverwehaveyettoseeitincludeus.Nolongercanwesitidlybyandseenothingdoneoratleastnothingthatbenefitstheexistingownersandbusinessesinourcommunity.HowoftenhaveweseenotherculturesnewpeopleandnewbusinessescomeintotheBlackcommuni-tiesandreceivelowinterestloansgrantsandorothertypesofeconomictoolstoassistintheireffortsofsuccessThoseofwealthandmeansknowthatthestartofeconomicdevelopmentandsustainabilitycomesfromownershipandwithownershipyoucanbegintheprocessofbuildingwealth.ThequestionbecomeswhyarewebeingaggressivelypushedintoapositionofaconsumerUnfortunatelywithnoforeseeablefutureoftrueeconomicvitalitythatincludesus.WearestilloneofthelargerdepositorsinseveralofthemajorbanksinDenverandtheColoradoareayetwearetheleastlikelytobenefitfromthoseinstitutions.NotethenexttimeyoureinlineatyourbankaskforthebanksCRAreport.CommunityReinvestActReportWevegonefromownerstoRentersinourowncom-munity.WhosrepresentingourinterestsMaybeitstimeforustocollectivelyrepresentourowninterests.Byholdingtaxablesystemsaccountablewecandosomuchmorewithacollectiveeffort.AreyoureadyNomorequickfixesandshortsightedvision.Atrueleaderseffortandlegacywilllastlongbeyondtheircurrenttitlesandpositions.Evenanegativeleaderseffortwill.WllieLynchsdid.Hislegacyalbeitnegativehaslastedfarlongerthanhisinitialdecreewhichwas300years.Unfortunatelyitsstillaliveandwelltodate.Hisdecreewastoanaudi-enceofbankersinVirginiacirca1712The3ques-tionsweshouldaskourselves1.WhyBankers2.WhyinNorthAmericaifwehadtheleastamountoftheslavetrade3.WhyandhowishisdogmaticignorantideologystillrelevantandworkingtodateLastbutnotleastwemustsupportourcommu-nity.Howmanytimesdowedriveoutofourcom-munitybecausethebusinessesinourcommunityhavedonesomethingwrongHoweverwerewillingtoacceptthesameifnotworsefrombusinessesinexteriorcommunities.Asbusinessownersweneedtoberealisticinoureffortandmakesurewerediverseinourproducts.Thiswillallowmulticulturalpatronage.Wemusttakeadvantageoftrainingandeducationaltoolsandopportunitiestoensurestrongproductsandser-vices.Unfortunatelywewillhavetotraveloutsideofourcommunitytoreceivethoseservices.Andwhilesomehavechosentoleaveourcommunityinshamblesfortheirownpersonalgainwecantblameapersonforlookingoutfortheirownbestinterests.Howeverwecannotandmustnottolerateanyonewhowillharmourcommunityfortheirownpersonalgain.Wecannolongeraffordforourleadersorrepresentativestoputourfateandourfutureupforsaleunderanycircumstances.Forfartoolongweveseenourfinancialwellbeingalongwithourfuturebeingsoldoff--oneopportunityatatime.Stopholdingyourowntoastandardthatyourewillingtooverlookwhenengagingwithothercultures.Itscalledself-hatredWithallthisinformationonourpastandpresentplightwhichisprimarilyraciallyandeconomicallymotivated--dowestillneedtoproveourminoritystatusOristhatnotenoughSourcesU.S.CensusBureauColoradoDept.ofLocalAffairsDOLU.S.Dept.ofLaborACLUAmericanCivilLibertiesUnionFDICFederalDepositInsuranceCorporationSBAU.S.SmallBusinessAdministrationUSLibraryofCongressNIMHNationalInstituteofMentalHealthDOEDDenverOfficeofEconomicDevelopmentCDOTColoradoDept.ofTransportationByT.H.MackSr.T.H.MackSr.isalocalbusinessownerandentrepreneur..CURRENTAFFAIRSMostAfricanAmericansfromParkHillnowshopinthenewStapletondevelopment.HoweverhowmanyofthebusinessesyoufrequentareownedbyBlacks...Wetendtogetoverlyexcitedwhenwehearthewordssustainabilityandeconomicdevelopmenthoweverwehaveyettoseeitincludeus.