Trell in the City
POWER THROUGH: Truth & Consequences
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy”. ~Dr. Martin L. King Jr.
In our disadvantaged communities, there may be a tipping point at which rigorous crime policies and practices can do more harm than good. But there is a growing body of evidence in the African American communities that suggest that this may not always be the case. My continuing observation
shows the effects of what time in prison has on individuals, their family, home and community. Depending on the preparation, children are negatively affected when parents go into prison, as well as when they return. While reparatory justice is essential, it is also necessary to equip those within our community with economic savoir-faire. It’s time to power through and rise up to the challenge in our communities.
Researchers are increasingly finding that both the collateral consequences of imprisonment, and living in communities from which many of the imprisoned come from and return to, do have detrimental effects. I believe this is shortly true; an initial account has to be given to the individual unless they are wrongly accused. None of us know what tomorrow may bring, but today we need to power through and create an agenda to build Black futures. This would cause the demand for Black-owned establishments to rise, and would ultimately complete the cycle of encouraging others to open new businesses to do the same.
Minister Louis Farrakhan said, “Look at us. We all wear shoes, but we have no shoe factories. If the cattle give its hide to the Caucasian people so that they can take that hide, tan it, and make shoes for themselves, would not the same cattle give their hides to you and me? Was it not a Black man who invented the machine which revolutionized the shoe industry? Yet we profit nothing from his genius”. It’s time to power through in our African American communities by supporting the misguided.
How do we start you ask? Here are some things we can do before tragedy strikes to better the Black community and move us forward. Support and recommend Black businesses; it is imperative we support our businesses operating in our community to circulate the funds among one another and lift our economy. We spend over $1 trillion dollars a year and less than 3% is with Black owned businesses. This is unacceptable. I am not saying you should support a business purely because they are Black. They need to be worthy of your support.
Despite the slow transformation, I will continue to pray, support, lead, encourage, market, and research for a better tomorrow for Black-owned businesses by educating ex-convicts and teaching our children more than just going to school ~ teach them to be their own boss.
We are here and we are not going anywhere…… Let’s Power Through!
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