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Why African Americans Can't Get Ahead

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As a African American, many days I have sat to discuss with friends and associates about how did we as a people allow ourselves to get into this current "State Of Economic Emergency" within our communities. We as a people spend more money on material things than any other racial or ethnic group in this country; mostly, on items we don't need. While there are many sociological and psychological reasons for this, even worse, is the fact that very little of the money being spent by us in our community, ever goes back into the community for the creation of jobs, education community and economic development etc. because we own very few of the businesses that are present.

This book "Why African Americans Can't Get Ahead" is one of the best books I have read on the principles of group economics, the history of African American business empowerment and solutions to our plight. Mrs. Richardson does this in a very interesting and easy to read format that doesn't need to be longer than 144 pages. As a former retail business owner, I can relate and understand to the examples Mrs. Richardson gives of fellow African American consumers being critical of price and using this as the main determining factor of choosing to do business with a African American owned business. I also have to be critical of myself when in the past I've made negative comments about some of our business owners without giving them a chance to rectify a mistake. As a former Executive General Manager of a Record label with Major Label distribution I found the Chapter on the Entertainment Industry right on point. I must include that Chapter 12 on "Wisdom from Nannie Helen" Burroughs was particularly satisfying. I attended Nannie Helen Burroughs school from kindergarten-8th grade and I credit this school with helping me grow to the man I am today. I have already recommended this book to many of my friends.

I would go so far to say that this book should be included as course curriculum for some of our Business Sociology and Psychology courses at our HBCU's to really help drive the point of Group Economics to our best and brightest so that they can practice these principals once they have started a career, started a family or open their own successful business.

While it is true today that racism still plays a ugly hand in our economic developmental process, we still haven't learned that we can do more for ourselves than any other government entity or other group of people can or will do for us just by supporting one another to build a true and powerful economic base for our future generations. This book helps to show us the way.

We have all thought about the question - why can't African Americans get ahead? There may be as many reasons as there are people. However, Richardson clearly accounts for the historical reasons, political implications and emotional defects that keep African Americans from taking risks. By using a chronological narrative, interviewing successful African Americans, defining group economics, commenting on the lack of involvement of the Black church and presenting steps for families to change cultural mind sets to appreciate the advantages of embarking on free enterprise endeavors.

Richardson does an outstanding job in covering all the bases of this topic. She details a step-by-step plan that can transform African American communities making them viable economic forces in the United States. It's time for African Americans to enter the world of kingdom building and wealth accumulation. Richardson urges readers to take the necessary steps to buy black, develop businesses and educate others on the importance of keeping the dollar in "our" community. WHY AFRICAN AMERICANS CAN'T GET AHEAD provides us with a readable tool to take "US" to the next level.

Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

This book is a must read.

Too often, I hear comments that portray African Americans in a negative and/or fatalistic manner. Ms. Richardson presents documented data that sheds light on the economic situation of African Americans from their beginning, in this country, until now.

Gwen Richardson tackles a difficult subject while presenting the information in an easy to read and digest format. Historical data, current issues and futuristic strategies are discussed.

This book left me, intellectually, better informed and, emotionally, feeling positive about the possible economic future of African Americans.

Persons who are inexperienced with historical perspectives and economics (national and world wide) as well as the highly knowledgeable will benefit from having read this book.

In WHY AFRICAN AMERICANS CAN'T GET AHEAD, Gwen Richardson asks some very potent questions. But, she does not leave it there; through in-depth research and her own quest for answers she has uncovered some eye-opening revelations about the fiber of American society that has set too much of the tone for African Americans (AA). Dr. Thomas Sowell, an AA economist and senior fellow at the Hoover Institute, graphed ethnic groups by their economic success. Blacks and Native Americans were at the bottom of the scale. Richardson took that information, determined to find the reasons why. She found that the history of AA played a major role in shaping attitudes, negative and positive, as we struggle to become economically affluent. She further notes that while a solid, successful AA middle class does exist, the fact remains that there has been little improvement in the net worth of most AA households over the past decade.

She challenges the AA communities to help determine their own outcome using what she calls Group Economics, which she defines as 'the deliberate, purposeful and persistent spending of dollars with a business enterprise owned and/or controlled by an individual within one's own ethnic group, nationality or organization'. She artfully defines the challenges of a race, but also presents a cutting-edge solution to these challenges.

Richardson wishes there were a magic wand that would cause AA to understand the concept of group economics but, being a realist, she knows it will take more than magic to accomplish this. WHY AFRICAN AMERICANS CAN'T GET AHEAD is being described as a break through book, and if African Americans will give full attention to the concept, breakthrough will indeed be the appropriate terminology. I urge you to please read the book and embrace the concept.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers