Inspirational… Black Owned Biz
Category Archives: Black Owned
Video-,Buy Back the Block! Take a Step, Join The Movement if Buying Property and Land; Cheap & Organized
A great, inspiring and easy way to buy back the block! Have ownership in what is rightfully yours, make money and help that money cycle within the community… Let’s thrive!
There is so much history buried I intend to share to anyone who may not be aware of it as soon as my internet is back on (Monday, ideally!)… For now I am limited to posts and I hope you will take the time to consider the videos, and the link to follow.
Interested? Check out BuyTheBlock’s educational site here & get involved!
Beautiful, Rare Video Footage From the 1920s of All Black Towns
These towns and their self-reliant middle class and affluent residents are documented by the home movies of Reverend S. S. Jones, an itinerant minister and businessman.
Stunning and inspiring! Most of us know about Black Wall Wall Street; but there were many towns across America where Black people thrived. Whites didn’t like that, of course, and as we saw with Black Wall Street, these jealous sick freaks stole by demolishing, because they couldn’t handle not being best. It’s hard to be best when they always had others enslaved doing the work for them. But this is a happy post so!
the video footage by clicking here. I can’t embed it sadly. Article associated posted below.
Part three of a four-part series from the film archive of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
By the 1920s, Oklahoma was home to some 50 African-American towns, in addition to a large and prosperous black community living in the city of Tulsa. These towns and their self-reliant middle class and affluent residents are documented by the home movies of Reverend S. S. Jones, an itinerant minister and businessman. Known and respected by the citizens of the towns whose lives he captured on film, Rev. Jones’s work offers revealing glimpses of these communities as a haven for African Americans who very often faced discrimination elsewhere in America.
The subjects are everyday life: a family on the front porch of their bungalow, shop workers at a storefront, farmers plowing their fields, children playing on seesaws in a schoolyard. Much of the material documents the economic life of the towns, from business districts filled with prosperous merchants to the homes of successful professionals, with an abundant countryside beyond.
As Rhea Combs, curator of film and photography for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, points out in her commentary, here we even find a married couple who were oil barons, proof of the extraordinary progress made in the relatively short time since the end of slavery.
The fashions and hairstyles, automobiles and horses, and even such details as a man manually pumping gasoline at a filling station make the films a fascinating record of the lives of Americans, and African Americans in particular, in the early 20th century.
I’ll Be Shopping At Target Now… Black Owned and Proud…
If there is one thing I am not, it is a ‘girly girl’ who enjoys make-up and …all that. I, of course, love eyeliner and mascara, but that isn’t just a look that is a representation of many different things depending on the day/mood…And it is also a tribute to past lives I have not forgotten; as well as a sign of gratitude and a promise to never forget the ancestors who would be so ashamed… We need change;… But I know as we fight forward we also need some positive topics, too, once and again…
And here we are! I think this is so awesome and I had no idea that Target had 1 let alone 22 products that are Black owned! Being a huge supporter of “Buy Black” I will make sure to check it out; and I hope you all will too…
#SOLIDARITY and also, nothing but love and well wishes for those involved ❤
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“In the last two years I’ve created countless lists featuring black-owned brands from plus size swimwear to skincare, but the response to these listings is always sort of so-so. Folks share the lists, but do they shop? I’m not so sure. Perhaps the reasoning for not Buying Black is due to accessibility. Most online based-businesses have a final sale policy, which can dissuade potential customers. Thankfully, Target is home to 22 Black-owned cosmetics brands, with new ones cropping up all the time. That’s right, now we have the option of buying Black right at our neighborhood Target stores, giving shoppers the option of easily returning products that may not work for them.
Check out this list of 22 Black-owned Beauty Brands sold at Target: ”
Click here for more information and a detailed list, and get to shopping! 🙂
I Support Black Owned Banks, Black Owned Businesses
I was looking for a bank to sign up with today and thought I’d list the resources I used to find a Black owned bank. As I’ve tried to make clear as imaginable, when it is available or within access to me, I prefer to support “Buy Black” and the Black community; and there are numerous, almost seemingly endless, amounts of all kinds of businesses and that is a beautiful, wonderful thing that I hope prevails further and further until Kings and Queens rule again…,
But for now, every little bit helps, and I hope any one who reads my posts or follows me also supports Black business.
Here is the lists I used to narrow down who I would be using.
38 Black Owned Banks & Credit Unions (opens in new window or tab)
A few other sites:
- Buy Black Directory “The Largest Online Marketplace For Black Goods”
- Buy Black Movement (Large Directory)
- Black Biz Community
- Buy Black Bookstore
- AND ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAV FOR BOOKS! United Black Books
- One Million Households
- Ebonomy – Amazing Resource & Directory
- Lawyers.Black – Adding this because of the hell amerikkka is using against the non-white communities…and out of respect and support.
- Oh! And for the kids!…. Here is a site named, “Black Moms Blog” you should definitely check out and support!
There are a lot more, but for now I’ll stop and hope others are as proud to support Black businesses as I am.
DO NOT SELL YOUR HOMES HOUSTON FLOOD VICTIMS! DON’T LET THEM STEAL FROM YOU; PROTECT THE HOOD & BUY BACK THE BLOCK!
This has sparked a new project in my mind…. Aiming to have it done within the next few days, so probably next week lol. TIME TO GO THROUGH THE HISTORY OF WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT; WHY IT MATTERS THAT YOU DON’T SELL OUT FOR A NUMBER – REMEMBER, THEY’LL GET MORE THAN YOU DO… THEY WANT IT FOR A REASON- DO NOT SELL! BUY BLACK; BUILD BLACK; STAY STRONG !!!!!!!!!! CHECK OUT THE BUY BACK THE BLOCK WEBSITE FOR LEGIT INFO, HELP, ADVISING, ETC! And please contact this man below so he can help it get going…
TIME FOR CHANGE IS RIGHT FREAKIN NOW!
NEED SOME SORT OF DIRECT CONTACT IN REGARDS TO DISASTER VICTIMS IN HOUSTON, TX………….
832.428.8566 SO I CAN FURTHER INSTRUCT MY PPL ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THE IMPENDING MICROWAVE- GENTRIFICATION (original post on FB here.)
Kobe Bryant Now a Business Man & Million Dollar Investor & an INSPIRATION.
I’m a basketball fan but not much for Kobe; however I respect what he is doing!! Inspiring; though he has the money to start where he is, ANY ONE can do it with hard work and passion… Never settle for less, REBUILD Black Wall Street!!! 
“Retired basketball sensation Kobe Bryant is doing something commendable with his retirement time and resources. Over the past three years, the star has been building a $100 million venture capital fund. Speaking on Monday, he said investing is one of the things he’s been very passionate about, and that’s why he made a decision to pursue it.”
The 38-year-old former shooting guard co-founded the fund, Bryant Stibel, in 2013 with the current vice chairman of Dun & Bradstreet, Jeff Stibel.
According to Stibel, they opted to wait so that the initiative could only be unveiled if had been given a strong foundation.
“We wanted our body of work, and the entrepreneurs and companies, to stand for themselves,” Stibel told CNNMoney. “We wanted to prove that this was something that had substance and depth.”
He’s planning to invest in different fields, including technology, media and data companies, especially those that lean towards sports and wellness.
Click here for the full article.
Good News, For Once- Upcoming Black Wall Street(S)
This is wonderful news and I hope to see a lot more of it. I read any and every 
book I can on Black Wall Street, which jealous whites destroyed, and as of yet I’ve only found one book that describes the beauty of the area, the women dressed like beautiful Queens in jewels and pearls, the beautiful buildings, parks and houses. The book I learned the most from, I believe, was this book I bought from a Black Owned bookstore in Brooklyn years ago. There are many books on Black Wall Street, but the only one to mention the beauty that was Black Wall Street, can be found here.
Despite the adversity faced, I hope the following story and all the businesses grow, and grow, until there are many “Black Wall Streets”- people and places well secured and safe from having any more destruction and loss. Story follows.
A group of neighbors in Northwest D.C. were fed up with what was going on in their building, so they bought it. And part of their inspiration came from 7 ON YOUR SIDE.
ABC7 News reported on conditions at 5751 Colorado Avenue NW in a report seven years ago when tenants told us they had no heat.
The story ended years later not with the landlord cashing in on the building by driving the tenants out, but with the help of the city and the nonprofit, Mi Casa, the tenants were able to get loans to buy out the landlord and renovate the building as a cooperative.
Fourteen of the tenants in the 28-unit building are back in their old units after two years in temporary housing.
On Saturday, they’re going to officially celebrate the reopening and take applications for coop members who want to move into the 14 unoccupied units.
The Power in a Beautiful, Strong, INSPIRING, Black Woman Accomplishing What Most Only Wish For
I have said before and will forever say, the strongest soul in this world is that of a Black woman. Fighting against the odds of sexism and racism, it’s sad but so obvious the strength a Black woman must have. And little girls need to know this!! So let’s me introduce you to the boss on Wall Street….
A woman. A strong, beautiful Black woman; doing her thing and making her money… I rarely see much that inspires me, but this woman not only inspires me as a woman, but she inspires me for I know how many other women she can inspire.
Suzanne Shank is TRULY an inspiration; please share her story and let other little girls know they can do ANYTHING!
Article starts-
When most people think of Wall Street titans, they think of rich, white men who garner very little interest from our young people. This may be true, but it isn’t completely accurate because swimming with the sharks is a Queen our young people should know about.
Last year, Suzanne Shank became one of, if not the first, black woman to head a publicly traded financial services institution. Shank was promoted to CEO of Siebert Financial Corporation (a broker/deal institutional investment bank founded by Muriel Seibert). A monumental feat indeed, but no where near defines the career and future of this extraordinary woman.
In addition to holding this post, Shank is also the CEO of Siebert Brandford Shank & Co. LLC. It seems like a lot of work, but Shank splits her time between the two businesses and is doing very well.
As you can imagine, Shank’s resume is power packed, impressive and mind blowing to say the least.
Shank was a Wharton MBA graduate in finance, class of 1987, civil engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology, President, Municipal bond trader, CEO of Siebert Brandford Shank & Co, LLC, the largest minority-owned municipal finance firm in the United States.
Since the start of her firm, they have acted as managing underwriter for municipal bond transactions exceeding a whopping $1.2 trillion dollars and ranks among the top 10 in seven key infrastructure categories for underwriting municipal bonds in the world.
This powerful, black woman is one to remember as her trailblazing ways will continue to inspire, develop, nurture and create more and more great minds in our community.
We have to understand as a community, not everyone is going to fight the same fights…or fight in a manner we think they should. I don’t know how this woman gives back to the community, but that is her business. Here we are highlighting her because we believe her drive, success and background might resonate and encourage some of our young people to get off their backsides and put in work!
Source: BlackEnterprise.com
Black Wall Street; Never Forgotten & Poem by A.J. Smitherson
I have quiet a few books on Black Wallstreet; a history forgotten. One I am currently reading sparked me to wanna write this post. For quotes from the book as well as many suggestions for related topic books and more, click here to view my Goodreads page and ADD ME! Please 🙂
The following is a poem written by a successful husband and father; a lawyer, journalist as well as having the honor to be there when the NAACP was founded, becoming one of the first people to join. A.J. Smitherson is his name, a name -among many others- that should be known to all, yet the history books somehow managed to add this bit of American history. Wonder why. 🙄
Mr. Smitherson did survive the attack on the successful Black community, thankfully, however he lost all he had worked for to jealous bigots who wished they could be him, but knew they couldn’t ever accomplish what was being accomplished in Greenwood. Because of the success of him and many, many other Blacks living there, Mr. Smitherson was but one of a countless number of men and women that lost what they had worked so hard for; their lands, businesses, beautiful homes and so forth, to envious racists, during what is called the Tulsa Riots.
Greenwood, OK, or Black Wall Street, was burned and destroyed by these jealous cowards with no souls. The people behind it were nothing but cruel white losers whom felt envy and fear as well as unjustified hate towards the success in the Black community. Why so many whites feared/fear this I don’t understand and probably never will.
Don’t mistake me; I understand the reasons that are obvious among that sort; they didn’t want to see the Black community thriving. But what I do not understand & never will is why this is an issue that upsets them? Black success is human success; we should be happy anytime a community gets together and creates something better than what was, especially at that time.
One day Black “Wallsteet” will rise again and when it does, I know where all my money will be spent shopping. As a child I dedicated my life to fighting hate and racism and I would fight to the end to see this again. Er, by that I mean; I would fight and die happily to see many and more Black Wall Streets pop up all over America, with no chance of pathetic, jealous creatures ripping it apart or burning it down by mindless morons.
Below is a poem written by Mr. A.J. Smitherson after the riots. What a disgraceful, sick and hate filled world this is.
*
Whence those sounds in all directions
Firearms cracking everywhere;
Men and women all excited,
Cries of rioting fill the air.
Men with guns and ammunition,
Rushing madly to the fray,
Shooting, cursing, laughing, crying,
“Come on, boys, come on this way!”
“They are trying to lynch our comrade,
Without cause in law defi;
Get your guns and help defend him;
Let’s protect him, win or die.
‘Twas the cry of Negro manhood,
Rallying to the cause of right,
Readying to suppress the lawless,
Anxious for a chance to fight.
So they marched against the mobbists
Gathered now about the jail,
While the sheriff stood there pleading,
Law and order to prevail.
Thus responding to their duty,
Like true soldiers that they were,
Black men face the lawless white men
Under duty’s urgent spur.
Cries of “Let us have the nigger”
“Lynch him, kill him” came the shout,
And at once there came an answer
When a sharp report rang out
“Stand back men, there’ll be no lynching”
Black men cried, and not in fun
Bang! Bang! Bang! three quick shots followed,
And the battle had begun.
In the fusillade that followed,
Four white lynchers kissed the dust,
Many more fell badly wounded,
Victims of their hellish lust.
Quick they fled in all directions,
Panic stricken, filled with fear,
Leaving their intended victim,
As the news spread far and near.
Scattered now in great confusion
Filled with vengeance all anew
Leaders of the lynching party
Planned for something else to do.
“Blacks prevent a Negro’s lynching”
Read a bold newspaper head,
In an extra night edition,
“Fifty Whites reported dead”.
Rallied now with reinforcements
Brave (?) white men five thousand strong
Marched upon the Black defenders
With their usual battle song:
“Get the niggers” was their slogan,
“Kill them, burn them, set the pace.
Let them know that we are white men,
Teach them how to keep their place.
“Forward! March! ! command was given,
And the tread of feet was heard,
Marching on the Colored district,
In protest there came no word.
In the meantime rabid hoodlums
Now turned loose without restraint
Helped themselves to things of value
More than useless to complain.
were taken by the hundreds,
Ammunition all in sight
Reign of murder, theft and plunder
Was the order of the night.
But our boys who learned the lesson
On the blood-stained soil of France,
How to fight on the defensive
Purposed not to take a chance.
Like a flash they came together,
Word was passed along the line:
“No white man must cross the border;
Shoot to kill and shoot in time!”
“Ready, Fire!” and then a volley
From the mob whose skins were white
“Give ’em hell, boys”, cried the leader,
“Soon we’ll put ’em all to flight”.
But they got a warm reception
From black men who had no fear,
Who while fighting they were singing:
“Come on Boys, the Gang’s all here.”
Rapid firing guns were shooting,
Men were falling by the score,
‘Till the white men quite defeated
Sent the word “We want no more.”
Nine p.m. the trouble started,
Two a.m. the thing was done.
And the victory for the black men
Counted almost four to one.
Then the white went into council,
Hoping to reprise their loss,
Planned the massacre that followed,
Dared to win at any cost.
June the First, at five a.m.
Three long whistle blasts were heard,
Giving sign for concert action
To that cold blood-thirsty herd.
At the signal from the whistle
Aeroplanes were seen to fly,
Dropping bombs and high explosives,
Hell was falling from the sky.
On all sides the mob had gathered
Talking in excited tones
With machine guns, ready. mounted,
Trained upon a thousand homes.
Truth- A Right to Fight For... 