Confronting Challenges of Afrikan Business

Afrikan souls are extremely enterprising people. It would be impossible for them to bring about the world’s greatest and most long-lived civilisations were this not the case. Even in times of disruption such as the Maafa of recent centuries brought about by others that mean the Afrikan ill, the self-determined enterprising Afrikan growth and development continues to be brought to the fore. Rightfully, there are many successful efforts being made in this regard. There are also lessons and challenges that materialise along the way. Here detailed are some issues that have been articulated by the thinker George Subira on the subject of establishing an Afrikan business:  

“1. [Afrikan] people are saturated with about a dozen attitudes which lead our people to have a definite anti-money and anti-wealth perspective…In spite of this, however, we have a lot of pride and admiration for those rich Blacks among us that society has designated ‘stars’. We allow and condone behaviour and values from these ‘stars’ that we do not tolerate from any other members of the community. These attitudes act as a strong deterrent from starting businesses for the purpose of making large amounts of money.

2. In those instances when [Afrikans] do start their own businesses, the prime motivation is very often not money but for the reasons which strictly please the emotions or ego of the business owner. And in those instances, when there is the initial goal of starting a business for the purpose of making money, the owner almost inevitably settles for a sum very near what they were making as a salaried employee.

3. [Afrikan] businesses do not get the complete patronage of [Afrikan] people because [Afrikans] haveas consumers developed a set of standards and expectations which they have grown accustomed to and demand of all businesses. Many [Afrikan] businesses have not grown as fast in catering to customers’ wants as the customers have moved to developing their wants. Many [Afrikan] business owners are still of the opinion that their business should be patronised for the primary reason that they are a[n Afrikan] business. The issue is strongly divided in our community with ample justification on both sides.

4. A chief reason contributing to the continued underdevelopment of [Afrikan] businesses lies in the fact that counter to a historical trend of [Afrikan] leaders and thinkers serving the community, today’s Black thinkers largely serve the interests of corporate [aliens]. This has been called the ‘Black Brain Drain’ and would be an even greater problem in our community if corporations opened their doors even further for the skilled and talented Blacks ready and extremely willing to take corporate positions.

5. Today’s [Afrikan] businesses are being run by older Mom and Pop operations and young people largely using a trial and error method and from whom emerge many of our moderately successful businesses. There are a few businesses being run by former corporate employees whose drive to set up their own shop is stronger than those of the associates that he or she left behind in the corporate world. These [Afrikan] business people are part of the wave of the future and though they operate some of the most sophisticated [Afrikan]-owned businesses, they are still rather few in number.

6. Inside the major white corporations one finds two basic types of Black employees. The first type is that one which started out with the intention to eventually leave the corporate world at some tim in the future to establish a[n Afrikan] enterprise. However, due to the personal debts, commitments, responsibilities, and advice that this employee obtains over time, they elect to stay in their job situation. Some change to the degree that they become like ‘junkies’, unable to imagine how they could exist outside of the corporation and all its goodies. The second type of Black employee is that one which has never lost sight of their desire and need to start their own enterprise. Unfortunately, if this person overcomes all the usual and expected problems and hassles of starting a business, they may find that their biggest obstacle is to convince a spouse who for a host of reasons may have a problem with their partner having their own business. Some spouses are pushed into a corner where they are just about forced to choose between their business aspirations and their spouse, and they make the decision according to the strength of their conviction.

7. All the conditions listed here account for a significant amount of the underdevelopment of [Afrikan] business”

Ujamaa Kiburi Siku is a wonderful part of the spiritual-cultural observance calendar of the Universal Royal Afrikan Nation. It takes place in the first week of June marking the time of significant occurrence both on the continent of Afrika and in the diaspora concerning Afrikan economy. Ujamaa Kiburi Siku as with the other observances on the Afrikan cultural calendar is just that – an observance. Therefore, wherever the Afrikan is whether at home, at a community gathering or elsewhere it can be observed.

The Universal Royal Afrikan Nation (URAN) is an Afrikan-centred spiritual and cultural mission for ascendancy that embodies living spiritually and culturally rooted life. To find out more about URAN and its spiritual-cultural mission for liberty and nationhood click here. The exquisite URAN pendant can be obtained online by clicking here.

In his capacity as an Afrikan-centred spiritual cultural practitioner this author is available for further learning in this regard and also for the carrying out of ceremonies such as naming and name reclamation. For details please click here.

Afrikan World Studies programmes are an important forms of study in understanding the Afrikan experience. There are a range of subjects covered on these programmes including History, Creative Production, Psychology and Religion. To find out more about these learning programmes please click here. For the video promo for these learning programmes click here.

Select resources are available online via the website  of Yemanja.

At nominal cost, also consider acquisition of an a4 laminate poster of articulations by this author when visiting the Yemanja institution to enrol, consult, learn, gather or otherwise.