Even during the fifties and sixties when the country was striving to unite we were still being beaten, mistreated, and killed. In the nineties when the video aired nationally of the Los Angeles police beating Rodney King, all officers were found not guilty because his skin, our skin, was the wrong color. We have fought, preached, and marched throughout the years to help bring change, in our efforts to be treated as equals.

In 2012, Trayvon Martin, a young black male was killed by a man who clearly disliked him because of his skin color, yet that man walks around freely today. In 2014, Jordan Davis, a young black male is killed by a man who then gets convicted of attempted murder, rather than the murder of Davis. We have again preached and marched for these causes yet our movement has no impact. Why not? Again we are the wrong color, our voices fall upon deaf ears, our marches are ignored because we are not “GREEN.”

“GREEN?” Yes, the new color of “reason” and the one that matters the most. The days of marching and protesting to achieve results are over. Lawmakers, politicians, police chiefs, and prosecutors are all paid with tax money, and in the event that their jobs are influenced by voters, then they solicit contributions from these tax payers to help them fund their campaigns. When I say tax money I don’t mean money generated by sales tax, I’m talking about property taxes, and fees derived from business licenses, permits, and inspections, all of which are a types of taxes which businesses pay. So in a sense Business Owners control the government and policies which shape the outcome of the events that affect our society, because they control the money or “GREEN.”

If we, Black People, want more control over what affects us, and what goes on in our neighborhoods we must make changes. We must learn to Support Black Owned businesses which reside in our neighborhoods. Patronizing these black businesses can lead to business growth and new jobs for people in who live in these neighborhoods. With the creation of more jobs the amount of home ownership will rise, and the need for new businesses to provide services to these new home owners. The children within these neighborhoods can see black business owners as role models and strive to be business owner themselves. As our neighborhoods begin to flourish and our overall wealth begins to grow, so will our voice for change and true equality.

So make your change today! Visit your local black owned businesses and patronize them regularly. If there is a service that you need and you can’t find a business within your neighborhood, you can always find one on a black business directory. There are many directories to choose from, some are local and some are national. They can be useful when you can’t find a particular business or you are looking for a new one. They can also be useful while traveling abroad. Click here to find your Black Owed Business today!