Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
BOB Could Help, But BOB Can’t Breathe!
Publishers Commentary by Wallace J. Allen
The issue of police conduct regarding interaction with Black men is being negotiated across the nation with a variety of scenarios that are offering some degree of change. If something would occur that actually stopped police violence against Black men, there would still be problems left to deal with. One of the problems is Black-on-Black violence, the other is jobs; however, if we solve the jobs problem, we may also slow the Black-on-Black violence problem.
Supporting Black Owned Businesses (BOB) can be a big help in the jobs department. Increasing business directed to BOB will allow, and in many cases, require BOB to hire additional help. There are business owners in your community, even your church that should be getting your support! Find out who they are and give them your business. Your money is important and could be used to express your community concerns as well as consumer desires.
Where you spend your money is possibly a more important vote than the one for president! It can have much more effect on the quality of life that your community experiences. There are over 10,000 Black elected officials, which include City council members, school boards, County Supervisors, State legislators, Congress Members, Senators, and the President of the United States. Despite our political successes, Black men are unemployed at the highest rates in America. You could force BOB to put many of our unemployed to work by simply giving BOB your business.
Many of you say that BOB has problems. That may be true, but so does the bank that you so faithfully put your money in. It probably needed to be bailed out during the past five or six years. Many of BOB’s problems will be solved when you extend your financial support and commit to providing a business stimulus that supports your community. Your support of BOB may provide the job that actually prevents you from having to bail out one of your friends or family members from jail or financial need.
As we continue the struggle for fair treatment from the world remember that the world is paying attention to how we treat each other. Your enthusiastic
