How long will it take for us people of color to recognize and support our own businesses, entrepreneurs, and artists of all kinds? We keep calling out for equal representation in institutions that were never meant to include us while still blindly supporting those very same organizations that ignore our talents time and time again. We have to stop asking to be valued by people who may never understand our struggles and accomplishments. Instead, we need to love, nurture, and enrich ourselves.
I support people who share the view that we need to invest our hard earned money in our communities in order to see them grow. We waste hundreds of thousands of dollars a year buying european designer clothes that were not meant to be worn by us. When those designers host runway shows how many models of color do they choose to showcase their work? One? Two if we’re lucky? But how many of those designers appropriate our culture by having their models sport textured hair and braided hair? Definitely more than just one or two. Please keep that in mind the next time you buy a European designer hand bag.
The truth is too many of us are furthering our education and taking our new found knowledge to the corporations that continue to oppress and exploit us. Do not underestimate the power of knowledge, and be aware that knowledge acquired outside of the classroom can be just as important. In other words, do not discredit the lessons passed down to you from generations and generations of hard-working people who have struggled to make it possible for you to have access to an education. Knowledge is a resource we cannot afford to waste or misuse.
I’m not saying we need to boycott all things outside our communities. I’m just asking that we think about exactly who we are supporting with our money and make efforts to allocate funds to the organizations that have our best interests at heart and represent us in ways we deserve.
Forever Thugnacious 