The more I live in London, the more I am interested in the what I call the ‘co-development’ of African & Caribbean people. Here are a few ideas I wrote the other day about how African & Caribbean co-development could work.
1) Greater efforts to understand both of our cultures: I think the Afro-Sphere helps to support this because through an online media, people of African & African-Caribbean descent can work together to understand where we are headed together. If an African person does well, it is equally a victory for a Caribbean person and vice versa.
2) Encouraging each other’s work: I have another blog now about careers in communications in the UK. I stumbled across a blog by a Karel McIntosh called Caribbean Public Relations. I have linked to her work on my personal blog and my careers website because I believe in what she is doing and because I think we have to support each others work when it is great.
3) Brainstorming ideas on how we can further each other: This is the part where it gets tricky. It could be through volunteer work at black community centres. One thing I definitely want to do once I have my life settled is to do some mentoring for African & Caribbean young people in London at some point.
Eventually, I do want to work really hard at realising my vision of African-Caribbean Co-Development and this means going back to Africa or Caribbean for sure which I am aiming to do soon.
I like to use the word “grooming”, which is much wider in scope than mentoring.
The beauty of living in a place like New York city, rich in cultural diversity and with black people from all over the world , has enabled me to groom and mentor a large number of young black women from various black “etnias” (ethnicities): African Americans, Afro Caribbeans, Continental Africans and Afro Latinas(my cultural group).
Two years ago, one of my compatriot whom I had mentored and groomed and I became business associate. Today,we have assets and a company back home in Panama and I tell you, blessed is the day I decided to take her under my wings because she is just as good as me businesswise.
Yes, the one you have groomed and mentor is the person you may be able to do business with. This is an area that black people tend to shy away from.
I have always ask black folks, who are you grooming and often they either say,” the person is going to stab me in the back” or” I do not owe anyone anything”.
Of course we must be selective in who we take under our wings, but mathematically speaking, everyone(black person) out there cannot be the evil person to stab the groomer in the back.
Condi Rice said once, she wished there were more blacks in the State Department. I chuckled at her statement, because I wondered if she has groomed anyone .
Sometimes it entails simply giving good advice. I had an African student who had asked me to mentor her.
I advised her to go to Canada to study in a Masters program. She was born in Canada and lived in the States and had acquired a bachelors degree in Biology here planning to study medicine and could not finish the medicine degree.
Now she has finished her masters program in Canada and plans to stay there and live.
Most non-black people are very good at grrooming their fellow people. This is one of the reasons why so many of them have more busisnesses, especially in black areas worldwide.
They are not smarter than black people but have more faith in others, better business sense and a better sense of the future.
Saludos a todos,
Ana
And a Trade between Africa,Carribeans,African American,Black British all meeting in Africa and Carribean to work on projects of investment.
DK, I totally agree.
I feel many blacks here in the States should take advantage of the fact that Obama is president;the doors are open for American blacks to do business outside of the United States now.
Sometimes one have to take advantage of the situation and become an opportunist.
I see too many black people waiting to be invited into black areas(US and worldwide) to do busisness.
Non blacks doing business in black areas are not really invited so I do not understand why black people feel they need an invitation.
All the non-blacks have done is study the market, did their homework and research, then completed all the paperwork and got themselves situated.
Years ago, I met an African American woman who had an export/import business of black beauty products in Rio de Janeiro.
She was doing very well. I admired her spunk and entrepreneurship.
This woman understood that there was a demand for black beauty products over there and since she is black like many of the women in Brazil, they immediately took to her and she became a success.
The market she cornered in Rio de Janeiro could have been easily taken up by a non- black person.
We have a Free Zone on Panama’s Atlantic coast that sells every type of merchansdise(jewelry,clothes,technolgy,etc.) wholesale.
Women from the Caribbean(French and English speaking) travel to Panama daily to purchase merchandise that they sell in their own respective countries.
I am always happy to see how entrepreneuring Jamaicans, Martnicians Guadeloupeans and many other Caribbean women are.
These women are very good at shopping and bargaining. Many of these women are professionals and do not hesitate to get themselves in the merchant business as a second job that contributes enormous profits often even more than their first jobs.
And export/import is just a minute fraction of the investments that are available.
Black people need to regain full control of the black economy worldwide or else, black people worldwide will be doomed for a long time to come.
I do not engage in any conversation about “what they are doing to us”.
I want to hear conservations about what black people are doing to empower themselves economically.
Saludos a todos,
Ana
Aulelia: I was going to post similar comments on your previous post “Workplace Issues: Are we letting ourselves down” but I didn’t get around to it. I believe they are relevant here also.
1. Your continuing personal development is the key. To “co-develop” with others, you have to know what assets you bring to the table. Also before you think about mentoring others, ask yourself: “who is my mentor?” Who is assisting and advising you on the steps you need to take in order to get to where you want to be? Regardless of the field, your mentor should be someone who is “successful” in that field. Now it would be nice if your mentor is also a Black/African person, but don’t get hung up on that. If there isn’t one in your field of interest, or they are not willing to assist you, then find someone who will, regardless of their color/ethnicity. When it comes to the business world, the only color that matters is “green”! There are many “successful” White people, not only the so-called “progressive, liberal, yuppie-socialist types”, but also the so-called “conservative, rightwing types” who will help you, to feel good about themselves. Use them for your benefit! They have used us for their own benefit for centuries. As you gain knowledge and experience to navigate successfully in your field, you can utilize those skills in your own development projects and pass them on, as a mentor to others.
2. Development=Consistency. I have found that in all the projects I have worked on with others, including the AfroSpear, there is no problem getting others to commit to working together for a common goal… where it falls down is that those who commit, over time are not consistent in their efforts. Development happens over time, with everyone who committed to the project consistently doing their part. Many are called to commit, but few choose to be consistent.
3. Make strategic alliances to maximize your potential and reach. Making alliances and working together with others for a common goal will mean that your priority cannot be individual acclaim. There is one thing that White people know how to do well: they know how to make political alliances and business mergers, when they need to, for their benefit, regardless of what political, economic or social “clique” they may claim to belong to. But Black people are quick to demonize and refuse to work with other Black people because of their politics, religion, color, sexual orientation, gender, tribe, social and economic stature, etc. We are also quick to divide ourselves so we can be the HNIC. For example, you will have 4-5 Black churches in the same neighbourhood. I have been to Black churches where deacons, elders or associate pastors will split from the church, take a part of the congregation with them to form their own church. They suddenly got their own “vision” from God, because the senior pastor didn’t agree with their way of doing things. I also attended a church of about 60 people from different African countries. After a time, the Nigerians, all 20 of them, left to form their own church. Then the 5 Rwandans left to form their own french-speaking church.
Recently I made an offer to another blogger to work together to expand the reach and influence of our blogs. Our blogs reached different audiences and by combining our efforts, I believed we could maximize our potential. The blogger didn’t come right out and reject the offer, but we all know a “brush off” when we hear one. Our society sells individuality and “it’s all about me” syndrome and we are the first in line to buy into that stock. Black people are quick to talk about unity and community, but very slow to commit to collaberation which may mean relinquishing control. Although we haven’t reached our full potential and are not even anyway close to it (at this point), this AfroSpear blog does show the potential of what can be accomplished if we put aside superficial differences and egos, and work towards a common goal.
A personal comment Aulelia. I checked out your PR blog: vox-popPRcareers. Excellent site. I like the look and feel of it. Very unique messaging, interesting perspectives which are well written. You mentioned Karen McIntosh and her Caribbean Public Relations blog above. Have you thought about contacting her to see if she is willing to mentor you? Being in the U.K. and of Tanzanian heritage, have you also considered collaberating with her to develop PR products for businesses, artists, musicians, model, fashion designers, etc., in the African continent? There are significant Africans and Caribbean communities living in the U.K and Europe, that you could both tap into. Here is your opportunity for African-Caribbean co-development. Just a thought.
Blessings little sister!
Asa, as usual, you are always inspiring in your replies. Thank goodness you are here.
Apologies for this arse-late reply but no net connection is so crushing lol.
Sadly Karel is based in the Caribbean to the best of my knowledge but I am thrilled that you like the look of the PR blog.
It’s the love of my digital life so I work on it whenever I can. I hope I can pursue the idea of African-Caribbean development through it as well.
Working together is key.In the UK, you have the Asian Business community, Arab Business Community, they do strategic projects which can be transferred to their Homeland, why not us?
In Africa alone, there are enough Countries to divert our skills,investment.The Communities I mentioned, I am impressed by they even their own Investment Banks on the streets of London, Geneva, why not us? What is stopping us?
On the Continent of Africa, I see West Africa economic bloc, East Africa economic bloc, Southern economic bloc, etc. In the diaspora, as a People, we can put our energy together in creating Organizations and Companies that can invest in our Communities and globally.
I heard a number of Leaders of Africa encourage the Diaspora to do the same, what are we waiting for?
If an individual could set up Microsoft, how much more as a People?
“If an individual could set up Microsoft, how much more as a People?”
Actually it was Bill Gates and Paul Allen who founded Microsoft with a few other people providing key roles. However, Bill Gates was the driving force. Your point is still well made though, how much we could do as a people if we really worked together to achieve a common goal. With the commitment and consistency of a few people, we could literally change the world.
Absolutely,my Brother Asabagna!Forgot to add, looking at Shell oil giant, why don’t we have our own African/Carribean company managing Africa oil?
And why not…even a satellite launched:-)
Portrait Of The 1985 Handsworth Riots, UK- Pogus Caesar – BBC1 TV . Inside Out.
Broadcast 25 Oct 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey7ijaXv6UQ
Birmingham film maker and photographer Pogus Caesar knows Handsworth well. He found himself in the centre of the 1985 riots and spent two days capturing a series of startling images. Caesar kept them hidden for 20 years. Why? And how does he see Handsworth now?.
The stark black and white photographs featured in the film provide a rare, valuable and historical record of the raw emotion, heartbreak and violence that unfolded during those dark and fateful days in September 1985.