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‘Opportunities’ Are A Part Of Systematic Racism As Well

 ‘Opportunities’ are a part of systemic racism as well. Let me Blacksplain. The lotto is called the poor tax because poverty is lack of opportunity. 

We pack the bottom half of every MLM (multi level marketing) venture from Amway to Prepaid Legal and every Sousou money system because the traditional bank loans, grants, allotments are off limits to us. 

Whenever gov’t sponsored business mandates come up, they find ways to nix us out of the running. 

And of course, pouring our energies in good faith into something that’s supposedly egalitarian but really isn’t is a major drain on our already depleted time and emotional resources. 

We casually talk about how Johnson publishing (Ebony, Jet) was started when a Black man, after asking for a loan for his business from 15 banks, goes back to the 1st one and gets it because he NOW says that he needs the money to go on vacation! 

We boast about how he managed to ‘beat the system’! But the HORROR that is so prevalent that we ignore it is that requesting a bank loan, finding a nice apartment when you have the money for it, a raise, a promotion, job security, equal treatment and walking on our block without being harassed by the people sworn to protect  and serve shouldn’t be like running a gauntlet, but it is for us! 

And this drain leaves us far more vulnerable to every ‘unorthodox’ rise to the top system or method that’ll have us. A dollar and a dream does not judge by a color line so we flock to it even though the odds are abysmal. 

And when we fail, they say ‘You see!’, and when we succeed they say ‘You see!’ Can’t wait ‘til we have our own media. Everything changes. 


P.S. You know, the lotto (or playing the numbers) used to be ours, where some of the proceeds would at least go to the neighborhood. But the mafia wrested it from us to fill their coffers, and when the gov’t busted up organized crime, made it state wide and national and not a soul can tell us where the proceeds go! 

And to speak on these evils is deemed violence and hate speech. Orwell would be proud!

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