By: Fred Smith

For generations, the Black community has been the heartbeat of America’s economy— from the fields to the factories, from the barber shops to the boardrooms. Yet today, despite trillions in collective spending power, too little of that money stays within our own neighborhoods. The problem isn’t that we lack resources — it’s that we haven’t been unified in how we use them.

The truth is, the Black dollar circulates in our community for less than six hours before leaving — compared to days or even weeks in others. That means while we spend billions, we often build wealth for everyone but ourselves. The same streets where our grandparents owned thriving grocery stores and shops are now lined with businesses that don’t reflect or reinvest in us.

But here’s the part they don’t w

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