What is Garvey’s Return?
On February 10, 1925, from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, Marcus Mosiah Garvey told us to “look for me in the whirlwind”. While Garvey didn’t specify an economic whirlwind, Us Lifting Us (ULU) takes the liberty to use the whirlwind metaphor to make clear an economic and social true-ism; no people or group has ever risen to power and respectability without gaining economic control within its community or territory.
We use the familiar natural phenomenon of the whirlwind to emphasize and visualize the workings of an economic system. The activity (energy and power) of both the whirlwind and an economy are cyclonic; having defined swirling or rotating patterns. In an economy these patterns represent exchanges (trade) among parties within a defined community. In a healthy or strong economy, multiple turns or exchanges take place within the defined group as compared to exchanges taking place outside of the group or community.
The Black community – particularly, those of us who promote Black Empowerment and Self-Determination, must acknowledge that circumstances demand that we intentionally plan and build a New Black Economy – one that we control and that serves the unique needs and interests of our community. Our current limited focus on entrepreneurship and support of Black business will never serve as a power base without a central capacity to plan, finance or otherwise influence the overall economic life of our communities. This will require a movement with several elements already in existence.
It is extremely critical that we understand the difference between business activity within an economic system that is controlled by persons and forces outside of our community and culture, versus business activity within an economy that we control and is designed to serve us and our unique interests. We know of other groups in America and in other countries and regions that have been very successful in building alternative and secondary economies that significantly benefit their members. Those of us who have decided to commit our time, energy and resources in building a New Black Economy are strongly encouraged to position ourselves to take advantage of the new economic empowerment model being constructed by Us Lifting Us (ULU).
The following Essential Elements
required to build and maintain The New Black Economy are:
Element 1: An effective method for aggregating (pooling) community resources; including capital, labor and knowledge.
African People are not without resources. Our People, as a collective Diaspora, outnumber all other people on the planet. We have the fastest growing population, and the entire world is aware of our mineral rich lands. While many of our People are in poverty, there are segments of significant financial wealth – especially those of us in the Global West. Our greatest resource, however, is our growing knowledge base and specialized skills.
Us Lifting Us has developed an ingenious business model that makes it attractive for both individuals and institutions to contribute with others in amassing the resources to fuel this development. There are social and personal benefits for involvement in this sober approach for building wealth and for building the machinery of wealth creation and passing it to succeeding generations. This benefit rich approach has the potential to reach millions of our people globally. Remember, the Garvey Movement had more than six million members.
Element 2: An effective method for using our aggregated resources to establish a powerful network of group-owned businesses that generate a surplus and other benefits.
Through ULU Base Communities (UBC’s, or ULU chapters in local communities), ULU members participate in a refined process to identify opportunities to establish new ULU Group-Owned Enterprises and/or the acquisition of existing enterprises that meet community needs and stimulate economic growth. These ULU Group- Owned Enterprises will increase in number and size and are not limited to any one industry. While these Enterprises are managed locally and provide local benefits, all ULU Enterprises are globally owned by the total collective. The result is a much broader base of stakeholders, both individuals and institutions.
As these Enterprises succeed, any subsequent surplus (often referred to as profit) is reinvested to provide support for the development of new enterprises wherever they may be located. The more successful enterprises are duplicated and an overall pattern of growth and stability is promoted. This systematic approach allows for synergy between enterprises and facilitates the support of larger and larger projects locally and globally. We call this systematic approach Ujamaa or “Family-Centered Economics.”
Element 3: An effective method for sharing surplus for continued growth and empowerment of our community and to secure future prosperity.
All ULU Group Owned Enterprises are developed and managed to generate a surplus in addition to obvious benefits (providing necessary goods and services, job creation, charity as well as economic stimulation). ULU has devised a surplus distribution formula which in addition to providing for reinvestment, shares with qualified workers and Members and to the community through support of local charities. While the current predominant business model extracts resources from our community and places them in other communities and nations, the ULU model, because business enterprises are owned by our community, resources naturally circulate in our community and facilitate growth and empowerment.
Conclusion: Ujamaa (Family-Centered Economics and the New Black Economy:
The three essential elements outlined above, operating within a well managed process will absolutely provide our communities with all that is required for our continued growth and influence both locally and globally. This systematic approach to community and people empowerment, in its’ essence, is what all groups have employed to sustain and maintain power. The starting point for this power building process is our submission to the fact that we (our group, we as a people) are totally responsible for the outcomes and conditions we desire. No system or process will work for a people who see their salvation residing outside of themselves.
We have evolved in our understanding of how power works and how to build social machinery sufficient to build and maintain power for our people. This power will appear to many as the construction of a new and vibrant Black Economy, but it’s much more than that; it’s a people reclaiming their rightful position as “Parent People’” of the planet; of operating in patterns that ensure the safety and welfare of all of humanity, starting with Us (Us Lifting Us)!
*We continue the work of Marcus Mosiah Garvey and the millions who toiled with him.
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