Open Letter to All Black Athletes, Entertainers, and Their Managers

First, we love you. You beautiful, Black, creative and talented people. But it’s time for you to get off the sidelines. Taking a knee isn’t enough. Donating relative peanuts to some well meaning but ultimately ineffective non-profit organization isn’t enough. Making a few woke social media posts is not enough.

I started writing this before the news dropped about the recent murder of Nipsey Hussle. That brother should be an example to you all.

There is a reason that you are some of the highest paid black people on the planet, and it’s not just because of your talent. It’s because the powers that be believe that you have no desire or ability to actually use that money and influence to benefit the masses of Black people. The Muhammad Ali’s of the world are few and far between. The people with the most money in the Black community have been the least likely to do anything useful with it. This isn’t a coincidence.

However, this doesn’t have to be the case. You can choose a different path, and the movement is afoot to prove “them” wrong. Several rappers, athletes, and actors have been quietly making wise investments in real estate, tech investments, and consumer brands. But even they don’t have an effective long term collective strategy that will increase their wealth while also effecting meaningful change in the Black community on a large scale. It’s time to step up. You can spend all your money trying to outshine each other and be forgotten in a generation or you can make history.

And it’s up to us as fans to stop supporting these sell-out coons that do nothing for the Black community. We owe them nothing, so we should vote with our dollars and support the people that are building our communities rather than contributing to their destruction.

Sounds good you say, but how do we actually do what we’re suggesting here. First, read In The Black 2050. It’s only 68 pages. You’re welcome in advance. And if you’re up to it, also read Blueprint for Black Power by Amos Wilson (over 800 pages but well worth the time).

Second, find a QUALIFIED Black financial manager and/or business manager. Not your cousin that took one class on accounting, but someone who’s passion is investing and/or business and who has integrity. You are an artist, and while you should have a basic understanding of personal finance and investing, you need to focus on the talent that your success is built on. Investing and running a business is a full time job. We need real businesses and investment funds to make an impact, not side hustles.

Third, prioritize your investment activities into strategically important areas outlined in my book In The Black 2050, namely, food, finance, energy, water, defense, and shelter. What we DON’T need is another barber shop, salon, or luxury fashion brand. We need grocery stores, farms, banks, insurance companies, blockchain applications, cement production, construction companies, data centers, manufacturing companies, supply chain companies, renewable energy generation, warehouses, chemical factories, etc….you know, shit that actually matters for building and running modern civilization.

And when you make these investments, use cooperative economics and go in on it with other members of the community as well as current or potential employees. We don’t need a few investors making all the money and controlling all the resources. We need everyone at every level becoming owners and not just employees. So as people with influence, you can encourage others to invest along with you (keeping in mind current regulations around general solicitation).

Forth, if you haven’t jumped into the crypto market yet, check out BlacKrypto Society, and get started immediately! You’re already late to the party, but not too late.

Finally, support Black-owned businesses and stop promoting and glorifying European luxury brands. There are plenty of quality Black-owned brands that can be found easily on social media and a few google searches. There is no need to keep making these racist European designers even more money. Instead, invest in Black owned brands and then promote them, so rather than just potentially getting an endorsement check one time, you get ownership and residual income for years and years.

Invest wisely fam. If you still need specific direction or consultation, reach out at intheblack2050.com