Black Business in the African Diaspora Movement

Entrepreneurs innovate in response to socioeconomic needs and despite not every entrepreneur has a social focus, their ideas do change the landscape and direction of society. They inspire not just with their ideas but with their innovative entrepreneurial mentality. This is how a young man from a very volatile inner-city community in Jamaica used his innovative ways to put himself through school at the highest level and then responded to the plight of others. Miguel ‘Steppa’ Williams an award-winning dub poet famous for his question to former President Barak Obama on his visit to Jamaica about the legalization of Marijuana. Miguel a Rastafarian by religion confesses his use of marijuana affectionately called ‘Ganja’ as a religious and health right, while always advocating for its commercial potentials to the island and many impoverished communities, even before decriminalization.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE-rZBGszjw

Educated at the highest levels and a lover of the Jamaican and African cultures, he has created a social enterprise brand the Forward Step Foundation. He has ensured that his values and beliefs as a Rastafarian in terms of resilience and self-reliance drive operations. This was not only the driving force that led to him embarking on this journey as a social entrepreneur, but it lies at the heart of social value creation. Which is both a mechanism used by the Forward Step Foundation and one it promotes. This organization initially operated within a very volatile community bombarded by the effects of generational poverty, partisan political conflict and, limited access to basic services. However, the organization has expanded its reach to support other social enterprises and communities island-wide. And while Miguel has moved on to being a Director of a much bigger foundation the National Commercial Bank Foundation a brainchild of one of the largest commercial banks in Jamaica, his ideas and momentum as a social entrepreneur are still seen in the work of the organization and the sector.

Black businesses in the social enterprise sector are a well-ingrained part of societies in the African diaspora, with many involved in cross-continental work. This drive to emit social change lies at the heart of entrepreneurship, as the black community has been forced to harness self-reliant innovativeness, because of the significant levels of oppression and inequity they face as a race within their societies’. While some of the more popular upcoming social enterprises are more visible, the concept is not new to people of color who are inherently rooted in a sense of community. And this is an ideal that one of the great Black leaders the late great Marcus Mosiah Garvey encouraged among our people.

While billions of dollars of aid often circulate in social development for black communities and nations much of this usually never reaches grassroots levels to ensure the real-time development of our people. So many community-based organizations and non-profit groups especially those with strong entrepreneurial minds and abilities have had to respond innovatively while innovatively functioning. So, innovation is the response of social entrepreneurs like Miguel, but also the way they function and is what they stimulate on the ground. The mentality and approach of this entrepreneur to incubate this mentality among grassroots people are also seen in his artistic articulations as a dub poet. He does not just incubate but is an incubator. This is the inspiration he brings and working with him has been and remains an empowering activity.

The young people that now lead the Forward Step Foundation like the founders are youth with no support or environment to ensure they excel, nonetheless, they have now been empowered to do just that. The Foundation offers a range of education, training, and support services amid several income generation activities that are timely and flexible. Like a pulse consistently responding to the needs of their communities while using profits to provide employment, encourage other entrepreneurs, and even in the advent of COVID-19 helping to assist those in need of basic support such as food. They undauntingly continue the legacy.

This Black businessman who does not like suites and rebels against wearing ties is a humble entrepreneur that never ignores his background and the reality of poverty. But he always highlights the rich culture, commitment to hard work, and entrepreneurial creation that exists within it. And while many deny and seem to run and hide from the harsh reality of their beginnings, he embraces it and uses it as the tool to enable change. It is the very thing that has led to the niche services that the organization provides and stands as a teachable case for the benefits and sustainability of social enterprise as a more fruitful and impactful form of social citizenship. Commercial businesses do give back to the communities that fuel their profit, but usually never in the significant ways that are needed, but many in this era have begun to start social enterprise arms that are able to focus more on this value creation in a more consistent way.

While many of these entrepreneurs and black business innovators do not usually get the credit that they deserve for innovation in their sectors, history has much to say about their contributions to the innovation of all commercial industries. The nature within us and the ability to rise above our harsh reality as descendants of slaves, while often existing within harsh systemic racial contexts seems to be the fuel that we possess to be great. Marcus Garvey said it the best in his words as the first Black businessman to own and operate an international shipping company that he intended to be a major force to enable black trade across the African continent and the West. Garvey saw self-reliance and its relationship to creating and maintaining not just black businesses, but also black industries as one of the most important features of a liberated people. It is no wonder Miguel is an avid follower of the teachings and principles of Marcus Garvey, who is also an important icon in the teachings of the Rastafarian culture. Marcus Garvey epitomized the abilities that should be inherent in an entrepreneur to creatively respond to commercial opportunities, whether material product or services. Such a venture is then organized around this opportunity and the inherent qualities and ingenuity of the entrepreneur bring success.

“Take advantage of every opportunity; where there is none, make it for yourself.” Marcus Garvey.

The Forward Step Foundation is a successful social enterprise that has invested millions of dollars in physical and technical assets in its community and society at large. This may seem like not much to greater social entrepreneurs but in a country like Jamaica riddled with violence, poverty, and foundational systemic corruption, it is a great achievement. For a social enterprise to be able to run off its own income generation and not depend on international and local donors like lapdogs, is a magnificent achievement from the eyes of a twenty-year development specialist. This success empowers those that are directly served and partners. While hopeful onlookers anticipate a wave of this mentality becoming a movement that takes the power of development from the hands of the tainted government and places it back into the hands of grassroots people who can no longer wait on the change to come.

Finally, the false historical teachings to people of color, of a barbaric past and non-existence before slavery, fuels unnatural helplessness and hopelessness among our people. And so, leaders like Marcus Garvey and Miguel ‘Steppa’ Williams have focused a lot of their time and energy in educating their own people about who they were and their origins. When young people can embrace that while their ancestors came as slaves most came as intelligent people; entrepreneurs, bankers, architects, agriculturalists, doctors and so much more, only they will awaken with the pride, resilience, and cultural awareness necessary to walk in the truth of that identity for themselves.

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Marcus Garvey