In fact, the lion’s share of Black people’s ability to combat the systemic evils of racism/white supremacy are deeply rooted in building a thriving and respectable economic base. In doing so, we in Black Society are not only enabling ourselves to experience individual financial  success, but we also position ourselves to do business with other like-minded and thorough Black business owners, thus building a thriving Black Community in the process..reminiscent of the grandiose vision of Black economic empowerment originally spearheaded by Black leaders such as the Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey.

One man lives by the economic-centered principles of Garvey–a man by the name of Delxino Wilson de Briano. In August of 1994, Delxino and his wife Debbie Wilson de Briano founded TAG TEAM Marketing in Atlanta, GA. Even though the company’s title includes the word “Marketing”, there is no need for alarm–which is justifiable based on consumers’ long-held suspicions with companies that operate with such a moniker.

According to TAG TEAM Marketing’s website,TAG TEAM Marketing is a “Black-owned and operated marketing company that specializes in marketing the products and services of Black-owned businesses to Black consumers.” In a nutshell, this means that if you are a Black entrepreneur with a quality product or service to offer prospective customers, the the platform that TAG TEAM Marketing has provided is the perfect place for you to “set up shop” online.

As you can see by following this link, TAG TEAM Marketing’s online store offers a plethora of products that are Black owned, operated, and manufactured. From cleaning supplies to financial services, this virtual store for all things Black appears to be well on its way to becoming a one-stop shop for Blacks who possess the good intentions of spending their hard earned Black dollars with other Melanoid people.

For more on the founders of TAG TEAM Marketing, follow this link.

B. Clark

Although the concept of the “Not One Dime” movement appears to be both a noble and revolutionary act in itself, we’d be remiss to acknowledge that boycotting non-Black businesses alone doesn’t necessarily equate to Black Empowerment at its full potential. As a matter of fact, many concerned Melanoid citizens have made it their responsibility to not only refuse the patronizing of non-Black establishments during this time period, but they’ve also made a conscious decision to “Buy Black” at a higher rate during this same time period–more so than they usually would at any other time.

While the “Buy Black” concept has been in discussions for many years, perhaps it is because of Internet’s far-reaching power that it has become a more commonplace activity. Last year, we featured a story which profiled several ways to locate Black-Owned businesses throughout the country, and this year we will be taking a slightly different approach to giving your Black-Owned business the shine that it deserves. If you are a Black business owner, please list your business info (and link to the business’s site) in the comments section of this story.

Let’s not limit buying Black to a short weekend alone. Remember to buy Black, and sell to the world as much as possible. Much success to the hardworking and entrepreneurial minded Melanoid people who exude top-flight professionalism and have provided goods and/or services of excellent quality.

B. Clark

Who are the previously mentioned business owners, you might ask? First, let’s start with the business. Taharka Bros. is a Black-owned business that serves ice cream to Baltimore from a truck that is just as colorful as the personalities of the young Melanoid men who operate the business. Lead by one of the co-founders, Devon Brown, the company creates and sells ice cream with the premise of serving “as a vessel for the continuous flow of conversations in support of cultural understanding, economic and social justice, civic involvement, and actions of uplift for the powerless”, according tits mission statement on its website.

In summer of 2013, a short documentary was made to highlight the Taharka Brothers’ campaign to raise the capital to finance their company, via their Kickstarter page. Celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Shaquille O’Neal, and Russell Simmons either publicly endorsed their campaign, or they donated to finance it. You can view that film in the video below.

https://vimeo.com/127608534

Perhaps greater than the fact that this group of young Melanoid men have worked collectively to make Taharka Bros. a great success throughout the Baltimore area, is the heartfelt significance of the company’s name. The dessert company received its name in honor of Taharka McCoy, a 25-year-old Melanoid man who served as a mentor to the youth in Baltimore. McCoy lost his life in 2002, after being gunned down. The staff of Taharka Bros. seek to erase the wrongs of not only systematic white supremacy in their local communty, but also society’s assumption that Black males–especially college aged Black males–indulge in counterproductive behavior.

Now that’s food for thought.

B. Clark

Detroit, Mich. – Who says that Melanoid people don’t support their own? Those naysayers should swing over to the corner of Wyoming Avenue and Ellsworth Street and see what our people are flocking to on the weekends.

Detroit native Bruce Muhammad, along with his wife, Lakeisha, have been operating a produce outlet, called Eat 2 Live Produce, with their two daughters since mid-May. Like many urban cities across the country, much of the harvest is grown and sold by non-Melanoid families. The local markets don’t have fresh fruits and vegetables in abundance either. Most rely on a Kroger or Meijer (Michigan retail store) to purchase their groceries for the family.

Muhammad saw an entrepreneurial opportunity to serve his community after receiving insight from local farmers.

“They were telling me how there’s not enough retail outlets to sell their crops to,” he said. “That immediately rung a bell in my head that something can and be should be about the health and economic situation here in Detroit.” After a ten-year career as a Mortgage Broker, Muhammad quit and decided to go into business for himself. Since their opening on Mother’s Day weekend, the response from the West Detroit area has been phenomenal. “Once the stand went up, people in the community came out to support us and they kept on coming,” Muhammad said. “We’re pushing to close theirs mouths from McDonald’s and open their minds to eating healthy.”

His vision was to bring life to the community. Ironically, he set up the stand directly across the street from a medical marijuana dispensary and a meat market.

“We’re so immune to death around here,” Muhammad said. “And we resort to the quick fixes when we don’t deal with the real problem, which is our diets.” The subliminal message was simple to those around him – your key to health is in the food. “As a nation, we spend an average of $92 Billion on fast food every year,” Muhammad said. “From that, our people remain sick and the pharmaceutical company are sitting rich based off our bad habits.”

Muhammad and his wife, who met during Saviour’s Day weekend last year, understand that this mission is bigger than themselves.

After Lakeisha moved from Tulsa, Okla., they wasted no time formulating a plan to help employ some of Detroit’s residence with the expense of people eating healthy. “With her being from the place of Black Wall Street and Detroit being home of the Nation of Islam, the energy between us was definitely astounding,” Muhammad said. The stand may be small now, but the family is looking to expand. Their goal is to move into a building in Highland Park, Mich., by the fall season. As the business expands to two locations, the family will be looking for help with delivery, customer assistance and other possible positions that are needed.

Along with fresh fruits and vegetables, Eat 2 Live Produce has featured item as Ginger Lemonade, jams and jellies, Bean Pie and Curry Chicken (at least that was for the featured meal for that day). The stand is open Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Muhammad was asked about the myth about Melanoid people supporting their own and he responded, “come see us,” with a smile.

]]> https://www.melanoidnation.org/a-produce-oasis-in-a-fast-food-desert/feed/ 88 https://www.melanoidnation.org/andre-c-hatchett/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/andre-c-hatchett/#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2015 04:34:17 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=1143 When it comes to gentrification, New York City has been one of the most–if not the most–discussed areas affected by it. One native New Yorker is doing his part to own his share of the city.

Andre C. Hatchett is a real estate expert and founder of  buyblacknyc.com. Hatchett, also known as “Brother Dre”, spearheaded the Black Business Challenge on social media that gives the call to action to encourage Blacks to patronize and promote Black owned businesses. Mr. Hatchett is a testament to what someone can accomplish if they instill discipline, hard work, and long-term planning into their lives. Hatchett bought his first home at the age of 22, an age when many individuals are usually still getting their financial house in order. If that wasn’t impressive enough, He bought his second home at the age of  23.

Hatchett leveraged his knowledge as a homeowner to become a Business Consultant, Professional Coach and Real Estate Sales Expert. In 2005, Hatchett launched Priority Notary, Inc., which services 50 states. Here’s what Dr. Boyce Watkins has to say about Andre C. Hatchett:

Andre C. Hatchett has proven to be a pillar of the community by using his extensive knowledge and skills to uplift Melanoid people on a large scale.

For more info on Mr. Hatchett, go to:

http://andrechatchett.com/

http://buyblacknyc.com/

by B. Clark