economics – Melanoid Nation Foundation

Memphis Black Restaurant Week is an Event You Don’t Want to Miss!

Melanoid Nation — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:49:29 +0000

By Amy Lukau

Memphis Black Restaurant Week will be held this year, from March 6-12.

Cynthia Daniels, creator of the idea said she wants to get more people acquainted with black-owned restaurants in Memphis and create a platform where they can be showcased.

“Many Memphians aren’t aware of new black-owned restaurants, Daniels said. You haven’t heard of most of these restaurants. Certain restaurants are on the radar. You know a year in advance something is about to open. We don’t have that in our community, unfortunately.”

In 2015, the first year, Daniels was able to eight restaurants to participate. What happened next was something that she did not anticipate: $85,000 was spent in one week and 38 jobs were created.

Because of job creation a lot the staff was able to stay on board full time.

“This will be the second year. Really, what happened is I’m a big fan of Downtown Dining Week. I have a company that does a lot of social media for different companies in the city — Cynthia Daniels & Co. So, I was working with HM Dessert Lounge. She opened up November 2015. That’s during the same time as Downtown Dining Week.”

This year, participating restaurants will feature a two-course lunch for $15 and a three-course dinner for $25.

Daniels who seeks to provide a holistic experience for those in attendance, for example this year during Black Restaurant Week Two Vegan Sistas will be on the roster. Two Vegan Sistas is a vegan restaurant in the Summer-Bartlett area which serves only gluten free foods and is about holistic eating.

HM Dessert Lounge, who does chicken and waffles will be participating again this year. Fran Mosely the owner says Black Restaurant Week brought exposure to his restaurant and other restaurants.

“It brought folks from around the tri-state. So, we had folks from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas. We also had folks from Louisiana, Texas, Chicago that came in to support the effort to bring awareness and drive revenue to some small restaurants that are owned by African-Americans” Mosley said.

If you’re in the area or are interested in participating you can find out more information on their website here: https://www.blackrestaurantweek.com/memphis

Black-Owned Notary Company is Providing Nationwide Services

Melanoid Nation — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 06:19:52 +0000

For those who aren’t familiar with what a notary is, and why there is a need for them in society, then here’s a brief rundown. According to the National Notary Association, a Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed by state government —typically by the secretary of state — to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents.

Follow this link to read item #2 of this story which further explains the notary business.

This is just one of the purposes of becoming a notary public professional, and in Black Society–like the rest of society–there is a big demand for these professionals to serve on many levels of government, business, law, etc. Andre Hatchett has built a notary service from the ground up which has proven to be a huge asset to countless people. Mr. Hatchett, a longtime Black entrepreneur and philanthropist from New York, has decided to share the knowledge that he gained in his 10+ years of notary experience to form an online notary school that will give you that jumpstart to launch a successful notary career of your own.

With economic volatility, a shaky job market, and the public’s ever-increasing need for legal/documentation services and representation, a career in the notary business would be a good choice as it would be an alternative to the 9-to-5 grind.

To register in Hatchett’s notary school, follow this link.

For more about Andre Hatchett’s notary service, please view this short video clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPBTQcwsZU8

B. Clark

No Black Person In America Should Shop On Black Friday

Melanoid Nation — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 19:12:21 +0000

The verdict has come down in the situation of Darren Wilson,and the message is crystal clear: in the eyes of the dominant society,Black lives do not matter. We live in a system of white supremacy where Black lives can be taken or destroyed with impunity at any given moment.

The white supremacists have shown us that they feel that they can do anything they want to Black people and we can’t do anything about it. And they have the military muscle (police,swat,national guards,etc) to back them up. Many Black people woefully accept this narrative because trying to replace they system of white supremacy with a system of justice is indeed quite challenging.

The primary way the system of white supremacy is used to control and disempower Black people is through the economy of the white supremacists. So the way for Black people to empower themselves is through economics. Melanoid people are going to have to utilize the income they use to empower every other group (particularly groups who turn around and disrespect Black people in return) to empower themselves.

The main thing Melanoid people should do is start creating businesses within their communities. Dr Claud Anderson has several books such as Black Labor White Wealth and Powernomics,on how Black people can accomplish an economic base.

The first thing Melanoid people can do this week is boycott the Black Friday shopping day. If we are going to live in a system where white supremacists can murder Black people with impunity, we need to send a message. If people who murder Black people are protected by other suspected white supremacist law enforcement,media, jury, financial contributors,and political representatives,then Black people should limit the circulation of our dollars to these institutions.

So this Black Friday do not spend money anywhere in the United States unless you are going to shop with a Melanoid establishment.

#NOTONEDIME

#BLACKFRIDAY

Why Black People Should Create Their Own Farmer’s Markets?

Melanoid Nation — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 19:22:10 +0000

Why aren’t there any Black Farmer’s markets in New York City? Not every Black person patronizes Crown Fried Chicken and Chinese Restaurants. Some of us are vegetarians, pescatarians or just health conscious. But we’re subject to eating harmful foods in our neighborhoods because of economics and the plethora of bodegas selling sugary products. There’s nothing wrong with eating junk food in moderation, but, some of us don’t understand the concept because of a family history of eating bad foods, our failure to educate ourselves and the lack of literature promoting healthy living in black communities.
We’ll eat a honey bun and a Big Mac every day to feed a sweet tooth, instead of nutrient rich foods to properly satiate one’s appetite. This leads to an obesity epidemic in the hood. Excess weight causes internal and external issues. It not only puts added pressure on the heart and causes hypertension it can also damage the knees. The solution is awareness and setting up clinics to educate Black people about healthy eating habits. We can educate and monetize our efforts by establishing Farmer’s Market’s in the hood.
In New York City, white people have the Farmer’s Market industry under lock and key. They’re selling fresh fruits, meats, vegetables and pastries. We’ll its supposedly organic. By the way, can organic pastries really be healthy for you? Anyway, we can do the same thing. Granted white folks, hire mostly their own and Mexican people to sell organic foods. Maybe in Brooklyn, there’s a slightly higher percentage of Black workers. Not sure. Black people should learn how to cultivate fruits and vegetables to improve mental and physical capacity. It’s a skill that can lengthen our lifespan and create a sense of economic independence from the dominant society. It can be used as a tool against White Supremacy, in case there’s an attack on our food supply due to modern warfare (Ferguson). However, it’s obvious that the black diet is different than the white man’s due to cultural differences, ignorance, and limited exposure. But we’re creative people; we add style and innovation to whatever we do whether it’s food, sports, fashion, etc. Just think of a sweet potato and parsnips pie using agave. It’s just an example. If you happen to try it and it tastes good, let me know. First, before we get started in the Farmer’s Market business we must learn the correct conditions for growing food: How much sunlight does a certain crop need? What time of year is best to plant a particular seed? How do we set up a greenhouse and a composting area? Who are the key distributors of fruits, vegetables and meats? and What areas of land can we purchase for Black farmers to cultivate foods? and other relevant questions.

Also, are we willing to volunteer at a local Farmer’s Market to learn the business? or doing extensive online research? This can help us sell cabbage, collard greens, yams and other foods we enjoy. Then, we wouldn’t have to worry about depending on Key Food, Bravo and other neighborhood Supermarkets for holiday and everyday shopping. Black people can use them for basic toiletries. The health conscious black people in our communities can gradually recommend or suggest alternative foods and cooking recipes that may be palatable to melanoid people. Another idea, is to network with smaller entities ie the Mexican and Indian street cart vendors if we decide to start our independent businesses on a smaller scale before creating a Farmer’s market.

Russell Sproutz

What Exactly is Black Culture?

Melanoid Nation — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:08:46 +0000

Culture is defined as a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, and so forth. Another definition is a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in place or organization.
For centuries, black people have let others, particularly those in the dominant society, define black culture for us. However, it is essential that blacks in America establish our own principles regardless of what others think or say, and we have yet to do that.
Some believe that black culture is already defined here in America. They point to rap and hip hop as indicative of the black experience. What language is rap performed in? English. Blacks were not brought to America from England. Mariachi bands don’t perform their songs in English. They perform them in their native tongue, which is Spanish.
Others will point to the black church as a staple in black dogmas. However, our native religion and spiritual practices were not Christian. That was taught to slaves in order to accept their subservient position in America. The Chinese and Indian cultures are not mostly Christian because they are aware of and practice their original divine beliefs.
An argument can be made that soul food is symbolic of black practices. This is also not true. Most of the dishes considered soul food are not specifically found in African countries. Not to mention that the image for fried chicken is a confederate colonel from the South.
Chinese, Mexican, Irish, Italian, and Polish ethnicities have specific food, dances, and languages that no other nation can adopt as their own. The Scottish even have a specific musical instrument that cannot be duplicated.
America has also made concessions to some of these nations to ensure their transition is smooth. There is a Chinatown a Spanish-speaking section in nearly all metropolitan cities in United States. When is the last time anyone has been to Africatown?
In addition, all the aforementioned cultures have a country that they can go home to. Blacks in America know they are from Africa, but that is the largest continent in the world, and it has a vast array of countries within it. In order for blacks to find out exactly what country in Africa in which they come from would take extensive research.
The fact that we have not established a culture all to our own is why many copy the style and mannerisms of blacks and why we are such trendsetters in the worlds of music, entertainment, and fashion.
So what can be done to circumvent the problem? Blacks must establish a code of conduct in order to combat this inequity. There needs to be a widely accepted form of behavior and thought that will transcend whatever any other culture tries to foist on us. When it concerns blacks, one person’s behavior accounts for all black people’s behavior because we haven’t established a code.
It will take a concerted effort and it will not be done overnight. Being black in America is equivalent to being a zoo animal: thrust into a foreign land and made to be a product to entertain and a product to be contained.

Ken Woods