Powernomics – Book Review
Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes
Probably one of the most slept on books of all time when it comes to Do For Self Black Folks. Dr. Claude Anderson pretty much lays out a National Action Plan for Blacks to better themselves economically. Not filled with all the rhetoric of the we shall overcome era this cat really gets down to some bare bones understanding. I would gather to say Rise&Grind and Dr Claude Anderson have the same basic premise of correcting our ills through self employment and becoming a true merchant class aka from Customer to Owner.
I read this book some years ago when I was devouring books left and right. I personally liked that the cat set out a 5 year plan that was realistic and not based on some faith based or when white people act right angles. With questions being asked like: Why are blacks the only group that equates success with working in a White corporation, government or the entertainment industry? - How did power and wealth – businesses, resources, privileges, income and control of all levels of government get so disproportionately distributed into the hands of White society?
It is obvious that I myself have greatly improved from this book!
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This is one of my favorite books, period! I loved how he was not asking for white people to bestow grace upon the Black community in order for us to come up. One of the only Black business authors to truly say that the Black community can come up on its own by changing its thinking and making moves in industries that we already patronize.
I read this when I was in college and it inspired me to want to create a Black think tank like Dr. Anderson has. One that focuses on Black business ownership. For now, I’m focused on transitioning from the corporarate world into my own business world. Once the chips have been stacked, then I can rethink the idea of a Black think as I think it could add value to the community.
I love how Dr. Anderson drove home the importance of business ownership for any community to truly be free. How can a people be self-sufficient when it depends on another community for every product and service it needs? How can we be men when we have to ask another for a paycheck? Why are we the only people who talk about “good jobs”?
Blacks look for every possible way to make sure that their business will be a success when foreigners who can’t even speak English, don’t know the neighborhoods, and don’t even have capital are coming to this country and setting up businesses left and right. They understand a job is a tool to stack chips and then get the hell out to build your own. Americans complain about foreigners making a killing in this country, but it’s because they have not fallen for the corporate dream hustle like Americans do.
This book isn’t for the sheepish or the corporarte wannabe. This book is for those who want to take control of their lives and their communities.
This along with the Blueprint for Black Power are definitely calls to action. I think you can take some of the blueprint and combine it with Dr. Amos and you might have a eclectic mix roadmap to self sufficiency.
I’m just glad cats put it out there for people to absorb. We got a lot of people in our race who are some heavy thinkers but they are always heavily thinking about bettering someone else. It’s honorable for a man to use that knowledge on how he can better his own instead of bettering someone else.
It’s a must read for sure but like you said it’s not the passive reading book for sure. This isn’t the bubblegum book you read on a plane to Cancun for sure.