Tag Archives: black history

Juneteenth and Black Wall Street Massacre: Two Separate Historical Events

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Over the last week, there has been a lot of media attention around Juneteenth and Tulsa, OK, the home of Black Wall Street.  While both are two monumental events in history, they are not related.  As a native Texan, I’ve always known the significance of Juneteenth, but will admit that I did not learn about Black Wall Street until I was an adult.

Juneteenth, also known as Jubilee Day, signifies the emancipation of the remaining enslaved blacks in the Confederacy.  While we all learned about the Emancipation Proclamation during our primary years of education, many may not know that slaves in Texas were not notified of their freedom until June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.  Because Texas was the most remote of the slave states and lacked the presence of Union troops, the proclamation was not enforced.  Of course, there was no incentive or desire for slave owners to share this information. 

Black communities have been consistently celebrating Juneteenth since the 1970s.  In a recent interview, Trump told the Wall Street Journal, “I did something good.  I made Juneteenth very famous.  It’s actually an important event, an important time.  But nobody had ever heard of it.”  Well, while you may not have heard of this historical date Mr. President, it doesn’t mean that others were not aware.  But, if your lack of knowledge helped to educate others, so be it.

The Black Wall Street massacre is another significant event in history but has no correlation to Juneteenth.  Black Wall Street was a predominately black neighborhood in Tulsa, OK.  At the time of the massacre, this area was known as the wealthiest black community in the United States.  On May 31, 1921, mobs of white residents attacked black residents and businesses ultimately killing men and burning and looting stores and homes.  This attack has been called “the single worst incident of racial violence in American history.” 

Trump’s initial decision to host a rally in Tulsa, OK on Juneteenth is what connected these two significant historical events.  One would think that someone in his camp should have been able to educate him on the significance of the date and location.  In the words of the late Steve Jobs, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”

Resource: Black Wall Street The Board Game

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Self-Made Millionaires: Madam C.J. Walker

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February is Black History Month, and while we should take an opportunity to celebrate our history all year long, I’ve decided to use this month to highlight the lives and habits of African American self-made millionaires.  I have chosen to start the series with Madam C.J. Walker.  We’ve all heard of her, and I’m willing to bet that most African American women grew up using some form of her hair products.  The intent of this Post is not to provide a history lesson on her life, but more so to examine the principles that she lived by which helped her succeed.

According to a brief biographical essay by A’Lelia Bundles, Madam Walker said, “I got my start by giving myself a start.”  I am very intrigued by this statement.  Many times we will wait for others to give us our big break instead of becoming our own champion.  Please understand that ‘no one is an island unto themselves;’ we all need help from time to time.  But, if you’re waiting on someone else to validate your self-worth or give you your great opportunity, you may be waiting for a long time.  So, included below are some of the characteristics of Madam Walker that may help us achieve success today:

She was a self-starter.  Her statement above validates this assumption.  She wasn’t a person that waited for others to see her worth.  She possessed enough confidence to take a chance on herself.  We all know someone with bright ideas and great potential, but that’s all they have.  The Bible states, “Faith without works is dead.”  Whether you’re a believer or not, the principle is universal; without action you will not succeed.  What dreams have you allowed to lie dormant in your life?  If you’re awaiting the perfect opportunity, it doesn’t exist.  We can all learn a lot from Madam Walker’s simple statement, “I got my start by giving myself a start.”

She was open to learning from others.  I have often said, “Don’t become the sharpest knife in your drawer.”  Successful people surround themselves with people who are smarter than they are.  It’s very comfortable to be around those who admire you or seek your advice, but one must ask the question, “Who’s stretching me and pushing me to be my best?”  If you can’t answer this question, you should begin to look for opportunities to expand your network and include people that will challenge you to become better.  And, if you have those people in your network but have chosen not to leverage the relationships and learn from those individuals, don’t complain about your life.  Exposure is a gift.  If you choose not to accept it, you are where you are by choice.

She solved a problem.  As a result of her own scalp condition, she developed a product that could be used by African American women at a time when there were not a lot of products on the market.  Most successful people solve problems for a living.  Do you have a solution to someone’s problem?  If so, that’s a significant ingredient in the recipe for success.

She became her own mouthpiece.  In today’s terms, she understood the importance of marketing her product.  I have often said that I hate sales; I don’t like to talk about my accomplishments.  I am working very hard to move away from this belief!  After all, who knows your product better than you?  Yes, it’s important that other people find value in what you’re doing, but they first must be aware that your product exists.  I will be honest, I have not mastered this principle, but it has become a primary focus for me in 2012.  In the biographical essay by A’Lelia Bundles, it states that Madam Walker travelled for a year and a half throughout the South selling her products door to door and performing demonstrations of her scalp treatments in churches and lodges.

As I performed my research for this Post, I realized she was not the first black woman entrepreneur in the hair care industry.  However, today when we think about pioneers in hair care for African Americans, she’s the first person that comes to mind.  In fact, she’s been given credit for inventions that she didn’t even create (i.e., the pressing comb and chemical relaxers.)  In the book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, the authors state it’s better to be first in the prospect’s mind than first in the marketplace.  Because she was willing to promote her product, she became a household name even though she wasn’t first.

As I prepare to close this Post, I’d like to challenge you to consider Madam Walker’s characteristics and evaluate your current state.  Several years ago, Oprah Winfrey had Dr. Oz as a guest on her show and he stated that the reason many Americans struggled with their weight and changing their lives was because the average American did not want to be uncomfortable.  Growth requires a level of discomfort.  In closing, I’ll leave you with a quote from T. Harv Eker, “If your goal is to be comfortable, chances are you’ll never get rich.  But if your goal is to be rich, chances are you’ll end up mighty comfortable.”