Volume 8, Issue 23
Institutional reform is critical. However, ways to fully integrate all citizens into an open society are just as critical.
Human character in the workforce falls into three general categories of occupational choice. Approximately 50% desire to work for large businesses or the government wherein employment is structured, benefits are established, and retirement is secure. Approximately 30% desire to work for small and family-owned businesses wherein the workplace is flexible, the relationships with fellow workers are personal, and new ideas are readily accepted. Approximately 20% are entrepreneurial in nature, are small business owners, and seek the independence that self-employment provides.
All three categories are equal in importance to the foundation of a sound macro-economic system.
I have found these percentages to be constant everywhere in the world and consistent in every ethnic group. Chinese citizens are more conditioned for government regulation and control. European entrepreneurs are a fewer percentage points less of the total population, partly because of their history of Royal privilege and partly because of immigration to the United States.
The United States as a culture has done a pretty good job of providing and realizing equal job opportunities for minorities in government and large businesses.
In the United States today, 50% of the non-farm adult workforce works for a small or family-owned business of 25 employees or fewer. This meets the natural trend of equilibrium of population employment. However, the problem is that minority businesses still fall short in numbers as a percent of businesses representative of minorities in the population.
The United States has been the recipient of immigrants seeking independence from governments. Yes, many immigrants have come to America for a job, security, political asylum, and escape from persecution. Yet, a substantial number found that establishing a family-owned business provided the economic means to stabilize their lives. For this reason, the United States has always provided an opportunity for those who want to be their own boss.
The four largest minorities in America are Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, and Native Americans, in that order. They represent approximately 36.6% of the population. Following the above analysis of human nature and employment, 18.3% of all minorities should either work for or own a small business. Current statistics indicate that approximately 12% of minorities are involved in small business. This number is further skewed in reference to African Americans because of the high percent of Hispanics and Asians who own and operate family-owned businesses. It is interesting to note that Hispanics and Asians are the only two of those four ethnic groups that had the choice to immigrate to the United States. They confirm the trend of entrepreneurs seeking independence.
What the U.S. government should consider are programs to encourage, support and nurture minorities, and in particular African Americans, to own and operate their own business, if, in fact, it is their natural inclination.
The U.S. Department of Education since 2001 has implemented a government program to encourage all children to enter into the study of Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM). An extra effort was made to recruit young girls to seek these career fields. Success has been achieved in more women entering the fields of medicine, research, and biotechnology.
A possible solution to heal racial tensions, advance job security, increase economic development, and, most importantly, to provide personal relationships between all ethnic groups, is to increase participation in the backbone of the American economy, small and family-owned businesses. Increasing the number of privately owned businesses among African Americans will provide the opportunity for full cultural assimilation in the marketplace. Government programs could provide loans, research, training, marketing, and product development services. Just like supporting young girls to choose STEM careers, such programs could have the broad objective of supporting minorities economically as a percent of the population to start, own, and operate a small business.
Programs of this nature do exist in the Small Business Administration and other government agencies. Just providing applications is not enough. Accountability should be established for the overall goal of increasing the numbers of minority owned small businesses.
This greater objective to encourage and support private ownership of business is necessary because of past grievances imposed on African Americans at no fault of their own. Land was the colonial currency of generational wealth. It was inherited by the Founding Fathers, often from ancestors who obtained it as a grant from the king. Until the Industrial Revolution, landowners were the gentry controlling economic profits and government resources. African Americans were robbed of the opportunity to own land and benefit from the agricultural economy of the era. Privileged elites controlled the capitalist tools of commerce.
Reparations have been suggested as a solution. They, in and of themselves, would be most difficult to administer equitably. How would the family of a professional black athlete making millions of dollars be compensated or should it matter? Would his or her income continue to be taxed or would it be exempted for that specific purpose? How would bi-racial families be treated in reference to the allocation formula? How would blacks who are not African American be referenced?
But further, reparations are not the answer. Cash settlements do not change attitudes, societal perspectives, or facilitate assimilation. Only the building of relationships through joint, mutual respect will achieve racial reconciliation.
Only by balancing the societal workforce and enriching the opportunity for all Americans to be able to pursue their personal economic happiness through owning their own business and being their own boss, can every citizen realize the destiny of their choice. It must become a national objective to achieve proper balance in society as a percent of the population for African Americans owning and operating their own business successfully.
Not only will African Americans benefit from the independence of owning their own business, America will continue to produce economic opportunity with the full partnership of economic liberty protected inviolate for every citizen equally.
As Mr. Floyd is laid to rest, we review who we are as Americans. Let us not miss the opportunity that this time presents to reset national priorities for accountable equality for all citizens, regardless of race, culture or background.
My name is Marc Nuttle and this is what I believe.
What do you believe?