Russell Simmons On Diversity In The Coming Decade

Opinion


Russell Simmons

At the dawn of a new decade, we have arrived at a moment unlike any other in the history of our beautiful nation. We have endured the brutality of slavery, we have survived the pain of Jim Crow and we have overcome segregation to declare our dignity and equal rights. We witnessed and participated in one of the greatest achievements in the history of our country when we elected our first black president, Barack Obama. And here we stand, with great opportunity, this year, this decade, to once and for all, emancipate ourselves from the mental slavery that is limiting our society and our people from moving forward.

To remove these shackles forever, we must take advantage of the opportunities that we have created. To me, during segregation, the black community was strong, because we had black dentists, doctors, drug store owners, grocery store owners, and many other business leaders providing our community with care and services. Integration came and although it gave us much more freedom and liberty, it also presented new challenges that we continue to face. New cultural and entrepreneurial groups came into our communities and took over many of these businesses and destroyed potential economic opportunities. However, now more than ever, the 89% of this country that is not black is thirsting to buy our products and follow our cultural lead. If we ignore this 89%, we will never be able to move forward. We should not limit ourselves to just interact and do business with each other. I don't want to address just 11% of the population. I want to speak to 100% of America. 

Read More At The Huffington Post



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