Letter to the editor: Time for a new business model

To the editor:

African-American communities must develop new models for doing business. The social, good-faith support models for business development and the affirmative action agendas have not worked well for the Milwaukee African-American business community for the past 30 years.

A large number of businesses have disappeared, either having gone out of business or folded into a diversity support position for large corporations. Hence, we have not taken hold of the steering wheel that could guide our economic destiny in today’s marketplace.

There are visible signs of deterioration. City jails are overcrowded, school dropout rates are high, foreclosure rates are high, and poverty is out of control. Putting people to work is part of the solution.

I was encouraged by and welcomed the Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope’s leadership for unemployed workers regarding the business contracting on the federally funded Westlawn Gardens project. The group challenged the leadership positions for that project.

But let us quit pointing the finger at and railing against others. The solution lies within us and with organizations such as MICAH and through a strong business community for progressive leadership and business growth.

Dester Martin
Founding member,
African American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Milwaukee