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Six Hours to Survival: Why the Black Dollar Must Stay Home

drcarthan

PHOTO CREDIT: PowerNomics.com


By Edelia J. Carthan,

CarthanEnterprises.com, President & CEO



Go Subscribe to Dr. Claud Anderson's YouTube Channel


For decades, renowned author and economist Dr. Claud Anderson has issued a powerful warning to Black America: without economic self-reliance, African Americans will become a permanent underclass in the United States. His message is rooted in a harsh truth — wealth determines power, and power shapes policy. Without ownership of businesses, land, media, and institutions, Black communities are left vulnerable, dependent, and at the mercy of systems that were never designed to benefit them.

Anderson’s warnings are more relevant now than ever. As the U.S. prepares for a possible political shift with the implementation of Project 2025, a conservative plan to reshape the federal government, African Americans face the risk of losing more civil rights protections and economic opportunities. He urges Black communities to take immediate action to build wealth and self-sufficiency, warning that the window for securing their future is rapidly closing.


One of the most startling facts Dr. Anderson presents is the circulation of the Black dollar — or lack thereof. According to studies, a dollar circulates in the Black community for just six hours before leaving to benefit other groups. By comparison, the dollar circulates in Asian communities for 30 days, in Jewish communities for 20 days, and in white communities for 17 days. This stark difference highlights the economic dependency of Black communities on businesses, goods, and services owned by other groups.

“Six hours,” Anderson says. “That’s how long it takes for Black people to give their money right back to people who don’t look like them, who don’t live in their neighborhoods, and who don’t reinvest in their communities.”


Why does this happen? The answer lies in a lack of Black-owned businesses, industries, and institutions. Anderson argues that Black communities have been conditioned to spend their money with others rather than build their own economic base. As a result, the wealth generated by African Americans — through their labor, entrepreneurship, and creativity — leaves their neighborhoods almost immediately, enriching other communities while leaving Black communities economically stagnant.


Anderson points to historical factors that have created this cycle of dependency. From slavery to Jim Crow to modern-day discrimination, Black Americans have been systematically denied access to the same economic opportunities afforded to other groups. Policies that excluded Black people from land ownership, business loans, and educational resources have left Black communities without the tools to build lasting wealth.


But Anderson is clear: the past doesn’t have to define the future. His solution is simple but bold — Black America must unite, build wealth, and create self-sustaining communities that are no longer dependent on outside groups for survival. The key to empowerment, he says, is group economics — the practice of keeping wealth circulating within the community through Black-owned businesses, banks, schools, and media outlets.


“Power follows wealth,” Anderson writes in PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America. “If you don’t have wealth, you don’t have power. And if you don’t have power, you have no control over your future.”

As the political landscape in the U.S. shifts, Anderson’s call to action is more urgent than ever. The conservative plan known as Project 2025 — developed by right-wing think tanks to influence the next presidential administration — outlines sweeping changes to the federal government that could disproportionately harm African Americans. The plan includes eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, reversing affirmative action policies, and rolling back civil rights protections that have helped address racial discrimination in housing, employment, and voting.


The incoming administration could dismantle decades of progress, and Anderson warns that Black America cannot afford to be caught unprepared. He believes that waiting for government intervention or relying on political parties will no longer be enough to safeguard the rights and interests of African Americans. Instead, he calls for immediate action to build wealth and self-reliance, so Black communities can weather any political storm.


Central to Anderson’s plan is land ownership. He reminds Black Americans that land is the foundation of wealth and a critical tool for building generational prosperity. Without land, there can be no housing developments, no businesses, no agriculture, and no political leverage. He urges Black communities to acquire land and resources to create a stable economic base.

“Land is the one thing they’re not making more of,” Anderson often says. “If you don’t own any, you’re already at a disadvantage.”


In addition to land ownership, Anderson emphasizes the importance of Black-owned media. He argues that whoever controls the media controls the narrative — and, by extension, the minds of the people. Without Black-controlled media outlets, African Americans risk being misrepresented, misunderstood, and manipulated by mainstream media.


“We must tell our own stories,” Anderson says. “We must control our image and our message. If we let others do it for us, they’ll always paint us in a way that serves their interests, not ours.”

But Anderson stresses that none of this will be possible without unity. He acknowledges that African Americans are a diverse group with different experiences, backgrounds, and beliefs. However, he insists that the survival and success of Black people must be a shared priority. Internal divisions, he warns, will only weaken the community’s ability to make meaningful progress.


“We don’t have to agree on everything,” he says. “But we must agree on one thing: our collective survival. If we don’t come together now, we won’t have a future to fight for.”

Dr. Anderson’s call to action isn’t limited to economic strategies. He also urges Black Americans to get involved in local politics, where decisions about schools, housing, policing, and infrastructure directly impact their communities. While national elections get most of the attention, Anderson believes that local elections hold the real power to create lasting change.


“Stop waiting for a savior,” he says. “Stop thinking one election or one politician will solve all our problems. It’s not about who’s in office — it’s about who controls the resources.”

Anderson remains optimistic that change is possible, but only if Black communities take immediate action. He encourages individuals to support Black-owned businesses, mentor young people, invest in land and real estate, and advocate for policies that promote Black empowerment. These practical steps, he says, are the building blocks of self-reliance and long-term success.


The stakes couldn’t be higher. With Project 2025 looming and the potential rollback of civil rights protections on the horizon, African Americans must act now to secure their future. Anderson warns that without a plan for self-sufficiency, Black communities risk becoming politically, socially, and economically irrelevant in a nation they helped build.


“This isn’t about short-term victories,” Anderson says. “It’s about survival. It’s about making sure that future generations of Black people don’t inherit poverty, dependency, and marginalization.”

The clock is ticking. Anderson’s message is clear: the future of Black America depends on what the community does today. The choice is simple — build wealth, create power, and control your destiny, or risk disappearing into political and economic irrelevance.


“History shows us what happens to people who don’t own anything,” Anderson says. “They become dependent, they become exploited, and they eventually become invisible. We cannot let that be our fate.”

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Walmart.org

https://walmart.org/how-we-give/local-community-grants

Local Community grants range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $5,000. Eligible nonprofit organizations must operate on the local level.

Kellogg Foundation

You’ll need to register to access our W.K. Kellogg Foundation Portal. Once you fill out the registration form, our Concierge Service will send you log-in credentials within one business day so you can access our online grant application portal. The next step is to craft a letter of inquiry (LOI)–a brief description of your project (1500 characters or less, which is around 250-300 words). Every new application starts with a letter of inquiry. In your LOI submission, consider answering the following questions:

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  • How does your project take into consideration our commitments to racial equity and racial healing, community engagement and/or leadership development, or what WKKF refers to as our DNA?

HeroX

www.heroX.com

HeroX is a crowdsourcing platform that allows anyone in the global community to create a challenge or submit a solution to a posted challenge.

Mustard Seed Foundation

https://msfdn.org/

This foundation provides seed funding through matching grants for start-up projects of local churches, especially in urban centers. They focus on small, grassroots projects and encourage local church accountability and financial support. They seek to fund dynamic projects that demonstrate innovation and community impact​​.

Gilead Foundation

https://www.gilead.com/purpose/gilead-foundation

Gilead strives for health prosperity for all. They create spheres of impact – their our company, in the community, in society – by encouraging a culture of giving, engaging with local communities and exploring innovative approaches to complex social issues.

Capital City Fellows Program (CCFP) 

https://dchr.dc.gov/page/capital-city-fellows-program

The Capital City Fellows Program (CCFP) is a mayoral initiative to attract recent graduates of master's degree programs in public administration, public policy, urban planning, social work and related fields to work for the city of Washington, DC. Candidates compete for 18-month fellowship appointments during which they may complete three six-month rotations in different city agencies or three different departments in the same agency

​Grants for Arts Projects (GAP)

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Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides expansive funding opportunities to strengthen the nation’s arts and cultural ecosystem. Grants are available for arts projects in a wide variety of artistic disciplines.

​Arch Grants

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Arch Grants disrupted the status quo of economic development in 2012 with a mission to transform the economy in St. Louis and throughout the world by attracting and retaining extraordinary entrepreneurs. Through our unique and groundbreaking annual Startup Competition model, we provide $75,000 equity-free grants and access to an ecosystem of resources, helping early-stage startups grow and scale.

Verizon Wireless 

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Verizon offers training, grants, and online courses to help grow your business.

FreddieMac

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The Community Foundation for Mississippi

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The Community Foundation for Mississippi primarily offers several distinct types of “grants” to charitable organizations in our service area: donor-directed grants, competitive grants by CFM, and competitive grants by CFM funds. 

AmeriCorps

https://americorps.gov/funding-opportunity/fy-2024-americorps-state-national-grants

The deadline for applications to the 2024 AmeriCorps State and National Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is Thursday, January 4, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. ET. AmeriCorps State and National expects that successful applicants will be notified by mid-April 2024.

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The Media Projects program supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, documentary films, and documentary film series  that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways.

Higher Education Challenge Grants Program

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Projects supported by the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program will: (1) address a state, regional, national, or international educational need; (2) involve a creative or non-traditional approach toward addressing that need that can serve as a model to others; (3) encourage and facilitate better working relationships in the university science and education community, as well as between universities and the private sector, to enhance program quality and supplement available resources; and (4) result in benefits that will likely transcend the project duration and USDA support.

Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program

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AAUW

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NIFA

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The purpose of the grant program is to provide funds for extension projects that have national or regional relevancy. In particular, the program supports extension projects that address emerging forest and rangeland resources through the adoption of climate-smart technologies among forest and rangeland owners.

NIKE 

https://www.nike.com/jordan/purpose/community-grants

Empowering communities around the United States to lead grassroots solutions in their neighborhoods, the BCC’s annual cycle of Community Grants enables nonprofit organizations to directly effect change in their cities.

The Fast Break for Small Business program

https://aofund.org/program/fastbreak/

The Fast Break for Small Business program, a collaboration between LegalZoom, the NBA, WBNA, and NBA G League, administered by Accion Opportunity Fund, offers significant support to small businesses.

Amber Grants

https://ambergrantsforwomen.com/get-an-amber-grant/

WomensNet founded the “Amber Grant” in 1998. The grant was set up with one goal in mind: to honor the memory of a very special young woman, Amber Wigdahl, who died at just 19 years old — before realizing her business dreams.

Today, WomensNet carries on that tradition, proudly giving away at least $30,000 every month in Amber Grant money. In recognition of the diversity of businesses owned by women, we’ve also expanded our grant-giving to include “Startup Grants,” “Business Category Grants,” as well as two “$25,000 Year End Grants.”

Fundid

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Accion Opportunity Fund is proud announce the latest round of Fast Break for Small Business: a $6 million commitment in small business grants and LegalZoom services to help thousands of small businesses across the country! This round of the program—focused on Black-owned businesses—will provide 50 small business owners with $10,000 grants, and an additional 1,950 small business owners with free LegalZoom products or services, valued at $500.

Check back each week for more updates. 

The Legacy of Jesse Owens By Kenya Vardaman Ramirez Contributing Writer

The 1930s were marked by an economic and social crisis that ravaged the world. World War II led to the destruction of buildings, the wrecking of roads, and the depletion of power resources. Food shortages and rationing caused prices to soar, increasing demand. During this time, the Great Depression significantly impacted daily life in the United States, amidst growing conflicts abroad.

In Germany, Adolf Hitler established a Nazi regime focused on eliminating Jews and Blacks from the country's gene pool, aiming to create a nation of individuals with blonde hair and blue eyes, whom he considered to be mentally and physically superior. Reports indicate that many Blacks living in 1930s Germany were imprisoned, forcibly sterilized, and murdered by the Nazis.

The 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, were intended to showcase Aryan mental and physical superiority on a global stage. Despite the NAACP's call for an African American boycott of the games due to Hitler's discriminatory policies, other American Olympic organizations advocated for the inclusion of African American athletes, recognizing their past achievements.

James Cleveland Owens, born on September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama, and known as Jesse Owens, arrived in Berlin as a celebrated track and field athlete from Ohio State University. He received unexpected support from the young German community. Adidas founder Adi Dassler approached Owens, asking him to wear a prototype of his new shoe during the competition. Owens made history by becoming the first African American to win four gold medals in a single Olympic Games and the first African American man to be sponsored by an athletic shoe brand. His achievements directly challenged Hitler's theory of African American inferiority and established a legacy of African American excellence in track and field.

Upon his return to the United States after the 1936 Olympics, Owens faced the realities of second-class citizenship. Despite his Olympic success, he was not offered scholarships at Ohio State University and initially struggled to find employment. However, Owens persevered through these challenges and contributed to the New York Mets' World Series championship as their running coach and played a role in organizing Baseball's Negro Leagues.

Owens's influence extended beyond his athletic achievements, particularly through his impact on the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith, inspired by Owens, made a powerful statement against racial inequality in America by raising their fists during the medal ceremony. This silent protest, with athletes wearing black gloves and socks, became an iconic image of the Black Power movement.

Today, Jesse Owens's legacy continues to resonate within African American culture and the broader narrative of protest. In 2013, Adidas's collaboration with Kanye West became one of the most lucrative sneaker partnerships in history, second only to Nike and Michael Jordan. In 2016, President Obama honored Jesse Owens's relatives for his achievements over 80 years earlier. Athletes like Colin Kaepernick have continued the tradition of protest, with Kaepernick explaining his decision to kneel during the national anthem as a stand against the oppression of black people and people of color in America.

In remembering Jesse Owens, we are reminded of the power of sports as a platform for social change and the enduring impact of his legacy: "As we run, we become."

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