Generation One is a Lamar & Ronnie Tyler production: They ask the question: Will this be the last generation that starts from scratch or will we do what’s necessary for the next generation to build wealth? http://www.generationonemovie.com.
The 2007 recession, the housing crisis, the soaring unemployment and the rising cost of education effects the whole country, but it effects the Black and Brown community even more.
As a Black entrepreneur I took notice when I saw the preview of the DVD when it first appeared on Facebook. Social media and times have changed for the younger generation. I ordered it right away and found it to be very informational and to be a reflection of my past.
I worked on the auto assembly line in Detroit MI while I was still in high school back in the 1960’s. Back then working on the line was fine, for a lot of people. All you needed was a good work attitude and a strong back (come to work and do your assigned job, no matter how hard the the task), with the hope that you would gain some seniority and get an easier job on the line.
It was really tough on me because I wanted to at least finish high school while making some extra money. In my young mind I looked at the working world as grown folks working in the factory, working in an office somewhere, or owning their own business. Those folks that didn’t hustled on the streets, or worked minimum wage jobs.
The generation one panel of experts takes a hard look at the numbers and provides strategies family can implement now to begin building wealth for the next generation. For me it all begins with the right mind set and discipline to do the thing we must.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux – Founder and President Economic Education .
Patrice C. Washington – Author – Real Money Answers.
Lawrence Watkins – Founder & CEO Great Black Speakers.
Deborah Owens – The Wealth Coach
David Anderson – Founder Empowerment Radio Network
Dr. Boyce Watkins – Founder – FinancialJunteenth.com
Before the big push for legal Integration, Blacks had to build their own businesses to support themselves for the skills they learned over the years. “Separate but legal” was never equal. We were in the search for a piece of the American Dream. But instead of getting a piece of the pie, all we got was crumbs. We abandoned our financial institutions and flocked to put our money in regular “White banks”. According to the Generation One Movie there were 23 Banks and financial institutions established to help the Black communities build their businesses and purchase their homes.
Somewhere along the line we were not taught the keys to creating “real wealth”. In America its about ownership and control.
Owning a business
Owning a home
Owning land
The few rare exceptions to owning something substantial were were Berry Gordy Jr. who owned Motown Records in Detroit MI and John H. Johnson who owned Johnson Publishing Company, who published Ebony and Jet Magazine in Chicago IL.
Wealth includes precious owning metals metals.
Rhodium
Platinum
Palladium
Gold
Silver
Annuities
Equities
Foreign Currency
The lack of wealth is not just a Black thing. it an American thing. But it hurts the Black and Brown community even more. We are a trillion dollar resource but we hardly own anything. We have earned the higher education credentials in record numbers, but many of us are the first generation to attend college. If our parents didn’t set aside for a college fund we graduated with a ton of debt. I kind of fall into that category but I got a little help from the GI Bill.
Wealth is something handed down. How to accumulate it is not discussed by families living paycheck to paycheck. Those who live month to month are doing a little better, and then there are some who plan from year to year. But real wealth is a study. One of the things is the habit of adding value to others. Then there is the habit of leveraging your unique strengths.
It’s hard to make a decision without information. And it’s hard to make changes without sacrifices. Where there is a will, there is a way. I highly recommend you order your copy today and share with your family.
H.G.M.
