Black business leaders say now is time for action
They are angry. They are tired. They say that as black men, they know they could lose their lives at any time because of the color of their skin.
These are the sentiments of eight African-american men from San Antonio who are determined to effect real change this time.
They say they’re beyond parsing words about the death of another black man in police custody.
The Denver Heights Business Group, which includes contractors, entrepreneurs, retired city employees and the leadership of 100 Black Men of San Antonio, has been meeting for several months, seeking ways to address racial injustice.
They want to spare mothers, fathers and family members the anguish of losing a loved one too soon. As they watched cellphone video of George Floyd’s death May 25 after a white police officer in Minneapolis kneeled on his neck, the pain they felt was intense.
“This hurt me so much I could not just not say anything,” businessman Frank Dunn said at a recent meeting of the group at the Ella Austin Community Center. “In any other time and space, we would say we were in a war. There are terrorists against us. We would
call that a war.”
Members of the group said that traditionally, people look to the church and black organizations to lead the fight. But that presence has been missing at the marches and rallies sparked by Floyd’s killing.
They’re proud of the young people who have turned out for the protests in downtown San Antonio day after day, but they’re disappointed that established black groups and well-known black leaders haven’t initiated any of them
Henry Boone Jr., 29, a project manager for Turner Construction, said every voice is needed.
Ivory Freeman, 54, president of 100 Black Men of San Antonio, said community groups must work together, both established groups and new ones.
“It’s a pivotal point that we can change the minority/majority in San Antonio,” Freeman said, “and actually give some people an organization to look up to.”
Dwayne Robinson, 54, said it’s vital that whoever represents corporations in outreach programs has a true connection to the community.
The CEO of Robinson Consulting Group said his heart was broken years ago when two representatives of a local company told him the only reason they were serving on the board of a community group was that their employer told them they had to.
To make real change, the younger generation must be engaged, these leaders say. It’s not enough to be active in the street, they said. That energy must be channeled to work for change in the very fabric of the community — in schools, churches and businesses.
“We’re a group of black men who are pushing to involve, include and educate young black people,” Llewelln Fambles, 62, said, “for advocacy for the future.”
Fambles said part of the solution is to hold police accountable. He called for a review of union contracts for police officers and sheriff ’s deputies.
“Just like people, organizations, and businesses have made significant changes for the COVID pandemic to allow people to work from home to be productive in different ways,” he said. “We can have the same level of change right now, to impact racial disparities in this country.”
Charles Johnson, 52, sees an improved opportunity for change now, while energy and attention is heightened.
“We need to be a change agent in San Antonio,” said the executive director of South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency, a nonprofit that works with public agencies to expand contracting opportunities for small, minority-owned and women-owned businesses.
“This is an opportunity to be in positions and places where it’s our time to do something. This is the time to reach out to corporate boards and join them. This is where we can make an impact.”
These sentiments echo an often-quoted comment by former President Barack Obama: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we see.”
Members of the Denver Heights Business Group said measures to limit police violence should include not just promoting equal
justice and police reform but bolstering entrepreneurship and voter turnout. It’s not enough to change law enforcement agencies, they say — society must change too.
Milton Harris, 52, executive director of 100 Black Men, an organization that seeks to improve the quality of life and enhance educational opportunities for Africanamericans, read a statement he said summarizes the best approach.
“We protest welfare with wealth, we protest misinformation with leadership, we protest fear with mental health,” he read, “and we protest miseducation with academics for success. No matter the conditions our children are born into, what they are led into is where legacy matters most. What they see is what they’ll be”
Marcus Primm, 49, said he’s energized by the involvement of the younger generation in the Floyd marches.
He recalled how his daughter, a college freshman, asked him if she could attend a rally in San Marcos. Primm said he was proud she wanted to join the protest, unprompted by her parents.
“A change is coming,” Primm said. “Not a moment, but a movement. This is one fight where we can’t be on the sidelines, we have to take an active role and be on the front line. It’s for the greater good.”