Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 8-4-17

FLORIDA SENTINEL
FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017
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‘Building A Boss’ Workshop Inspired 40 Girls To Pursue Their Dreams
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Jainez Peake, 16, hopes to be a pastry chef with her own bakery.
The Jefferson High School junior said she’s already cre- ating a plan to make her dream a reality.
“I have to work hard and make sure my grades are straight,” she said.
On last Wednesday, Jainez and 40 other girls got a head start on the path to- ward entrepreneurship at “Building a Boss: A Day As A Female Entrepreneur,” a spe- cial workshop just for young girls.
Hosted at the 5508 Co- Working and Collaboration Exchange by business own- ers, CJ Spencer and Shaunnette Stokes in part- nership with the City of Tampa, the day-long camp featured speakers, hands-on activities, and breakout ses- sions.
CJ Spencer and Atty. Shaunnette Stokes pose with Building a Boss workshop participants.
store, a coffee shop, and sa- lons.
The girls visited several of the storefronts to talk with the owners and learn more about their industries and running a business.
Stacey McNair, 13, isn’t sure if entrepreneurship is for her. She wants to be a Marine Biologist or work in her grandmother’s construction business.
Nonetheless, the Benito Middle School student said she picked up some valuable information at the workshop.
“I learned we have to start from the bottom to get to where you want to be,” she said. “And to follow your dreams.”
The workshop is a one- day event, but the connec- tions the girls gain can extend beyond that, said Stokes, an attorney.
“Hopefully, we can con- tinue this with mentorship,” she said. “We want to stay connected to them.”
Spencer, who operates an eponymous business man- agement consulting firm, said it’s important that young girls know that being their own
boss is a viable career path. “I’m hoping they can see it can be done, that it’s being done,” she said. “Now, they can see, and feel that people
are doing it.”
At 5508, more than 30 en-
trepreneurs operate a variety of businesses including a tai- lor shop, a computer repair
Maggie Anderson: Family Experiment To ‘Buy Black’ Led To Mission To Bring Awareness And Support
It’s been eight years since Maggie Anderson and her family embarked on the Em- powerment Experiment, a year-long initiative of buying goods and services only from Black-owned businesses.
In that year, the Ander- sons lifestyle and spending habits changed dramatically: they spent nearly every penny of their disposable income with Black merchants. That included gas, groceries, cloth- ing, and dining.
It was a noble deed, but proved difficult to execute. The closest Black-owned gro- cery store was 20 miles out- side of their Chicago neighborhood and it was five months before a retailer who sold toddler clothes was lo- cated.
When the Andersons decided to go public several months into their exercise, they received much media ex- posure and praise.
They also faced an on- slaught of backlash – includ- ing hate mail and death threats – with some calling
their practice of buying Black “racist,” Anderson said.
For more than an hour on Wednesday, the Liberty City native’s stories held captive an audience of about 50 peo- ple inside the Main Stage Theater at Hillsborough Community College’s Ybor City campus.
Hosted by Eugene Mitchell, a New York Life Insurance agent and creator of the company’s $50 Billion Empowerment Plan, Ander- son offered insight into the experiences of herself, hus- band John, and their two daughters. She also chroni- cled their story in the book, “Our Black Year: One Fam- ily’s Quest to Buy Black in America’s Racially Divided Economy.”
Anderson and her family had all the trappings of upper middle-class life: graduate degrees, nice home, and nice cars.
Anderson is a former aide to Congressman John Conyers. Her husband, John is a business executive.
Maggie Anderson posing with local New York Life insur- ance agent, Oliver Gray.
“We thought we had it all and knew it all,” she said.
When the Andersons started their experiment, they were surprised by the stark realities of the lack of wealth and economic development in the Black community.
For example, in the 1960s a dollar circulated in the Black community for years;
today, it’s about six hours, Anderson said.
As a result, the number of Black-owned stores, banks, and other businesses has de- clined, she said.
Without these basic enter- prises, “we can’t call ourselves a community anymore,” she said.
Anderson said she is now a full-time activist who is dedicated to rally support and awareness for Black busi- nesses and boost economic empowerment among African Americans.
Solutions are not out of reach and can begin with just a conversation, she said.
“Because we don’t ask and we don’t talk, we can’t take the next step,” she said. “If we give back just 10 percent, we could create 1 million new jobs.”
But executing the mission doesn’t come without struggle and heartache, Anderson said.
Every one of the Black businesses she and her family patronized are now closed,
she said.
And some industries that
were created exclusively by and for African-Americans – such as hair care – have been swallowed by mainstream corporate America.
Anderson said she sometimes questions if her family’s sacrifice was worth it.
“So what, we have this book; these businesses aren’t coming back,” she said. “It feels like we’re always going to be poor and Black.”
Anderson said she has had to lean on her strong faith in God to help her navigate her journey, especially after a diagnosis of adult-onset mus- cular dystrophy in 2015.
With the support of her husband, Anderson said she continues to travel through- out the country hoping to in- spire others into action.
“The more I fight and speak the truth, the stronger I get,” she said. “I believe the movement is healing me.”
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer