Read the essay below. Afterwards, try to get the best understanding you can of the following questions.
(1) What is a Black Power Economic Unit?
(2) Why is it important that Black Power Economists understand what they should not be doing?
(3) Why will the capitalist system will be the big winner and Black People the big loser as long as Black People function within the constraints of the capitalist system?
(4) Instead of helping victims cope within a capitalist system, what should Black Power Economists do?

One Black Power Economist can constitute an economic unit. Two Black Power Economists can constitute a more effective economic unit, while three Black Power Economists can constitute an even better economic unit. The more Black Power Economists in a unit, the more effective that unit can be.

To be as effective as possible, it is important that Black Power Economists understand what they should NOT be doing. Needless to say, Black Power Economists should not be typical capitalist consumers. Black Power Economists should not give any more of their resources to the capitalist system beyond what is necessary to maintain a relatively low standard of living. Any other use of a Black Power Economist's resources should constitute a revolutionary investment. What is a revolutionary investment? A revolutionary investment is any activity that promotes the development of a Black Power Economics system.

Black Power Economists should not be investing the wealth of the Black Nation in activities that are aimed at alleviating the awful conditions Black People are faced with within the present capitalist system. Black Power Economists should not be trying to create jobs or businesses within the capitalist context. Black Power Economists should not be expending resources protesting against discriminatory employment practices, unfair housing and medical care, financial scams that target the Black community, etc. It is not Our purpose to make it easier for people to bear the ill effects of capitalism. Our purpose is to get people involved in the development of an entirely different system.
It requires a great amount of time, energy and resources to protest against a wrong or try to make up for a discriminatory practice of an unfair system. When Black Power Economists invest that much time, energy and resources in a project, it is critical that the Black Power Economics system We are building benefits from it, gets stronger as a result of it. That is important because what benefits the Black Power Economics system will be long standing and good for all. The most one gets from a protest is temporary relief for a few individuals. That is not close to being enough.

As long as Black People function within the constraints of the capitalist system, the capitalist system will be the big winner and Black People the big loser. Black Power Economists must always think and function, first and foremost, outside of the context of capitalism. Any experienced investor in stocks and bonds has learned that the broker always wins. Individuals investors might win a some dollars or lose a fortune, but the broker always wins. Any experienced gambler knows that the "house" always wins. Some gamblers might take a trip to Vegas or Atlantic City and win a little money from time to time, but after all is said and done, most gamblers will have lost and the house will have profited off of those who won and lost. The same is true in politics and economics. As long as you function within the constraints of a system, that system always wins. Even if you protest against a capitalist practice and "win" a case, capitalism will benefit from your "win" more than you will. After all is said and done, capitalism will continue to harm the masses as much as ever, and those few individuals who benefitted from the "win" will be more apt to not act against capitalism because, as far as they are concerned, they found relief and made capitalism "work" for them. [For more on this, Click Here.]

Instead of helping victims cope within a capitalist system, Black Power Economists need to inform them that Black Power Economics is better for them, and encourage them to become a Black Power Economist, join with other Black Power Economists and help develop a Black Power Economics system that will benefit all of Us. They can become part of a Black Power Economic Unit. That way, they will walk away from an economic system that abuses them and contribute to a system that is based on the well being of all human beings.