“One Man’s Opinion” Gordon Curvey

I may get put on blast by folks but that is OK because I am a big boy. I feel very strongly about this topic. And the topic is why is it that their are two major streets in Seattle’s Rainier Valley and Central Area and they are FULL of businesses full owned by Asians and now East Africans.

Meanwhile their are few African American businesses in sight other than a few here and their. The Asians have mall after mall full of Asian owned places where you can buy shoes or buy a new watch or plan a trip or print some flyers or buy a wedding dress or a tux and on and on and on. And they support each other. There money rotates in the community.

And now the East Africans are opening businesses like small mom and pop stores or a place to buy a cell phone and other type of businesses.

Again the money rotates among the East African community. They have monthly meeting and do networking and help each other if there businesses may not be doing well. They pool their money as do the Asians. But mean while we in the so called African American seem not to want to work together.

We in the so called African American community seem to NOT want to open up different kind of businesses like the Asians and now the East Africans and they question readers is WHY? I don’t understand. Folks their used to be plenty of mom and pop stores in the Rainier Valley and Central Area.

Now guest what? THERE ARE ZERO AFRICAN AMERICAN OWNED MOM AND POPS STORES IN THE RAINIER VALLEY AND CENTRAL AREA OF SEATTLE!! This is very very sad. We seem to want to open another beauty shop/barber shop or another bar-b-cue joint or another church or another detail place to have your car washed where cats can shine up their $5,000 rims on a 1995 Buick.  Something is very wrong.

And we in the African American community do NOT really support the few places we have. Our money leaves our so called community quicker than water leaving a faucet!! This is real talk folks.

There are African Americans with money and plenty of it. Like for instance the NBA players from the Seattle area. They have millions. Why not open a waffle and chicken place like Roesco’s in L.A.? I think it would do very well in Seattle’s Rainier Valley or Central Area. Or why not a place where we can buy a news big screen TV or laptop or PC. How about a pet shop where people can buy stuff for their dog or cat or pet etc.? It seems the NBA players want to play golf and buy big cars etc instead of opening up a business in the Rainier Valley and Central Area.

I am sorry the RV and CD has turned into yuppie land with white folks opening up businesses and walking their dogs all over a area where you a few years ago would NEVER see a white face. I know because my mother has the same house since 1959. Heck I don’t see a black person walking up and down the hill anymore. The community the way it is hurts me folks.  Part 2 of my views in a few days. Please come back!

Comments? gcurvey@yahoo.com or www.facebook.com/gordon.curvey or www.twitter.com/gcurvey Also watch “Music Inner City TV” webcasts (to the right) from our TV program on Comcast-Xfinity TV/Western Washington state/go to “get local” and then “around the sound” Watch via smartphones, pc’s/macs and tablets ANYTIME!!