Columbia College Black Alumni

Black Alumni Networking – Where Is It?

The old saying goes, that if you teach a man to fish, he eats for a day. But if you teach a man how to fish, he eats for a lifetime.

That same quote explains why Black people are starving for economic success.

On “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Harry Belafonte said that the African-American population is confused by their effect on the American democratic process. Belafonte claimed that because the bipartisan system ignores issues that are of most concern to Blacks, we do not truly know who to vote for and don’t believe that our votes count.

I see the same confusion in African Americans when it comes to our ability to mobilize. Whenever it is time for us to come together, rarely can we agree on what to fight for and how to do it. This is especially true when Blacks seek out the assistance of other Blacks.

When you see Black success in this economy, it is usually the by-product of a person who sought out his or her education, paid their dues working for “the man,” and had the perseverance and creativity to make it to the top.

However, with races of the Caucasian persuasion, much more of their economic success stems from creative development, access to capital and the ability to acquire the support group they need.

For example, Michael Dell is no computer genius. He was a student at the University of Texas, he paid for school by building simple computers, and when building computers began to bring in more money than his diploma ever could, he dropped out. He borrowed against his grandmother’s home, and he founded Dell Inc.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and creator of Facebook, dropped out of Harvard after he got the resources from his family and friends at Harvard to further fund Facebook.

But it is much less common for Blacks to have similar paths to success. It happens, but it is far less common. And yes, we don’t have the same monetary resources that Caucasians have. Far fewer of our relatives own their homes, and the percentage of Blacks that belong to credit unions is much less in comparison.

But capital resources are not even our biggest problem. The fact of the matter is that there are Black people with money. The problem is when the Black people with money are not in connection with the Black people who don’t have it.

The art of networking in our race is not what it is supposed to be. After all, our ancestors did not have much in the means of communication, and it is quite possible that trait has somehow transcended into our modern day existence.

But it needs to stop!

As graduates of Columbia University, I know you all are familiar with a lot of the Black gatherings that the Black Alumni Council host. And they are nice gatherings. People talk, have fun, maybe exchange business cards and even take on mentors and mentees. And the all-encompassing gatherings held by Columbia are pretty much the same way, too.

But that’s not enough.

As a member of CU Athletics and a writer for a high income magazine, I have attended numerous networking events that include New York City’s wealthy, of which the majority is Caucasian. In these situations I have seen jobs basically handed out, people discussing real estate and constant name-dropping of those who can be facilitators of business success. I have seen business proposals made and partnerships formed right before my eyes. And the funny thing is that most of this takes place between people who may or may not know each other all too well.

That’s what Black people need to encompass. We need to be more open to helping each other, especially young people with creativity and perseverance. However, young people with no money, no experience and no sources can rarely reach out to the more prominent figures of Black society. That’s why those prominent figures should be reaching out to them. They need to make themselves available and they need to seek out future Black leaders and entrepreneurs. There are far too many Black angel investors who ignore the opportunity that investing in Black youth provides them.

I’m not saying that Black people who have worked their way to the top should start giving away all of the support and resources that they worked hard to attain. Because when you give a person a fish they only eat for a day. But if you help Black society fish for itself, they’ll feast for years to come and invite you over for dinner.