The Black Caucus is taking the lead to ensure that Trinbagonians of African origin have a greater share in the economic prosperity of this country. Chairman of the Black Caucus, Keenan Munro, feels that the black community in T&T has not benefitted from the economic prosperity of the country and that they are suffering from the lack of co-ordination and unity enjoyed by other ethnic groups in T&T.
The 35-year-old businessman said that unlike the other groups, the black community does not have social or economic support mechanisms.
Q: Mr Munro, at the risk of sounding pessimistic, hasn’t the economic train long left the Black Caucus at the station?
A: (Puzzled expression at the Western Main Road, St James, head office of the Black Caucus (BC), Wednesday afternoon) It hasn’t left the BC by any station (chuckles)...Do you understand what we are doing?
Well, that’s what I am trying to find out...this is where you come in.
Hold on, Clevon, I am calling my father (entrepreneur William Munro) before this interview starts. (After getting the okay from his father on his cell phone, the chat got underway). Well, the Black Caucus is an organisation that is geared towards creating black economic visibility. We have recognised that this community is the one group within this country that hasn’t benefitted from the economic prosperity of the State.
Doesn’t that say something about the leaders of the country, political and otherwise? What it says is a lack of co-ordination and unity among the black community by any governing body. Be it what it may, the fact remains that there isn’t any entity as a guiding force for these people.
Why is it necessary that blacks have their own co-ordinating body, and is there a similar entity among the other ethnic groups in T&T?
What we did was to look at all the other groups and we realised a particular pattern; they are all working with a similar agenda for their upliftment and for their betterment, they have created a support system among themselves. Now, within anyone’s inherent culture there are built-in mechanisms to take care of their own but because the black community is one that was not left with their culture, we do not have those support mechanisms within our behavioural, social, and thought patterns which formed our culture.
Is that an excuse or explanation for their economic position today?
What I am saying is that there are solid examples where black people came together under a unified, co-ordinated front and became prosperous and well taken care of…where black people started trading among themselves in the late 1800s/early 1900s, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
What it resulted in was that they managed to acquire over 200 acres of land.
OK, you are speaking about an alien venture, but I want to look at…
(Interrupting) Well, the reason why I am using that foreign example is because it was at a time when you had the most amount of prejudice against black people, and we are in a much more conducive environment for us to thrive today. And they managed to create one of the wealthiest black societies because of the practice of group economics in America.
Very well. Did we have to wait for the advent of Keenan Munro before replicating that system here? (Laughter)
Well, there is a saying, there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. The time is now, and I am not the person who is coming up with this idea and everything. As far as I see it, it is a concept that wants to be born and is utilising all the people involved to bring it into being.
Again, Mr Munro, I am not being pessimistic but...
Anything you want to ask, brother, say it...trust me, we cool like that (laughter).
Mr Munro, I am sure you would have heard of and perhaps have experienced it...the lack of unity among the black population...
Absolutely. However, can you say silk ten times, please?
Why do you want me to do that?
Just bear with me. What does a cow drink?
Silk. (Quickly realising he was caught with this trick question, both men laugh).
OK. Do you know why you got caught with that question? It had nothing to do with me. The human body deals with entrainment, and when the media bombards people with certain imagery and certain latent messages, saturating our consciousness, it is then we start believing and automatically acting in that vein.
Wait. Wait. You are not following those who seek to blame the media for most of the negatives in the society today?
What we are doing now is using the media to spread positive messages. As we start to bombard our people with positive messages, that is how we would have positive results. Because understand this, just as I did that experiment with you, when you start putting positivity into the community you understand how powerful entrainment is. So is reconditioning of the mind, and we cannot do so if we do not get the message out there.
Given the fact that black people already have their finances tied up with long-standing businesses, credit unions, finance institutions, and you are embarking on what can only be described as a herculean task. How can you get them to join your organisation?
By no means are we doing that. All we wish to do is to perhaps put one or two steps in there to maximise his opportunities to do just that. One of the principles we are working with is the circulation of the dollar within the black community.
But isn’t that dollar already circulating elsewhere?
Now you must understand something...when people get paid on a monthly basis... and from what I have heard, the figure is $200 million the black community spends.
Where did you get that figure from?
One of the researchers gave it to me. And out of that, probably ten per cent is what we retain and the rest we spend out. If money and blood is to be equated, then we are bleeding out, which ultimately leads to atrophy. That is why we are always on the economic treadmill. There is no building up of value in our community.
The Black Caucus, simply put then, is attracting wealth towards the black community?
Yes and creating a self-sustain ecology just as how all the other groups have done in some way or fashion, creating some self-sustaining ability by spending money among themselves.
The practical concept of group economics?
To practise group economics we have to start controlling our finances to some degree. This is why we are working on establishing the African Credit Union, setting up cooperatives where we would create an investment plan, where the average person can put in a nominal amount and receive dividends at the end of the year.
A loyalty card to receive discounts during the year, developing of plans where they can offset some of the expenses based on the investment projects we are putting in place. Being a member of the Black Caucus you will get places to rent at favourable rates to operate a business.
Mr Munro, no offence meant, how would you respond to any accusation that the BC is just an effort by somebody to make some easy money at the end of the day?
Mr Raphael, that is such an unfair assessment. You came in here and you are seeing the expenses we have. You see a staff, what you are seeing is not anybody’s family concern, it is a genuine staff, genuine electricity, genuine overheads, utilities, people doing counselling who we have to pay, business and social counselling, I could tell you today, swear to God, I do not receive a salary for doing this, you know.
We, my father and myself, we have other businesses, you know. I make money, but my services toward Black Caucus is absolutely free.