Black capitalism

Black capitalism is a political movement among African Americans, seeking to build wealth through the ownership and development of businesses.

The Black bourgeoisie seem to be acting in the role of the house Negro. They are pro-administration. They would like a few concessions made, but as far as the overall setup, they have a little more material goods, a little more advantage, a few more privileges than the black have-nots; the lower class. And so they identify with the power structure and they see their interests as the power structure’s interest. ~ Huey P. Newton

If the black bourgeoisie cannot align itself with our complete program, then the black bourgeoisie sets itself up as or enemy. And they will be attacked and treated as such. ~ Huey P. Newton

Quotes

• When the opportunity has been present, the black bourgeoisie has exploited the Negro masses as ruthlessly as have whites. As the intellectual leaders in the Negro community, they have never dared think beyond a narrow, opportunistic philosophy that provided a rationalization for their own advantages.
  • E. Franklin Frazier, The Black Bourgeoisie (1955), p. 236

• A part of the black bourgeoisie seems to be committed to developing, or attempting to develop, a form of capitalism within the black community, or the black colony as we call it. As far as the masses are concerned it would merely be trading one master for another. A small group of blacks would control our destiny if this development came to pass.
  • Huey P. Newton, Ebony Magazine, August 1969, p. 110

• The Black Panther Party are the field blacks, we’re hoping the master dies if he gets sick. The Black bourgeoisie seem to be acting in the role of the house Negro. They are pro-administration. They would like a few concessions made, but as far as the overall setup, they have a little more material goods, a little more advantage, a few more privileges than the black have-nots; the lower class. And so they identify with the power structure and they see their interests as the power structure’s interest.
  • Huey P. Newton, as interviewed by The Movement (1968)

• The Black Panther Party was forced to draw a line of demarcation. We are for all of those who are for the promotion of the interests of the black have-nots, which represents about 98% of blacks here in America. We’re not controlled by the white mother country radicals nor are we controlled by the black bourgeois. We have a mind of our own and if the black bourgeoisie cannot align itself with our complete program, then the black bourgeoisie sets itself up as or enemy. And they will be attacked and treated as such.
  • Huey P. Newton, as interviewed by The Movement (1968)

• A small percentage of the blacks owned slaves; they were our first black bourgeoisie. But what we have today are their spiritual descendents. And just as the earlier black slaveholders fail to alleviate the suffering of their slaves, so today the black capitalists (those few in existence) do nothing to alleviate the suffering of their oppressed black brothers.
  • Huey P. Newton, Ebony Magazine, August 1969, p. 110

• Black capitalism is a hoax. Black capitalism is represented as a great step toward black liberation. It isn’t. It is a giant stride away from liberation. No black capitalists can function unless they play the white man’s game. Worse still, while the black capitalist wants to think he functions on his own terms, he doesn’t. He is always subject to the whims of the white capitalist. The rules of black capitalism, and the limits of black capitalism are set by the white power structure.
  • Huey P. Newton, Ebony Magazine, August 1969, p. 110