May 15, 2008 Issue
 

 This article is presented every month to look at those brave souls, white or black who took on the plight of African Americans quest for freedom in the land of the free.                    ____________________By K-R Staff Writers

  Henry David Thoreau (1817-62)   One might classify Thoreau as a philosopher or deep thinker. Most men of his time probably thought of him as strange, odd or even a crackpot. Yet here was a man that was born “before his time’ as they say.                                     “Before his time” is an old country phrase used by southern blacks when speaking of someone who was born before their ideas and belief and considered normal.  Another way to look at it is to think of someone who was born “after his time”, Like---------------------------.

 Born in Concord, Mass of July 12, 1817, Thoreau was a member of Harvard University graduating class of 1837. He tried teaching and failed, but managed to stay in the profession by joining his brother, John and opening a private school.

  One of his best friends was Ralph Waldo Emerson who he sometimes lived with. This friendship lead Thoreau to devote his life to writing. “He was bred to no profession: he never married; he lived alone; he never went to church; He never voted; he refused to pay tax to the state; he ate no flesh; he dranked no wine; he never knew the use of tobacco. And through a naturalist; he used neither trap nor gun, was the way his friend described him. Had it not been for his intelligence, most would  have though he was the village oddball. Yet his writing are still reveal a man whose thoughts were relevant then as they are today.

  He penned ‘ A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers and Walden or Life in the Woods’. After spending a night in jail for failure to pay a poll tax  he wrote “Civil Disobedience”.

  He also voiced a strong opposition to the US Government, stating he would “not support a government that permitted slavery and waged an imperialist war against Mexico. He was active in his support for the Underground Railroad. Another white abolitionist, his enemies would say. In 1854 he wrote “Slavery in Massachusetts.” Which was an indebt examination of slavery in the north. Excerpts from that document are as follows;“ I LATELY ATTENDED a meeting of the citizens of Concord, expecting, as one among many, to speak on the subject of slavery in Massachusetts; but I was surprised and disappointed to find that what had called my townsmen together was the destiny of Nebraska, and not of Massachusetts, and that what I had to say would be entirely out of order. The inhabitants of Concord are hot prepared to stand by one of their own bridges, but talk only on taking up a position on the highlands beyond the Yellowstone River. There is not one slave in Nebraska; there are perhaps a million slaves in Massachusetts.”    

 As I had no opportunity to express my thoughts at that meeting, will you allow me to do so here? Again it happens that the Boston Court-House is full of armed me, holding prisoner and trying a MAN, to find out if the is not really a SLAVE.

  But at last, in the present case, the Governor was heard from. After he and the United States government had perfectly succeeded in robbing a poor innocent black man of his liberty for life, and as far as they could, of his Creator’s likeness in his breast, he made a speech to his accomplices, at a congratulatory supper!

 I have read a recent law of this State, making it penal for any officer of the “Commonwealth” to “detain or aid in the… detention,” anywhere within its limits, “of any person, for the reason that he is claimed as a fugitive slave.” Also, it was a matter of notoriety that a writ of replevin to take the fugitive out of the custody of the United States Marshal could not be served for want of sufficient force to aid the officer.

Much has been said about American slavery, but I think that we do not even yet realize what slavery is. If I were seriously to propose to Congress to make mankind into sausages, I have no doubt that most of the members would smile at my proposition, and if any believed me to be in earnest, they would

 think that I proposed something much worse that Congress had ever done. But if any of them will tell me that to make a man into a sausage would be much worse-would be any worse- than to make him into a slave-than it was to enact the Fugitive Slave Law- I will accuse him of foolishness, of intellectual incapacity, of making a distinction without a difference. The one is just as sensible a proposition as the other.

  The law will never make men free; it is men who have got to make the law free. They are the lovers of law and order who observe the law when the government breaks it. Show me a free state, and a court truly of justice, and I will fight for them, if need be; but show me Massachusetts, and I refuse her my allegiance, and express contempt for her courts.

  One thing is certain, no matter what the men of Henry David Thoreau’s time thought of him, he was a man born at the right time. It is those men who could or would not see the injustice slavery inflected on their  fellow human beings who were outdated.                End

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           Entrepreneur of Color By K-R Staff Writers

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       Can I get a Loan?

Can I get a Loan? Yes you can with the right credentials. Although it's obvious, lets take a look at the true meaning of securing a business loan for a person of color in America. You have no doubt heard or maybe know first hand about the difficulties of getting that loan for a start up or expansion. They don't have good credit. They don't possess good business savvy. They don't have realistic   business plans. These and many more are all reasons to deny a loan to anybody no matter the color or nationality. Keep in mind; a lender does not want your business. They want to loan you money and get repaid with a profit. I   repeat lenders do not want to foreclose or take over a business where they are owed money.

The bottom line is that you need a business plan that has a minimum three-year expense and income projection. The plan must show growth (income increase over the last year) and substantiate with realistic reasoning for that growth.

Another important consideration in the preparation of the plan is to include the loan amount on your  Balance Sheet under Income, with repayment,   including interest falling under Accounts Payable in the plan itself. This also brings to mind just how much interest you're willing to pay for the loan.

Shop around for the best rate you can find to fit your qualifications. In other words if you are more of a risk to the lender, expect to pay more in interest than say a business person who has a large amount of equity, capitol or a better credit  rating than you.

There is no shame in paying more for your loan than the average entrepreneur. You may want to keep your repayment time to a minimum such as three to five years depending upon your business plans. If the interest is higher than normal, you must think in terms of paying off the loan faster in order to apply for a better loan rate in the future. By that time, you will have developed a track record such as repayment of the loan itself and shown that you are still in business and growing.

As the business grows, you must show that you plan on making sound business   decision with the increased profits such as buying or leasing equipment in order to become more efficient in your work processes. Or you may put a good portion of your profits in real estate such as the building in which you are housed if possible. If there is extra money after addressing your current and future business requirements, it really doesn't matter what you invest in as long as it's stable and is seen as a good investment that will generate a good return on your initial investment. In other words, preparing you to serve more and more customers. No  mystery here, more customers' equal increased income.   

Should you include a 401K for yourself in the plan? This would be a smart thing to do. If you have employees and are offering a 401K as a   retirement tool then by all means make sure that is  highlighted and not hidden within the plan. This is a sign that you're thinking long term in lieu of a year or so. A word of caution, ensure that your 401K administrator is a   reputable business and has track record in the money field. In a case where you are trying to convince someone that you are a serious        entrepreneur go with the big boys, Merrill Lynch     Unlimited (www.askmerrill.com) who has shown to reach out to minority clients to help with their investment. Another good source to ask questions regarding money matters is American Express Business Services. Log onto www.americanexpress.com and follow the prompt or tab until you get to the Small Business section.

If you don't have an accountant (CPA) and are keeping the company books on your business computer via Peach Tree Accounting or QuickBooks ensure that you include a statement in your business plan that your books

are audited on a yearly basis by whatever CPA (Certified Public Accountant) firm you choose. This shows a lender that you are willing to let an independent observer audit your books and validate the entries. This is a little known fact but very important in how you are perceived as an     entrepreneur.

Another good tip is to get a Dun & Bradstreet number assigned to your business. Every business in this country that is a thriving business is registered by Dun &  Bradstreet. They are the ultimate credit bureau for a business. You can reach them by logging on to www.dnb.com. You may not need all their services but again…in this country it's all about perception.

In other words are you   someone who rented the storefront on the corner,   purchased product for resale, put up your

 open for business sign and are waiting for the customers to come in and spend their hard earned