It's 1870, the nation is five-years removed from a bloody civil war--still, in a state of shock! The country is divided by geography and ethnicity.

My family, well, we are emerging from an unconscionable, hell. We have survived extinction. And in case you are wondering... I come from your past, that I might change your future. My name is? Black America.

My Brother's Keeper

You must know those decades before the war; black churches cared for our sick and provided our people with health care and death benefits. Financial assistance was even given to widows and orphans.

After the emancipation, our churches and self-help organizations are aggressively raising millions of dollars to subsidize the education of thousands of young black families, and finance a throng of private and under funded state schools.

Moreover, "they" pay-off hundreds of home mortgages, and make myriads of black entrepreneurs the beneficiaries of small business loans.

This lending practice is referred to as: "intelligent cooperation."

Surprisingly as early as 1904, in the bowel of segregation, the all black community of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, created a bank so successful that it attracted white depositors from throughout the entire state.

More importantly, historian Kenneth Hamilton noted that the Bank of Mound Bayou enabled blacks: "to keep a great deal of their money circulating in their own town and hinterland;" and available for new investments.

The love and cooperation between us all is simply, incredible. Hence, we are settling into new enclaves--determined to build our own banking firms, fund businesses, and create wealth.

The results? Between 1867 and 1917, the number of black businesses skyrocketed from just 4,000 to a phenomenal 50,000, strong! Moreover, between 1888 and 1934, blacks established 134 separate banks under state or national charters; not to mention credit unions and industrial loan associations.

"Nearly every colored community of any size has a building and loan association,... teaching the people habits of saving and enabling small wage earners to purchase homes." --(Booker T. Washington.)

While banking, is indeed, the mother's milk behind our impressive acquisition of real estate and fantastic business growth--understand something: Caucasians did virtually nothing to open the doors for blacks in either the banking or insurance business.

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