WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

Dr. George C. Fraser presented a wake-up call in Winston-Salem on Saturday, Aug. 25 at the Triad Minority and Women’s Business Expo:

“If nothing changes, The Institute of Policies studies published in Fortune magazine last year stated that by the year 2053, if nothing changes, that black medium wealth will be zero. Hispanics will follow 20 years later, and white medium wealth will be nearly 300 thousand dollars. We can listen or not listen, and just keep doing what we’re doing. While white people are planning for two generations, we’re planning for Saturday night. I’m not being negative, brothers and sisters; I’m just trying to get you to understand that we need to wake up.”

When Dr. Fraser shared this alarming study, it got extremely quiet in the room in the Benton Convention Center; you could hear cotton drop on the floor. The audience was thirsting for more. I’ve never seen a group of people so locked in and in tuned with a speaker the way we were with Dr. Fraser.

Dr. Fraser is one of the foremost authorities on economic development, networking and wealth building in America. He’s chairman and CEO of FraserNet Inc., founded almost 30 years ago with the vision to lead a global networking movement that brings together diverse human resources to increase opportunities for people of African descent. He’s one of the most sought after speakers in the world.

Dr. Fraser continued his presentation.

“If our behavior doesn’t change, if how we manage our money doesn’t change, and what we know about money doesn’t change, we will work our way to a second slavery. If you have no money in a democratic capitalist society, you are basically enslaved. So we now have a choice. When Kayne West said that slavery was a choice, he was wrong. By 2053 if nothing changes, our children’s children will be asking if we chose this, because we now have a choice to do something about the information I’m sharing with you.”

He said studies show that blacks watch 10 hours of TV a day, work eight hours and sleep eight hours.

”You don’t know nothing. All you know is what you see on TV. Another study came out last year that said 67 percent of college students, once they graduate, never read another book in their life.”

Dr. Fraser got slightly emotional, held his head down, covered his face with his hand, and said, “That’s hurtful.” The audience mumbled in agreement. He then gave us three productive habits to adopt that will help make the necessary changes to prevent the possibility of a second slavery in 2053.

“Habit Number One: an insatiable appetite for personal growth and development driven by the need for constant never ending improvement for lifelong learning of knowledge of self, less entrainment, and more study and reading. Make sure you go to The Chronicle’s YouTube channel at Winstonsalem Chronicle to hear the other two productive habits that will change the way you see life, spirituality and money.

Dr. Fraser said it best: “We need to succeed generations. Our parents and grandparents sacrificed much for us so that we can be financially literate.”

He shared why he thinks it’s imperative that blacks work on each other first.

“We must focus on excellence by making black people great first.” You must see the rest of his message and interview on Winstonsalem Chronicle. It will leave you thirsting more knowledge like you never have before.

It wasn’t an easy road for George Fraser. At age 3, he became an orphan, and spent 14 years in foster homes. He grew in the tough streets of New York, with little hope. Fraser’s guidance counselor suggested he drop out of high school, but he graduated from high school with a vocational diploma in woodworking.

I asked Dr. Fraser to share what inspired him to rise above his critics and surroundings. “I was hungry, I was angry and I was determined to prove the nay-sayers wrong. I said to myself, ‘You don’t think I can do this, watch this.’ I knew I would have to stay the course to make it happen. When you do everything in excellence, money and success has a way of finding you.”

His books are on Amazon.com, including an early one: “Success Runs in Our Race: The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the Black Community.”