A Detroit School Board member says his goal was to inspire African American Detroiters to look for entrepreneurial opportunities in their communities despite poverty.
He wrote in one post “Michigan Koreans built a Billion dollar empire with Negro hair weaves and beauty supply purchases and created 1000's of jobs for Koreans.”
In another post he wrote, “The Michigan Chaldean Community built a billion dollar empire from Negro Food Stamps.”
He soon realized in the comments that Chaldean business owners from metro Detroit and around the country found that statement offensive.
“As far as profiting a billion dollars off of food stamps, I don’t know what that number is but I can tell you food stamps are 30% of our business. We are here to cater to everybody,” said Najib Atisha, the owner of Indian Village Market Place in Detroit.
Atisha says he has been a Detroit business owner for about 40 years.
“Chaldeans are the immigrants who have stuck by the city through thick and thin for the past 40 - 50 years,” continued Atisha, pointing out many chains have left the city.
“They are immigrant entrepreneurs who are living the American dream while most African American’s are living the American nightmare,” said Lemmons.
Lemmons said he is proud to see any Detroiter, regardless of race, succeed at business in neighborhoods plagued by poverty. However he does feel that many of the Chaldean businesses exploit Detroit by making money in the city, then going to their homes in the suburbs.
“We have a trade imbalance,” said Lemmons. “Nations go to war over trade imbalances.”
“I own businesses in multiple cities,” responded Atisha. “There is no way I can have a residency in Centerline, Detroit, Warren, and Ypsilanti. That should not even be a factor. The factor should be, are you providing a quality service to the community?”
What both men agree on is that more successful businesses in Detroit is good for everyone.
