Published: February 16, 2005
TEXAS SUPER LAWYER TAKES ON NEW CAUSE - ECONOMIC FREEDOM FOR BLACKS
James Payne
Beaumont, TX (BlackNews.com) - James Payne says he is standing on the shoulders of those who have fought for basic freedoms. His heroes include revolutionists as Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Fannie Lou Hamer and others who fought for freedom of slaves, the right to vote, educational and housing opportunities, access to public facilities, equity on the job and justice in the courts. Payne recognizes there is still a major battle African Americans have to enlist in for their survival. He has taken responsibility for the battle where he lives and hopes his passion for economic opportunity for people of all colors, especially African Americans, will catch on like wildfire across this nation.
At the start of the 2005, Payne, a young Beaumont, Texas, attorney specializing in product liability and senior partner at Provost Umphrey, one of the most successful law firms in the South, picked up the battle flag to lead blacks to victory in the war for economic success. "I celebrate Black History Month for many reasons. At the top of the list is celebrating the spirit and commitment of my ancestors who came through slavery, Jim Crow laws and barriers on every front. They fought, died, struggled and held on for changes, changes many of them never got to experience the benefit. Yet because of their hope in the face of no hope and their fights in the face of death, we, their offspring as well as other ethnicities are benefitting from their efforts," Payne shared.
However, according to Payne, there is another very important battle where Blacks have to overcome every obstacle in their way. "We have got to make inroads on the economic front. Without economic strength, every gain our foreparents made can be lost. We have tried Black Dollar Days to remind America of the strength of our money, we have published Black business directories to help people find black businesses and we agressively campaigned for Blacks to do business with Blacks throughout the years. These are broad strokes and they must continue. Now is time for the rifle approach," expounds Payne.
The rifle Payne is taking to the economic battle fronts is called "The BUY 90 Campaign for BOBs (Black Operated Businesses)." The concept identifies and promotes five BOBs in metropolitan Southeast Texas for 90 days. A Conoco gas station, a restaurant, a book store, a car washing facility and a hair/beauty product supplier, are being promoted for 90 days in a community-wide publicity campaign-totally paid for by Payne. In the end of March, Payne will provide an analysis to the public of the economic impact of the BUY 90 Campaign on these businesses. So far, the campaign is working well-these businesses have seen an increase in business in a month where other local businesses have seen a decline in business.
Payne believes that the numbers will not only improve the economy for the BOBs but also for the community. "Who is most likely to hire our youth? Black businesses. Who is going to put back into our community? Black businesses. It is time for us to invest in our BOBs. It is time out for our dollars not circulating one time in our own communities before leaving. We are the only group of people who don't spend our money with each other. We are the ones who will have to solve our jobless problems, our economic woes. It starts with us doing business with each other," the young father of three explained.
Payne created Buy 90 when he was challenged to look in his own checkbook, to see how much of his income he was spending with people who did not look like him. He found that he and his wife Tracie were spending 89 percent of their money with non-blacks or such people and immediately decided to make a change in his family's spending habits. Futhermore, he took his campaign on the road, using many opportunities where he speaks before hundreds and sometimes thousands to share his plan for helping Blacks to succeed on the economic battle front.
Payne has spoken to many organizations to inspire them to spend money with their local BOBs. "The white man's ice is not colder, their water is not wetter and their gas does not make your car drive faster. If one black business fails us, we have a tendency to mark every black business off our list. We don't apply that same principal to other businesses owned by non-blacks. We have got to get out of that mode of thinking, or our entire race will sucumb to their economic downfall. It will not be the white man's fought, the president's fought or any other group. It will be our own fought for not supporting each other, not believing in each other," Payne said.
Twice tagged a Texas Super Lawyer by his peers, Payne answers persons of different ethnicities who question his commitment to the economic battle for Blacks with lyrics that he sings to his people-"If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right." According to Payne, "I support BOBs because of my love for my people and my desire to se them prosper. If that love is wrong, then I don't want to be right. Because I speak up for the causes of Black folks, does not mean that I don't love all people. I am stepping out here, taking on a leadership role, spending my money to do what I feel I need to do to build on what Dr. King, Frederick Douglass and so many others died trying to establish. When all of America's peoples can sit at the table of economic prosperity, then we will have a better America. Until then, I have got to do what I can to help bring about change," he said.
For more information about Payne's Buy 90 Campaign, visit his website www.holeintheboat.com. Yes, according to Payne, there is a hole in the boat when it comes to challenges in the Black community. He says the answer is in his favorite question: "How big is your bucket"? In other words, how much can members of his community do to fix the problem?
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