Go back in the past, let’s say mid-eighties. A private meeting room. Maybe in an office building, maybe in a Ritz Carlton hotel conference room. 3 men or 4, 7, 8, you pick a number, it’s not important, this is all fictional. Anyway, these men are all Jewelers, rich and famous jewelers, think Solomon Brothers, Jared Jewelers, or DGeller and his boys, anyone of those fine stores would do. You pick the Jeweler.
Anyway #2, the men had just arrived from another visit to their stores in Houston, Detroit, New York, Atlanta, L.A., you pick the city. And they are troubled. Deeply concerned. Sales of their expensive, yet highly profitable, merchandise have become stagnant. Money was still being made, no problem there, but the forecast for higher profits in the future was not promising. Not enough rich men buying diamonds and pearls for their various wives, girlfriends, and mistresses. Something had to be done. The Jewelers need a new source of income to ensure that their great grandchildren didn’t have to go to public schools with the common kids. Lord forbid.
What to do? What to do?
About 40 minutes into the tense meeting, or 20 minutes, 2 hours, 90 minutes, you pick a time. One of the Jewelers, we’ll call him Brad, or Edward, or Lucas, you pick a name. Anyway #3, Brad the jeweler got up and made a suggestion. Actually, more like a revelation. Brad said “Let’s get those black guys to start WEARING jewelry for themselves instead of buying them for their women.”
Someone else said “That’s crazy.”
Someone else said “That’s crazy.”
Another one said “That’s too gay. Men would never do that.”
Brad: “Yes, yes, listen to me. You know a lot of these guys, especially black guys like basketball players and actors and dem, got a lot of money and no way to show their women that they meet in those juke joints that they got it like that. So you get dem to start wearing diamond rings and earrings and expensive necklaces and all our stuff, and Boo-Yaw! More money! More money! More money! for us and our great grandkids.”
One last skeptic said “But wouldn’t those guys rather invest their money in sound financial instruments like real estate, stocks, and rebuilding the black community.”
One last skeptic said “But wouldn’t those guys rather invest their money in sound financial instruments like real estate, stocks, and rebuilding the black community.”
They all looked at each other and laughed. After eating some caviar and playing some cards, they got in their limousines and went home.
