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Essence Magazine Celebrates Young African American Entrepreneurs

Did you ever envision the new millennium as the age of the Black entrepreneur? If you answered no, some of the coordinators for the 1999 preliminary Essence awards might disagree.

Held at XS New York, the Big Apple's own gaming and arcade facility, this technological showdown was promoted as a cyberparty geared towards exhibiting the advances young African-Americans have made in the field of both computer technology and entrepreneurism. Promoters coined the phrase "on-line is on-time" and proved it to be true as a panel of guest speakers spoke of their personal progress towards financial independence. Among the Panelists were two of the founders of the clothing line, FUBU, (For Us By Us) Carl Brown and Keith Perrin.

Brown, Perrin, Graves, True, King-Holland

Two other panelists were entrepreneurs who took their individual creative and business skills and started their own businesses. Their names were TRUE and McClean Graves. TRUE, who has always had an interest in art took that skill and made it profitable starting his own graphic website (www.hgx.com). Mr. Graves, similar to TRUE, also took his skills and made it into a profitable website and is now recognized by "citizens of the web" all around the world. The last panelist, Tawanna King-Holland, a student, discussed her work on the computer in the field of medicine.

After the inspirational panel discussion, there was a lot of the customary schmoozing and networking that goes on at these events.

Between various photo opportunities, HarlemLive was able to sneak a few questions to Carl Brown and Keith Perrin of FUBU:

HL: How did you guys get started.

FUBU: There were five of us all out of Queens, we grew up together as friends and remained friends. With $5,000 seed money we were able to start our business.

HL: A lot of new designers feel that in order to compete with big name designers like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger they have to raise their prices regardless of the cost of production.

FUBU: Our prices are what they are due to the quality of the fabric and the clothes themselves. We only sell to the public what we would want to wear.

HL: How do you feel when you see someone wearing your clothes?

FUBU: It feels good because that way I know I'm giving back to the community and when I see someone it's kind of like, hey that's my brand.

HL: Is there anything you would like to advise some of the up and coming entrepreneurs that might read this?

FUBU: Just work hard and save your money. Do not spend your first little profit and go for the cars or the ice(diamond jewelry), reinvest your money an you'll have more of it.

Our interview was cut short by an overzealous photographer who wanted their picture for the cover of something-or-another.We walked around and networked some more. Without going into to too much detail the fruits of our labor will be manifested in the form of new HarlemLive students, advisors, and any opportunities that might be opened to us.

Finally they turned the games on. For the next half-hour I saw the most serious faced people kill half dead monsters and drive cars at speeds unimaginable. Some were admitted computer nerds who still couldn't resist the urge to race the Indy 500.

Overall the turnout was a good mix of people set in their positions, people trying to establish themselves in a position, and then good old teenagers like myself just trying to learn about all the possibilities out there.

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