Abstract

The black revolt in the U.S. is a movement that is still strikingly conservative in its claims. In contrast to many white radicals, militant black spokesmen for the most part are not calling for the destruction of the major economic institutions. Instead, they are demanding, a piece of the action, participation in the rights and responsibilities, and payoffs, that go with ownership. The fact is that there has never been a more forceful expression of free enterprise philosophy than Black Power economics. Black Power is the ultimate rejection of welfare liberalism. Instead it asserts that equality requires not only black political power but also black economic power, and that this requires capital as well as jobs. In this article, the Deputy Director of the Kerner Commission speaks on the meaning and challenge of the black revolt and the role of business in meeting that challenge. Stressing the positive aspects of the Black Power movement, and its worldwide implications, the author gives an analysis of the causes of the black revolt. Four areas in which the business community can work to solve urban problems are outlined.