‘Black Dollars’ Unfair to Others

I read with interest the article by Marc Lacey about “Recycling Black Dollars” (March 10). Although Mr. (Muhammad) Nassardeen’s ideas are well-intended, there are two glaring problems here.

I, as a non-black businessman, have been planning to buy two separate businesses in a mainly black area of L.A. I would be hiring up to seven local staff (probably black, but I am not a racist--I would hire the most qualified locals available). The long-term plan is to allow these locals a chance to learn a business and eventually buy me out. What I am reading from Mr. Nassardeen is that his organization would not frequent my businesses, although I plan to offer far better service than any of my competitors. (One of the existing owners is Asian and is selling out because of black prejudice against his race.)

If a Caucasian group of businessmen organized a similar group to “recycle white dollars,” we would be branded as racists. Please explain the difference!

I may be naive, but I moved to the U.S.A. because it has the most liberal equal-opportunity laws in the world, and despite many inequalities still in existence, the “African-American” fares far better here than anywhere else. Is Mr. Nassardeen telling me that it’s OK for blacks to have organized prejudice against all others but when others do it it is racial and illegal?

His organization should also promote any business that treats his people fairly (regardless of the ownership) or else all he is doing is promoting racism rather than equality.

There is one other area that local black people should look at as an opportunity. If they will take the time to learn Spanish as a second language they will get many of the jobs that require meeting the public--jobs that are now being won by bilingual Latinos.

W. A. THOMPSON

Westchester