In 1969, former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Art Powell established the Black and Brown Trading Stamp Corporation in Oakland, California. He planned to produce a series of stamps featuring famous Black Americans. His first (and only) stamp bore the likeness of the legendary James Brown, an early investor in Powell’s startup.
The stamps were issued to Black businesses in downtown Oakland. These stamps offered incentives to their Black customers, and during their first year, the stamps supported 1,000 merchants and generated over $1 million in revenue.
Chadwick Boseman, who played James Brown in the film Get On Up, described his surprise at learning about this part of Brown's activism. He said, "It was a part of him wanting to recycle money within the Black community before it goes outside of the community."
We can all support Black businesses with our own dollars and through word of mouth. It doesn't take millions to make a difference in our community.
There is real power in keeping our dollars within the Black community. We can't all be like James Brown, but we can support each other.