"If you don't understand the history of racial terrorism, nothing else is really going to make sense," Osei-Frimpong said. "Not unless you know how [Athens-Clarke County] spends money, how many of these businesses are black and what it take to get a business."

It takes three generations to build wealth. The first generation works to save and put money away for investments over a generational period. The second generation continues to work to expand the wealth and is aided by the inherited capital gained from the first generation. The third generation is given the capital from the past two generations and is comfortably able to establish a fruitful, secure career.

If it takes three generations to build wealth, it is important to look at where black people were three generations ago. Three generations ago, in the 1930's and '40s, white people were calling for black workers to be fired in the Northern cities, according to the Library of Congress.

Three generations ago, Black Wall Street was burned to the ground in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. Black Wall Street was the hub for black success in the early 1900's after the oil boom. This is a singular example of how racial segregation bleeds into building businesses, success and capital.

"You don't understand a problem unless you understand how it emerged out of racialized terrorism, which calcified the political economy," Osei-Frimpong said. "Black people couldn't build businesses because these people would tear them down."

Racial violence after the Great Depression escalated, and it wasn't until the later 1900s, starting in the '60s, that black workers were moving into the professional workforce. In 1960, 11 percent of black workers were in professional, technical and craft worker positions. By 1980, their proportion had almost doubled to 21 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Between 1972 and 1980, the number of employed blacks increased by 1.3 million, or 17 percent. Their proportion of the Nation's employed work force, 9.4 percent, did not change, as the white employment level rose by 18 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Willis said the resources for success were set to different standards from the start. He said while white European peasants were allowed to come to the United States freely, were given Universities to further successes through education, given land, taught to farm, and given money to colonize the U.S., black people were enslaved.

"No other group was brought here as slaves to build the foundation that everyone else would benefit from," Willis said. "I think people have to understand that there is not just a need, but a requirement, that the black community is given opportunities that were given to European peasants when they arrived."

While support from the black community in Athens is abundant, long-term policy which caters to the minority-owned businesses are the next step to propelling black succes. In Athens, there is no Minority Business Enterprise, or designated set aside, to ensure that black businesses are able to receive affirmative action in the business realm.

While it once took a village, a village can only do so much while the networks and policies in Athens are limiting economic mobility for minorities.

Nickels and dimes

Broderick Flanigan, owner of Flanigan's Portrait Studios off Vine Street, is providing a platform for black owned businesses to be showcased in the spotlight they deserve. Flanigan is Athens born and raised. He grew up in public housing, graduated from Clarke Central high school, and he uses his intimate understanding of what goes on in Athens, the struggles people face, to aid in directing his efforts to the places that need it most.

"When I became a business owner, I noticed that there were a lot of conversations happening around town where the black community either was not present, or they just didn't know about it, or they were just lacking that element," Flanigan said.

While Flanigan is working to promote black-owned businesses throughout the county, he sees that patronizing black businesses can only go so far when larger inequalities hinder economic mobility for black people in the South.

Osei-Frimpong thinks patronizing minority-owned businesses in Athens isn't enough. We need to change policy, he said.

"You can't just find a black gardener," Osei-Frimpong said. "This is like trying to stop climate change by recycling. You need an actual, structural solution."

While Flanigan is trying to steer more money into black businesses, he runs into the same issues Osei-Frimpong said calcifies the political economy. Government contracts are missing black businesses. Without these contracts, Osei-Frimpong said, patronizing black businesses is "nickel and dime stuff, and it doesn't do it."

"For people coming in, the first thing you need to do is get literate about racial terrorism and how that's skewed the economy," Osei-Frimpong said. "Because then it makes sense that in order to make this economy whole, you need to break up these contracts."

Contracts are awarded by the Purchasing Administrator after going through a competitive process which looks at price and skills. So while local vendors may be competing in these contracts, the contract will go to the company that offers the best value for the county.

"We have a policy that states that we will make every effort to reach out to small and minority vendors, but again, there is no such things as a set aside and when the competition takes place, may the bet company win," Julie Ann Donahue, ACC purchasing administrator said.

Donahue, as the purchasing administrator, overviews the competitive process and ensures that all the legal requirements are met. When it comes down to it, the lowest bid wins. Whichever business offers the lowest price, they get the contract, unless the project requires aesthetic approval where price matters less.

In the 34 years that Donahue has been involved with the contract process, there has never been a set aside of funds for minority businesses. She said the reason for this is that there has never been a disparity study conducted to identify a need.

"There is money in the United States. There is money in white families. There is money in white networks," Osei-Frimpong said. "There is money being thrown around, it just misses black people."

Planting seeds

To aid in the advancement of black success in Athens, there are organizations that start with planting seeds in the youth. They teach children and teens in Athens soft skills like leadership, intuition and critical thinking to ensure that they have the skills they need to be successful.

Athens Land Trust and Chess and Community are two key organization that help propel Athens' youth into the entrepreneur field and onto success. Malachi Gallagher, a 15-year-old resident of Athens, is involved in both of these organizations and works with Willis at Haven Business Services. Willis mentors Gallagher in hopes that he achieves success, regardless of having the same two strikes against him that Willis has.

"[Willis] told me it was going to be difficult but that it was going to be a fun adventure you go on while doing it," Gallagher said. "He told me we would have some difficult people along the way."

While Willis stands as an example for Gallagher's future, Rashé Malcolm, owner of Raché's Cuisine, stands as a strong example for her two daughters as well. Her daughters, though still young, look to her for how to run their own business successfully.

Malcolm said she faced the same obstacle Willis, Flanigan and Osei-Frimpong face: Getting in.

For Malcolm, she has received positive support from the community of Athens and feels optimistic about her daughter's future, but she still faces certain people with negative stereotypes toward minority-owned businesses.

"Sometimes I do face that barrier of, 'Well if I hire her, is she going to be on time? Will she have the right attitude?' So again, that goes back to me being able to be outside of the restaurant and getting to know people on a personal basis," Malcolm said.

As a black woman, though she does face these obstacles, she doesn't tell her daughter about these struggles. She tells her daughter, who has her own candle business since she was 5 years old, to stay consistent, to work on her craft, and to work on her education.

"As far as being a black woman in business, I don't tell her about that," Malcolm said. "I tell her to have a good quality product, great customer service, work on your craft, be able to speak boldly, and the rest of it works itself out."

One way Malcolm has experienced support from the community is through the West Broad Farmers Market, where she sells her food alongside Gallagher and other youth involved in the Athens Land Trust. She also finds support from the Athens Black Market, organized by Mokah Johnson.

Johnson created the Athens Black Market to handle economic development for the black community in Athens because when it comes to discrimination, the root of it is poverty and lack of education, Johnson said.

"Outside of white supremacy and the oppressive things we know that are there, if we can empower you through academics and we can empower you economically, we feel like you can break the cycle of discrimination," Johnson said.

This is the kind of opportunity, Osei-Frimpong said, that white people received three generations ago when they started their careers, when black people were still facing the potential of being lynched.

Pushing for policy

The whole ideal around pulling yourself up by your bootstraps only works if everyone starts off on a level playing field. One way Osei-Frimpong and Flanigan see this becoming a reality is with a similar Minority Business Enterprise that Maynard Jackson, the first black mayor of Atlanta, implemented in the late 1970s.

This MBE set aside 25 percent of government contract for minority businesses and encouraged major corporations to follow suit. Implementing this in Athens would take strides toward equality in the economic sphere beyond just patronizing black businesses.

Once MBE was implemented in Atlanta, Jackson increased the percentage of contracts to minorities from less than 1 percent in 1973 to roughly 39 percent five years later. In the process, he strengthened the black middle class, according to Derek T. Dingle with the Black Enterprise.

While Osei-Frimpong has theories surrounding why this enterprise has not been brought to ACC, he does see the potential for a new direction bubbling up out of newly-elected commissioner Mariah Parker.

"I see Mariah [Parker]. Everyone else is a sham," Osei-Frimpong said. "Better than hiring a black contractor -- I mean hire a black contractor -- but throw money at Mariah. Get her some staff. She gets it. She can push the policy."

Flanigan sees this potential too and sees Parker as the one to spearhead political initiatives to ensure minority-owned businesses are boosted in ACC. Both Flanigan and Osei-Frimpong say seeing people who look like them in their county's government makes them see a possibility for change.

"I feel like Mariah Parker would champion a lot of these missions and she would bring some of these things up for discussion in the mayor commission meetings," Flanigan said. "She's definitely an advocate for many communities.”

Fighting for change starts on the micro level. Flanigan said when white people are in meetings and don't see minorities at the table, to recognize it and say something about it. Notice how minorities are being left out carve out space for them so that they are a part of that conversation.

Having discussions when everyone at the table is white is a problem. People just need to raise the questions. This is a collective fight for policy, for reparation and for affirmative action in the business realm.