By Jonathan Landrum Jr.AP Leisure Author
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs needs to strengthen the Black greenback: The music mogul is spearheading a brand new on-line market known as Empower International that can particularly function Black-owned companies.
“I need to create our personal Black Wall Road,” Combs advised The Related Press about his e-commerce platform, which launched final week. He feels enthusiastic about constructing substantial wealth in his group much like the Greenwood group, the thriving Black-owned enterprise district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that was decimated in a two-day assault by a White mob in Oklahoma in 1921.
Combs stated he’s not on the lookout for monetary profit after he invested $20 million into Empower International, which permits customers to buy merchandise completely created and bought by Black entrepreneurs.
The curated market will enable customers to buy clothes, sneakers, magnificence equipment – together with skincare and fragrances – and even wall artwork. The platform was designed and created by two Black-owned corporations, TechSparq and ChatDesk.
The platform launched with 70 manufacturers with plans to introduce new Black companies month-to-month. He hopes to showcase greater than 200 manufacturers by the tip of the 12 months.
“That is about constructing our personal infrastructure and ecosystem,” Combs stated. “I’m not doing this for revenue. That is about us.”
Combs stated he feels extra enthusiastic about launching Empower International than earlier than the beginning of his widely-popular label Unhealthy Boy Data.
“I’m going into these areas to diversify issues and combat for our inclusion. This can be a platform about sharing energy and empowering one another,” he stated. “That is one thing that’s for my folks. It’s a tipping level for us to get up, begin paying consideration and supporting one another whereas taking accountability and accountability.”
Combs, who’s labored on the platform for years, stated it’s vital for Black folks to flow into cash in their very own group.
“It advantages the group to empower and deal with itself,” he stated. “Proper now, our greenback within the Black group doesn’t even final an hour. Most different communities and ethnic teams, they perceive the ability of unity. Their {dollars} keep of their communities for days and get handed on to different folks which are like them and from their identical group.”
Combs stated he’s achieved his desires of constructing one in every of hip-hop’s largest empires, blazing a path with a number of entities. He’s the founding father of Unhealthy Boy Data and a three-time Grammy winner who has labored with top-tier artists together with Infamous B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Religion Evans and 112.
He created the Sean John style clothes line, launched Revolt TV with a give attention to music and has his personal vodka. He additionally produced the truth present “Making the Band” on MTV.
“My desires have at all times been to achieve success in music, being obsessive about style and the best Black serial entrepreneur to ever reside,” stated Combs, who together with Tyler Perry and Byron Allen is inquisitive about buying the community BET. He’s additionally in a dispute with spirits big Diageo after he sued the corporate over allegations of racism over how they dealt with his liquor manufacturers. Diageo has denied Combs’ racism allegations, saying the problem is a “enterprise dispute.”
“I’ve graduated from me to we. I’m ready to make use of my God-given intelligence to create,” he stated. “I’m enthusiastic about the opportunity of exhibiting Black financial unity. I’m not going to cease till I’m working with one of the best manufacturers, one of the best Black-owned digital mainstream, so we are able to begin fueling our personal financial system.”
