‘This is a million dollar opportunity for African-Americans right here in Syracuse” said a colleague the other day after reading a copy of this newspaper I had given him. He is one of many people to whom I personally deliver this newspaper every week when it is published.

I like to see the smile on his face when I tell him it’s ‘hot off the presses’, that he should consider himself lucky to be getting such personal service. It has become something of a weekly ritual for me; to go all the way and indeed out of my way to the north side of Syracuse to make sure he gets the paper the same day it is published. I include in that list my Syracuse mentor, Dave Prater, my business associate, Bill Dewey of Syracuse Motor Car Company, Nate ‘Dogg’ Holloway, and will do so for anyone who asks me.

I provide that special delivery service for a number of reasons. First of all, I know they take pride in reading this newspaper. My colleague on the north side in particular makes sure he reads it before he sees me again. By the following day, he is ready to talk; he would have read all the articles, columns, and advertisements and ready to share his thoughts. He does so in a deliberative non combative manner, not in the usual accusatory tone most people adopt when they run into journalists, reporters and editors who have written articles expressing views and opinions that contrast with theirs. Such people just want to tell us how ignorant or stupid we are and how the newspaper is not doing what it is supposed to be doing when they spot an error or any form of inconsistency

Not my colleague who happens to be a businessman on the north side of Syracuse. He points out what he sees as errors, he discusses issues that concern him, he makes comments on comments other people have made and takes particular delight in telling me what he thinks this newspaper can do to bring change and progress in our community.

He reads my column and doesn’t back off from telling me about myself when he thinks I have written something that he disagrees with. He lets me know what his views and opinions are on what the politicians are doing or not doing, what they must do to bring change and progress to the community, why they should be voted into or out of office. In brief, he is actively involved in his community and uses this newspaper as one source of information.

He has in fact made suggestions on a number of issues he considers relevant and need to be focused on by this newspaper and in my column and a few of my past articles have either been directly baaed on ideas he gave me or derived from statements and comments he had expressed. 

His interest in this newspaper is sustained by his own commitment to seeking ways to improve the African-American American community in Syracuse, he says. The least he can do is to read it and support this community based newspaper. For me, it is an indication that this newspaper is being read and making an impact, that the time, funds and energy the publisher and his team put into putting this newspaper together don’t go to waste.

And he has put his money where his mouth is; he is one of a few businessmen in Syracuse who have done more than merely pay lip service to supporting this newspaper; he has bought advertising space in this newspaper to advertise one of his businesses. And he did it for a long time.  He advertised in this newspaper not just with the generating more business for him, he said; he gained gratification from knowing that he supported this newspaper right from the beginning.  So what was he talking about as a million dollar opportunity in last week’s edition of this newspaper that I had missed?

He read it aloud. It was an advertisement or what appeared to be a classified advertisement from the Syracuse Housing Authority inviting businesses and individuals to submit applications to be qualified. Those who qualify will be awarded contracts to clean and or rehabilitate a number of city owned properties in Syracuse. He didn’t think many African-Americans would apply.

I agreed with him on one point. I hadn’t noticed that particular classified ad, even though I read all the articles on that page. I know if I missed noticing that classified advertisement in the newspaper I write for, it was likely some readers might.  But I countered that he was wrong in assuming that many wouldn’t respond to the ad. I also pointed out that would only happen if they didn’t read the advertisement, to begin with.

I know something he perhaps didn’t know; that African-Americans in the construction business in Syracuse actively seek such contracts from the city, county. state and the federal government with a minimal degree of success. I know entrepreneurs in the construction business such as Kinsey, Ivory, Jennings and countless others will most certainly apply and actively pursue ways and means to get those contracts from the housing authority.

Problem is: applying for a contract is one thing; getting it is another thing altogether. If they don’t get it, it’s not because they failed to investigate the possibility of wining those contracts; it could be for other reasons we all know only too well; the bureaucracy’s tendency to find things wrong with and or create difficulties or conditions that stop or hinder applications submitted by minorities. They can be cited for any number of reasons some of which may have nothing to do with their ability to do a good job if given the contract. 

The Syracuse Housing Authority has taken the initial step; the African-American business community has to do the rest, and we all just have to wait and see what happens. Meanwhile, my colleague makes the suggestion that the Syracuse African-American business community must take their community newspapers such as this one seriously, support them and view them as valuable assets that can be used for many purposes, including business.