Statement of California Black Chamber of Commerce on California Efforts to Shut Down Gig-Economy

A century ago, "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was burned to the ground, and 400 Black souls were murdered in the maliciously perverse name of righting a perceived wrong.

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Thursday, June 25, 2020
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Public policy, Government, State, Local, Public policy, Small business, Labor, Professional services, African-American, Consumer, Geography of Oklahoma, Tulsa metropolitan area, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Black Wall Street, Lynching in the United States
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United States, California
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Summary
Key Points: 
  • A century ago, "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was burned to the ground, and 400 Black souls were murdered in the maliciously perverse name of righting a perceived wrong.
  • The evil byproduct of the massacre was the destruction of the most prosperous and self-reliant African American community in the United States.
  • The story of Black entrepreneurship in Tulsa is the story of heroism, ingenuity, and resilience of African Americans.
  • Far from exploiting Black workers, the gig economy has become the gateway to independence and self-employment for African Americans.


In response to actions by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the City Attorneys of Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco to shut down access to gig-economy platforms for independent contractors, the California Black Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement:

California's efforts to shut down the gig economy in the name of protecting exploited workers is a tragic example of history repeating itself out of ignorance of the past.

A century ago, "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was burned to the ground, and 400 Black souls were murdered in the maliciously perverse name of righting a perceived wrong. The evil byproduct of the massacre was the destruction of the most prosperous and self-reliant African American community in the United States.

The story of Black entrepreneurship in Tulsa is the story of heroism, ingenuity, and resilience of African Americans. They, after centuries of fighting for our freedom from slavery, began the fight for independence and the right to work for ourselves that continues to this day.

Far from exploiting Black workers, the gig economy has become the gateway to independence and self-employment for African Americans. Whether the tool of one's trade is a car, a trumpet, a pair of hands, or a pair of scissors, the gig-economy has opened doors of opportunity and self-reliance unlike anything seen since the golden age of Black entrepreneurship on Greenwood Avenue in Tulsa.

Misguided efforts by California politicians to shut the gig economy down in the name of protecting Black workers, is the same as burning down a city built with our own dreams to save us from ourselves.

To quote a man who had his finger on the pulse of our community, James Brown, "I don't want nobody to give me nothin', open up the door, I'll get it myself." AB 5 closes the door on Black entrepreneurship. If they refuse to open it, we will kick it down so we can take care of ourselves.

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