BOSS: The Black Experience in Business (2019)

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BOSS: The Black Experience in Business was released on April 23, 2019, in the USA. The American documentary film was produced by Firelight Films. The movie was written by Marcia Smith, and directed by Stanley Nelson[1].

Boss: The Black Experience in Business Poster[2]


Plot

It all started 150 years ago, where African Americans go to American becoming a slave and try to establish the American dream, where everyone has an opportunity to establish their own success. The African American businesses started when the training from their bosses. The African Americans then created a business in personal services like cooks, butlers, barbershop, and catering. As they grew their skills and money, African Americans established the community, towns, and districts. These started the business in finance, hospitality, and manufacture. Although the pathway was not easy, as their businesses are destroyed by the white supremacist, bankruptcy during the Great Depression era, African Americans did not fall easy to give un in business. In the 1960s, the African American businesses came back to life, succeed in several industries such as music, and the managers and executives from African Americans started to get exposed as they also can succeed in the top management of the company. The interview session with some African American executives and entrepreneurs were done with Ursula Burns, Xerox Corp. CEO, Arlan Hamilton, Backstage Capital founder and CEO, and many others. In the end, the film shows how African Americans fight for a better life despite racism and prejudice towards them, and wants to inspire other African Americans to not give up to be successful whether as top executives or entrepreneurs [3].

Black Empowerment

The documentary portrays how African Americans climb their way to the top through business and entrepreneurship. It is explained in one scene that the apprenticeships during the slave's existence have taught them to create a business such as a barbershop, banks, and insurance in the 19th century. Also, due to Jim Crow laws in the 20th century, African Americans create their own business as a necessity and dignity to overcome racism. It can be seen where African American businesses bloom in Oklahoma and Tennessee. The most critical thing in the documentary, the film shows how African Americans gives the amounts of work to convince the society that the African Americans capital market is growing tremendously, and it is shown in the scene during the interviews with Robert F. Smith, the richest African American man in the world, Backstage Capital CEO Arlan Hamilton, and Richelieu Deniss of ESSENCE and Shea Moisture[4]

Controversy

It can be seen that there is hatred towards African Americans due to success in business. For example, the scene shows where the failing Boyer cosmetics company becomes a success in the hands of African American, Samuel B. Fuller. However, a white Souther supremacist group organized a boycott and making the company bankrupt. Another scene shows where Tulsa's greenwood district is burnt by the white supremacist group. The district was burnt and destroyed in 1921 doe jealousy and racism[5].

References