June 27, 2025
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
AframNews.com
Vol.30, Issue 23
FREE
African-American News&Issues
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
DEBRA BLACKLOCK-SLOAN
PRESERVING OUR LEGACY By: Sharon C. Jenkins
THE BLACK DOLLAR By: Roy Douglas Malonson
If Black America were its own nation, it would be one of the richest in the world. Let that sink in. With over $1.8 trillion in annual consumer spending, the economic footprint of Black Americans is larger than the entire economies of countries like Australia, Spain, or Mexico. It’s a force that drives trends, fuels industries, and keeps America’s biggest brands alive. Yet for all this power, far too little of that money is staying in Black hands. The truth is simple: We are spending more than ever before—but building less. The Black dollar is
strong. But it’s not circulating where it should be. A Nation Within a Nation The $1.8 trillion we spend every year makes Black consumers one of the most sought-after markets in the world. From hair care to hip-hop, fashion to food, our influence shapes culture and commerce in ways that are impossible to ignore. And if our spending were calculated as a national GDP, Black America would rank in the top 15 global economies. Bigger than South Korea. Bigger than Saudi Arabia. Bigger than Black Dollar on pg. 3 most countries on earth.
Debra Blacklock-Sloan is a woman on a divine assignment. With a voice full of conviction and a heart rooted in truth , she has dedicated her life to preserving the African American experience in Houston, Texas—one historical marker, one family story, and one sacred truth at a time. A fifth-generation Texan and native Houstonian raised in Frenchtown, a culturally-rich section of Houston’s historic Fifth Ward, BlacklockSloan reflects on her upbringing with immense pride. Though she didn’t realize it as a child, her neighborhood was steeped in history—something she wouldn’t fully discover until adulthood. “It wasn’t in the textbooks,” she often says. “I didn’t find out it was historic until I was in my forties.” Still, the seeds of curiosity were planted early. Her father’s habit of reading paperbacks ignited her love of learning. As a young girl, she would sneak his books whenever he wasn’t looking and pore over them, dictionary in hand. That small habit set the stage for a lifelong passion for reading, history, and storytelling. Blacklock-Sloan credits her parents and early Black educators for nurturing her sense of purpose. “They never had to tell me to do well in school. I instinctively knew I represented them.” Despite the cultural shift brought on by school integration, her foundation in learning remained strong. And while her childhood was largely shielded from the overt racial tensions of the Civil Rights Movement, her later experiences—especially in the workplace—revealed Legacy on pg. 3