I feel you bro. I see where you’re coming from, especially as a business owner in the same vicinity. But I would argue it isn’t as easy as it may seem
I got to Stanford bro. My shorty right now her pops is a top head at Google. Millionaire nikka. Her mother a doctor and top head at a biotech company in SF. These people are in the 1% and invite me to all types of lunches and events so I can get a feel for what I can do out here in Solicon Valley once I get my MD/PhD. I met the nikka Elon Musk last year at their crib. I’m networking and soaking game from these movers and shakers. And at the end of the end I’m still a nikka from NYC who sold crack and comes from NOTHING! And when I go back home and fukk with my cousins and shyt I find myself in a different world than what I have in Cali! But I cant front and act like I’m too good to be around them and that I don’t come from that! Cause the very shyt they doing is what got my ass to Stanford.
My point? Is that it’s not as easy to separate yourself from shyt when that’s what you come from and you’re fam still in. Best believe if and when I make my own biotech company imma put my fam on and if my brothers come home one day imma set them up for life. And that’s means accepting them as they are and realizing that not everyone can make that change. Anyways my point is bro is not to argue but say it isn’t as easy when you a hood nikka at heart and want to help your people. It’s not an easy transition for everyone. Admittedly you gotta act right when you trying to go legit but my point is That despite the chaos Nipseys nikkas may have caused the store and you as an owner on that block, you gotta give him credit for trying to put his people on. But some nikkas are hood to the end and still gonna fukk shyt up.
I’m fukked up right now I had the honor to chop it up with Nip via his cousin and no groupie shyt it’s hurting cause I wanna end gun violence in the hood and I spoke to Nip about it once and just this shyt fukked me up.
Servers fukked up but I saw you post in reply to someone else you gonna give your staff the next days off. I admire that and salute that brother I know how them streets can be. And be safe my guy I’m sure that block gonna be hot.
This is my mentality as well. I'm from LA, but more so an affluent part and safer part of LA, but I'm not too good or above being in the hood. I don't randomly hang around, but I frequent certain spots. It's night and day, going from where I live to South LA. Growing up a hard headed kid that got in trouble, I already know if I lived to 2-3 miles south of where I did, I would have easily gotten caught up in some bs, that's easier to avoid in more affluent areas.
Part of what I do now, strategize ways to bring better resources and enhance the quality of life to parts South LA, (without the process of gentrification). It's mindblowing shyt. These days, I don't even know how I keep sane or stop from drinking myself stupid, because of how unfair shyt is. It's not just about shyt being unfair, it's about how easy the solutions are to fix many persistent issues. It's lack of willingness.
For example just watching EMT's handled Nip, sent off red flags. shyt doesn't get any better when cats are omitted to the hospital. It's like at every level in society black people fight resistance, inequity and are treated as garbage.
I'm fearful of some bs or maltreatment happening to any of family members, then people treating their lives as worthless.