NBA star Jaylen Brown wants to bring Black Wall Street to Boston. The move comes on the heels of his new contract extension with the Boston Celtics. The deal, amounting to $304 million, is reportedly the richest in NBA history.
After inking the deal, Brown was asked about what he intended to do with the generational wealth he earned with the contract. He responded by saying he wants to bring Black Wall Street to Boston in a bid to attack wealth disparity.
The Black Wall Street he mentioned is in reference to the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the early 20th century. The district was a hub of black entrepreneurship, founded by men and women of slave descendants but was brought down by White Supremacists in May 1921. His vision is to recreate a once-thriving black trading hub.
“I want to launch a project to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston,” Brown said, according to Bleacher Report. “I want to attack the wealth disparity here. I think there’s analytics that support that stimulating the wealth gap is something that could be a betterment for the entire economy.
“With the biggest financial deal in NBA history, it makes sense to talk about, one, your investment in community. But two, also, the wealth disparity here that nobody wants to talk about.”
Brown noted that wealth disparity is top five in the US and steps must be done to achieve parity. In this regard, he believes he has the platform to effect change through influential partners and some selected leaders and government officials.
According to him, there are a lot more leaders can do to create new jobs, new resources, new businesses, and new ideas that can highlight minorities but also stimulate the economy and the wealth gap at the same time.
“I think that could be a mix of commercial, MCs (mixed commercial), real estate, residentials as well. Boston could be a fully integrated, self-sufficient hub attacking minorities and stimulating the wealth gap,” he said, according to Bleacher Report.
“I think Boston could be a pilot, not just for wealth disparity here in the U.S. but also for around the world. So you asked me what I wanted to do, or what I want to do. One, I want to attack that wealth gap here in Boston, create a project. Also, I want to help stimulate the overall economy, and I want to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston.”
Brown already works with the youth in Boston through the Bridge Program, which seeks to help cultivate the next generation of leaders in science and technology.
