In New York, the Harlem Commonwealth Council’s focus on developing the local economy stemmed from the economic nationalism of CORE leader Roy Innis, whose influence within HCC grew during the late 1960s. Economic development, Innis argued, should not be narrowly defined as purely “black capitalism” but, rather, was “the creation and acquisition of capital instruments by means of which we can maximize our economic interest.” The development of black business was, therefore, fundamentally tied to greater self-determination and economic power for the community as a whole, not just for the
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