Why Black Business Spaces on Facebook Must Do More Than Entertain

I found that many of my informative posts follow the guidelines. They are not spam, they are not asking people to buy something or invest in anything. They are posts filled with information that could truly help the Black community succeed. How do I know? Because I have seen other communities follow the same guidelines and rules, and in those spaces, people actually put in the work to share knowledge and to grow.

Yet when I post in certain Black business support groups on Facebook, I get a different result. One group in particular, which promotes itself as a space to support Black businesses, has left 11 of my posts sitting in pending approval. I have had more posts declined than I have had approved. Out of everything I have submitted, maybe three or four posts were accepted, and those tended to be the ones that leaned more toward criticizing political figures than building up our community. The posts that actually speak to solutions, that challenge us to do better, that outline steps we could take to strengthen our businesses and our culture, are ignored.

It would be funny if it were not so sad. The sadness comes from realizing that many of these groups are not truly interested in promoting growth, accountability, and excellence in the Black business community. Instead, they seem more interested in posts that entertain, that distract, or that perpetuate stereotypes, rather than posts that call for real change.

The Bigger Problem

This is not just about one Facebook group. This is about a larger culture that has begun to value the hustle over the grind. Too many people would rather figure out how to monetize the moment than invest in the long work of building sustainable businesses and communities. Hustling is short term, and it may bring attention or fast money, but it does not create generational wealth. Grinding is long term, steady, and focused on building institutions that last.

When support spaces become echo chambers for entertainment or self-promotion, they fail the very communities they claim to uplift. They filter out posts that challenge us to be better, while allowing in posts that play into stereotypes or political distractions. The result is that the Black community misses opportunities to engage in serious dialogue about growth, excellence, and accountability.

Excuses vs. Responsibility

What makes this worse is that excuses often fill the gap. When someone points out that the community is not progressing, it is easier to blame “gatekeeping” or “lack of resources” than it is to admit that we sometimes choose distraction over discipline. We choose entertainment over empowerment. We choose to hustle instead of grind.

This behavior keeps us trapped in cycles where our businesses are known more for slogans than for service, more for visibility than for value. If we are not willing to highlight solutions and talk openly about accountability, we will continue to stunt our own growth.

The Way Forward in Black Business Spaces

If we want to be credible as a community, we must:

• Stop censoring solutions. Groups that claim to support Black businesses should welcome posts that challenge us to grow, even when they make us uncomfortable.

• Shift from hustle to grind. Stop chasing only quick profits and likes. Invest in building solid businesses with quality, service, and branding that can stand the test of time.

• Promote accountability. Encourage businesses and individuals to own their shortcomings and correct them, instead of deflecting with excuses.

• Value substance over flash. The posts that educate and uplift should be seen as the most valuable, not the ones that simply entertain or tear down.

The Bottom Line

If people continue to participate in groups that silence solutions while promoting distraction, then we cannot fool ourselves into believing that we are building a stronger community. Those spaces are not about growth. They are about hustle. They are about finding ways to monetize attention without putting in the grind that real progress requires.

We have to make a choice. Do we want to perpetuate the stereotype that Black businesses are unreliable and unserious, or do we want to rise above that and prove, through accountability and excellence, that we are capable of building institutions that matter?

The answer will not come from excuses. It will come from a willingness to engage honestly with our problems, to share solutions, and to do the hard work of turning words into results.

Because if we keep choosing hustle over grind, we will keep choosing short term satisfaction over long term success.