Black Capitalists 3: The Youth and Wisdom of Damon Williams

To invest, most people would claim that it takes persistence, education, timing, and perseverance. In order to achieve fiscal success, the stick-to-it attitude is a plus. For 22-year-old Damon Williams, the fact that he had youth on his side and an adept understanding of the market aided his journey in the world of finance. Introduced to the money game by his mother, Williams developed the skills of a pecuniary wizard. By devouring knowledge of esoteric terms and stock measures, he utilized that information to gain certain possessions: sneakers. Impressed by the Nike Air Jordans that his peers donned on the basketball courts of Chicago, Illinois Williams became intrigued about the idea of owning a pair himself. While his mother refused to purchase multiple sets of those pricey footwear, he learned from her the value of owning stock in Nike. She sat down her six-year-old boy and explained the details of what it takes to become a sage investor. Within time, Williams had bought a $30 stock from the athletic apparel and accessory corporation and sought to acquire even more shares from other companies.

His selfish, greedy desire to obtain the values that his mother would not have been able to retain as a struggling single parent, propelled him to be a serious contender in the market. Because of his close attention to detail, he became a self-made (young) man. The firm foundation provided from his mother has brought Williams to levels of unparalleled attainment.

With Walgreens, Apple and Procter and Gamble rounding out his set of companies in which he has invested, Williams now enjoys the dollars generated from all the sweat it took studying what companies win the most. His laser like focus has brought him to levels of fulfilment that a scant amount of teenagers, Black, white, or otherwise experience. His mindset of making money has catapulted him into the space of a young business titan.

What can Blacks learn from the impressive portfolio that Williams has created? Well, instead of considering the consumption of goods and their tendency to depreciate in value, Negroes can look to comprehending the price-earnings (P/E) ratio and the growth rate of a particular enterprise. Instead of just being mindless consumers, never for a moment being conscious of companies behind the hair care products, or food items, or rims, or pair of gym shoes they use, Blacks might one day see the value of generating funds based on those purchased products. Williams stands as an example of a youth who figured out that if you want something bad enough and are willing to do the homework and research, you just may find achievement of your values. As a teenager more driven by the shares he owns in a video game company rather than just playing it for kicks, Williams has demonstrated that young and old alike can reap the benefits of investing.

Though it appears that Williams’ more than $50,000 portofoli (from 2012) is modest by comparison, to take into account his age and the fact that few Colored boys engage in the stock market, his meager fortune is actually a significant amount. His age and his race do not hold him back. Truly, he transcends any condescending attitudes directed at Blacks, and accomplishes his goals as a youthful, monetary master. He realizes that the only color which ought to hold sway in the conversation is green. From modest beginnings in the city of Chicago, Williams rose above the cliches which plague young Black men. He never mentions his father; he could’ve let his absence impede him. He was a Negro kid in a dangerous town; he continued to excel despite his environment. A lesser male would’ve succumbed to the streets and directed his life to the trappings of the illicit sale of guns. He chiseled out a future which would grant him the opportunities to make a way for himself and his mother. The drive that he has displayed is a testament to the character he inherited from his sole parent in the picture. His ease and candor come across as genuine. Reporters are no match for his quick wit and rich knowledge on the subject of investing. He shows off his basketball skills for a journalist but all the while, his mind is on the shares he has. Assertive and cool, Williams projects a competent, assured sense of individualism. His confidence within himself carries across well.

And now as a mentor for youths yearning for guidance, Williams prepares them for a better life. Through the lessons instilled in him by his mother, Williams imparts knowledge to youngsters. What he seems to enjoy most is the light in the eyes of the little ones who get what he talks about. His track record for investing in Fortune 500 companies has lead him to illustrate this understanding of markets in a way that is palatable and engaging. Never mind the dry, dull courses that very little can grasp or may even ignore. Williams provides a bevy of information that young people can relate to and possibly relish. The energy and enthusiasm Williams exudes sustains and enlightens his classes. His acumen reinforces his credibility and allows his audiences to believe in what he shows. He senses that finance is sometimes a hard sell. The facts and figures tend to overwhelm and confuse. But his clarity when speaking gives his listeners the chance to take in the flurry of information and apply it to their lives.

Williams’s message consists of encouraging people of all stripes to not only take control of their finances but to pursue their passions. As simple as a pair of sneakers served as the impetus for Williams to begin investing, so can the fortunes of anyone else with a inclination. The producer mindedness of Williams has payed off for him both materially and spiritually. By trading value for value he has exhibited the highest qualities of a Black capitalist. The use of his mind to solve the challenges of survival in vicious surroundings ought to be applauded. Not all boys turn to men in the wicked, Windy City. Due to the presence of gang warfare in Chicago, and jail sentences become longer and lives become shorter, for Williams to reject that way of life and certain death, respectively, show the true courage that this young Black man retains. Even in a semi-free market like America, only can a person no matter their age or race ascend to lofty positions. Williams personifies the capitalist mindset of employing one’s powers to break down barriers which set back most people. He will go down in business history as a thoughtful figure full of vim and wisdom.He is an inductee into the Black capitalists club, which exemplifies the best in African American business history. Williams should know that it is because of individuals like him that the race which has been denigrated, damned, and dispersed might take in some semblance of dignity and respect. Despite his youth, his old soul shines through in how he carries himself. That’s what makes him an exception to the rule.