Local company looks to reduce socio-economic stress

ALBANY — With the nation in turmoil over race relations, Albany State University professor Veronica Adams-Cooper said she feels that now more than ever is the time to start the healing process, particularly within the African-American community.

Adams-Cooper has announced plans — through her company TTTriumph400 — to open a business in Albany that will not only ease racial tension, but help many learn their history. Earlier this year, Adams-Cooper and students in her Management Information Systems class learned about the Moynihan Report and attempted, through a series of presentations, to educate the community on the social inequity that still plagues the African-American community.

Adams-Cooper said she believes the next step is reducing socio-economic stress within the African-American community. Her goal, through her company, is to garner the support of 400,000 descendants of slaves who were brought to America during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in 1619 and create listings in what will be “TTThe Book of TTTriumph.”

She added that the collection will provide similar services as the popular genealogy website Ancestry.com. The directory listing will include essentially one’s family tree and, once completed, the publication itself can be used not only as a way to preserve and connect to one’s past, but to find family members today.

Listings in the publication start at $40, and money made will be reinvested in the city, something Adams-Cooper said is greatly needed.

“My career here in Albany, both on the campus and in the community, has been trying to increase the quality of life through poverty reduction,” she said. “I’ve done forums, I’ve served on the transitional housing committee for the city. I’ve worked with the Albany housing authority. I’ve done all of those social service and civic engagement activities.”

Adams-Cooper noted that at the heart of all issues plaguing the community is the lack of employment opportunities.

“From my research, what I see is we have to create jobs to put a dent in some of that distress,” she said. “So that’s what this is about. I want to say to the city of Albany that this is two of your priorities: economic development, and poverty reduction. And then, when you look at blight and public safety, creating jobs will help that, too.”

In addition to the business side of the venture, Adams-Cooper said there’s a spiritual element that’s equally important.

Before putting her business model together, she took part in a small ceremony this past July at the beach in Sullivan Island, S.C., where it is estimated that more than half of all enslaved Africans entered the country. During the ceremony, she said there was prayer, then libation “to open it up and to get the blessings of God.”

The next step is promotion. Adams-Cooper said she will be at the Albany City Commission meeting Aug. 23 to share her vision with city leaders. That meeting starts at 6:00 p.m.