ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE ADVANTAGES OF THE INNER-CITY - HOW TO AUGMENT THE PORTER THESIS

Michael Porter's work brings back to the public square the importance of a business, rather than social model, for solving many of the probl ems of the inner city. His model is grounded in the economic philosoph y of Booker T. Washington, which stood at the center of the black comm unity for generations and thus are not new. Porter's ideas, however, d o not have a strong enough emphasis on inner-city residents owning ent erprises. This article argues that self-employment of inner-city resid ents is imperative and would allow inner-city residents to become full players in the quest for revitalizing cities in America.