Waiting on permission to be Black excellence is no longer tolerated.
The Realford Report — Daily Edition
By Raymond E. Alford Jr.
Founder, Realford Holdings & Trust | Architect, Pathways to Prosperity
I operate as a man who can ask for forgiveness—but will never ask for permission.
That mindset isn’t arrogance.
It’s survival.
It’s legacy.
And for Black business owners in Texas, it’s long overdue.
Too many of us are still waiting.
Waiting on approval.
Waiting on a seat at someone else’s table.
Waiting on validation from systems that were never designed to benefit us in the first place.
Let me be clear in this new year:
Waiting on permission to be Black excellence is no longer tolerated.
Permission has been the silent tax on Black ambition.
We ask before we build.
We hesitate before we scale.
We over-explain before we execute.
And meanwhile, opportunities pass, capital moves, contracts get awarded, and markets close.
Texas doesn’t reward hesitation.
Texas rewards action.
Every major wealth-building moment in this state—from land ownership to oil, railroads, construction, logistics, and now technology—was seized by people who moved first and dealt with the consequences later.
That is the tradition we must reclaim.
This is why I say:
I’d rather ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.
Not because I’m reckless—but because I’m strategic.
Not because I reject systems—but because I understand how they actually work.
The truth is this:
Most doors don’t open because you knock.
They open after you’ve already walked through them.
That’s how Black Wall Street was built. Not through approval—but through ownership, velocity, and cooperation. And that spirit lives on today through movements like Black Wall Street—a reminder that Black economic power has never required permission, only alignment and courage.
This is Black Wall Street thinking:
Build first, formalize second
Generate revenue before you seek recognition
Control land, contracts, labor, and logistics
Stack credentials, capital, and capacity
Move together—not scattered
Black Texas business owners don’t need another panel discussion about “access.”
We need execution lanes.
That’s what Pathways to Prosperity represents:
Workforce pipelines we own
Contracts we qualify for
Developments we control
Institutions we pass down
The era of asking “Are we allowed?” is over.
The era of declaring “We’re already here” has begun.
This year, I’m calling on Black entrepreneurs, contractors, developers, creatives, and operators across Texas to stop shrinking their vision to fit inside someone else’s comfort.
Cease the day.
Build anyway.
Bid anyway.
Develop anyway.
Hire anyway.
If forgiveness is required, we’ll handle it then.
Because from here on out, it’s Black Wall Street only.
No permission required.