Bling Bling: Can Africans Really Benefit from the Diamond Industry?

Since hip-hop gave the world "bling," and the diamond-encrusted lifestyle that it inspires, it makes perfect sense that hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons and his over-the-top, on-again-off-again wife, Kimora Lee Simmons would get into the diamond business.

After all, Simmons, considered the Godfather of hip-hop because he co-founded seminal rap label Def Jam as well as hip-hop fashion house Phat Farm, has always been a pioneer on the business side. And his "fabulous" wife Kimora has also made a pretty penny for herself with her ready-to-wear women's line, Baby Phat.

To that end, the power couple created the Simmons Jewelry company, and from that, recently established the Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F. -- some will get the connection), which supports a host of educational and health initiatives in the diamond-rich nations of South Africa and Botswana.

"I have witnessed, firsthand, that diamonds can be, the difference between extreme poverty and total stability," said Simmons, citing the country of Botswana as a "shining example" of how Africans can be empowered and not exploited by this multi-billion dollar trade. "This is a shining example of how all extractive industries should operate in Africa and throughout the world."

In the democracy of Botswana, where 84% of GDP income is derived from the diamond industry, and 25% of the population is employed by it, and 30% of all adults are HIV positive, Simmons says that the diamond industry allows every child to go to school for free up until the age of 13 and allows for the support of schools, hospitals, AIDS clinics and other social service programs.

On the same day as Simmons and his delegation (which included Kimora and Dr. Ben Chavis, head of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network) returned from visiting South Africa, Botswana, and Mozambique, the entrepreneur held a press conference to tell the world that Africa's diamond industry can be the resource that can bring these countries to economic independence and empowerment. Botswana was exhibit A.

The press conference, held at the upscale Mandarin Oriental hotel in Manhattan was also attended by Dipset capo Jim Jones, the president of Botswana, Festus Mogae, Simmons's brother, rapper Rev. Run, and many diamond industry execs. It was a chance for Simmons to not only tout the Diamond Empowerment Fund, but also an off shoot, the Green Initiative (Botswana reportedly has green diamonds), from which 25% of the proceeds will go to support the diamond communities -- many of which have ridiculously high HIV and AIDS rates.

"I've never, ever had an agenda in any of my businesses bigger than lifting up my people," Simmons said in reaction to the criticism he received for his support of the diamond industry. Simmons indignantly continued: "We tend to loose our focus. We have a positive story about African empowerment, about African self determination, about resources being extracted as natural resources and beneficiation derived by local communities."

The implication is that the press was trying to be negative in asking hard questions that groups like Amnesty International want answers to about the often bloody diamond business.

Many have become aware in the last few years -- mostly through the song, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" by Kanye West -- that "Blood Diamonds" or "conflict diamonds" are illegally traded diamonds which fund wars, most notably the civil war of Sierra Leone. Blood diamonds have been the source of bloodshed and exploitation of men women and children in Africa. (The new Leonardo DiCaprio film, 'Blood Diamond' illustrates this dramatically.) In addition, whites have long run the diamond trade, and Africans historically have not benefited from this natural resource.

In response to this, there was a regulation started by the diamond industry called the Kimberly process which keeps conflict diamonds out of the diamond supply. All of the Simmons' Jewelry company's diamonds are said to be Kimberly compliant.

The overarching questions remain, though: Is an African American in the diamond business something to be celebrated, or is it just a black face of oppression to the people of Africa? In countries where the HIV and AIDS rates are monumental, can diamonds help the people receive education, services and health care? Or is it a little of both, help and harm?