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Publisher's Message

n light of the stubborn unemployment rate in our black communities, I would like to make the following recommendation - black businesses need to hire black employees! This is what we did prior to massive desegregation and integration not only in our schools, but also in the workplace. Do you recall the Harlem Renaissance, Black Wall Street or even your local black-owned businesses in your old neighborhoods while growing up? We should impress on those black businesses that have obtained more than a moderate degree of success to embrace the hiring practices of the past - hire our own. What we have found out that in the corporate Pubisher/Chief Executive Officer procurement and vendor diversity field, a highly selected number of black-owned firms have achieved substantial success in this weakly enforced "diversity" work environment. When major corporations seek to diverse their supplier chain, a highly selected number of black firms are engaged, while a more significant number of firms are side-lined. There are over 2 million black firms in the United States. More than 94% of these businesses are made up of sole proprietorships or partnerships which have no paid employees. Nearly 4 in 10 black-owned businesses (more than 700,000) in operated in the health care, social assistance; and other services such as repair,

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

Black Business News Group P.O. Box 43159 Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA 323-291-7819

www.blackbusinessnews.net PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sarah Harris Dean L. Jones

ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR Kim Anthony

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Linda Ware

PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dean Jones Linda Ware Ralph D. Sutton Veronica Hendrix LaSandra Stratton

GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris

STORY EDITORS Jennifer Marie Hamilton

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx Sabir Narishima Osei

CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR La Sandra Stratton

Black Wall Street maintenance, personal and laundry services sectors. Administrative support, waste management, and remediation services made up 11% of Black owned companies, while transportation and warehousing was the fourth largest industry making up 9% of Black firms. Despite the increase of black owned companies the past twenty (20) years, black owned businesses only make up 7% of all U.S firms and less than a half percent of all U.S business receipts. African American adults are therefore underrepresented

The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein. 

see Publisher's Message on page 29 3  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

About

ABOUT THE BLACK BUSINESS NEWS GROUP… The mission of The Black Business News is to inspire and inform public and private sector industry representatives on the importance of smart small business growth. As a versatile source of socioeconomic development activity news, the publications of the Black Business News Group impart current local, national and international industry and social trends and news affecting small businesses across the United States of America (USA), providing guides to greater access to financial capital, management efficiencies, business education, mentorship opportunities and social media networks. The goals of the Black Business News Group include: •

promoting USA-based black-owned business enterprises to a world wide audience.

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offering business growth enhancing information on education, exhibitioning, international trading, technology, industry trends, and more.

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or exploring major public and private sector pmethods to educate black-owned and operated enterprises.

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providing an affirmative influence forr emerging entrepreneurs by sharing in-novative design and creative cultural con-tent that exposes them to the history off black enterprises and urges them to participate in the USA’s future.

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advocating and promoting on behalf of black-owned businesses by promoting the need for expanding an economic foundation that supports an unfettered and self-sustained urban society with USA job creation and economic opportunity, where blacks work, live and operate viable business enterprises.

WWW.BLACKBUSINESSNEWS.NET

contracting

2015 Black Business Association Events

March

Salute to Black Women Black Business News Group Publications Black Business News Black Business News International Black Business News Travel Africa

Contents

Black Business News…March/April 2015 3 - Publisher's Message

Government 20 - Remarks by President Obama at the SelectUSA Investment Summit 23 - Reinforcing the U.S.-Africa Partnership 24 - In Historic Face to Face, Obama, Castro Vow to Turn the Page 26 - Federal ‘TechHire’ May Help Train a DataDriven Workforce 27 - Mandatory Voting? Obama Says it Would be 'Transformative'

54 - The ‘Empire’ Effect: is the Sudden Diversification of TV Really a Thing? 60 - How to Find a Business Mentor 62 - Google Apps you Probably Don't Know About 65 - Wearable Computer Market Will Grow 38% in 2015 65 - Google to Become a Wireless Carrier 71 - Phillip Washington to become LA Metro's new CEO

Community Interests 92 - Working together to open the doors of education for girls around the world. 94 - Faithful BBA Member Genell Brown Dies 95 - Rev. Willie Barrow Dies at 90 96 - African History Scholar Dr. Yosef benJochannan Passes at age 97 97 - Rev. Gardner C. Taylor, Powerful Voice for Civil Rights, Dies at 96

International

Entertainment

104 - Tony Elumelu Foundation Announces First 1,000 Participants of $100m Programme 105 - USTDA Supports Solar Power Development in Burundi 106 - Preparing Zambia for the Reauthorization of AGOA 112 - Zambia's First Secretary (Tourism) Negotiates Deal to Expose Zambia to over 4,000 US Travel Agents 116 - USTDA Director Visits New Public Access Wi-Fi Hotspot in Cape Town

35 - BBN Show Biz Buzz

Columns

34 28 - Justice Department Reports on Ferguson Police Department 30 - President Obama on Attorney General Holder: "He Has Been One of Our Finest"

Women's History Month 42 - Women On 20s. Vote Now! 45 - Michelle Obama Declares 'Black Girls Rock!'

Business 48 - BBN Biz Notes 50 - A Page from our American Story 52 - The Scandalous Empire 53 - Empire: The African American 'Dynasty'

90 - Take a Look! 117 - Shopping Gallery 132 - Books to Consider... 136 - Calendar 137 - Resources

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Black Business Association Salute to Black Women

2015 Honoree Spotlight Madam M C Townsend M C Townsend, affectionally referred to as "Madam Chair," serves as President/CEO-Regional Black Chamber SFV,(2000); a Chamber which serves over 35 cities, and nearly 350 small, minority, and women owned business owners, clearly understands the meaning of Small Business Ownership, entrepreneurship and economic rewards. Profoundly educated as a financial professional ranging from a Banking Operations officer all the way to a National Director of Sales and Mediation. Ms. Townsend, being steadfast in her community service commitments, remains unwavering, having owned a successful certified MAI Appraisal firm in Beverly Hills, CA in 1994 for many years serving a large population of ownership values, continued in the stock market industry as a foreign currency analyst, well versed as a Realtor and Certified Financial Planner, she established ownership with three other prolific business persons in running one of the most successful mortgage firms. She was recently appointment to the CBCC’s Council of Chambers as 2015-Elect of Advocacy for Statewide Legislative & Community Affairs. Madam Townsend was elected in 2015 as the First African American to serve as Chair to L. A. BizFed (Los Angeles Business Federation). Madam Townsend is a widower, has 4 children and a grandson. She loves travel, the arts and great “Jazz”.

Felicia L. Hudson

Verizon – Director of Government & External Affairs As Director of Government and External Affairs, Felicia is responsible for management of the Verizon Foundation in 13 west area states, developing and maintaining relationships with external stakeholders, oversight of the Company’s social responsibility

efforts, and other strategic initiatives and programs. During her 14-year career with Verizon, Felicia has held positions within contracts management, regulatory affairs and public policy. Felicia is an active member of the community and serves on the board of directors of the Weingart Center for the Homeless, California Utilities Diversity Council and Asian Business Association of Orange County Corporate Advisory Board. Felicia earned a Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills and a Juris Doctorate Degree from Southwestern University School of Law. She lives in West Hills, California with her husband, Walter, and son, Nicholas.

Evelyn A. Reeves

President & Chief Executive Officer First Security Investment Company, Inc. (FSICO) Chair of the Board, NAREB Foundation Evelyn Reeves embodies the very essence of what it means to be a powerhouse in business, a trusted leader in her community, a vital force within her profession, and an organizational trailblazer. Her many honors, recognitions and professional awards are testimony to her deep belief in excellence, perseverance, and goalsetting. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Ms. Reeves holds the distinction of growing the successful First Security Investment Company (FSICO) into a multi-faceted, full service real estate brokerage firm and being elected the first woman president of the see page 8

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National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), recognized as the nation's oldest minority real estate trade association. She is a valued and trusted expert advisor to municipal, state and federally-appointed and elected officials on issues affecting real estate industry practices, housing and homeownership opportunities. Under Ms. Reeves' direction, FSICO offers its clients an array of real estate and investment services that include sales, acquisition, financing, new development and re-development project management now in excess of $50 million. In addition, FSICO currently manages more than 2,000 private sector apartments, and maintains fiduciary responsibility for personal asset and trusts totaling more than $12 million. Ms. Reeves resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Dijanna Figueroa Dr. Dijanna Figueroa is a Marine Scientist and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) Education Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Marine Biology from University of California, Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in Marine Science from University of California, Santa Barbara. Her work as a deep sea marine scientist and educator has been featured in various science documentaries, nature programs, and publications. She is committed to inspiring young people of diverse backgrounds to embrace science and engineering. She recently served as Global Director of Green S.T.E.A.M. for National Geographic Society, MUSE School, and DeepSea America’s cross country tour for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. As an advisory board member of various science and S.T.E.A.M. enrichment non-profits, her work is evident throughout the science education community. Her work with Make it Education brings hands-on science and engineering programs to students of all ages. She loves science and enjoys combining science with art and design to inspire young people to see the science in all things. She has over 10 years of experience teaching science, engineering in K-8 schools throughout greater Los Angeles. Her goal as an ambassador for science is to inspire and prepare all students for the science

and technological discoveries of the future. When she is not teaching she enjoys traveling with her husband and three children.

Honorable Holly J. Mitchell The Honorable Holly J. Mitchell has served in California’s Legislature since 2011 and was elected in 2014 to represent the 30th Senate District, which includes the communities of Century City, Cheviot Hills, the Crenshaw District, Ladera Heights, MidCity, Palms, USC, L.A. Live and the Fashion District in Downtown, Westmont, Culver City and portions of South Los Angeles and Inglewood. Policy efforts and legislative accomplishments include: • Expanded and protected access to contraception • Twice carried the bill to put a moratorium on “fracking” in California • Caylee’s Law – parent/guardian must promptly report a missing child • Laws to prevent, prosecute and punish the sex trafficking of minors • Set same penalties for crack as for powder cocaine possession • “Health Homes” – alternative care services for frequent hospital ER users • Ongoing push to repeal CalWORKs’ maximum family grant limit for poor families • “Hands on” UCLA training of foreign med grads in return for community service • “Mitchell Plan” helped secure 5% benefits increase for CA’s poorest families Mitchell, known for a focus on reducing poverty, chairs Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health & Human Services and belongs to the Senate’s official leadership as a member of its governing body, the Rules Committee, also serving on the Health, Insurance and Labor Committees. She founded the Senate Select Committee on Women and Inequality, and is a member of the Democratic, Black and Women’s Caucuses. Mitchell previously represented the 47th and 54th Districts in the Assembly, where she also chaired the Budget Subcommittee on Health & Human Services, as well as the Select Committee on Foster Youth.

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As the mother of a teenager, Holly Mitchell understands the concerns of working families and advocates legislative policy to meet their needs. She seeks to improve the quality and accessibility of the state's health and education systems. She focuses on job creation and balancing business, human and environmental needs to expand economic opportunity while protecting natural resources.

Celestine Palmer Celestine Palmer, Founder and President Emeritus of the Los Angeles African American Women Political Action Committee (LAAAWPAC); Founder of the Los Angeles African American Women’s Public Policy Institute (LAAAWPPI); Co-Founder of the Women Building For The Future: The Future PAC; has a rich and diverse work background as a former educator in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), a former executive director of a non-profit organization (AbilityFirst); a former executive liaison to a bishop in the AME Church, and owner and CEO of Celestial Global Enterprises. Ms. Palmer is well known for both her political and her business acumen. She currently sits on the executive boards of LAAAWPAC, LAAAWPPI and The Future PAC; and is an Assembly District 54 Delegate to the CA Democratic Convention. Ms. Palmer retired from LAUSD after 33 years of dedicated service. Prior to her retirement from LAUSD, the private agency, AbilityFirst, recruited Ms. Palmer to serve as Executive Director of the Harry A. Mier Center for developmentally disabled, infants, and children. By late 1990, Palmer, aspired to increase voter and political participation rates among African American women, founded the first African American Women PAC; the Los Angeles African American Women Political Action Committee (LAAAWPAC). LAAAWPAC is committed to promoting candidates to public office and supporting issues which address the concerns of the African American community, by contributing financial resources and our collective voices for political impact. The only African American Women PAC, in

California, is pleased to report direct responsibility for the elections of Congresswomen, U.S. Senators, State Assemblywomen and State Senators and local elected seats throughout the United States. Ms. Palmer resides in View Park. She is the mother of 2 adult women, grandmother of 2 and the widow of Professor Henry Palmer, Ph.D.

Betty LaMarr Betty LaMarr, Author/Founder/Executive Director of EMPOWHER INSTITUTE, is passionate about serving others through coaching and mentoring. While living in South Africa, Betty saw the devastating effects poverty and powerlessness have on girls and women. She also saw what happens when girls and women are offered even modest opportunities for empowerment: Women discover independence; girls seek education and life changes for entire families and communities are positively altered as the cycle of poverty and dependency is broken. Inspired by her South Africa experience, Betty came back to the United States and founded EmpowHer Institute in 2003 with a mission to create self-driven success for low-income middle school girls to reduce the high school dropout rate of more than 50%. EmpowHer Institute’s focus is on a holistic approach to transformation of the girl’s character, self-worth and well-being. Betty earned a BA in Business Administration from California State University at Los Angeles, and an MBA from Pepperdine University. She is a featured author in books: Discover Your Inner Strength, The Heart of Women in Business, Million Dollar Conversations and Life Moments for Women. As an activist for change, the Mayor of Los Angeles and California’s Lieutenant Governor honored Betty for outstanding community service as well as her contributions to a variety of youth organizations. Betty was most recently awarded Services to Youth Award by the Palos Verdes Chapter, Links, Inc. She has also received the Pepperdine Waves of Service Award to an alumna whose career demonstrates a life strengthened for “purpose, service and leadership” and she has been featured in various magazines, Black Enterprise and Origin Magazine, as examples. 

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Small Business Association

National Small Business Week is May 4-8, 2015. Sign up now for our free webinars! Webinar | The Secrets to Crafting a with Colonial Life Digital Footprint Wednesday, May 06, 2015 with YP 4:00 PM Eastern Time

Monday, May 04, 2015 6:00 PM Eastern Time Consumers are serious researchers. When they are on the hunt for a new product or service, they will search across devices, use multiple sites, and make decisions after reading quality content and reviewing videos and images. Join Steve Strauss, USA Today Small Business columnist, and Jeff Biesman from YP for this actionoriented conversation. Read more and register: http://ems.intellor. com/index.cgi?p=205334&t=71&do=register&s=& rID=435&edID=293

Webinar | Voluntary Benefits: Not Just For the Big Guys

Many small businesses do not offer benefits. Many business owners don’t think they can afford them, don’t know that their business is large enough to qualify, or think they’re too much of an administrative hassle. But the truth is, you can offer a strong benefits package to your employees, even though your business is small. Join this webinar to learn more about: • What are voluntary benefits and how can they help your business? • What is the gap between what employers think their employees want in benefits, and what the employees actually want? • How can you offer voluntary benefits and actually realize cost savings? • What should business owners look for in a voluntary benefits partner?

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Read more and register: http://ems.intellor. com/index.cgi?p=205333&t=71&do=register&s=& rID=435&edID=293

More Webinars: Affordable Care Act 101 Webinars SBA and Small Business Majority will host free Affordable Care Act 101webinars so small business owners can learn the basics of the Affordable Care Act and how they can enroll in health insurance marketplaces. Join us every other Thursday at 2 PM ET. • April 30: Click to Register: https:// • • • • • • • •

cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/ new?cid=5nowpwyerq5e May 14: Click to Register: https:// cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/ new?cid=57ynvxrgmidf May 28: Click to Register: https:// cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/ new?cid=yibpptlldbvw June 11: Click to Register: https:// cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/ new?cid=vtzfh8fkxb7p June 25: Click to Register: https:// cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/ new?cid=t0b3k1p5n92u July 9: Click to Register: https:// cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/ new?cid=8y2jz1p76sgh July 30: Click to Register: https:// cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/ new?cid=jmqjfraxbdrb August 6: Click to Register: https:// cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/ new?cid=l9lnsacpebwo August 20: Click to Register: https:// cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/ new?cid=dhkpejwctq7i

SBA Blogs: SBA Modernization Is Unlocking Commercial Capital Read more: www.sba.gov/blogs/sba-modernizationunlocking-commercial-capital 5 Factors of Audit Risk for Small Businesses Read more: www.sba.gov/blogs/5-factors-audit-risksmall-businesses Before You Export: 5 Tips for Gathering Market Intel Read more: www.sba.gov/blogs/you-export-5-tipsgathering-market-intel 3 Main Points Before You Establish Credit for Your Business Read more: www.sba.gov/blogs/3-main-points-youestablish-credit-your-business Spring Has Sprung: Entrepreneurs Pitch Their Ideas at Two DC Events This Past Weekend Read more: www.sba.gov/blogs/spring-has-sprungentrepreneurs-pitch-their-ideas-two-dc-events-pastweekend

Savings Plans for Small Businesses Do you have a plan for saving the money your business makes? The course looks at the importance of having a long-term savings plan and considers: • Retirement • Taxes and tax breaks • Unexpected life events Read more and take course: www.sba.gov/tools/ sba-learning-center/training/savings-plans-smallbusinesses 

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Government

Remarks by President Obama at the SelectUSA Investment Summit

hank you so much. (Applause.) Thank you. Please have a seat. Well, thank you, everybody. And let me begin by thanking Penny Pritzker for her outstanding leadership. We’ve got six Cabinet Secretaries and dozens of U.S. ambassadors here, which should tell you that SelectUSA is a major priority for this administration. Since I was here with you 17 months ago, this gathering has doubled in size. So I want to thank all 2,600 of you -- elected officials and local leaders from across this country, and business leaders from around the world -- thank you for making this a priority, as well. The fact is there’s never been a more exciting time for us

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to do business together. And today, I want to talk about why America is not only the right place for you to invest, but why America is the safest, strongest, smartest place for you to invest than we’ve been in a long time. After the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, America is now in the midst of the longest streak of private sector job growth on record -- 60 straight months; 12 million new jobs. Businesses in America have added more than 200,000 jobs each month for 12 straight months. That’s the first time that’s happened in nearly 40 years. Our unemployment rate has fallen from a peak of 10% in 2009 to 5.5% today. After a decade of outsourcing, we’re starting to bring good jobs back to America. Over the last five years, manufacturers have added jobs at a rate not seen since the 1980s. In fact, the manufacturing sector is actually growing faster than the rest of the economy. And last week, I announced nearly $500 million in new public and private investment in strengthening American manufacturing. And even though the United States is already home to more foreign direct investment than any other country in the world, we’ve worked hard to address some of the challenges that held us back for too long. Our high school graduation rate is now at an all-time high. More young people are earning their college degrees than ever before. Our energy production is booming, our energy costs are low, our leadership on climate change is restored. On the fiscal front, our deficits have shrunk by two-thirds. Our health care costs are flattening out for the first time in half a century. Over the past six years, we’ve worked hard to make ourselves a smarter place to invest and to do business than any other country in the world. So we've got a good story to tell. And that’s one reason I created SelectUSA, the first-ever government-wide initiative to encourage more companies from around the world to invest and create jobs right here in the United States.

We've got a good story to tell, but we want to make sure all of you had a chance to hear it. And the SelectUSA team wakes up every morning with one mission -- bringing jobcreating investment to the United States of America. It's a kind of one-stop shop, sort of a match-making service for investment. Economic development organizations from around the country can connect with foreign investors from around the world who are interested in bringing their businesses here. Now, understand a lot of state and local leaders in this room have been working tirelessly for a long time to attract foreign investment. The idea behind SelectUSA is just to make it easier for you to do that, and easier for our international partners to find the best opportunities. And by the beginning of this year, SelectUSA had assisted more than 1,000 clients, helping to generate more than $20 billion of investment in the United States -- investment that has spurred economic growth and created jobs all across the country. The companies in this room have invested $13 billion over the last year, which will create an estimated 32,500 new jobs. So what’s great about SelectUSA is that everybody wins. Communities that welcome foreign investors see more jobs and economic activity and they can reach more potential investors. The companies that invest in America have access to the largest market in the world -- and it's a market that is strong and stable, and growing. And one thing I want to emphasize, it’s not just big corporations or billion-dollar investments that make a difference. With the help of SelectUSA, for example, a Canadian company named Peds Legwear invested $7 million to rescue a failing sock company in Burke County, North Carolina. And that investment saved 45 jobs. They recently cut the ribbon on a new plant that will ultimately create more than 200 new jobs. Had a little cheer back there. That's good. (Applause.) With the help from SelectUSA, Reha Technology, a Swiss medical robotics firm, just announced its merger with an American company called Interactive Motion Technologies. The new company will headquarter in Watertown, Massachusetts -- and today it’s announcing a new $5 million investment to expand this year. So we’re seeing real results from SelectUSA, and we want to build on that momentum and get even more of you to invest. So today, we’re going to expand and improve our services. We’re launching a new partnership between state and federal economic see Select USA on page 22

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Government development officials. We’re launching the SelectUSA Academy (http://blog.trade.gov/2015/02/26/ what-is-the-selectusa-academy), with

online and on-site training programs for investors. We’re improving our online investment tools, helping companies identify state-based incentives so that they can decide where to invest. So for companies considering new investment here, I want to be as clear as possible. The United States of America is the best place in the world to do business. We’ve got the most skilled and productive workers, the best universities, the most innovative entrepreneurs in the world. We’re the global leader in patents –- home not only to more R&D investment than any other country but to nearly one-third of all R&D investment in the world. Our access to global markets makes it easy to ship goods made in the USA around the world. Our commitment to the rule of law and strong intellectual property protections make America a dependable place to innovate and do business. And we’re a country that always believes we can be better, a country that adapts and advances, and sets new standards for new times. It’s one of the reasons why I put forward a budget for this coming fiscal year that reflects the realities of the new economy. We’re going to give workers and businesses the tools they need to succeed in a fast-paced, highly competitive, constantly changing world. And that means new investments in education, new investments in job training, including making two years of community college free, because we want to make sure that our workers continue to be prepared to fill the jobs that you intend to bring here. It means new

investments in manufacturing, and 21st century infrastructure that 21st century businesses need. We’re modernizing port, strengthening our bridges, making Internet and wireless and broadband far more accessible more quickly. Now, that’s my budget. I recognize there’s something called Congress here and there are going to be some negotiations taking place. So far, Republicans in Congress have put forward a different kind of budget. But I’m confident that we can find a way forward. I’m confident that we can find a path that doesn’t undermine our standing, but strengthens it. Because the things that help businesses grow are not partisan. There shouldn’t be anything partisan about making sure that our kids get the best education possible, or that we’ve

got world-class infrastructure. We’re working together on a bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority and strong new trade deals from Asia to Europe that aren’t just free but are also fair and

reciprocal -- trade deals that help businesses grow our exports and put American workers first. And I’m confident we can, together, reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States, giving our businesses one more tool that they need to compete. Today, I’m pleased to announce a new action I’m also taking to make it easier for global companies who are present here today to launch and invest in the U.S. My administration is going to reform the L-1B visa category, which allows corporations to temporarily move workers from a foreign office to a U.S. office in a faster, simpler way. And this could benefit hundreds of thousands of nonimmigrant workers and their employers; that, in turn, will benefit our entire economy and spur additional investment. (Applause.) Of course, as all of you know, one of the things that would make America even more attractive to businesses and that would grow our economy and shrink our deficits, and keep this country safer, stronger, and smarter, would be a comprehensive immigration reform package. And that’s why I’m going to continue to push and prod and poke and cajole friends in the Republican Party to get on board and help us get this done. We need to get immigration reform done here in the United States of America. That’s who we are. (Applause.) So the bottom line is this: America is proudly open for business, and we want to make it as simple and as attractive for you to set up shop here as is possible. That is what this summit is all about. I hope you take full advantage of the opportunities that are here. This is

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Reinforcing the U.S.-Africa Partnership by Grant Harris and Shannon Green

ast summer, the United States paved new pathways for our relationship with Africa by hosting the historic U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. Fifty-one African leaders joined President Obama in Washington for a discussion on "Investing in the Next Generation", the theme of the Summit. This gathering resulted in $33 billion dollars in new commitments to support economic growth across Africa, as well as tangible U.S. and African efforts to improve security, promote human rights and good governance, and provide opportunities for Africa’s sizeable youth population. As the White House has announced, the United States is partnering with the Government of Kenya to host the sixth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) - www.whitehouse.gov/thepress-office/2014/11/20/fact-sheetglobal-entrepreneurship-summit. The President will travel to Kenya this summer – his fourth trip to SubSaharan Africa and the most of any

sitting U.S. president – where he will participate in bilateral meetings and attend this important event. Launched by President Obama in 2009, GES will bring together more than 1,000 entrepreneurs and investors from across Africa and around the world to showcase innovative projects, exchange new ideas, and help spur economic opportunity. This year’s Summit in Kenya will have an overarching focus on generating new investments in entrepreneurs, particularly women and young entrepreneurs. Choosing Kenya as the destination for GES underscores the fact that Africa, and Kenya in particular, has become a center for innovation and entrepreneurship. Kenya is a world leader in mobile money systems like m-pesa and a driver of innovation, through creative spaces like “iHub.” These are just a few tangible demonstrations of the

entrepreneurial spirit that is deeply rooted on the African continent. Just as President Kennedy’s historic visit to Ireland in 1963 celebrated the connections between Irish-Americans and their forefathers, President Obama’s trip will honor the strong historical ties between the United States and Kenya – and all of Africa – from the millions of Americans who trace their ancestry to the African continent, to the more than 100,000 Americans that live in or visit Kenya each year. The President’s trip will be an opportunity to point to the progress already made in improving health, education, human rights and good governance, security, and economic growth across the continent, while helping to spark new opportunities for future generations. 

a pretty good networking session. I can't even see the folks way out in the back. (Laughter.) There are a lot of deals to be done right here under this roof. And I hope that everybody is going to take full advantage of it. Because we're committed to SelectUSA for the long haul. We are committed to building partnerships with you so that our companies and our communities can thrive together. And we intend to be with

you not just today or tomorrow, but in the years and decades ahead. That's my commitment to you. Because we are confident that if you invest in any of the communities that are represented here, what you will find is not only outstanding workers, and not just outstanding infrastructure, and not just an extraordinary market, and not just cheap energy, but what you will find is that the American people like doing business and they respect

business, and they’re looking forward to working with you to make sure that your companies succeed, and that the faith that you place in those communities is ultimately going to result in outstanding results for your company. Thank you very much, everybody. Good luck. (Applause.) 

www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/03/30/ reinforcing-us-africa-partnership

www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2015/03/23/remarkspresident-selectusa-investmentsummit

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Government

In Historic Face to Face, Obama, Castro Vow to Turn the Page by JIM KUHNHENN and JOSH LEDERMAN

resident Barack Obama and Cuba's Raul Castro sat down together Saturday in the first formal meeting of the two country's leaders in a half-century, pledging to reach for the kind of peaceful relationship that has eluded their nations for generations. In a small conference room in a Panama City convention center, the two sat side by side in a bid to inject fresh momentum into their monthsold effort to restore diplomatic ties. Reflecting on the historic nature of the meeting, Obama said he felt it was time to try something new and to engage with both Cuba's government and its people. "What we have both concluded is that we can disagree with a spirit of respect and civility," Obama said. "And over time, it is possible for us to turn the page and develop a new relationship between our two countries." Castro, for his part, said he agreed with everything Obama had said — a stunning statement in and of itself for the Cuban leader. But he added the caveat that they had "agreed to disagee" at times. Castro said he had told the Americans that Cuba was willing to discuss issues such as human rights and freedom of the press, maintaining that "everything can be on the table." "We are disposed to talk about everything — with patience," Castro said in Spanish. "Some things we will agree with, and others we won't."

Not since 1958 have a U.S. and Cuban leader convened a substantial meeting; at the time, Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House and Fulgencio Batista in charge in Cuba. But relations quickly entered into a deep freeze amid the Cold War, and the U.S. spent decades trying to either isolate or actively overthrow the Cuban government. In a stroke of coincidence, Eisenhower's meeting with Batista in 1958 also took place in Panama, imbuing Saturday's session between Obama and Castro with a sense of having come full circle. The historic gathering played out on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas, which this year included Cuba for the first time. Although the meeting wasn't publicly announced in advance, White House aides had suggested the two leaders were looking for an opportunity to meet while in Panama and to discuss the ongoing efforts to open embassies in Havana and Washington, among other issues. At the start of their hour-long meeting, Obama acknowledged that Cuba, too, would continue raising concerns about U.S. policies — earning a friendly smirk from Castro. Obama described the sitdown later as "candid and fruitful" and said he and Castro were able to speak about their differences in a productive way. Even still, raw passions were on vivid display earlier in the day when

US President Barack Obama, right, leans over their meeting at the Summit of the Americas in 2015. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP / AP)

Castro, in a meandering, nearly hour-long speech to the summit, ran through an exhaustive history of perceived Cuban grievances against the U.S. dating back more than a century. Then, in an abrupt about face, he apologized for letting his emotions get the best of him. He said many U.S. presidents were at fault for that troubled history — but that Obama isn't one of them. "I have told President Obama that I get very emotional talking about the revolution," Castro said through a translator, noting that Obama wasn't even born when the U.S. began sanctioning the island nation. "I apologize to him because President Obama had no responsibility for this."

Obama agreed. "The Cold War has been over for a long time," he said. "And I'm not interested in having battles frankly that started before I was born." The flurry of diplomacy kicked off Wednesday when Obama and

24  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

President Barack Obama, right middle row, and Cuba's President Raul Castro, left middle row, applaud with other leaders during the inauguration ceremony of the Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Friday, April 10, 2015. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press) towards Cuban President Raul Castro during Panama City, Panama, Saturday, April 11,

Castro spoke by phone — only the second known call between U.S. and Cuban presidents in decades. It continued Friday evening when Obama and Castro traded handshakes and small talk at the summit's opening ceremonies, setting social media abuzz with photos and cellphone video. The goal of their presidential engagement: to inject fresh momentum into their delicate plan to restore normal relations between their countries. Obama and Castro sent shockwaves throughout the hemisphere in December when they announced the plan for rapprochement, and their envoys have spent the ensuing months working through thorny issues such as sanctions, the re-opening of embassies and the island nation's place on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. Although earlier in the week Obama suggested a decision to remove Cuba from the list was

imminent, he declined to take that step Saturday, citing the need to study a recently completed State Department review. Lawmakers briefed on that review have said it resulted in a recommendation that Cuba be delisted. Removal from the terror list is a top priority for Castro because it would not only purge a stain on Cuba's pride, but also ease its ability to conduct simple financial transactions. "Yes, we have conducted solidarity with other peoples that could be considered terrorism — when we were cornered, when we were strongly harassed," Castro conceded earlier Saturday. "We had no other choice but to give up or to fight back." Yet Obama's delay in delisting Cuba comes as the U.S. seeks concessions of its own — namely, the easing of restrictions on American diplomats' freedom of movement in Havana and better human rights protections. Obama met with Cuban dissidents Friday at a civil society forum, and on Saturday, he said the U.S. would

continue pressing Cuba on issues like democracy and human rights. "We have very different views about how society should be organized," Obama told reporters just before returning to Washington. A successful detente would form a cornerstone of Obama's foreign policy legacy. But it's an endeavor he can't undertake alone: Only Congress can fully lift the onerous U.S. sanctions regime on Cuba and there are deep pockets of opposition in the U.S. to taking that step. As he sat down with the American president, Castro observed that nothing is truly static. Today's profound disagreements could turn into areas of consensus tomorrow. "The pace of life at the present moment in the world," he said, "it's very fast."  /www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ in-historic-face-to-face-obamacastro-vow-to-turn-the-page/arAAaSxqg?ocid=mailsignout www.timesunion.com/news/politics/ article/Anticipation-grows-ObamaCastro-to-meet-6193167.php

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Government

Federal ‘TechHire’ May Help Train a Data-Driven Workforce by Heather Fletcher

f an initiative from President Barack Obama becomes a reality, Americans with less of an edge can get trained in the "TechHire Initiative." On Monday, a White House press release subhead says, "President Obama Announces Multi-Sector Effort and Call to Action to Give Americans Pathways to WellPaying Technology Jobs; Makes Available $100 Million in Grants." President Obama announced the initiative on Monday at the National League of Cities (NLC) Congressional City Conference in Washington, after which the NLC's press release characterizes TechHire as a plan "to partner with cities, higher education and the private sector to expand access to tech jobs in communities across the country." The White House release lists those cities, regions and states as Louisville, New York City, Philadelphia, Delaware, City of Kearney and Buffalo County, Neb., Colorado, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Memphis, Rural Eastern Kentucky, Nashville, Rochester, Detroit, San Francisco, Albuquerque, Chattanooga and Portland. Specifically related to the grants, the White House says there will be: $100 million in new federal

investments to train and connect more workers to a good job in technology and other in-demand fields. The administration will launch a $100 million H-1B grant competition by the Department of Labor to support innovative approaches to training and successfully employing low-skill individuals with barriers to training and employment including those with child care responsibilities, people with disabilities, disconnected youth and limited English proficient workers, among others. This grant competition will support the scalingup of evidence-based strategies, such as accelerated learning, work-based learning and registered apprenticeships. The tech sector is happy with the development, according to MarketWatch. MarketWatch ran a press release on Monday from the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). "We are excited to see the administration's emphasis on training and education to fill the increasing number of job openings

in the IT workforce," says Todd Thibodeaux , president and CEO, CompTIA, in the release published by MarketWatch. "We have been working closely with Congress and the administration to make IT training and certification a priority. The average IT worker's salary is double that of the private sector and we must continue to expand access to these jobs, many of which do not require a four-year degree."  www.targetmarketingmag.com/ article/federal-techhire-may-helptrain-data-driven-workforce/1?e=lion. comm@hotmail.com#utm_ source=today-target-marketing&utm_ medium=enewsletter_headline_ story2&utm_campaign=2015-03-10 www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2015/03/09/fact-sheet-presidentobama-launches-new-techhireinitiative

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Government

Mandatory Voting? Obama Says it Would be 'Transformative' By JOSH LEDERMAN, Associated Press

hey say the only two things that are certain in life are death and taxes. President Barack Obama wants to add one more: voting. Obama floated the idea of mandatory voting in the U.S. while speaking to a civic group in Cleveland. Asked about the corrosive influence of money in U.S. elections, Obama digressed into the related topic of voting rights and said the U.S. should be making it easier — not harder— for people to vote. Just ask Australia, where citizens have no choice but to vote, the president said. "If everybody voted, then it would completely change the political map in this country," Obama said,

calling it potentially transformative. Not only that, Obama said, but universal voting would "counteract money more than anything." Disproportionately, Americans who skip the polls on Election Day are younger, lower-income and more likely to be immigrants or minorities, Obama said. "There's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls," he said in a veiled reference to efforts in a number of Republican-led states to make it harder for people to vote. Statistically speaking, Obama is correct. Less than 37% of eligible voters cast ballots in the 2014 midterms, according to the United States Election Project. And a Pew Research Center study found that those avoiding the polls in 2014

tended to be younger, poorer, less educated and more racially diverse. At least two dozen countries have some form of compulsory voting, including Belgium, Brazil and Argentina. In many systems, absconders must provide a valid excuse or face a fine, although a few countries have laws on the books that allow for potential imprisonment. At issue, Obama said, is the outsize influence that those with money can have on U.S. elections, where low overall turnout often gives an advantage to the party best able to turn out its base. Obama has opposed Citizens United and other court rulings that cleared the way for super PACs and unlimited campaign spending, but embraced such groups in his 2012 re-election campaign out of fear he'd be outspent. Obama said he thought it would be "fun" for the U.S. to consider amending the Constitution to change the role that money plays in the electoral system. But don't hold your breath. "Realistically, given the requirements of that process, that would be a long-term proposition," he said.  ___ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Cleveland and Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report. www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ mandatory-voting-obama-saysit-would-be-transformative/arBBipf2F?ocid=mailsignout

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Justice Department Reports on Ferguson Police Department By By Jeff Donn AP • Police make many arrests for talking back to officers, recording police activities and engaging in lawful protest.

AMONG THE EVIDENCE AGAINST THE CITY COURTS:

Attorney General Eric Holder speaks about the Justice Department’s findings related to two investigations in Ferguson, Mo.

• Blacks are 68% less likely than others to win dismissal of their cases. • Blacks represent 92% of cases where an arrest warrant was issued in 2013. • The court often imposes large bail amounts that do not seem justified by public-safety concerns. • City officials often fix tickets for themselves and their friends.

ALLEGATIONS OF BAD POLICING:

he U.S. Department of Justice has released its investigation of the Ferguson Police Department, concluding that city law enforcement practices are discriminatory and unconstitutional and calling for sweeping changes. Here are some of the highlights of the report: THE BASIC FINDING: The police and municipal courts in Ferguson have been treating blacks unfairly, violating the law and the U.S. Constitution. Police use force too often. HOW THE INVESTIGATION WAS DONE: Representatives of the Justice Department interviewed city and court officials, police officers and citizens. Police records were reviewed, along with court and police data. Justice Department representatives rode along with police officers and observed court sessions.

AMONG THE EVIDENCE AGAINST POLICE: • From 2012 to 2014, 93% of all arrests and 85% of all vehicle stops involved black people, who constitute two-thirds of the population. • Blacks were more than twice as likely as whites to be searched during vehicle stops, yet contraband was found 26% less often on them than on white drivers. • From 2011 to 2013, blacks were charged with 95% of cases involving "manner of walking in roadway" and with 94% of "failure to comply." • Almost 90% of documented force used by officers was used against blacks.

• As a result of a single illegal parking violation in 2007, a black woman spent six days in jail, paid $550 in fines and still owed $541 as of December. • In 2013, police on their way to arrest someone at an apartment building instead arrested without justification a black man parked outside, handcuffed him and kept him in a patrol car while they ran his record. Faced with a complaint later, a police sergeant described the detention as "minimal" and said the car was air conditioned. • In 2012, an officer stopped to question a 32-yearold black man sitting in his car with windows that may have been more deeply tinted than allowed under the city code. The officer went on without cause to call the man a pedophile, order him out of his car for a pat-down and ask to search the car. When the man refused, the officer reportedly pointed a gun at his head and arrested him. • Police broke up a lawful protest on the six-month anniversary of Michael Brown's death by shouting, "Everybody here's going to jail." Two people were arrested simply for recording the police action. Four others were arrested. It appears police were upset about insults written in chalk on the department parking lot and on a police vehicle.

KEY QUOTES: • "Partly as a consequence of City and FPD (Ferguson Police Department) priorities, many officers appear to see some residents, especially

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Government

•

• •

those who live in Ferguson's predominantly AfricanAmerican neighborhoods, less as constituents to be protected than as potential offenders and sources of revenue." "Minor offenses can generate crippling debts, result in jail time because of an inability to pay and result in the loss of a driver's license, employment or housing." "Ferguson's approach to law enforcement both reflects and reinforces racial bias, including stereotyping." "FDP officers frequently detain people without reasonable suspicion and arrest people without probable cause." "City, police and court officials for years have worked in concert to maximize revenue at every stage of the enforcement process." "Court staff are keenly aware that the City considers revenue generation to be the municipal court's primary purpose." "Many officers are quick to escalate encounters with subjects they perceive to be disobeying their orders or resisting arrest." "FDP officers' use of canines to bite people is frequently unreasonable." "Officers often use force in response to behavior that may be annoying or distasteful but does not

pose a threat."

RACIST JOKES: • A November 2008 email said President Obama would not be president for long because "what black man holds a steady job for four years?" • A May 2011 email said: "An African-American woman in New Orleans was admitted into the hospital for a pregnancy termination. Two weeks later she received a check for $5,000. She phoned the hospital to ask who it was from. The hospital said, 'Crimestoppers.'"

RECOMMENDED CHANGES: • Shift away from police practices aimed at raising revenue. • Focus on public safety, rather than stopping people simply because police have authority to do so. End ticketing and arrest quotas. • Move officers toward de-escalating confrontations. • The police department should improve race and gender diversity in recruiting, hiring and promotion practices. • Municipal code violations should result in jail in only the rarest circumstances. Arrest warrants should not be used to collect court fees.  http://news.yahoo.com/highlights-justice-department-reportferguson-police-225400489.html

Publisher's Message

in the U.S. in terms of business ownership especially when it comes to earnings. As a result, while one-infive White-owned businesses employed at least one person, only one-in-eighteen black-owned companies had any workers. Out of this reported 2 plus million black-owned businesses, less than 9% of them have paid employees. Receipts from black-owned employer businesses totaled $100 billion. What is the solution? Our black firms need to grow and hire more employees, preferable African Americans. How are our black women-owned firms doing? Substantially better than the whole. The number of

black women-owned businesses increased much faster than the number of male- and black-owned businesses. Moreover, among job-creating employer firms, the number of black women-owned businesses have experience a substantially higher growth rate. The success of black women in not only business but other sectors of our economy will be highlighted at the Black Business Association (BBA) Salute to Black Women, March 28th at the downtown Los Angeles Hyatt Hotel. For a summary of this gala event, please visit the BBA website at: www.bbala.org or contact the office at 1-323-291-9334. Mark your calendars for May 4-8, 2015 for National Small Business Week, celebrating Americans' entrepreneurs. Events will be held throughout the nation in numerous cities. For a list of the cities, please visit the SBA website at www.sba.gov/nsbw. For future events and trends in the black community, please continue to read the Black Business News .. your source for information on black commerce and economic development; www.bbala.org. 

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Government

President Obama on Attorney General Holder: "He Has Been One of Our Finest" By David Hudson

resident Barack Obama spoke at the portrait unveiling ceremony for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. The event marked Holder's anticipated departure from the Department of Justice after more than six years of service as Attorney General. Calling him "one of our finest," President Obama quickly detailed some of Holder's major accomplishments over the past six

years: "Hundreds of terrorism convictions. The largest mafia takedown in history. Billion-dollar financial fraud cases. Longoverdue reforms to our criminal justice system. Thanks in part to Eric’s leadership, the overall crime rate and overall incarceration rate declined together -- for the first time in 40 years last year." The President also talked about

the Attorney General's work to restore "the conscience of the nation" -- the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Under Holder's leadership, the Department has relentlessly defended the Voting Rights Act, along with the right to vote; challenged discriminatory state immigration laws; prosecuted human trafficking and hate crimes in record numbers; and worked to ensure that same-

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sex couples are treated equally under the law. "With Eric Holder as its lawyer, America has become a better country," the President said, before turning to the Attorney General. "Saying goodbye is bittersweet. You have done a remarkable job. It's hard to let you go." In the Attorney General's remarks, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work with the Justice Department for almost four decades. "I leave this place proud of what we have accomplished over the last six years, and grateful for all that DOJ has given me these past 39 years," Holder said. "This has been my home, and you will always be my family." He made clear, however, that the work is not yet over: Reform of our criminal justice system must continue. And under Loretta (Lynch) and Sally (Quillian Yates), I'm sure that will be the case. The historic wrongs visited upon our native people must be righted. The widening gap of income inequality must be reversed. And in the defense of our nation, we must always adhere -- always adhere -- to the values that define us. And at all costs -- all costs -the right to vote must be protected. "That list may seem daunting," he said. "But if we are true to who we are as Americans, no problem is too big, no issue insurmountable." In closing, the Attorney General thanked his family and friends,

his Department colleagues, the President and other Administration officials -- and America herself, "who gave a black kid from East Elmurst, Queens, New York City, more support and opportunities than any individual could have

hoped for."  www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/02/28/ president-obama-attorney-generalholder-he-has-been-one-our-finest www.mediaite.com/online/arethafranklin-literally-sings-eric-holderspraises-at-portrait-unveiling

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on the planet. Most of his value comes from Nike payouts. The Jordan brand grossed an estimated $2.25 billion in 2013, earning Jordan some $90 million. But his most valuable asset is his stake in the Charlotte Hornets, worth more than $500 million. 

BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware

ohn Ridley explores family, race and justice in ABC TV's 'American Crime'. The new series, which takes over How to Get Away With Murder's slot on Thursday evenings, centers on a divorced couple whose worlds are ripped John Ridley apart following the Regina King slaying of their son and daughter-in-law and the subsequent investigation (and trial) that rips a community apart. The series features performers Regina King, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Courtney Vance, and Elvis Nolasco. John Ridley is the writer of the Academy Award winning film "12 Years A Slave." 

ichael Jordan is one of 290 individuals who

Cuba Gooding, Jr.

he Game premieres on January 14th for its 8th season on BET Network. The game stars Tasha Mack, Malik Wright, Jason Pitts, Chardonnay Pitts, Bryce “The Blueprint” Westbrook and Keira Whitaker. The series is created by Mara Brock Akil. 

ay Z is recruiting music's biggest names to his high-fidelity Courtney streaming service - Tidal. Vance com, a brand new music streaming service and it's got a secret weapon – a USP that makes it stand out from the crowd - Tidal offers music at CD quality. Yes, there's finally a fully-fledged music service that streams FLAC at 1411kbps. And, it's brilliant. FLAC is the perfect format for delivering CDquality music down an internet pipe. And it's about time it turned up in a truly decent streaming service. Tidal is more than just a FLAC streaming service though. It's been designed from the ground up to be the ultimate music resource for fans of hi-fidelity music, offering playlists and recommendations curated by experienced music journalists, not to mention 75,000 music videos. Elvis Tidal has one clear goal in mind: change how artists Nolasco get paid for their work. 

b e c a m e billionaires within the past year, according to Forbes magazine. Jordan ranks as the 1,741st richest person 35  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Use Your Senses to Spot a Gas Leak To help keep your community safe and secure, use your senses of sight, hearing or smell to alert you to any of the following signs of a natural gas leak. LOOK

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT A GAS LEAK • Remain calm • Don’t light a match, candle or cigarette • Don’t turn electrical appliances or lights on or off or use any device that could cause a spark • Natural gas leaking from a plastic pipe can create static electricity which can ignite the gas • Immediately evacuate the area, and from a safe location, call 800-427-2200, 24 hours a day, seven days a week; or call 911

• A damaged connection to a gas appliance • Dirt or water being blown in the air • Dead or dying vegetation (in an otherwise moist area) over or near gas pipeline areas • A fire or explosion near a pipeline • Exposed pipeline after an earthquake, fire, flood or other disaster

LISTEN • An unusual sound, such as a hissing, whistling or roaring sound near a gas line or appliance

SMELL • The distinctive odor* of natural gas *Some people may not be able to smell the odor because they have a diminished sense of smell, olfactory fatigue (normal, temporary inability to distinguish an odor after prolonged exposure to it) or because the odor is being masked or hidden by other odors that are present, such as cooking, damp, musty or chemical odors. In addition, certain conditions in pipe and soil can cause odor fade – the loss of odorant so that it is not detectable by smell.

Women's History Month

THE WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, 2015 Throughout history, extraordinary women have fought tirelessly to broaden our democracy's reach and help perfect our Union. Through protest and activism, generations of women have appealed to the values at the heart of our Nation and fought to give meaning to the idea that we are all created equal. As today's women and girls reach for new heights, they stand on the shoulders of all those who have come before and carry forward their legacy of proud achievement. This month, we celebrate countless pioneering women and the victories they won, and we continue our work to build a society where our daughters have the same possibilities as our sons. Courageous women have called not only for the absence of oppression, but for the presence of opportunity. They have demonstrated for justice, but also for jobs -- ones that promise equal pay for equal work. And they have marched for the right to vote not just so their voices would be heard, but so they could have a seat at the head of the table. With grit and resolve, they have fought to overcome discrimination and shatter glass ceilings, and after decades of slow, steady, and determined progress, they have widened the circle of opportunity for women and girls across our country. Today, more women are their family's main breadwinner than ever before. Women are nearly half of our Nation's workers, and they are increasingly among the most skilled. At the same time, more than 60 percent of women with children under the age of 5 participate in the labor force. This increasing participation of women in our workforce has bolstered our economy and strengthened our families, and it has demonstrated that the policies that benefit women and working families benefit all of us. But not all of the rules that govern our workplaces have caught up with this reality, and today, too many of the opportunities that our mothers and grandmothers fought for are going unrealized. That is why I am committed to tearing down the barriers to full and equal participation in our economy and society that still exist for too many women. All women deserve equal pay for equal work and a living wage; the Congress needs to raise the minimum wage and pass a law that ensures a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work. I continue to call for increased workplace flexibility and access to paid leave -- including paid sick leave -- so that hardworking Americans do not have to choose between being productive employees and responsible family members. And I have proposed a plan that would make quality child care available to every middle-class and low-income family in America with young children. These are not only women's issues -- they are family issues and national economic priorities. We know that when women succeed, America succeeds. The strength of our economy rests on whether we make it possible for every citizen to contribute to our growth and prosperity. As we honor the many patriots who have shaped not only the destinies of other women, but also the direction of our history, let us resolve to build on their efforts in our own time. As a Nation, we must join our voices with the chorus of history and push forward with unyielding faith to forge a more equal society for all our daughters and granddaughters -- one where a woman's potential is limited only by the size of her dreams and the power of her imagination. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2015 as Women's History Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month and to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, 2015, with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. I also invite all Americans to visit www.WomensHistoryMonth.gov to learn more about the generations of women who have left enduring imprints on our history. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.

BARACK OBAMA

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For Such a Time as This: A Poem by Shannon Harris http://soar.forharriet.com/2015/03/for-such-time-as-this-poem.htm I speak or myself but at this time in my life abiding in the love of God and the love and support of family (biological and otherwise) having done inner work and let time do its work developing maturity and confidence and (hopefully) grace compassion and ultimately love I speak for my sisters (and brothers) for little chocolate girls and women (and boys and men) for working class girls and women (and boys and men) for first-college-graduate-in-their-nuclear-families girls and women (and boys and men) for any girl or woman (boy or man) who my voice may serve Cuz someone spoke for me before I was old enough before I was grown enough before I was wise enough before I was brave enough before I knew I am enough to speak for myself My mama spoke for me Sojourner spoke for me Harriet spoke for me Zora spoke for me Fannie Lou spoke for me Nina spoke for me Maya spoke for me Cicely speaks for me Oprah speaks for me Joan speaks for me Ntozake speaks for me Grace speaks for me india.arie speaks for me Zadie speaks for me Michelle speaks for me Viola speaks for me Issa Rae speaks for me Brittney speaks for me Chimamanda speaks for me Shionna speaks for me Therefore I speak.

Women's History Month

he National Museum of African American History and Culture will be a place that celebrates the lives of remarkable African American women who overcame both racism and gender discrimination to shape our nation's history. One of these amazing women is Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman (1892-1926), the first African American woman pilot. Denied admission to U.S. flight schools because she was black and a

woman, Coleman refused to take "no" for an answer. To finance her trip, she saved her money, raised additional funds from supportive donors, taught herself French, and traveled to Paris to learn to fly. In 1921, Coleman became not only the first African American woman pilot, but also the first American to earn an international aviation license. Returning to the U.S., Coleman became a media sensation, performing as a barnstorming stunt

flier known as "Queen Bess" and swiftly earning a reputation as a skilled and daring pilot. But her life was cut tragically short on April 30, 1926, when a plane in which she was a passenger experienced mechanical problems and crashed. While she died young, Coleman's memory continues to inspire new generations of African American pilots. In 1995, the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp honoring her, and in 2006 she was inducted into the National Aviation Hall

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Image Legend: 1) Bessie Coleman 2) Harriet Jacobs 3) Claudette Colvin 4) U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisolm 5) Rosa Parks

4 of Fame. You can find out more about this barrier-breaking African American hero by watching a short Smithsonian Channel video here (www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wckEiKzCBqc).

Other Remarkable Women Bessie Coleman is just one of many remarkable African American women whose often-ignored stories need to be told –– including fearless writer Harriet Ann Jacobs (18131897), who was born into slavery, escaped, and authored an searing

account of her time while enslaved ... U.S. Rep. Shirley 5 Chisholm (19242005), who was not only the first black woman elected to Congress, but also the first African American to seek the presidential nomination of a major political party ... and Claudette Colvin (b. 1939), who as a courageous 15-year-old was arrested when she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus –– nine months before Rosa Parks –– becoming the lead plaintiff in the

1956 U.S. Supreme Court case that ruled bus segregation in Alabama unconstitutional. When the Museum opens in fall 2016, women like these and other African American history makers will finally receive the recognition they are due. www.nmaahc.si.edu

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Women's History Month

Women On 20s. Vote Now! www.womenon20s.org

e at Women On 20s (www.womenon20s. org) aim to compel historic change that NOW is the time to put a woman's face on our paper currency. We at Women on 20s applaud President Obama for acknowledging that it's time to put a woman's face on our paper currency (www. youtube.com/watch?v=GqvC5gu7T_A). It struck us, for instance, that most Americans today have no idea that there was another woman behind Susan B. Anthony -- Elizabeth Cady Stanton -- who was instrumental in ensuring the rights that women enjoy today. As an organization, it's our mission to make sure that when the new face of U.S. money is chosen, it is decided by We the People in a widely publicized online referendum from a slate of candidates who embody the values, ambitions and ethics upon which this country was founded. Welcome to that voting booth. Explore the site, familiarize yourself with the candidates, learn a thing or two about our currency and what it stands for. And leave with satisfaction of knowing that you've moved the country another vote closer to transforming American history into our story.

The nation's most famous suffragist, Susan B. Anthony, became the first woman to have her portrait on American coinage, not counting Lady Liberty, when President Jimmy Carter signed the law ordering a change in size, weight and design of the large Eisenhower one-dollar coin in 1978. But fewer than 800 million were minted before the public got sick of mistaking them for quarters. Congress then replaced the beleaguered silver SBA with a gold-colored dollar depicting another legendary woman, Shoshone Indian guide Sacagawea, who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition. That coin appeared January 27, 2000. But when the change was ordered, Congress had decreed that the SBA dollars remain in circulation. Still, neither coin saw popular use, other than in vending machines and transit fare boxes. By 2012, the Mint produced a mere 3 million Sacagaweas. So, here's a better question: when did YOU last use a lady dollar? How about a $20? There is one other woman on a coin today: Hellen Keller on the reverse side of the Alabama quarter. The only other women coins are commemorative issues.

2020: The Centennial

Why Replace Andrew Jackson?

The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment that granted women the right to vote. So it seems fitting to commemorate that milestone by voting to elevate women to a place that is today reserved exclusively for the men who shaped American history. That place is on our paper money. And that new portrait can become a symbol of greater changes to come. Let's make the names of female "disrupters" -- the ones who led the way and dared to think differently -- as well-known as their male counterparts. In the process, maybe it will get a little easier to see the way to full political, social and economic equality for women. And hopefully it won't take another century to realize the motto inscribed on our money: E pluribus unum, or "Out of many, one."

Two popular reasons are gaining traction: • Andrew Jackson was celebrated for his military prowess, for founding the Democratic party and for his simpatico with the common man. But as the seventh president of the United States, he also helped gain Congressional passage of the "Indian Removal Act of 1830" that drove Native American tribes of the Southeastern United States off their resource-rich land and into Oklahoma to make room for white European settlers. Commonly known as the Trail of Tears, the mass relocation of Indians resulted in the deaths of thousands from exposure, disease and starvation during the westward migration. Not okay. • Some argue that because Jackson was a fierce

Women On The Money

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opponent of the central banking system and favored gold and silver coin or "hard money" over paper currency, he is an ironic choice for immortalization on our money.

The Design Process & Timeframe We envision the Treasury issuing the new $20 bill in time for the 100th anniversary, in 2020, of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. So we need to start now because once the Treasury Secretary sets the process in motion, both the design and minting process take time. According to the Department of Treasury Bureau of Engraving and Printing: "Currency is designed with a purpose. When redesigning a note, designers strive to convey a dignified image that reflects the strength of the American economy; retain familiar characteristics that identify a note as American currency; incorporate the latest anti-counterfeiting features; and consider how details such as outlines, tone, and shading will 'translate' when engraved and printed on an intaglio press."

The Process Fortunately, it doesn’t take a messy act of Congress to change a portrait on paper money. It requires an order from the Secretary of the Treasury. With the stroke of a pen, the President can direct the Treasury Secretary to make the change. President Obama already has publicly expressed an interest in featuring more women on our money. With at least 100,000 votes, we can get the President’s ear. That’s how many names it takes to petition the White House for executive action.

Two Rounds of Voting Here's how it works... We've designed the movement to resemble a political campaign and to include the greatest number of citizens in the voting process. The steps are simple: 1. Primary Voting. You may vote for three of 15 candidates who emerged from a diverse group of 30 women in a "caucus" phase of voting involving more than a dozen women’s historians, academicians and museum curators. Our voting platform is designed to ensure that each participant records just one ballot. 2. Final Round Voting. When the Primary winners are announced, return to the voting booth to cast your ballot for one of the top three finalists. You also will have the choice of a fourth candidate, with the recent inclusion of Cherokee Nation Chief Wilma Mankiller. 3.Decision Day. On Decision Day, we will announce the people's choice for the woman we’ll propose to President Obama for the new face of the $20. Whoever is chosen,* we are confident she will embody the values, ambitions and ethics upon which

this country was founded. And we know she'll do us proud! Keep checking the site for updates of who is in the lead, and spread the word so that your favorite candidate wins! *All voting is confidential and verified by an independent database manager.

Join the Crusade Visit the Women On 20s website (www.womenon20s. org) and vote for your three candidates. Go the the Contact page and sign up (www.womenon20s.org/ feedback) to receive the campaign updates to know when to cast your second ballot. Then encourage your friends, family and outreach circles to vote in phase 1 to help reach the 100,000 vote goal by the end of April 2015.

Which African American Women are on the Ballot? We want you, the public, to decide from a slate of 15 inspiring American women heroes, of which, 5 are African Americans. Visit the voting booth to learn things about the candidates you never knew and get your questions answered about the whys and hows of our game plan. We believe this simple, symbolic and long-overdue change could be an important stepping stone for other initiatives promoting gender equality in this nation. Your vote matters. The African Americans on the ballot are: • Shirley Chisholm (1924 - 2005) • Sojourner Truth (c.1797 - 1883) • Rosa Parks (1913 - 2005) • Barbara Jordan (1936 - 1996) • Harriet Tubman (c.1822 - 1913) • • • • • • • • • •

The other candidates are: Alice Paul (1885 - 1977) Betty Friedan (1921 - 2006) Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964) Margaret Sanger (1879 - 1966) Patsy Mink (1927 - 2002) Clara Barton (1821 - 1912) Frances Perkins (1880 - 1965) Susan B. Anthony (1820 - 1906) Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962) Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815 - 1902)

It's our mission to generate an overwhelming people's mandate for a new $20 bill, to be issued in time for the 100th anniversary in 2020 of the Constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. We’re depending on you, the voters, to spread the word and spark a national conversation about respecting the accomplishments, power and influence of American women. That’s what will make this happen. 

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Women's History Month

First Lady Michelle Obama, left, waves while standing on stage with Making A Difference award winners, from left, Kaya Thomas, Chental-Song Bembry and Gabrielle Jordan during a taping of the Black Girls Rock award ceremony at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Newark. © AP Photo/Julio Cortez

ichelle Obama celebrated the beauty, power and tenacity of black woman while spreading her own message of education for girls at Black Girls Rock!, an annual event honoring trailblazing women of color from all walks of life. "No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, you are beautiful," Obama told the crowd, which included many young black girls. "I am so proud of you. My husband, your president, is so proud of you," she added. "We have so much hope and dreams for you." Obama was not among the honorees at the night's festivities, held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. That distinction went to actress Jada Pinkett Smith, singer Erykah Badu, actress Cicely Tyson,

"Selma" director Ava DuVernay, educator Nadia Lopez and Dr. Helene D. Gayle, president and CEO of CARE USA, a humanitarian organization. However, Obama was the most celebrated participant. Wearing a form-fitting white dress, she jammed to performances from the likes of Badu, Fantasia, Sheila E!, Estelle and others and applauding the honorees. But Obama got among the night's loudest ovations as she came on stage and declared "Black girls rock!" — the slogan and name of the organization founded by Beverly Bond, which is designed to uplift young black girls, a group often disenfranchised and who often find it difficult to find positive and reaffirming images of themselves in the world. Obama acknowledged as much in her speech to

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Michelle Obama Declares 'Black Girls Rock!' By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Entertainment Writer

celebrate three young honorees. "I know there are voices that you are not good enough," she said, acknowledging that she often lacked self-confidence growing up despite encouraging parents. "Each of those doubts was like a test," she said, "that I either shrink away from or rise to meet. And I decided to rise." Obama, who recently completed a trip to Japan and Cambodia as part of her worldwide push for better educational opportunities for girls, lauded the young honorees for excelling in their studies. "There is nothing more important than being serious about your education," the Ivy League-educated Obama said. "That's why I am able to stand here tonight. ... I want every one of our black girls do to the same, and our black boys." Obama's speech was just one of many highlights of the nearly four-hour event, which will be shown Saturday, April 5, on BET. Will Smith gave an emotional tribute to wife, Jada Pinkett, who received the Star Power award. Smith alluded to persistent rumors that the couple's marriage was in trouble. He said when one rumor got out of control he had a chance of reflection. "In that brief moment my heart jumped for a second and I started to imagine what my life would have been

like without that woman," he said as the couple's daughter, Willow, beamed from the audience. When Pinkett Smith accepted the honor, she alluded to recent slights of black girls and women — including a college baseball player's slur against Little League pitcher Mo'ne Davis — as reasons why Black Girls Rock! is necessary. She also implored black women to celebrate and be aware of their own strength. "I need you to understand that we are the women who marched from cotton fields into fields of medicine ... politics ... entertainment," she said. "We have found a way to march into a White House." Cicely Tyson also spoke to the resiliency of black women as she accepted her legacy award from hosts actresses Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King. "The moment anyone tries to demean or degrade you in any way, you have to know how great you are," Tyson said. "Nobody would bother to beat you down if you were not a threat." Ava DuVernay, whose civil rights drama "Selma" received an Academy Award nomination, making her the first black woman to notch such an achievement, name-checked a host of other black filmmakers in her speech as she accepted her Shot Caller aware, and implored women to "figure out what you need to do to be the heroine of your own story." The show peppered songs from entertainers like Jill Scott, Estelle and others with inspiring stories from the award winners. One of the members of the group Sister Sledge sang the song "We Are Family," with the refrain "I've got all my sisters with me," as the audience grooved along. And sisterhood was the spirit of the evening, evident when Obama came on stage to close the show with all the honorees. When an embarrassed King flubbed a line, Obama gave her a hug and then jokingly rubbed her back. The actress and director then shouted with glee, "I've got Mrs. Obama pumping me up!"  www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ michelle-obama-declares-black-girls-rock/arAAa9QEc?ocid=mailsignout www.blackgirlsrock.org

45  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Women's History Month

Loretta Lynch Survives Deeply Partisan Vote, Wins Confirmation as Attorney General First black woman is civil rights milestone By Stephen Dinan

oretta Lynch won confirmation as the new attorney general on April 23, 2015, surviving a deeply partisan vote that reflected Republicans’ anger at President Obama more than worry over Ms. Lynch, who will be the first black woman to hold the top law enforcement post. She will replace Eric H. Holder Jr., who had a historic but rocky six years as Mr. Obama’s first attorney general, and Ms. Lynch will be charged with continuing the defense of the White House’s executive actions that have sparked repeated legal battles with Congress and the states. “America will be better off,” Mr. Obama said in a statement after the confirmation vote, saying her role in picking judicial nominees, enforcing voting rights laws and pursuing counterterrorism cases means she’ll touch the lives of all Americans. “Loretta’s confirmation ensures that we are better positioned to keep our communities safe, keep our nation secure and ensure that every American experiences justice under the law.” Black female House members packed the back of the Senate chamber to observe the historymaking vote, and greeted Ms. Lynch’s Democratic supporters in the Senate with hugs and cheers. Ms. Lynch cleared the Senate on a

56-43 vote, with all of the opposition coming from Republicans, who said they hope she proves their fears wrong. “I hope she can recover from her testimony, where she seemed to embrace the president’s illegal executive action [on immigration] without regard to the fact that it is a constitutional overreach,” said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican who voted against Ms. Lynch. Mr. Obama had nominated Ms. Lynch in the wake of last year’s elections, hoping for quick action. But Democrats, who controlled the Senate during the lame-duck session of Congress, put off action on her, believing she would easily clear when the GOP took control in January. Instead she languished as both sides clashed over abortionfunding provisions in an anti-human trafficking bill. An agreement finally cleared that snag, setting up the final Lynch vote. Democrats called the delays a black mark for Republicans, whom they accused of thwarting civil rights history. “At long last this embarrassment for the Senate is over, and this triumph for the American people will occur,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat. Ten Republicans, including

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, voted to confirm Ms. Lynch, with many of them saying they believed she would be better than Mr. Holder. But others said that wasn’t enough. “Ms. Lynch has demonstrated tremendous intellect, a willingness to be a strong federal prosecutor and a proven record of commitment to public service, but her confirmation to be our nation’s top law enforcement officer does not exist in a vacuum,” said Sen. Tim Scott, of South Carolina, the chamber’s only black Republican. “At the end of the day, Ms. Lynch demonstrated that she will not be the independent voice that our country needs.” Ms. Lynch grew up in a North Carolina still struggling with civil rights issues, including at her high school, where she was the school’s valedictorian — but officials, wary of having a lone black honoree, decided she needed to share the top billing with two other students. She graduated from Harvard College and got her law degree from Harvard Law School, and has twice served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York — first under President Clinton and beginning again under Mr. Obama. Ms. Lynch also couldn’t think of any areas where she had made mistakes other than on cybersecurity, where she said she’s

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done a great job, but wished she’s gotten on top of the issue even earlier. Democrats said opposing Ms. Lynch because she defended the president was a troubling precedent to set. “This defies common sense,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, Missouri

Democrat. “You must vote against a nominee for the Cabinet of the duly elected president of the United States because she agrees with the duly elected president of the United States? Think of the consequences of that vote. Think what that means to the future of advise and consent in the Senate.”

But Republicans said her agreement with Mr. Obama went beyond normal bounds and suggested she would not be the independent officer they insisted the attorney general needs to be. www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/ apr/23/loretta-lynch-confirmed-attorneygeneral-replacing/?page=1

47  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

BBN Biz Notes By Black Business News Staff

Nouveau Marketing Key to Business Growth in 2015 and Beyond

n 2015, it's the marketer's job to control the flow of information about and around your products and/or services. From the ads you're running to your search results on Google, from the articles and content that define your industry to the social media chatter about your company and the competition— that's all the marketer's realm today. From prospect to purchase (or very nearly purchase, depending on your sales cycle) marketing is, in fact, more responsible for getting money in the door than nearly every other unit of the business. It's on you to create a favorable environment for the company to thrive in.  www.targetmarketingmag.com/ article/the-year-marketing-takespower/1

U.S. Venture Exchanges

Although Congress passed a law in 2012 designed to help small companies raise capital and go public by easing certain burdens, many say the measures fall short and that more must be done. Venture exchanges typically have not fared well in the United States, though there has been some success in Canada. Canadabased TMX Group runs a venture exchange that counts 80 U.S. firms among its 2,200 listings, its chief executive, Lou Eccleston, said in a recent interview.  www.reuters.com/ article/2015/02/20/sec-exchangesidUSL1N0VU1VU20150220

www.ustda.gov

Bid Opportunities Still Available for Brazil 2016 Olympics A visit to the Olympic games page for Brazil on www.export.gov will provide you with a comprehensive overview to Brazil and the Olympic games plan. Topics include how to do business in brazil, trade events, research on Brazil and more.

USTDA To Highlight Innovation in Global Aviation on Social Media in April Throughout the month of April, USTDA will utilize #ExportsTakeFlight on Twitter and Facebook to highlight its aviation activities around the world. Given the Agency’s critical role in linking U.S. companies to global infrastructure opportunities, the

.S. regulators are considering taking steps to promote the creation of "venture exchanges" (http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Venture_capital) that aim to help smaller companies get listed and actively traded, said Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White. "Clearly what we are looking at is how do we improve ... the liquidity for the securities of small companies," she said. White did not elaborate on what next steps the SEC may take concerning venture exchanges, and it is unclear whether there would be enough support on the five-member commission for new rules on venture exchanges.

facebook.com/USTDA) using the #ExportsTakeFlight hashtag to follow USTDA’s partnershipbuilding activities this month. 

Check out the most recent event newsletters to see what bids are still open. Don't miss this business building opportunity.  www.export.gov/brazil/games/ eg_br_080260.asp

viation sector has historically aviation been a key component of USTDA’s portfolio. Join the conversation on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ USTDA) and Facebook (www.

48  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

A Page From Our American Story

Lonnie Bunch, museum director, historian, lecturer, and author, is proud to present A Page from Our American Story, a regular on-line series for Museum supporters. It will showcase individuals and events in the African American experience, placing these stories in the context of a larger story — our American story.

n the first half of the twentieth century, Americans became fascinated with photo journalism. Pictures were literally “worth a thousand words” as full-color magazines and tabloid newspapers became the rage. Publications targeted to African American audiences that featured illustrations and photographs began appearing in the early 1900s. One of the earliest to effectively use illustrations and photography was The Crisis, the official publication

of the NAACP. Seeking to educate and inform its readers with scholarly articles, the covers of the journal and its entertainment section were designed to appeal to the masses of African Americans. In the 1930s, we see pictorial magazines such as Abbott’s Monthly, published by Robert Sengstacke Abbott, the founder of the Chicago Defender newspaper, and Flash, which billed itself as a “weekly newspicture magazine.” Published in Washington, DC, Flash contained a mixture of news, gossip and advertisements and articles on racial issues, providing an overview of the highs and the lows of Black life in the 1930's. In 1942, African American businessman John H. Johnson founded the Johnson Publishing Company, a corporation that would go on to publish the well-known magazines Ebony, Jet, Tan, and

Ebony Jr. The magazines promoted African American achievements and affirmative black imagery in popular culture, which appealed to readers … and to advertisers. Mr. Johnson was a savvy businessman and used the statistics of a rising black middle class to persuade companies and businesses that it was in their economic “self-interest” to advertise in his magazines to reach African American consumers. With the success of the Johnson Publishing Company’s magazines, other magazines targeted to African Americans quickly came on the scene. For example, in 1947 Horace J. Blackwell published Negro Achievements, a magazine highlighting African American success articles and featuring reader-submitted true confessions stories. After Blackwell died in 1949, a white businessman named George Levitan bought

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the company and renamed the publication Sepia. This publication featured columns by writer John Howard Griffin, a white man who darkened his skin and wrote about his treatment in the segregated South, that eventually became the best-selling book Black Like Me. Whether featuring positive

images of African Americans, inspiration stories, news features or commentaries on racism, the rise of African American magazines defied long-held racial stereotypes through rich storytelling, in-depth reporting, and stunning photography. Due to a variety of economic, editorial, and other factors, most

of these magazines have ceased being published. Yet today some African American magazines are still a thriving part of popular culture. Johnson Publishing Company’s Ebony and its digital sites reach nearly 72% of African Americans and have a following of over 20.4 million people. 

Eighth Annual Forum on Women in Leadership: Then and Now: Women in Civil Rights Leadership Thursday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. EDT National Archives and Records Administration William G. McGowan Theater 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408 Free Admission. Reservations recommended. From the early days of the Civil Rights movement, African American women have worked and served in numerous and influential leadership roles. A panel discusses their personal journeys and the advice they would offer to young women in the struggle for equality. Moderator: Melissa V. Harris-Perry. Panelists include Joyce Ladner, sociologist and civil rights activist; Avis Jones De-Weever, former executive director, National Council of Negro Women; and Charlene A. Carruthers, national director, Black Youth Project 100. All public programs at the National Archives are free and streamed live online via the National Archives’ YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/usnationalarchives). Reservations are recommended. Please register at https://giving.archivesfoundation.org/publicprograms, and bring your printed email confirmation with you. You may also reserve by calling the National Archives at 202-357-6814. Walk-ins without reservations may be admitted if seats are available.

www.facebook.com/pages/Los-Angeles-Worlds-Fair/543396465697684

www.laworldsfair.org

Business Focus: Empire

The Scandalous Empire From Ron Busby, Sr., President, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

ccording to a Nielsen consumer report, African Americans are voracious consumers of media, watching 37% more television than any other slice of American demography. While that's not new news, it is disturbing that we don't completely understand the connection between our TV consumption and the huge profits

generated by our connection to television. To be fair, some TV programming can actually be beneficial. The recent

coverage of the 50th Anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" opened the eyes of generations of Americans who were unaware of the brutality of racial oppression in America. Much of television, however, is simply escapist entertainment for us, but a tremendous cash cow for programmers and advertisers. Take for example Empire on Fox. The network is known for its history

off racist i banter b and d has h exploited l i d Black America while simultaneously benefiting from Black consumers. Statistics show that Empire is Fox's highest grossing show in three

years, which translates into a huge pay off for Fox.

How Big? How about the $45.2 billion Comcast/Time Warner merger? How about the $48.5 billion AT&T acquisition of DirecTV or the estimated $1.3 trillion dollars spent by Black consumers? Not to mention the $20 billion lawsuit filed by the National Association of African American Owned Media and Entertainment Studios Networks, against Comcast, Time Warner, and other civil rights organizations as party to a plan to ensure that profits from Black viewership continue pouring into the same pockets? We've watched with interest and commented on this situation in an earlier President's Message, but the situation has not improved. We will reserve judgment on the soundness of Entertainment Studios Network's CEO Byron Allen's pending legal action, but there are a few things of which we are absolutely certain: • NO TELECOM GIANT has a plan for meaningful participation/ inclusion of Black business in their day-to-day procurement activity; • NO PROGRAMMING GIANT has a plan to include, develop or support the development of positive Black portrayals to any meaningful degree; • NO CABLE/PayTV provider makes programming targeting Black consumers available at their basic service level - requiring their BEST CONSUMERS pay extra to view their favorite shows; • NO ADVERTISER using the TV/ PayTV medium includes Black business in any significant way in the development, production, delivery/distribution of their products to this loyal consumer base.

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Business Focus: Empire

Empire: The African American 'Dynasty' by Belinda Ware

hen it comes to primetime dramas on television in today's market, Empire is the break away hit series that surprised the industry at large for its explosive break out success on its premiere. Empire puts a face on urban America addressing the modern influences within the culture of today's African Americans and the challenges that we face to live the American dream in Hollywood and beyond. At the helm of the creative force of the series is the conceptual drive of the show's director, Lee Daniels. The series is rated as the most watched series on television as a new series with viewership growing in the millions since its premiere. With the launch of the January 7th episode, the show drew 9.9 million viewers growing over 2 million more viewers in less than two months of the show's season run. The acting is so natural that it

What's Next? Telecom companies and consumer product companies are gearing up for an assault on your wallets like nothing you've ever seen, and if you're riveted by the latest episode or game-of-theweek, you may not even notice your pocket being picked. Decisions about your money are being made right now. These decisions are being made by people

seems like the show is a reality show. The chemistry between Terence Howard and Taraji P. Henson along with Daniels' dynamic directing style has created an exceptional storyline brought to life through actors who make it all real for viewers to get excited about. The show's storyline contains suspense, mini scandals and action packed surprises that keep viewers on their feet appealing to all age groups from teens to adults. Empire's key to success is its reality driven story line. The show tells stories that relate to 62% of its viewership which represents African Americans as well as its 38% of multicultural viewers. The show tells the story of African American families who confront sibling rivalry, the conflicts between African American men and women in the corporate world and other

current hot topics. With the success of Empire and shows like it that include storylines of the African American culture, the power and loyalty of majority African American viewerships are seen in the continued top ratings of these shows that tell the stories that mirror the culture that has not been represented as widely as it is until these series hit the air. As a Fox network show with over 9 million viewers when it hit the air, Empire is the new primetime hit breaking rules and records in its success while mirroring the culture and conflicts of African Americans and the current world we live in. Its success speaks volumes for the need for more African American programming like it with a reality foundation while filling a demand that has been waiting for content like itself for a long time. 

who don't know you, and whose only interest is how long you're in front of your TV before you go buy the products they sold while you were watching. We understand it's about business - BIG business. We also understand that it is Black consumers' money that makes the business so big. But if Black businesses don't flourish as a result of all this activity designed to move dollars out of Black pockets... well, we'll be back to Good Times

in the projects instead of building Empires. All the more reason to invest money into the Black community. If you can devote time to watching your favorite television show, then you can also devote time to buying from your local Black businesses. Make #Blackdollarsmatters not just a hashtag, but a way of life.  In the Spirit of Success, Ron Busby, Sr. www.usblackchambers.org

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Business Focus: Empire

The ‘Empire’ Effect: is the Sudden Diversification of TV Really a Thing?

is the season where black is back on the small screen. Apparently, the floodgates have burst open for minority actors in on TV, thanks in part to a phenomenon started by Shonda Rhimes (buoyed by showrunners like Mara Brock Akil and even Tyler Perry) and cemented by the juggernaut success of Fox’s breakout hit, Empire. Actually we’ve been keeping track, and there are indeed scads of new vehicles with black leads being shot and greenlit every day — with pilots and pickups attached to everyone from Snoop Dogg and Issa Rae at HBO, to Meagan Goode and Craig Robinson over at NBC (with Goode also shooting a pilot for Fox). Laverne Cox has been cast in CBS’s Doubt, Anika Noni Rose and Phylicia Rashad in Ava Duvernay’s For Justice, Paula Patton in ABC’s Runner, Yaya DaCosta and S. Epatha Merkinson in NBC’s Chicago Med, Rockmond Dunbar in Love Is a Four Letter Word, and Morris Chestnut in an unnamed drama procedural on Fox. Hell, even Michael K. Williams has two shows that he’s starring in this year. While these shows haven’t yet become series, the trend is actually taking place with Empire‘s Terrence Howard having a supporting role on Fox’s Wayward Pines and Keke Palmer co-starring on Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens. This is in addition to shows already on air with more diverse casts. Most (sane?) people see

and [the unaired pilot for] Beverly Hills Cop,” says Morales. “So it all depends. If it gets picked up, then the question is when is it going to air, and can it gain its audience.” Pilot season is notoriously fickle, and the place where many a producers dreams are dashed along with the cold hard facts of reality. That is – there are only so many hours of programming on TV; in addition to that, once the show is made, will it last? (See: Meagan Good two years ago with Deception) “Getting it made is great, but then it becomes a question of getting it on, and gaining an audience and sustaining audience,” explains

this as a good thing — not only for African Americans and other people of color who have been in an image desert for years, but for everyone — and reflective of a nu-American ideal that doesn’t place straight whiteness as the center of normal. And frankly, whether this is happening because of a “trend” or a straight money grab (word is Empire commanded $600,000 per 30-second spot for its finale), we’ll take it. Yet the question must be asked, will there really be an influx of new black shows on TV anytime soon? Sure, a bunch of things have been announced, and there are an unprecedented number Trevor Noah, The Daily Show of pilots with black leads cast and shot, but really, does this mean your television set Morales. “There are a lot of series will be blacker than a Saturday that are getting talked about, but afternoon at The Universoul they don’t bring in the numbers.” Yet, Circus? Morales does point to the role that Wilson Morales, the editor of social media has in buoying these BlackFilm.com, who has been in shows, and even to Scandal’s expert in “ethnic television” for more bumpy road until #BlackTwitter than a decade, says that there’s a grabbed a hold of it. long way from announcement to So, those of us with sense wait screen. anxiously to see if television this year “It’s great to hear these shows will live up to its promise of a more being built around a black lead, but diverse season. Announcements people forget Angela Bassett shot like Trevor Noah taking over The a pilot years ago where she was Daily Show give us hope, and so supposed to play a CIA director. we are cautiously optimistic that Martin Lawrence came back last American TV land will live up to its year with Kelsey Grammer on FX beautiful hype.  and that show didn’t do well. The http://decider.com/2015/03/30/thesame with Brandon T. Jackson empire-effect-diversity-on-tv

54  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Government Procurement Conference U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. in partnership with the Federal Business Council

The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. partners with the Federal Business Council to promote

The 25th Anniversary Government Procurement Conference Wednesday, April 15th! Don't miss your chance to forge partnerships with the Federal Government and its prime contractors. Register at www.fbcinc.com/procurement 

55  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Quote of Note "Having good men in positions of power and authority who are willing to fight for what's right -- that's a rare thing. That's a powerful thing. It's something that shapes our future in ways we don't even understand."

Barack Obama 59  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

How to Find a Business Mentor From The Startup Collective

tarting a business (http:// startupcollective.com/ starting-up-6-questions-totackle-first) is one of the hardest things you’ll do. When things go well, it’s also one of the most rewarding experiences you can possibly have. But if you don’t have a killer support network to help you through the hard times and celebrate the wins, it can get pretty lonely. And we’re not just talking about family and friends (though they matter a lot) — we’re talking about informal and formal advisors, mentors, peers and even colleagues, who know what starting up is actually like. Both the ugly, scary parts (like the late nights working alone) and, later, the wins: the reason you’re so elated over, say, a term sheet … or an awesome new hire you’ve been gunning for. Mentors are the people who can steer you in the right direction. They can tell you when your idea is crazy good or just plain crazy. They can help you get to the point where you even know how to look at a term sheet or an employment contract. And they can help you make the right connections to the people who may someday change the course of your business — investors, other mentors, potential partners, future colleagues. Ask any entrepreneur: Mentors and advisors are the unsung heroes of starting up. Here’s how to find yours:

Step 1: Get out there.

• 10 places to find a mentor (http:// startupcollective. com/10-waysto-find-yourmentorshipmatch) • 16 tips for networking smarter (http:// startupcollective. http://startupcollective.com com/16-simplewhere you’re heading and why. tips-for-networking-smarter) even (http://startupcollective.com/whyif you hate networking every-entrepreneur-must-learn• 7 steps to build the ultimate to-ask-the-right-questions) support network (http:// • Learn how to ask for advice startupcollective.com/7-waysbecause sometimes the biggest to-build-the-ultimate-supporthurdle is admitting you need network). help. (http://startupcollective. Step 2: Know what a good com/how-to-ask-others-formentor looks like for YOU — advice-4-tips-for-entrepreneurs) and how to ask for it. • Ask your mentor to hold • How do you know if they’re a you accountable, not just good fit? Top 3 criteria to look give generic tips (http:// for (http://startupcollective.com/ startupcollective.com/12-yechow-to-find-and-keep-your-idealwomen-on-the-traits-of-greatmentor) mentors) • 5 strategies to find your ideal • And remember: Always, always, mentor (http://startupcollective. always give first, THEN ask! com/5-strategies-for-finding(http://startupcollective.com/ your-ideal-mentor) hint: tell how-to-find-and-keep-your-idealpeople you’re looking! mentor) • Video: the 5-minute rule for Finally, remember this: collecting finding a business mentor advice isn’t enough (http:// (http://startupcollective.com/ startupcollective.com/3-piecesthe-5-minute-rule-for-finding-aof-hard-won-startup-advice). You business-mentor-video). have to learn by doing — so get Step 3: Make the relationship out there and prove yourself (http:// work — for you, AND for your startupcollective.com/5-tips-formentor. young-entrepreneurs-who-want-to• Learn to ask the right questions be-taken-seriously).  of YOURSELF first — advice is http://startupcollective.com/resources/ more meaningful when you know find-mentor

60  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

RIO 2016 OLYMPIC OPPORTUNITIES Stay Current through the Olympic Newsletter: http://www.export.gov/brazil/games/eg_br_080260.asp Current tenders can be found at: http://portaldesuprimentos.rio2016.com/en/status/of/the/bids For information on the Games visit http://export.gov/brazil/games/index.asp www.export.gov/brazil/games/eg_br_080260.asp

Grow With

A crowdfunding platform for projects and ideas benefiting the AfricanAmerican community. www.blackstartup.com

Sell Your Products & Services on

61  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Google Apps you Probably Don't Know About By Julie Bort

oogle has big plans for its Microsoft Office killer, Google Apps. It hopes to nab 80% of Office users away from Microsoft. To do that, Google isn't just matching some of Microsoft's Office's best features, it is adding a bunch of cool features of its own. Some of them can be pretty hard to find. So we asked Google to send us a list of some the best little-known features in Google Apps (plus we threw in a few of our Business Insider favorites).

Call Back an Email you Already Sent In Gmail, you can undo a sent email. To set up the "Undo Send" feature, first decide how long you’d like Gmail to hold your mail before actually sending it off. • Select Settings. • Click the gear in the top right .

• Click the Labs tab. • Find the "Undo Send" lab and select the Enable radio button. • Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

Suggest Changes in Someone Else's Documents With Google Docs, two or more people can work on a document together, live. But if you don't want to make a permanent change to someone else's document, you don't have to. Anyone that has "commenting access" can use the "Suggest Edits" feature instead (similar to Microsoft's "track changes" feature). Edits can be accepted or rejected with a single click. And if you convert a Microsoft Word file to Docs (or vice versa), your tracked changes will convert as well. Click on the little green editing icon

in the upper-right of the document to access Suggest Edits.

Add Royalty-free Images to Documents and Presentations If you need pictures to spice up your work, you can choose from a bunch of royalty-free images in Docs and the Slides presentation software. Just click Insert > Image > Search > Stock images to browse. If you are looking for an image to doctor, try searching the "Life" image database, too.

Use Google Search Inside of Documents and Presentations Open the Research Tool in Google Docs (Tools menu > Research) and find all sorts of scholarly articles on Google. You can also search for quotes, images, tables, or just search the Web. Often, if you can click on a result, you will be given the option to drag the result right into your paper or to cite it.

Use Individual Mobile Apps for Docs, Sheets, and Slides With the mobile apps for Docs, Sheets and Slides, you can work in real time with your coworkers on your Android or iOS device. These apps also make it easier to find a specific type of document stored in your cloud and let you create (and sometimes edit) documents even if you aren't online.

Send Email from Different Email Addresses There are times when you want to send email from a different address, such as when you are 62  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

sharing a corporate address or using a personal email address, or when assistants are answering their boss's email. You can set up Gmail to send messages and replies from alternative accounts. Go to Settings (click the gear in the top right ) > Accounts > Add another email address you own.

Your files will be viewable offline, as will email. You can edit offline (or write an email) and your changes will be saved and synced (or the email sent) when your internet connection comes back. If you don't use Chrome, you can also use the Google Drive app to view and edit Drive documents offline.

Double up on Security

Notifications." Instead of a pop-up, the title of the Google Calendar window or tab will blink in the background and the computer will make a more pleasant sound. From your calendar go to Settings (click the gear in the top right ) > Labs > Enable Gentle Notifications. Pro tip: there are a bunch of other cool features in the Labs setting, like automatically declining invites when you are busy, day/ night calendar options, sending attachments with meeting invites, and more.

Your company can make you double up on security with Google Apps "two-step verification." But even if it doesn't, you should do this on your own. When turned on, it requires you to input a regular password, and a special one-time password sent as a text to your mobile phone. Every time you use a new computer it doesn't recognize, it sends a new one-time password. So bad guys can't get into your account on an unauthorized computer even if they learn your password. You can set it up to refresh once a month, so it doesn't bug you too often. From any Gmail, click on Settings (click the gear in the top right ) > Account > Click 2-Step Verification > Go through the step-by-step process. Pro tip: download and use the Google Authenticator app which gives you other options besides a text message to get the second password and allows you to login even when your device is in airplane mode.

Use This Trick to Access Your Files Offline

Turn Off Annoying Reply-all Messages

If you frequently find yourself in spots where the internet access is iffy (airports, the train) and you use the Chrome browser, use this trick to keep access to your cloud documents. Right before you unplug from the office network, sign into drive. google.com from Chrome.

Sometimes a "reply-all" message goes viral in your company and suddenly your inbox is filling up with replies from your co-workers on a topic that has nothing to do with you. To stop that, open a message in the string, click More > Mute and you'll no longer see new emails.

Get Kinder, Gentler Pop-up Notifications If you like pop-up notifications but don't like how they rudely interrupt whatever you're doing, try "Gentle

Print While Traveling Google Drive lets you print directly to a FedEx office. Click on the Print icon > Change printers > Print to a Fedex Office and you’ll receive a retrieval code that you can use to print out your job at more than 1,800 FedEx office locations.

Clean Up an Unruly Contact List With just a few clicks, Google will sift through your contacts, look for duplicates and merge them into a single contact file. From the Contacts app click on More > Merge contacts. You can merge them all or select the ones that should be united.

Scan Your Receipts With an Android App If you have receipts or other important printed documents that you want to save, you can turn your Android phone into a mobile scanner with the Drive app and upload them into Drive. Open the Drive app, click the plus (+) sign in the bottom right, and click Scan. iPhone users can use a number of scanner apps that will save to Drive (or other cloud storage options like Box), such as Scanner Pro.

Add all sorts of Extra Features Through Apps and Add-ons There are a ton of add-on apps that will give you extra features for Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, email, etc. Just log into your Google Apps account and then head over to the Google Apps Marketplace. You'll find free label printing apps, project management apps, calendaring apps, sales and marketing apps and so on. www.businessinsider.com/googleapps-little-known-features-20153?op=1

63  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Rainbow PUSH News:

The Reverend Jesse Jackson Scholarship

Apply Now

African Americans can apply for a full ride to GalvanizeU, Galvanize's in-person accredited master's program at our San Francisco campus

alvanizeU graduates will develop advanced skills in statistics, machine learning, coding, and other areas that will prepare them to meet complex business challenges with data science solutions. They will develop skills in the following key areas that high-performing data scientists in the industry have mastered:

Background knowledge Understanding the Statistics and Machine Learning that goes on underneath the algorithms a data scientist uses

Coding ability Comfort with the coding techniques and tools required to

build data science products

Hands-on industry experience The ability to work with real world clients, listen to business challenge and effectively transform and communicate how the challenge can be met with data science.

Get $48,000 of your tuition fees waived for our year-long program. Apply for consideration by sending the following information to: http:// datascience.galvanizeu.com/jessejackson-scholarship. First Name * Last Name * Email * Phone Number * Highest degree held *  www.galvanizeu.com

Prerequisites • A bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, information technology, mathematics, statistics, or science. • Successful completion of courses in statistics and databases, or proven experience. • Familiarity with basic coding and at least one programming language (we suggest Python).

64  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Wearable Computer Market Will Grow 38% in 2015 By Christopher Piehler

n a recent interview (www.gartner. com/newsroom/id/2989918), Annette Zimmermann, research director at technology research company Gartner, shared her outlook for the wearable computer market in 2015 and beyond. She said that Gartner foresess “strong growth” in wearables this year, with smartwatches, fitness bands and other trackers selling nearly 70 million units — up 38% from 2014. She added, “While the wearables market is currently a relatively low penetrated market, it has the opportunity to grow in double digits in the long term.” Accordingly, Gartner forecasts sales of wearables to reach 514 million units in 2020.

By Brad Reed

http://campustechnology.com/ articles/2015/02/26/wearable-marketoutlook.aspx

Zimmerman said that the Apple Watch (due to be released in April) is bound to raise awareness for wearables, and “Samsung, Sony, Lenovo and others will have to come up with more attractive products to compete. Aside from the hardware, vendors will emphasize their ecosystems as well as finding synergies in adjacent markets.” With a number of manufacturers building health platforms based on gathering data from users, Zimmerman said that, along with new business models, the coming years will see “discussion on how best to protect the sensitive data that is being collected from wearables. In addition,” she concluded, “there is still room for improvement for

Google to Become a Wireless Carrier oogle really is going to become a wireless carrier, although you shouldn’t expect it to have a major impact on the markets where it’s launched as Google Fiber has. During a talk at Mobile World Congress this week, Android and Chrome boss Sundar Pichai explained that Google is really going to become a mobile virtual network operation (MVNO) but added that for the time being it doesn’t have plans to build its own nationwide network capable of rivaling carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile.

most vendors to create more sophisticated apps and ecosystems around wearables.” 

In his talk, Pichai said that Google will “expect carrier partners to adopt” some of the practices it’s put forward in its own service, including the ability for Wi-Fi signals to automatically pick up phone calls if they’re dropped by carriers’ own LTE networks. “We want to experiment along those lines,” Pichai explains. “We don’t intend to be a network operator at scale. We are actually working with carrier partners. Will announce something in the coming months.” At any rate, it was never realistic

to expect Google to become a major wireless carrier outright since it obviously lacks the spectrum needed to pull off such a feat. We’ll be very interested to see how Google’s small-scale MVNO impacts the wireless industry in the coming months, if at all. http://news.yahoo.com/now-know-realreason-google-becoming-wirelesscarrier-140531193.html

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Business

INC 5000 2015 APPLICATION INVITATION Dear Business Leader, I want to cordially invite you to apply for one of the highest honors in business: inclusion in the 2015 Inc. 5000. For more than 34-years, the ranking has saluted the fastest growing private companies in America and is the best-known and respected such award in entrepreneurship. Companies that make the cut are recognized by everyone—peers, investors, vendors, customers and competitors—as extraordinary organizations at the top of their game. Go to www.Inc5000apply.com to apply online in just minutes. If you are proud of your company's growth in the past three years, we want to hear from you. Applying is easy and if you qualify for the list, you'll start reaping the benefits of your Inc. 5000 achievement right away, including: •Recognition and validation of your business success by the leading publication for entrepreneurs •Media exposure via national, local, and industry/trade outlets (in past years, the Inc. 5000 list has received over 35 million media impressions) •Opportunity to rank in your state, metro area, industry and other top lists •Editorial coverage in Inc. I encourage you to go to Inc5000apply.com to submit your application right away. The deadline for the 2015 list is April 30. We look forward to welcoming you into one of the most exclusive clubs in the world: the Inc. 5000. Sincerely, Eric Schurenberg President and Editor in Chief, Inc.

68  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Join the California Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation at the Annual

African-American Leadership

Weekend April 24-25, 2015 Holiday Inn-Capitol Plaza 300 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

SAVE THE DATE!!! Find More Info at: http://calbcc.org

69  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Phillip Washington to become LA Metro's new CEO By KPCC staff

hillip Washington, the head of Denver’s regional transit agency, has been appointed the next Chief Executive Cfficer of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Washington, CEO of Denver’s Regional Transportation District since 2009, has been picked to oversee L.A. County's transit agency, which boasts an average weekday ridership of 1.4 million, a fleet of 2,000 clean air buses, six rail lines and numerous construction projects, including five new rail lines, the I-5 widening and other major projects. “Phil Washington is the ideal person to manage our $36 billion transportation infrastructure program to ease congestion, cut smog and boost our economy for decades to come,” Mayor Eric Garcetti, who also chairs the Metro Board of Directors, said in a statement Thursday. In Denver, Washington helped oversee an agency budget of $2.8 billion and managed more than $5 billion in transit expansion projects during his watch, according to the statement. “I am excited to help Mayor Garcetti and the Metro Board deliver the best possible transit experience and infrastructure for the L.A. area,” Washington said. The two regional transit agencies share a number of similarities, according to Ethan Elkind, a researcher at UCLA and UC Berkeley law schools, who wrote a

history of Metro Rail called "Railtown." That could help to explain some of Washington's appeal. Both cities are in the midst of building booms that have been funded by sales tax measures. Measure R, a sales tax measure passed in 2008 that has helped fund dozens of transit, highway and other transportation projects in Los Angeles, was in fact modeled after the one in Denver, Elkind told KPCC's Steve Julian. "Washington has had to oversee this rail-building boom in Denver, make sure that it gets built on time and under budget, which has been a challenge there, frankly," Elkind said. In addition, Elkind said, such large-scale expansion brings with it a lot of political pressure. Residents across the region often want trains to come to their area, but railways can end up being placed in communities that are politically powerful even if it's not as cost effective to build there. "So it’s an unfortunate dynamic when you think of the best use of public funds, but it’s something that I think Washington hopefully will have experience [with] coming in to Los Angeles from Denver, with that same dynamic," Elkind said. According to Metro, Washington's achievements include: • Overseeing the completion of

RTD's West Line Rail eight months early and under budget and Denver Union Station five months early • An emphasis on safety training that led to a 40% decrease in preventable bus accidents in 2012 • An on-time bus and rail rate of 90% and a 96% ADA on-time performance in 2012 Washington is originally from the south side of Chicago and served 24 years in the U.S. Army, attaining the highest rank a noncommissioned officer can achieve, according to Metro.  www.scpr.org/ news/2015/03/12/50334/denvertransit-chief-to-become-metro-snew-ceo

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2015 Book World Prague Exhibit 5 Titles at the 2015 Book World Prague for $200 The U.S. Commerce Department is pleased to offer an opportunity to exhibit titles in our fourth annual Catalog Show at the Book World Prague event, which takes place May 14-17, 2015. We will help you gain and maximize your exposure in the Czech market and match your titles with interested publishers. No need to travel, just send us your catalogues and titles, and we will exhibit them for you. Czech Publishing Market A nation of avid readers, the Czech Republic ranks among the world¶s top countries in terms of the number of titles published annually per capita. Translations account for more than one third of the total Czech book production, and its share continues t o rise, ranking Czechs among the world¶s top consumers of translated texts. Best prospects for U.S. publishers in the Czech market: Contemporary American literature Social and Human Sciences Thrillers and Suspense books Spiritual and Self-Help Books Parenting, Family and Child Rearing Children¶s book series for ages 9-11 Cost:

Cost to register is $200 for up to 5 titles, and $40 for each additional title

Deadline to register is March 31, 2015 By exhibiting titles in the Prague Book Fair Catalogue Show, you will receive: -

Inclusion in the Prague Book Fair catalogue Targeted list of contacts Online promotion through our U.S. Embassy website Post-show follow-up and trade leads provided to U.S. participants For registration: Bobby Hines US Export Assistance Center ± DownTown Los Angeles Bobby.Hines@trade.gov Tel: 213-894-4231, FAX: 213-894-8789 For information about the Czech market and Book World Prague: Jana Ruckerova US Commercial Service in Prague, Czech Republic Jana.Ruckerova@trade.gov Tel: +420 602 419 134

Easter, Mother's Day

FOR

OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

Business

Faison Wealth & Retirement Regina Faison Senior Financial Advisor 3070 Bristol Street Suite 500 949-200-8212 714-329-7184 regina@faisonwealth.com www.faisonwealth.com

Financial Planning: Helping You See the Big Picture Do you picture yourself owning a new home, starting a business, or retiring comfortably? These are a few of the financial goals that may be important to you, and each comes with a price tag attached.

to prioritize your goals, implement specific strategies, and choose suitable products or services. Best of all, you'll know that your financial life is headed in the right direction.

That's where financial planning comes in. Financial planning is a process that can help you target your goals by evaluating your whole financial picture, then outlining strategies that are tailored to your individual needs and available resources.

The financial planning process

Why is financial planning important?

• Develop a clear picture of your current financial situation by reviewing your income, assets, and liabilities, and evaluating your insurance coverage, your investment portfolio, your tax exposure, and your estate plan • Establish and prioritize financial goals and time frames for achieving these goals • Implement strategies that address your current financial weaknesses and build on your financial strengths • Choose specific products and services that are tailored to meet your financial objectives • Monitor your plan, making adjustments as your goals, time frames, or circumstances change

A comprehensive financial plan serves as a framework for organizing the pieces of your financial picture. With a financial plan in place, you'll be better able to focus on your goals and understand what it will take to reach them. Common financial goals • Saving and investing for retirement • Saving and investing for college • Establishing an emergency fund • Providing for your family in the event of your death • Minimizing income or estate taxes

Creating and implementing a comprehensive financial plan generally involves working with financial professionals to:

Some members of the team The financial planning process can involve a number of professionals. Financial planners typically play a central role in the process, focusing on your overall financial plan, and often coordinating the activities of other professionals who have expertise in specific areas. Accountants or tax attorneys provide advice on federal and state tax issues. One of the main benefits of having a financial plan is that it can help you balance competing financial priorities. A financial plan will clearly show you how your financial goals are related--for example, how saving for your children's college education might impact your ability to save for retirement. Then you can use the information you've gleaned to decide how

Estate planning attorneys help you plan your estate and give advice on transferring and managing your assets before and after your death. Insurance professionals evaluate insurance needs and recommend appropriate products and strategies. Investment advisors provide advice about investment January 09, 2015 Page 1 of 2, see disclaimer on final page

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options and asset allocation, and can help you plan a strategy to manage your investment portfolio. The most important member of the team, however, is you. Your needs and objectives drive the team, and once you've carefully considered any recommendations, all decisions lie in your hands.

Why can't I do it myself? You can, if you have enough time and knowledge, but developing a comprehensive financial plan may require expertise in several areas. A financial professional can give you objective information and help you weigh your alternatives, saving you time and ensuring that all angles of your financial picture are covered.

Staying on track

Common questions about financial planning What if I'm too busy? Don't wait until you're in the midst of a financial crisis before beginning the planning process. The sooner you start, the more options you may have. Is the financial planning process complicated? Each financial plan is tailored to the needs of the individual, so how complicated the process will be depends on your individual circumstances. But no matter what type of help you need, a financial professional will work hard to make the process as easy as possible, and will gladly answer all of your questions. What if my spouse and I disagree?

The financial planning process doesn't end once your initial plan has been created. Your plan should generally be reviewed at least once a year to make sure that it's up-to-date. It's also possible that you'll need to modify your plan due to changes in your personal circumstances or the economy. Here are some of the events that might trigger a review of your financial plan: • Your goals or time horizons change • You experience a life-changing event such as marriage, the birth of a child, health problems, or a job loss • You have a specific or immediate financial planning need (e.g., drafting a will, managing a distribution from a retirement account, paying long-term care expenses) • Your income or expenses substantially increase or decrease • Your portfolio hasn't performed as expected • You're affected by changes to the economy or tax laws

A financial professional is trained to listen to your concerns, identify any underlying issues, and help you find common ground. Can I still control my own finances? Financial planning professionals make recommendations, not decisions. You retain control over your finances. Recommendations will be based on your needs, values, goals, and time frames. You decide which recommendations to follow, then work with a financial professional to implement them.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES Regina L. Faison Senior Financial Advisor Faison Wealth & Retirement Services C/O Woodbury Financial Services 3070 Bristol Suite 500 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Office Direct -949-200-8212 * Efax - 949-556-9806 * Regina cell - 714-329-7184 Customer Service Email- service@faisonwealth.com Ph# - 949-939-1194 Website - http://faisonwealth.com "Helping businesses and individuals achieve their life goals" Securities, and Investment Advisory Services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC and Registered Investment Advisor. Woodbury Financial Services P.O. Box 64284*St. Paul, MN 55164*-800-800-2638 Faison Wealth and Retirement Services and Woodbury Financial are not affiliated entities.

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Business

Fashion Week 2015: Serena Williams Presents Solid Collection By Lisa Marsh, Raakhee Mirchandani

erena Williams’ Signature Statement Collection debuted on day six of New York Fashion Week at Style360, and it was surprisingly good. Supported in the front row by Vogue’s Anna Wintour (a daily tennis player), recent U.S. Open competitor (and friend) Caroline Wozniacki, Marlon Wayans and more, this 18-time Grand Slam tennis singles champion showed she can be a fashion contender. The collection, which is already available on HSN (Home Shopping Network, www.hsn.com/shop/ serena-williams/6590), was filled with wearable pieces like faux textured leather leggings and kicky little skirts, great moto jackets and vests, and shaped knit shirts we will all want to wear.  www.nydailynews.com/life-style/ fashion/fashion-week-day-6-serenashows-player-article-1.1934172

Serena Williams Stuns in the April Issue of Vogue

erena Williams has shown time and again that her will to win is nearly unmatched, but she's showing off another side of herself in the latest issue of Vogue. The striking photos by Annie Leibovitz feature Williams in gorgeous gowns by Rag & Bone and Donna Karan.

Serena Williams is a bonafide fashionista. She's long made her design interests known. She currently has a line of clothing on HSN.  www.mycoloures.com/2015/03/serena-williams-stunsin-april-issue-of.html

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Thursday Blues at Uncle Darrow‛s High Noon-2pm Every Thursday

Come by for lunch and relax to blues & jazz from our house band! 2560 S. Lincoln Blvd. Marina del Rey North East corner of Washington & Lincoln

“LA Times Magazine favorite cajun food”

310-306-4862

www.uncledarrows.com 80  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Small Business Investment Companies (SBIC)

favorable rates through the federal government. •And the national economy benefits as the small businesses financed by SBICs continue to create jobs and generate tax revenues.

Where can I learn more? Visit the SBIC Program pages ( w w w. s b a . g o v / c o n t e n t / s b i c program-overview-0), including the FAQ, for more information about the SBIC Program. Still have questions? Email askSBIC@sba. gov. 

id you know that the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program has been helping high-growth small businesses get financing since 1958? That's right – for more than 50 years, SBICs have facilitated the flow of long-term capital to America’s businesses. There are thousands of small business success stories, but here are a few you probably recognize: Costco, Apple and Staples – just to name a few.

funds (the SBICs) that finance small businesses.

How does it work?

What are the perks?

SBA doesn't finance businesses directly. For the SBIC program, the Small Business Administration (SBA) partners with private investors to capitalize professionally-managed investment

•Small businesses can receive equity capital, long-term loans and expert management assistance. •Investment managers can add to their own private investment capital with funds borrowed at

MOBILE BLACK BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Download the App Add your Business Information Be found by new & old clients

DO IT TODAY! http://aroundthewayapp.com

http://trayvonmartinfoundation.org 82  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

How Smart Devices Can Rewire Business Processes By Samuel Greengard

ver the past few years, there's been no shortage of discussion—some might call it hype—about the Internet of things (IoT). The ability to connect people, devices and data is increasingly a key to cutting costs, improving business processes, and introducing entirely new ways to interact with customers, employees and business partners. "There is a growing recognition that the Internet of things will have a huge impact on business," says Craig McNeil, global IoT practice lead, Accenture Digital–Mobility. "But there are huge questions about how to navigate it." The truth is that key components of the IoT already exist: smartphones and tablets. These smart devices—and the anywhere, anytime connectivity they deliver— play a growing role in defining and redefining how communication, collaboration and transactions take place, as well as how data flows into and out of an organization. Simply put: Smart devices are at the center of a growing universe of machines, sensors and systems that radically rewire and redefine business processes and practices. As McNeil puts it: "It's not only a way to cut costs and achieve greater efficiency. If it's used to maximum advantage it can lead to entirely new capabilities and new revenue streams." What makes smart devices so powerful is the array of technologies, protocols and standards they support. The ability to connect communications platforms such

as WiFi, Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC) and cellular networks is transformative. The ability to use the sensors on a device and from external sources introduces exponentially greater gains. As Michael Liard, an independent

MOBILE BLACK BUSINESS DIRECTORY Download the App Add your Business Information Be found by new & old clients

DO IT TODAY! http://aroundthewayapp.com

hotel, located adjacent to Times Square in New York City, has 1,083 rooms, 64 suites and two major restaurants. "The reality is that almost every person who steps into the hotel has a smartphone in hand, and they are using it on a regular basis," points out John Yazbeck, director of sales and marketing. "Smartphones impact just about everything that takes place, from check-in to checkout. It's important to find ways to enhance the guest experience and make things as simple and pleasurable as possible." The hotel has introduced a number of features that tap into the power of smart devices. Using a technology platform from Guest Driven, it now offers an app that supports mobile check-in and check-out, room upgrades, requests for things such as blankets and pillows, and in-app purchasing from shops and restaurants. In addition, the Wyndham New Yorker is turning to beacons in public spaces so that it can send notifications and messages to guests. This makes it possible to inform guests of the historic property that they can visit a museum below the lobby. It is also used to offer promotions and coupons for the Wyndham's shops and restaurants, as well as outside retailers that partner with the hotel. In the future, the hotel may deploy smartphone-managed lock systems. Also, it will use data and analytics to better understand guests' needs so it can deliver a more personalized experience.

analyst and consultant, explains: "Advancing technology, better standards and lower cost points are revolutionizing and redefining Beyond the App To be sure, smart devices business." introduce an array of possibilities. Room for a View By tapping into geolocation The concept is at the center of an capabilities, accelerometers, emerging digital business strategy cameras, microphones, and for the Wyndham New Yorker various other chips and sensors, Hotel. The 43-story Art Deco-style it's possible to deploy new and

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Business useful features that wouldn't have been imaginable only a few years ago. Services and apps such as OpenTable, Lyft, MyFitnessPal, RedLaser, ParkNav and Shazam demonstrate some of the possibilities. Other apps and tools allow consumers to scan and deposit checks, transfer money to friends or colleagues instantly, order food and beverages for pickup, and view inventory and product availability in real time. In the B2B space, many businesses are introducing equally innovative features that redefine internal processes and extend into the supply chain. Accenture's McNeil suggests that business and IT leaders begin assessing the situation, while looking for new and creative ways to combine technologies that are embedded in smart devices with crowdsourcing, social media, RFID, beacons and more. It's critical to look for opportunities to test, pilot and deploy IoT technologies. The key, he says, is to understand how mobile technology and the IoT can serve as the catalyst for new revenue streams and greater value to customers and the business. In the end, this may require new skills, including hiring data scientists and analysts. It also may require new partnerships and alliances, as well as APIs that connect apps and data from different sources. "There are incredible benefits possible through the IoT and smart devices," McNeil concludes. "It's important to begin exploring how to maximize and monetize the space."  www.baselinemag.com/ networking/how-smart-devicescan-rewire-business-processes. html?utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=BL_NL_BB_20150326_ STR1L2&dni=228134946&r ni=25652266

It's impossible to know for sure.) Experts estimate the transaction was worth 421 million American Express points. That's enough for 28 million frequent flyer miles... or $180,000 worth of vouchers at Hong Kong retailer ParknShop. Soon after the auction, Liu used the points to fly his entire family round-trip from

Don't Overlook Your "Cashless" Currency Edited by J. Reeves

hat’s in your wallet? You may be sitting on tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of these... I’m talking about credit card “reward points.” Many credit cards offer these to encourage you to place charges on their accounts. And while you might not consider these points to be alternative currencies... you’d be mistaken. They can be used to purchase goods and services offered worldwide. Consider the case of Chinese art collector Liu Yiqian... Legacy Portfolio Chief Analyst Greg Wilson sent me the write-up below: Chinese multimillionaire art collector Liu Yiqian made history. He paid HK$281 million—or just over $36 million (HK$ is the symbol for Hong Kong dollars)—for an artifact known as the "holy grail" of antique Chinese porcelain. But the story doesn't end there. You see, Liu paid for his artwork in a most unusual way: He used his American Express Centurion Card. The "Black Card," holders have to pay a sizable $2,500 annual fee. But with that fee comes generous perks. Dedicated concierge and travel agents, personal shoppers at high-end retailers, and free nights at posh hotels are all on the list. And, of course, reward points on every dollar spent. Liu's pricey porcelain cup may have been the largest credit card transaction of all time. (American Express does not release information on individual transactions for privacy reasons.

Shanghai to New York. They stayed at the historic St. Regis hotel... courtesy of his rewards points, of course... Liu used his AMEX card to make the purchase in Hong Kong dollars... then used his rewards points to make purchases in both the mainland Chinese currency (the yuan) and the U.S. dollar. And all without banks or currency exchange fees... If you’re like most folks, you may be sitting on a pile of alternative currencies in your credit cards’ rewards points and not even know it. The Washington Post reports over one-third of the $48 billion in rewards points issued each year get wasted. You can optimize your credit card rewards points by understanding how you earn them and how you redeem them. To take advantage of the alternative currencies sitting in your wallet right now, click here (http:// thepointsguy.com) to access free, expert insight by “The Points Guy.” 

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Startups can apply to pitch during the Push Tech 2020 Summit at http://rainbowpush.buildup.vc

#PUSHTECH2020 2015 Startup Pitch Competition is open to early-stage startups from around the world looking to expose their startup to investors. Winning startups will receive a cash prize, oneon-one investor meetings and more! The #PUSHTECH2020 2015 Startup Pitch Competition is powered by the RainbowPUSH Coalition, BUILDUP.vc, CODE2040, the Latino Startup Alliance, and Black Founders. Applying companies for the pitch competition must have a founder pitching from an underrepresented group, be legally formed, and have raised less than $2.5 million. Startups can apply for the opportunity to pitch during the Push Tech 2020 Summit at http:// rainbowpush.buildup.vc. Detailed information on the PUSHTech2020 Summit may be found at http://www. rainbowpushsv.org/2015/02/2015-rainbow-push-silicon-valley-digital-connections-techconference. ď &#x192;

Staples Expands into Small Business Loans

ffice supply chain Staples has announced plans to help its core customers get loans without the hassle of a bank. Staples — which has purchased its sole remaining competitor, Office Depot, for $6.3 billion — has teamed with up online loan brokerage Lendio (www.lendio.com) to offer loans through on its web site. The new service will give Staples customers access to Lendio through Staples web site, Frank

Bifulco, executive vice president of global marketing for Staples said. The new service can be found at Staples.com/businessloans, he said. Lendio acts as an online broker that hooks people up with a variety

of possible loans, including peer-to-peer loans, lines of credit, cash advances and even traditional bank loans. A spokeswoman for Stables declinded to say what lenders Lenio has partnered with, but the company has been tied to peer-topeer lender OnDeck Capital in the past. For Staples, it's an easy way to help customers, many of whom have been facing difficulties getting bank loans since the financial crisis resulted in banks tightening the purse stings, said Bifulco. "We bring the reach and legitimacy and credibility of Staples and Lendio gives us the tech prowess," to help customers find loans, Bifulco said. Bifulco said Staples looked at 30 financial services firms

before deciding on Lendio. The Farmingham, Mass., company will not charge fees for the service, he said. "This was about us being able to better service our customers and hopefully they will use some of that money to continue to buy office supplies from Stapes," Bifulco said. Non-traditional lending has become a big business since the financial crisis. In December, LendingClub, a kind of Kickstarter for loans, raised about $1 billion in an initial public offering. And last year, Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey launched a cash-advance program for merchants called Square Capital as part of his effort to grow his startup Square, which processes payments for businesses. 

4 Crowdfunding Sites for Entrepreneurs

off of the price difference between their original purchases and the final selling price.

research, conducts testing to optimize conversion rates and a slew of other services.

MoolaHoop

Rockethub

MoolaHoop is a crowdfunding resource strictly for women. When a campaign goal is reached, supporters are charged their pledge and the entrepreneur has access to the funds. There is a 5% fee after total funds are raised and 2.6% credit card processing fee, plus $0.30 per transaction.

One of the perks of Rockethub is their partnership with A&E. Through the collaboration, stories from Rockethub’s entrepreneurs and innovators are told in over 100 million homes. For all goals reached on Rockethub, there is a 4% commission fee and a 4% credit card handling fee. If you don’t reach your goal, the commission is 8% and the credit card handling fee of 4% remains the same.

arely can an idea come to life without funding to support all of its startup and production costs. Here are four crowdfunding sites you may find useful in getting your business dreams off the ground.

Appbackr Appbackr exclusively funds mobile apps that are on the market or in the final stages of production. “Backrs” can make money, too, by buying as many copies of an app as they want. After the app is sold on a mobile platform, the “backrs” profit

Invested.In Think one-stop-shop when it comes to Invested.In. The resource raises funds for rising entrepreneurs, performs market

www.usatoday.com/story/ money/2015/02/24/staples-smallbusinessloans-lendio/23906825

www.blackenterprise.com/event/ crowdfunding-sites-entrepreneurs

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Business Technology:

Take a Look! by LaSandra Stratton

heck out what these firms and organizations have to offer for your personal interests, personal wealth building, and business expansion opportunities.

www.dasdak.com

asdak is a commerce platform that provides hundreds of items that can be ordered using a smartphone. Customers skip standing in long lines and the business makes a

sale that may have been missed. Dasdak offers a licensing model and user training so that a business may adapt the Dasdak platform to suit the business profile and customer consituency. The platform is "white-labeled" so that your customers see your business offerings not the Dasdak system. Some current uses for Dasdak include: ordering food and fans support items at stadiums and arenas, allowing dwellers in apartment/condo complexes to order a wide variety of services and goods, students and employees seeking training modules, or business clusters catering to their potential customer base.

Dasdak has proven to be a profitable tool for businesses serving a mobile and busy clientele.

www.viber.com/en/ products/windows

iber for Desktop lets you commjnicate to other Viber users, on any device and network, in any country!

Why Viber? • Free calls, text and picture sharing with anyone, anywhere! • Free text, calling, photo messages and location-sharing with Viber users* • No registration, alias or invitations required • Instantly integrates with your own contact list • Best-quality mobile calls using 3G or Wi-Fi The software is available for the three major platforms - Viber for Windows, MAC and Linux. Viber syncs your contacts, messages and call history with your mobile device. • Best-quality HD voice calls • Video calls • Text, photo and sticker messages • Full sync between your mobile and Windows • Transfer ongoing calls between devices

www.talko.com

alko is an app for mobile team communication, designed for your eyes, ears and voice not just your thumbs. Talko is a free app that lets groups of people talk, text and share photos. Talko unifies all the ways we talk: Calling meets messaging – anytime, anywhere, for the new style of work. In a conference call, everybody can see who else is in the call and who is speaking. The app records the calls, so if a team member can't attend or wants to review the meeting, he or she can listen to it after the fact and see and text messages or photos sent during the call. Participants can also bookmark key moments in the call to make it easier to review them afterwards. This is iPhone app is compatible with iPad and iPod touch. It is available through iTunes.

http://redlaser.com/

Download Viber, enter your phone number, and start connecting with your friends. The Viber Mac and Linux links are: www.viber.com/en/products/ mac, www.viber.com/en/products/ linux.

f your phone or tablet has a back camera, then you’ll be able to use this app (RedLaser Barcode & QR Scanner) that can scan barcodes and QR codes. Scanning a barcode or QR code can help you find additional information a b o u t an item, bargain shop, and m o r e . RedLaser is an easy-

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to-use scanner that markets itself as a way you can bargain shop by scanning barcodes to find local deals that are cheaper, but you can also scan QR codes for websites or videos with this app, too.

What are QR Codes? QR Code stands for Quick Response Code and they are small, like barcodes, but in a square shape with typically black and white dots filling up the square. QR codes started in the automotive and shipping industries used in the same way barcodes are, to allow

for people to scan and read more information about the item on which the code is pasted. But QR codes have now gone mainstream and are used in a variety of ways. You can see them on ads in magazines or on billboards where you can scan them to go to the products website or to get coupons for the product. You can also find them in presentations where you can scan them and be led to the presentation online or to a video. Here’s what a QR code looks like (this one brings you to the 23

Mobile Things homepage). 

Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

The UNCF/Koch Scholars Program (UKSP) is designed to teach students how to develop and apply an entrepreneurial mindset by exploring how the study of entrepreneurship, innovation and economics contribute to well being for individuals, communities and societies. Students, who are competitively selected to participate in this program, will receive: • Scholarship Support of up to $5,000/Year • Exclusive Access to an Online Learning Community About Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economics • Mentoring Opportunities and Networking Access

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Community/Public Interest

Working together to open the doors of education for girls around the world.

o educate a girl is to build a healthier family, a stronger community, and a brighter future. Unfortunately today, 62 million girls around the world are not in school. Half of them are adolescents. We know that countries with more girls in secondary school tend to have lower maternal mortality rates, lower infant mortality rates, lower rates of HIV/AIDS, and better child nutrition. But too often, a girl who

could change her world for the better is locked out of that future by the circumstances of her birth or the customs of her community. We know that a girl with an education can shape her own destiny, lift up her family, and transform her community. That is why President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be championing our efforts to help adolescent girls around the globe attend and complete

school through the Let Girls Learn initiative, which will build upon the public engagement campaign the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched last summer. Let Girls Learn is a government-wide effort that will leverage the investments we have made and success we have achieved in global primary school, and expand them to help adolescent girls complete their education. A key part of Let Girls Learn will be to encourage and support communityled solutions to reduce barriers that prevent adolescent girls from completing their education.

A Government-Wide Approach To Empower Girls Around the

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The Peace Corps: Peace Corps’ volunteers are already working side-by-side with families and community leaders. Through the grassroots development work that Peace Corps volunteers do each and every day, they are already positioned to work with communities to identify the barriers facing adolescent girls who want to attend, and stay in, school. Through the efforts of the First Lady—working with the Peace Corps—this new initiative will support communitygenerated and community-led girls’ education projects worldwide. • Training thousands of volunteers and tens of thousands of community leaders. • Collaborating with local leaders to identify community-based solutions • Recruiting, training, and placing hundreds of additional Peace Corps volunteers focused on advancing girls’ education and empowerment. Learn more about how the Peace Corps will empower its volunteers to serve as catalysts of community-

women around the world. Through Let Girls Learn, USAID will focus on increasing access to quality education, reducing barriers to success, and empowering adolescent girls. Learn more about USAID’s comprehensive efforts to give girls the education opportunities they deserve - www.usaid.gov/ letgirlslearn. U.S. Department of State: From achieving our foreign policy goals to mapping the future of global development, the Department of State recognizes that adolescent girls’ education is a powerful catalyst for good. As part of our work to advance shared peace, prosperity, and security, we’re building partnerships, implementing programs, and coordinating strategic efforts to address challenges facing adolescent girls globally - www.state.gov/s/gwi/ c62293.htm. Millennium Challenge Corporation: The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) recognizes that poverty reduction and economic growth are possible

led change on behalf of adolescent girls’ education - https://letgirlslearn. peacecorps.gov. USAID: Let Girls Learn builds on decades of work by USAID to improve the lives of girls and

when countries invest in educating their people. MCC invests in education projects to ensure that students obtain the foundational knowledge and skills needed to get better jobs and increase livelihoods.

World

As part of this effort, MCC also seeks to maximize girls’ and women’s educational opportunities and reduce missed potential by focusing on improving quality and access, developing capacities, training teachers and community leaders, and conducting policy reforms - www.mcc.gov/pages/ activities/activity/gender.

Join the Movement First let's learn more then let's sign up to keep the initiative going. President Obama & the First Lady Launch "Let Girls Learn": www.youtube.com/ watch?v=AuFQz1zbNog. Let Girls Learn Fact Sheet: www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/ files/image/files/let_girls_learn_ fact_sheet_03032015.pdf.

Get On The List to Help If we're going to transform girls' lives around the world, we need everyone—governments, organizations, community leaders, and individuals—to join us. Get involved: • Raise awareness by sharing the facts and using the hashtag #LetGirlsLearn on social media • Connect classrooms in the US with classrooms overseas through Peace Corps • Follow Peace Corps on Twitter: @PeaceCorps • Follow USAID Education on Twitter: @ USAIDEducation Sign on to be a part of Let Girls Learn, then share this with your friends. Send the following information to: www.whitehouse.gov/ letgirlslearn. You will be signing up for the Council on Women and Girls email list. Send your: Name, Email, ZIP Code, and Organization today.  www.whitehouse.gov/letgirlslearn

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CALL FOR PAPERS for the REDUCING URBAN POVERTY 2015 Graduate Student Paper Competition $1,000 Grand Prize To encourage a new generation of urban policy makers and promote early career research, USAID, International Housing Coalition (IHC), World Bank, the Wilson Center, and Cities Alliance are co-sponsoring the sixth annual paper competition for graduate students and seeking abstracts on urban poverty in the developing world. Abstracts due: May 15, 2015. To receive details send an inquiry to: UrbanPaperComp@ WilsonCenter.org. Papers must be linked to one of the following sub-topics: • Metropolitan Approaches for the Urban Poor • Making Smart Cities Inclusive • Innovation in Urban Water and Sanitation • Cities Through a Gender Lens Community/Public Interest-Obituary

Faithful BBA Member Genell Brown Dies

reative Arts entrepreneur and Black Business Association (BBA) member, Genell Brown passed

rrecently as a result of a long term ilillness. Mrs. Brown established Four S Seasons Productions in IInglewood, California to promote tthe sale of decorative items for tthe home and office; holiday cards a and ornaments, and dramatic artistic presentations for the nonfunctional fireplace. Mrs. Brown volunteered her services to the Black Business Association, headquartered in

Los Angeles, California, as a token of her appreciation for the support services provided to micro-businesses like hers by the business association. The Special Recognition Award was presented to Ms. Brown by the BBA in 2010 in recognition of the significant contributions and support she provided to the BBA and the African American business community over many years, in an exemplary manner. 

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Community/Public Interest-Obituary "She is my sister beloved who was my co-worker for more than 50 years," Rev. Jackson said in a statement. "She was a woman of unusual courage, character and ability." "She's Chicago's Rosa Parks, she's been the consistent fighter for justice," said Father Michael Pfleger, St. Sabina Catholic Church.

Rev. Willie Barrow Dies at 90

he was a civil rights icon hailed for her unwavering pursuit of justice. Reverend Willie Taplin Barrow died peacefully at home surrounded by family. Just a few months ago, Reverend Barrow celebrated her 90th birthday. Born December 17, 1924, she was raised in segregated Burton, Texas, on a farm with six siblings. "I grew up on a farm milking cows and picking cotton, and now I'm picking presidents," she said. "Her drive came from where she started and the things she saw in Texas and the names she was called and all the injustices she saw," said her pastor Rev. Jerald January, Vernon Park Church of God. Young Willie Taplin first became socially active as a student in the 1930s. At 10 years old, she walked ten miles to school while white students rode the bus. "My feet started hurting me one morning, and I jumped on the bus with the white kids, and they started screaming," she said. She married her late husband, Clyde Barrow, and moved to

Chicago in 1945. The two were married for 56 years -inspiring her book "How To Get Married... And Stay Married." Their son, Keith Barrow, died of AIDS at age 29. t th one of the first "I putt together quilts on AIDS in his name, and it's traveling around the world," Rev. Barrow said. Though Reverend Barrow was barely five-feet tall, the woman known as "the little warrior" stood shoulder-to-shoulder with giants in the Civil Rights Movement. The ordained minister served as a field organizer for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the 1950s and 1960s. Her work extended to the historic 1963 March on Washington and the 1965 March on Selma, Alabama. "When I got to Selma, everybody was out there. They said you cannot get off the bus because the Ku Klux Klan is here. They are out there. They're gonna shoot or kill anybody that's coming down to support Dr. King," Rev. Barrow said. Rev. Barrow spent the last several decades as co-chairperson of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. She had co-founded the predecessor "Operation Breadbasket" with Reverend Jesse Jackson. Rev. Barrow also served as campaign manager for Jackson's 1984 presidential bid.

Memorial Service In the spirit of a true organizer, Rev. Barrow actually planned her own funeral service. "An organizer doesn't leave anything to chance," said her friend Rev. Calvin Morris. "She is still leading us and giving us orders and directing us and doing the things she always did." The memorial service featured notables including Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan. "We come today to thank a servant that never stopped serving," Sharpton said. "She was an advocate for women," Farrakhan remembered, "and friends shared her message." Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel paid his respects, saying, "She led a remarkable life of progress that took her to every neighborhood of this city, to every corner of the country and, eventually, to every continent of our world." Her friends and adopted god children remembered her as a strong woman and a loving person. "She had a sharp tongue," said her great-grandniece Nicole Dunson, "but she meant what she said and she would want us to carry on her legacy."  http://abc7chicago.com/news/revwillie-barrow-dies-at-90/554968 http://abc7chicago.com/news/rainbowpush-to-host-celebration-of-rev-williebarrow-thursday/564728/

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Community/Public Interest-Obituary

African History Scholar Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan Passes at age 97

r. Ben-Jochannan, a renowned scholar of ancient African history, passed away on Thursday, March 19th in New York at the age of 97. Dr. Ben was a professor of history at Cornell University and at City College in New York City, and the author of nearly 50 books mostly covering the Nile Valley. The American historian and prolific writer was born in Ethiopia. His mother was Puerto Rican and his father was an Ethiopian. Before immigrating to the United States in the 1940s Dr. Ben attended school in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Cuba and Spain, and has obtained degrees in Engineering, Architectural Engineering and Cultural Anthropology. “He lived almost a century to teach and he taught us right,” said Professor Ayele Bekerie, who

was one of Dr. Ben’s students at Cornell University. “I learned how to focus on the original rather than the copy. He showed me how to pursue knowledge that empowers, knowledge that provides agency.” Professor Bekerie added: “Dr. Ben shifted the paradigm back to Africa and declared once and for all that the origin of Ancient Egyptian history lies in the deep south, and that is in and of Africa, namely in Nubia and Ethiopia. He, together with John Henry Clarke and Cheikh Anta Diop shattered the long-held myth of the Egyptologists, who moved the Pyramids out of Africa and placed them in the so-called Middle East. The contemporary and global African-centered movement has its foundations in the teachings and writings of Dr. Ben. He was truly an intellectual giant. His intellectual legacy is going to remain with us

forever.” Professor Bekerie noted that “Dr. Ben was a fellow Ethiopian. His father was the Ethiopian Ambassador to Brazil in the time of Lij Iyasu and his Ethiopian relations come from the great historic city of Gondar.” “As the Ethiopians say Igzabeher Nefsachewen Yemar.”

Titlles by Dr. Ben Many of Dr. Ben's books are available online at Black Classic Books (www.blackclassicbooks.com/ titles-by-yosef-ben-jochannan) and other retailers. • Black Man of the Nile and His Family • African Origins of the Major Western Religions • Africa: Mother of Western Civilization • Cultural Genocide in the Black and African Studies Curriculum • The Need for a Black Bible • Understanding the African Philosophical Concept Behind The "Diagram of the Law of Opposites www.tadias.com/03/22/2015/ african-history-scholar-dr-yosef-benjochannan-has-passed-away-at-theage-of-97

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Community/Public Interest-Obituary

Rev. Gardner C. Taylor, Powerful Voice for Civil Rights, Dies at 96

he Rev. Gardner Calvin Taylor, a grandson of slaves who took over a Baptist pulpit in Brooklyn in 1948, when overt racism defined much of American life, and became an influential voice for civil rights and one of the nation’s most eloquent churchmen, died on Sunday in Durham, N.C. Mr. Taylor died at the Duke University Medical Center after attending Easter services at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Durham and a luncheon with his wife, Phillis Taylor. She said the cause was apparently a heart attack. Mr. Taylor, who had retired 25 years ago and moved to Raleigh, N.C., in 2004, lived at the Hillcrest Convalescent Center in Durham. For 42 years, until his retirement in 1990, Mr. Taylor was the senior pastor of the Concord Baptist Church of Christ (http:// concordcares.org) in BedfordStuyvesant in Brooklyn. But his impact as a speaker, writer and political force in the city and in a nation of long-segregated schools, churches and other institutions reached far beyond his 10,000-member congregation.

The author of many books and 2,000 sermons and the recipient of 15 honorary doctorates, Mr. Taylor was a rumbling, rhythmic orator who marshaled Scripture, mystical allusions and the art of plain talk into sermons of emotional power. In 1980, Time magazine called him the dean of black preachers in America. In 1996, Baylor University said he was one of the most effective preachers in the English-speaking world. He often spoke passionately about the legacies of black churches in America, as in this passage cited by nationalministries.org: “One of the great contributions of the black church was giving to our people a sense of significance and importance at a time when society, by design, did almost everything it could to strip us of our humanity. But come Sunday morning, we could put our on dress clothes and become deacons, deaconesses and ushers, and hear the preacher say, ‘You are a child of God’ — at a time when white society, by statute, custom and conversation, just called us ‘niggers.’ “How could we have survived without a sense of God and the church telling us that we do matter?” he continued. “Where

would we have been if there had been nowhere we could be told that we matter?” He delivered lectures and sermons in South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Denmark, England, Scotland, Australia, China and Japan, and at universities and churches across the United States. In 1993, he gave the pre-inauguration sermon for President-elect Bill Clinton at the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in Washington, and in 2000 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from Mr. Clinton. “His life’s work has been a sermon as well,” Mr. Clinton said at the time, “teaching that none live in dignity when they are oppressed, and that faith can transcend racial, social and economic boundaries.” Mr. Taylor gained national prominence in 1961 when he, his friend and ally the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other black clergy members broke with the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. — America’s largest black Christian denomination — over its tepid support of civil rights and founded the Progressive National Baptist Convention, committed to social justice, desegregation and affirmative action. Mr. Taylor was its president from 1967 to 1969. The new convention provided see page 98

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Dr. King with a national base of hundreds of churches for his civil rights advocacy at a time when many older, more conservative black people, and their churches, rejected his confrontational tactics of boycotts, sit-ins and protest marches. A wide gulf still separates the two groups. In New York, Mr. Taylor organized civil rights marches and was arrested three times during protests in the 1960s. But he was known less for militancy than for quiet activism. He was a director of the Urban League of Greater New York, a member of the New York City Commission on Intergroup Relations and a leader of the Kings County Democratic organization. In 1958, Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. named him to the New York City Board of Education, the second black member in its history. In a three-year tenure, he attacked de facto segregation in city schools and argued that federal aid should be denied private schools while public schools were desperate for funds. He was an early supporter of David N. Dinkins, who became the city’s first black mayor after his election in 1989. Gardner Calvin Taylor was born on June 18, 1918, in Baton Rouge, La., to the Rev. Washington M. and Selina Taylor. His father, born in 1870 to emancipated slaves, was a Baptist pastor and died when Gardner was 13. He was raised by his mother and an aunt. He attended segregated schools and grew up in a city so intent on keeping races apart that it sprayed pesticides to kill mosquitoes only in white neighborhoods, stopping at the edge of black areas. He wanted to be a civil rights lawyer, although no black person had ever been admitted to the Louisiana bar. “Where are you going to practice?” a friend asked. “In the middle of the Mississippi River?”

When he was 19, he survived a car collision that left two white men dead. “The best I expected was probably years in prison,” he told The New York Post in 1958. “The worst could have been a lynching.” But at an inquest, two white witnesses testified that the crash was not Mr. Taylor’s fault. He reassessed his life, enrolled at Rev. Taylor receives Medal of Honor from Oberlin College in President Bill Clinton Ohio and earned a divinity degree in 1940. The next year he married Laura other faiths, Mr. Taylor and the Bell Scott. She died in 1995, and he congregation raised $1.7 million married Phillis Strong in 1996. and rebuilt the edifice in 1955. Mr. Taylor was still a student The church added thousands at Oberlin when he became the of members and established a pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, credit union to provide loans that in nearby Elyria, Ohio, serving from commercial banks denied blacks, 1938 to 1941. He went on to be a 121-bed nursing home, a center pastor of the Beulah Baptist Church for the elderly and an elementary in New Orleans, until 1943, and of school. his father’s former congregation, In 1988, Mr. Taylor and his Mount Zion Baptist Church, in congregation raised $1 million to Baton Rouge, until 1947. establish the Christ Fund, a church He faced a daunting challenge in endowment whose annual interest Brooklyn a year later. Segregation is used to provide community and racism were widespread in improvement grants to central America, and the Concord church Brooklyn neighborhoods, so far — the second largest Baptist totaling more than $1 million. congregation in America, with 8,000 When Mr. Taylor retired, New members — had a proud history of Yorkers hailed his tenure. “We’ve black activism. had him so long, he’s an institution,” Founded in 1847, 16 years Mayor Dinkins said. before Lincoln’s Emancipation Mr. Taylor’s sermons are archived Proclamation, the congregation at the Interdenominational was led by abolitionists in its early Theological Center (www.itc.edu) years, when it became a sanctuary in Atlanta. His books include “How for runaway slaves. Indeed, its Shall They Preach” (1976), “The second pastor was a runaway Scarlet Thread” (1981), “Chariots slave. Later pastors were known for Aflame” (1988), “We Have This helping slaves’ descendants and Ministry” (1996, with Samuel Proctor), black migrants from the South. Mr. and “Faith in the Fire: Wisdom for Taylor’s civil rights work upheld the Life” (2011). (see page 120)  church’s traditions. www.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/us/revThe church was destroyed by gardner-c-taylor-powerful-voice-forfire in 1952, but with help from civil-rights-dies-at-96.html?_r=0

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The U.S. - Angola Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce its upcoming trade mission to Angola, March 20 - 28, 2015. The main objectives of the mission are to provide interested U.S. businesses with an opportunity to visit, experience and gain first-hand information about Angola and the many possible trade and investment opportunities this dynamic market holds, as well as to promote U.S. partnerships and investments in Angola's rapidly emerging sectors such as: •Agriculture •Construction •Education •Financial Services •Manufacturing and Textiles •Mining •Oil Services •Transportation Angola's position as the third largest sub-Saharan African economy, its rank as the United States' second largest trading partner in Africa, its preferred status with the U.S. Exim Bank, all make it prime for U.S. trade and investment. The trade mission will offer an exceptional opportunity to travel Business class on the chartered flight from Houston to Luanda called the "Houston Express" operated by Sonair. The program will include visits to Cabinda and Luanda Provinces, participation in the Angola - U.S. Business Summit & Roundtable, briefings, meetings with potential customers, agents and/or joint venture partners and access key Angolan government and industry officials. PARTICIPATION FEE: USD$10,000 (ten thousand dollars) to include roundtrip Business class airfare to Angola on the Houston Express; or USD$5,000* (five thousand dollars) without airfare. PARTICIPATION FEE INCLUDES: Only included with registration fee that includes airfare. •Round-trip airfare (business class) transportation from Houston, TX to Luanda, ANGOLA on the Houston Express; •Round-trip airfare transportation from Luanda to Cabinda; •Ground transportation in Luanda and Cabinda (program related); •Hotel accommodations in Cabinda and Luanda; •Interpretation services; •Participation in the Angola - U.S. Business Summit; •Meetings with Angolan government officials, organizations, institutions and companies; •Match-making sessions with companies in your sector; •Admission to all scheduled Trade Mission programs; •All breakfast meals; •Lunch and dinner meals where indicated on mission program; •Assistance with visa to Angola; •Opportunity to promote your business in the Trade Mission booklet.

Kindly confirm your participation with Mrs. Maria da Cruz Gabriel by submitting a company profile and completing the registration form by email (mdgabriel@us-angola.org) by February 13, 2015. REGISTRATION FORM: http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1117133342776-109/TradeMission2015.pdf * Participants that do not travel on the Houston Express must arrive in Luanda no later than March 22, 2014.

International

Download the Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce App from the

Apple App Store or

Google Play Store Search: "Zambia USA Chamber"

Find links to the chamber website and facebook page, and embassies; access business resources; receive breaking news; view relevant video presentations; communicate via Twitter, smartphone and e-mail.

www.zambiausachamber.org

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African Stock Exchanges • Bolsa de Valores of Cape Verde - www.bvc.cv (in Portuguese) • Bond Exchange of South Africa - www.bondexchange. co.za • Botswana Stock Exchange www.bse.co.bw • Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres - UEMOA (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) - www.brvm.org • Casablanca Stock Exchange (Morocco) - www.casablancabourse.com/bourseweb/index. aspx • Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (Tanzania) - www. dse.co.tz • Douala Stock Exchange (Cameroon) - www.douala-stockexchange.com/index_us.php • The Egyptian Exchange - www.

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egx.com.eg/English/homepage. aspx Ethiopia Commodity Exchange - www.ecx.com.et Ghana Stock Exchange - www. gse.com.gh Johannesburg Stock Exchange (South Africa) - www. jse.co.za/Home.aspx Khartoum Stock Exchange (Sudan, in Arabic) - www.kse. com.sd Libyan Stock Market - www. lsm.ly/_layouts/membership/ login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fEnglis h%2fPages%2fdefault.aspx Lusaka Stock Exchange (Zambia) - www.luse.co.zm Nairobi Stock Exchange (Kenya) - www.luse.co.zm Malawi Stock Exchange - www. mse.co.mw

• Mozambique Stock Exchange (in Portuguese) - www. bolsadevalores.co.mz • Namibian Stock Exchange www.nsx.com.na • Nigerian Stock Exchange www.nse.com.ng/Pages/default. aspx • Stock Exchange of Mauritius www.stockexchangeofmauritius. com • Swaziland Stock Exchange www.ssx.org.sz • Tunisia Stock Exchange - www. bvmt.com.tn • Uganda Securities Exchange www.use.or.ug Read the lastest issue of The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke/media-center/ecommunique/exchange-magazine/ category/50-free-version.html

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Tony Elumelu Foundation Announces First 1,000 Participants of $100m Programme By Stanley Azuakola

ony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) is a $100 million initiative of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) which aims to discover and assist 10,000 African entrepreneurs over the next 10 years. Ultimately, the foundation expects that these entrepreneurs will create one million new jobs as well as revenues of up to $10 billion in the process. Over 20,000 entrepreneurs applied to the programme from 52 countries but only 1,000 made the cut in this first phase. These 1,000 winners represent 52 African countries, all five African regions and all major language blocs – Anglophone, Francophone, Lusophone, and Arabic Africa. In a statement announcing the 1,000 entrepreneurs, the initiator – Nigerian entrepreneur, Tony Elumelu said: “The selection of these 1,000 entrepreneurs brings us closer to our ultimate goal – to drive Africa’s economic and social transformation from within and to radically intensify job creation in Africa. Though I have never met or spoken to any of the winners, I am confident that due to the rigorous criteria and selection process, these entrepreneurs are Africa’s hope for the future. I will continue to invest my experience, time, influence, and resources to see them succeed. I am embarking on this journey with these entrepreneurs hopeful and inspired.”

The selected entrepreneurs submitted proposals in sectors ranging from agriculture to education to fashion and ICT with the top five countries in terms of numbers of winners being Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Ghana. The foundation announced that the selected entrepreneurs will continue through a programme cycle that includes intensive online training curriculum, mentoring, participation in a two-day entrepreneurship boot-camp and a forum over the next nine months. As for the over 19,000 entrepreneurs who were not selected, they will be invited to join the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Network where they will be able to further hone their entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. For a full list of the winners, visit the Tony Elumelu Foundation website (www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/ teep).  http://thisisafrica.me/tony-elumelu-foundationannounces-first-1000-participants-100m-program-52countries www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/teep

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International

USTDA Supports Solar Power Development in Burundi Contact Anna Humphrey

he U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant on Mar. 30, 2015, to Gigawatt Global Burundi S.A. to support the development of a 7.5-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic power plant in Mubuga, Burundi. The grant funds a feasibility study that will address key technical and economic aspects of the solar project, conduct environmental and social impact assessments, and provide the necessary analysis for the developers to secure financing. “This project presents a unique opportunity to link U.S. industry expertise with the advancement of clean energy in Burundi,” said USTDA Director Leocadia I. Zak, who signed the grant agreement along with Gigawatt Global VP of Finance Michael Fichtenberg. “On

behalf of our partners under Power Africa, which seeks to increase access to power and promote greater private investment in subSaharan Africa’s energy sector, USTDA is pleased to formalize our partnership with Gigawatt Global Burundi.” Currently, only 4% of Burundi’s population has residential access to electricity. Implementation of the proposed solar plant would increase Burundi’s installed electricity generation capacity by an estimated 15%, helping to power over 60,000 households and businesses. The plant would be the first utility-scale solar energy generation facility in Burundi. The opportunity to conduct the USTDA-funded feasibility study will be competed through Federal Business Opportunities (FBO).

A link to the FBO announcement will be posted to USTDA’s website at www.ustda.gov. Interested U.S. firms should submit proposals according to the instructions in the FBO announcement. 

“The USTDA-funded feasibility study will be competed through Federal Business Opportunities (FBO). A link to the FBO announcement will be posted to USTDA’s website at www. ustda.gov. Interested U.S. firms should submit proposals according to the instructions in the FBO announcement.”

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International

Preparing Zambia for the Reauthorization of AGOA Robert Sichinga, Jnr., MBA MsHCA, Honorary Consul for Zambia in California

n September 2015 the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) will expire. There are several campaigns for the reauthorization of the Act. The looming expiration of AGOA has led to many countries taking self assessments of how effectively they took advantage of the opportunity to export to the largest market in the world without restrictive tariffs. While some countries seemed to have done well relative to other counties, the U.S. Department of Trade estimates that less than 2% of total US imports came from AGOA eligible counties. There continues to be discussion around whether African nations have taken full advantage of AGOA or whether the AGOA guidelines are too stringent or restrictive. Another area of discussion has been whether the African nations have the ability to produce AGOA eligible products at the required standard and/or whether these countries are able to meet the potential demand in the event that a U.S. market is established. Even with these possible challenges, eligible countries have, to a certain extent, taken advantage of AGOA. The question is Zambia has many AGOA eligible products, it doesn't appear that she has effectively taken advantage of AGOA. Assuming AGOA is reauthorized, Zambia will have to take a well defined and deliberate approach to exporting under AGOA. I believe that it's fair to ask why

Zambia hasn't taken advantage of a program which could have opened up a market for Zambian products in the US, subsequently grow Zambia's production base and ultimately improve the employment rate. These are all goals of FNDP, SNDP and the revised SNDP. I believe that those who are familiar with AGOA, understand its importance to Zambia's economy but they probably didn't have a game plan or strategy of how to take advantage of this opportunity. Now we are faced with the expiration of AGOA and all eligible African countries, at least the ones I am aware of, want the Act reauthorized. For the purpose of this piece we will make the assumption that AGOA will be reauthorized this year. With this assumption in mind, what should Zambia do differently to maximize the AGOA opportunity? The answer is two-fold:

Eliminate "Analysis Paralysis" I have come across two large groups of people related to AGOA, those that analyze the Act and related data, and then the group that analyzes the analysis of the first group. What this has led to is an inordinate amount of time being spent on the theory of the Act and hardly any effort on actually taking advantage of the opportunity.

Develop and implement the strategy A strategy covering information awareness and dissemination,

identification of the 'players,' measurement criteria and accountability should be developed. The results of a non-scientific survey of Zambian businesses and the knowledge of AGOA resulted in a disappointingly limited awareness of the Act. So what would such a strategy look like?

Elements of an AGOA Strategy

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in demand from the U.S. In order to encourage increased production of AGOA eligible products, the government could provide incentives to producers of AGOA eligible products destined for the U.S.

The "Players" There would have to be several "players" in the efforts to increase AGOA participation. These players would include, but not be limited to: The Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Zambia Development Agency, all the Zambian based chambers of commerce, American Chamber of Commerce in America (AMECHAM), the Zambian Embassy in the U.S. The US Embassy in Zambia, Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission. Each of these players either have the responsibility of increasing trade and investment for Zambia, or are in direct contact with those producers who Zambia will depend on to take advantage of AGOA opportunities.

Awareness and Education Zambia Zambia's producers and the Zambian business community need to be educated about AGOA and its benefits. The information should be specific to Zambian products and the process to get Zambian products into the US through AGOA.

Awareness and Education USA A well thought out strategy should be in place to ensure that there is a clear determination of what products will be exported, what activities are measurable and assurance that there are layers of accountability.

Eligible Products There are over 7000 AGOA eligible lines. The first step is to determine which items on the list

are currently been produced in Zambia and which of these products can be exported in their raw form and which ones need processing. Additionally, a determination needs to be made about the volume of those products being produced and whether the producers have the capacity to increase output in the event that there is an increase

American based manufactures, producers and distributors need to be aware of AGOA and the list of eligible products from Zambia. These American business need to be aware of products that will come in as raw and those that come in processed.

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see page 108

International Establish a Baseline A baseline by which future exports can be measured should be developed for accountability.

Establishment of Effective US Representation It's the responsibility of Zambia to take advantage of AGOA. The US has done its part. The US has provided an opportunity for select products, under defined regulations to have access to the US market with no tariffs. Zambia needs effective representation in the US.

The Way Forward So as we eagerly anticipate the reauthorization of AGOA, let's not spend our time over analyzing the data, or coming up with reasons why we are not taking advantage of AGOA, but instead let's prepare ourselves for the reauthorization of the Act that could have one of the greatest positive impacts on the Zambian economy. The preparation starts now. It is imperative that we are ready for the reauthorization and not wait until the reauthorization before we start preparing.

Sample of AGOA Eligible Products Available in Zambia • • • • • • • • • • •

Natural honey Roses, fresh cut Seed potatoes, fresh or chilled Fresh potatoes, other than yellow (Solano) potatoes or seed potatoes Tomatoes, fresh or chilled, entered during Mar.1 to July 14, or the period Sept.1 to Nov.14 in any year Tomatoes, fresh or chilled, entered during July 15 to Aug.31 in any year Carrots, fresh or chilled, reduced in size Carrots, fresh or chilled, not reduced in size, 10 cm or over in length Mushrooms, fresh or chilled Potatoes, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, frozen Frozen beans nesi, not reduced in size

• Beans nesi, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, frozen, reduced in size • Mushrooms, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, frozen • Tomatoes, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, frozen, if entered Mar. 1 thru July 14, incl. or Sept. 1 thru Nov. 14, incl. • Tomatoes, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, frozen, if entered July 15 through August 31, inclusive, in any year • Dried onions whole, cut, sliced or broken, but not further prepared • Dried mushrooms nesi, whole, cut, sliced, broken or in powder, but not further prepared • Tomatoes, dried, whole, other • Pineapples, fresh or dried, not reduced in size, in bulk • Pineapples, fresh or dried, not reduced in size, in crates or other packages • Pineapples, fresh or dried, reduced in size • Avocados, fresh or dried • Pineapples, provisionally preserved, but unsuitable in that state for immediate consumption • Peanuts (ground-nuts), not roasted or cooked, in shell • Pig fat (including lard) and poultry fat, other than that of head • Fats of bovine animals, sheep or goats, other than those of heading • Crude peanut (ground-nut) oil • Peanut (ground-nut) oil, other than crude, and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified • Sunflower-seed or safflower oil, crude, and their fractions, whether or not refined, not chemically modified • Sunflower seed or safflower oil, other than crude, and their fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified 

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International

Support AGOA's Reauthorization

A CALL TO ACTION! To sign up and pledge your support for the reauthorization of AGOA, learn more and join with other AGOA supporters go to: www.supportagoareauthorization.org

'Call to Action' campaign has been launched for the reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which is set to expire in September 2015, and we are running out of time. AGOA is a cornerstone of the U.S.-Africa commercial relationship to increase investments, strengthen the private sector, reduce trade barriers, and the reduction of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since AGOA was enacted, seven of the world's ten fastest growing economies are in Sub-Saharan Africa creating 1.3 million jobs. Leadership Africa USA, Africare, Bechtel, Bread for the World, Chevron, Constituency for Africa, Manchester Trade, New Markets Lab, Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, The Africa Society, The Corporate Council on Africa, the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Witney Schneidman (former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs) are supporting this 'Call to Action' for the reauthorization of AGOA to continue as a catalyst for economic development and improved governance between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa. We hope you will be part of this and join the campaign to reauthorize AGOA by using the hashtag #ProAGOA on your social media.

konya

gi.co.t

International

One Africa:

Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!

oin with and support the United Africa Organization’s campaign to petition the U.S. Department of State to include the whole African continent under its Bureau of African Affairs.

Why? The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, led by Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson, currently excludes Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara from its agenda. Instead, the aforementioned countries are grouped with the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, together with Iran, Iraq, Israel and others. This artificial distinction between North Africa and the rest of Africa

negatively impacts US foreign policy relations throughout the entire continent of Africa. We unequivocally reject the argument that North African countries are outside the scope of African affairs. North Africa is geographically and historically part of the African continent, and all fifty-three (53) independent African states, including North African countries, are represented in the African Union (AU). It would be far more productive for the State Department to engage with the entire continent of Africa, including North Africa, under its Bureau of African Affairs. We are one Africa, from the Cape to Cairo, indivisible and bound together! Therefore, no square inch of African

land should be excluded from African affairs.

Sign The Petition!!! Go to www.change.org/petitions/ one-africa-tell-us-state-departmentthat-north-africa-is-part-of-africa and sign the online petition to support this important proposition. Next tell everyone you know to sign. 

www.uniteafricans.org

International

Zambia's First Secretary (Tourism) Negotiates Deal to Expose Zambia to over 4,000 US Travel Agents Guest Contributor

irst Secretary of Tourism for the Zambian Embassy in Washington, DC, Mrs. Holdway, exhibited at the 10th Annual Travel and Adventure show in Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show is now the largest travel show in the nation with attendance nearing 40,000 each year. This was Zambia's first time to exhibit at this Travel Show. 22% of US leisure travel to Africa comes out of California, making it the state with the highest number of tourists to Africa. Mrs. Holdway has identified California as a key state in her efforts to promote tourism. The states with the largest number of travelers to Africa include California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Illinois. While in Los Angeles Mrs. Holdway, in collaboration with the newly appointed Honorary Consul Robert Sichinga, Jnr., met with several organizations in the industry, including tourism associations, tour operators, marketing firms and travel agents. A common theme among these organizations was that there is need for more information about Zambia's tourism and this information needed to be in the hands of those who put together travel packages to Africa. Three organizations with access to a network of tour agents have expressed interest in working with

Mrs.Holdway, First Secretary of Tourism, talks to travel show attendees about visits to Zambia. Mrs. Holdway in her attempts to give Zambia a greater presence in their product offering. One of these organizations represents approximately 4,000 travel agents cover-

ing 48 states in the United States. They have agreed to disseminate Zambian produced resources to their network. They have asked for collateral, webinars, and face-to-

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Mrs.Holdway, First Secretary of Tourism, Zambia Embassy, Washington, DC, at the 10th Annual Travel and Adventure show in Los Angeles, California. face presentations to their agents. The webinars would provide training to the travel agents on the various tourism products available in Zambia and how to effectively distinguish them from similar products offered by neighboring countries. Furthermore, there is need for the agents and ultimately the traveler to be aware of those attractions that are specific to Zambia and not offered by other countries. Mrs. Holdway noted that in some cases Zambian products were perceived as products of our neighboring countries due to the tour package design. For example, a few people were under the impression that the Victoria Falls actually belonged to one of two other countries. She emphasized that differentiation is key due to the increased competition from other countries and it was crucial for Zambia to take ownership of her products.

Marketing material is currently available but there are suggestions on the development of new pieces to meet the needs of these agents as well as customization for the U.S. Market. The webinar series are being developed too. Mrs. Holdway, stated that the opportunity to educate 4,000 agents about Zambia is a major step in increasing tourism traffic. Zambia

is currently identified as a "second destination" which means that travelers typically travel to another destination, "first destination" then travel to Zambia on another visit or add it to their itinerary for their next trip. The goal is to make Zambia a "first destination” choice. This is a major milestone in the tourism strategic plan for the Zambia Mission in the US. 

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The Southern African International Trade Exhibition (SAITEX) is the biggest business and networking opportunities event in the continent, showcasing a wide range of products that includes non food retail products with special sectors featuring tools, equipments and essentials, hardware and building supplies as well as house wares and home wares, decorating items, interior designing items and much more. The event throws open an exclusive platform where the right kind of buyer meets the sellers and each is entitled to a gala affair dedicated to business development. www.exhibitonsafrica.com

SAITEX TURNS 22!!! Service offerings in over 3,000 categories presented by exhibitors from 44 countries await visitors to SAITEX, the world-renowned Southern African International Trade Exhibition. This spectacular ‘business opportunities’ expo takes place at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand from 21 to 23 June 2015. It draws more than 15,000 visitors annually. “In its 22 years of delivering business opportunities to new and established enterprises alike, SAITEX has grown into one of the most successful and effective business networking platforms in the world,” says John Thomson of show organisers, Exhibition Management Services. “With almost 1,000 top notch exhibitors from around the world, all looking for new business partners, SAITEX is the ultimate exhibition for finding new products and suppliers, making new business contacts, exploring new markets and finding new customers.”

What’s New? SAITEX 2015 showcases exciting new developments, including the staging of the first-ever Eastern European and South American pavilions. “Eastern Europe is far more advanced than we realise, and manufactures a huge variety of electrical and engineering equipment, consumer goods and

food products which are exported to other ex-Soviet countries,” says Thomson. “Not many people know that Peru is a big exporter of coffee, clothing, textiles, fabricated metal products and machinery.” Regular SAITEX exhibitor China will have an even bigger and better pavilion this year, aptly branded “The China Year in South Africa”. The China Technology Investment & Trade organisation (CTIT) has already booked out the whole of Hall 5 at Gallagher and will present hundreds of business opportunities from that country. CTIT also plans to host a conference about ‘Doing Business with China’ during SAITEX as well. “We are very excited to have new national pavilions at the show this year; they make a visit to SAITEX even more rewarding and worthwhile for business owners and entrepreneurs seeking new services, products and technology,” says Thomson.

About SAITEX The exhibitor profile focuses on retail products with special sectors featuring tools, hardware and building supplies as well as housewares and homeware, home appliances, and consumer electronics. The visitor profile includes importers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, agents and entrepreneurs. SAITEX is colocated with Africa’s Big Seven food and beverage expo, making the biggest multi-sector trade show in Africa.

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International

Returning to Africa? African Repatriation is an invaluable online resource for any African national who is thinking about returning to Africa. Our industry articles and specialist editorials provide the latest sector information. Why not find out for yourself and become a part of our growing community today? www.africanrepatriation. com

Career Opportunities in Africa Search and apply online for the latest vacancies in Africa with African Talent. We provide candidates and employers with the tools and resources needed in today’s competitive job market. For employers, we offer numerous options to feature your jobs in Africa and for candidates, reviewing the most recent job vacancies in Africa is a fast, easy process. Uploading your CV is simple and takes just a few moments. www.africantalent.com 115  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

USTDA Director Visits New Public Access Wi-Fi Hotspot in Cape Town By Anna Humphrey

.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Leocadia I. Zak led a delegation of U.S. and Cape Town officials on a tour of Lentegeur Library, where a new Wi-Fi hotspot will provide internet access to residents in the township of Mitchell’s Plain. The Library is among 69 facilities at which the City has installed WiFi hotspots as part of its digital inclusion strategy, which was developed with USTDA support. “I am delighted to be back in Cape Town to see how the

USTDA Director Zak (2nd from left) visits WiFi hot spot in Cape Town, South Africa.

partnership we established three years ago is helping the City realize its internet connectivity goals,” said Director Zak. “Digital inclusion will support the provision of education, healthcare and other critical services. It will also promote business development and overall economic growth.” “The City of Cape Town’s digital inclusion project, which forms part of our vision of becoming the leading digital city in Africa, would not have been possible without the financial assistance provided by USTDA,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Xanthea Limberg. “This public Wi-Fi provision is a prime example of how the private sector, government and the public can make progress possible, together.” In 2012, USTDA and the City

of Cape Town signed a grant agreement for a feasibility study that provided critical guidance for the expansion of municipal internet services to underserved areas. The study, which was carried out by U.S. firm Decision/Analysis Partners (Fairfax, Va.), developed a digital inclusion project model that is now in the process of being implemented. The City of Cape Town plans to install a total of 130 Wi-Fi hotspots in and around public buildings where community members congregate for services. To date, more than 13,600 clients have registered to utilize the Wi-Fi and more than 3.2 terabytes of data were downloaded in January 2015 alone.  www.ustda.gov www.business.usa.gov

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Buy Black  Save Black  Invest Black 126  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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Books to Consider... Nervous Conditions

to her standards of being the first of almost everything when she directed the film Everyone’s Child, becoming the first ever feature film to directed by a black Zimbabwean woman and it was shown worldwide including the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.  www.amazon.com/Nervous-Conditions-Import-TsitsiDangarembga/dp/0954702336

God Help The Child

by Tsitsi Dangarembga

sitsi Dangarembga is an internationally acclaimed Zimbabwean author and film maker, who is well known and loved for breaking new grounds and inspiring African women to break the patriarchal limitations. Tsitsi has written quite a number of interesting plays and has published an award winning novel, Nervous Conditions which won the African section of the Commonwealth Writers Prize W it P i llong before women were recognised as competitive writers. Dangarembga burst into the international scene when her novel got international recognition as the first English novel ever written by a black Zimbabwean woman. However, Tsitsi Dangarembga she did not stop there after her film studies, Tsitsi went on to changed “her-story” again when she wrote and created the story for the highest grossing film in Zimbabwean history film Neria. 1996 she did not disappoint as she lived up

by Toni Morrison

pare and unsparing, God Help the Child—the first novel by Toni Morrison to be set in our current m o m e n t — weaves a tale about the way the sufferings of childhood can shape, and misshape, the life of the adult. At the center: a young woman who calls herself Bride, whose Toni Morrison (Credit: Timothy Sanders)

Greenfield-

stunning blueblack skin is only one element of her beauty, her boldness and confidence, her success in life, but which caused her light-skinned mother to deny her even the simplest forms of love. There is Booker, the man Bride loves, and see Books to Consider on page 133

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Books to Consider loses to anger. Rain, the mysterious white child with whom she crosses paths. And finally, Bride’s mother herself, Sweetness, who takes a lifetime to come to understand that “what you do to children matters. And they might never forget.” Toni Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. She is the author of several novels, including The Bluest Eye, Beloved (made into a major film), and Love. She has received the National Book Critics Circle Award and a Pulitzer Prize. She is the Robert F. Goheen Professor at Princeton University.  www.amazon.com/God-Help-Child-Toni-Morrison/ dp/0307594173/ref=la_B000APT7NQ_1_1?s=books& ie=UTF8&qid=1427673229&sr=1-1

a n d extremely rare view of special operations c o m b a t missions t h r o u g h the eyes of a Ranger sniper during the Global War on Te r r o r i s m . From the brotherhood

The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers by Nicholas Irving with Gary Brozek

roundbreaking, thrilling and revealing, The Reaper is the astonishing memoir of Special Operations Direct Action Sniper Nicholas Irving, the 3rd Ranger Battalion's deadliest sniper with 33 confirmed kills, though his remarkable career total, including probables, is unknown. Irving shares the true story of his extraordinary military career, including his deployment to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009, when he set another record, this time for enemy kills on a single deployment. His teammates and chain of command labeled beled him "The Reaper,” Reaper ” and his actions on the battlefield became the stuff of legend, culminating in an extraordinary face-off against an enemy sniper known simply as The Chechnian. Irving’s astonishing first-person account of his development into an expert assassin offers a fascinating

and sacrifice of teammates in battle to the cold reality of taking a life to protect another, no other book dives so deep inside the life of an Army sniper on point.  www.amazon.com/The-Reaper-AutobiographyDeadliest-Special/dp/1250045444

Faith in the Fire: Wisdom for Life by Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, Edited by Edward L. Taylor "Waiting on God is difficult. We have not been promised a smooth voyage, but God does promise us a safe landing. . . . We want to comfortably rest on

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placid waters . . . but, we are called to bitter trials. . . . Patience means waiting. How do we wait? Patience is not a do-nothing policy. Especially when we are passing through hard places. . . ." In Faith in the Fire, civil rights activist and social-justice pioneer Dr. Gardner Taylor shares the inspirational wisdom gained throughout his extraordinary career as one of America's most legendary and beloved preachers. The treasures collected here will inspire readers to pause and reflect on their lives and faith. Contained in this volume are Dr. Taylor's observations, reflections, and teachings on subjects ranging from fear and faith to politics and integrity to wisdom and laughter. Each chapter's eloquent messages have been selected to engage readers and support their deeper spiritual inquiry.

Faith in the Fire's exquisite gift-book-withoriginal-CD format makes it a welcomed treasure for those who celebrate his enduring legacy. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, born in 1918, is a graduate of Leland College and the Oberlin Graduate School of Theology. Named “Dean of African American Preachers” by Time magazine, he served the Concord Baptist Church of Brooklyn as its senior pastor for 42 years. Dr. Taylor is the author of several books, including the six-volume series, The Words of Gardner Taylor. (see page 85) Mr. Taylor’s sermons are archived at the Interdenominational Theological Center (www.itc.edu) in Atlanta. His books include “How Shall They Preach” (1976), “The

Scarlet Thread” (1981), “Chariots Aflame” (1988), “We Have This Ministry” (1996, with Samuel Proctor), and “Faith in the Fire: Wisdom for Life” (2011).  www.hayhouse.com/faith-in-the-fire www.amazon.com/Gardner-C.Taylor/e/B001KIUJA2

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Calendar March

20th-28th Direct Trade Mission to Angola The U.S. - Angola Chamber of Commerce is conducting a trade mission to Angola, March 20 - 28, 2015. The main objectives of the mission are to provide interested U.S. businesses with an opportunity to visit, experience and gain firsthand information about Angola and the many possible trade and investment opportunities this

dynamic d i market k t holds, h ld as wellll as to promote U.S. partnerships and investments in Angola. Kindly contact Mrs. Maria da Cruz Gabriel by email (mdgabriel@usangola.org) for detailed information.

28th BBA's Salute to Black Women The annual program includes business development workshops, a vendor faire and the awards luncheon featuring the BBA's unique Dessert Buffet. For particiation information contact the Black Business Association at mail@bbala. org.

promote U.S. clean technology products and services in the areas of green building/construction, energy efficiency, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and environmental technologies in support of the Smart Cities-Smart Growth theme. To participate, please visit the mission website to apply: http://www. export.gov/ChinaMission2015.

13th-15th 2015 African Global Economic and Development Summit Taking place on the campus of the University of California (USC), This 3rd annual conference connects the US entreprenuer and business communities to the opportunities and growth potential of the African Continent. For particiation information visit www.agedsummit.com.

25th 12th ANNUAL AFRICAN GOODWILL AWARDS & INDUCTION CEREMONY This will be an exciting event that will showcase great African cultures and honorable achievements in the humanitarian community at the Concourse Hotel LAX. We are always grateful for the work and sacrifice of people of goodwill for the less privileged. For information on the organization or participation and sponsorship of the eventt visit i it www.africanfocus.org.

June Salute to Black Busic Awards The BBA's annual highlighting of the importance of Black music and culture to our economic viability. For particiation information contact the Black Business Association at mail@bbala.org.

August

September 12th-17th Trade Winds Africa Conference Set for Johannesburg, South Africa is a two-tier event. Particpants may elect the conference only option or the conference plus trade stops option. The Trade Stops offered in conjunction with the conference are: Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and extended time in South Africa. For detailed particiation information go to www.trade.gov/DBIA/ tradewinds-africa/index.asp. 

April 12th-17th Trade Mission to Chica This trade mission to China will

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Resources Media/Information Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content Agency in Africa www.africa-interactive.com Africa World Press Books www.africaworldpressbooks.com African Trade Magazine www.africantrademagazine.com African Vibes Magazine www.africanvibes.com The Africapitalist www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/ africapitalisminstitute/africapitalist-magazine The African World www.theafricanworld.tv Africast TV www.africast.tv Afritorial www.afritorial.com www.facebook.com/Afritorial AllAfrica http://allafrica.com Black Wall Street Times http://bwstimes.com Black Business News Group www.blackbusinessnews.net BlackPast.org www.blackpost.org Black Press USA www.blackpressusa.com BridesNoir www.bridesnoir.com CuisineNoir www.cuisinenoirmag.com DiasporaVoice www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice Publish Africa http://wow.gm/publishafrica Rock Me Africa //rockmeafrica.com YouTube Educational Channels http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know

www.au.int/en Black Business Association www.bbala.org CauseCast www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonprofits.com Pan African Film Festival www.paff.org United African Organization http://uniteafricans.org Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce www.zambiausachamber.org

Investment/Development Africa Reports www.africareports.com African Development Bank www.afdb.org African Export-Import Bank //afreximbank.com/afrexim/en AfrigadgetTV www.afrigadget.com The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke Silicon Harlem http://event.siliconharlem.net Ventures www.ventures-africa.com

U.S. Government Commerce Department www.doc.gov International Trade Administration http://trade.gov Minority Business Development Agency www.mbda.gov Power Africa www.usaid.gov/powerafrica Small Business Administration www.sba.gov State Department www.dos.gov Trade Africa www.usaid.gov/tradeafrica White House www.whitehouse.gov

Organizations Africa Leadership Forum http://africaleadership.org The African Union 137  March/April 2015  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819