Publisher's Message
E
very year our nation celebrates America’s Declaration of Independence – the 4th of July, a time typically characterized by a celebration of our freedoms, spent with family, friends, barbecue, outdoor outings, fireworks and fun. However, this year two significant political events will occur that as always; will impact the landscape of our nation. Both the Republican and Democratic parties will be holding their national conventions to name their parties’ official presidential candidates. Whoever elected will be forced once again to examine the “monsters in the room,” our economy, race relations, law enforcement, the justice system), law enforcement and community relations immigration, Pubisher/Chief Executive Officer healthcare, foreign policy, Americans and other nations realize the potential impact on who we as Americans elect to be the next leader of the United States. Yet, united is not one thing we seem to be. Each of us will have to individually decide as to whether or not our choice candidate wins or not, if we as individuals can rise above whatever candidate and begin to reach out and touch each other in our own respective communities. I see opportunity, albeit the times may be turbulent. For example, the Black Business Association, headquartered in Los Angeles (www.bbala.org), has a long history as an advocate for opportunities for Black-owned businesses that spans more than 30 years. I see this as a moment in our nation’s history that will be defined years later as “Show Time!” Despite the horror and inequitable treatment of Blacks and other minorities as it relates to the issues that have been forefront in the news recently with respect to race relations, it has provided a platform to discuss economic empowerment within the Black communities. However, culturally Blacks and other minorities have demonstrated amazing resilience in their ability to be innovative, creative and determined, to what I refer to as “social and economic survivalists.” We’re seeing rising stars in our ranks daily in various industries. Each year, Black Enterprise, the pre-eminent publication for black entrepreneurship and wealth building, lists its ranking of the top black-owned businesses in the U.S. We show you the top 20, out of a list of the top 100 Blackowned businesses in the U.S on page 58. According to a recent study by the Nielson Company, African Americans had $1.1 trillion in collective buying power by 2015 (growing to about $1.3 trillion by 2017), increasing our impact on the economy. But who’s economy - mainstream and others, or our own? Nielson also reports that African-American consumers have unique behaviors from the total market. For example, African-Americans: • are more aggressive consumers of media • shop more frequently. • watch more television (37%); • make more shopping trips (8); • purchase more ethnic beauty and grooming products (nine times more); • read more financial magazines (28%); and • spend more than twice the time at personal hosted websites than any other group.
Black Business News Group P.O. Box 43159 Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA 323-291-7819 Fax: 323-298-5064
www.blackbusinessnews.net PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Earl “Skip” Cooper, II
According to the NAACP, "Currently, a dollar circulates in Asian communities for approximately 30 days; in Jewish communities for approximately 20 days; and White communities for approximately 17 days. In stark contrast, a dollar circulates in the Black community only 6 hours! Yet, the Black buying power is $1.1 trillion;
Sarah Harris Dean L. Jones Phyllis Dixon
ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR Kim Anthony
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Linda Ware
PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dean Jones Linda Ware Ralph D. Sutton Timothy Lester, Jr. Veronica Hendrix Giavanna Foster P. Yvette Thomas LaSandra Stratton
GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris
STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg Jennifer Marie Hamilton
PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx Sabir Narishima Osei
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see Publisher's Message on page 58 3 July 2016 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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cexploring major public and private sece tor contracting methods to educate s. black-owned and operated enterprises.
•
providing an affirmative influence forr emerging entrepreneurs by sharing in-novative design and creative culturall content that exposes them to the history of 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 usiness enterprises. blacks work, live and operate viable business
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Contents
Black Business News…July 2016 3
76
Publisher's Message
Government 8 10 12 18
President Obama Speaks in Dallas President Obama and the People Town Hall: A National Conversation FACT SHEET: Global Development Scheduled Flights to Havana Announced
80
Taxis Get into the Ride-Share Game with New App Chance the Rapper: Marketing Genius or No?
CommunityPublic Interest 88 89 90 91
Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library Opens Michelle Obama’s Dress Spoke Volumes National Museum of African Art Inaugural African Art Awards U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Honors Justice Thurgood Marshall
Obituary/Memorials 92
Bill Jones
International 94 98 99 100
22
Entertainment t i t 22
BBN Show Biz Buzz
Editorials/Perspectives 28 68
After the horror, we must build one America, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Security, Business Innovation "Critical"
102
African Stock Exchanges Rwanda Facing Drought FACT SHEET: Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2016 U.S. Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum AGOA Forum
Columns 66 84 113 138 139 140
Winery of the Month - Wisdom Oak Wine Take A Look! Shopping Gallery BBA Master Planner Resource Vault Books to Consider...
Business 17 30 32 38 40 44 46 47 51 72
Black Business Leaders Hall of Fame 2016 Ghanian Bank Invests $9 Million in Black Chicago Bank OneUnited Bank Launches the National #BankBlack Challenge Organize and Optimize your Digital Marketing Strategy Make Yourself a Dropbox Master Now is the Time to Invest in Africa Cuba Opens First U.S.-Operated Hotel Airbnb Pitches to Business Travelers Are PreCheck and Global Entry worth it? Hon. Barbara Lee Holds Cuba Town Hall 5 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
32
President Obama Speaks in Dallas By Rebecca Hersher
P
resident Obama spoke at an interfaith memorial service Tuesday afternoon for the five police officers murdered in Dallas last week. Obama acknowledged the pain of the racially charged shooting. "Faced with this violence we wonder if the divides of race in America can ever be bridged," he said. "Dallas, I'm here to say we must reject such despair. I'm here to insist we're not as divided as we seem. I know how far we've come against impossible odds," the president said. He praised the Dallas Police
Department for being on the forefront of policing reform and noted that the number of complaints about excessive force by police has gone down in the city in recent years. "The Dallas Police Department has been doing it the right way," he said. But, he added, prejudice does exist in American institutions, including police departments. "We also know that centuries of racial discrimination — of slavery and subjugation and Jim Crow — they didn't simply vanish with the end of lawful segregation," he said. "America, we know that bias remains. We know it," the president
President Obama delivers remarks during an interfaith memorial service honoring five slain police officers, Tuesday at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images
continued. "None of us is entirely innocent. No institution is entirely immune." The president also argued that protesters working for police reform "do a disservice to the very cause of justice that they claim to promote" if they paint all officers as bigoted. Before an audience made up mostly of law enforcement officials, Obama noted that the officers on the scene of the attack reacted to the gunfire by shielding civilians. They "saved more lives than we will ever know," he said. "We mourn fewer people today because of your brave actions,"
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he said, turning to address Dallas police who were seated onstage behind him. The victims, four of whom served with the Dallas Police Department and a fifth who served with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit police, ranged in age from 32 to 55. In brief remarks before introducing the president, Dallas Police Chief David Brown expressed love for the fallen officers and quoted lyrics by musician Stevie Wonder. "We all know sometimes life's hates and troubles can make you wish you were born in another time and space," he quoted from the song "As." "There's no greater love than this," he said, "that these five men gave their lives for all of us." Vice President Biden; his wife, Jill Biden; first lady Michelle Obama . former President George W. Bush
Dallas Police Chief David Brown speaks during the Dallas Memorial Service
and former first lady Laura Bush also attended the service, as did numerous mayors and other elected officials. www.npr.org/sections/thetwoway/2016/07/12/485713944/presidentobama-speaks-at-dallas-memorialservice
Full transcript of President Obama's speech at Dallas memorial service: www.wfaa.com/news/ nation/complete-text-of-presidentobamas-speech-at-dallas-memorialservice/270884882 View President Obama's speech at Dallas memorial service: www. whitehouse.gov/issues/communitiesand-policing
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Government
President Obama and the People's Town Hall: A National Conversation “Faced with this violence, we wonder if the divides of race in America can ever be bridged. We wonder if an AfricanAmerican community that feels unfairly targeted by police, and police departments that feel unfairly maligned for doing their jobs, can ever understand each other’s experience ... But, Dallas, I’m here to say we must reject such despair. I’m here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem.” President Barack Obama
I
n light of the recent events across the country, the President has renewed his call for communities across the country to identify ways to keep people safe, build community trust, and ensure justice for all Americans. The President is calling on law enforcement agencies, local governments, and advocates to take specific steps that will help communities across America move forward in rebuilding the public’s trust in our institutions. Central to this effort is implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which President Obama established in December 2014 and charged with examining how to strengthen public trust and foster strong relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they protect, while also promoting effective crime reduction. Over the coming months, communities across the country will be coming together to discuss these issues and take action in
these and other ways. The White House hosted one such convening on July 13 to identify practical steps that all stakeholders can take.
From Print to Action: Steps We Can Take to Strengthen Community Policing Five Things Local Governments Can Do Local government officials should honor their commitment to safety and security for their constituents by being involved in every phase of design and implementation of the Task Force recommendations. • Create safe spaces and listening opportunities with the community, and emphasize the importance of open dialogue on these issues. • Allocate government resources — including personnel, infrastructure, IT staff, and other resources — toward implementing the Task Force recommendations. • Conduct community surveys on attitudes toward policing, publish the results, monitor progress, and adjust as necessary. • Define the terms of civilian oversight to meet the community’s needs. • Recognize and holistically address the root causes of crime.
Five Things Law Enforcement Can Do Law enforcement organizations have the opportunity to welcome in their communities, provide leadership, establish a climate of openness, and demonstrate a willingness to implement the Task
Force recommendations. • Review and update policies, training, and data collection on the use of force, and engage community members and police labor unions in the process. Set public goals for implementing these reforms. • Increase transparency of data, policies, and procedures, including by participating in the Police Data Initiative. • Call on the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commissions to implement training at all stages. • Examine hiring practices and ways to involve the community in recruiting. • Ensure officers have access to the tools they need to keep themselves safe.
Five Things Communities Can Do Community policing is not just about the behavior and tactics of police. It is also about the civic engagement and capacity of communities – from faith-based and community organizations to employers and business partners – to improve their own neighborhoods, their quality of life, and their sense of safety and well-being. • Don’t wait for a crisis to engage with local law enforcement; call meetings with clear agendas, participate in surveys, and other activities. • Participate in problem-solving efforts to reduce crime and improve quality of life. • Work with local law enforcement to ensure crime-reducing resources and tactics are being deployed that mitigate
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unintended consequences. • Work with state and local government to address obstacles to releasing data and increasing transparency in ways that build community trust and enhance accountability. • Review school policies and practices, and advocate for early intervention strategies that minimize involvement of youth in the criminal justice system. Learn more about these recommendations in the Task Force Implementation Guide (www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/ Implementation_Guide.pdf).
The Task Force on 21st Century Policing: Building Trust between our Communities and Police The Task Force conducted public listening sessions across
the country, received testimony from more than 100 witnesses representing a wide range of law enforcement officials, civil rights advocates, community and faith leaders, academics, and others, and considered hundreds of written submissions. Since the Task Force’s final report was released in May 2015, it has become a foundational document serving as an anchor for an ongoing national discussion on policing reform. Major law enforcement and civic organizations have undertaken leadership roles in bringing the Task Force report’s key findings to the attention of their hundreds of thousands of members, featuring the report at training sessions and annual conferences. Additionally, more than 30 state and territorial peace officer standards and training (POST) commissions are reviewing
their training curricula based on the Task Force report and have started making changes. Following the release of the Task Force report, the White House and the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) convened the first of many forums of elected officials, police executives, and community members to jointly discuss the Task Force recommendations and share strategies for implementation. In May of this year, the COPS office issued a report highlighting progress in the first year since the Task Force issued its recommendations (www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/ TaskForce_Annual_Report.pdf).
Read the final report of the Task Force (www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/ taskforce/TaskForce_Annual_Report. pdf). www.whitehouse.gov/issues/ communities-and-policing
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Government
FACT SHEET: President Obama’s Commitment to Global Development
O
ver the past eight years, President Obama has elevated sustainable development to a core pillar of American foreign policy. The President recently hosted the White House Summit on Global Development, bringing together development leaders, public and private sector financing partners, civil society, diplomats, and entrepreneurs to mark our global progress and catalyze further development efforts. Building on more than a half century of global leadership, including the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) under President George W. Bush, President Obama issued the first and a new U.S. Global Development Policy in 2010. For the first time, global development was elevated, on par with diplomacy and defense, as a
core pillar of American engagement. The President’s policy set forth a vision that places a premium on many of the principles and objectives endorsed by the international community last year in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: sustained and inclusive economic growth; democratic governance; game-changing innovations; leveraging new partners and multiple sources of development financing; and building sustainable systems to meet basic human needs. The President’s signature development initiatives reflect these principles and a new way of doing business. Feed the Future has generated significant reductions in poverty and malnutrition, Power Africa has set the stage for the steady flow of private sector investments in an expanding energy sector and our investments in global health have yielded reductions in maternal and child mortality, reductions in malaria incidence and lethality, and the promise of an AIDS-free generation. Across these and other efforts, and as mandated by the President’s policy, our investments in development reflect increased and more strategic collaboration between and among a broad array of U.S. government departments and agencies. Real Lives, Real Outcomes Food security and nutrition. In response to the spike in world food prices, President Obama called for a global food security initiative at the London G20 Summit in 2009. His continued leadership led to the more than doubling of donor assistance to agricultural development, renewed investments in research, and a commitment, embraced by the United Nations, to invest in the comprehensive country plans designed by developing countries. The President’s leadership and the Feed the Future initiative have placed food security high on the world’s agenda, and generated significant results, including: In 2015, Feed the Future helped over 9 million smallholder farmers, food producers, and rural families adopt innovations and new practices to improve agricultural productivity. In turn, these farmers—many of them women—boosted their incomes by more than
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$800 million. Feed the Future has reached nearly 18 million children with vital nutrition interventions in 2015, and new data show that childhood stunting has dropped between 12 to 32% and poverty has decreased between 12 to 26% over recent years in several areas where Feed the Future works. Since 2013, the Administration has supported the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN), which with over 300 partners makes agricultural and nutritionally relevant data available, accessible, and usable for unrestricted use. Complementing our bilateral efforts, the United States led a multilateral effort to launch the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) in 2009, which has since allocated $1.4 billion to date to 25 low-income countries to help boost agricultural productivity. With other G-7 countries and African leaders, President Obama in 2012 launched the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition which has fostered policy reforms that have mobilized $10 billion in private sector investment commitments. Global Health. Under President Obama’s leadership, the United States has generated sweeping results, including: Building on the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief launched by President George W.
Bush, our efforts mean that an AIDS-free generation is now within sight. Since 2009, the number of people receiving life-saving treatment through PEPFAR has increased from nearly 2.5 million to 9.5 million at the end of 2015; 1.5 million babies have been born AIDSfree to mothers infected with HIV/AIDS, and the United States is positioned to realize President Obama’s commitment to meet the bold new target of 12.9 million people on treatment by 2017 and to reduce new HIV infections among adolescent girls. The U.S. government is now the largest donor to global malaria efforts worldwide. Over the past 15 years, through US government investments in the President’s Malaria Initiative, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, and partnerships, an estimated 6.2 million malaria deaths have been averted. The Obama Administration has challenged the world to end preventable child and maternal deaths, and since 2008 helped save the lives of 4.6 million children and 200,000 mothers. U.S. contributions to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance have helped to immunize more than 500 million kids and help prevent more than 7 million deaths. With a relentless focus on neglected tropical diseases, the United States has leveraged more than $11 billion in donated medicines, reaching nearly 700 million people with e essential medicines. We have made ttremendous progress in the fight to e eradicate polio, and we are close to w wiping this disease off the face of the e earth, forever. Before the first cases of Ebola ccame to light in West Africa, President O Obama launched the Global Health S Security Agenda (GHSA) to drive a worldwide effort to ensure that all ccountries can prevent, detect and rrespond to health threats and can m meet the requirements of international h health regulations. The Administration p proceeded to work with partners to d defeat the first-ever Ebola epidemic w while also mobilizing commitments to help build the capacity of our continued on page 14
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Government partners. The United States has committed to assist at least 31 countries to achieve the GHSA targets and to build national, regional, and international capability to address infectious disease threats, and G-7 Leaders have now matched this commitment by collectively pledging to assist 76 countries and regions. Power Africa. President Obama launched Power Africa in 2013 with a goal of doubling access to energy in sub-Saharan Africa. To do so, Power Africa was built to combine the tools from across U.S. departments and agencies needed to facilitate private sector investment in Africa’s energy sector. Power Africa thus not only delivers investments that can yield increased electricity, it also strengthens local capacity, helps foster a strong investment climate, and mitigates risk. With an initial commitment by the Obama Administration of $7 billion in assistance and other financing, Power Africa has leveraged public and private sector commitments to invest nearly $43 billion in power generation and distribution across sub-Saharan Africa. Through Power Africa, the United States is working together with a range of partners to accelerate private-sector energy transactions, by leveraging the assistance, financing, commercial and diplomatic tools of the U.S. Government, as well as by leveraging the tools and expertise of our bilateral and multilateral partners, including the African Development Bank, the World Bank Group, and the Governments of Sweden, the European Union, the UK, Norway and Canada, and more than 100 privatesector partners. Additional achievements include: Since its launch, Power Africa has provided support to projects expected to generate up to 29,000 megawatts. This includes projects expected to generate 4,600 megawatts of electricity that have already reached financial close, which are expected to generate over 2.5 million new connections to electricity. Three years after the launch of Power Africa, several U.S. Government departments and agencies have announced expanded Power Africa commitments. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) exceeded its original $1.5 billion commitment 18 months early and has since pledged an additional $1 billion. To date, OPIC is supporting 19 projects, including utility scale power plans, off-grid and small-scale renewable projects and microfinance and investment facilities, in support of Power Africa. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has
nearly doubled its initial $1 billion commitment and is implementing power compacts in Ghana, Malawi, Benin, Liberia and an energy sector threshold program in Sierra Leone. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has increased its energy portfolio in Africa by over 300%, supporting projects with the potential to provide electricity to up to 1.7 million households. The U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), in partnership with USAID and GE Africa, has awarded 50 grants to local entrepreneurs for a total of $5.0 million in grant support through the Power Africa OffGrid Energy Challenge. The Power Africa Roadmap released in 2016 outlines Power Africa’s plan for adding 30,000 megawatts and 60 million new electrical connections by 2030 through the combined efforts of Power Africa’s more than 120 public and private sector partners. In February 2016, President Obama signed the bipartisan Electrify Africa Act of 2015 into law, which codifies the Power Africa approach and ensures this work will extend well beyond this Administration. Building on Power Africa’s vision and leadership, a number of new initiatives have emerged that seek to address Africa’s energy challenges and further accelerate progress towards our shared goal of expanding energy. Changing the Way We Do Business. In the face of extraordinary global challenges, the Obama Administration has reshaped the U.S. approach to development, including by:
Catalyzing private investment and other sources of financing Across these initiatives and more broadly, the Obama Administration has acted on our recognition that sustainable development outcomes require multiple streams of financing, including domestic resources, private capital and assistance. Under the Obama Administration, the United States has committed and helped mobilize more than $100 billion in new funding from other donors and the private sector to fight poverty in the areas of health, food security, and energy. Under this Administration, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, has supported more than $35 billion in private investment in developing and emerging markets. The new projects that OPIC has supported since 2002, when the Monterrey Consensus was agreed, are expected to yield close to $82 billion
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in private investment. Since its establishment in 2004, the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) $10 billion grant portfolio has leveraged nearly $5 billion in private-sector investment and more than $450 million in partner country contributions. And in 2015, the United States, along with other development partners, launched the Addis Tax Initiative, a partnership to help developing countries better mobilize and effectively use their own domestic resources to finance development. Transparency, accountability, and open government Since President Obama’s first day in office, when he signed the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, the Administration’s policies have been rooted in the belief that greater transparency and accountability are essential to advancing progress at home and abroad. In 2010, we launched the ForeignAssistance.gov website to track U.S. foreign assistance which now contains now contains $30 billion of annual programming data across U.S. agencies that implement foreign assistance. MCC has developed a state of the art capacity to conduct impact
evaluations, and USAID, operationalizing its rigorous 2011 Evaluation Policy, has increased the number and quality of evaluations to over 200 per year, all of which are published online. The U.S. has also helped advance increased transparency and accountability internationally through the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, the International Aid Transparency Initiative, and the “Grand Bargain” crafted at the World Humanitarian Summit. President Obama in 2011 joined with seven other heads of state to launch the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global partnership between governments and civil society to advance transparency and accountability, bolster citizen engagement, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. OGP now serves as a platform for reformers in 70 countries. In its first five years, OGP countries made more than 2,500 specific commitments through National Action Plans to improve governance and public participation for some two billion people worldwide. In partnership with civil society groups across the country, continued on page 16
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Government the United States is implementing its third national action plan with commitments across 20 U.S. agencies. Last year, the U.S. established the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (Global Data Partnership), a network of over 150 members from government, civil society, business, international organizations, and academia to help countries employ data to help achieve the SDGs. MCC partnered with experts from civil society, development, philanthropic communities, and the private sector to establish the first-of-its-kind Governance Data Alliance to fill governance data gaps and ensure that the data being created meets the needs of those
who use it most. And USTDA’s Global Procurement Initiative: Understanding Best Value enables partner countries to select high-quality goods and services that foster sustainable infrastructure development in a fair and transparent manner.
Broadening partnerships This Administration has piloted a new vision of development by leveraging an expanding array of new and non-traditional partners, including to harness cutting-edge technologies, accelerate research, and scale innovations to support sustainable development. Founded in 2014, USAID’s Global Development Lab brings together diverse partners to find tools, innovations, and approaches that help reach development objectives more effectively and sustainably. In partnership with other development organizations and the private sector, in 2014, USAID launched the $200 million Global Innovation Fund, which invests in piloting, testing, and scaling proven social innovations that aim to improve the lives and opportunities of millions of people in the developing world. In 2015 alone, USAID maintained over 360 active public-private partnerships that, over their active lifetimes, have leveraged more than $5.9 billion from private sector and other partners. The Administration has also reached beyond traditional development partners in seeking fresh
thinking. In 2012, the President established the Global Development Council to reach into the private sector, academia, and philanthropic institutions and beyond to seek out external expertise in emerging issues in global development. USAID launched the Grand Challenges for Development initiative in order to spur new ideas from new people and harness the transformational effects of science; to date, eight Grand Challenge efforts are underway tackling challenges ranging from off-grid energy to combating Zika.
Fostering Future Leadership The next generation of leaders will ultimately be responsible for their countries’ success, and President Obama has long emphasized the importance of supporting these future leaders. In December 2011, President Obama established the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), which is already helping to develop Africa’s next generations of leaders, and the Administration is supporting similar work in Southeast Asia through the Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) and in Latin America and the Caribbean with the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI). These programs help the next generation of leaders develop the skills and opportunities to advance their countries and regions through government leadership, strengthening civil society, and business and entrepreneurship. In March 2015, the President and the First Lady launched Let Girls Learn, which brings together the Department of State, USAID, the Peace Corps, and MCC to address the challenges preventing adolescent girls from attaining a quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential. Let Girls Learn expands education opportunities for adolescent girls, including in areas of conflict and crisis. By leveraging public-private partnerships and commitments from multilateral organizations such as the World Bank, Let Girls Learn improves the lives of adolescent girls worldwide. Let Girls Learn extends its partnership to foreign governments, such as Canada, Mexico, Jordan, and Pakistan in this effort. The U.S. is also collaborating closely with Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom, who have collectively pledged nearly $600 million towards girls’ education globally. www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/07/20/ fact-sheet-president-obamas-commitment-globaldevelopment
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Government
U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Proposes U.S. Airlines and Cities for New Scheduled Service to Havana
A
s part of the Obama Administration’s historic effort to normalize relations with Cuba, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed to select eight U.S. airlines to begin scheduled flights between Atlanta, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York City, Orlando, and Tampa and Havana as early as this fall. Today’s proposal comes nearly one year after the United States and Cuba reestablished diplomatic relations in July 2015. “Today we take another important step toward delivering on President Obama’s promise to reengage Cuba,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Restoring regular air service holds tremendous potential to reunite Cuban American families and foster education and opportunities for American businesses of all sizes.” A dozen U.S. airlines applied for the chance to operate scheduled passenger and cargo service to Havana. Collectively, the airlines applied for nearly 60 flights per day to Havana, exceeding the 20 daily flights made available by arrangement between the two governments. The Department’s principal objective in making its proposed selections was to maximize public benefits, including choosing airlines that offered and
could maintain the best ongoing service between the U.S. and Havana. The airlines receiving the tentative awards are Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. DOT’s proposal allocates nonstop Havana service to areas of substantial Cuban-American population, as well as to important aviation hub cities. The Department’s process of selecting carriers offers an opportunity to present the public with a wide array of travel choices in the type of airline (network, low-cost, ultra-low-cost); choices of airport; and choices of nonstop or connecting service. The DOT’s proposed selections would simultaneously address service needs while promoting competition. On February 16, 2016, Secretary Foxx and Department of State Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin signed an arrangement with their Cuban counterparts opening the way for scheduled air service between the two countries to resume after more than 50 years. This new arrangement will facilitate visits for travelers that fall under one of 12 categories authorized by the U.S. Department of the
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. At the time of the signing, the administration announced that scheduled service would begin later in 2016. Under the arrangement, each country may operate up to 20 daily roundtrip flights between the U.S. and Havana. The arrangement also provides each country with the opportunity to operate up to 10 daily roundtrip flights between the U.S. and each of Cuba’s nine international airports, other than Havana, for a total of 90 daily roundtrips. DOT announced the approval of six U.S. airlines’ applications to serve cities other than Havana on June 10. Objections to the DOT’s tentative decision are due by July 22. If objections are filed, answers to objections will be due by July 29. The DOT expects to reach a final decision later this summer. The tentative decision and other documents in the case are available online at regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2016-0021. A fact sheet on this issue may be found at www.transportation.gov/ briefing-room/cuba-havana-factsheet. www.transportation.gov/briefingroom/us-transportation-secretaryfoxx-proposes-us-airlines-andcities-new-scheduled-service
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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
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• 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.
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BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware
The End of #OscarsSoWhite?
A
fter the angry outcry over
#OscarsSoWhite earlier this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences appears to be taking seriously its pledge to double the number of women and minorities in its voting ranks by 2020. The Academy revealed recently the Nate 683 people it has Parker invited to be new members, and the acting list alone is extremely diverse. Of the 69 actors invited, 25 are black, 15 are Hispanic and seven are Asian. There’s one actor of Maori descent and one Native Canadian. Nearly half are women. The list also skews younger than the Academy average. As of 2012, 86% of members were 50 or over, according to the Los Angeles T i m e s . Factoring in the new invitees, the percentage Idris Elba of Academy
members of color jumped from 8% to 11. Among the crop of fresh faces is 36-year-old up-andcomer Nate Parker, who wrote, directed and starred in “The Birth of a Nation,” a movie sure to get notice from the Academy when it comes out later this year. Indie darling Greta Gerwig (32) also made the list, alongside America Ferrera (32), Oscar Isaac (37), Freida Pinto (31) and 24-year-old “Star Wars” star John Boyega. It’s hard to imagine that some of the names on the list weren’t already in the Academy. How Idris Elba, Mark Rylance, Eva Mendes and Luis Guzman escaped notice this long is anyone’s guess. Meanwhile, the Wayans family has plenty to celebrate. Not only was Keenen Ivory Wayans invited to be a member of the director’s group and writer’s group (he’ll have to choose one), but his brother, Marlon, and nephew, Damon Wayans Jr., were invited into the acting branch.. http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/the-endof-supernumberoscarssowhite-the-new-crop-ofacademy-members-looks-extremely-diverse/ar-AAhM RvB?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout
Idris Elba Debuts His New Discovery Channel Series
I
dris Elba sure loves a thrill ride. In May 2015, Elba broke a British land speed record in a Bentley Continental as part of his Discovery Channel show. The legendary record, known as the Flying Mile, was set by Sir Malcolm Campbell in 1927 when he managed to rocket along the south coast of Wales at 178.4 mph. Elba managed to rip across the same stretch of coast at an unbelievable 180.361 mph. The British car enthusiast kicks off his new car-themed Discovery Channel series, Idris Elba: No Limits on July 4th. www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/exclusive-idris-elbagets-into-a-scary-crash-on-the-debut-of-his-newdiscovery-channel-series/ar-AAhRe7w?li=BBnb7Kz
US Olympic Basketball Team
T
he Red, White and Blue roster is plenty stacked. The full roster features Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and New York Knicks scorer
22 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
extraordinaire Carmelo Anthony. USA Basketball confirmed the complete roster Monday: Player Team Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder DeMarcus Cousins Sacramento Kings Draymond Green Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson Golden State Warriors Paul George Indiana Pacers DeMar DeRozan Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry Toronto Raptors Carmelo Anthony New York Knicks Jimmy Butler Chicago Bulls DeAndre Jordan Los Angeles Clippers Kyrie Irving Cleveland Cavaliers Harrison Barnes Golden State Warriors http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2648516-us-mensbasketball-team-roster-reportedly-finalized-for-2016rio-olympics
2-Trophy Day for Serena Williams: She and Venus Win Doubles
little more than 3 hours after the singles final ended Saturday. The American siblings won their sixth doubles championship at the All England Club and 14th as a pair at all Grand Slam tournaments. Earlier Saturday, also on Centre Court, Serena collected her 22nd Grand Slam singles title with a straight-set victory over Angelique Kerber in that final. "I had just enough time to change and get my ankles re-taped," Serena said about going from one match to the other. "But there was so much adrenaline. I didn't want to cool down too much." Venus sat in the guest box during the singles final. "Watching Serena earlier was so amazing, and I was so into that. And then you have to re-set yourself and say, `OK, we've got to play a match and we're going to have to try to win,'" Venus said during a joint interview with the BBC after the doubles. "So she brought the energy from Game 1 and that really brought me up, too." They're now 14-0 in major doubles finals. They're planning to compete in doubles, in addition to singles, at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. They already have won three gold medals in doubles, at the 2000, 2008 and 2012 Summer Games. http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/tennis/2-trophy-dayfor-serena-williams-sheand-venus-win-doubles/ ar-BBu8bVH
The New (Next) Iron Man is a Woman
W
S
erena Williams is leaving Wimbledon with two trophies, teaming with her older sister Venus to win a women's doubles final that began a
hen the dust from "Civil War II" settles, a new Iron Man will stand tall, and she's a black, 15-yearold science wiz - Riri Williams. Williams appears as a student at MIT set apart from her peers by her intellect. What begins as a personal challenge for the 15 year old genius ends up as a secret project dedicated to cobbling together an Iron Man flight suit equivalent
23 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
see page 24
BBN Show Biz Buzz from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 23
from scratch -- and it works. Prototype in hand, Riri does perhaps the most Iron Man thing imaginable -- she gets herself in hot water with campus officials and takes flight in the suit. From there, she proceeds to do some more very Iron Man-like things, including wrangling some fleeing inmates in New Mexico and fracturing her suit while stopping a speeding truck, resulting in her catching the eye of James Rhodes, who brings her to the attention of one Tony Stark. Williams, as with all the comic characters who have come before her, could potentially enter the Marvel cinematic universe. For now Riri is a comic book character.
The next Marvel films to hit theaters will be “Doctor Strange” in November, 2016 (featuring Chiwetel Ejuofor), and “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” in May, 2017 (featuring Zoe Saldano and the voice of Vinn Diesel. www.comicbookresources.com/ article/exclusive-first-look-at-thearmor-for-marvels-new-teenagefemale-iron-man
Mandela Mini-series Filming in South Africa
M
adiba, a Black Entertainment Television (BET) produced miniseries currently being filmed in South Africa, not only tells the life story of Nelson Mandela, but the series will also look at length at the iconic
activists and the ordinary people involved in the anti-apartheid struggle. The series features an all-star cast of both international and local actors, including Laurence Fishburne (best known as Morpheus in the Matrix films) in the role of Mandela. Renowned South African actors Terry Pheto (Tsotsi) and Hlomla Dandala (Isidingo) also have roles in the production. Pheto plays Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Dandala plays stalwart Govan Mbeki. Other South Africans in the production include another Isidingo actor, Grant Swanby as Afrikaner anti-activist Bram Fischer, and Mark Elderkin (Black Sails) as Anglican bishop and human rights activist Trevor Huddleston. American Orlando Jones, best
Riri Williams, Iron Man
24 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Terry Pheto
Hlomla Dandala
known for his character acting in cult films such as Evolution and Office Space, portrays long-serving ANC president Oliver Tambo. British actor David Harewood (Homeland, Supergirl) portrays Walter Sisulu. Fishburne told TimesLive in June 2016 that being cast for the role of Madiba was a huge honour and one of the best roles of his career. "Preparing for this role was pretty interesting. The good news is that there is so much information about Nelson Mandela and the struggle out there. "I relied mostly on meetings that I had in November with Zelda la Grange and Ahmed Kathrada. These are people who were very close to him and they shared some wonderful things with me," Fishburne said. Asked what he hoped global audiences would learn from the series that they may not have already known, Fishburne said "a greater understanding of the history of the struggle… because it wasn't just Mandela… (he) and the leadership of the ANC really sacrificed a lot to put an end to a really inhumane and unjust system of government".
Orlando Jones
Laurence Fishburne
Madiba: the series The series is directed by Kevin Hooks, known for his work in creating intricate television narratives in shows such as Prison Break, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and 24. Hooks told Hollywood Reporter that the longer miniseries format was perfect for telling the Mandela and anti-apartheid struggle story, delving deep into the relationships that defined the era, notably the comradeship between Mandela, Tambo and Sisulu, as well as using the space allowed by episodic television to develop characters more effectively. "I am humbled by the opportunity to tell the amazing life story of Nelson Mandela," Hooks said in May 2015. The series is produced, in conjunction with BET, by Madiba's grandson, Kweku Mandela, and his Out of Africa Entertainment Company, part of international film distributor Blue Ice Pictures, that has previously produced films such as The Bang Bang Club and a number of BBC productions filmed in Southern Africa. Meanwhile, Hooks is updating
followers on the progress of the series' production on his Twitter account, using the hashtag #Madiba2017. www.southafrica.info/about/arts/ Mandela-series-films-in-SouthAfrica-210716.htm#.V5EMq9QrJR0
Morgan Freeman in Talks with Disney
M
organ Freeman is in negotiations to play Drosselmeyer, the mysterious magical godfather of Clara, in Disney's upcoming film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. The Nutcracker was originally a ballet by Tchaikovsky, and Disney's venture will be the show's first live-action film. Unlike the ballet version, the film will only have one dance sequence, which will feature ballerina Misty Copeland. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms' release date has not yet been announced. http://mashable.com/2016/07/29/ morgan-freeman-nutcrackerdisney/#D9YSW5GHF8q0
25 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
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Editorial
After the horror, we must build one America “It is more dangerous to be black in America. You’re substantially more likely to be in a situation where police don’t respect you.”
T
he speaker was not Barack Obama; it was former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Even a conservative firebrand like Gingrich was shaken by videos showing black men killed by police in Baton Rouge and suburban St. Paul. Then the lone assassin in Dallas shot and killed five
28 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
police officers and wounded seven more. Grief, fear and anger spread.
The Challenge The challenge now — for every concerned American — is how we react to the injustice and the violence. We know that our justice system suffers from massive and systematic racism. It is more dangerous to drive while black. African Americans are more likely to be stopped, more likely to be searched, more likely to be arrested if stopped, more likely to be charged if arrested, and more likely to be jailed if convicted. The budget of many small towns is based upon the fines, penalties and fees largely paid for by African-American offenders. Police, state’s attorneys and judges tend to have a shared perspective, an organizational kinship.
The Responses How do we respond? After the shootings of Philando Castile in Minneapolis and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. — as after Ferguson, Mo. and Baltimore and more — nonviolent demonstrations spread across the country. Whites joined with blacks and Latinoss and Asian-Americans to call for an end to the killings, for justice, for the recognition that Black Lives Matter. These are the tactics taught by Jesus, Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. not because they were scared of violence but because they were wise about change. Nonviolence condemns the sin, but not the sinner. It indicts the injustice by forcing recognition of our shared humanity. It summons the better angels of our character, not the bitter angers of our fears. We must choose reconciliation over retaliation and revenge. This is a teachable moment if we are finally willing to learn that too many guns, too much injustice and growing disparities is a lethal cocktail. It is unfair to associate this terrorist attack with our long struggle for peace and justice for all. This crime has endangered those who would protest nonviolently against injustice. It roused fears and spread hatred. The reactionary will use his crimes to try to discredit the reform movement. Police across the country will be even more on guard. Violence isn’t an answer; it is sabotage. America is scarred by what has become routine violence. There is good news. The murder rate is dropping. The number of police killed in the line of duty is lower in recent years than it was in earlier decades. But according to the tally of the Washington Post, 509 people have been shot by police to date in 2016, a pace similar to last year’s. And gun violence continues to take a grisly toll.
The Roots The cameras that now are everywhere have begun to expose to America the reality that people of color have known all too well. Now people of good conscience must come together and demand change. This will take multiracial coalitions, electoral mobilization and peaceful protest. But the camera’s eye shows us only a glimpse of the symptoms; it does not reveal the roots of the disease. The camera lens can reveal the police abuse, breaking the curtain of silence. But it does not show the roots of the problem. The reality is that there are still two Americas. We’ve overcome legal racial segregation but we haven’t overcome legal resource segregation in schools, jobs, contracts, investments, access to capital, technology and deal flow. Poor African Americans and Latinos are more likely to be crowded into impoverished neighborhoods, marked by drugs and guns, by violent streets and broken schools, unemployment and crushed hopes. Police are tasked to keep order amid the despair. It is an impossible job. Yes, we need justice when police officers brutalize the innocent. We need more training, more cameras, more community relations, and new community forms of policing. We need to end the racial disparities in arrests, searches, sentencing and more. But the police will still be in an impossible position unless we get serious about making this one America, in redressing the lack of jobs, the broken schools, the shortage of affordable housing, the lack of health care and drug treatment, the shortage of parks and recreational facilities. That is why we need a White House conference on the two Americas, on racial disparity, poverty and reconstruction. We need a plan for jobs, for rebuilding our impoverished neighborhoods, for replacing guns with books and drugs with hope. Without that, the camera lens will continue to reveal that the horrors and the crimes are continuing, and the spiral of hate and fear deepening. www.rainbowpush.org
29 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Ghanian Bank Invests $9 Million in Black Chicago Bank on Brink of Failure By Ryan Velez
G
roupe Ndoum has invested $9 million into the Illinois Service Federal Savings and Loan Association, now known as ISF Bank, Ghana Web reports. At the time, the Chicago-area bank was struggling to obtain capital in hope of infusing life into its operation. According to a statement on the bank’s website, “Our mission is to be a viable, growing, community development financial services institution responding innovatively to our primarily underserved and minority constituency with customer service which ensures each customer feels they are our only customer,” the bank’s website reads.” Groupe Ndoum operates out of West Africa and the United Kingdom, with over 3,000 employees. The firm is involved with entities in the tourism, financial services, media, cross border trade, and media industries. Company president and chairman Dr. Papa Kwesi Ndoum mentioned that the acquisition of ISF Bank was not only a landmark for the company, but “a major step for Africans” as well, hoping that other AfricanAmericans and Africans would work together. “In the Jewish community, they find a way to help each other, and they have moved on,” Ndoum said at a Chicago town hall meeting of Africans and AfricanAmericans. “The Chinese start with little and move
on, and the Koreans also come here and move on,” he explained. “So, we have this idea: What is it about African-Americans, Africans, specifically Ghanaians?…. The African has talent, the African-American has talent, the Ghanaian has talent; the problem is a lack of opportunity.” Former ISF Chairman and CEO, Norman J. Williams, was also happy to welcome the business’s new proprietors. “This marks a new chapter in the life of the bank, which will enable it to sustain the rigors of financial stress that have plagued many communities in Chicago and continue to provide much-needed banking services and access to credit,” Williams said. “Given the current climate in our country, the bank is needed more than ever to provide financial services and drive redevelopment in our market.” Black-owned banks have been a important part of Black communities dating all the way to the Jim Crow era, providing essential support to Black entrepreneurs, businesses, and institutions. Despite this, they have slowly been declining over the years, from 130 between 1888 and 1934 to 48 in 2001, to only 22 remaining today. http://financialjuneteenth.com/ghanian-bank-invests-9million-black-chicago-bank-brink-failure
30 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Editorial
OneUnited Bank Launches the National #BankBlack Challenge to Demonstrate Black Economic Power
Mona, the face of #BankBlack Challenge
O
neUnited Bank, the largest Black owned bank inAmerica and the first Black internet bank, is launching the national #BankBlack Challenge, designed to harness the economic power of
the Black community focused on one clear financial message that #BlackMoneyMatters. The Challenge: Participate in the #BankBlack Challenge by opening a OneUnited Bank $100
UNITY Savings account online from anywhere in America at www.oneunited. com/bankblackchallenge and challenging 20 friends to the same. In recent weeks America's Black community has galvanized via social media, Black media and word of mouth, answering the call for a show of economic force by moving their money from traditional banks to black owned banks, like OneUnited Bank. The #BankBlack movement intensified on July 8th, 2016 when Rapper Killer Mike implored the Black community to deploy "a portion" of its financial resources to make a tangible difference during a town hall meeting on BET and MTV. Other celebrities such as Solange, Jessie Williams, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Queen Latifah, and more have joined the conversation urging Black Americans to move their m money to Black owned banks. Since then, OneUnited has seen a sharp influx in web traffic and new accounts, with over $3 million deposited since this call to action. "If 1 million people opened a $100 savings account in a Black owned bank, we would move $100 million! That's real economic power", states Teri Williams, President & COO of OneUnited Bank. "It is critical for the Black community to utilize our $1.2 trillion in annual spending power to create jobs and build wealth in our
32 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Participate in the #BlackMoney Matters movement by opening a $100 saving s account online and ch allenging 20 friends to do t he same. OneUnited Ba nk community." OneUnited is uniquely positioned to lead this Black financial empowerment movement to intelligently invest in the Black community and create generational wealth. Banking with black owned banks results in: • better circulation of Black dollars, • the creation of more jobs for the Black community, • the provision of funds for mortgage and small business loans for Black borrowers, • better education of the the urban community on financial literacy, and • harnesses the power of the black dollar. For over two decades, OneUnited Bank, with locations in Los Angeles, Miami and Boston and its ability to open accounts online nationwide, has been steeped in the financial literacy movement. Studies show black dollars leave the Black community after 6 hours as compared to 28 days in the Asian American community. OneUnited Bank is encouraging the Black community to move their money and extend the life of the black dollar.
OneUnited Bank is the premier bank for urban communities, the largest Black-owned bank, the first Black internet bank and a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Its mission is to provide affordable financial services to support economic development in urban communities and maintain superior financial performance to maximize shareholder value. OneUnited is an FDIC insured bank and an equal housing lender. Follow us on • Facebook: www.facebook.com/ oneunitedbank • Twitter: @oneunited #BANKBLACK
How to participate
ALABAMA Commonwealth National Bank P.O. Box 2326
To participate in the #BankBlack Challenge from anywhere in
America go to www.oneunited.com/ bankblackchallenge, open a $100 new savings account and challenge 20 friends to do the same.
ONEUNITED BANK:
http://www.blackenterprise.com/prne wswire/?rkey=20160719FL49083&filt er=4044
Find a Black Owned Bank Near You
Mobile, AL 36652 (251) 476-5938, X105 Neill W. Wright, President Liberty Bank and Trust 660 Adams Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104 (334) 262- 0800 nwright@libertybank.net CALIFORNIA Kevin Cohee, President / CEO OneUnited Bank 3863 Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016 kcohee@oneunited.com DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA B. Doyle Mitchell, Jr., President & CEO Industrial Bank 4812 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20011 (202) 722-2014 dmitchell@industrial-bank.com FLORIDA Kevin Cohee, President / CEO OneUnited Bank 3275 NW 79th St. Miami, FL 33147 kcohee@oneunited.com GEORGIA Cynthia Day, President & CEO Citizens Trust Bank 75 Piedmont Avenue Atlanta, GA 30303 (404) 575-8300 Cynthia.Day@CTBATL.com Robert E. James, President Carver State Bank P.O. Box 2769 Savannah, GA 31402 (912) 233-9971 RJames@carverstatebank.com ILLINOIS Dr. Papa Kwesi Nuom, President, ISF Bank 4619 S Dr. M. L. King Drive see Black Banks on page 34
33 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Black Owned Banks from page 33
Chicago, IL 60653 (773) 624-2000 customerservice@isfbank.com
LOUISIANA Alden J. McDonald, Jr., President & CEO Liberty Bank & Trust Company P. O. Box 60131 New Orleans, LA 70160 (504) 240-5161
bclay@firstindependence.com Alden J. McDonald President & CEO Liberty Bank & Trust 9108 Woodward Ave. Detroit, MI 48202 313-873-3310 ajmcdonald@libertybank.net MISSISSIPPI Alden J. McDonald, President & CEO Liberty Bank & Trust 2325 Livingston Rd. Jackson, MS 39201 (601) 987-6730 ajmcdonald@libertybank.net
Alden J. McDonald, Jr., President Liberty Bank & Trust Co. 1111 S. Homan Avenue Chicago, IL 60624 (773) 533-6900, X239 ajmcdonald@libertybank.net Seaway Bank & Trust Company 645 East 87th Street Chicago, IL 60619 (773) 487-4800 execdesk@seawaybank.us KANSAS Alden J. McDonald, President & CEO Liberty Bank & Trust 1314 N. 5th Kansas City, KS 66101 913-321-7200 ajmcdonald@libertybank.net KENTUCKY Pedro A. Bryant, Chairman, President & CEO Metro Bank 900 S. 12th St. Louisville, KY 40210 (502) 775-4553 pedrob@metrobankky.com
ajmcdonald@libertybank.net MARYLAND Joseph Haskins, Chairman & CEO The Harbor Bank of Maryland 25 West Fayette Street Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 528-1882 jhaskins@theharborbank.com MASSACHUSETTS Kevin Cohee, Chairman & CEO OneUnited Bank 100 Franklin Street, Suite 600 Boston, MA 02110 (617) 457-4400 kcohee@ oneunited.com
MISSOURI Alden J. McDonald, President & CEO Liberty Bank & Trust 1670 E. 63rd St. Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 822-8560 ajmcdonald@libertybank.net NEW JERSEY Preston Pinkett III, President & CEO City National Bank of New Jersey
MICHIGAN Barry Clay President & CEO First Independence Bank 44 Michigan Avenue Detroit, MI 48226 (313) 256-8466
34 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
900 Broad Street Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 624-0865 ppinkett@citynatbank.com
Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 351-4600 X105 esmalls@ unitedbankofphiladelphia.co
NEW YORK Preston Pinkett III, President & CEO City National Bank of New Jersey 382 W. 125th St. New York, NY 10027 (212) 865-4763 ppinkett@citynatbank.com
SOUTH CAROLINA John Kreighbaum, President and CEO South Carolina Community Bank P. O. Box 425 1545 Sumter Street Columbia, SC 29202 (803) 733-8100, X1104
NORTH CAROLINA James H. Sills III, President & CEO Mechanics & Farmers Bank P. O. Box 1932 Durham, NC 27702 (919) 687-7800,X-816 Jim.Sills@mfbonline.com PENNSYLVANIA Evelyn F. Smalls, President & CEO United Bank of Philadelphia 30 S. 15th Street, 12th Floor
TENNESSEE Deborah A. Cole, President & CEO Citizens Bank 1917 Heiman Street Nashville, TN 37208 (615) 327-9787 dcole@bankcbn.com Jesse Turner, Jr., President & CEO Tri-State Bank of Memphis 180 S. Main P. O. Box 2007 Memphis, TN 38101
(901) 525-0384 lshaw@tristatebank.com TEXAS John Scroggins President & CEO Unity National Bank 2602 Blodgett Street Houston, TX 77004 (713) 387-7401 jscroggins@unitybanktexas.com VIRGINIA Kelvin G. Perry, President First State Bank PO Box 6400,201 N. Union Street Danville, VA 24541 (434) 792-0198 Kperry@efirststatebank.com WISCONSIN North Milwaukee State Bank 5630 W. Fond du Lac Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53216 (414) 466-2344 8200 W. Brown Deer Road Milwaukee, WI 53223 (414) 466-2344
Quote of Note “When they go low, we go high.” Michelle Obama First Lady of the United States of America
35 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
10 Essential Tools and Concepts to Organize and Optimize your Digital Marketing Strategy By Diana Beyer
I
t may look like traditional advertising is becoming obsolete, but the truth is that it is the exact opposite. Instead of dissolving into the ether, traditional advertising and marketing strategies are simply evolving at a rapid pace. While television commercials still
buy your product/service, and be tastefully disseminated in a way that will not turn off or offend the rest of the world once they see your campaign. In order to do this, you need efficient tools and data to support your marketing strategy. Let’s take a look at some of them, shall we?
Analytics Tools
garner a premium price for their ads, the tiny ads in various social media platforms and websites are slowly growing in value and have collectively peaked at $15.9 billion. This obviously means that something is working and it’s your job to take advantage of this trend, while it is still relatively new and growing.
The most popular tool marketers use these days is Google analytics. Using this platform, users can assess the number of organic visitors, page clicks, duration of visits, conversion path, etc. Analytics tools can show you how well or how bad your site is doing. They can also allow you to analyze this information to determine the steps you need
people are talking about you. This can easily be done using the rest of the tools on this list. If you don’t have the time, find a credible SEO specialist that can give you proper counseling for a fair price.
Email marketing tools Using email marketing tools, you can send out newsletters to people, who are interested in what you have to say. At the same time, you can check to see how they received the newsletter – whether it went to the spam folder, how long they read it, which parts they lingered on, or if they deleted it as soon as they saw it in their mailboxes. That way, you can edit your newsletters in a way that makes them more enticing and useful to your subscribers.
Growth hacks
Developing Your Own Digital Marketing Strategy Once you’ve established the basic requirements to start a business, the next thing you should be looking at is how you can market your products and services in the digital arena. Much like in the real world, your digital marketing strategy has to reach a lot of people. Before it reaches your audience, you need to prepare a stellar campaign that will resonate with consumers, motivate them to
fake backlinks and scams offering top rankings on Google. Remember, only Google’s algorithm decides whether or not you should be on top. Today, they’re laying everything out on the table and telling users what exactly it is they need to do to be recognized by Google’s spider search. Just provide useful, original content and make sure that
to take to improve your website’s following.
SEO know-how A few years back, SEO got a bad rap because of the proliferation of
Growth hacks are the non-traditional route to advertising. If your company has sufficient manpower, your marketing team can spare a few people who can spread the word about your company on sites like Reddit, StumbleUpon, and other mainstream forums. These platforms are visited by millions of people on a daily basis and can
tools
serve as a free. Just remember to follow the rules and avoid hardselling your product to a niche group that does not welcome it.
Visual marketing One of the most profitable platforms for advertising these days is visual apps and sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat. Most businesses have subscribed to these apps in order to reach a wider market. Facebook covers a general audience, but these other apps connect their users according to their interests. Marketers can take advantage of Instagram and Pinterest to share high-quality images, while they can use Snapchat to share unfiltered, live takes of their daily activities in the company. If you can afford it, you can place a bid on any of Snapchat’s partners to get your product featured. They have over a dozen partners covering different niches like video games, food, entertainment, and much more.
competing with thousands of other ads, which means that you need to choose your audience carefully. Facebook pages are programmed to use friends’ lists and expanded connections to distribute the ads across the platform.
Social media management tools Marketing automation tools are used to save time on posting content online. Whether it’s for your company website, social media accounts, or email list, marketing automation allows you to organize the time of posting in order to maximize the views it can get based on the general schedule that your audiences follow. Popular tools that businesses use include AgoraPulse, Likeable Local, Hootsuite and Sproutsocial.
Retargeting tools
Social media platform ad offers Sponsored ads on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are significantly more affordable than direct advertising options with large websites, influencers and celebrities. Small business owners can start with a small advertising campaign while continuing to build their capital to reach a wider audience. T h e downside is that you are
The concept of retargeting allows your ads to be seen in various parts of the internet instead of just through one paid space in a specific website. Retargeting tools use the data from its users to help your ad gain more exposure. The basic premise is that the tool lets users see an ad of your product on the different websites they browse. Before this can happen, the user has to look up a keyword related to your product. Most social media platforms have partnerships with tools like AdRoll and ReTargeter, which connects them to over five hundred brands who have a chance to get more screen-time on sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Content creation
Like every successful digital marketer says these days, “Content is king.” No matter what kind of content it is, whether it’s data, pictures, articles, music, you name it – everyone want the highest quality content in order to apply an effective marketing strategy. Ideally, you will want to focus on your niche product in your website or social media enterprise; however, you need to focus on images and word content. Good SEO revolves around quality images with proper tags, but more importantly, spider searches need to comb through quality text in the websites in its search engine. For that very reason, you will need a copywriter and quality images from independent or private firms.
Marketing principles You can argue that the new way to do things is to disrupt the marketing initiative or stick to the traditional methods, but the thing about these two routes is that they are both effective. Unfortunately, only one of them is easily within your grasp. Disruptive marketing techniques are very risky. For example, you have iHop’s illconceived pancake promotion which fell flat on Twitter (www.adweek.com/ news/technology/whos-behind-thesecrazy-ihop-tweets-160955), as well as
many other campaigns from huge companies. Gimmicks like these seem memorable, in theory, but the effects usually reflect on the sales of the company. That is why you need to follow traditional marketing principles, but still be open-minded enough to use the evolving trend of digital marketing. http://60secondmarketer.com/ blog/2016/07/12/10-essential-toolsconcepts-organize-optimize-digitalmarketing-strategy/
39 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
10 Tricks to Make Yourself a Dropbox Master By David Nield
F
or almost a decade, Dropbox has been one of the most reliable and popular file storage services on the planet. When you compare it to other options like Google Drive and iCloud, Dropbox manages to strike the right balance between being super intuitive and easy to use. It can also do a lot more than just store your files. Here are 10 tricks that will make you a Dropbox master.
1) Digitize your paper documents New to Dropbox’s iOS app (and coming soon to Android) is the ability to scan documents using your iPhone cameral. If you pay for a business account then you get OCR (Optical Character Recognition) thrown in as well, so you can search the text inside the
document. From the Files tab, tap the new plus button that should’ve appeared at the bottom and take your picture. The app should identify your document with a blue outline, then give you options for rotating it, increasing the contrast, and creating multi-page documents.
2) Bring back deleted files One of Dropbox’s most useful but lesser-known features is its ability to bring back deleted files (if they were synced to the cloud first before you erased them). Head to the web interface and click Deleted Files or browse to a specific folder and click the trash can icon. Deleted files are kept for 30 days, or longer if you’ve bought the Extended Version History add-on or signed up for Dropbox Business. Old versions of files are
available too. Right-click on a file on the Dropbox website and choose Previous versions to access them.
3) Log out of devices remotely You don’t want anyone rifling through your Dropbox so it’s a good idea to use two-step verification and a strong password. If you’re automatically signed in anywhere (on your laptop or in a browser say) then make sure there’s another password or PIN in place. We’d also recommend periodically checking the list of devices with access to your Dropbox. You’ll find them under the Security tab of your Settings page on the web. Click the cross button to remove any devices you don’t recognize or which haven’t been accessed in a while.
4) Set your shared links to
40 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
expire
the app.
Sure, you want to share a folder with Bill from accounting right now, but what about next week? In a year? Putting expiration dates on any links you share is a useful way of improving the security of your Dropbox and keeping tabs on who’s accessing specific files and folders. When you create a shared link on the Dropbox web portal, click Link settings to set an expiration date for it. You can also click Links on the left-hand navigation pane to revoke access to or set an expiration date for any of the shared links that are currently active.
9) Try out the beta versions
5) Save Instagram and Facebook photos to Dropbox Our old friend IFTTT (If This Then That) works very nicely indeed with Dropbox, and with the right recipe you can save your Facebook or Instagram photos to the cloud automatically. You can use it to plug Dropbox into a ton of other apps and services as well. IFTTT can also help you get around the new restriction placed on free Dropbox users, where new mobile photos aren’t automatically uploaded to the cloud without a desktop link. Use the Android Photos or iOS Photos channels to sync snaps as they’re taken.
6) Request files from other people
you can pass around as you like. Files uploaded via the unique URL can’t be seen by anyone but you.
7) Delete your local files to free up space Thanks to the selective sync feature available in Dropbox’s desktop clients, you can delete the local copies of your files and keep them just in the cloud. Just unselect the folder after it’s been uploaded from inside the desktop app you’ve installed on Windows or macOS. Don’t just delete the file from your hard drive, as that will erase the local copy and the cloud copy. If there are files you don’t need regularly, but still want to keep, it’s a handy option to have, and it’s something that Dropbox itself is working towards with Project Infinite.
8) Protect the Sharing files and folders in mobile app with a PIN
Dropbox is easy enough, but what about requesting them from others? Last year Dropbox introduced a tool that enables anyone, Dropbox user or not, to push files into your Dropbox without having to log in or jump through any major hoops. Head to www.dropbox.com/ requests, log in, and you can create a request: you’ll be asked to specify a folder and (optionally) a deadline as you go, and then you’ll get a link
You can protect the mobile Dropbox app with a separate PIN code if you’re worried about someone gaining access to your files. It’s a simple 4-digit PIN that you then have to enter any time you want to open up the app, and there’s also the option to erase any offline files if the incorrect passcode is entered more than 10 times in a row. If your device supports it, you can also use a fingerprint to unlock
If you want to be the first to find out about new Dropbox features, then you can sign up to test the beta versions of its desktop clients. These are usually pretty stable, but the standard warning applies that you run beta software on your machines at your own risk. It’s a clever way of accessing Dropbox goodies while they’re still being tested. There’s a box marked Include me on early releases under Settings on the web for your desktop clients, and a Get early releases option on the Settings screen for the Android app.
10) Take notes with Dropbox Paper Speaking of beta software, Paper is a note-taking, Google Docs clone developed by Dropbox and current in its testing phase. If you request a Paper invite through your Dropbox account on the web, then you
should be able to access the beta pretty quickly. You can apply formatting to your text, drop in images, tables and to do lists, and split documents up into folders. It’s a lot like the free-form tools in Evernote and OneNote, and if you’re collaborating with other team members, it becomes even more useful. http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/10tricks-to-make-yourself-a-dropboxmaster-1782501788?t=head
41 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
www.facebook.com/pages/Los-Angeles-Worlds-Fair/543396465697684
www.laworldsfair.org
Business
Now is the Time to Invest in Africa By The Honorable Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Assistant Secretary of State, US State Department, Bureau of African Affairs
L
ast month, an outstanding group of over 100 entrepreneurs from subSaharan Africa attended the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Stanford University. Among many others, they included Habiba Ali, who started a solar energy business in Nigeria; Toussaint Billa, who created a mobile phone application for financial transactions in Gabon; and Naomi TulaySolanke, who started a social enterprise to improve healthcare in Liberia. These entrepreneurs are a big part of why I am spreading the
message that now is the time to invest in Africa. In advance of the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, I traveled to California to meet with business groups, non-governmental organizations, and Africa’s diaspora community. At every meeting, I met globally-engaged audiences with a hunger to learn about opportunities in Africa and how they can invest. During my trip to California, I met representatives of business community at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, as well as at the
Patricia Nzolantima, Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) alumna, chats with Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel backstage at the opening plenary. [GES Photo/Public Domain]
Museum of African Art, in Los Angeles. I met the co-founder of a civil engineering and construction firm that has completed projects throughout Africa. I also met the founder of the Pan African Technical Association, which sends technical expert volunteers to help African students. And I met an entrepreneur who manufactures luxury pillowcases in China and is eager to expand her business to Africa. These individuals all share a passion for contributing to Africa’s economic success, and this gives me confidence in the continent’s economic future. However, building up an entrepreneurship ecosystem and developing investment opportunities in Africa will require a resolute effort from both governments and the private sector. The U.S. government has several initiatives that are boosting economic growth in Africa. The President’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is providing thousands of young Africans with new entrepreneurship tools to bring back to Africa. These YALI Fellows will have a major
44 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Pre En
Dom
impact in their home countries. Earlier this year, I met a YALI Fellow from Madagascar, Mirindra Zo Andrianantenaina, who prepared a business plan for a company to turn sugarcane into organic sugar, bioethanol, and electricity. She met with Madagascar’s president, explained how her proposal would help the country, secured a plot of land, and is now working to set funding for the project. Through the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (a State Department International Visitor Leadership Program) and through women’s business
Efforts like these are central to strengthening economic growth in Africa. However, governments cannot do this job alone. We need the private sector’s entrepreneurial spirit, marketing-savvy, and ability to innovate to secure Africa’s growth in the 21st century’s global economy. We know the stakes are high. The global economy faces economic headwinds, and Africa faces challenges such as a bulging youth population, underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of technical skills training, inconsistent governance, and financing gaps. But these
the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative would make its first investment of $24 million dollars in Andela, a New York-based tech start-up that trains software developers in Africa for full-time employment in tech firms. Whenever I travel to the continent, Africans tell me they are eager for more investment from American companies. Many African countries are reforming their business climate to reduce barriers to entry for entrepreneurs and investors. Meanwhile, technology is thriving. Even when I travel to remote villages in Africa, I see that nearly everyone has a mobile phone. These are just some of the reasons why now is the time to invest in Africa. We need investors to travel to Africa and engage with entrepreneurs to better understand t h e i r challenges a n d opportunities. We also need the diaspora community to invest in their esident Barack Obama and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on stage at the Global communities ntrepreneurship Summit, held at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. [GES Photo/Public of origin. main] With their centers in Zambia and Kenya, we challenges are not insurmountable, cultural and language familiarity, provide training, mentorship, and especially if we accelerate and their personal and professional access to technology for women investment. networks, the African diaspora is entrepreneurs. American companies are uniquely positioned to contribute. Another example is the U.S.- beginning to see the possibilities, In California, I was thrilled to see Africa Leaders Summit, which opportunities, and resources in so many Americans eager to invest President Obama launched in Africa. Take Mark Zuckerberg, in Africa. The desire is there, and 2014. The summit produced $33 for example, who attended the the conditions are ripe. Now is the billion in new trade and investment Global Entrepreneurship Summit. time to invest. commitments from U.S. companies. Last month, he announced that www.state.gov 45 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Cuba Opens First U.S.-Operated Hotel By REUTERS
U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuba's President Raul Castro hold their first meeting on the second day of Obama's visit to Cuba, in Havana. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
A
large "Four Points by Sheraton" sign has gone up outside the Havana hotel that this week becomes the first in Cuba to operate under a U.S. brand since the 1959 revolution. The military-owned Gaviota 5th Avenue Hotel, close to the Caribbean seafront, is one of two hotels that Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide agreed to manage in a multimillion-dollar deal with Cuba in March. For decades, such arrangements have been prohibited under the U.S. economic embargo of the Communist-ruled island. But while the embargo remains in place, the Obama administration has loosened restrictions on trade and investment since it announced a detente with Cuba in December 2014. "This is a historic moment," said Nancy Sarabia, public relations manager for the hotel, adding that the official inauguration would take
place on Tuesday. She called the hotel "a symbol of brotherhood and collaboration." Starwood is the first U.S. company to commit major money to Cuba since Fidel Castro and his bearded rebels overthrew a pro-American government on Jan. 1, 1959. The company said it would not close the 5th Avenue Hotel while it refurbished it, a process that would take several months. Workers were re-painting the lobby on Monday. According to Starwood's website, it will start operating state-owned Gran Caribe Inglaterra Hotel under its Luxury Collection brand on Aug. 31. U.S. President Barack Obama has called the embargo a failure and Washington is increasingly issuing special permissions to companies to do business with Cuba. Florida-based Stonegate Bank has received permission to issue credit cards for use in Cuba. On Monday, Cuba confirmed these
could be used to withdraw cash in the country. These examples remain exceptions to the rule. Only the U.S. Congress can completely remove the Cuba embargo, and the Republican majority leadership wants it in place as long as Cuba's one-party state represses domestic political opponents and holds a media monopoly. Many U.S. business executives see Cuba as a missed opportunity and have stepped up interest since the detente. Among those are U.S. hotel chain executives, keen to get in on Cuba's recent tourism boom. Cuba had 1.5 million tourists visit in the first four months of 2016, up 13.5% from a year earlier, partly due to relaxed U.S. travel restrictions. Those numbers are expected to balloon if the United States lifts its travel ban altogether. At Gaviota 5th Avenue Hotel, bookings are already unavailable for several future dates, with rooms going for nearly $200 a night. Castro nationalized the tourism industry after the revolution, but since then, Cuba has struck joint venture deals with several foreign hotel operators. www.nbcnews.com/business/ business-news/historic-momentcuba-opens-first-u-s-operatedhotel-n600156?t=head
46 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Airbnb Makes Bigger Pitch to Business Travelers By Harriet Taylor
A
irbnb is partnering with three travel management companies — American Express Global Business Travel, BCD Travel and Carlson Wagonlit Travel — to grow business travel on the platform and gain market share from hotels. Business travelers are increasingly looking for alternatives to hotels, and companies want to be able to offer employees those choices while managing costs and without compromising security and safety, said Lex Bayer, Head of Global Payments and Business Development at Airbnb in a press release. Like fellow multibillion-dollar Bay Area-based unicorn Uber,
Airbnb recognizes the value of the business travel market and the company is working hard to grow its share. Business travelers make up about 10% of Airbnb's business and represent a lucrative and growing market for the internet company. On average, business travelers stay seven nights in Airbnb accommodation, twice as long as stays in traditional hotels, research group CWT Solutions Group found. The research also found that companies can save up to 37 percent by using Airbnb in certain cases. Through these new partnerships, Airbnb and its partners will integrate some of their data through the Airbnb for Business service. This
will allow the travel managers to access Airbnb's global inventory and gain better insights into costs and potential savings, said Bayer in the release. Airbnb already has 50,000 businesses using its platform to make bookings, and Airbnb for Business gives business travelers access to more than 2 million homes around the world. Airbnb already has a similar partnership with Concur — a deal it signed two years ago — to extend its reach into business travel. www.cnbc.com/2016/07/12/airbnbmakes-bigger-pitch-to-businesstravelers.html
47 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
49 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
A
re you a Small Business interested in selling your product or services to Metro or to Prime Contractors that do business with Metro? Would you like to learn how to win contracts as a Prime Contractor through SB Prime, Metro's exciting set-aside initiative? If so, we invite you to come grow with us and learn about Metro Connect. Start now and register for a How to Do Business with Metro Workshop. Metro staff will show you how to take advantage of the vast array of products, services and transportation related opportunities projected over the coming weeks, months and year. As an added bonus, Metro's procurement staff will host informal interviews with firms before the workshop, starting at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 9, 2016 8:30 a.m.: Registration 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: One-on-One with Contract Administrators and Continental Breakfast 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Program
Metro Headquarters 3rd Floor, Board Room, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Topics: Highway Project Update, Procurement Update, Certification Update, Small Business Prime Update, LA SAFE/511 Next Generation Update To learn more about how Metro Connect's Small and Disadvantaged Business Certifications can help open the door to contracting opportunities with Metro visit Metro Vendor Portal. For further questions, please contact Marisela Villar at VillarM@metro.net or via phone at 213.922.2235.
50 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Are PreCheck and Global Entry Worth It? By Rick Seaney
more. While it’s true some passengers are still being selected for random PreCheck screening — for free — these perks are rare and can’t be counted on. If you fly domestically even once in a while, PreCheck is a deal.
Global Entry ou’ve seen the stories about the insane lines at TSA checkpoints this summer
Y
for free as long as they travel with a member parent or guardian. Older kids must enroll on their own.
and how airlines are urging passengers to arrive at the airport two hours early so they don’t miss their flights. There’s got to be a better way. Actually, there are two better ways: PreCheck and Global Entry. Let’s see which is worth it and which one may be right for you.
What’s good: Online enrollment is easy and takes less than five minutes. The interview must be done in person but usually takes just a few minutes. What’s not so good: In-person interview appointment slots may not be available for a couple of weeks or longer; then it can take another week to get the email approval. Worth it? Yes: For solo travelers who fly just once a year, the cost breaks down to a mere $17 a year; families w i t h young children benefit e v e n
PreCheck This TSA program offers a faster security experience thanks to dedicated screening lanes at airports, plus members keep shoes and light jackets on and toiletries and laptops stay in bags, so no fumbling around as you approach that conveyor belt. Cost: $85 How long: Membership is good for five years Children included? Kids 12 and under can get PreCheck screening
This is for international travelers looking for faster re-entry when returning home to the U.S. After undergoing what Customs calls a “rigorous” background check and in-person interview, Global Entry members get to skip the usual paperwork and often horrendous slogs through processing lines. Cost: $100, but the fee also includes membership in PreCheck How long: Good for five years Children included? No. Like passports, kids of all ages need their own. What’s good: Some international airports (such as Dublin) are set up with Global Entry so you actually go through Customs as you depart and skip the mob scene on arrival in the U.S. altogether. What’s not so good: It may not pay off for those who don’t fly much internationally. Worth it? Yes: Since it includes Global Entry and PreCheck, it’s a great value for any adult who travels domestically and abroad, though it might be a little pricey for families. www.usatoday.com/story/travel/ columnist/seaney/2016/06/28/ airport-security-tsa-precheckglobal-entry/86438662/?t=head
51 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
The United States will host the fifteenth annual U.S.-sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, commonly known as the AGOA Forum, on September 26, 2016, at the U.S. Department of State, in Washington, D.C. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is the U.S. government's signature trade initiative with sub-Saharan Africa. The AGOA legislation mandates the annual AGOA Forum to foster close economic ties between the United States and its partners in sub-Saharan Africa. This year’s theme is “Maximizing AGOA Now while Preparing for the Future Beyond AGOA.”
Quote of Note “…When people can start their own businesses, it helps individuals and families succeed. It can make whole communities more prosperous and more secure. It offers a positive path for young people seeking the chance to make something of themselves, and can empower people who have previously been locked out of the existing social order -- women and minorities, others who aren't part of the “old boys” network -- give them a chance to contribute and to lead. And it can create a culture where innovation and creativity are valued -- where we don't just look at the way things have always been, but rather we say, how could things be? Why not? Let’s make something new.”
Barack Obama Global Entrepreneur Summit 2016 www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/25/remarks-president-globalentrepreneurship-summit-and-conversation-mark
53 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Retiree Confidence on the Rise, EBRI Finds
W
hile retirement confidence among U.S. workers appears to be stabilizing, confidence among today's retirees continues to climb, finds the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) in its latest Retirement Confidence Survey. Workers who said they were "very confident" in their ability to afford a comfortable retirement rose from 13% in 2013 to 22% last year. In 2016, that percentage leveled off at 21%. However, the percentage of retirees who are "very confident" continued to rise in 2016 to 39%, up from 18% in 2013. Historically, retiree confidence has exceeded worker confidence, said the report.
Worker perceptions vs. retiree realities Each year, the study reveals findings that compare worker expectations and perceptions with the actual experiences of current retirees. For example: • While 78% of workers are at least "somewhat confident" that they will have enough money to afford basic expenses in retirement, an even higher percentage (84%) of current retirees feel that way. An even sharper contrast emerges when considering the affordability of medical expenses. Thirty-eight percent of workers say they are "not too" or "not at all confident" in their prospects for funding medical care, while just 21% of retirees share that level of concern. • The age at which workers expect to retire has crept upward through the years, while the actual retirement age for retired respondents has changed very little. In 1991, just 11% of workers said they expected to retire after age 65. In 2016, the percentage increased to 37%. By comparison, the actual percentage of retirees who retired after age 65 was 8% in 1991 and rose to 15% in 2016. The median age at which retirees said they retired held steady at age 62 throughout the 25-year period. • Only 8% of today's workers said they plan to retire 38% of retirees say their current expenses are "somewhat higher" or "much higher" than before age 60, yet they expected when they first retired, while the same percentage said their expenses are 36% of today's retirees left the workforce "about the same" as they expected 54 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
before reaching that age. Why the difference? The study's authors said that each year they discover a sizable percentage of retirees who retire earlier than planned--46% in 2016. Reasons cited include health problems or disability (55%), changes at their company such as downsizing or closure (24%), and having to care for a family member (17%). Despite these findings, workers can take heart knowing that today's retirees feel more confident than in past years, and in knowing that the years ahead offer time to modify their retirement planning strategies if necessary.
About the survey The 26th annual Retirement Confidence Survey was cosponsored by EBRI, a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization that focuses on health, savings, retirement, and economic security issues; and Greenwald & Associates, a Washington, DC-based market research firm. The survey was conducted in January and February 2016 through 20-minute telephone interviews with 1,505 people, including 1,000 workers and 505 retirees. Full results can be viewed at ebri.org. FWR IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES Regina L. Faison *Wealth Manager/Registered Principal 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. Insurance offered through Faison Wealth and Retirement Services is not affiliated with Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. Faison Wealth and Retirement Services and Woodbury Financial are not affiliated entities.
Faison Wealth & Retirement Regina Faison Wealth Manager/Registered Principal* 3070 Bristol Street Suite 500 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 949-200-8212 714-329-7184 regina@faisonwealth.com www.faisonwealth.com
55 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
2016 Company
Location
Staff
Type of Business
Revenue (in millions)
1
World Wide Technology Inc.
St. Louis, MO
3,200
IT products/services
6,800.000
2
ACT-1 Group
Torrance, CA
2,800
Staffing services
2,200.000
3
Bridgewater Interiors LLC
Detroit, MI
1,900
Automotive parts
2,170.000
4
Modular Assembly Innovations Dublin, OH
285
Automotive parts
1,114.507
5
Piston Automotive L.L.C.
Redford, MI
650
Automotive parts
839.000
6
Manna Inc.
Louisville, KY
18,000 Quick service restaurants
748.000
7
The Anderson-DuBose Co.
Lordstown, OH 423
Food/paper product dist.
614.271
8
Global Automotive Alliance
Detroit, MI
1,520
Automotive parts
539.000
9
Thompson Hospitality Corp.
Reston, VA
6,000
Food/facilities management, quick service restaurants
499.000
Multimedia
441.387
Food services
377.356
10
Radio One Inc.*
Silver Spring, MD 1,011
11
Fair Oaks Farms L.L.C.
Pleasant Prairie, WI
12
Hightowers Petroleum Co.
Middletown, OH 31
Petroleum products distribution 338.741
13
Millennium Steel Service LLC
Princeton, IN
Automotive steel processing and warehousing
285.000
Construction, real estate, and food concessions
236.926
IT/Security system services
224.832
Automotive steel processing and warehousing
200.086
Chemical distribution and management
190.600
14
15
16
17
H. J. Russell & Co.
Atlanta, GA
273
63
1,260
Adams Communication & Engineering Technology Inc.
Waldorf, MD
Millennium Steel of Texas LP
San Antonio, TX 74
Mays Chemical Co. Inc.
Indianapolis, IN
450
210
18
Baldwin Richardson Foods Co. Frankfort, IL
295
Food services
184.000
19
Harpo Inc.
Chicago, IL
209
Multimedia
175.000
20
The Gourmet Cos.
Atlanta, GA
1,100
Food services, facilities management, concessions
170.000
Publisher's Message continued from 3
and yet only 2 cents of every dollar Blacks spend in this country goes to black-owned businesses.” No matter which candidate
ultimately becomes our next president, we as a culture, a people have a long history throughout mankind’s history of being resilient, strong survivors. We have an opportunity to leverage our existing relationships, and an even broader platform to create newer and
stronger relationships with key stakeholders. The BBA has been nominated for the Hart Leadership Center’s “Black Business Leaders Hall of Fame Perseverance & Sustainability Award.” As the president and founder of BBA,
58 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
we are very appreciative of the nomination and recognition of the hard work I and others have contributed to the BBA over the past 30+ years. But our work is not yet through. While there is a spotlight on Blacks due the recent race relations issues between Black communities and law enforcement, we know that economic empowerment should be one of the top priorities of any community to be able to develop a sense of pride and economic independence. It’s time for us to re-visit our ability to create our own opportunities for ourselves and others. We can end the causalities of extreme poverty which cripple our communities, families and nation. Without the revenue being generated and recycled into our own communities, we will not have the necessary funds to fund the needed social programs. One thing that the former Black Wall Street business owners and entrepreneurs understood (and something that we should borrow from), is that they understood that economic empowerment = selfreliance + limited dependence for social services from the Government, thereby ensuring that the needs of the less fortunate in our communities are met – we would be in a position to see to it ourselves. We are a free people. We are not children. To be fair and honest, our Government has played an important role in terms of important establishing and enforcing legislation to provide oversight for issues associated with discrimination, and fair contracting practices and opportunities for Blacks and other diverse-owned businesses. But it doesn’t end there, we have an opportunity to continue to make these laws work for us, and stop positioning ourselves and our children for them to work against us; and advocate for better and
stronger legislation until the playing field has become level. We can do this, by learning how to create and sustain business and provide entrepreneurial training and education opportunities for Blacks, by Blacks in their own communities. We need to support your Blackowned financial institutions and businesses in our communities, and to support Blacks who have successfully become board members in Corporate America. Many like Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments
Mellody Hobson and Chairman of the Board, DreamWorks Animation, are examples of Black professionals who are creating opportunity; and will be the featured keynote speaker at the upcoming Black Hall of Fame. Part of BB's mission is to connect and expose our members with these types of opportunities to be able to hear the success stories of Black\entrepreneurs, and more importantly about the value of the mistakes – lessons learned. Many new industries are emerging in the areas of import/ export, healthcare, IT, robotics, security, law enforcement, defense to name a few; and we want encourage the young and aspiring diverse entrepreneurs to re-create better and stronger Black Wall Streets throughout our communities nationwide, by
becoming business owners in these market sectors as well. But this will require unity at all levels; a mindset of unity; cooperation with others (both mainstream and urban), so that we can truly realize economic empowerment, which leads to self-reliance for “we the key stakeholders” of our communities. There are lessons from our past, we need to revisit and reinstill. Economic empowerment is possible. We did it once in Tulsa, Oklahoma under far worst conditions, and much more limited mainstream opposition. Times and seasons continue to change, but the BBA remains resolute in its mission of advocacy and business opportunities for the Black and diverse business communities. We are very thankful for those who stand for fair and equitable business opportunities for all people, and even more so those who have stood shoulder to shoulder with Blacks and others for equality. Let’s now bring that equality back to our own communities and families and once again build our own Black Wall Streets – not looking for others to do, but to join us in our efforts to stabilize our own communities; and work as a nation to heal racial divide, which starts in each person’s own heart. In the near future, the BBA will be announcing many exciting new services (including Veterans, Supplier Diversity) partnerships and events to our Black and diverse business owners, especially engaging and working more with our young and aspiring business owners; and introducing some of our new team members that are bringing skills and networks from the corporate and Federal contracting arena. The BBA is committed to building people, by building business. Let’s do this!
59 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
www.bbala.org
Business
Five Easy Ways to Never Pay for Movies at Home Again
Welcome to More.
Y
ou don’t have to pay your cable company extra for movie channels... or fork over $5 on every rental. •
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Try out these options instead: Redbox (www.insideredbox.com/ redbox-codes) lets you watch movies for free. That’s right. Redbox wants to bring in new users, so it releases a code every day for a free one-day rental. (Note: Late returns are charged the usual rate of $1 per day.) Open Culture (www.openculture. com) and Archive (https://archive. org) boast thousands of free movies online in genres like great classics, indie films, Westerns, film noir, documentaries, and a number of silent films. Crackle (www.crackle.com) is completely free but has received some complaints about its user interface, streaming speed, and glitches. Still, if you like the idea of free entertainment, check it out. Hulu (www.hulu.com) does right by its customers by keeping the most up-to-date and in-demand shows at its viewers’ fingertips— for free. It has not, however, caved from pressure to cut down on the number of commercials throughout its shows. Hulu continues to get high ratings, however, and can be found at Hulu.com or through a streaming device. DocumentaryHeaven (http:// documentaryheaven.com) where you can browse over 1,600 top-notch documentaries in categories like biographies, conspiracies, and health.
Open the door to a hotel you don’t just visit. You own it. Choice Hotels® is committed to achieving more diversity in hospitality with exclusive incentive programs designed to reduce up front costs and provide more support to minority hotel developers. And our commitment doesn’t stop there. Choice Hotels promotes and pursues diversity at all levels, ranging from our workforce to our hotel guests, from our suppliers to entrepreneurs looking to create wealth. Like you. Open the door to hotel ownership opportunities with Choice Hotels. Because you’re not in business for less. You’re in it for more. www.choicehotelsdevelopment.com/#&panel1-2
https://outlook.live.com/ owa/?path=/mail/inbox/rp
62 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Wisdom Oak Wine
From http://officialblackwallstreet.com/ F black-owned-wine-spirit-brands/
W
hat began as a hobby for owner Jerry Bias blossomed into a full-blown winery in North Garden, Virginia. Today Wisdom Oak remains the only African American owned and operated vineyard on the East Coast and was the only Virginia wine served at the white house and at the 2013 inaugural ball. You can purchase their wines, ranging from Chardonnay to Cabernet Franc online at www.wisdomoakwinery.com. Price Range: $20.00 – $27.00.
Stay Updated with Wisdom Oak Winery! Sign up for our occasional email and be one of the first to take advantage of limited offers and upcoming events. Also join our Wine Club to enjoy discounts, free tastings, vineyard tours and access to small barrel vintages and special events. Let us host a special event for you whether a wedding or corporate gathering on our patio or under the "Wisdom Oak." www.wisdomoakwinery.com
66 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
67 February 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Security, Business Innovation 'Critical': Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins By Corinne Reichert isco CEO Chuck Robbins has outlined the networking giant's strategy for digital transformation, calling cloud-based security at the network layer and business innovation based in technology "critical", along with its own partnerships and acquisitions.
C
you are going to really have an effect on the capability of what this technology can do beyond what we do today, it has to start at the top," Robbins said during his keynote speech at Cisco Live Las Vegas. "Whether we're in a city with a mayor, we're in countries with
business may be spending more money on technology, for us to really be successful in the future, IT and the line of business have to come together. We have to be aligned ... there has to be a strategy. What does this technology do? What does it change? How
According to Robbins, what's required for companies, governments, and the enterprise to take part in digital transformation are executive sponsorship; speed, agility, and innovation; IT and lineof-business alignment; pervasive security; and an Internet of Things (IoT) strategy. "I fundamentally believe that if
prime ministers, or in companies like Cisco with CEOs, you have to have sponsorship. You have to have someone who can see what you see, see what's possible, and to see what opportunity might exist. "We also have been talking for the last few years about IT budgets moving to the lines of business, and I think that while the lines of
does it change how I think about my business, my business model? Does it change my company from selling a product to selling it as a service?" Robbins stressed that the most important facets of technology are security and innovation. "The two things that I think are going to be most important: Number
68 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
one is security ... and then moving fast in innovating over and over," the chief executive added. "Regardless, I'm not talking about technology innovation -- business model innovation, challenging the status quo, disrupting yourselves, that's what's going to be required for us to be successful. "And all of this is going to be driven by technology." One key element of Cisco's strategy is collaboration, Robbins explained, with acquisitions being "core to our overall innovation story". Cisco has $2.1 billion invested in
startups around the world, and it has acquired 190 companies. Speaking via video link during the keynote, Apple CEO Tim Cook provided an update on what Cisco and Apple have been working towards through their partnership announced last year. "Last September, we announced a breakthrough partnership with Cisco to make iOS devices work better than any other mobile operating system connected with Cisco technologies. We've been hard at work since that announcement, and I'm very excited to tell you about the new features we're about to deliver for customers of both Apple and Cisco," Cook said. "Just a few weeks ago, at our Worldwide Developer Conference (WDC), we unveiled iOS 10, the biggest iOS update ever. It's packed with great features for business. "First, we're making iOS devices work better than any other mobile platform on Cisco networks. Together, we've made it simple to configure, and give your employees the best network performance possible. And were delivering a fast lane for business-critical apps, so you can make sure the apps that pop out of your business automatically get top priority on
your network. The result is an even better user experience, improved reliability, and better performance for the apps that matter the most. "Second, with iOS 10, we're also making it easier to make and receive voice and video calls over IP. Now the Cisco Spark app will integrate with iPhone for a firstclass calling experience. It's a seamless integration of enterprise collaboration services on the world's best mobile device." Robbins pointed towards three of Cisco's recent acquisitions -Jasper, CliQr, and Lancope -- as also being "critically important". Jasper, a cloud-based IoT platform, has 31 million connected devices, with 1 million more being added per month. CliQr provides tools to simplify and automate apps in private cloud orchestration, and is a critical part of Cisco's orchestration strategy going forward; and Lancope's Stealthwatch learning networks and capabilities about threat information are being integrated into Cisco's network security offerings. www.zdnet.com/article/securitybusiness-innovation-critical-ciscoceo-chuck-robbins/
69 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Addresses Town Hall Los Angeles on Renewed U.S. – Cuba Relations By Wanda Flagg
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own Hall Los Angeles recently hosted a meeting featuring the Honorable Barbara Lee, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (CA-13), who spoke eloquently on the topic of renewed relations between the U.S. and Cuba and what impact they will have on both the American and Cuban people. Introduced by Black Business Association member and Vice Chairman of Town Hall Los Angeles, Carl Dickerson of Dickerson Employee Benefits, Congresswoman Barbara Lee with long time friend Earl "Skip" Cooper, II, Congresswoman Barbara Publisher, Black Business News Lee first reflected on the fifty years of isolationist policies between the U.S. and travelled to Cuba in 1977, with of young Cuban refugee Elian Cuba, beginning with the first the National Council of Black Gonzalez in 2000, as well as trade embargo in 1960 during the Lawyers and has since that time later providing assistance in the Eisenhower Administration. visited Cuba 24 times. She also matter of two Americans who were Congresswoman Lee first participated in securing the release detained in Cuba, including United States Agency for International Development (USAID) contractor Alan Gross, and also recently the group known as "The Cuban Five" in 2014. In fact, upon the release of Alan Gross on December 17, 2015, President Barack Obama initiated Executive Orders for the normalization of U.S. and Cuba relations. Congresswoman Barbara Lee identified and provided detailed information about an innovative Cuban pharmaceutical product called, Heberprot-P. According to the "Heberprot-P: a novel product 72 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
President Castro shakes hands with President Obama
for treating advanced diabetic foot ulcer" January 2013 publication in the MEDICC International Journal of Cuban Health and Medicine, "evidence reveals it [Heberprot-P] accelerates healing of deep and complex ulcers, both ischemic and neuropathic, and reduces diabetesrelated amputations", leading the Congresswoman to reinforce the importance of bringing Heberprot-P to the U.S. for clinical trials. Congresswoman Lee described her excitement with the reopening of the Cuban Embassy in Washington D.C. and the reopening of the U.S. embassy in Cuba, pointing out that President Obama has been the first sitting U.S. President to visit Cuba in 88 years. In addition, the Congresswoman detailed the bipartisan collaboration to lift the U.S.-Cuba trade embargo, and
encouraged everyone to familiarize themselves with H.R.664: Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2015 and H.R. 3238: Cuba Trade Act of 2015. She also urged Town Hall attendees to investigate business opportunities in Cuba by referencing the U.S. Department of Commerce website at https:// www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/ u-s-department-of-commerce. Congresswoman Barbara Lee concluded her presentation by emphasizing the importance of advocacy for human rights domestically and abroad, stating, "We should stand for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights". The question and answer period brought forth issues including the normalization of Cuban relations and the support of the whole Latin American region; the palpable divide
between "Afro-Cubans" and "White Cubans" and the socioeconomic disparity between the two groups due in part to the longstanding monetary remittance policy; family reunification; European and Latin American companies and their participation in infrastructure creation within Cuba, focusing on waste management, housing and water systems; Google's development of broadband fiberoptic networks in Cuba; the steadily increasing movement towards a standard international banking system in Cuba; and the development of needed educational exchange programs, which will benefit the United States by learning from the 99% literacy rate in Cuba.
73 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Taxis Get into the Ride-Share Game with New App By Matthew Flamm
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he taxi industry now has an answer to UberPool and LyftLine: an app that matches up riders for trips at reduced fares in yellow cabs from LaGuardia and JFK airports. By the end of the year the service will be available anywhere in the city, via the Bandwagon app or a tab on Arro and Curb apps, which work with all cabs in the city. Destination match-ups will more easily be made during periods of high demand. The airport service—a joint venture between Brooklyn-based startup Bandwagon and taxi owner-backed CMT Group, which operates Arro—was announced Wednesday. CMT manages the payment systems and backseat TVs in about 8,000 cabs, 6,700 of which are yellow cabs, or half the city's fleet. Bandwagon's integration with rival payment-service provider Verifone—operator of Curb—is in the works.
The airport service, which has been developed in cooperation with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, requires riders to go through several steps, including inputting the cab's medallion number. But the users are offered two enticements in return: They get a cheaper ride than passengers going solo and they can skip ahead to the taxi stand's priority line. Bandwagon calculates the fares. Each rider pays in proportion to the distance needed to arrive at their destination. Although there is a flat $5 fee, the company says fares are typically 25% to 30% less than for a regular ride. "This is about helping New York City taxis compete with UberPool and Lyft Line and reducing congestion on city streets," said Bandwagon founder and CEO David Mahfouda. So far, the service is available only at selected terminals at the two airports and during peak use
periods: Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday evenings, from 5 o'clock until midnight. Customers lined up at the taxi stand text their destination to a Bandwagon number. If a match comes up, they move to the priority line, and a Bandwagon agent swipes their credit cards. The company, which is based in NYU's Urban Future Lab, has been piloting the service since September. Even without a taxi payment integration it has facilitated 10,000 rides, according to Mahfouda. The service is attractive to drivers, since they'll make more money on the extended trips. "This is something we have to do," said Michael Epley, product manager for Arro. "I'm sure a chunk of people will say it's not for them. And others will be totally comfortable splitting a ride with a stranger." www.crainsnewyork. com/article/20160720/ TECHNOLOGY/160729987/taxisget-into-the-ride-share-game-withnew-app
76 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
77 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Chance the Rapper: Marketing Genius or No? By Melissa Ward
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hance the Rapper has taken 2016 by storm, from his new album "Coloring Book" to launching his line of Chicago White Sox hats that sold out much to fans' dismay. Hannah Abrams, senior content editor for Promotional Marketing — a sister brand to Target Marketing — took to her blog, Hannah's Misguided Musings, to look at his marketing strategy, and declared him to be a marketing genius based on the strides he's made in each of his business ventures.
hang them in their own cities. It was a massive hit as posters began appearing everywhere, including in Philadelphia. The posters cost $20 for a three pack, and he encouraged fans to post the photos on social media. So basically, Chance the Rapper brought in a ton of revenue from selling these posters, and benefited from the subsequent guerrilla marketing. He didn't have to spend a dime on this free exposure, and there were advertisements for his new album everywhere.
1. Use Old-School Marketing
2. Make Merchandise Customizable
These days, when a movie is set to premiere, most marketing dollars are spent on social media marketing and hoping for Internet viral sensations. Leading up to the release of "Coloring Book," Chance the Rapper gave fans the chance to print posters online and
Chance the Rapper also took a different approach (http://magazine. promomarketing.com/article/rappersells-fully-customizable-merchandise)
to his promotional apparel. He allowed users to customize their T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats on his website (http://chanceraps. com/custom-merchandise). It didn't require in-depth personalization on the back-end, but prospective buyers could choose the shirt colors, design colors and the sizes they wanted for their gear. Delivering this more "custom" experience left fans feeling like they had one-of-a-kind apparel that they were able to contribute to. Plus, it was in keeping with his "Coloring Book" theme.
3. Make Limited Edition Merchandise In a marketing move that had nothing to do with his new album, Chance the Rapper developed his own line of limited edition White Sox hats (http://m.mlb. com/cutfour/2016/04/07/170980006/
chance-the-rapper-designs-white-soxcaps).
The hats were available in three unique designs and were released in very limited quantities. Unfortunately, the hats sold out in minutes with so much hype being generated that the hats were eventually going for hundreds on eBay.
4. Follow Your Gut Chance the Rapper is one of the few popular artists that has strayed away from signing to a major label. He does everything independently, and therefore is able to basically do whatever he wants, in terms of his artistry. Without constantly needing to please an overbearing label, Chance the Rapper can follow his own marketing plan as well as his own album roll-out tactics. Now, in terms of the promotional products business, being labelfree doesn't really apply. However, you should follow your gut when it comes to new products and giving your clients what they really want. Don't be scared to suggest something different that might set the client out of their comfort zones.
5. Host Surprise Events They say all press is good press. Well, good press is the best press, and Chance the Rapper has only been getting good press. Hosting free, surprise events for the community definitely contributes to this good press. At the last minute, Chance the Rapper informed fans that he would host a "Coloring Book" event in the city of Chicago. Nobody knew what to expect, and the event named, Magnificent Coloring World, was free to the public. The event received massive amounts of good press and it helped generate more buzz. www.targetmarketingmag. com/article/chance-the-rappermarketing-genius-or-no/all/
80 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
www.nubianskin.com/us
Sell Your Products & Services on
Black Business Association is joining forces with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and a number of other businesses and community organizations to help promote safe driving through
It Can Wait. http://itcanwait.com
FOR
Independence Day OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION
Business that gets savvy travelers, tech enthusiasts and urban day-trippers
Technology:
Take A Look! by LaSandra Stratton
blacklist, and click "Start." Until that timer expires, you will be unable to access those sites--even if you restart your computer or delete the application.
https://aws.amazon.com/ glacier
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heck out what these firms and organizations have to offer for your personal interests, personal wealth building, and business expansion opportunities.
A
mazon Glacier is a secure, durable, and extremely lowcost cloud storage service for data archiving and long-term backup. Customers can reliably store large or small amounts of
The Vertical Mouse (https:// evoluent.com)
I
n 1994, a revolutionary ergonomic mouse was invented and patented by Jack Lo due to discomfort he had when using a conventional mouse. His invention was the first mouse to support a hand in a fully upright handshake position for eliminating the arm twisting required by ordinary mice.
Jack has continued to pursue his goal of popularizing the VerticalMouse, and hopefully help more people cure and prevent mouse use injuries. He continues to develop more products with the philosophy that his products must be different from all the me-too products and provide real benefits for the user.
http://modobag.com
M
ODOBAG is the world’s first motorized, smart and connected carry-on
to their destination up to three times faster than walking. At Modobag we are engaged in the design, manufacture, sourcing and distribution of eco-friendly, technology rich, rideable luggage for business, travel, students and specialty uses. Modobag offers: • a Collapsible Handlebar for effortless towing, • steering using the easy-toaccess Telescoping Handlebar, • slip-resistant and sturdy foot pegs for your comfort, • never be out of power with Dual 5V USB ports, • relax on the Memory Foam Cushioned Seat, • easy Access Pockets for tablet and phone, • protect your belongings in the 17" zippable sleeve, •
http://selfcontrolapp.com
S
elfControl is a free and opensource application for Mac OS X that lets you block your own access to distracting websites, your mail servers, or anything else on the Internet. Just set a period of time to block for, add sites to your
data for as little as $0.007 per gigabyte per month, a significant savings compared to on-premises solutions. To keep costs low, Amazon Glacier is optimized for infrequently accessed data where a retrieval time of several hours is suitable.
Visit the website to create a free account and check out the service. Benefits Low Cost: Starting at $0.007 per gigabyte per month, Amazon Glacier allows you to archive large amounts of data at a very low cost. You pay for what you need, with no minimum commitments or up-front fees. Secure: Amazon Glacier supports data transfer over SSL and automatically encrypts your
84 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
data at rest. You can also control access to your data using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM). Durable: Amazon Glacier provides a highly durable storage infrastructure designed for longterm backup and archive. Your data is redundantly stored across multiple facilities and multiple devices in each facility. Simple: Amazon Glacier allows you to offload the administrative burden of operating s t o r a g e infrastructure to AWS. Data uploaded to Amazon Glacier remains stored for as long as needed with no additional effort from you. Flexible: Amazon Glacier scales to meet your storage needs. There is no limit to how much data you can store, and you can choose to store your data in the AWS region that supports your regulatory and business criteria. Integrated: Through Amazon S3 lifecycle policies, you can optimize your storage costs by moving infrequently a c c e s s e d objects from Amazon S3 to Amazon Glacier (or vice-versa). Digital Preservation Libraries and government agencies face data-integrity challenges in their digital
preservation efforts. Unlike traditional systems, which can require laborious data verification and manual repair, Amazon Glacier performs regular, systematic data integrity checks and is built to be automatically self-healing. Media Asset Archiving Media assets such as video and news footage require durable storage and can grow to many petabytes over time. Amazon Glacier allows you to archive older media content reliably and
then move it to Amazon S3 for distribution when needed. Regulatory and Compliance Archiving Many enterprises must retain regulatory and compliance archives for extended durations. Amazon Glacier Vault Lock helps you set compliance controls to meet your compliance objectives, such as SEC Rule 17a-4(f). Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.
Coming to your e-mail box.
Read Back Issues at: https://issuu.com/blackbusinessnews
85 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest
Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library Opens September 10th in Long Beach, California
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he Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library will open on Saturday, September 10, at 10:00 am. “We are all very excited that the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library will be opening its doors for the residents of Long Beach,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “This new library will include an extensive book collection and the latest technology and computers.”
The new library, located at 5870 Atlantic Avenue, will be three and one-half times the size of the previous location, will have three community rooms and study rooms with audio visual technology to support group meetings, workshops, seminars and group study needs. “The Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library will be a place for the community to gather, learn, and build strong community ties,” said Councilmember Al Austin. “The iconic new Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library will set a new standard for design and architecture on the Atlantic corridor,” said Councilmember Rex Richardson. “It is a symbol to inspire the public to reach higher and achieve their dreams.” “The new library will be the first library in Long Beach to feature an automated book return system that efficiently assists staff with returning
library materials to the shelves more quickly for the public,” said Glenda Williams, Library Services Director.
About Long Beach Public Library Long Beach Public Library, founded in 1896, serves a diverse urban city of close to half a million people. The Long Beach Public Library system includes Main Library, eleven other unique Neighborhood Libraries and a vibrant online presence. With an emphasis on providing free and equal access to information and support for lifelong-learning, the Library offers books, media, downloads, databases, Internet access, Family Learning Centers and a variety of events ranging from story times to cultural programs. www.everythinglongbeach.com/northneighborhood-library-closing-july-31michelle-obama-neighborhood-libraryopen-september-10/
88 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
T
he first night of the
Democratic N a t i o n a l Convention on Monday was, rightly, not about the clothes: Which is not to say it lacked a fashion statement or two. The most pointed came, not surprisingly, from Michelle Obama. Not that you would have known it at first. Like her speech, in which she castigated Mr. Trump without ever saying his name, her dress spoke volumes while appearing, at first glance, to be entirely subdued. Cobalt blue silk crepe, with cap sleeves, a flared skirt and a neat waist, it was by the designer Christian Siriano, and it pretty much matched the backdrop, playing down Mrs. Obama’s appearance and playing to the patriotic theme, especially when contrasted with the bright red jacket that Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts wore during her speech. But the simplicity and the color were just the beginning. See, Mr. Siriano is a former reality TV star — the only designer to really have emerged from the television show “Project Runway” and carved out a place on the New York Fashion Week scene. But unlike another reality TV star, Mr. Siriano has built his career on being inclusive: on catering to
Michelle Obama’s Dress May Have Looked Simple, but It Spoke Volumes women regardless of size or age. Most recently, he was, for example, the designer who stepped forward (via Instagram) when Leslie Jones, the late-40-something sixfoot-tall star of the movie remake “Ghostbusters,” complained recently that no designer wanted to dress her, making a custom off-the-shoulder red gown for her premiere that became something of an internet moment. He also has a collaboration with the plus-size store Lane Bryant, for which he held a runway show at the United Nations earlier this year. “I just don’t think anyone should be excluded from having a beautiful dress,” he said to me when we were talking about the Jones brouhaha, and why he had volunteered to play fairy godfather. Lest you think all Mrs. Obama’s wardrobe choice was happenstance, however, know that
the convention appearance was only the second time she has worn Mr. Siriano; the first time was this month, at the funeral for the police officers killed in Dallas. Throughout her time in the White House, the first lady has made something of a secondary cause out of supporting new, independent American designers, and choosing her clothes not only because she likes them but because their back story has a certain resonance that goes beyond the aesthetic. Monday night was no different. Fashion is not known for its embrace of togetherness (more for its exclusion). But Mr. Siriano is. Think that’s just a coincidence? www.msn.com/en-us/ lifestyle/celeb-style/michelleobama%E2%80%99s-dress-mayhave-looked-simple-but-it-spokevolumes/ar-BBuT1rR?li=BBnb2gg &ocid=mailsignout
89 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest
National Museum of African Art Inaugural African Art Awards Dinner Oct. 28
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he Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art will hold its inaugural African Art Awards Dinner Friday, Oct. 28 at 6.30 p.m. The dinner will take place in the Smithsonian’s iconic Arts and Industries Building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Tickets are available on the museums website (https://africa. si.edu/support/inspire-celebratehonor/?mc_cid=2dbf5d73c9&mc_ eid=6495d72437) or by phone at
(202) 633-3773. Recognizing the best in contemporary African art and philanthropy on the continent, this annual event will honor the arti) stic achievements and generosity of individuals who are influencing the way our global community experiences the dynamic and diverse arts of Africa. The 2016 honorees are internationally renowned artist Yinka Shonibare MBE, rising star of the art world Ato
Bob Collymore Malinda, and global philanthropist and CEO of Safaricom Bob Collymore.
“We are delighted to recognize Yinka Shonibare MBE, Ato Malinda and Bob Collymore for their remarkable achievements, which highlight the diversity of Africa that is connected so closely to our mission,” said Johnnetta Betsch Cole, director of the museum. “Each awardee is exemplary in their field, continually working to make a difference on and off the continent.”
Ato Malinda Guests will enjoy cocktails, a seated dinner, presentations of the African Art award and a special performance. The goal of the African Art Awards Dinner, hosted by CNN International anchor Isha Sesay, is to raise funds in support of the museum’s mission. The 2016 Awardees Bob Collymore, CEO of Kenya’s innovative Safaricom, has been dedicated to the arts since he began painting as a young boy. As a philanthropist and art enthusiast, he continues to avidly support and fund art initiatives around the African continent. Ato Malinda has gained recognition for her thought-provoking multimedia.
Yinka Shonibare The Kenyan artist often explores sexuality, gender and nationality, advocating for women and the LGBTQ community in Africa. Her work is currently being shown at the Brooklyn Museum's Agitprop! exhibition. Her video On fait ensemble was on view in The Divine Comedy exhibition at the National Museum of African Art in 2015. Yinka Shonibare MBE is one of the world's most celebrated artists working today. The BritishNigerian artist has consistently explored exchange, history, and hybrid identity in the post-colonial era. His work is found around the globe in numerous public and private collections. His video Un Ballo in Maschera is currently on view in the museum’s Senses of Time exhibition.
About the National Museum of African Art The National Museum of African Art is America’s only major museum dedicated to the collection, conservation, study and exhibition of traditional and contemporary African art. For more information about this program, call (202) 633-4600 or visit the museum’s website at africa.si.edu. For general Smithsonian information, call (202) 633-1000.
90 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Issues Statement Honoring Justice Thurgood Marshall
T
he U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, by unanimous vote, today issued a statement celebrating the life and legal legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall, born July 2, 1908. The full statement may be viewed at: www.usccr.gov/press/2016/PR_ StatementThurgoodMarshall_071516. pdf. Justice Marshall is considered the most impactful civil rights lawyer activist in United States' history. He founded the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, and as its chief counsel argued landmark civil rights cases before the Supreme Court, including Shelley v. Kramer, McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents, and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Justice Marshall later became the first African-American to serve as Solicitor General and as a Justice on the
Supreme Court. He served on the Court from 1967 to 1991. Justice Marshall is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Today, Justice Marshall remains an inspiration to many and a giant in the field of civil rights, and we are proud to honor his memory. Commission Chairman Martin R. Castro stated on behalf of the Commission, "The legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall lives on today in the work of the U.S Commission on Civil Rights, and in those of us who but for his work in Brown v. Board of Education would not now be where we are. We must continue to work to ensure that his vision of fairness and justice is a reality for all Americans." The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights matters and issuing a federal civil rights enforcement report. For information about Commission's reports and meetings, visit http://www.usccr.gov. Please follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/usccrgov. www.blackenterprise.com/prnewswire/?rkey=20160719DC 49535&filter=4044
91 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest - Obituary “As a black man, it was very difficult at the time when I started,” he told his hometown paper, the Mansfield News Journal, in 2006. “It was tough to get a space in what we called ‘the line,’” – the line of photographers taking shots of celebrities. Jones said white photographers would force him to stand at the end. But he charmed celebrities with his Midwestern manners. Over the years, he built a rapport with them and captured some of their lives’ proudest moments. “Being the only black photographer, other black actors and actresses would come to me and let me take whatever pictures I wanted,” Jones said in the 2006 interview. His goal was to be at events because he knew the mainstream media was not going to concentrate on the black celebrities. “I would go to events and see how these guys will be jostling for positions,” Aldore Collier, former West Coast editor for Ebony and Jet magazines, said in a video. “The stars would go right to where Bill was standing.” Jones shot his first celebrity photo – of Muhammad Ali — in the early 1960s while on duty as a technical sergeant with the Air Force. Later, he pursued his lifelong dream of studying photography at the London School of Photography, where he was stationed. He retired after 22 years in the Air Force and settled in Los Angeles in 1972 with his wife, Reva. He went on to earn a sociology degree at California State University. For the next two decades, he worked as an accountant at Swinerton & Walberg. He started snapping photos as a sideline. He spent late nights covering movie premieres, award shows and galas. He gained a reputation as a photographer who could get access to famous people. “His goal was to be at events because he knew the mainstream media was not going to concentrate on the black celebrities,” Malcolm Ali said. “Bill was that guy that made sure they were represented.” The walls of the home Jones shared with his wife of 54 years are covered with his work: photographs of his four children: Bill Jr., Michelle, Natalie and Nina; photographs of him with Cher, Winnie Mandela, Lena Horne, Quincy Jones, astronaut Mae Jemison. His book, “Hollywood in Black: 40 years of Photography by Bill Jones,” sits on a coffee table.
Celebrity Photographer Bill Jones Dies at 81
B
ill Jones, the recipient of the BBA's 2014 Historian Award and a prominent celebrity photographer who chronicled the rise of black Hollywood at a time when mainstream publications often overlooked black entertainers, has died. He was 81. Jones died June 25 in his South Los Angeles home surrounded by family and friends, according to his granddaughter Latoya Jones. He was diagnosed with dementia believed to be caused by a brain injury he suffered in a 1997 attack. “He specialized in capturing the essence of black celebrities,” said longtime friend and fellow photographer Malcolm Ali. “He made them look good with his camera and he had a unique way of capturing them in a full-length profile that showed the good that was in them.” A retired Air Force sergeant, Jones turned his passion for photography into a decades-long career in which he documented historic events. He snapped the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his 1964 visit to Los Angeles, Nelson Mandela upon his release from a South African prison in 1990, and Halle Berry and Denzel Washington clenching Oscars in their historic 2002 win, a photo Jones called his favorite. His work appeared in Ebony, Jet and Sister 2 Sister magazines, the L.A. Watts Times, the Wave and L.A. Focus. Jones said that like the celebrities he covered, he had to fight for recognition in Hollywood.
www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-bill-jones20160701-snap-story.html
92 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
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
96 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
USTDA Trade Lead: South Africa - Global Logistics Service Provider for Container Terminal Project Compulsory Briefing Session: July 6, 2016 (Johannesburg) Proposal Deadline: September 30, 2016 Background: Transnet, a South African state-owned freight logistics company, recently issued a request for proposals for the design, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and eventual handover of an inland container terminal in Tambo-Springs. The objective of the project is to migrate rail-friendly cargo off the country's road network. The Tambo-Springs terminal will be located east of Johannesburg, in Ekurhuleni along the N3 motorway, near the Johannesburg-to-Durban rail corridor. The proposed terminal is an integral part of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Committee's Strategic Integrated Project 2, which aims to advance the country's industrial development while boosting export capability. The project is designed to complement Transnet's five existing inland container-handling terminals in the province. The concession will be for a 20 year period and features the greatest participation from the private sector that Transnet has ever seen. Transnet is seeking a global logistics service provider that can demonstrate technical expertise, maintain a minimum of Level 4 broadbased black economic-empowerment status with a commitment to reach Level 2 by the third year of operation, and abide by the requirements for supplier development and skills transfer. Link for more information: http://www.transnetfreightrail.co.za/Website/ tender_pdf/RFQ-CRAC-KGG-21543-ADVERT.pdf
97 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
Rwanda Facing Worst Drought in 60 Years By Michel Nkurunziza
T
he Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) has said the current drought in Rwanda is a global issue and over 50 million people are facing the same disaster in Africa. Severe drought hit Nyagatare, Gatsibo, Kayonza, Kirehe and Ngoma districts in the Eastern Province. Over 23,448 hectares of crops were destroyed and lives of cattle lost. 47,306 families are affected by famine. Addressing the press today, Minister Geraldine Mukeshimana said the country is facing the worst drought in 60 years. "The drought extended into 2016 B season from season A last year. This was in seven sectors in Kayonza, four in Nyagatare and one in Kirehe District," she said, adding that even seeds that were planted in Kayonza immediately. Mukeshimana explained that the ministry is supplying food to 18, 308 needy households. "The strategic reserve remains with only little food and we have set aside Rwf2.9bn to replenish it. A storage campaign should be carried out from cell to provincial level," she said.
Dry dams The minister added that even dams have dried up. Of five dams dug in Kayonza and six in Nyagatare, only one is operational because rain immediately disappeared. Others dried due to mismanagement by farmers. "There must be other nearby
containers for cows to use instead of directly Hazards ranging from excessive rainfall, landslides, strong drinking from wind and lightning that hit parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, dams which Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi resulted affect them... in enormous crop and livestock damages (file photo - The 28 dam sheets East African) were installed in Nyagatare and Kayonza, water carrier vehicles were used to fetch water for cattle, a trench from Akagera River to Karangazi and another one from Rwinkwavu water dam to Gahini and Murundi w a t e r i n g Kayonza farmers worried as drought persists. allafrica.com points were excavated. Those livestock interventions expensive because one hectare permitted to save life of 22,000 on a hillside requires Rwf13m," he cattle in the area", she said. said. Another project will cover 1,200 Also, 95 dam sheets and 107 pump dams for small scale irrigation hectares on hillside by using Lake Nasho while over 5,000 others will were distributed. be supported by an Indian bank Irrigation using Akagera River. Innocent Musabyimana, According to the irrigation master MINAGRI's permanent secretary, plan, 3,000 hectares are irrigated says sustainable solutions to cope every year. MINAGRI says irrigation with drought are ongoing. still lacks enough support from the "Only 7,000 hectares of flat land private sector. was under irrigation nine years http://allafrica.com/ ago. That has now increased to stories/201605180578.html over 40,000 while there are 5,000 irrigated on the hillside. That is
98 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
FACT SHEET: Global Entrepreneurship Summit www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/24/factsheet-global-entrepreneurship-summit With the eyes of the world on Silicon Valley, the Obama Administration is announcing new commitments to advance entrepreneurship around the world. These announcements build on
7, President Obama and Prime Minister Modi were pleased to announce India as the host of the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, becoming the seventh country to host the event.
a week where the Administration has highlighted a powerful record of progress in fueling American innovation over the last seven and a half years and announcing major new steps we are taking to build on those efforts—including supporting advanced manufacturing and making, laying the groundwork for smart and connected cities, supporting next-generation technologies, and promoting inclusive entrepreneurship and innovation here at home. GES has become a preeminent annual gathering that provides emerging entrepreneurs with exceptional networking, insight, and investment opportunities. During Indian Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the White House on June
The President signed an Executive Order to institutionalize key entrepreneurship programs of his Administration in recognition of the fact that entrepreneurship is a hallmark of American leadership in the world. The President also will speak to U.S. government commitments and highlight private sector announcements that will provide entrepreneurs across the globe new opportunities for capital and mentorship, build their networks, and gain skills that will help their companies grow and thrive. The President will place a special emphasis on supporting youth, women, and minority entrepreneurs as drivers of innovation and investment in their home communities.
U.S. Government Commitment to Global Entrepreneurship The U.S. Government is committing significant new resources to advance entrepreneurship around the world: • Tthe Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship, the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, and the Global Connect Initiative. • USAID’s Power Africa initiative launched the Scaling Off Grid Energy Grand Challenge for Development. • Launch of an effort to encourage greater investments in small-scale clean energy entrepreneurs from developing countries in particular in subSaharan Africa. • Building on the work and vision of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition (BEC). The U.S. Department of State and Kiva, the world's largest crowdfunding platform for loans, have joined forces to launch the Women's Entrepreneurship Fund, which aims to help crowdfund loans to one million women entrepreneurs over the next five years. The Fund has a special focus on women entrepreneurs in the growth phases, offering loans greater than the average microfinance loan. To date, an estimated $500,000 has been pledged with commitments from corporations and foundations. • USAID announced its Feed the Future Call for Cool Storage Solutions, a competitive call for innovations to help them adapt, pilot and scale their proven cool storage solutions to prevent food loss and waste in countries where the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future initiative focuses efforts. • President Obama will speak see Fact Sheet on page 100
99 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
to the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI). YTILI will bring 200 Fellows to the United States in 2017. • To connect America’s top technologists and innovators
for government technology leaders and their private-sector partners from more than a dozen countries this fall. • The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office at the Department of Commerce launched its online Global Entrepreneurship Portal to provide U.S. innovators and business the knowledge,
for global ICT and connectivity projects, bringing Internet access to millions around the world. These efforts represent the Administration’s commitment to closing the digital divide and bring an additional 1.5 billion people online by 2020 through the Global Connect Initiative [https://share.america.gov/
with entrepreneurs in Africa, USAID and 500 Startups announced they will bring the Geeks on a Plane tour to SubSahara Africa for the first time in March 2017. • The State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program will host an exchange program
tools, and guards necessary to protect their technologies, and navigate intellectual property regimes in foreign countries, as they scale their businesses across borders and markets. • U.S. development and financing agencies have surpassed the $1 billion mark over the past year in financing and investment
globalconnect/].
Fact Sheet: GES from page 99
Private Sector Impact At GES 2016, private sector companies around the world announced initiatives that support to the next generation of entrepreneurs through capital mentorship and training, ecosystem support, and research:
100 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Capital Commitments CalPERS—California announced that they will open up an $11 billion global solicitation for new emerging manager investment strategies. Endeavor, an organization that supports entrepreneurs around the world, launched a $100 million co-investment fund -- Endeavor Catalyst II -- to invest in highgrowth companies across Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Capria Ventures, the first global business accelerator for impact fund managers, announced the launch of the Capria Emerging Managers Fund, a $100M venture fund that will invest in fund managers who have compelling investment programs targeting entrepreneurs in emerging economies across Africa, Central and South America, and South and Southeast Asia. The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation announced the launch of a new fund totaling $65 million to find, fund and support 100 early stage, high impact social enterprises. The SDG Philanthropy Platform [sdgfunders.org], an initiative of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, UNDP, and the Foundation Center, announced an initiative launching in India later this year that focuses on women’s empowerment through entrepreneurship, mobilizing at least $500,000 in financial contributions within the next six months. NOW Ventures (NOW) is a new venture
capital platform that will invest in, enable and amplify early stage startups that deliver positive social benefits alongside competitive financial returns. Each founder will receive mentoring and be featured on AngelList. Obvious Ventures, an earlystage venture capital firm focused on investing in entrepreneurs who are passionate about solving the systemic challenges of our time, awarded a GES delegate a $50,000 #worldpositive prize to a business that every dollar of profit made aligns with a mission driven purpose.
Mentorship and Training Commitments 1776, in partnership with Dell, launched Union to empower entrepreneurs around the world by connecting the global startup economy. Accessible through the Startup Federation -- a worldwide network of startup campuses and mega-hubs -- or virtually for entrepreneurs in remote areas. The World Bank launched the Women for Resilience Initiative to strengthen the entrepreneurial capabilities of women entrepreneurs from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the resilience value chain by providing them with funding and business support services. Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) Antonio Gracias launched ADELANTE, an international exchange program for Cuban entrepreneurs. The KIND Foundation, in partnership with Venture for America, announced that it will host its first Entrepreneur Summit. The convening, which will take place during National Entrepreneurship Month, aims to support aspiring and early stage entrepreneurs in building businesses that are not only economically sustainable but
also socially impactful. Affinis Labs announced Rising Margins, a series of hackathons and training sessions to support entrepreneurship and job creation for socioeconomically disadvantaged communities around the world. The initiative seeks to broaden economic inclusivity by empowering communities as grassroots drivers -- not simply beneficiaries -- of economic growth.
Ecosystem Support Initiatives IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, announced the “Startup Catalyst” initiative that will invest in accelerators and seed funds to support innovation ecosystems in emerging economies.
Research Initiatives RippleWorks released the "The Human Capital Crisis: How Social Enterprises Can Find the Talent to Scale" report. Through analysis of 628 entrepreneurs around the world and interviews with more than 40 organizations, the report found that human capital, not funding, is the biggest challenge as companies grow. This study provides new insights and actionable recommendations for how social entrepreneurs and impact investors can scale their businesses and their impact, and underscores the need for seasoned entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley and beyond to become more actively engaged in supporting the development of social enterprises. Silicon Valley Bank released their StartupOutlook 2016 survey that focused on women achieving leadership positions and women leadership programs in companies in the United States, United Kingdom, and China. The report showed that 46% of U.S. technology and life science companies had no women in executive positions, and 66% had no women on their boards of directors.
101 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
2016 U.S. Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum
T
he United States will host the fifteenth annual U.S.-subSaharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, commonly known as the AGOA Forum, on September 26, 2016, at the U.S. Department of State, in Washington, DC. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is the U.S. government's signature trade initiative with sub-Saharan Africa. The AGOA legislation mandates the annual AGOA Forum to foster close economic ties between the United States and its partners in subSaharan Africa. This year’s theme is “Maximizing AGOA Now while Preparing for the Future Beyond AGOA.” The 2016 AGOA Forum will bring together African and American government officials,
Forum will include a number of events on the margins of the ministerial. This year’s “side events,” incorporating private sector, civil society, and African Wo m e n ’s civil society, and private sector representatives to discuss current trade and investment relations and possibilities for future engagement. The AGOA Forum is timed to follow the President’s second U.S.-Africa Business Forum (USABF), which will take place in New York City on September 21. As in past practice, the AGOA
Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) stakeholders, will take place on September 22–23, 2016, at venues to be determined. Please contact the AGOA Civil Society Network for more information. This year, the U.S. Department of Labor will host a Ministerial Roundtable on the margins of the AGOA Forum in Washington on September 22–23, 2016. This Ministerial Roundtable will, for the first time, bring together a select group of trade and labor ministers from sub-Saharan Africa to support policy coordination. Once finalized, the AGOA Forum program will be available at agoa. info/forum. www.state.gov
102 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
This two-day program is led by the Bureau of Industry & Security's professional counseling staff and provides an in-depth examination of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The program will cover the information exporters need to know to comply with U.S. export control requirements on commercial goods. Presenters will conduct a number of "hands-on" exercises that will prepare you to apply the regulations to your own company's export activities. This workshop will explain: • The Scope of the Export Administration Regulations • How to determine the export licensing requirements for your product • When you may export without applying for a license • What an "Export Management Compliance Program (EMCP)" is, and how it can help meet your regulatory responsibilities • What the Enhanced Proliferation Control Initiative is, and how it affects you Date: August 3-4, 2016 Location: Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel 6101 West Century Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90045 Registration: The registration fee is $450 per person. (Includes continental breakfasts, a luncheon both full days, and conference materials.)
Registration Questions (310) 235-7220 REGISTER NOW Detailed program information located at: http://cs.decsocal.org/BISEAR16_LA.html Best Regards, Jason Sproule Senior International Trade Specialist U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce
GUEST SPEAKERS: JOHN BUSHNELL Senior Export Administration Regulation Specialist Bureau of Industry & Security LANI TITO Senior Export Administration Regulation Specialist Bureau of Industry & Security RICK WEIR Special Agent in Charge Office of Export Enforcement Bureau of Industry & Security AGENDA http://cs.decsocal.org/BISEAR16_ LAagenda.html PROGRAM CONTENT Questions? Please contact BIS at (949) 6600144 or email. SPECIAL NOTE: The Western Regional Office of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This course is worth 12 hours of MCLE credit. (However, 0 credits will apply for legal ethics, law practice mgmt., prevention/detection/treatment of substance abuse and emotional distress, and elimination of bias)
104 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Theme:
Collaborative Efforts with Nigerians in Diaspora for Nation Building conference/Keynote Address/Panel Discussion—9AM- 3PM Gala/Scholarship Re--launch—7PM-11:30 PM Exhibition—All Day Scholar Prog aunch | Int tive Confe ces s A ward Presentation | Entertainment | Exhibition | Gala Night
International
Download the Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce App from the
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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 106 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
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 107 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
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
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www.uncledarrows.com 108 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
September 16-17, 2016 Carson Community Center Carson, CA panafricanglobaltradeconfeerence.com Contact for more information: Al Washington, Exec. Director 1-626.243.3614 alwashington@africa-usa.org 109 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
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International
One Africa:
Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!
J
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
Let Us Help You Grow Your Business to New Heights. To take your business to the next level, it’s essential that you choose the right financial partner. At East West Bank, we offer all the products and services you expect from a big bank with the high level of personal attention you expect from a local bank. Our bankers have over 40 years of experience helping minority businesses reach their financial goals. We look forward to working closely with you to customize a financial solution tailored to your unique situation. For more information about East West Bank and our solutions for businesses, please call: 1.626.768.6729 www.eastwestbank.com
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The Economic Turn Around in the USA is in Our Hands •Buy Products Made or Assembled in the USA •Hire One New Employee •Eat an Extra Meal Out Each Week •Start/Grow a Business to Generate Wealth & Jobs
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This magnificent handcrafted concert grand is a "Best of" in terms of sound, new technology, beauty, and construction. Massively well-built to withstand the rigors of intense concert performances without compromise, the SHADD Concert Grand is a coveted treasure for pianists and collectors. With a rich voluminous sound that performs true to all genres of music, this phenomenal instrument has a rare diversified ability to play from the softest whisper with pure clear sound to a major roar with a bass section exuding an abundance of power and resounding singing sensations.
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New Location Leimert Park Village 3347 W. 43rd Street Los Angeles, CA 90008 1-323-299-6383 www.zambezibazaar.com shop@ zambezibazaar.com
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1041 S. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019 323-938-8827 or 323-938-8806 • Fax: 323-932-6047 messob@gmail.com • www.messob.com
Open 7 days a week • 11am - 11pm
Krispy Kruchy Chicken is in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Los Angeles. Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a cajun-style chicken (bone-in and tenders), served fresh, never frozen and fried in zero trans fat oil. Their menu also includes signature dishes of Traditional Wings; Krispy Wings; Cajun Sweet & Sour Wings; Cajun Tenders; Red Beans and Rice; Jambalaya; Boudin Bites (Cajun rice balls); Krispy Shrimp and Honey Butter Biscuits. For additional information, please call Krispy Kruchy at 1-323-293-3332 or visit www. krispykrunchy.com. 126 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Parker House Sausage (www.parkerhousesausage. com) was started by Chicago entrepreneur, Judge H. Parker who came to Chicago from Montgomery County, Tennessee with little more than the conviction that there was a potential market for homemade sausage products prepared according to his mother’s recipes. By 1919 Judge Parker began selling his unique blend of herbs and spices mixed with flavorful, savory sausage from a horse drawn cart on a retail basis. Recognized as one of the oldest family owned businesses in the U.S. In 2014 Parker House expanded its product line to include chicken products including breakfast sausage, hot links, and smoked sausage.
SHOP ONLINE! //shop.parkerhousesausage.com
We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence. Need a dinner idea. Go to the Recipe Page on our website. Thanks for visiting!
www.wosa.us
http://aaavintners.org
http://shallwewine.com
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Ma's Best is a bakery specializing in the production of home-style yeast rolls and baked products. www.facebook.com/masbestrolls/#!/masbestrolls/?tab=page_info#!/masbestrolls/info
Try all 3 flavors!
In your local grocery store or shop online for syrups, recipes, and books. Learn about our special projects and join the recipe contest.
MICHELE FOODS, INC. 1-708-331-7316 www.michelefoods.com
133 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
135 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Eso Won Books African American Books 4327 Degnan Boulevard Leimert Park, Los Angeles
Give the Gift of Books and Music Come see our unsurpassed collection of books, music, videos, children’s books, and games!
1-323-294-0324
www.esowonbookstore.com //esowon.booksense.com for Calendar of Events
Behold A Pale Horse
48 Laws of Pow er
136 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
BBA Master Planner September 2016
BBA Financial Lending Pavilion & Awards Luncheon Held in recognition of National MED Week, the BBA Financial Lending Pavilion brings together business owners, banks and investors in an effort to facilitate exchange of information and initiation of development deals. For particiation information call 1-312-291-9334 or send an inquiry to mail@bbala.org.
March 2017
BBA Salute to Back Women Business Conference The conference highlights the achievements of African American women entrepreneurs, offers workshops and a retail pavilion. For particiation information call 1-312-291-9334 or send an inquiry to mail@bbala.org
June 2017
BBA Annual Awards Dinner Taking place at the LA Hotel Downtown, the awards dinner will highlight the achievements of African American entrepreneurs and the government agencies and corporate entities that provide positive supports for African American businesses. For particiation information visit www.bbala.org.
138 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Resource Vault 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 Black Children's Books and Authors http://blackchildrensbooksandauthors.tumblr.com BlackPast.org www.blackpost.org Black Press USA www.blackpressusa.com BridesNoir www.bridesnoir.com The Chocolate Voice www.thechocolatevoice.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 World Library www.worldlibrary.org
Africa Leadership Forum http://africaleadership.org The African Union 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 Disrupt Africa http://disrupt-africa.com/ The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke Silicon Harlem http://event.siliconharlem.net Ventures www.ventures-africa.com United Nations http://webtv.un.org
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 139 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Books to Consider
Books to Consider... How To Play Tennis by Venus and Serena Williams
H
ow To Play Tennis, by Venus and Serena Williams, is the perfect courtside companion for young tennis players of all levels. Detailed photography and text explain everything about the game of tennis‹from dressing for the court and holding a racket to executing the perfect lob and smash. The Williams
Venus and Serena Williams
Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.
A
sisters offer pro tips, demonstrate the techniques that took them to the top, and inspire young readers become the best tennis players they can be. https://www.amazon.com/How-Play-Tennis-VenusWilliams/dp/0756605822?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*en tries*=0
Democracy in
merica’s great promise of equality has always rung hollow in the ears of African Americans. But today the situation has grown even more dire. From the murders of black youth by the police, to the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, to the disaster visited upon poor and middle-class black families by the Great Recession, it is clear that black America faces an emergency—at the very moment the election of the first black president has prompted many to believe we’ve solved America’s race problem. Democracy in Black is Eddie S. Glaude Jr.'s impassioned response. Part
140 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
manifesto, part history, part memoir, it argues that we live in a country founded on a “value gap”—with white lives valued more than others— that still distorts our politics today. Whether discussing why all Americans have racial habits that reinforce inequality, why black politics based on the civilrights era have reached a dead end, or why only remaking VEddie S. Glaude, Jr. democracy from the ground up can bring real change, Glaude crystallizes the untenable position of black America--and offers thoughts on a better way forward. Forceful in ideas and unsettling in its candor, Democracy In Black is a landmark book on race in America, one that promises to spark wide discussion as we move toward the end of our first black presidency. www.amazon.com/Democracy-Black-Still-EnslavesAmerican/dp/0804137412
Writings on the
Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
B
asketball legend and cultural commentator Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores the heart of issues that affect Americans today, from race and economic inequality to the business of sports and the media’s influence on society. Abdul-Jabbar, the 7-foot-2 center who was named the NBA’s MVP a record six times, has become an extraordinary author and shrewd observer of America’s history and present culture. He has a passion for looking at American character and achievement—both the good and the bad—and for exploring the ways we can all make ourselves better. In his newest book, Writings on the Wall, he explores the way America today is sharply divided along many cultural lines and suggests how we can bridge the gaps. Abdul-Jabbar uses his unique blend of erudition and authentic experience in these allnew essays on challenges faced by future generations of Americans, the country’s seemingly irreconcilable partisan warfare, and his own experiences as an athlete, African American, and Muslim. http://www.kareemabduljabbar.com/kareems-new-bookwritings-on-the-wall-coming-this-fall/
141 July 2016 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819