BBN November '16 by Black Business News Group

Publisher's Message

Black Business News Group

ith another historic election behind us, many are surprised that we did not see the election of the highly-qualified Hillary Clinton as the first female president of the United States; and dismayed at the election of entrepreneur Donald Trump, a candidate who has no political or legislative experience. His campaign was filled with the very dangerous Alt-Right White Pubisher/Chief Executive Officer Supremacist's philosophy at its core. However, it is my hope that as a nation Americans will be willing to put aside their political differences. Let’s remember more than anything that we are all Americans, no matter what our ethnicity, gender or background is. “United we stand - divided we fall” and fail miserably as a nation. What will it take for us to become united as a nation? First and foremost, we should examine and address the disparities that exist in what one of the presidential candidates referred to as a “rigged system.” While keeping a fact-check filter on the rhetoric that is ever-present in most political and presidential races, I do agree with the assertion recently made by one of the candidates that “the system is rigged.” Unfortunately, it appears that the candidate’s remark was missing some important facts associated with America’s “rigged system” towards African Americans. For example, the first Civil 1875. It had little effect and created Federal Ci il Rights Act (CRA) was as enacted in 1875 the Jim Crow System. During the Jim Crow System, Blacks in Southern States were discriminated against, suppressed and prohibited the right to vote. The Ku Klux Klan was simultaneously created. They were a “White Supremacist” secret society that used terrorist’s methods to intimidate Blacks in the South. This inherently racist structure has systematically set-up barriers designed to “keep them in their place” and blatantly prevented African Americans the right to vote. African Americans endured lynching, beatings, verbal abuse and disenfranchisement in states determined to keep the voting process free of their vote. The passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, aimed to overcome legal barriers at state and local levels that prevented African Americans from voting. According to statistics, this Act is considered to be one of the most contradictory pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. history. For example, it did not prevent the “obstructionist” from developing new deny “them” their civil rights tactics. Lynching, beatings and disenfranchisement was replaced by Gerrymandering. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, gerrymandering means “To divide a geographical area into voting districts to give unfair advantage to one party in elections.”

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

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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:

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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.

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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…November 2016 3

Publisher's Message

Government 10 Jordan, Kareem and True American Excellence 12 Keynote Address at National Minority Supplier Development Council Conference 17 Partnerships Come in All Shapes and Sizes 18 President Blocking Selling New Drilling Rights in U.S. Arctic

40 Why You Need to Change Your Writing Style - Now 44 ‘Glamour Women Of The Year’ 60 6 Steps to Create a Comprehensive PR Plan 64 Improving Enforcement and Promoting Diversity: Updates to Ethnic Aﬃnity Marketing

CommunityPublic Interest 80 FLOTUS Michelle Obama, Lebron James and Cleveland Cavaliers White House Mannequin Challenge. 82 Presidential Medal of Freedom 83 Colson Whitehead Wins National Book Award for ‘The Underground Railroad’

Columns

Entertainment

74 Take A Look! 104 Resource Vault - Africa 104 African Stock Exchanges 109 Shopping Gallery 138 Books to Consider... 141 BBA Master Planner 142 Resource Vault

22 BBN Show Biz Buzz

Editorials/Perspectives 28 The Right to Vote in America has been Fractured

Business 30 The Post-Truth Era Is Here 31 Now is the Time for Our Authentic Voice to be Heard 34 The Connectivity of Hip-Hop’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem 36 John Rogers is on a Mission: Opening Doors for Minorities 39 Facepalm, Selﬁe and Bacon Emoji are in iOS 10.2

BUY BLACK!!

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON-PAGE 109 AND THROUGHOUT THE PUBLICATION

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Government

The President Addressed the Nation on Coming Together as a Country. By Barack Obama

ood afternoon, everybody. Yesterday, before votes were tallied, I shot a video that some of you may have seen in which I said to the American people: Regardless of which side you were on in the election, regardless of whether your candidate won or lost, the sun would come up in the morning. And that is one bit of prognosticating that actually came true. The sun is up. And I know everybody had a long night. I did, as well. I had a chance to talk to President-elect Trump last night -- about 3:30 in the morning, I think it was -- to congratulate him on winning the election. And d I had a chance to invite him to come to the White House tomorrow to talk about making sure that there is a successful transition between our presidencies. Now, it is no secret that the President-elect and I have some pretty significant differences. But remember, eight years ago, President Bush and I had some pretty significant differences. But President Bush’s team could not have been more professional or more gracious in making sure we had a smooth transition so that we could hit the ground running. And one thing you realize quickly in this

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden job is that the presidency, and the vice presidency, is bigger than any of us. So I have instructed my team to follow the example that President Bush’s team set eight years ago, and work as hard as we can to make sure that this is a successful transition for the President-elect -because we are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country. The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. And over the next few months, we are going to show that to the world. I also had a chance last night

to speak with Secretary Clinton, and I just had a chance to hear her remarks. I could not be prouder of her. She has lived an extraordinary life of public service. She was a great First Lady. She was an outstanding senator for the state of New York. And she could not have been a better Secretary of State. I'm proud of her. A lot of Americans look up to her. Her candidacy and nomination was historic and sends a message to our daughters all across the country that they can achieve at the highest levels of politics. And I am absolutely conﬁdent that she and President Clinton will continue to

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do great work for people here in the United States and all around the world. Now, everybody is sad when their side loses an election. But the day after, we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team. This is an intramural scrimmage. We’re not Democrats first. We're not Republicans first. We are Americans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country. That’s what I heard in Mr. Trump’s remarks last night. That's what I heard when I spoke to him directly. And I was heartened by that. That's what the country needs -- a sense of unity; a sense of inclusion,; a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law; and a respect for each other. I hope that he maintains that spirit throughout this transition, and I certainly hope that’s how his presidency has a chance to begin. I also told my team today to keep their heads up, because the remarkable work that they have done day in, day out -- often without a lot of fanfare, often without a lot of attention -- work in agencies, work in obscure areas of policy that make government run better and make it more responsive, and make it more efficient, and make it more service-friendly so that it's actually helping more people -- that remarkable work has left the next President with a stronger, better country than the one that existed eight years ago. So win or lose in this election, that was always our mission. That was our mission from day one. And

everyone on my team should be extraordinarily proud of everything that they have done, and so should all the Americans that I’ve had a chance to meet all across this country who do the hard work of building on that progress every single day. Teachers in schools, doctors in the ER clinic, small businesses putting their all into starting something up, making sure they're treating their employees well. All the important work that's done by moms and dads and families and congregations in every state. The work of perfecting this union. So this was a long and hardfought campaign. A lot of our fellow Americans are exultant today. A lot of Americans are less so. But that's the nature of campaigns. That's the nature of democracy. It is hard, and sometimes contentious and noisy, and it's not always inspiring. But to the young people who got into politics for the first time, and may be disappointed by the results, I just want you to know, you have to stay encouraged. Don’t get cynical. Don’t ever think you can’t make a difference. As Secretary Clinton said this morning, fighting for what is right is worth it. Sometimes you lose an argument. Sometimes you lose an election. The path that this country has taken has never been a straight line. We zig and zag, and sometimes we move in ways that some people think is forward and others think is moving back. And that's okay. I’ve lost elections before. Joe hasn't. (Laughter.) But you k n o w . That’s the way politics w o r k s sometimes. We try really hard to persuade

people that we’re right. And then people vote. And then if we lose, we learn from our mistakes, we do some reflection, we lick our wounds, we brush ourselves off, we get back in the arena. We go at it. We try even harder the next time. The point, though, is, is that we all go forward, with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens -because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy. That's how this country has moved forward for 240 years. It’s how we’ve pushed boundaries and promoted freedom around the world. That's how we've expanded the rights of our founding to reach all of our citizens. It’s how we have come this far. And that's why I'm confident that this incredible journey that we're on as Americans will go on. And I am looking forward to doing everything that I can to make sure that the next President is successful in that. I have said before, I think of this job as being a relay runner -- you take the baton, you run your best race, and hopefully, by the time you hand it off you're a little further ahead, you've made a little progress. And I can say that we've done that, and I want to make sure that handoff is well-executed, because ultimately we're all on the same team. All right? Thank you very much, everybody.  https://www.whitehouse.gov/ blog/2016/11/09/presidentobama-speaks-resultselection?utm_source=email&utm_ medium=email&utm_ content=email655-text1&utm_ campaign=post Video of speech: https://www. whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/11/09/ president-obama-speaks-resultselection?utm_source=email&utm_ medium=email&utm_ content=email655-text1&utm_ campaign=post

President Barack Obama speaks with staff in the Oval Office, Nov. 9, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Government

Jordan, Kareem and True American Excellence

provided the soundtrack to our lives. But through his selections, Obama placed two basketball players on the same level as all of them. It was the ﬁnal salute to the sport from an administration that has embraced it more than any other White House occupant. And after Obama vocalized his appreciation for each and every honoree, be it actor or architect, then draped medals around their necks -- and with the teleprompter turned oﬀ -- Obama took a turn toward the personal. "These are folks who have helped make me who I am," Obama said. Unlike the software of Bill Gates or even the songs of Bruce Springsteen, incorporating sports stars into American life is more optional than necessary. But if you care about basketball, Kareem and MJ were practically mandatory. If you play the game, at some point you've probably laced up a pair of Air Jordans or dreamed of supplanting Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Still, it wasn't just their athletic accomplishments alone that led them to that stage in the White House East Room on Tuesday. And no, it wasn't about their forays into

By J.A. Adande ESPN Senior Writer

ith the clock running out, President Obama took one last shot. The man who spent the morning of his historic election eight years ago playing basketball spent some time on his way out of the White House to pay homage to two of the sport's all-time greats. Tuesday was about much more than Kareem AbdulJabbar and Michael Jordan, of course. Obama used his last presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony to honor 21 high-achieving Americans, from the woman whose computer programming enabled the Apollo program to land on the moon to the singers who have

President Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former NBA basketball player Kareem Abdul Jabbar during a ceremony Tuesday at the White House. 10  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Michael Jordan, along with fellow NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, were among 21 to receive the highest American civilian honor. Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images acting, even though Obama felt compelled to shout out Jordan's movie "Space Jam" and Abdul-Jabbar's role in "Airplane" even as they sat with such distinguished actors as Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks and Robert Redford. These medals are about impact. True American excellence. After Obama rolled oﬀ the litany of Jordan references that require no more explanation -- like 63 in the Garden, the shots over Ehlo and Russell and even the Crying Jordan meme -- he got down to the indisputable truth. "There is a reason you call somebody 'The Michael Jordan of...'" Obama said. "Because Michael Jordan is the Michael Jordan of greatness. He is the deﬁnition of somebody who is so good at what they do that everybody recognizes it. That's pretty rare." Of Abdul-Jabbar, Obama said "The reason we honor Kareem is more than just a pair of goggles and a skyhook. He stood up for his Muslim faith when it wasn't easy, and it wasn't popular. He's as comfortable sparring with Bruce Lee as he is advocating on Capitol Hill, or writing with extraordinary eloquence about patriotism. Physically, intellectually, spiritually, Kareem is one of a kind: An American who illuminates both our most basic freedoms and our highest aspirations." Serious praise for someone known primarily as a

basketball player, and likewise a banner day for the sport. Sometimes it takes the White House to make you realize how much basketball matters. On my first visit there in 1997 to see Bill Clinton honor the 1996 champion Chicago Bulls, the post-ceremony throng around Jordan was larger than the group waiting on Clinton. I shook Clinton's hand that day; never got within shouting distance of MJ. Yes, it was easier to get next to the president of the United States than next to Jordan. Basketball mattered on Tuesday, as much as any other endeavor. It's worth noting that the sport also accounted for two of the four African-American honorees, along with entertainers Diana Ross and Cicely Tyson. It was like the Jay-Z line: "All us blacks got is sports and entertainment." We can examine and discuss the lack of opportunities afforded African-Americans in nearly every other avenue. It's not an issue in basketball. Tuesday was a reward to the sport as much as it was a tribute to the medal recipients, as well as a reminder of the profound impact the game had on the first African-American president.  http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18118069/nbamichael-jordan-kareem-abdul-jabbar-true-americanexcellence

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Keynote Address at National Minority Supplier Development Council Conference By U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker

t has been three years since I left my beloved hometown to serve my friend and a leader who we are all proud to call our President – especially in these times – Barack Obama. Serving as Commerce Secretary and advancing this Administration’s vision of economic opportunity for all Americans has been a great honor. Think about how far we have come in recent years. In 2009, our economy was shedding over 800,000 jobs a month. Today, the private sector has created over 15 million new jobs. Unemployment has fallen to eight-year lows. And nine out of 10 Americans have health coverage. In 2015, household incomes rose for the first time in nearly a decade. And last year, 3.5 million people were lifted out of poverty – well over half in minority communities. That is the largest one-year drop in poverty since the days of Lyndon Johnson’s “great society.” We owe much of this success to minority businesses. You were integral to moving our economy from recession to recovery to expansion. In 2007, at the start of our economic downturn, we had 5.8 million minority-owned firms across the country. By the end of President Obama’s first term in 2012, that number grew to well over 8 million minority-owned companies open

for business. To put this growth in context, this 38% increase occurred at a time when the total number of firms nationwide grew by just 2%. Your businesses are also creating jobs four times faster than nonminority firms. Thirteen percent of minority employers are startups less than two years old – compared to just 8% of nonminority employers. What does this data tell us? It tells us that right here in this room are America’s job creators; that diversity is one of our economy’s greatest strengths; and that minority communities are keeping our nation’s tradition of entrepreneurship and job creation alive. Yet despite this progress, real challenges remain. Just 29% of companies in the United States are owned by Americans from minority communities. And minority businesses still generate less than a third of the revenue of nonminority firms. Put simply: the data is not only revealing how far we have come, but also how much further we have to go. The United States is projected to become a majority-minority nation in the next 30 to 40 years. Our need to break down the barriers that confront minority-owned businesses must be treated as an urgent economic imperative. In addition to these profound demographic shifts, our country is undergoing enormous economic and technological change.

Globalization, automation, and digitization are transforming the economic landscape. Now and into the future, some of the greatest opportunities in business are found in high-tech fields like advanced manufacturing, digital services, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence. Yet today, just 10% of minorityowned firms compete in these innovative, high-growth industries. Historical barriers have limited opportunities for people of color in science, technology, engineering, math and other STEM fields. And according to the Kapor Center for Social Impact, today black and Latino-owned startups combined receive less than 3% of all venture capital funding. Overcoming these disparities is essential to America’s economic future. As America grows more diverse, our long-term prosperity depends on the ability of your businesses to drive innovation at home and compete in markets around the world. At the Commerce Department, our Minority Business Development Agency, or MBDA, is the federal government’s only office dedicated solely to helping minority-owned enterprises succeed. For years, MBDA has helped minority businesses access capital, compete for contracts, and export to new markets. Now, MBDA is intensifying our efforts to help more minorityowned firms compete in today’s high-tech, high-growth fields and

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access global markets. Last month, the Commerce Department was proud to announce the Inclusive Innovation Initiative, or I-3. I-3 is a partnership between MBDA and our Federal Labs Consortium, a national network of research facilities that receives nearly $140 billion in federal funding per year. Many of today’s most popular technologies were conceived inside our innovative federal laboratories. Take GPS for example. It was during the “space race” that scientists created the technology that is inside our phones today. For decades, companies have partnered with our federal research labs to turn new inventions into successful commercial products, from MRIs to smart sensors to Siri. Yet few minority firms have taken advantage of this incredible resource. MBDA is changing that with I-3 by plugging more entrepreneurs and enterprises into this proven pipeline of innovation. Here in Chicago, our team will connect businesses in the energy field with Argonne National Lab, where scientists are developing longer lasting batteries. And in Atlanta, MBDA will notify health care companies about ways they can collaborate with researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our goal is to increase the transfer of federally-developed technologies to minority-owned enterprises. We want to see more of your businesses move innovative ideas out of our labs and into the marketplace. Of course, in today’s global economy, even companies with the most in-demand, cuttingedge products cannot limit their sales to the United States. Your future growth depends on engaging the 95% of consumers who live beyond our borders. The good news is that minority

businesses are twice as likely as nonminority firms to export their products and services abroad. They are also three times more likely to generate 100% of their revenues from exporting. But too often, American companies lack equal access to foreign markets and confront significant barriers to entry. That is why the Trans-Pacific Partnership – a new high-standards trade agreement – is a strategic priority for President Obama and our entire Administration. TPP will break down trade barriers in the Asia Pacific region that disadvantage your companies. This trade agreement eliminates 18,000 tariffs on American products and services from day one. For example, automotive goods face a 70% tariff in Vietnam. Machinery faces a 59% tariff in Malaysia. And information and communications technology faces tariffs as high as 35% across the region. Of course, TPP does more than eliminate tariffs. It also strengthens intellectual property rights, reduces costly export delays, and limits barriers to digital trade. And by linking the U.S. to some of the fastest growing markets in the Asia Pacific, we will strengthen existing supply chains and build new ones across a region that generates nearly 40% of global GDP. For many minority businesses, TPP will be a game-changer. Consider a firm like Concept II Cosmetics in Florida. In recent years, this small Hispanic-owned manufacturer has grown from 9 employees to 25. How did they get there? By exporting their products around the world. Concept II has expanded to 22 countries in just three years. And the company sees its greatest potential for growth in the Asia Pacific region, where incomes are rising so quickly that the middle

class is expected to grow from 570 million consumers today to 3.2 billion by 2030. If enacted, Concept II will have access to millions of potential new customers. But before we can unlock the benefits of TPP, we need this agreement passed by Congress. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a historic opportunity to shape the rules of trade in the 21st century to advance our economic strengths and our values. If we are going to cross the finish line on TPP, we need you to make your voices heard. Let’s face it: the rhetoric around trade is more heated than ever. That’s why we need you to speak out and make the case for TPP to your families, your colleagues, your neighbors, and your local leaders. Tell them how TPP will break down barriers for your businesses abroad, connect your firms to global supply chains, and enable you to grow and reinvest in your communities. The Department of Commerce is your partner – helping you compete in the fastest-growing industries and markets of the 21st century. America’s future is being shaped by two seismic shifts: a country that is growing more diverse and an economy that increasingly driven by technological innovation and trade. Our long-term prosperity therefore hinges on the ability of your businesses to succeed. When more Americans from our minority communities are able to take risks, start cutting-edge companies, reach customers around the world, and create jobs at home, we will have an economy that is more equitable; a country that is more competitive; and a people who are more prosperous. With new efforts like I-3 and trade agreements like TPP, we are investing in your success.  www.commerce.gov/news/secretaryspeeches/2016/10/us-secretarycommerce-penny-pritzker-deliverskeynote-address

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Government

THE WHITE HOUSE VETERANS DAY, 2016 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION

"November 1

1 merica has long stood as a beacon of hope and opportunity, and few embody that at o f e a ch year spirit here at home and beyond our borders more than the members of our Armed d shall be set Forces. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen are part of an n unbroken chain of brave patriots who have served our country with honor and madee aside as a legal tremendous sacrifices so that we may live free. On Veterans Day, we salute the women n public holiday and men who have proudly worn the uniform of the United States of America and the to honor families who have served alongside them, and we affirm our sacred duty as citizens to express our enduring gratitude, both in words and in actions, for their service. our Nation's Our country has the best-trained and best-equipped military force in the world, and veterans." we need to make sure we have the most supported and respected veterans in the world. We are a Nation that leaves no one behind, and my Administration has made historicc investments to provide veterans access to the resources and education they need to sharee in our Nation's promise when they return home. Partnering with community leaders across America, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative works to ensure our country's heroes can thrive by combatting veteran homelessness, promoting their emotional well-being, and advancing employment training and placement -- and we have made great progress. Today, the unemployment rate for veterans is lower than the national average, and veteran homelessness has been nearly cut in half since 2010. We also recognize that some of these courageous men and women have faced and overcome profound challenges, both physically and emotionally, in defense of our freedom. We must continue to provide high quality health care to our veterans and make sure they have the support they have earned and deserve. The example our Nation's veterans set throughout their lives is a testament to the drive and perseverance that define the American character. Let us uphold our obligations to these heroic individuals and never forget those who paid the ultimate price for our liberty. On this day and throughout the year, may we sustain their lasting contributions to our Nation's progress and carry forward their legacy by building a future that is stronger, safer, and freer for all. With respect for, and in recognition of, the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation's veterans. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2016, as Veterans Day. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and private prayers, and by observing 2 minutes of silence for our Nation's veterans. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I call on all Americans, including civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, and communities to support this day with commemorative expressions and programs. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first. BARACK OBAMA

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THE WHITE HOUSE WORLD FREEDOM DAY, 2016 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION

he Berlin Wall stood in the city it divided for nearly 30 years, separating families and loved ones and embodying the authoritarianism that reigned in Communist states throughout the Cold War. On November 9, 1989, with the courage of their convictions and a longing to forge their own destinies, Germans from both the East and West sides of the Wall celebrated history as a defining symbol of the Iron Curtain collapsed. Twenty-seven years later, we pay tribute to the unyielding determination of those who chose unity over division, and we rededicate ourselves to carrying this spirit forward wherever core tenets of democracy and liberty are at stake. When President John F. Kennedy declared in West Berlin that "when one man is enslaved, all are not free," he captured the irrevocable truth of the work that remains to this day. Our world is more prosperous and free than at any time in our history, with more people than ever before choosing their leaders through free elections and living in democracies with greater respect for human rights. But such liberty will not emerge across the globe in a single wave -- building strong, democratic institutions and maintaining robust civil societies is the work of generations, and it is up to each of us to put our shoulders to the wheel of progress and fight for the future we seek. Whether in quiet struggle or boisterous protest, the Berliners who endured the division the Berlin Wall created and stood for remind us of the necessity to never abandon the values that have brought us as far as we are today. For centuries, people of every nation have borne witness to great strife and tension in our ever-changing world -- but we have proven we can always choose a better course through our relentless pursuit of freedom. Across oceans and continents, in recognition of World Freedom Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to carrying forward the enduring celebration of liberty that defined the fall of the Berlin Wall. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 9, 2016, as World Freedom Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, reaffirming our dedication to freedom and democracy. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first. BARACK OBAMA

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Government

Partnerships Come in All Shapes and Sizes Jamie Merriman, Acting Director of ITA’s Oﬃce of Strategic Partnerships

n the government, as in many other places, you often hear “do more with less.” Our Strategic Partnership Program helps us to do just that. One example of a partnership in action is the Grow Global (www.americanexpress.

com/us/small-business/openforum/ keywords/grow-global//) series led by

our Strategic Partner, American Express. This year, the Grow Global series visited Baltimore, MD and Long Beach, CA. It brought together small and medium-sized businesses who were seeking to export or expand their export markets. American Express provided their organizational and programmatic support to the events. During the panels and presentations, ITA told the audience about the various U.S. government resources available to them, including our Top Markets reports (http://trade.gov/ topmarkets). These events allow both ITA and American Express to leverage their strengths to provide actionable export information to U.S. companies. More than 70% of the world’s purchasing power is located outside of the United States, while less than one percent of America’s 30 million companies export – a percentage that is signiﬁcantly lower than all other developed countries. “The ITA has been an important partner to the American Express Grow Global program, providing important resources and information to help U.S. companies take advantage of exporting opportunities and to grow their business.” – Rosa AlfonsoMcGoldrick, Vice President, American Express Global

Commercial Payments. You don’t have to be a large corporation to be a partner with ITA. We also partner with smaller businesses, universities and associations. One example is our partnership with the nonprofit association WIPP (Women Impacting Public Policy). ITA and WIPP worked together to develop and launch the ExportNow (www. wipp.org/?page=ExportNOW) webinar curriculum in 2015. ExportNow, a series of webinars which provides an overview of export sales channels with detailed segments on market analysis and building marketing plans, including financing requirements and opportunities, is targeted to WIPP’s members and other U.S. small and mediumsized enterprises. WIPP and ITA continue to collaborate on new webinars in the series, and have also engaged other ITA partners to focus on the legal and financial aspects of exporting. “WIPP’s goal is to provide our members with the best resources available to help them launch and grow their exporting businesses. In that regard our partnership with ITA, which gives us access to their experts, materials and know-how, has been invaluable.” Jane Campbell, President of WIPP and Director of the National Development Council’s Washington office. Our partnerships enable us to broaden and deepen our outreach and also provide ITA with important feedback. Benefits include: • Growing the U.S. exporter base, thereby supporting U.S. jobs at wages 13% to 18% higher than non-exporting firms;

• Helping ITA target its products and services to the needs of America’s businesses; and • Increasing awareness of the benefits of international trade and foreign direct investment to the U.S. economy. Partnerships come in all shapes and sizes. The Strategic Partnership Program enables ITA and its partners to each focus their core competencies in contributing to the larger goal of U.S. economic success, creating the capacity to achieve more than we could accomplish alone. To reach that goal requires open communication, clear objectives, and a shared sense of mission. Since his first day in office, President Obama has recognized the importance of public private partnerships, and called on agencies and departments to increase their collaboration with the private sector. ITA’s Strategic Partnership Program is a prime example of that collaboration, and we look forward to continued collaboration with our private sector partners in the years ahead. To learn more about who our partners are, visit http://export.gov/ cspartners. https://blog.trade.gov/2016/11/07/ partnerships-come-in-all-shapes-andsizes/

17  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

President Blocking Selling New Drilling Rights in U.S. Arctic by Jennifer A Dlouhy

he Obama Administration is set to block the sale of new oil and gas drilling rights in U.S. Arctic waters under a five-year blueprint, handing a victory to environmentalists who said the activity threatened whales, walruses and other wildlife in the region. The details were confirmed by people familiar with the plan who were not authorized to speak publicly before it is issued, something that is expected within days. It is subject to a 60-day congressional review and could be rewritten by President-elect Donald Trump, in a process that could take months or years. Because the Interior Department had already removed Atlantic waters from consideration, the decision to leave out the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska largely limits new drilling lease auctions between 2017 and 2022 to the Gulf of Mexico. The fate of a proposed sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet could not be learned. The move is a blow to oil companies that have pressed the Obama administration to open up more areas for offshore drilling, arguing new territory is needed to build

on decades of energy development in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil companies had largely abandoned existing tracts in the Chukchi Sea, after Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s 2015 drilling campaign there did not yield a commercial discovery. Environmental activists have pressed President Barack Obama to go further and use a provision in a 1953 law to permanently restrict oil development in U.S. Atlantic and Arctic waters.  http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-11-16/ obama-said-to-block-selling-new-drilling-rights-in-u-s-arcticivl28guc

18  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

19  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT A GAS LEAK

• A damaged connection to a gas appliance

• Remain calm

• Exposed pipeline after an earthquake, ﬁre, ﬂood or other disaster

• 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

• 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

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.

Does Your Business Need Funding? Our SBA Loan Experts CAn Help. Get the right loan for your growing business. A nationwide lender, we can help you with ﬁnancing for business acquisition or expansion, working capital, equipment, inventory, or commercial real estate. As a Preferred Lender, we offer SBA 7(a) and 504, CalCAP, USDA B&I and BIA guaranteed loans with terms to ﬁt your requirements.

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BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware

"I Am Not Your Negro," a documentary

ne can immediately sense the attraction writer and political activist James Baldwin exerts on Raoul Peck, the Haiti-born filmmaker and

This is the kind of vividly intelligent documentary that will shine brightly at festivals, and the Magnolia Pictures release should be capable of some limited theatrical exposure before TV provides the big audience. The film takes as its starting point a famous book Baldwin never wrote. When in 1979 literary agent Jay Acton asked him to write about the lives and successive assassinations of three of his Raoul Peck

James Baldwin (center)

activist who has sensitively illuminated the lives of such figures as Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Belgian Congo, and Karl Marx. I Am Not Your Negro is a biography of Baldwin only in passing; it is more an attempt to link the ideas of three assassinated American leaders — Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. — to each other and to their social context. Above all, it is a searing and topical indictment of racial prejudice and hatred in America that makes for uneasy viewing and is not easily forgotten.

friends, he responded with a 30-page letter explaining why he could not. The manuscript, Notes Toward Remember This House, was entrusted to Peck by the James Baldwin Estate and forms the backbone of the film. It is a deeply moving memoir and, dramatic as it is, is not lacking in humor and poetry. For viewers who have never heard Baldwin speak, his voice will forever hence carry the warm, self-assured ring of Samuel L. Jackson, who memorably reads his first-person letter here as well as other texts by the

22  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

writer. They are supplemented by several television interviews and become the commentary on a stream of images (or caricatures) of black men and women in popular culture. Posters, ads and a particularly rich selection of period movies force the viewer to evaluate and draw conclusions about the country’s irrational fear and denial of race.  by Deborah Young www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/trezorosfilm-940690

"Don't Think Twice"

or eleven years, an improv group called The Commune has reigned as the big ﬁsh in the small pond of their New York improv theater. C o m m u n e members invent comedy without a script and without a net. They’re ingenious, they’re fast, and they build on each Keegan-Michael Key others’ ideas. Night after night they kill onstage and wait for their big break. Day after day they work menial jobs to support themselves. When scouts from a hit TV show come to a performance looking for talent. Only two cast members get the nod, upsetting the dynamic of the group and leaving its future in doubt. Funny, insightful and honest, DON’T THINK TWICE looks at a common experience that’s an uncommon subject for a ﬁlm: failure. Keegan-Michael Key is featured in this insightful comedy.  http://dontthinktwicemovie.com

"Mr. Church" stars Eddie Murphy

et 1965 Los Angeles, Mr. Church begins with a stranger arriving on the doorstep of 10-year-old Charlotte "Charlie" Brody and her single mother Marie Brody (40), who is battling breast cancer. They soon learn that the quiet man, Henry Church (40), has been hired by Marie's recently deceased former

lover to cook for them and help maintain the household. As Mr. Church's time with the Brodys extends from months into years, he becomes a father ﬁgure for Charlie during her formative y e a r s , nurturing her love of literature and making a lasting impact on her life. Even as Mr. Church tries to keep his own life separate from the Brodys, he eventually learns that the connection he feels to Charlie is what family is all about. If you missed this very good performance by Eddie Murphy, you can view the ﬁlm or rent it on Amazon (www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1GPADH?ref_=imdbref_ tt_wbr_aiv&tag=imdb) or other services.  www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mr_church/

Dont Miss Movies

Three ﬁlm out now or about to show up in theaters are on the Black Business News Don't Miss List are: Moonlight: Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to ﬁnd his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami. In theaters now. Fenches: Denzel Washington stars in and directs August Wilson’s “Fences” the story of a one-time promising baseball player, now working as a Pittsburgh garbage collector, and the relationships with his wife, son, and friends. Viola Davis co-stars. In theaters December 25th. Hidden Figures: The story of three brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and galvanized the world. In theaters January 2017. 

23  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Publisher's Message from page 3

In this “rigged system,” there is also the use of Voter Suppression, a tactic constructed to influence the end result of an election by diverting or keeping people from exercising their right to vote. Tactics have included; overzealous voter identification requirements, barriers to voter registration, provisional ballots, long lines, inequality in resource distribution at the polls and disenfranchisement of citizens with past felony convictions. America’s judicial and legal system, unfortunately, is another institution where statistical evidence reflects an alarming percentage of African Americans unjustly incarcerated with severe sentences. Evidence obtained in many high profile cases reveal that nonBlacks guilty of the same crimes receive lighter sentences or a pat on the wrist. For African Americans, it’s just not the “rigging” of the political system that is found to

be so disturbing; but, you can ﬁnd examples of similarly systematic “rigging” in most institutions established in America. Access to institutions that were allegedly designed to improve the quality of life for all its citizens have routinely been denied to African Americans that were based on the practice of institutional racism in public and private sectors. Opportunities have been selectively limited in education, access to capital for African American-owned businesses, advancement in corporate America and growth in the free enterprise marketplace as entrepreneurs (just to name a few). Our tax code is another example of a “rigged” and ﬂawed system that penalizes middle-class and low income families. Ironically, many African American families today fall under one or the other of the above mentioned income brackets. Many African Americans were born into a rigged system facing everyday challenges. However, because African Americans are

Buy Black Bank Black Educate Black Invest Black

resilient, over comers and strong in faith, we continue to make great strides and impacts no matter what the circumstances are. We all grow weary of the struggle. Yet, we must remain focused and willing to put in the commitment and effort to accomplish economic empowerment, healing in our families and communities. We must aspire to heal the growing racial divide that has grown even wider during the 2016 Presidential election and its results. We can no longer afford the luxury of asking and waiting for acceptance of others. We are defined as to who we are and what we can accomplish by our Divine Creator. Those up for the challenge will continue to persevere and make individual and group contributions. Historically, many individuals proved to be willing to put everything on the line for racial equality - including their life. The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so eloquently stated in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Working together with all people, we will be more than conquerors who have learned to lay our differences aside for the greater good of all mankind.  Earl “Skip” Cooper II, Publisher and Editor in Chief of the Black Business News Group (BBNG), President and Chief Executive Officer of the Black Business Association (BBA), headquartered in Southern California. The BBA is the oldest African American Business organization in the State of California. Mr. Cooper has been at the forefront of advocating for fair and equitable business opportunities and economic development. He vigorously serves as a community and political activist for African Americans and people of color.

24  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business Tech

7 Ways To Protect Yourself From Being Hacked

You don't have to be a IT security expert to keep your business safe online. By Russ Fujioka

ou'd be hard-pressed to find an American business that doesn't rely on the internet in one way or another. It's a great business tool that opens up global markets to small businesses everywhere. But all businesses need to be wary of how being part of the connected world can put you in contact with hackers and scammers out to take advantage and profit at your expense. With small businesses putting a lot of time, money, and effort into growing and becoming successful, losing data to a security breach that could have been easily avoided is a sad thing. Some businesses have been severely impacted by online scams, and even put out of business entirely. There are some relatively easy things you can do to better protect yourself and your livelihood, and you don't have to be an IT security expert to do them. Here are a few simple things businesses can do to reduce risk and better protect themselves online. Practice good password hygiene It is so important to be vigilant with your passwords. If someone has access to them, they also have access to all of your personal information and the financial goings-on in your business. You wouldn't give someone the PIN to your ATM or credit card, so why would you let them know your passwords? The more people who know a password, the greater the risk it will fall into the hands of someone who shouldn't have it. Make sure that you use unique, strong passwords for each service that you access. If you use the same password across different services, a breach of one service can lead to access to all of those services. Use a password safe utility to make managing multiple passwords easier. A password safe or manager allows you to create a secure and encrypted list of passwords that only you can access with a "master" password. Understand what 2FA means, and use it Two-factor authentication (2FA, 2SA, MFA) adds an additional layer of authentication to access your

account. As well as a password, you'll require a second factor to login. This could be a code generated by an app on your smartphone or sent to your phone by SMS, or something physically unique to you, such as your voice or fingerprint. This makes it much harder for an attacker to access your account, even if they get your password, as they don't have the second factor. Update your anti-malware Malware is the generic name for malicious software, which includes viruses, Trojans, ad-ware, spy-ware, and others. Anti-malware is software designed to detect and prevent malware from getting into your systems and stealing your data or preventing you from accessing it. But mostly it relies on 'signatures' to detect malware, so must be kept up to date with the latest signature files to be effective. Use reputable antimalware (anti-virus, anti-spyware) software and keep it up to date. Keep your software up-to-date Keep your operating system and all your application software up to date with the latest security patches. New security vulnerabilities are reported in software every day, which can be exploited by an attacker to gain access to your systems and data. The sooner you patch your software, the less window of opportunity there is for someone to exploit a vulnerability. Be vigilant about your backups One of the worst possible things that could happen to a business is losing all of their data to a system crash or ransomware attack. That's why it's so important to backup all of your data regularly. There are many cloud services you could use to backup your data so it's available to you from anywhere, or you can backup to a separate device, like a USB hard drive. If you are using your own backup device, keep it disconnected from the source device when you're not running the backup. If you're not using a cloud service, keep a copy of your data at a separate location to protect against fire and theft.

26  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Learn how to spot a fake Know how to spot phishing and scam emails. Don't click on links or open attachments in email unless you're sure they're from a trustworthy source. Make sure all your staff are trained and aware of the risks from malicious attachments and dodgy web links. Some things to look out for: • Incorrect spelling or grammar: legitimate organizations don't always get it 100% right, but be suspicious of emails with basic errors. • The actual linked URL is different from the one displayed - hover your mouse over any links in an email (DON'T CLICK) to see if the actual URL is different. • The email asks for personal information that they should already have, or information that isn't relevant to your business with them. • The email calls for urgent action. For example, "Your bank account will be closed if you don't respond right away". If you are not sure and want to check, go

directly to the bank's website via the URL you would normally use, or phone them. Don't click on the link in the email. • The email says you've won a competition you didn't enter, have a parcel waiting that you didn't order, or promises huge rewards for your help. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true. • There are changes to how information is usually presented, for example an email is addressed to "Dear Sirs" or "Hello" instead of to you by name, the sending email address looks diﬀerent or complex, or the content isn't what you would usually expect. Invoice fraud by email Invoice fraud has probably been around since the day after invoices were ﬁrst invented, but the internet means fraudsters can now target you from anywhere. The New Zealand building industry and their customers were recently targeted for invoice fraud, by hacking the email accounts

of builders. The fraudsters found recently sent invoices in their mailboxes and made a copy of them, updating the payment bank account numbers. They then sent another email to those same customers with the modified invoice attached, and some excuse in the email for why the customer now needed to make payment to a different (fraudulent) bank account. If you ever receive an invoice with a new payment bank account number, confirm with the sending business that the bank account details are really theirs before paying. Do not use email to do this, instead make contact by phone or in person. If you're sending invoices by email, you should have 2FA enabled on your email account to help prevent this type of fraud.  www.inc. com/russfujioka/7ways-toprotectyourselffrombeinghacked. html

27  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Editorial

Start with the obvious. Hillary Clinton won the election, by a margin that may amount to 2 million votes. No need for a recount; she won big. But Donald Trump will be inaugurated president largely because he won three states — Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan — by a total margin of , at last count, 112,000 votes. The U.S. doesn’t count presidential elections by one person, one vote. Instead the system counts electoral votes with the winner taking all in every state except Maine and Nebraska. This not only gives greater weight to small, rural states over large populous ones like California; it also makes for perverse campaigning in a few, closely divided “swing states,” with much of the

The Right to Vote in America has been Fractured

merica’s election system is a disgrace, as the 2016 presidential election once more demonstrates. This isn’t sour grapes. I’m disappointed that my candidate lost but the election is over, the results are in. What every American ought to be outraged at, however, is that the United States is still not a democracy of one person, one vote. Our electoral system is suppressing the right to vote for millions.

28  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

country essentially ignored. The president of the United States governs all Americans, not just Americans grouped by state. This is the second election in 16 years in which the winner of the popular vote lost the election. This dangerously saps the legitimacy of the presidency. The Electoral College system survives only because most Americans know little about it.

Hurdles to Voting America makes it hard to vote. Registration is not automatic on turning 18, allowing states to erect different hurdles for registering. Voting is usually on a workday that is not a national holiday. States set the laws allowing for infinite schemes designed to make it harder for some to vote. Voting is the most fundamental right in a democracy — and the U.S. perversely empowers petty, partisan officials in various states to whittle away at it. 2016 was the first presidential election in 50 years without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act, gutted by the right-wing gang of five on the Supreme Court in Shelby County v. Holder. With Republicans shocked at Obama’s majority margins in 2008, Republican governors and legislatures pushed various schemes to make voting harder for the young, for people of color, and for working and poor people. Despite fierce legal battles, 14 states had various forms of voter suppression schemes in effect in 2016. Various tricks and traps were put into effect. Early voting days were reduced. Sunday voting — a favorite for African-American churches that organized to take our souls to the polls — was outlawed. Polling places were reduced in numbers, particularly in poor or African-American districts. Hours were restricted. New forms of voter ID was required, usually to disadvantage students or minorities disproportionately. Electronic machines with no paper record are widely used, virtually inviting vote manipulation. Voter rolls were purged — allegedly to address fraud — but with lists that always target African-American and Latino voters disproportionately. In many states, former felons who had paid their debt to society are permanently deprived the right to vote. Six million citizens have been stripped of the right to vote, disproportionately people of color. In four states — including Florida and Virginia — more than one in five African-Americans has been disenfranchised. In Wisconsin, the Republican governor and legislature pushed through new voter ID requirements. Three hundred thousand voters lacked the required ID; voter turnout was the lowest in two decades. In Milwaukee, where 70% of the state’s African-Americans live,

turnout was down 13%. The suppressed votes were likely far more than the margin of victory. In North Carolina, the governor and legislature openly cheered the success of their efforts to curb early voting among African-Americans that resulted from slashing 158 polling places in the 40 counties with large numbers of African-American voters. On average, black voters stand in lines two times as long as white voters, in a conscious and systematic effort to make voting harder, particularly for those working jobs without flexible hours. This list can go on, and it is an indefensible disgrace. This isn’t complicated. The American people should demand passage of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote and empowering the Congress to pass rules to protect that right. The candidate that wins the most votes should win presidential elections. Nothing radical, just common sense. National rules should make registration automatic and voting easy, not hard. The Voting Rights Act should be revived and strengthened. The Justice Department right now should be prosecuting states that violated basic voting rights. When America was founded, only white, male property owners had the right to vote. Americans demonstrated and died, and fought a Civil War to end slavery, expand citizenship to all and expand the right to vote. Now partisan officials are trifling with the very foundation of our democracy. No republic can survive long without legitimacy. Donald Trump rightly called the Electoral College a disgrace, before he won office on the basis of it. If he cares about this country, he will lead the effort to reform our election laws, rather than accepting a system that perverts the will of the people.  www.rainbowpush.org

29  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Editorial

The Post-Truth Era Is Here By Samuel Greengard

We've arrived at the post-truth era. Even with Snopes, FactCheck. org, PolitiFact and other sites debunking false information, it flourishes like never before.

egardless of which candidate you supported for president or how you feel about the election results, an inescapable truth is that truth no longer matters. Fact checking on presidential debates revealed that distortions, half-truths and pants-on-ﬁre lying were rampant. Perhaps more from one candidate than the other, but nonetheless, rampant. Here's the problem: The Pew Research Center for U.S. Politics and Policy recently reported that 81% of those polled believe that supporters of the two major candidates disagree on basic facts, in addition to policies and plans. How have we arrived at this place? For one thing, there's just way too much information ﬂoating around today. For another, that

information is easily abused and manipulated. Most people now graze at the news buffet of their choice and live inside a Facebook feed tunnel with their "friends." They only view what affirms their beliefs, and they are constantly reaffirmed by friends. Consequently, parallel "information universes" now exist. A couple of decades ago, at the dawn of the public internet, authors and social observers waxed poetic about how technology would democratize populations and people, and lead to a new and unparalleled level of insight and knowledge. Phone cameras and videos were supposed to record events and present clear proof of what transpired. Instead, the internet is rife with hoaxes, half-truths, distortions, complete lies and utter nonsense, including doctored photos and videos. Birthers, Truthers, conspiracy theorists and other fringe groups now serve up heaping doses of off-the-grid ideas that have just enough plausibility to possibly be true—at least to those inclined to believe them. As a result, these stories and memes rocket around the world at internet speed and creep into the mainstream. Yes, all of this has existed in some form

or another throughout history. And, yes, there has always been a war over information and misinformation. But most of this—at least over the past century—occurred on the margins of society, not in the mainstream. The sobering reality is that society's ability to distinguish truth from fiction is on the decline. Recently, researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, in Italy, found that homogeneous online networks actually help conspiracy theories persist and grow online. "This creates an ecosystem in which the truth value of the information doesn't matter," one of the study's authors noted. "All that matters is whether the information fits in your narrative." Yes, we have arrived at the post-truth era. Even with Snopes, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact and other sites attempting to debunk false information, it flourishes like never before—and it increasingly shapes not only how we vote, but how we view the world.  www.baselinemag.com/blogs/ the-post-truth-era-is-here.html?utm_ medium=email&utm_campaign=BL_NL_ BB_20161111_STR2L1&dni=374697581&r ni=25652266

30  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Now is the Time for Our Authentic Voice to be Heard The Time is NOW!

ast Tuesday (November 8th) was the day many of us were looking forward to in anticipation of the election ﬁnally being over. Now that it is over many are shocked and dismayed about the results. Several weeks ago, I wrote about Lessons Learned from Donald Trump. In that newsletter, I shared my perception that Trump is indeed authentic however he is not an authentic leader. As an authentic person, he has the attributes of listening to his inner voice, being true to his voice and expressing himself. On the other hand, an authentic leader is one who is self-reﬂective and addresses his shortcomings, which is something Trump has not shown us. I received a few challenges from readers about my perspective. Most injected their personal feelings about Trump and responded about his values. However, even though a person's values may be questionable, the person can still be authentic. The election results were a clear vote for authenticity. This is what happened when Obama ran in 2008 and 2012 and it's what happened this time. Both Obama and Trump

are authentic even though they have different values. Despite the different values, it is clear that the electorate craves authenticity. The good part about candidates winning because of, or despite their authenticity, is that we know what we are getting. Obama was clear on what he wanted to bring to the White House. He had difficulty achieving it because he could not get the legislating bodies to come to a majority that supported his objectives. We know what we are getting with Trump - he told us throughout the campaign. And since both legislative bodies are of the same political party as Trump, there is little doubt that they will agree with much of what Trump proposes.

It's up to us to be authentic. We are in an era of authenticity and it will win again and again. The world needs you to be authentic too. There's a phrase that I have spoken often - if the people lead, the leaders will follow. This is what is happening with the thousands that are still protesting, a week after the election. This is what it means to be authentic - stepping into what you believe and standing up for it. Listening to your inner voice and

Donald Trump & President Barack Obama acknowledging it. Looking out for the common good and engaging in activities that promote positive growth and well-being. And from my perspective, making sure your values are aligned with activities that will make the world a better place. What do you believe in? What does it mean for you to be authentic? Have you stepped into your authenticity? What values do you want this society to share? What can you do to bridge the values divide that is so evident in what Obama brought and what Trump is bringing to the presidency? This is the time to identify your authentic voice and use it! The time is NOW!  www.normahollis.com

31  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business Tech

Beyond Black Twitter: Black Millennials Rule the Internet by Lisa Fraser

all it an “if you don’t know, now you know” moment—a new Nielsen consumer report solidiﬁes the empowering impact of black young adults who use the internet to initiate change and speak up against injustices. Though it might be news to some, it doesn’t come as a surprise to black millennials who dwell in the realms of social media and know just how powerful their collective voices can be. Describing them as “influential leaders and catalysts of social awareness against discrimination and social injustice,” the Young, Connected and Black report (www.

nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/ us/en/reports-downloads/2016reports/african-american-consumerreport-oct-2016.pdf) found that

black millennials are driving social change through technology and social media by raising awareness and prompting national discussions on civic and political issues. Citing the #BlackLivesMatter, #BankBlack, and #OscarsSoWhite social media movements—all of which sparked national conversations—the report underscored how inﬂuential black millennials have been and continue to be in bringing national awareness to issues aﬀecting the black community and leading the way in facilitating institutional change through their use of social media for community-based activism. Te c h n o l o g y , particularly social media, is transforming and elevating the way African Americans use mobile devices. According to the report, 91% of blacks own smartphones – the second-largest multicultural group behind Asian Americans (94%). The report also highlights how

African Americans and African American millennials are not only empowering social justice movements through digital means, but also aﬃrming their identities, valuing beauty and nutritional needs, and starting businesses at upward rates, further adding to their impact on the changing economic, consumer, and digital landscapes.

Here are some ﬁndings worth noting: Tech and Social Media - In the wake of social issue protests earlier this year, the hashtag #bankblack, born out of hip-hop artist Killer Mike’s economic solution to help the black community, paved the way for a plan encouraging at least 1 million African Americans to deposit $100 in one of the 23 U.S. black-owned banks. The report noted that Atlanta-based bank, Citizen’s Trust, saw an increase in deposits as 8,000 people opened new accounts totaling $800,000 in deposits. Black millennials use technology and social media almost as

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extensions of their personal identity, the report claimed. “Fiftyfive percent of black millennials say they spend an hour or more daily on social networking sites, which is 11% higher than the total millennial population,” the report added. Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are the most common social networking sites with strong black membership among all ages. Entrepreneurship - The report found that African American entrepreneurship, particularly in new businesses founded and led by black women, has grown substantially over the last few decades. Drawing ﬁgures from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2004, 2009, and 2014, black femaleowned businesses have grown 67% since 2007 and 178% since 2002. Citing numbers from the U.S. Census Survey of Business Owners, from 2007 to 2012 the number of majority black-owned businesses grew 34%. Capital Gains - African Americans have shown strong income

growth over the last decade. The percentage of black households with annual incomes over $100,000 increased from 7% in 2004 to 12% in 2014, and the percentage increase in the number of black households making $50,000 or more per year has been greater for African Americans than it has for the nation as a whole, with the number of black households with incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 increasing 18% between 2004 and 2014. Buying Power Citing numbers from the Selig Center for Economic Growth, the report noted that in 2015, African Americans controlled $1.2 trillion in buying power, 8.6% of the nation’s total, and a 21% increase over 2010. The top

four states with the largest African American buying power in 2015 were New York ($109 billion), Texas ($106 billion), California ($84 billion), and Georgia ($81 billion). Black buying power is expected to grow 21.6% between 2015 and 2020 (compared with 20.3% growth for the total U.S.). Looking Good, Eating Well African Americans of all ages show higher buying rates than non-African Americans for women’s fragrances, grooming aids, personal soap and bath needs, deodorant, sanitary protection, family planning, and feminine hygiene. Those ages 18– 34 were shown to over-index on oral hygiene, skin care preparations and hair care. Black millennials and older generations have similar purchasing patterns for fresh food items, the report claimed. However, there are a few items that stand out for the younger shoppers when compared to total African Americans—black millennials buy 56% more fresh green beans and 8% more fresh chicken than total African American shoppers.  www.blackenterprise.com/news/ black-millennials-powerful-ruleinternet/

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Business - Entertainment more evident than in hiphop’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Connectivity examines three things in these ecosystems: • Program connectivity: the relationship between programs and resources • Spinoff rate: the links between existing companies and entrepreneurs • Dealmaker networks: investors who have equity in multiple companies

The Connectivity of Hip-Hop’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem by Emily Fetsch

he connection between hiphop and entrepreneurship is strong. Many hip-hop artists engage in entrepreneurial ventures

Sean "Diddy" Combs

outside their music creation. The (www.forbes.com/ Forbes Five forbesfive/#795e8413443e), a yearly ranking of the wealthiest hip-hop artists, illustrates how the top earners have built their fortunes as founders and investors. The list, which includes Sean “Diddy” Combs, Andre “Dr. Dre” Young and Jay-Z, misses how the artiststurned-entrepreneurs develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem through mentorship, new business generation and investment. Density, fluidity, connectivity and diversity are all important factors in a strong ecosystem. Connectivity, specifically, is never

Program Connectivity: “Big Brothers” Jay-Z and Kanye Mentorship can be an important part of connectivity. In the hip-hop community, there is a long history of more experienced artists mentoring their protégés. • Dr. Dre has been a mentor to Kendrick Lamar and Eminem • Jay-Z mentored Kanye West, who then mentored Lupe Fiasco and Chance the Rapper • Lil Wayne cultivated the talent of Drake and Nicki Minaj to establish Young Money Entertainment

Andre "Dr. Dre" Young

"Jay-Z" Shawn Corey Carter

These relationships broaden access to resources and information. For entrepreneurs, it can help them make better, more informed choices that can help their startups succeed. But mentorship is just one resource that can assist entrepreneurs. Kanye West mentee Lupe Fiasco, along with Waze executive DiAnn Eisnor, established the Neighborhood Start Fund (www. start.fund) to help assist potential entrepreneurs. The fund began in Brownsville, Brooklyn but has expanded in nine neighborhoods

Russell Simmons

across the country. The goal of Neighborhood Start Fund is to focus on startups in underserved neighborhoods. The focus is on startups that will generate profits that will be invested back into the community in which they started. The fund provides access, networks, workshops, mentoring, and funding in their startups.

Spinoff Rate: Beats by Dre Entrepreneurial spinoffs are an indicator of vibrant innovation. Hiphop itself can be thought of as a spinoff of other music genres. Early hip-hop artists had no choice but to go the entrepreneurial route. From Forbes: “Because they lacked institutional support, hip-hop artists and their early supporters had to innovate. Some of their innovations include securing corporate sponsorship deals for hip-hop events and artists, inventing the concept of street team marketing, and turning artist merchandise into high-fashion clothing lines… By remaining entrepreneurial, rap artists eventually attained unprecedented levels of ownership and control of the rights to their music and brands.” Hip-hop innovation continues as artists create their own spinoffs. Whether it’s Jay-Z with Roc Nation (http:// rocnation.com), Dr. Dre with Beats Electronics (www. beatsbydre.com/?), or Russel Simmons with Phat Farm Kanye West

(www.facebook.com/ OfficialPhatFarm),

the vibrancy of the hip-hop community can be seen in its entrepreneurial

spinoffs.

Dealmaker Networks: Chronic Dealmaker Not only are these hip-hop hit-makers starting their own businesses, they are investing in other startups. For example, Nas and Snoop Dogg are two examples of rappers that have grown their net worth through success as investors. Through his establishment of Queensbridge Venture Partners (http://qbvp.com), Nas has invested in more than 100 technology startups, including Dropbox and Lyft. In addition, he has a strong interest in cultivating other black investors and increasing their numbers, as only 1% of venture capital firms are black-owned. Snoop Dogg invested in Reddit and Philz Coffee, and in 2015, he established Casa Verde Capital (www.casaverdecapital. com), which invests in many fields including technology, health and agriculture. However, it gets the most attention for investing in earlystage marijuana startups. Entrepreneurship is essential to the U.S. economy because of its ability to create jobs and provide economic mobility. New and young firms are responsible for nearly all net new job creation. In that respect, these hip-hop moguls— like all ecosystem builders—are strengthening entrepreneurial potential. In the words of Killer Mike, “every time you see a successful rapper, you’re seeing a job creator in a community…”.  www.kauﬀman.org/blogs/ growthology/2016/10/hiphop-entrepreneurship?utm_ source=newsletter&utm_ medium=email&utm_ campaign=growthology10_24_2016&_cl dee=bGlvbi5jb21tQGhvdG1ha WwuY29t&recipientid=contactc5fd32cf10cfe311992e3cd92beec6c8-a866 992404364736a8fdee9142c0ca01

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Business

John Rogers is on a Mission: Opening Doors for Minorities By Lynne Marek

ll too often when Ariel Investments Chairman and CEO John Rogers Jr. calls Chicago universities, museums and foundations seeking business, he comes away frustrated. He moves in the city's top business circles, has ties to President Barack Obama and has built the largest African-American-led money management firm in the country. And yet his firm, which manages $10.4 billion in assets, just can't make inroads with some of the city's biggest nonprofits. Why? Rogers strongly suspects his race has something to do with it. In spite of his personal success, his industry's lily-white status largely remains. And changing it has become a primary mission for him. "I say, 'I understand that your institution has a commitment to diversity and inclusion, but I'm looking at your professional services spend, and I've talked to my friends that are part of the Business Leadership Council, and all of us say we can't get anywhere with your institution,'" he says during an interview. "'You guys have a commitment to working with minority business, but it's all a big charade.' " Rogers, a mild-mannered Chicago native, is distraught that blacks are backsliding in business. Taking on the nonprofits' disinterest is simply the latest step in his broader campaign to bolster African-American-owned enterprises, especially in professional services, like investment management, law and accounting, where he says meaningful wealth and power are created. His leadership of Ariel is increasingly intertwined with a quest for black opportunities in business. Rogers is a "race man," says Bruce Gordon, formerly CEO of the NAACP and an ex-Verizon executive. He has "always been attuned to the issues around diversity and inclusion, not just in business but in the broader community." Rogers, 58, grew up on the South Side of Chicago.His Democrat father, John Rogers Sr., who later became a Cook County judge, ignited a love of financial markets in his son by giving him stocks for his birthdays. His gregarious and politically active Republican mother, Jewel Stradford Lafontant-Mankarious, taught him the power of networking. That mix of privilege and prominence set Rogers

John Rogers on a path to Princeton University after he graduated from the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. His smarts helped him land a stockbroker job after he graduated, at Chicago-based William Blair in the 1980s. In 1983, at age 24, he left to start Ariel with $200,000 in capital from his parents and friends. Early on he realized he would have to reach out to friends' parents and former William Blair clients for business because most people in his African-American community didn't have the "multigenerational wealth" or "the same exposure and comfort with the markets," he says.

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His flagship Ariel Fund launched in 1986, and several more followed, in addition to his winning institutional investor money to separately managed accounts. By 2007, he had $20 billion under management. Then the recession struck, wrecking returns nationwide and slashing his firm's assets to just $3.3 billion in 2009. Still, his main fund's performance swung back with 63% gains the next year, contributing to what are now benchmark-matching 11% returns annually over the life of that fund. Half of Ariel's funds have also performed at or above their index benchmarks, allowing Rogers to rebuild Ariel's assets to about half of their peak. Ariel was the biggest black-led money management firm in the U.S. last year, based on its assets, according to Black Enterprise magazine. It has 85 employees, mainly in Chicago. Surviving three decades is no small feat in the asset management world, and Rogers celebrated the milestone this month by gathering money managers who also launched funds in 1986 for a Chicago reception. "A lot of what happens in the money management space is based on relationships," says Marty Nesbitt, a friend who runs Chicago private-equity firm Vistria Group. "John has been a real trailblazer in opening those doors."

'HE HAS LIVED IT' And not just for his own benefit. In 1996, Rogers' firm sponsored a North Kenwood public school that became Ariel Community Academy to focus on financial literacy. He has also locked arms with black professionals in the Business Leadership Council, a Chicago-based organization that promotes black leadership in business and politics, and with the Rev. Jesse Jackson to chip away at discrimination. And every year, Ariel hosts the Black Corporate Directors Conference to encourage outspokenness in boardrooms. Still, Rogers laments a lack of progress in business. "Things are substantially worse than they were 40 years ago," he says. African-Americans, like Independence Bank Founder George Johnson, once used their wealth to back other black businesses, startups and philanthropy, he says. That faded as other companies came calling for black customers. "The spinoff benefits of a successful George Johnson were so powerful for our community. . . .We lost all of that. We don't have those types of businesses of scale, and it's such a challenge." His knock on nonprofits follows on earlier efforts. In the 1990s, he supported legislation mandating that Illinois and Chicago pensions track and disclose allocations

to minority-owned money managers. He also needles private companies over their shortcomings in hiring minority-owned firms. "He has championed this initiative because he has lived it," says Monica Walker, CEO of Chicago-based asset manager Holland Capital Management. "In living it, you obviously understand what others may be experiencing." Rogers dismisses the flight to index funds as a passing trend that won't affect Ariel's business, but Walker says it's taking a toll on small boutique firms, with Holland's assets only half their $5 billion peak. Documenting the discrimination is part of the challenge. There are few statistics substantiating the dearth of minority-owned money management firms and their uphill battle to win allocations. So, Ariel, Exelon, the Service Employees International Union, the Knight Foundation and others formed the Diverse Asset Managers Initiative in 2014 and hired a Harvard Business School professor, Josh Lerner, to research the issue. Lerner declines to comment, deferring to the release early next year of his results. Similarly, Ariel is part of a coalition of Chicago financial services companies that launched the Financial Services Pipeline Initiative in 2013. A study they commissioned last year by consulting firm Mercer found that African-Americans and Latinos are underrepresented in the industry relative to their numbers in the Chicago population and acutely so at C-suite levels. Those groups won't see any improvement in leadership levels even by 2019 if current practices stay the same, Mercer says. Nationwide, the picture was similar. "Until we're able to really address some of the unconscious biases that clearly are having a negative impact on the retention of professionals of color in the industry, we're going to continue to see that outflow of talent," says Valerie Van Meter, a senior vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago and co-chair of the pipeline project's steering committee.

CHEERS AND JEERS Rogers is proud that Illinois and Chicago pensions have become leaders nationally in the percentage of dollars they direct to minority money managers. The Illinois Teachers' Retirement System, the state's biggest pension fund, now invests about $4 billion with minority-owned ﬁrms, or 9% of its overall $45 billion fund (see the PDF). "We just need a chance to be on the playing ﬁeld to compete and to be in the room, and often you just can't get in the room if you don't have the relationships, or you're hurt by this stereotype of how people perceive

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see page 38

Business Opening Doors for Minorities from page 37

you as, maybe, less than," he says. Rogers also appreciates big Chicago companies, like Exelon (where he is a board member), Boeing and McDonald's, seeking to be more inclusive in their investing and spending, while some, like Walgreens, are still "impossible," he says. Walgreens dismisses the criticism. "Walgreens is strongly committed to supplier diversity," says spokesman Phil Caruso. The company has a program that "fosters vendor diversity" with ties to 2,500 such businesses, including Chicago financial firm Loop Capital, he adds. Foundations, universities, museums and hospitals are worse, and it's not just a Chicago problem, Rogers says, citing even his own alma mater, Princeton. He estimates that less than 5% of nonprofits work with minority firms. And Rogers, who peppers conversations with lessons learned from Princeton basketball, is not unfamiliar with how nonprofits operate, having served on the boards of Princeton, the University of Chicago, Rush University Medical Center and the Chicago Urban League.

Nonprofits may contract with black firms for physical labor or commodity work, but not the more lucrative professional services work, Rogers says. "You get that sort of modern-day Jim Crow feeling—it's white men (who) can apply for those opportunities, and the people of color, you should be happy over here with the construction and catering." Nonprofits represent an important potential source of business because they rely heavily on outside professionals to invest sizable endowments. They accounted for about $1 trillion, or 2%, of the $58 trillion

in U.S. investable assets in 2010, according to McKinsey Global Institute. Ariel attracts 9% of its assets from nonprofits, while it pulls 40% from retail investors in its mutual funds, 23% from public pensions and 3% from union pensions and high-net-worth individuals. Chicago-based Forefront, an association of 1,200 foundations and nonprofits, including some universities and hospitals, does In his office at Ariel Investments, CEO not dispute John Rogers has a large memorabilia s h o r t c o m i n g s , collection that represents key moments in but its CEO, Eric black history. Photo by Manuel Martinez Weinheimer, says the organization began addressing them last year. It is sponsoring events to introduce foundations to minority managers, says Weinheimer, who notes that research shows minority managers can deliver superior returns. "There is more momentum building toward action," he says. (The organization doesn't have such an effort for its other members.) The Chicago Community Trust, Rush and University of Chicago are some of the few local nonprofits Rogers credits for giving minority-owned firms a chance. The Trust has 14% of its $2.3 billion portfolio invested with minority-owned firms. It stuck with Ariel when the firm's returns crashed and was rewarded on the upswing, says CEO Terry Mazany, who lauds Rogers' commitment to inclusion. "As he gets older, I think, he's becoming impatient with the slow pace of change in the business world," Mazany says. Rogers says he hopes nonprofits will be more responsive in an upcoming round of meetings with the Business Leadership Council.  www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20161112/ ISSUE01/311129990/ariel-investments-john-rogers-ison-a-mission-opening-doors-for-minorities

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Business Communications

Facepalm, Selfie and Bacon Emoji are in iOS 10.2 By Matt Burgess

he next incremental update to the iPhone and iPad's operating system will include 72 new emoji, including the most 2016 emoji: the facepalm. Apple has released version 10.2 of iOS to developers and included in the code is support for a range of new icons. The release follows the public rollout of iOS 10.1, which included Portrait Mode (www.wired. co.uk/article/apple-portrait-mode-ios) on October 24. While the next iteration of iOS 10 doesn't include a big update, such as the camera feature (at the moment, at least), it does add support for Unicode 9.0. The Unicode standard is the cross-platform system that emoji are based on. "Unicode 9.0 adds exactly 7,500 characters, for a total of 128,172 characters," the Unicode consortium said of the update. "These additions include six new scripts and 72 new emoji characters." For a number of months, technology companies have been pushing for a more diverse range of emoji. Google researchers (www.wired.co.uk/article/googleunicode-female-profession-emoji) created a diverse set of professional women and Facebook Messenger (www.wired.co.uk/article/facebook-messenger-new-emojidiversity-gender) added 1,500 new emoji to tackle the

white male emoji problem. (Facebook called these '"gender-agnostic and multi-coloured options"). Many of the existing emoji on iOS have also been redesigned. The iOS 10.2 update doesn't just include emoji, though. There are new wallpapers and screen effects that can be used in iOS 10's dynamic messages. Camera settings can now be saved and a video widget has been added Unfortunately for those wanting to get their hands on the new emoji, there will be a wait. The iOS update is only the first version of developer preview and it is likely to be several months until bugs and errors in the code are refined enough to be released to consumers en masse. 

NOVEMBER 26, 2016

www.americanexpress.com/us/ small-business/shop-small/

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Business Tech

Why You Need to Change Your Writing Style - Now By Mike Elgan

s anybody reading your emails, messages and social media posts? The ugly truth is: probably not. The world is changing. Content fatigue is up, and attention spans are down. If you've settled on a writing style for email, messaging and social networks that worked in 2015, it's probably obsolete. Trends in culture and technology have changed the criteria for what makes language eﬀective.

Writing is important. How we communicate in written language shapes what kind of leaders we are, how much inﬂuence we have, and how eﬀective we are as professionals and as human beings. The new way to write high-impact email, messages and social posts can be distilled into a list of rules, which I'll share at the end of this column.

Myths About Millennials The conventional wisdom is that younger people are Internetobsessed slackers who watch videos and play video games all

day. In fact, the opposite is true. The younger adults are, the more

they read. A recent Pew study f o u n d a direct correlation between SNAPCHAT age and a preference to read the news, rather than watch it on TV. In general, younger people read the news, while older people watch the news on TV. Younger people also do more texting, more social media engagement (including reading posts and writing comments) and—wait for it!—more email. Another myth is that Millennials don't use email and instead prefer messaging. Millennials use email more than any other generation— or, at least, they check email more often. Among all age groups, Millennials check email more times a day, usually from a phone, and within more circumstances. (About half check email in the bathroom, for example.) This approach to email— checking often from a phone—is on the rise. And it should inspire us to reconsider our email writing and communication style. Another big change: In the past year or two, the number of social networks and messaging platforms has grown radically. Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, Google Allo, WhatsApp, Tango, Wechat, Telegram are among the many platforms. With each new app, the number of apps each person uses

grows. Everyone is burned out on reading, in part because people are switching between media faster. Each tweet is a new context. Swapping between email and Snapchat and Allo and Facebook adds a new burden to the brain and a reduction in attention span. All this reading is competing against other attentiongrabbing phenomena. Facebook and Twitter now alert you constantly about live-streaming video. Our streams are packed with viral videos, memes, clickbait headlines and more. Everything you write competes not only with everything everybody else writes, but also with the universe of online distractions.

Your Online Readership Has Changed Every good writer considers the reader, and, in the past few years, your online readership has changed. For starters, they won't "get" cultural references and idioms the way your older readers do.

Traditionally, making cultural references was a way to shorten and enliven language. These typically came from education and pop culture. When university content was drawn from the Western canon almost exclusively and when TV had three channels, it was easy to refer to things everybody could understand. Refer to Shakespeare or Gilligan's Island and everybody

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knew what you were talking about. Now education is far broader and news is more global. TANGO And those three TV channels have exploded into millions (if you include online sources of video content). So when a 45-year-old individual makes a Seinfeld reference, a 23-year-old person may have no idea what he or she is talking about. And when that 23-year-old mentions PewDiePie, the 45-yearold might never have heard of him. (If you've never heard of PewDiePie, you should know that he has more YouTube subscribers than Seinfeld had viewers during the ﬁrst eight seasons.) There's also a lot more cultural and racial integration now, as well as globalization. So cultural references now tend to confuse, rather than clarify. The same goes for idioms. Ordinary language is peppered with them. You might ask others to "pitch in," "cut to the chase," "get over it" or to be "on the ball." But these American idioms mean nothing to global readers. The global audience is evolving new expectations for the tone of verbal communications. Live-streaming video, vlogging, reality TV and podcasting are

people. An amateurish, colloquial tone of voice attracts them. Media are evolving in a Darwinian contest. Content that grabs attention survives and reproduces. Content that's boring, wordy, stilted, circuitous, arcane or cryptic dies oﬀ and becomes extinct. Reading burnout is causing everyone in media to re-evaluate— even the venerable mainstays. The Wall Street Journal's management recently sent a message to writers and editors to embrace concise language. Then a journalism professor on Twitter cut that memo, making it 40% shorter. Here's your choice: Change how you write and become inﬂuential. Or don't change and be part of the ignored background noise. That's my case for why you need to evolve with the new norms for writing email, messages and social networking posts. Here's how to do it.

Ten Rules for Writing Right, Right Now Diﬀerent kinds of writing demand diﬀerent styles. For email, messaging and social media, here are the new rules that will set your writing apart and make it more compelling. 1. Short words are best. For example, always say "use." Never say "utilize." 2. Short sentences are best. One-word sentences are acceptable and powerful. See?

killing oﬀ formality in verbal content. The public demands authenticity in both what you say and how you say it. The old, professional broadcasting tone of voice repels many young

3. Short paragraphs are best. One-sentence paragraphs are the best of all, but you still need to group sentences addressing the same idea into a paragraph. 4. Repeat words for emphasis. (You'll remember this rule because I repeat words.)

5. Don't use greetings or signoffs in email. Type a short summary in the subject line. Get to the point. Then send. 6. Make every email, message or post an island. All information needed to understand what you're saying must be contained within your message. Never raise unanswered questions. Assume contextual ignorance. 7. Know that email, Twitter and social network posts are "writing," but texting and messaging are not. Texting and messaging are communications, but they include sentence fragments, emoji, emoticons, pictures or any combination thereof. As with love letters, there are no rules. Punctuation is optional when texting. 8. Rewrite. Think you've got the perfect email? Great! Now delete it and write it again. Your second one will almost certainly be clearer, shorter and better because you'll know what you'll say before you write—and because you're growing impatient. Impatience is good when you're aiming to be concise. 9. Never send email on more than one topic. If you need to discuss five topics with someone, send five emails. 10. Write like you talk.Look, somebody is going to be persuasive, influential and memorable. It might as well be you. So use these 10 rules and get your voice heard! www.baselinemag.com/intelligence/ why-you-need-to-change-your-writingstyle.html?utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=BL_NL_BB_20161110_ST R2L1&dni=374697575&rni=25652266

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‘Glamour Women Of The Year’ By Zeba Blay

very year, Glamour awards a diverse group of innovators across business, politics, entertainment and fashion and more for their Women of the Year list. This year, the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement — Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi — will be honored for their tireless activism, highlighting the issue of police brutality in Opal Tometi, Alixia Garza and Patrisse Cullors: America. founders of Black Lives Matter. After George Zimmeran was found not guilty of the murder of that we all knew was happening,” Trayvon Martin in 2013, Garza Tometi told Glamour of the three shared a status on Facebook to activists’ work. “We were courageous enough to express her feelings about the call it what it was. But more than verdict, writing: “Black people. that, to offer an alternative. An I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” After Patrisse Cullors aspirational message: Black lives shared Garza’s post, adding the matter.” Simone Biles and Zendaya are hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, two more of the names that are Tometi reached out to them to create a digital platform to keep the being honored this year as Glamour conversation and the movement Women of the Year 2016! going. Simone Biles Today, “Black Lives Matter” has The secret of her success? become a rallying cry against Athletically, Biles is a perfect storm. police brutality and other realities She’s strong—strong enough to of systemic racism in America. soar twice the height of her 4'8" Beyond a hashtag, the movement frame (which gives her unparalleled has sparked demonstrations and up-in-the-air time to fit in twists and other activist events all over the flips). As a result, her routines are country. astonishingly difficult; one skill she “We gave tongue to something invented—a double flip in the layout

position, with a half twist and a blind landing—is now simply referred to as the Biles. She’s also determined, training 32 hours every week. And mentally, she’s tough. Her philosophy for dealing with the unimaginable performance pressure: “We’re out there for less than 10 minutes, and you prepare your whole life for this. I knew

Simone Biles

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the expectations were there, but I can only control what I do, not what anyone else wants me to do. You just have to go out and have fun with it.” She attributes those coping skills to the people who raised her - her grandparents Nellie and Ron. “I’ve been brought up to never take anything for granted and to always be the best Simone—the best version of myself,” says Biles.

Zendaya In fifth grade Zendaya saw one of her classmates being bullied—and, like many of her friends, stood by rather than get involved. Her parents told her that was unacceptable: “Their point was, knowing something is wrong and not doing anything,” she says, “is basically like doing it.” Zendaya, now 20, still lives by that philosophy. The star of Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover has emerged as a key voice of a generation pushing Zendaya for change. She’s mobilized her fan base (32 million Instagram followers) to benefit programs like Convoy of Hope’s feedONE initiative and UNAIDS. Her platform will only grow larger next year as she leaps into movies, starring in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and launches both a fashion line, Daya by Zendaya, and Zendaya: The App. But most of all, she hopes to continue to inspire fans to take action. “You have to learn to appreciate yourself and the power you hold,” she says. “Whatever is inside of you—your soul, your power—find it. See it. Respect it. Protect it. And use it.” The entire group of honorees will be honored at a special awards ceremony in Los Angeles on November 14th.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/founders-ofblack-lives-matter-honored-among-glamour-womenof-the-year_us_5818a8a2e4b064e1b4b4c8dd

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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, December 13, 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.

48  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

Changing Rules that Bar Access to Jobs

Welcome to More.

he study, “No Bars: Unlocking the Economic Power of the Formerly Incarcerated,” summarizes recent research on employment of formerly incarcerated individuals, focusing on the disproportionate effect of occupational licensing requirements. Between 60% and 75% of the more than 600,000 Americans released from federal and state prisons each year are still unemployed one year after release. Those who have found jobs make less money than do individuals without criminal records. “Hundreds of professions that require occupational licenses could provide paths to economic independence for those formerly incarcerated, except for the fact that their criminal histories alone may ban them from receiving licenses, even if their convictions had no relevancy to the job,” said Emily Fetsch, research assistant at the Kauffman Foundation and author of the paper. “Removing these barriers would benefit the formerly incarcerated and their families, curb recidivism and boost the economy overall.” High rates of incarceration affect people of color disproportionately. Compared to white men, black men are six times more likely to be incarcerated, and Hispanic men are 2.5 times more likely to be incarcerated. 

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

www.kauﬀman.org 54  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

What you're going for... • • • • •

The Technology of Entertainment The Future of Business Tech (Is Now) A Smarter and Safer World The Technology Fueling Social Justice & Sustainability The Hottest Tech for Health, Wellness, Sport, Fashion & Beauty

Read The Agenda:

www.cvent.com/events/2016-black-enterprise-techconnextsummit/agenda-efcc591331be4cd0af4011bcfa14674f .aspx#tabs-2

Why Attend... 1. Connect 2. Learn 3. Recruit 4. Innovate

https://www.cvent.com/events/2016-blackenterprise-techconnext-summit/registrationefcc591331be4cd0af4011bcfa14674f.aspx

Charles Woodson Wines

www.charleswoodsonwines.com

harles Woodson discovered his appreciation for wine in 1998 when he arrived in Napa with the Oakland Raiders for training camp. He was intrigued when he noticed that everywhere he went people were enjoying a bottle of wine. It didn’t matter if it was an opulent dinner, low key lunch, or lazy afternoon. He was drawn to the fact that people seemed to slow down and come together over a glass of wine. Being the curious type, he not only wanted to participate in this ritual, he wanted to learn how to create it himself. In 2001 Charles, met Rick Ruiz who was working at Robert Mondavi Winery. Rick invited Charles to visit the winery and showed him around the cellar while explaining the winemaking process from start to finish. In that moment, Charles’ desire to actually make a wine was launched. The two worked together with another friend – who happened to be acclaimed international winemaker, Gustavo A. Gonzalez – to create the first barrel of Charles Woodson Wines. They produced a 2001 vintage Merlot that was used to support the various charities with which Charles is involved.

The Charles Woodson Wines vineyard is farmed with the same artisanship, precision and delicate care that is at the core of the winemaking philosophy. After an in-depth sourcing process that led Charles Woodson and the winemaking team through some of the most coveted vineyards in the Napa Valley, the site exhibiting the highest potential to define Charles Woodson Wines as a wine of structure and elegance was selected. The result of their search was the purchase of 50 acres of prime Napa Valley soil located at the base of Diamond Mountain, just two and a half miles south of the town of Calistoga. Michael made an assortment of wines from the original vines which included varieties such as Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, and Charbono. After years of working in the soil and learning the climate conditions, Mark concluded that the most optimal varietals to grow in this site are of the Bordeaux family. The majority of his land is now dedicated to the production of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that grow next to esteemed neighbors including Sterling, Clos Pegase and Schramsberg. 

57  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

6 Steps to Create a Comprehensive PR Plan

•

By Sandra Coyle

he goal of a comprehensive public relations plan usually falls into three buckets: a) to increase awareness for a company or organization entering new markets, b) to increase awareness for a company or organization experiencing a slow-down in market segments or to increase awareness of a new product or division. Here are six tips for creating a comprehensive public relations plan. • Understand your current scenario. What is the needle that needs to be moved and why? Design your plan to do just that. Have discussions with your

•

senior leadership, and Board where appropriate, on their concerns and desires. Research your industry to see what competitors are doing with their public relations. Develop a strong understanding of the climate your organization is operating in, both internal and external. Establish your goals. Determine what will be achieved after implementation of the plan. Is it a change in behavior or perception of your organization? Is it more customers? Is it greater brand recognition and higher sales? Try to keep your goals in the area of three to five and remember to ensure that they are measurable along the implementation of the plan. Define your audiences. Who are you trying to reach and what do you need to communicate to them? Defining your key audiences, segmentation, is a critical part of ensuring your plan will be effective. It’s important to also have consensus among leadership and your Board as to who these audiences are and how they are defined. Choose tactics and channels. Next are your tactics. How will you communicate to your audiences using what mix of channels? To get your mix of tactics and channels right do research on your individual audiences through personal development to determine a.) the most effective tactics to grab their attention, and b.) what channels they engage with most to target them where they are. Determine measurement and reporting. As you are developing the tactics and channels think of how you will measure and how you will report these measurements and to whom. Typically, it is a combination of campaign metrics, benchmarking and surveying/focus groups. Choose the right combination that works for your organization and measures your audience engagement as effectively as possible. Don’t forget the internal here – decide

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) November 14-20, 2016 Founded by the Kauﬀman Foundation in 2008, GEW inspires people across cultures and countries through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. These activities, from large-scale competitions and events to small networking gatherings, connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors—introducing them to the unlimited possibility of launching and growing new startups. Find local events and other information at: http://gew.co.  60  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

early on how you will present the results of your measurement to senior leaders and how often. • Prepare an itemized budget for each year of the plan. Your last step will be to prepare an itemized budget for each year of the plan to determine overall costs and areas for potential scale back. It may be hard to cost for every step of the implementation. If need be, provide as close to accurate range estimates as possible. • The last, and the most crucial step, is to shop your plan to your organization starting with presenting to your CEO and Board and then your senior leaders. Adjust your plan as you go to reﬂect the input you receive but be mindful of any input that may create obstacles within the plan and raise that issue to senior leaders. By building consensus, you will create a clear path ahead for the implementation phase of your plan.  www.prnewsonline.com/ comprehensive-pr-plan?hq_ e=el&hq_m=3309759&hq_l=9&hq_ v=a877824e45

Quote of Note "Whoever is president and whoever is the chancellor of Germany and whoever is the leader of other European nations and other democracies around the world, they need to recognize that, there are going to be forces that argue for cynicism. For looking the other way with somebody else's problems. That are not going to champion people who are vulnerable because sometimes that's politically convenient."

Barack Obama http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/17/politics/obama-europegermany-angela-merkel/index.html

61  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business Blog

Improving Enforcement and Promoting Diversity: Updates to Ethnic

Affinity Marketing

By Erin Egan, VP, US Public Policy and Chief Privacy Officer

ver the past several years, we’ve worked to build ways for advertisers to reach a diverse range of audiences on Facebook. One example of this is our “ethnic aﬃnity” marketing solution, which gives brands a way to reach multicultural audiences with more relevant advertising. Our policies strictly prohibit discriminatory uses of this solution. Today, we’re announcing some additional changes designed

to better enable us to enforce these policies. Recently, policymakers and civil rights leaders have expressed concerns that advertisers could misuse some aspects of our affinity marketing segments. Specifically, they’ve raised the possibility that some advertisers might use these segments to run ads that discriminate against people, particularly in areas where certain groups have historically faced discrimination — housing, employment and the extension of credit. We take these issues seriously. Discriminatory advertising has no place on Facebook. We are constantly trying to find ways to improve enforcement of our anti-discrimination policies. We have been meeting with important leaders, including New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, US Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois and the Congressional

Black Caucus, and US Rep. Linda Sánchez of California and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, to listen to their concerns and their ideas about how Facebook can better support our existing efforts to combat wrongful discrimination. Going forward, we have decided to make the following changes to our advertising products. We will: Build tools to detect and automatically disable the use of ethnic affinity marketing for certain types of ads: We will disable the use of ethnic affinity marketing for ads that we identify as offering housing, employment, or credit. There are many non-discriminatory uses of our ethnic affinity solution in these areas, but we have decided that we can best guard against discrimination by suspending these types of ads. We will continue to explore ways that our ethnic affinity solution can be used to promote inclusion of underrepresented communities, and we will continue to work with stakeholders toward that goal. Offer more clarification and education: We will update our Advertising Policies to be even more explicit and require advertisers to affirm that they will not engage in discriminatory advertising on Facebook, and we will offer new educational materials to help advertisers understand their obligations with respect to housing, employment and credit. We are grateful for the partnership of a number groups who have engaged in a constructive dialogue with us about these issues, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the National Fair Housing Alliance, the Center for Democracy & Technology, the Brookings Institution, and Upturn. We are making these changes to deter discrimination and strengthen our ability to enforce our policies. We look forward to finding additional ways to combat discrimination, while increasing opportunity, and to continuing our dialogue with policymakers and civil rights leaders about these important issues.  http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2016/11/updates-toethnic-affinity-marketing/

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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

Thanksgiving Day OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

Business Technology:

Take A Look! by LaSandra Stratton

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

EverQuote www.everquote. com

t EverQuote.com®, we believe that nothing is more important than your budget. So we help you make sure you are paying as little as possible

for expenses like insurance. EverQuote.com makes finding great insurance easy! It's fast, free, and there's no obligation. We just take the hassle out of finding and calling multiple insurance agents in your area or spending time filling out online quote requests with carriers less likely to provide you the best rates. We do the research on the insurance companies, match you with insurance providers who offer what you need, and you get great insurance rate quotes to compare. Choosing affordable, quality insurance for yourself or your family is one of the most important decisions you can make. But it can be complicated! There are so many different insurance companies

and types of insurance plans. At EverQuote.com, we wanted to make the process easier, so that's what we've done. Knowing that you are covered in case of an accident and that you got a great deal on insurance— that's real peace of mind. EverQuote.com can help you find a great rate on your own insurance. Why not get started? Just fill out your ZIP Code and request your quote today! EverQuote is a quantitative internet marketing firm focused on applying sophisticated mathematics and enterprise class technology to our online customer acquisition programs. Our proprietary, mathematically driven multi-channel campaign management and optimization platform delivers the

high quality, scalable connections to auto insurance consumers that carriers and agents need to thrive today. EverQuote is an independent insurance marketplace and is not affiliated with any specific insurance carrier or any financial institution. Constantly evolving web applications, the advent of new internet marketing channels and the continued rapid growth of internet marketing reach, scale and efficacy yields a unique opportunity to leverage technology to connect directly and efficiently with your customers. For further information on how EverQuote can help your company, please contact us at info@everquote.com.. 

SkillShare www.skillshare.com

killshare is a learning community where anyone can discover, take, or even teach a class. Skillshare was started to close the professional skills gap and provide universal access to high-quality learning. By teaching the skills needed in tomorrow’s world, Skillshare empowers creators to pursue the work they love today. Teach On Skillshare You'll earn money every time a student takes your class. Top teachers make up to $40,000 a year. Plus, creating classes is easy with our simple format and supportive community. Classes on Skillshare are bitesized and ﬁlmed at home. All classes on Skillshare include a class project that helps students practice their new skills as they learn. Think of it as a fun exercise students can do to apply what you've taught them and share their work with other students for feedback. We provide help every step of the way. We oﬀer resources like the Teacher Handbook to help you build a great class. We’re also available for any questions.

Through the Skillshare platform you build a channel to reach more students and grow your following. Teachers are paid monthly for every student who takes your classes,

74  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

forever. Earn an average $3,000 a year. Skillshare has a Partner Program where you'll have the opportunity to earn money through our royalty pool. Plus, you'll be compensated for new Premium Members you bring to Skillshare through your Teacher Referral link. Learn On Skillshare There are over 11,000 classes on Skillshare. The courses, which are not accredited, accept anyone who wants to learn. The majority of courses focus more on interaction than lecturing, with the primary goal of learning by completing a project. The main categories of learning are creative arts, design, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and technology, with subtopics covering a myriad of skills. Students can apply for any of our available scholarships to receive a discounted Premium Membership to Skillshare. 

fordable options options. Under the Afford Affordable Care Act, America’s uninsured rate has reached a record low, and 20 million adults have gained coverage. But you might know someone who’s looking for the security and peace of mind that comes with quality, affordable health coverage.

So don't wait. Go to HealthCare. gov today to check out your options and ﬁnd a plan by December 15 for coverage that starts on January 1, or pass thi this along to a friend or 1 loved one and encourage them to #GetCovered. Thanks -- and we'll be in touch soon.  Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

Healthcare.gov

quick reminder from President Obama: From now through January 31, 2017, the Health Insurance Marketplace is open for business. You can head to HealthCare.gov to shop for health plans for 2017 -and get coverage for less than you might think. Don't have health insurance? If you don’t have health insurance, or if you're looking to upgrade your Marketplace plan, you can easily compare plans in the Health Insurance Marketplace right now at HealthCare.gov. In 2017, most people who get coverage on HealthCare.gov can ﬁnd a plan for less than $75 a month. And people who shop on HealthCare.gov can choose from an average of 30 plans. Already covered? Make sure to spread the word to friends and family who don't have af-

Coming to your e-mail box.

Read Back Issues at: https://issuu.com/blackbusinessnews

75  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

www.blackenterprise.com/events/women-of-power-summit

Dedication

On Tommy Ford By Ian Foxx

met Tommy when he was an undergrad student at USC. It was sometime in the 1980’s, during the Inner City Cultural Center’s “Ira Aldridge” Play Competition. Tommy; Mark, Christopher, Lawrence, and Lester Berry were all undergrads at USC. I can’t remember the name of the show, but we did win second place. We have all been friends ever since. Sometime later, when Tommy was cast in the Eddie Murphy ﬁlm “Harlem Nights,” he was cast in the ﬁlm as a character name Tommy Smalls. His character portrayed a disc jockey night club owner of “Smalls Paradise” in Harlem. I was well acquainted with Smalls when I lived in New York. Another club in downtown Manhattan had photos of Smalls. I shared them with Tommy and gave him some insight on his character. He and I were very excited about his opportunity. He did a great job portraying Smalls. We remained in contact over the years during the “Martin Lawrence” and “New York Undercover” television shows. Fast forward to around 2005, I got a hold of a script written by Ken Davis. He and Tommy were childhood friends from Long Beach, California. Tommy had performed

in Ken’s first play “South of Where We Live.” The name of the script at the time was called “Club Whore.” It was based on a character by the name of Reverend Lamont Holmes. The reverend had been accused of having extra marital affairs with a married woman from his congregation. We sent out a call to Tommy who was based in Florida at the time. He asked us to send him a copy of the script. He liked the script and agreed to be a part of the production. We had a very low budget but, he came on board as CoExecutive Producer of the project. We sent him a plane ticket, and we were in business. We shot the project, a twenty five minute short film titled “The Club.” When it was completed, we entered it into the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, California. We also

entered it into the Hollywood Black Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival (all in the same year). We continued to develop the script into a full length ﬁlm and sought funding for it. A brilliant college professor name

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Michael Ojakwe suggested that we turn the project into a Web Series, and that is exactly what we did. In 2014, we entered it into the Los Angeles WEB Fest where we garnered the following awards: Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series

and Best Concept in a Comedy Series. We were nominated for Best Director and were selected to go to the Korean Web Fest. As recently as 2015, “The Club” was selected for the “Miami Web Festival,” and Tommy won Best

Actor in a comedy series, “The Club” also won for Best Faith Based Series. Tommy was a great student; actor, business partner, brother, friend and was just a wonderful person. He will be greatly missed. We love you Tommy! 

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Community/Public Interest

FLOTUS Michelle Obama, Lebron James and Cleveland Cavaliers White House Mannequin Challenge. By Michael Baisden

he Cleveland Cavaliers made the most of their trip to the White House on Thursday, November 10th, when the team was honored by President Obama as 2015-16 NBA Champions. The president must have stepped aside for a bit as he missed out on the Cavs and First Lady Michelle Obama take part in an awesome Mannequin Challenge. Other teams and NBA fans have participated in the recent trend, too, but it's tough to match when the champs and the country’s ﬁrst lady get involved.). www.nba.com/article/2016/11/10/ cleveland-cavaliers-mannequinchallenge-white-house?cid=EMA_

NBA_Weekly_top5

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Community/Public Interest

Champion Cleveland Cavaliers Honored at White House By Kevin Freking

Vice President Joe Biden and Presdient Barack Obama meet NBA Champions Cleveland Cavaliers

ou learn a lot about people when they're down, President Barack Obama declared Thursday, November 10th and he wasn't talking about an election. Obama saluted the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers for rallying from behind to defeat the Golden State Warriors and end a Cleveland pro sports title drought stretching back to 1964. Obama honored the Cavs on the South Lawn of the White House, squeezing in another sports champion before he leaves oﬃce. He opened with: "That's right. I said world champion and Cleveland in the same sentence." The Cavs came back from a 3-1 deﬁcit to win the championship against a Warriors team that set an NBA record for wins during the

regular season. "The first team in history to dig themselves out of a hole like that," Obama said. "The comeback was remarkable, and you learn about people when they're down." Obama singled out several players for praise, but particularly focused on LeBron James, who won the Most Valuable Player award during the championship series. Obama called James one of the greatest players of all time and said it's not just power and speed that make James great, but his unselfishness and work ethic. "You saw it in those last three games," the president said. Obama said the Cavs also exemplified a growing generation of athletes who are using their platforms to speak out. He noted,

as examples, that Kevin Love has worked to combat sexual assault and James has worked to reduce gun violence. He said the team met earlier Thursday with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett to discuss steps the Cavs are taking to help build better relations between law enforcement and the Cleveland community. "It is part of a league-wide eﬀort to build stronger communities all across the country, including holding open conversations so we can begin to bridge divides," Obama said.  http://www.nba.com/ article/2016/11/10/clevelandcavaliers-honored-white-house

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Community/Public Interest

Presidential Medal of Freedom By Madeline Raynor

resident Barack Obama named 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Wednesday, on November 16th. The medal is the nation's highest civilian honor and recognizes individuals for their contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural endeavors. This year's recipients represent a mix of artists, athletes, activists, scientists, philanthropists, and public servants. The awards presentation will be at the White House on Nov. 22 and will be live-streamed. Obama said in a statement, "The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not just our nation's highest civilian honor -- it's a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better. From scientists, philanthropists, and public servants to activists, athletes, and artists, these 21 individuals have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way." Here is the list of this year's recipients. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Elouise Cobell Ellen DeGeneres Robert De Niro Richard Garwin Bill and Melinda Gates Frank Gehry Margaret H. Hamilton Tom Hanks Grace Hopper Michael Jordan Maya Lin Lorne Michaels Newt Minow Eduardo Padron Robert Redford Diana Ross Vin Scully Bruce Springsteen Michael Jordan Cicely Tyson 

Diana Ross

http://www.msn.com/en-us/ entertainment/news/robert-de-nirotom-hanks-ellen-degeneres-moreawarded-presidential-medal-offreedom/ar-AAknrQC?li=AA2qN5v&o cid=spartandhp Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Cicely Tyson

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Community/Public Interest

Colson Whitehead Wins National Book Award for ‘The Underground Railroad’ By ALEXANDRA ALTER

The author Colson Whitehead won the National Book Award for ﬁction this year for his novel “The Underground Railroad.” Credit: Sunny Shokrae for The New York Times

olson Whitehead won the National Book Award for fiction on Wednesday night November 16th for “The Underground Railroad,” a hallucinatory novel about the horrors of American slavery and the sinister permutations of racism. The novel, which became a best-seller and was selected for Oprah Winfrey’s book club, follows a young slave named Cora who escapes a Georgia plantation and, in a surreal twist, travels north via a literal underground subway. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Whitehead said he was drawing comfort in these politically uncertain times by focusing on the redeeming power of art. “We’re happy in here; outside is the blasted hellhole wasteland of Trumpland,” he said, referring to President-elect Donald J. Trump. “Be kind to everybody, make art and fight the power.” The National Book Awards are normally a jubilant moment for the literary world, as hundreds of writers, editors, agents and publishers gather to celebrate some of the year’s best books. But the mood this year was more somber than celebratory. Many in the liberal-leaning publishing

world were stunned and disheartened by the results of the presidential election, and the ceremony reflected their collective angst, as writers issued calls to political action and reflected on the role of artists and writers in tumultuous times. “Many of us in this room and in this nation find ourselves disoriented, disconnected and unclear about what’s to come,” said Lisa Lucas, who was named the executive director of the National Book Foundation in February. The actor and comedian Larry Wilmore, who hosted the ceremony and brought an edgy humor to the otherwise sober event, tried to lighten the mood with gallows humor. “Man, what a week,” he said. “Wasn’t Tuesday night the most surreal night ever?” Mr. Wilmore joked that while Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had won the popular vote, Mr. Trump’s supporters were more enthusiastic. “Trump had white people racing to those ballots like they were voting for their first white president,” he said, later adding, “I don’t know, is America ready for a white president?”

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see page 84

Community/Public Interest National Book Awards from page 83

Throughout the night, there were moments of hope and inspiration. Ibram X. Kendi, who won the nonfiction award for “Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America,” described his enduring faith that bigotry could be

Larry Wilmore defeated, even “as the first black president is set to leave the White House and as a man who was emphatically endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan is about to enter it.” “In the midst of the human ugliness of racism, there was the human beauty,” he said in his acceptance speech. “There is the human beauty in the resistance to racism.” The National Book Awards, which were established in 1950 and are presented by the National Book Foundation, have gone to some of the most revered writers in the United States, including W. H. Auden, Ralph Ellison and Flannery O’Connor. This year’s awards were open to American authors who published books between Dec. 1, 2015, and Nov. 30, 2016. The prizes were presented

at a black-tie dinner with more than 700 guests at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan. As the night wore on, winners and presenters frequently evoked the power of books to inspire empathy and understanding in a country that the speakers said felt politically and culturally polarized. Daniel Borzutzky, who won the poetry award for his collection “The Performance of Becoming Human,” spoke about his fears for the future of the country, particularly for undocumented immigrants. Even the award for young people’s literature took on a political tone this year. The prize was given to “March: Book Three,” the final volume in a graphic-memoir trilogy about the civil rights movement, by Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia; the writer Andrew Aydin; and the artist Nate Powell. In an emotional speech, Mr. Lewis, a revered civil rights activist, teared up as he described how, growing up in rural Alabama with little money for books, he and his siblings were turned away at the public library, told it was for whites only. “And to come here and receive

Rep. John Lewis

this award, it’s too much,” he said. The biographer Robert A. Caro, the author of “The Power Broker,” a biography of Robert Moses, and a continuing, multivolume biography of Lyndon B. Johnson, received the foundation’s medal for distinguished contribution to American letters. The Literarian Award, for “outstanding service to literature,” was given to Cave Canem, a writer’s center that has helped spur the careers of celebrated black poets and whose fellows have included Ross Gay, Terrance Hayes, Robin Coste Lewis and Tracy K. Smith. Mr. Hayes, who presented the award, called on poets to continue their work as advocates of social change at a moment when racial

hatred seems to be rising. “We have seen a black president, and we are seeing what kind of president comes after a black president,” he said. “We have seen and are still seeing black men and women being killed by people sworn to protect them.” After drinks and dinner, inspiring words from the winners and more jokes about Mr. Trump, the mood in the room had lifted. Mr. Wilmore concluded the ceremony with a joke about the prominence of black authors among the winners. “This concludes BET Presents the National Book Awards, with special guest Robert Caro,” Mr. Wilmore said. “In the words of Kendrick Lamar, we gonna be all right.”  www.nytimes.com/2016/11/17/ business/colson-whitehead-winsnational-book-award-for-theunderground-railroad.html

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Community/Public Interest - Obituary

What the Great Gwen Ifill Meant to Black Women By Keli Goﬀ

hen most people lament larger-than-life legends that 2016 snatched from us too soon, they focus on names like Prince and David Bowie, figures so unrivaled in their contributions that collective mourning over their passing seemed to be among the few things to unite us during a divisive year. But for those of us working in media, particularly those of us who are women of color, learning of Gwen Ifill’s passing was like losing Marian Anderson, Nina Simone, and Billie Holliday in the same day. Her contributions were that enormous, her shoes that big to fill, and her influence that far-reaching. Much has already been written about Gwen’s extraordinary career. A few highlights include: moderating two vice-presidential debates, being part of the first all-female anchor team, and on Wednesday she would have been the first African American to receive the Columbia Journalism School’s John Chancellor Award. But I want to take a moment to explain what she meant to some of us beyond her résumé. Gwen was one of the greatest journalists working, but her contributions were not limited to her reporting. She spoke openly of the racism she endured early in her career, and

endure she did, ultimately climbing the ladder in our profession, and with every rung opening doors in media that all black women working today have walked through, myself included. Her trailblazing extended beyond race. When women of color finally began securing on-air opportunities, many fit a certain mold early on. They were often lighter skinned, or had more Eurocentric features. Consider news legends Sue Simmons, Carole Simpson, and Dana Tyler—all stellar journalists in their own right whom I admire immensely. Their appearances, however, appealed to white standards of beauty. Gwen’s skin color, and trademark short do’ and the enormous acclaim she enjoyed, sent a message to all of us who aspired to follow in her footsteps that we could succeed based on the quality of our work and our work alone—even if we didn’t have fair skin or a tiny nose. (I have neither.) But perhaps her greatest contribution was in showing us that you could maintain a career rooted in work with integrity. In an age when all of us working in this field feel pressure to worry about how many clicks or tweets something we write or say will get, we always

knew Gwen was ultimately worried about things like truth and accuracy. Though our industry and the world changed—into one in which the Kardashians were deemed 60 Minutes worthy, and a reality-show host deemed president-elect— her standards never did change. Neither did the quality of her journalism. I know I am not the only person who felt that on those days that people poked at our profession like a piñata—often with good reason, particularly this election year—she was one of the beacons of light that made us proud, but also helped keep us accountable. Though I didn’t know Gwen well, she showed me a measure of kindness throughout my career that was not only a hallmark of her character but a testament to her generosity of spirit. I ﬁrst met her shortly after I had begun appearing on television. I told her how much I admired her. She could not have been more gracious, took the time to chat, and I ﬁnally mustered up the courage to ask her if she had any career advice. Among the pieces of advice: Never become anyone’s token,

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see page 87

and be conscious of the power of my words and image and how they are being used by me, as well

have always succeeded, I’ve tried my best to follow the lead she set for all of us, and I know I’m not the only one she inspired in such a way. Her loss not only leaves us with one fewer outstanding journalist,

as by others. We talked for a bit about what that meant. Over the years we crossed paths at various social events, and the conventions. Though we were not close, and she never knew this, the Gwen Ifill test became the test that most shaped my career. When I was offered an opportunity, whether it was to appear on a certain television show, or take a meeting about a certain media job, I asked myself if I would be proud to tell Gwen Ifill about it the next time we crossed paths. Would I feel like I was honoring the advice she gave me? Would I feel like I was honoring the path she worked so hard to pave for people like me? If an opportunity didn’t pass the test, I passed. Though I may not

but with one fewer prominent journalist of color in an industry already struggling with issues of diversity. While the ascent of Lester Holt to the anchor chair and as presidential-debate moderator is worth celebrating, the numbers regarding minority talent in newsrooms across the country are not. According to The Atlantic, “In 2014, all minority groups accounted for 22.4% of television journalists, 13% of radio journalists, and 13.34% of journalists at daily newspapers. Pretty pathetic,

Gwen Ifill from page 86

considering the fact that minorities make up 37.4% of the U.S. population.” Even more pathetic when one considers that issues such as racial profiling, immigration, criminal-justice reform and the rise of a racially charged political landscape have become the defining issues of our time; issues that won’t be covered as fully if journalists of color are not playing a role in the coverage. So as we all look for ways to pay homage to Gwen Ifill and her legacy in the days and weeks to come, one way is for those of us already in this industry to do better. Another is to encourage talented young people of color to get into this industry and help them stay there. Recruit, mentor, encourage and perhaps most of all, help financially if you can. Because research shows that with its many no-paying or lowpaying internships and entry level salaries, media is increasingly becoming a hobby profession for the white and affluent. Not only will that result in limited perspective in the newsroom, but less wellrounded reporting. It will also mean that our profession would be deprived of finding the next Gwen Ifill, and wouldn’t that be a shame.  www.thedailybeast.com/ articles/2016/11/15/what-the-great-gwenifill-meant-to-black-women.html

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Community/Public Interest - Obituary

Bill Shearer moved to Los Angeles in the early 60s and began his career in business. He was a true salesman, having sold just about everything before ﬁnding his way

into radio. Over nearly four decades, Shearer held sales, executive, and ownership positions at several radio stations, including: KLOS, KAGB, KACE, KGFJ/KUTE, and KGFJ. He was a former chairman of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB), also worked with the National Association of Market Developers (NAMD), Southern California Broadcasters, and American Urban Radio Networks, until his retirement. In addition to his ground-breaking, successful roles in radio, Bill Shearer was active in the community working with organizations advancing media, business and civil rights opportunities for African Americans. He was active with the Los Angeles Urban League and NAACP. Shearer was also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and a member of the First AME Church, Los Angeles. William (Bill) Shearer will be sorely missed by a loving family, his many friends and colleagues. 

attack, family members said. He was 66. He was remembered as a generous man and a role model who sought to improve his community and help those who were down on their luck during the holidays and throughout the year. “It’s a personal loss for me. It’s certainly a community loss, because E.J. Jackson was one of the kindest, most generous human beings that I’ve ever met in my life,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) said during a news conference Wednesday at the Jackson family business. “E.J. worked very hard to be of assistance to families, to children, and even though we are all focused on the Thanksgiving giveaway, he was doing this all year.”

Known for more than his limousine business, and even more than his annual turkey giveaway, Jackson was considered a role model in

William "Bill" Shearer By Nikki Shearer Ector

illiam (Bill) Shearer, a longtime, successful radio executive in Los Angeles, passed away November 1st, after a lengthy illness. Industry and community leaders alike considered Bill Shearer a radio pioneer and industry great. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Shearer was a graduate of University of San Francisco. He was a Korean War Veteran who served for over 20 years in the United States Army.

E.J. Jackson By Makeda Easter To South Los Angeles, E.J. Jackson was more than a business owner. He was a hero. The founder and president of Jackson Limousine Service was known far and wide for his annual turkey grocery giveaway, which for more than 30 years has provided Thanksgiving dinners to thousands of individuals and families. The event, which attracts hundreds of volunteers, including celebrities and local politicians, will go on as planned this year. But its driving force will not be there. Jackson died Tuesday of a heart

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Sharon Jones is the undisputed “Queen of Funk,” the matriarch of the Daptone family that helped revive soul music in the indie-rock boom and preserved vinyl records at the tail end of the CD era. She ﬁrst entered the Relix and Jambands. com orbit in the late ‘90s through her original band The Soul Providers, who served as the house band for producer Gabe Roth’s nascent Desco label. Soon after, Desco folded and Roth channeled his energy into a new label, Daptone Records, and The Soul Providers morphed into Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. At a time when the jamband circuit was still one of the only avenues for retro, world and other independent-minded bands to present their music to a passionate underground audience, The DapKings and brother bands Antibalas and Sugarman 3 found a home on the scene’s festival and club circuit. In later years, Sharon Jones—who

was already in her 40s by the time she met Roth and found fame—finally received her due and blossomed into the missing link between collaborators like Lou Reed, David Byrne, Phish and Michael Bublé. On June 3, 2013, it was announced that Jones had been diagnosed with bile duct cancer and the singer cancelled her remaining dates. She returned to the stage the following year and released her fifth album, Give the People What They Want, and recorded the interfaith holiday album It’s a Holiday Soul Party. Through VH1 connections, she also befriended noted documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple, who tracked Jones during her struggle in cancer for the honest, heart-wrenching film, Miss Sharon Jones!. In 2015, Jones announced that her cancer had returned, but she remained on the road until this fall. Sadly, she suffered a stroke while watching the 2016 United States presidential election results on November 8 and

an often-neglected community. His impact and generosity were wide-reaching, family and community leaders said. He traveled on a regular basis to homeless encampments in South L.A. to provide food and water. He helped family friends pay their bills. To combat the violence that permeated his neighborhood in the 1990s, Jackson met with gang leaders to ﬁnd ways to coexist. He supported and umpired games for the Ladera Little League. Jackson also hired community members who had trouble ﬁnding work. “He was an aspirational person who believed in giving community members a second chance,” said Najee Ali, a community activist. “That sometimes gets lost. His

charity work overshadowed that eﬀort. He hired from the community and gave many people employment who couldn’t get [employed] elsewhere.” Before he achieved success as a business owner, Jackson was a homeless student in South Los Angeles. He attended Manual Arts High School, was an all-city linebacker and played football for California State Long Beach. After an injury, he returned to South L.A. and noticed a void. Limousines and other luxury cars refused to serve families in his largely black community, so he bought his own car. He started Jackson Limousine Service and the business grew swiftly. One car became two,

Sharon Jones By Mike Greenhaus

another the following day. Jones passed away in Cooperstown, NY, where she was receiving treatment on November 18, 2016. She was 60 and waited until the final years of her life to achieve her welldeserved fame after working as a prison guard and security guard for Wells Fargo to support her mother and family. According to a press release announcing her death, Jones was surrounded by her family and bandmates, who sang her songs during her final days, at the time of her passing. http://www.jambands.com/ features/2016/11/25/get-up-get-out-afinal-chat-with-sharon-jones/

then 10, then dozens. Through a childhood friend who worked for the record company Motown, Jackson began catering to many celebrities. “Some people put family ﬁrst. My dad put business ﬁrst,” Monye Jackson, Jackson’s son, said. “To my dad, the community was family.” In 1982, Jackson began giving away turkey dinners in the community. He created the E.J. Jackson Foundation in 2004 to serve more families in need. “I think he thought he was invincible,” Randi Jackson said of her father, “that he would live forever.” http://www.latimes.com/local/ lanow/la-me-ln-ej-jackson-death20161103-story.html

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Community/Public Interest - Obituary he brought to his TV characters was who he was in real life: patient, wise and caring. "Exactly what you Ron Glass as Shepard Book see on TV is Ron. He in Firefly. Photofest was very nurturing," says McSwain. Glass slowed down his involvement with Wooten several years ago, when he became ill. Doctors told him he would likely not live to see 2017, but he fought longer than his physicians expected. He was also a private man, who didn't like to tout his involvement in the center for the media. And to those who saw him Ron Glass. Getty Images walking Wooten's halls, it was bring in even more as a fundraiser easy to forget he was a successful for the center's annual dinner and actor. golf tournament. Even though he "When he walked in the door, if you was battling illness, he sent in a didn't know him, you wouldn't think check for $1,000 for the most recent he was a celebrity. He doesn't have annual dinner. that stereotypical heir about him. But his greatest legacy was He talked to everybody. Everybody perhaps spearheading Wooten's loved him," says McSwain. college prep program. She still treasures her memory of "He was an educated man, and Glass' final activity with kids from he wanted the same for the kids." Wooten several years ago, when he says McSwain. "He encouraged sat down with them for an activity staff to work on more college prep, they called storybook theater. and that resulted was our SAT prep "I gave him the book and he pretty program, which we've been doing much turned it into the classroom," for about 10 years." remembers McSwain. "The kids About 5,000 students have were all running around the room. passed through Wooten since Glass They were being bumblebees and became involved, and hundreds of fireflies. Even when a couple of kids them went on to college. got a little too active, he had the On Firefly, Glass' character daddy voice. 'Sit down right now.' I Shepard Book was the show's much- was just standing to the side and he needed moral compass, serving just took it and ran with it. He was as a father figure and providing just one of those special people."  counsel to the often hotheaded www.hollywoodreporter.com/heatcrew. McSwain says Glass was vision/ron-glass-firefly-star-helpedcareful to choose roles that spoke hundreds-kids-go-college-950729 to him — and that much of what

How 'Firefly' Star Ron Glass Quietly Helped Hundreds of Kids Reach College By Aaron Couch

ctor Ron Glass leaves behind a lot more than a body of work that earned him an Emmy nomination (Barney Miller) and sci-fi acclaim (Firefly). The actor, who died Saturday at 71 of respiratory failure after facing health issues for several years, devoted much of his personal time to The Wooten Center, a Los Angeles non-profit that provides mentoring and college preparation to students in grades 3-12. Glass first came to Wooten in 1992, when in the wake of the Rodney King riots, he was looking to do something positive in the community. A friend brought him to an event, and he was blown away by the potential of the program's children. He would go on to serve on the board of directors beginning that year and was its chairperson from 1993 to 2005. Glass' loss is felt deeply at Wooten, and among his former Firefly castmates. On Saturday, his Firefly co-stars were quick to share tributes to Glass, with show creator Joss Whedon suggesting donations be made in Glass' honor to Wooten (Donations can be made here - www.wootencenter.org/ supporters.) "He's gone, but still having an impact," says Naomi McSwain, Executive Director of the Wooten Center. Glass quietly gave annually to the center, and through his contacts in the entertainment industry, helped

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HIGHLIGHTS OF PARTICIPANTS’ KEY BENEFITS Business and Cultural Workshops Country Briefings Orientation Sessions Profile Booklet - Key Projects and Local Partners Visa, Health, Safety, and Travel Information Complimentary Conference Call Business-to-Business Networking Sessions Matchmaking Sessions Business Roundtables Products and Services Exhibition Hall One-on-One Business Appointments Sector-Focused Panel Discussions “Pitch Your Venture” Entrepreneurship Session Doing Business in Africa/Niger Forums Private Meetings with Government Officials Plant/Area Sites Visits National Cultural Extravaganzas Agadez Festival Guided Tours with Interpreters Receptions, Banquets, Leisure, Entertainment, etc.

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International

ESPN is Launching in Africa by Alyssa Klein

uge news for the sports world: Walt Disney’s ESPN is officially launching in Africa. (Well technically it’s relaunching—ESPN previously had an ESPN and ESPN Classic channel in Africa, but they were closed in 2013.) The network will soon be available in 19 countries across the continent as part of a gamechanging, pan-African partnership with Kwesé (www.kwese.com), the sports subsidiary of African telecom and pay TV operator Econet. The deal was announced on Tuesday, October 25th. Financial specifics were not disclosed, but the partners vowed to “deliver the most comprehensive sports coverage in Africa, offering a wide range of sports and thousands of hours of programming.” The deal will take effect in early 2017 with the launch of an ESPN channel in 19 countries. The channel will be exclusive to Kwesé. ESPN will also produce daily

SportsCenter updates for Africa. Together, ESPN and Kwesé are planning to launch an African edition of the ESPN website and mobile app by mid-2017. KweseESPN.com will combine ESPN’s coverage of global sports with local African sports coverage from Kwesé. “African audiences will beneﬁt from industry-leading content from the world’s leading sports media company in ESPN, in conjunction with Kwese’s premium sports oﬀering, while Kwese’s pan-African reach and its TV everywhere multiplatform distribution capability will deliver the content to viewers through TV and digital platforms making it accessible to sports fans wherever they are,” a statement read. “This long-term collaboration across television and digital

media will…serve millions of sports fans across Africa with exceptional products, content and coverage,” said ESPN International’s executive vp and managing director, Russell Wolﬀ. “We are very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as we bring ESPN’s great content, including SportsCenter, and decades of experience in sports media together with one of Africa’s most dynamic and vibrant companies.” Econet Media CEO Joseph Hundah added: “Ultimately our goals are the same, to bring fans the best in global sports. The synergies between Kwese and ESPN allow us to achieve that goal by leveraging our collective ability to deliver premium African and global sports programming to sports fans across Africa.”  http://www.okayafrica.com/in-brief/ espn-africa-kwese-econet-partnership/

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International

Cape Coast University in Ghana Develops Breast Cancer Detection Device By Musah Idriss

he Department of Chemical Pathology of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has developed a breast cancer detection device for women in Sub-Saharan Africa. The device known as “Breast Eye” is able to detect suspicious breast lumps in women and give accurate results for screening. Head of Department, Chemical Pathology, School of Medical Science (UCCSMS), Dr. Frank Ghartey, made this known at the fourth annual Oguaa Breast Cancer Awareness campaign week to commemorate this year’s breast cancer awareness month, which is celebrated every October. It was organised by Breast Screening Services, a Cape Coast based non-governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the Centre for Gender, Research and Advocacy at UCC, with support from Nargins Group. The programme, which was on the theme: “Breast Cancer is Real, Get screened” was to create awareness of the disease and to sensitise women that it could be prevented with early detection. Hundreds of women in Cape Coast were screened

for breast cancer with the new device. Dr. Ghartey noted that the breast eye was a simple device with an ordinary light; which when focused under the breast, could detect the area where all the blood vessels were located in the breast, and could therefore be used to screen women without side eﬀects. He explained that cancer could expand beyond the size of a peanut only after it had developed its own blood supply, so if one had a device that could detect

blood vessels, its diagnosis would therefore be easier. He said the Department screened women and collected data after which rigorous scientiﬁc analysis was done to help improve breast screening methods to suite women in Ghana. Research had shown that breast cancer patients in Ghana are younger with an average age of 42 compared to their counterparts from European countries where the average age is 50. Dr. Ghartey pointed out that the use of Mammography or breast imaging that uses low dose of X-Ray, in many instances did not give too good results and sometimes a lot of false negative results were presented. The Department, had since 2006, been working on developing new techniques where women in Ghana and the sub-region could be screened for accurate results, Dr. Ghartey added.  http://www.risingafrica.org/success-stories/ technology-and-innovation/science_technology/ cape-coast-university-in-ghana-develops-breastcancer-detection-device/?utm_source=www.Africa. com+TOP-10&utm_campaign=3da97d6d01-EMAIL_ CAMPAIGN_2016_10_31&utm_medium=email&utm_ term=0_12683c81a6-3da97d6d01-29101709

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International

Ethiopia to Lead Climate Change Negotiations for Least Developed Countries By Seble Samuel – Special to Fortune

ver 190 countries gathered in Marrakech, Morocco, from November 7-18 to participate in the United Nations international climate change negotiations. The climate talks aimed to concretize the Paris Agreement – an international accord to reduce global warming – and solidify the mechanisms to ensure national climate commitments could be tracked and scaled up. During the fortnight of climate negotiations, Ethiopia was tapped for the Chairmanship of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Gebru Jembar Endalew, of the Green Growth Initiative at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and Head of the Ethiopian Delegation, will serve as the incoming Chair of the LDC Group for the next two year. The LDC Group is comprised of 48 countries that are extremely vulnerable to climate change but are least responsible for its cause. The primary goals of the LDC Group are twofold: to demand rich nations put forth ambitious emissions reductions, given their historic responsibility and capacity to address current climate challenges; and to take on a leadership role in the international movement to limit and overcome climate change. At a press conference at the climate negotiations in Marrakech, the LDC Group announced the launch of the Renewable Energy and Energy Eﬃciency Initiative (REEEI) for Sustainable Development. “The initiative will have a two-pronged approach. We will strengthen the capacity of LDCs to take advantage of existing initiatives such as the African Renewable Energy Initiative, and we will provide support to those that fall between the cracks of existing frameworks.” Across the world, 1.3 billion people currently lack access to adequate energy, most of which are located in the poorest nations. As an important outcome of the Marrakech climate negotiations, REEEI will aim to support LDCs leapfrog past fossil fuel based energy systems to renewable energy. “We cannot [limit warming to] 1.5C or 2C without massive action in all countries. Moving towards renewable energy globally is an essential priority and

must happen in a very short timeframe,” said Endalew. “Ethiopia stands ready to continue driving this initiative forward.” In addition to the LDC Group, Ethiopia presides over the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), an international South-South partnership of countries that are extremely vulnerable to climate change. The CVF serves as an advocacy and cooperation platform to raise awareness and build alliances to tackle global warming. “We advocate that average rising temperature should remain below 1.5C, because if it exceeds 1.5C it will greatly endanger many of the countries which are members of CVF,” said Mulugeta Mengist Ayalew, Director of Climate Change Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister. Ethiopia currently aims to limit national emissions by 64pc by 2030 compared to business-as-usual scenarios. The Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy has called for 7.5 billion dollars in climate finance, both domestic and international, in

order to adequately respond to climate change. At present, Ethiopia’s national climate budget is estimated at roughly 440 million dollars per year, with tens of millions in investments from international sources per year, leaving a substantial gap in climate finance. Challenges have arisen in terms of finance accessibility given the stringent investment criteria that requires data such as technical and financial feasibility studies, specific baselines and projections of outcomes, as well as co-benefit assessments, that are very challenging to acquire in the context of LDCs. The REEEI is therefore emerging as an additional opportunity to create synergies and ensure the transfer of funds to communities that are most vulnerable to climate change and lack the resources to secure adequate resilience. As climate effects become more severe, with impacts ravaging developing regions disproportionately the urgency of the matter: “rather than a luxury, this is an issue of survival.” http://africanleadership.co.uk/ethiopia-to-lead-climate-changenegotiations-for-least-developed-countries/

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International

Liberia: First 2017 Female Presidential Aspirant By William Q. Harmon

MacDella Cooper

resident Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s constitutionally dictated absence at the upcoming 2017 presidential election will not be missed, genderwise, as the ﬁrst female aspirant has emerged saying that she has the requisite credentials and is prepared to lead the country. MacDella Cooper said she has not just come to ensure gender balance at the polls next year, but to lead Liberia from where President Sirleaf leaves it. At a well-organized program held at a resort in Monrovia yesterday, Ms. Cooper broke her silence, indicating that she will be a contestant in the 2017 presidential elections, because there is a lot to do in a country where the masses still live in abject poverty amid abundance of resources, adding that she is prepared to lead a charge that will emancipate Liberians from their current impoverished state. Cooper is the assumed political leader of the Union of Liberian Democrats (ULD), recognized and certiﬁcated by the National Elections Commission (NEC).

She indicated that the country’s current condition cannot be laid at the foot of the current administration– which she said has tried to do its best–conditions that emanated from the prolonged civil crisis coupled with bad governance and the marginalization of a huge portion of the population for so many years. “We have gathered here because we believe in the prospects and potentials of our great country. Liberia is the greatest country I have ever known. Though we have had a lot of setbacks as a people as well as having a situation in the past when only a minute portion of the country’s population enjoyed the wealth of the land… with a MacDella Cooper presidency we will make Liberia a great nation where everyone will be treated equally and given the same opportunities to bring out the best in them. “I can’t change the whole world but I can help our kids and young people get better education that will lead to a better future. These will be the ones who’ll transform our nation.” With the nation’s youth as her priority, with emphatic hopes for girls’ education, Ms. Cooper is expanding her eﬀorts to work with women and children across Liberia and in the Diaspora. She lauded President Sirleaf and Vice President Joseph Boakai for their services to the nation and noted that it is high time that the latter have a welldeserved retirement rather than contesting for the presidency after twelve years as vice president. She also lauded Senator George Weah for being the face of the country during his time in Europe, but noted that he would be a better sports ambassador during a MacDella Cooper presidency. Her commitments, she said “are founded on the moral imperative to eﬀectively improve the basic needs and social services for Liberians. Over a third of all Liberians continue to live on less than $1 a day. That is just unacceptable.” Union of Liberian Democrat’s chairman Solomon Khan said with Ms. Cooper as the face of such a “noble party” victory is certain because she comes with all it takes to lead a country like Liberia. “MacDella is a humble, educated visionary and above all

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charity that has provided educational opportunities and basic necessities for abandoned children in Liberia since 2004. The foundation in 2010 created Liberia’s first tuition-free boarding school for orphans and the poor as well as an agency for youth development designed to help youth make good choices and to foster future leaders in Liberia. The school is located in Charlesville, around the Roberts International Airport in Margibi County. Cooper, like many Liberian children, was not spared the brunt of the civil crisis. Just a kid when the war began, she was deeply affected by the conflict Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf with U.S. President Barack Obama and separated from her family. She managed to flee to the Côte compassionate as evidenced by the level of work she d’Ivoire where she remained until 1993, when she and has done in the country,” Khan said. her two older brothers migrated to the United States Cooper, a fashion model turned philanthropist, is thanks to the kindness of a school teacher.  the founding chairman and president of the Board of Directors of the MacDella Cooper Foundation http://africanleadership.co.uk/liberia-first-2017(MCF) Inc. (http://macdellacooper.org), a not-for-profit female-presidential-aspirant/

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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 101  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

The Power Duo Making Your Startup Dreams Come True By Jacopo Prisco

Afua Osei and Yasmin Belo-Osagie.

n the male-dominated world of startups and entrepreneurship, two young women are showing initiative to give the next generation of African female business leaders a ﬁghting chance. She Leads Africa, a platform founded by Yasmin BeloOsagie and Afua Osei oﬀering knowledge and support to female entrepreneurs, has launched a pitch competition aimed at startups operating on the continent and diaspora. Following the success of last year's inaugural edition, the 2015

Entrepreneur Showcase is now down to its six ﬁnalists, who will pitch their businesses in front of some of Africa's leading executives. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of female entrepreneurship across the world at 27%, but most of these businesses tend to have no employees and low growth expectations: they are, for the most part, one-woman enterprises oriented to consumers. Furthermore, startup competitions or accelerators in Africa never

attract more than 30% female participation. While this is in line with Europe and the U.S., BeloOsagie and Osei believe that Africa could do better and become a pioneer in how to develop diverse and inclusive ecosystems.

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We spoke with them to find out more. CNN: What's the most interesting detail about the 380 entries you received? She Leads Africa: That 70% of the entrepreneurs had never applied to a pitch competition or startup program before. Even with the dramatic increase of accelerators and programs across the continent, traditional programs still aren't reaching female entrepreneurs with less than 20-30% participation rates. CNN: What question or request do you receive more frequently from businesses that contact you? SLA: Mentorship and finance. There is a real scarcity of authentic mentorship for young people interested in business, and for young women it can be exceptionally challenging due to cultural barriers and a business community that is often very closed off and exclusive. Regarding finance, accounting and funding options, there is limited education to young entrepreneurs in how to set up a positive banking track record, so many of them don't know the fundamentals of finance. Without this basic understanding it can be very challenging for anyone to build sustainable businesses. CNN: What is your outlook for female entrepreneurship in Africa for the near future? SLA: We are cautiously optimistic. With the "Africa Rising" narrative, the continent is attracting more foreign direct investment than ever. Though imperfect, progress is being made across multiple fronts on the continent: infrastructure, education, healthcare. These indicators suggest that it will be easier for African entrepreneurs to attract capital, find talent and scale their businesses. However we remain cautious because without deliberate and

decisive actions, this inﬂow of capital and interest will continue to beneﬁt the status quo only: traditional entrepreneurs operating in safe business models. The new crop of accelerators and incubators designed to boost high growth entrepreneurs on the continent are dominated by men. Male entrepreneurs are still being funded at a much higher rate than their female counterparts. Serious intervention is needed to change this. CNN: If you could just give just one piece of advice to prospective female entrepreneurs, what would it be? Afua Osei: If you're interested in starting up your own company, spend time understanding who your customers are and why they should care about you. Even if you're building a new product, your customers are

currently finding a way to manage without so take the time to learn how you can change your customers current way of doing things towards your new solution. Yasmin Belo-Osagie: Move with controlled speed. Being an entrepreneur is a little like being a Formula 1 driver. They're in cars hurtling at crazy speeds. However even at this pace they retain some level of control and caution. You need to take the same approach with being an entrepreneur. Its important to move quickly -- don't spend months and months building and revising a business plan that will probably change within your first year in business. That said, it's important to retain some level of caution and control to make sure that you are using your resources effectively.  http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/21/ africa/she-leads-africa-businesswomen/index.html

103  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Resource Vault www.risingafrica.org

Telling the African Success Story

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

• • • • •

• • •

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

104  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

Download the

Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce App from the

Apple App Store or

Google Play Store Search: "Zambia USA Chamber"

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

www.zambiausachamber.org 105  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

konya

gi.co.t

International

One Africa:

Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!

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

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

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

land should be excluded from African aﬀairs.

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

www.uniteafricans.org

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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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118  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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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.

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ince people from all walks of life really enjoy Down South cooking, NFL Pro Reggie Kelly thought, why not bring a piece of the South to their homes. Reggie and his wife founded KYVAN® FOODS. KYVAN® Foods is a supplier to great customers like Kroger, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Firehouse Subs, Performance Foodservice, Hot Shots Distributing and more. As stated by Reggie, “It’s my goal to pass down to my kids (Kyla & Kavan) and to everyone the gift passed down to me… An Appreciation Of Good Food.” Thanks and God Bless! Website: http://kyvan82.com Shop Online: http://kyvan82.com/store Store Locator: http://kyvan82.com/storelocator

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1355  N 13 November ovem ov embe berr 2201 2016 0166  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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Behold A Pale Horse

48 Laws of Pow er

Books to Consider

Books to Consider...

PowerNomics: The

National Plan to Power Black America

by Dr. Claud Anderson

ublished in 2001, PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America is a five-year plan to make Black America a prosperous and empowered race that is self-sufficient and competitive as a group by the year 2005. In this book, Dr. Anderson obliterates the myths and illusions of black progress and brings together data and information from many different sources to construct a framework for solutions to the dilemma of Black America. Dr. Anderson proposes new principles, strategies and concepts that show blacks a new way to see, think, and behave in race matters. The new mind set prepares blacks to take strategic steps to create a new reality for their race. It offers guidance to others who support black's self-sufficiency. In this book, Dr. Anderson offers insightful analysis and action steps blacks can take to redesign core areas of life - Education, Economics, Politics and Religion - to better benefit their race. The action steps in each area require new empowerment tools that Dr. Anderson presents - a new group vision and a new culture of empowerment tools designed to Dr. Claud Anderson

counter, if not break many of the racial monopolies in society. Vertical integration and Industrializing black communities are other major concepts and strategies that he presents in the book. He places a great deal of importance on building industries in black communities that are constructed upon group competitive advantages. PowerNomics: The National Plan is the missing link between the historical analysis of problems facing blacks and the strategies needed to correct those problems.  www.amazon.com/PowerNomics-National-Empower-BlackAmerica/dp/0966170229

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

by Trevor Noah

revor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by ﬁve years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to ﬁnd himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save

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her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply aﬀecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unﬂinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother’s unconventional, unconditional love.  www.amazon.com/gp/product/ref=pe_2645260_213385280_pe_ biomem-slot3/?ASIN=B01DHWACVY

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in

Balance

by Simone Biles

imone Biles’ entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a daycare field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, passion, and perseverance have made her one of the top gymnasts in the world, as well as a four-time winner of Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro. But there is more to Simone than the nineteen medals—fourteen of them gold— and the Olympic successes. Through years of hard work and determination, she has relied on her faith and family to stay focused and positive, while having fun competing at the highest level and doing what she loves. Here, in H i her h own words, d Simone Si takes you through the events, challenges, and trials that carried her from an early childhood in foster care to a coveted spot on the 2016 Olympic team. Along the way, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story—one filled with the kinds of daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams  https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Soar-Body-MotionBalance/dp/0310759668

Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's by B. Smith & Dan Gasby Simone Biles

“I know where I’m going. I’m still myself. I just can’t remember things as well as I once did. So on short trips, I work hard not to be confused. 139  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

I’ll say to myself, What are we going to do? How long are we staying? It’s like I’m talking to my other self—the self I used to be. She tells me, This is what we need to buy—not that. I’m conscious of that other self guiding me now.”

estaurateur, magazine publisher, celebrity chef, and nationally known lifestyle maven, B. Smith is struggling at 66 with a tag she never expected to add to that string: Alzheimer's patient. She’s not alone. Every 67 seconds someone newly develops it, and millions of lives are affected by its aftershocks. B. and her husband, Dan, working with Vanity Fair contributing editor Michael Shnayerson, unstintingly share s their unfolding u story. Crafted C in short chapters c that interweave i their narrative n with practical p and helpful h advice, readers learn r about a dealing with Alzheimer's w day-to-day challenges: the c family realities f and tensions, a ways of coping, w coming research c that may tip the t scale, as well as s lessons learned le along the way. a At its heart, Before B I Forget is a love story: illuminating a love of family, life, and hope.  www.amazon.com/Before-Forget-Acceptance-Against-Alzheimers/dp/0553447157/re f=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479363806&sr=81&keywords=before+i+forget+book

A Black Man in the White House: Barack Obama and the Triggering of America's

Racial-Aversion Crisis by Cornell Belcher America's racial fault lines run uninterrupted from the days of slavery to those of lynchings, separate water fountains, and the contemporary Jim Crow of voter suppression, gerrymandered voting districts, and the attempt to nullify the presidency of America's first Black chief executive. In this book Cornell Belcher presents stunning new research that illuminates just how deep and jagged these racial fault lines continue to be. Cornell has surveyed battleground voters from 2008 through the 2016 primary season, tracking racial aversion and its impact over the course of the Obama presidency. Given the heightened racial aversion as a consequence of the first non-white male living in the White House, the rise of Trump was a predictable backlash. The election of the nation's first Black president does not mean that we lilive in a post-racial ssociety; it means tthat we are now at a critical historical point ttipping demographically d and culturally in a America and this A ttipping point is indeed the wolf at in tthe door for many anxious white a Americans. A The panicked rresponse of the waning white w majority to what m tthey perceive as tthe catastrophe of a Black president can be heard in every cry to take back our country. This panic has resulted in the elevation of an overt and unapologetic racist as the nominee of one of America's major political parties. Let's be clear, as Belcher points out: there isn't any going back. America's changing population and the continued globalization of our marketplaces won't allow it. In order to compete and win the future, America must let go of the historic tribal pecking order and a system gamed to favor the old ruling white elite. To paraphrase DuBois, 'The problem of the twentyfirst century remains the color line.'  www.amazon.com/Black-Man-White-House-RacialAversion/dp/162134360X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=14793

140  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBA Master P lanner February 201 7

BBA Annual Awards Dinner 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 201 7

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 201 7

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. 

141  November 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 Black Then https://blackthen.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

Organizations 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

142  November 2016  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819