Maxine Waters 'Rocks' the System page 38
Publisher's Message
E
ven in this second decade of the Second Millennium, long after many would think that the challenges should have been vanquished, we find there continues to be a need to address unfair contracting and procurement opportunities for African Americans and minorities. Fifty years after the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans still find ourselves striving and partnering with other folk who don’t look like us in order to level the playing field and open doors. I sometimes find myself asking and answering that old rhetorical refrain, “How long? Not long”, “How long? Not long”, “How long? Too long”. With that said, I want each of you to reflect upon a few questions, as you craft plans and strategies for future Pubisher/Chief Executive Officer business growth and development. • Do you want your businesses to grow? • Would you let your political ideologies and/or beliefs stop you from pursuing opportunities that would benefit your company and add employment opportunities for others? • What color is money truly to you? • Which should be the greater focus, political rhetoric, or business development opportunities? • Do we not do business with people we don’t agree with, even if it means losing out on contracting and employment opportunities? • Does it take financial resources to impact change, or vice versa? • Can social change come about without financial resources? • Do we squawk about who is running the ship, or try figure out how to make the running ship work for our businesses?
Earl “Skip” Cooper, II
Readership of the Black Business News comprises Democrats, Republicans, Independents and others across the political spectrum. As hard as African Americans have worked and contributed to the growth and prosperity of this country, I wonder if sometimes nowadays we shoot ourselves in the proverbial foot and miss out on opportunities because of political beliefs. Just something to be aware of. On the subject of running your business, if you are interested in the many contracting opportunities now available with the public and private sectors; or if you are looking for access to capital for your business, then be sure to attend the Black Business Association’s upcoming Procurement & Financial Resource Summit. To confirm that your name is on the BBA’s mailing list, for registration and event information, email the BBA at mail@ bbala.org, or call (323) 291-9334. Clarence Avant On another topic, as President/CEO
Black Business News Group P.O. Box 43159 Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA 1-323-291-7819 Fax: 1-323-298-5064
www.blackbusinessnews.net PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sarah Harris Dean L. Jones Phyllis Dixon
ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR Kim Anthony
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Linda Ware
PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dean Jones Linda Ware Ralph D. Sutton Timothy Lester, Jr. Veronica Hendrix Giavanna Foster P. Yvette Thomas Aman Williams LaSandra Stratton
GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris Tia Robinson
STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg Jennifer Marie Hamilton
PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx Sabir Narishima Osei
CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR La Sandra Stratton
LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications Copyright © 2017 by Black Business News All Rights Reserved. The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein.
see Publisher's Message on page 75 3 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
About
The mission of The Black Business News is to inspire and inform public and private sector industry representatives on the importance of smart small business growth. As a versatile source of socioeconomic development activity news, the publications of the Black Business News Group impart current local, national and international industry and social trends and news affecting small businesses across the United States of America (USA), providing guides to greater access to financial capital, management efficiencies, business education, mentorship opportunities and social media networks. The goals of the Black Business News Group include: •
promoting USA-based black-owned business enterprises to a world wide audience.
•
offering business growth enhancing information on education, exhibitioning, international trading, technology, industry trends, and more.
•
exploring major public and private sector contracting methods to educate black-owned and operated enterprises.
•
providing an affirmative influence for emerging entrepreneurs by sharing innovative design and creative cultural content that exposes them to the history of black enterprises and urges them to participate in the USA’s future.
•
advocating and promoting on behalf of black-owned businesses by promoting the need for expanding an economic foundation that supports an unfettered and self-sustained urban society with USA job creation and economic opportunity, where blacks work, live and operate viable business enterprises.
view back issues at: https://issuu.com
2017 Black Business Association Upcoming Events
Jun 201 7
Salute to Black Music Black Business News Group Publications Black Business News Black Business News International Black Business News Travel Africa
Contents
Black Business News… 3
Publisher's Message
43 44
Government 8 9 14 16
Sessions' Justice Department Will End Forensic Science Commission Sylvia Trent-Adams Appointed U.S. Surgeon General Trump Pulls Back Obama-Era Protections For Women Workers Trump Repeals U.S. Broadband Privacy Rules
54 58 68
The Marjani Story Major California Insurers do Almost No Business with Firms Owned by People of Color Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., USMC, (ret.) Joins Board of Directors Help Save Paris Accord on Climate Change Redefining Perceptions of Afros
Community/Public Interest 82 84 86
US Civil Rights Church is Returned to its Glory Pulitzer Prize Winners 2017 Historical Marker Honors Dr. King
Obituary/Memorials 88 89 90 92 92 93 94 96
Comedian Charlie Murphy Linda Hopkins Broadway Headliner Joni Sledge Marvell Thomas Clyde Stubblefield Lonnie Brooks William Coleman Civil Rights Attorney Sylvia Moy, Motwon Pioneer
International 42
98 Why 2017 is Africa's Year 99 New Pyramid Remains Found 104 EXIM Alliance Program
Editorials/Perspectives 22 36
March for Science: Can Political Activism and Science Coexist? Bombing Syria was Dangerous, Deceptive
Entertainment 23 26 28
BBN Show Biz Buzz ‘Hidden Figures’ Author to Write Two New Books on Overlooked Black Icons YouTube TV is Live
Business 30 30 33 34 38 39 40 42
April is Financial Literacy Month Operation Hope's Project 5117 The Making of a ‘Perfect’ Mobile Ad Linda Johnson Rice Retakes Ebony CEO Post Rep. Waters Rocks at the L.A. Press Club Need a More Private Chat Space? Try Mastodon. Facebook Takes on Crowdfunding Federal Reserve Bank Appoints first AfricanAmerican Regional Bank President
Columns 78 102 109 138 140 141
Take A Look! African Stock Exchanges Shopping Gallery Books to Consider... BBA Master Planner Resource Vault
5 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Government
Attorney General Jefferson B. Sessions
Sessions' Justice Department Will End Forensic Science Commission by Sadie Gurman
A
ttorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday he is ending an Obamaera partnership with independent scientists that aimed to improve the reliability of forensic science, as longstanding concerns remain about the quality of such evidence
in court cases. The Justice Department will not renew the National Commission on Forensic Science, a panel of judges, defense attorneys, researchers and law enforcement officials that had been advising the attorney general on the use of
scientific evidence in the criminal justice process. The department will instead appoint an in-house adviser and create an internal committee to study improvements to forensic analysis, Sessions said. Their tasks will include a broad look at the personnel and equipment
8 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
needs of overburdened crime labs. "As we decide how to move forward, we bear in mind that the department is just one piece of the larger criminal justice system," said Sessions in a statement, adding that most forensic science is done by state and local laboratories and used by local prosecutors. The Obama administration formed the commission in 2013 to address wide-ranging concerns about problematic forensic techniques. The Justice Department also is reconsidering an effort launched last year to review forensic sciences practiced by the FBI. That review sought to determine whether other scientific disciplines have been tainted by flawed testimony, a problem that surfaced in 2015 when the Justice Department revealed
that experts had overstated the strength of their evidence in many older cases dating back decades involving microscopic hair analysis. The disbanding of the commission was yet another way in which Sessions is shifting away from his Obama-era predecessors, who pushed for changes in forensic science and tried to establish federal standards. Last year, for example, acting on the commission's recommendations, the Justice Department announced a new code of professional responsibility for its forensic science laboratories and also cautioned its examiners and prosecutors to use restraint in discussing the strength of their findings, among other standards. Sessions, who frequently articulates a tough-on-crime
agenda, called the availability of accurate forensic analysis "critical to integrity in law enforcement, reducing violent crime and increasing public safety." He said the Justice Department would seek public comment on how to improve crime labs and "strengthen the foundations of forensic science." The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said it was disappointed by the move. Association President Barry Pollack said the commission was important because it allowed "unbiased expert evaluation of which techniques are scientifically valid and which are not." www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ sessions-justice-dept-will-endforensic-science-commission/arBBzF7at?ocid=spartanntp
Sylvia Trent-Adams Appointed U.S. Surgeon General by TeamEbony
R
ear Adm. Sylvia TrentAdams becomes the fourth African-American — and third Black woman — to serve in the position of Surgeon General, following Joycelyn Elders, David Satcher and Regina Benjamin. She is also the first Black nurse to hold the job. But she comes with an impressive background worth knowing about. She is a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Public Health Service. TrentAdams grew up on a farm in Concord, Va., and started out as a candy striper at a local hospital, delivering mail to patients. That got her interested in a nursing career.
She started with the USPHS in 1992 after serving in the Army as a nurse officer, according to the Health and Human Services website.
She had also worked as a cancer research nurse at the University of Maryland. From November 2013 through May 2016, she served
9 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
see page 15
Government
10 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
This two-day program is led by the Bureau of Industry & Security's professional counseling staff and provides an in-depth examination of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The program will cover the information exporters need to know to comply with U.S. export control requirements on commercial goods. Presenters will conduct a number of "handson" exercises that will prepare you to apply the regulations to your own company's export activities. This workshop will explain: • The Scope of the Export Administration Regulations • How to determine the export licensing requirements for your product • When you may export without applying for a license • What an "Export Management Compliance Program (EMCP)" is, and how it can help meet your regulatory responsibilities • What the Enhanced Proliferation Control Initiative is, and how it affects you Date: May 3-4, 2017 Location: Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa, 3050 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Tel: 1-714-540-7000 Registration: The registration fee is $450 per person. (Includes continental breakfasts, a luncheon both full days, and conference materials.
Registration Questions: 1-949-660-1688 REGISTER NOW at: http://cs.decsocal.org/BISEAR17_OC.html FIND MORE DETAILS at: http://cs.decsocal.org/BISEAR17_OC.html PROGRAM CONTENT Questions? Please contact BIS at 1-949-660-0144 or email. SPECIAL NOTE MCLE: The Western Regional Office of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. This course is worth 12 hours of MCLE credit. (However, 0 credits will apply for legal ethics, law practice mgmt., prevention/ detection /treatment of substance abuse and emotional distress, and elimination of bias)
Government
US Labor Department Goes aer Big Tech for Discrimination by Seth Fiegerman
I
n the final months of the Obama administration, the Department of Labor filed lawsuits against Google, Oracle and Palantir for hiring discrimination and pay disparities. So far, the Trump administration is keeping them going. The cases have yet to be settled and the one against Google is now generating negative headlines in court. The development has surprised some people, considering the Trump administration's pro-business posture. Experts say it is largely the result of the vacancy at the top.
"It's just the slowness of the appointment process," says David Fortney, former acting solicitor for the Department of Labor during the George H.W. Bush administration. Andrew Puzder, Trump's first pick for labor secretary, was forced to withdraw his nomination in February. He came under fire for employing an undocumented housekeeper and decades-old charges of domestic abuse. Alexander Acosta, Trump's next pick for the role, has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. After that it could still be months before a new head is appointed for the agency's Office of Federal Contact Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which is the group behind the tech lawsuits. "At this point, the decisions are being made largely by the senior career people, who are the ones who
decided to file these lawsuits," says Fortney. "I don't think they have been reviewed closely by the new administration." The Labor Department accused Oracle (ORCL, Tech30) of paying white men more than other employees and claimed Palantir discriminated against Asian job applicants. The government agency said Google had not turned over enough compensation data for its employees. On Friday, the department continued to press Google (GOOGL, Tech30) in court. Janette Wipper, a Labor Department regional director, testified that the agency found a "systemic" problem of Google underpaying women, according to The Guardian. The Labor Department confirmed the comment to CNNTech. The allegations come at a sensitive time for tech companies like Google, which have publicly talked up the need to boost diversity internally. But recent diversity reports show Silicon Valley remains predominantly white and male. "We vehemently disagree with Ms. Wipper's claim," Google said in a statement provided to CNNTech. "Other than making an unfounded statement which we heard for the first time in court, the DoL hasn't provided any data, or shared its methodology." The ongoing lawsuits stem from the three companies providing cloud or data services to federal agencies. As federal contractors, the companies are obligated to show the government that their hiring practices do not discriminate based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and more. Reps for Palantir did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Oracle declined to comment on this story. In an earlier statement, Oracle described the complaint as "politically motivated." http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/10/technology/labordepartment-tech/index.html
12 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
CSIS is now accepting applications for the
2017 AILA International Fellowship Program Dates: September 18-22, 2017 Application Deadline: May 7, 2017 Tuition: $4,500 USD* CSIS is now accepting applications for the 2017 AILA International Fellowship (AIF). Each year, mid-career professionals from around the globe are selected to participate in an intensive, one-week fellowship program that equips aspiring leaders to be effective and ethical changemakers. Through interactive and experiential learning sessions led by CSIS's network of world-class scholars and practitioners, AIF Fellows gain a deeper understanding of the complex global dynamics and moral dilemmas they face as leaders.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Experiential leadership and team building Strategic negotiation Cross-cultural communication
Global policy and ethics simulation Public speaking and media training Geopolitics seminars
APPLY or REQUEST INFORMATION and VIEW INFO VIDEO HERE: https://www.csis.org/aif?utm_source=CSIS+All&utm_campaign=5796e5b7bc-EMAIL_
CAMPAIGN_2017_03_06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f326fc46b6-5796e5b7bc-144498597 Also, contact CSIS Director of Training Initiatives, Barbara Petzen: bpetzen@csis.org. *Tuition does not include lodging or transportation. A limited amount of tuition assistance for outstanding candidates in the not-for-profit sector may be available.
13 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Government
Trump Pulls Back Obama-Era Protections For Women Workers by Mary Emily O'Hara
W
ith little notice, President Donald Trump recently signed an executive
order
(www.whitehouse.gov/thepress-office/2017/03/27/presidentialexecutive-order-revocation-federalcontracting-executive) that advocates
say rolls back hard-fought victories for women in the workplace. Tu e s d a y, March 28th's "Equal Pay Day" — which highlights the wage disparity between men and women — is the perfect time to draw more attention to the president's a c t i o n , activists say. On March 27, Trump revoked the 2014 Fair Pay and Safe W or k p l a c e s order thenPresident B a r a c k Obama put in place to ensure that companies with federal contracts comply with 14 labor and civil rights laws. The Fair
Pay order was put in place after a 2010 Government Accountability Office investigation showed that companies with rampant violations were being awarded millions in federal contracts. In an attempt to keep the worst violators from receiving taxpayer dollars, the Fair Pay order included
two rules that impacted women workers: paycheck transparency and a ban on forced arbitration clauses for sexual harassment, sexual assault or discrimination claims. This is What 'A Day Without a Woman' Looks Like 1:00 Noreen Farrell, director of the anti-sex discrimination law firm Equal Rights Advocates, said Trump went "on the attack against workers and taxpayers." "We have an executive order that essentially forces women to pay to keep companies in business that discrimination against them, with their own tax dollars," said Farrell. "It's an outrage." Out of the 50 worst wage theft
14 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Government violators that GAO examined between 2005-2009, 60% had been awarded federal contracts after being penalized by the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Similar violation rates were tracked through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Labor Relations Board. But the research did not reveal much about sexual harassment or sexual assault claims. That's because forced arbitration clauses — also sometimes called "cover-up clauses" by critics — are commonly used to keep sex discrimination claims out of the courts and off the public record. "Arbitrations are private proceedings with secret filings and private attorneys, and they often help hide sexual harassment claims," said Maya Raghu, Director of Workplace Equality at the National Women's Law Center. "It can silence victims. They may feel
afraid of coming forward because they might think they are the only one, or fear retaliation." Mandatory arbitration clauses are increasingly used in employment contracts, said Raghu, who added that banning the process was an important step forward for victims of workplace harassment or assault. Many learned about forced arbitration clauses for the first time just last year through the Fox News sexual harassment case. Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson dodged her own contract's arbitration clause by directly suing former CEO Roger Ailes rather than the company. Ailes' lawyers accused Carlson of breaching her contract, and pressed for the private arbitration to try to keep the story out of courts and the public record. A new lawsuit filed Monday by Fox News commentator Julie Roginsky joined a growing list of accusations against Ailes, and claims Roginsky faced retaliation "because of
plaintiff's refusal to malign Gretchen Carlson and join 'Team Roger' when Carlson sued Ailes," NPR reported. By overturning the Fair Pay order, Trump made it possible for businesses with federal contracts to continue forcing sexual harassment cases like Carlson's into secret proceedings — where the public, and other employees, may never find out about rampant sex discrimination claims at a company. After the Fox News sexual harassment problem came to light, Carlson testified before Congress about forced arbitration — and Senators Richard Blumenthal, Dick Durbin and Al Franken wrote to major arbitration companies to ask for information on the amount of secret arbitration proceedings involving sexual harassment and discrimination.
U.S. Surgeon General
AIDS Bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services, helping to manage the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program. In addition, she has served as guest lecturer at the University of Maryland and Hampton University, and as the Chair of the Federal Public Health Nurse Leadership Council, and the Federal Nursing Service Council. She was influenced by how she saw patients were being treated. Little was known about HIV/ AIDS early in Trent-Adams career and she recalled a man who had the disease being mistreated by a hospital employee who slid a tray of food across the floor to him instead of handing it to him. “No one deserves to be treated like that,” she told the Appomattox Times-Virginian. “I have had very interesting assignments in my
career. They have not always been pleasant, but I have learned from them.” She is a supporter of the Affordable Care Act. Pertaining to the field of nursing, Trent-Adams has said it puts nurses in a position to have an impact that they had not had prior to the passage of the policy. “We can be involved in many ways: clinically, with creating policy, at the bedside, and creating innovative strategies,” she said in a 2014 interview with the American Journal of Nursing. “Nurses bring common sense to solving problems, which has not been recognized enough. Nurses spend more time with the patient than any other health care provider.”
from page 9
as the Chief Nurse Officer of the USPHS. H e r resume is broad a n d full of accomplishments. She attended Hampton University on an ROTC scholarship, later got her masters degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and her doctorate from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. After her Army tenure ended she joined the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS. She has also been deputy associate administrator in the HIV/
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/usnews/trump-pulls-back-obama-eraprotections-women-workers-n741041
www.ebony.com/news-views/ sylvia-trent-adams-surgeongeneral#ixzz4fBiUKO00
15 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Government
Trump Signs Repeal of U.S. Broadband Privacy Rules By: David Shepardson
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a Women's Empowerment Panel at the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S. © REUTERS/ Carlos Barria
O
n Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a repeal of Obama-era broadband privacy rules, the White House said, a victory for internet service providers and a blow to privacy advocates. Republicans in Congress last week narrowly passed the repeal of the privacy rules with no Democratic support and over the strong objections of privacy advocates. The signing, disclosed in White House statement late on Monday, follows strong criticism of the bill, which is a win for AT&T Inc., Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc. The bill repeals regulations adopted in October by the Federal Communications Commission under the Obama administration requiring internet service providers to do more to protect customers' privacy than websites like Alphabet Inc's Google or Facebook Inc. The rules had not yet taken effect but would have required internet providers to obtain consumer consent before using
precise geolocation, financial information, health information, children's information and web browsing history for advertising and marketing. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai praised the repeal in a statement late on Monday for having “appropriately invalidated one part of the Obamaera plan for regulating the internet." Those flawed privacy rules, which never went into effect, were designed to benefit one group of favored companies, not online consumers." Pai said the FCC would work with the Federal Trade Commission, which oversees websites, to restore the "FTC’s authority to police internet service providers’ privacy practices." Republican FCC commissioners have said the Obama rules would unfairly give websites the ability to harvest more data than internet service providers. The action is the latest in a string of reversals of Obama administration rules. On Monday, the FCC reversed a requirement
that Charter Communications Inc extend broadband service to 1 million homes that already have a high-speed provider. On Friday, Comcast, Verizon AT&T Inc said they would voluntarily not sell customers’ individual internet browsing information. Verizon does not sell personal web browsing histories and has no plans to do so but the company said it has two advertising programs that use "de-identified" customer browsing data, including one that uses "aggregate insights that might be useful for advertisers and other businesses." The American Civil Liberties Union said last month Congress should have opposed "industry pressure to put profits over privacy" and added "most Americans believe that their sensitive internet information should be closely guarded." Trade group USTelecom Chief Executive Jonathan Spalter in a statement praised Trump for "stopping rules that would have created a confusing and conflicting consumer privacy framework." Last week, 46 Senate Democrats urged Trump not to sign the bill, arguing most Americans "believe that their private information should be just that." Republicans later this year are expected to move to overturn net neutrality provisions that in 2015 reclassified broadband providers and treated them like a public utility - a move that is expected to spark an even bigger fight. www.msn.com/en-us/news/ politics/trump-signs-repeal-of-usbroadband-privacy-rules/ar-BBziq5 Z?li=AA4Zoy&ocid=spartandhp
16 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
$25,000 prize to winner of Internet of Things
Home Inspector Challenge By: Lesley Fair
I
t’s a challenge that could result in a prize of as much as $25,000 for a creative tech tinkerer. The out-of-the-box innovators from “Ghostbusters” were famous for inventing a backpack-mounted positron collider to neutralize malicious ectoplasmic entities. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wants to help protect consumers from something equally dangerous: security weaknesses in the software of home devices connected to the Internet of Things. So we’re sponsoring the Internet of Things Home Inspector Challenge, a contest to create a tool to address vulnerabilities caused by outof-date software in IoT devices (www.ftc.go v/news-e vents/pressreleases/2017/0 1/ft c-anno uncesinternet-things-challenge-combatsecurity).
With the advent of the smart home, more of us are relying on internetconnected – and interconnected – devices to operate our appliances, manage home security, monitor our health, etc. The benefits are undeniable, but those devices also pose potential security risks. Compounding the problem is that the nature of those risks changes, necessitating security updates and patches. As a result, first-generation protections may be useless against second-generation threats. But how do consumers know if
their internet-connected devices they use at home have the most up-to-date security software? That’s where you and the IoT Home Inspector Challenge come in. We’re asking innovators to come up with a tech solution to the security vulnerabilities caused when IoT household products are running out-of-date software. Perhaps it’s a physical device people could add to their home networks that would install security updates for other devices on that network. Or it could be an app, cloud-based service, or dashboard. Or maybe it’s something entirely different that you’ve been noodling through for some time now. Come up with the idea selected by an expert panel of five judges and you could win the big prize. (Submissions that earn an honorable mention could win up to $3,000.)
Here are some important details: Submissions will be accepted between March 1, 2017, and 12 noon EDT on May 22, 2017. In the initial stage, judges will assess each entrant’s abstract or video. Based on that, they will select up to 20 entrants to move to the final round. That’s when the judges will review those entrants’ complete submissions. (Please read the rules, criteria, and registration
information carefully. We’ve posted some preliminary FAQs, but check the IoT Home Inspector Challenge homepage (www.ftc.gov/iot-homeinspector-challenge) for details as the March 1st opening date draws near.) Winners will be announced on July 27, 2017, or thereabouts. Even if you don’t enter the Challenge, there are other dos and dont’s that industry members should heed. Read the FTC’s Careful Connections: Building Security in the Internet of Things (www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/businesscenter/guidance/careful-connectionsbuilding-security-internet-things) and
Start with Security: A Guide for Business (www.ftc.gov/tipsadvice/business-center/guidance/ start-security-guide-business) for
compliance basics. Also, the Challenge in no way changes the fundamental principle that IoT companies must honor their privacy and security promises and refrain from unfair practices. www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/ business-blog/2017/01/25000-prizewinner-internet-things-home-inspectorchallenge
17 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
www.sba.gov/nsbw/sites/all/themes/nsbw/images/topleft-header.png
www.sba.gov/nsbw
National Small Business Week (April 30th - May 6th) is an annual event hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration to recognize the nation’s top small businesses, entrepreneurs, small business advocates and champions. We're pleased to announce this year's webinars on a variety of business topics. Visit www.sba.gov/nsbw to register for the webinars of interest to you. Also visit the NSBW website for information on national and regional events and programs.
The U.S. Economic Outlook and Its Impact on Small Businesses Presented by Visa May 2, 2017 | 2:00-3:00 pm ET 5 Fabulous Habits of Local Business Champions Presented by YP May 3, 2017 | 2:00-3:00 pm ET Grow Your Business Online Presented by Google May 3, 2017 4:00-5:00 pm ET
The Future of Small Business Innovation Presented by Salesforce May 4, 2017 2:30-3:30 pm ET How to Write Your Email Content in 15 Minutes or Less Presented by Constant Contact May 4, 2017 | 3:30-4:30 pm ET Find the Hidden Money in America Presented by Chase May 4, 2017 | 5:00-6:00 pm ET
18 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
THE WHITE HOUSE
Small Business Week, 2017 -------
By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation
D
uring Small Business Week, we celebrate our Nation's small business owners, whose entrepreneurship and hard work bring jobs and prosperity to our communities. Small business owners embody the American pioneering spirit and remind us that determination can turn aspiration into achievement. This week, we affirm our commitment to removing government barriers to the success of American small businesses. Small businesses are an economic force in this country, and have grown by nearly 40 percent since 1982 despite often facing regulatory headwinds. They employ almost 58 million Americans, accounting for about 50 percent of all private-sector jobs in the United States. Our communities depend on the success of small businesses. More than 99 percent of all employer firms in the country are small businesses and in recent years, too many of them have been crushed by overwhelming Federal regulations. At the beginning of my Administration, I met with small business owners who continue to struggle under too many burdensome regulations. I have already signed legislation disapproving many excessive and unreasonable regulations and issued several Executive Orders to address other overreaching rules. These actions will free our Nation's entrepreneurs to spend more time creating jobs and less time navigating the Federal bureaucracy. My Administration is also working to ensure our Nation's trade deals establish favorable conditions for small businesses to export their goods and services. With a level playing field on the international stage, America's small businesses will lead an export revival that brings jobs and wealth back to our country. Our Nation also deserves a tax system that works for -- not against -- small business owners. One of the biggest problems facing our small businesses is an unduly complicated, and often unfair, tax system. Tax reform will unleash a new wave of investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship in our country. Americans will keep more money in their pockets, leaving them with the resources they need to expand their businesses and hire more workers. America's small business owners transform ideas into reality. They are a strong testament to the opportunities a market economy affords. During this week, we recognize the incredible contributions small businesses make to our country and pledge to foster the conditions that enable them to prosper and thrive. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 April 30 through May 6, 2017, as Small Business Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners as they grow our Nation's economy. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first.
19 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Editorial
March for Science: Can Political Activism and Science Coexist? By Amanda Paulson Ed. BBN
S
cientists and other science supporters who feel compelled to step out of the lab or the field to stand up for science plan to gather in Washington, D.C., and in more than 500 other cities. for a March for Science on Saturday, April 22nd which is also Earth Day. The backing for the science march has been widespread, including behemoths like the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest scientific society, as well as dozens of research groups, museums, small scientific organizations, and nonprofits. A huge piece of the march is simply making both science and scientists more accessible and visible to the public. Most marches have planned education stations; in Washington, nearly two dozen “teach-ins” are being offered, on topics ranging from food solutions and creek critters to carbon innovation and the physics of superheroes. Some participants also say that, while the march may have been catalyzed in part by the Trump administration – with its proposed cuts for research funding, its loose use of “facts,” and the nomination of some climate-change critics to prominent roles – the antagonism toward science among some policymakers in particular, has been building for several decades, and has reached a point where scientists need to push back, whatever the risks. Climate change is just one example. Once it became
associated with Al Gore around the 2000 election, some Republicans who had previously proposed climate action solidified in opposition and started denying the reality of climate change, says John Holdren, a senior adviser to former President Obama on science and technology. Partisan opposition to Mr. Obama, who supported action on climate change, just intensified the divide. The March for Science grew out of the momentum of the Women’s March in January and has faced similar criticisms and internal turmoil about inclusion of diverse peoples and perspectives. Still, for all the criticism and disagreements, most observers have noted just how broad the support for the science march has been, including many people and groups who disagree politically, but feel deeply that a strong commitment to high-quality science and research is necessary. Many supporters of the march see
it as an opportunity to shed positive light on science. Holdren, Obama’s science advisor, sees the march as something of an experiment. “We are trying something new compared to the historical approach of writing sober op-editorial pieces, and giving talks to rotary clubs, and folks at universities talking to each other, the national academies of science, and engineering, and medicine, holding their meetings and issuing their press releases,” he says. “The more we get people talking about society's interest in science and technology, the better. If the March advances that conversation and persuades more people to engage in that conversation in more different ways, then it will have been a success." http://www.csmonitor.com/ Science/2017/0421/March-forScience-Can-political-activism-andscience-coexist
22 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware
MTV Movie & TV Awards; ‘Get Out’ Leads Nominees
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ots of walls are tumbling at the newly christened MTV Movie & TV Awards. In addition to the previously announced expansion to cover television and streaming, the awards will mix film, TV and streaming nominees together in some categories, and gender divisions are being eliminated: This year’s May 7 ceremony will do away with Best Actress and Best Actor categories, with performers competing in non-gendered races for Best Actor statues. That means the Best Actor in a Movie category pits Daniel Kaluuya against Emma Watson, Hailee Steinfeld, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy and Taraji P. Henson, while the Best Actors in a Daniel Kaluuya Show (TV and streaming) are Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke, Gina Rodriguez, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mandy Moore and Millie Bobby Brown. Overall, Get Out, Jordan Peele’s crazy good horror/ comedy/social commentary hybrid, leads the pack of nominees, s c o r i n g six nods including Best Picture and Best Actor (Kaluuya). Beauty and the Beast and Stranger Things follow Jordan Peele
with four nominations each, with Atlanta, Game of Thrones, Hidden Figures, Logan, Moonlight and This Is Us each taking three. The MTV Movie & TV Awards airs live Sunday, May 7, 8 pm ET/PT from the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. Adam Devine, nominated for Comedy Central’s Workaholics, will host. Deadline reported on the 25-year-old MTV Movie Awards in March, when the expansion to TV categories was announced, along with news that the show would return to its live roots. Also new this year, the awards will combine nominees from film, TV and streaming in the various “fan-favorite” categories like Best Kiss, Best Hero and Best Villain. New categories include Show of the Year, Best Host, Best Reality Competition, Tearjerker and Next Generation. MTV also is introducing what the network describes as two “new and timely” categories: Best American Story, awarded to the show or film that showcases America at its best (“open and diverse”) and Best Fight Against the System (characters who “best exemplify fighting against a system that tries to keep them down”). Two additional categories will be revealed closer to the show. Fans can begin voting in other categories immediately and get more information at MTV.com. http://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/awards/ mtv-movie-and-tv-awards-axes-actress-and-actordivisions-%e2%80%98get-out%e2%80%99leads-nominees-%e2%80%93-full-list/arBBzuvyW?ocid=spartanntp
Essence Festival Announces Headliners
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hance the Rapper will be headlining the Essence Festival along with Diana Ross. Mary J. Blige, who's next album debuts April 28th, will headline the festival's second night, which features an all-female lineup - including Jill Scott, Chaka Khan, and Monica - as a nod to her new album. John Legend, India.Arie, Master P, Mystikaal, Solange, and more will also see page 24
23 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
BBN Show Biz Buzz
from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 23
perform at the festival. It runs from June 30 to July 2 in New Orleans; get tickets ticketmaster.com. www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/chance-therapper-diana-ross-to-headline-essence-festival/arBBzuwYg?ocid=spartanntp
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Noma Dumezweni is Belle of the Ball
oma Dumezweni was the belle of the ball at the 2017 Olivier Awards.The darkhaired beauty - who previously won an Olivier for her role in 'A Raisin in the Sun' - won Best Actress for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'.Noma stunned in a silk gown, which she spread open, that gave off a 'Beauty and the Beast' Belle vibe. https://nz.lifestyle.yahoo. com/entertainment/ celebrity/a/34981297/nomadumezweni-is-belle-of-theball/#page1
of Destiny, an online series of animated shorts that will tell standalone stories starring women from the franchise. their respective roles of Rey and Jyn Erso. Lupita Nyong'o will also return to host the series as her character Maz Kanata. Fans of Forces of Destiny can take home an 11-inch “adventure figure” (the choice not to label them “dolls” was deliberate) made for the show. The line includes Princess Leia from the original Maz Kanata trilogy, Rey from The Force Awakens, Jyn from Rogue One, and Sabine Wren from the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. The toy line will hit shelves on August 1 following the premiere of Forces of Destiny on Disney YouTube in July. http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/the-female-heroes-ofstar-wars-are-getting-their-own-action-figure-line/ar-BBzOkr7?li=A A2qN5v&ocid=spartandhp
Three Film Going Public at Tribeca Film Festival 2017
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Lupita Nyong'o will host Star Wars: Forces of Destiny Series
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rom Leia to Rey, the Star Wars films have introduced viewers to some of the most iconic leading ladies in pop culture. Unfortunately, this isn’t always apparent from the merchandising. Now Disney aims to change that with the release of a new line of toys depicting female heroes from the Star Wars universe, Fast Company reports. The collection ties into the release of Star Wars: Forces
Lupita Nyong'o
he 15th annual Tribeca Film Festival (https:// tribecafilm.com/festival) will feature a few film focused on African American life and culture. Look for them across the many broadcast channels available now. Filmmaker Nick Broomfield plays it straight in his documentary on Whitney Houston 'Whitney: 'Can I Be Me?'. He stays behind the camera and lets the late singer's friends, Whitney Houston family members and record label associates trace how a shy New Jersey girl became the most awarded female vocalist ever. JN
24 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
In 'LA 92', Oscar-winning directors Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin (Undefeated) parallel the stories of the Watts Rebellion and the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict. This new documentary (honoring the 25th anniversary of the 1992 riots) crafts a compelling and timely story about how, so long as there is racial injustice, unrest will inevitably boil to the surface. EGP T h e documentary 'The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson', Marsha P. Johnson g a y - r i g h t s icon and a Greenwich Village fixture, traces not only the life and times of the person many called "the Rosa Parks of the LGBT movement" but reminds us of the key part that the transgender community played in the socio-
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/lists/ tribeca-film-festival-2017-20-movies-wecant-wait-to-see-w472978 Images: Courtesy of 2017 Tribeca Film Festival ED. BBN
Lynn Nottage’s Sweat on Broadway
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ynn Nottage’s drama Sweat, currently on Broadway at Studio 54, is the winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This marks Nottage’s second Pulitzer win; she won in 2009 for her play Ruined. Nottage will receive a
Lynn Nottage
of the Galaxy Role
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he team's adventures continue as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' in theaters beginning May 4th. http://www.imdb.com/title/ tt3896198/
political struggle for recognition. Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs uses a pair of 2016 Bad Boy reunion shows in Brooklyn as a springboard for 'Can't Stop. Won't Stop. The Bad Boy Story,' the slick, Live Nationproduced documentary about his rise from Uptown Records intern to record-label CEO. JN
prize of $10,000. Sweat is based on Nottage's research and interviews with residents of one of the poorest cities in the country, Reading, PA. The play, set in 2000 and 2008, tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets and laughs while working together on the factory floor. When layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a fight to stay afloat. www.broadway.com/buzz/188189/lynnnottages-sweat-wins-2017-pulitzer-prizefor-drama-i-wish-i-had-a-better-vocabularyso-i-could-describe-how-good-this-is/
Zoe Saldana Repeats Guardians
Zoe Saldana as Gamora
25 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
BBN Show Biz Buzz
‘Hidden Figures’ Author to Write Two New Books on Overlooked Black Icons By Claire Fallon,
Author Margot Lee Shetterly, Santiago Felipe via Getty Images
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argot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures (subtitled: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race) thoroughly debunked the idea that white men alone were responsible for winning the space race and, in the process, became a major hit. Both the original 2016 book and its lively film adaptation starring Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae and Octavia Spencer won over audiences ― and those readers and viewers will doubtless be psyched to learn that Shetterly is serving up more hidden history soon.
Viking has announced that the publisher will be bringing out two new books from Shetterly which will examine “the idea of the American Dream and its legacy” by telling the stories of “extraordinary ordinary African-Americans whose contributions to American history have, for one reason or another, been untold, unseen, or overlooked.” Much like Shetterly’s last subjects, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden ― the black women whose computing power helped drive NASA’s dominance in space ― these figures made historic achievements before being set aside by history.
26 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit kicks off in Houston May 17–20, and I want to make sure you don’t miss out. Consider this my personal invitation to attend the most impactful business conference for black entrepreneurs and small business owners. We have recently reduced the registration rate to $495, but with my special code you save an additional $200. Use code ALFRED and pay $295 to attend. Past attendees of the Entrepreneurs Summit have gone on to launch profitable businesses, win funding in pitch competitions, appear on hit TV shows such as Shark Tank, and join the ranks of high net worth earners. Hundreds of your colleagues and future potential business partners have already signed up! Register today to take your business to the next level. Hurry, before space runs out! Here are just a few reasons you won’t want to miss this opportunity: • A Shark Tank open casting call on Saturday, May 20th. • Meet with angel investors to perfect your pitch and get funding • Take three days to focus solely on building and expanding your business • Attack your business blind spots with one-on-one coaching sessions • BE 100s 45th Anniversary Celebration and Awards Gala • Countless opportunities to network, build, and learn from successful entrepreneurs and executives • Connect with your fellow ES attendees in the BE Events App and keep the conversation going post-event • All evening functions included Use the link below to register now. Use code ALFRED. The dates are quickly approaching—don’t miss out! www.cvent.com/events/2017-black-enterprise-entrepreneurs-summit-hosted-by-nationwide/custom-19eabb4769eb34488abcc70c47ad0af0dd.aspx?tw=D8-18-86-E1-C6-11-A1-D7-6C-E9-0B-86-A7-B5-92-46&_ga=1.211332 43.167959527.1465996972 First, Shetterly will tackle Baltimore and the prominent black families that empowered its citizens in the middle of the 20th century, as well as the discriminatory policies and norms, such as redlining, that black Baltimore residents faced. The upcoming book will spotlight Willie Adams, a venture capitalist who invested in numerous blackowned businesses at a time when access to capital was hard for
black Americans to come by. Upon his death in 2011, former Baltimore Mayor Thomas D’Alesandro told the Baltimore Sun, “He brought black entrepreneurs into the formerly allwhite business community.” Adams’ wife, Victorine, was the first black woman on the Baltimore city council. In that same book, Shetterly will also examine the lives of the Murphys, a powerful family
who published the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper for generations. And that’s all just in the first of a two-book deal ― we can’t wait to see what she has in store next. www.huffingtonpost.com/ entry/hidden-figures-authorto-write-two-new-books-onoverlooked-black-icons_ us_58eb895ae4b05413bfe49bcd
27 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
BBN Show Biz Buzz
YouTube TV is Live By Davey Alba
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ouTube TV (https:// tv.youtube.com/welcome) has arrived, and with it the potential to change how television works. Google-owned YouTube’s first foray into true cable-like television takes to the internet equivalent of the airwaves in select cities today (April 6, 2017): 40-plus channels of entertainment, news and sports for $35 per month, the socalled skinny bundle. So far, the service is still a little wonky. But the possibilities are there to inspire a whole new generation of viewers to actually pay for TV, and advertisers seem eager to give it a shot. In particular, YouTube believes it can persuade a whole new audience that otherwise never considered paying for TV at all. “There are a lot of ‘cord-nevers’—millennials who never sign on for cable,” says Kelly Merryman, YouTube’s vicepresident of content partnerships. “They love TV programming. They just don’t love the distribution.” That means TV, on any device, on demand. (Cable companies may offer similar-seeming options, but so far cable still remains tied to the cable box.) YouTube brings built-in cachet as it jumps into the fray—not just in name recognition but as a platform and service used by more than one billion people. Reaching even a fraction of that audience could be a boon to marketers. But YouTube
TV still has some kinks it needs to work out before it qualifies as a fullblown TV substitute.
The Biggest Name YouTube is hardly alone in trying to win at live internet TV. Dish’s Sling TV, Sony PlayStation Vue, and AT&T’s new DirectTV Now are already vying for viewers, and Hulu is expected to come out with its own version of a service later this year. But none of these have really taken off. Analysts estimate that Sling TV, the most popular of the services, has about a million subscribers, meaning YouTube has plenty of room to win market share. And it enjoys a distinct advantage. “There’s already this install base of users who have YouTube on every device and app, and every TV,” says Paul Verna, a senior analyst for research firm eMarketer. The name YouTube alone carries weight as a signifier of people’s viewing habits migrating online. And for networks taking part in YouTube TV’s launch, that could make coming aboard the service seem like a smarter move than saying no. “YouTube brings the brand in online video (to live internet TV),” says Glenn Hower, a
senior digital media analyst with research firm Parks Associates. If any platform is likely to cannibalize (more) viewers, it’s YouTube. To not participate as more and more viewers look to the internet for video could mean dealing yourself into irrelevance. At least, if and when YouTube TV fulfills its seeming potential. The service so far is fun, because television is fun. When you take a closer look, you see some glaring gaps in content compared to regular TV. The experience is not smooth or intuitive in the vein of Netflix, with its single, comprehensive catalog of shows and movies. I gave the service a spin on a YouTube-supplied Pixel smartphone, and overall I thought it was enjoyable, though mildly frustrating. I added some of my favorite shows to YouTube TV’s (unlimited) cloud DVR, and I noticed that tapping into these individually gave me different
28 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
results. I could watch every episode to date from the current seasons of Saturday Night Live and Empire, for instance. But I could only watch five not-all-consecutive episodes of Shark Tank, presumably due to licensing issues. Those same issues also plague YouTube TV’s sports offerings. You can’t watch the NFL on your phone, for instance, because Verizon owns those rights exclusively. But you can stream games on the web or via Chromecast on your TV. Depending on how YouTube worked out its individual deals with local affiliates among the initial markets where it’s available, you may or may not be able to watch your home team. Which brings up another issue: fragmentation. You can get YouTube TV today in New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and Philadelphia with other cities “coming soon,” according to YouTube. But for now, it’s impossible to generalize about how many channels you’ll get for your $35 each month, because local availability varies per market. On top of that, YouTube TV has the networks ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN, among others, on board. But some are still missing. For me, personally, no CNN or HGTV are big minuses. In short, watching YouTube TV does not yet work as complete cable substitute. For people who like to dip into TV passively to find something to watch, the service does not disappoint, from movies to recent TV to original YouTube Red content (which is actually really funny!—especially CollegeHumor’s “Bad Internet”). You’ll probably find something to like on YouTube TV. What’s less clear is whether you’ll like it enough to pay $35 per month on top of all your
other monthly subscriptions.
A New TV Business That said, YouTube TV is way cheaper than your typical $100 cable bill. YouTube has never revealed subscriber numbers for its $10-per-month YouTube Red service, the ad-free version of the platform launched nearly two years ago. That’s likely because it never gained traction. “It’s hard to get people to pay for stuff they’d already been able to get for free,” Verna says. YouTube TV, on the other hand, comes with sports, news, and entertainment they would otherwise have to pay a cable company to access. YouTube has not talked publicly about how it can afford to offer such an attractive price, nor how revenue sharing works between networks and content providers. But it’s easy to imagine how a sprawli n g , hugely profitable company like Google could afford to subsidize the service to get it off the ground as it hatches a longer-term money-making strategy. In the beginning, ads on YouTube TV will be the same as the ones shown on regular TV. But over time, the company says it will look towards innovating on the ad model. It’s plausible Google could take all the personal data it has already gathered on its users across search, Gmail, Maps, and Android, and use it to micro-target ads to suit a particular YouTube TV viewer. “The application of data to traditional broadcast would make a much more sophisticated adver-
tising product,” says Tom Denford, chief strategy officer for the marketing consulting firm ID Comms. But perhaps even more intriguing, YouTube is now acting more like a broadcaster, as opposed to a platform where it can target an audience narrowly. “One of the barriers to building brands through precision marketing is you don’t have shared media moments,” says Denford. “You have peer media moments.” YouTube TV, however, has the potential to create those very massmedia moments—think the Super Bowl or the Oscars—that brands and advertisers love. The key is that YouTube TV, unlike regular YouTube or any other video streaming service, offers TV in real time, the way cable does. No big internet company has yet been able to crack
this barrier, though not for lack of trying. But compared to all the rest, YouTube has the advantage of being primarily a place people come to watch. In other words, YouTube TV has the potential to do both micro-targeting and macro-targeting. Being able to do both could create the kind of virtuous cycle that feeds back into YouTube’s own success. YouTube TV may be wonky now, but that’s not the point. YouTube is playing a longer game, one that’s only just getting started. www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/youtube-tv-goes-live-in-googlesbiggest-swipe-at-comcast-yet/arBBzsajA?ocid=spartanntp
29 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
April is Financial Literacy Month Operation Hope's Project 5117 www.operationhope.org/p5117
operationhope.org/ images/uploads/ Files/AmericanBanker_Innovato ro f TheYe a r-O H . pdf), HOPE has
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he mission of Operation HOPE, Inc. (www.opeationhope.org) is silver rights empowerment, making free enterprise work for everyone. We accomplish this through our work on the ground as the nonprofit private banker for the working poor, the underserved and struggling middle
class. We achieve our mission by being the best-in-class provider of financial literacy empowerment for youth, financial capability for communities, and ultimately, financial dignity for all. Since its inception in 1992 by founder John Hope Bryant (www.
served more than 2.5 million individuals. HOPE has also directed more than $1.8 billion in private capital to America's lowwealth communities, maintains a growing army of 22,000 HOPE Corps volunteers, and currently serves more than 300 U.S. cities, as well as South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.
PROJECT 5117 As supported by a national alliance with the U.S. Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and with the ongoing support of the American Bankers Association and Protective Life, Project 5117’s mission is to strengthen the economy by focusing on empowering those who earn less than $50,000 a year. Led by co-
chairs Dr. Bernice King, Ambassador Andrew Young and John Hope Bryant, Project 5117 is supported by a broad range of services, from homeownership counseling, to credit card debt management, a program that helps those with low credit scores raise their score to 700, and the comprehensive entrepreneurship-training course HOPE Business In A Box Academies (www.operationhope.org/images/uploads/Files/pilotreportv2.pdf).
Project 5117 stands for: • 5 million youth empowered with a new level of financial literacy through unique financial dignity education programs, that have successfully been taught in 3,500 schools across the country. The program ensures basic consumer protection education for a generation, while making smart cool, so they stay in school. • 1 million of these empowered youth will have an opportu-
nity to become future entrepreneurs and local job creators through HOPE Business In A Box Academies, supported by a 100-year partnership with the Gallup Organization. This effort powerfully reconnects education with aspiration in the lives of our
30 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
youth. By the year 2020 there will be 2,000 HOPE Business In A Box Academies across the United States, in both urban and rural communities. • 1,000 first-ever bottom-up empowerment centers, branch banks with HOPE Inside units spread through out America and 5,000 certified locations containing “HOPE Inside Plus”
units. This plan is consistent with the long-term growth strategies of top regional and money-center banks, and appreciates the under-utilized, 100,000 unit branch banking network across America. • 700 Credit Score Communities will be attained through the expansion of HOPE Inside and “HOPE Inside Plus” locations. These communities will have access to credit counseling, educa-
tion on credit and money management, and debt management, offered in an individual or group setting. With the launch of this next phase of Operation HOPE’s work, which operates at the level of national scale, and measurable local impact -- community-by-community and across the country -- we are now injecting into society a pragmatic and tangible plan of action, which everyone can play a meaningful role in. It is our way of answering some of the questions posed by Dr. King in the Poor People’s Campaign, in both word and deed.
31 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Entrepreneurs! Innovators! Tech in uencers! Join 100 global speakers and 1000+ aendees in Haiti at the
Haiti Tech Summit!!
June 6-7, 2017
The Haiti Tech Summit is a cultural tech festival that highlights the importance of startup ecosystems to either create or disrupt industries across all disciplines - from food to commerce to music and more. The central theme of the 2017 global summit is to catalyze startup ecosystems in emerging markets Ticket packages include hotel accommodation, food, and airport pick up. Use discount code "globalhaiti" for 10% o your package. Limited quantity available. For group rates - message the team at info@haititechsummit.com. So what are you waiting for?
Haiti Tech Summit Team www.haititechsummit.com
Business - Marketing
The Making of a ‘Perfect’ Mobile Ad By Chet Dalzell
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hile I was attending LiveRamp’s RampUp 2017 Summit last week, I attended a session on the “Skeptical Consumer,” which included a reference to recent research: “The Rise of Mobile Prodigies: Millennials, Gen Z and the Future of Mobile Marketing” (Verve, 2016 https://vervemobile.cdnist. com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ VERVE_Mobile-Prodigies_FINAL.pdf).
A good part of this session — which included speakers from the Digital Advertising Alliance, Venable, TRUSTe and Gap, as well as Verve — focused on how brands can overcome consumer skepticism over data collection with regard to digital/mobile advertising. (There’s much hope here.) The Verve white paper provided some useful insights on engaging younger cohorts on smartphones (Millennials now have buying power of between $200 and
$600 billion and Gen Z, currently $44 billion, according to the report). There’s a bevy of insights in the research, but I was particularly intrigued with one finding: What Makes a More “Perfect” Mobile Ad, as reported by these MobileFirst (mobile-only) users: Too often, mobile is not driving most marketers’ brand engagement strategies — but not for long. These “Mobile Prodigies” are here and now, and they’re spending up to 90% of their smartphone time in the app environment — perhaps the majority of these apps are financed by advertising. More than 55% of these consumers are using ad-blocking software and 82% delete apps that they perceive to fail to deliver value for the data collected … but oh, what relevance can do! Six in 10 would download more free apps, connect apps to their Facebook accounts,
share location data and even share fitness and sleep data in exchange for a personalized experience. One in three say they reverse opt-out permissions when personalized ads, based on context and behavior, are offered. Verve writes, “If we serve Mobile Prodigies best-in-class mobile experiences, they are willing to share their personal information — their permission comes down to relevance and reward.” Here are the ten elements to examine as better ways to deploy data in service to consumers in quest for the perfect mobile ad. • Can be saved and accessed later (46%) • Delivered by a trusted sourcewith a safety "seal of approval" (45%) • Adds a coupon or offer to the user's mobile wallet (40%) • Customized based on products users want to buy (39%) • Provides information about product availability and store location (34%) • Easily shared (34%) • Ability to shop product directly from ad (33%) • Ad features interactive and engaging elements (24%) • Ad is relevant in terms of proximity and location (23%)
33 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Linda Johnson Rice Retakes Ebony CEO Post By Lynne Marek
Linda Johnson Rice
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inda Johnson Rice is back in charge at Ebony magazine, after the exit last week of the African-American magazine company's CEO, Cheryl McKissack. Johnson Rice had remained chairman emeritus of Ebony Media Holdings after a sale last year of a majority stake to an Austin investment firm. Now she will become CEO of the holding company's Ebony Media Operations entity, which publishes
Ebony and Jet magazines online and in print. McKissack had been named CEO of Ebony Media Operations last June in conjunction with the sale to CVG Group, formerly known as Clear View Group. She departed as Johnson Rice is looking to redirect the media company. McKissack "did a really great job during the transition," Johnson Rice, 58, said in an interview. "We've gotten to the point where we just decided to make a change."
Johnson Rice, whose father founded the magazine company, had been CEO of the Chicagobased magazine outlet until she tapped former White House social secretary Desiree Rogers to lead the magazines as CEO of Johnson Publishing in 2010. Rogers is still CEO of Johnson Publishing's now separate Fashion Fair cosmetics entity, which is still owned by Johnson Rice. McKissack couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
34 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Some of Ebony's covers over the years.
A NEW ERA Like other print media organizations, Ebony and Jet have been struggling to adjust to a new era in which advertising revenue has declined steadily over the past decade. While the magazines have tried to trim costs, by cutting employees and print issues, among other things, drumming up new revenue has been the tougher task. The former weekly Jet ceased print editions in 2014, but Johnson Rice said she is reviving the magazine with print editions four times this year and added a new editor-in-chief, Tracey Ferguson, who is focused on millennial readers. In addition to its website, the magazine has a presence on social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. While the editor-in-chief at Ebony remains Kyra Kyles, there has been significant turnover in the company's magazine staff in recent
years. Ebony, which once was a monthly, will publish its regular issue eight times this year, but it will also have six special theme issues this year, like the "Hail to the Chief" issue published in January that showcased President Barack Obama's two terms in the White House. The special issues will be more expensive at $10.99 an issue, versus $4.99 for the standard Ebony magazine on the newsstand, but it will be less costly for the company without the expense of delivering it to subscribers and will still help boost the brand, Johnson Rice said. "A lot of publications are doing that now," she said. "It's another revenue stream," Johnson Rice is also continuing to work with advertisers who want to sponsor events tied to the magazines' brands. For instance, last month the company joined with Apple to throw a party celebrating
black Hollywood celebrities a few days before the Academy Awards ceremony. There are other new initiatives in the works, but Johnson Rice wasn't prepared to discuss them now. She also declines to say whether the private company is profitable. Back in 2012, it looked like the company might return to profitability, but it's unclear whether that happened. The company tried in 2015 to sell its iconic photo archive of black American history and sold its longtime Michigan Avenue headquarters building in 2010 to tap capital. The magazine operation currently has 38 employees who mainly still work in Chicago, despite the owners being based in Austin, Texas. www.chicagobusiness. com/article/20170309/ NEWS06/170309856/ebony-ceo-postback-to-linda-johnson-rice
35 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Editorial
Decision to Bomb Syria was Dangerous, Deceptive
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ifty-nine Cruise Missiles. When Donald Trump ordered the attack on Syria, he made an impetuous decision, turning his previous commitment to stay out of the Syrian civil war and focus on ISIS on its head. He ordered the attack on a sovereign nation without seeking sanction from the United Nations or the U.S. Congress. For this, he received lavish praise from the media and bipartisan congressional support. He’ll undoubtedly enjoy a boost in the polls. Military force is called “strong power.” Ordering an attack turns the president into the Commander In Chief and gives him an image of decisiveness and power. Yet the unleashing of Cruise Missiles against Syria is both dangerous and deceptive. If Trump has decided to commit to regime change in Syria, it is dangerous. Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is backed by both Russia and Iran, and Assad’s forces are the leading opposition to ISIS, the terrorist gang that Trump is already committed to destroying. If the Cruise Missiles are simply a punitive gesture, a one-off strike to punish Assad for allegedly using chemical
weapons in the Syrian civil war, it is deceptive. The missile attack will have done little but raise false hopes among Assad’s opponents. One day later, Assad’s air force launched attacks from the airbase that was hit,
36 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
against the same town that was allegedly bombed with chemical weapons. Last year, the U.S. dropped 26,171 bombs — in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan. The only thing that the new bombing in Syria does is to get Trump and the U.S. deeper into the Syrian civil war, even as Trump appears to be escalating U.S. activity in Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq. During the campaign for the U.S. presidency, Trump expressed his scorn for regime change and denounced the foreign policy elite for engaging in wars without ever “winning.” Now, he appears to be doubling down on those same wars without any plan for victory. Bombs — strong power — are in fact simply destructive. They build nothing. In Syria, the human catastrophe from the civil war is unspeakable. Roughly half of the 22 million residents of Syria have been driven from their homes, including an estimated 6 million internally displaced and some 5 million refugees whose flight has created an ugly right-wing reaction across Europe. Half a million have died. Another 2 million have been wounded. More bombs aren’t a sign of strength; they are an expression of violent futility. The horrible pictures of babies dying from poisonous gas might have sparked a different response. The U.S. could have gone to the U.N. with proof that the Assad regime had sponsored the attack, calling for a cooperative international effort to rid Syria of those weapons. Trump might have dispatched his emissary to Russia to demand that it join in fulfilling the promise it made to former President Obama to rid Syria of chemical weapons. The outside powers feeding the violence in Syria — the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and Russia — might have convened in an effort to bring the violence to a halt, or at least to agree to stop fueling it with weapons and forces. The children’s deaths might have served to generate a global demand for an end to the violence. Instead, it triggered a quick recourse to bombs to “send a message,” ensuring only that the violence will continue, that more Syrian children will be killed, and that the U.S. will find itself enmeshed even more deeply in yet another war.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The U.S. has been at war in the Middle East continually since 2001. In the name of creating democracy and security, we have created chaos and spread violence. In the name of fighting terrorism, we have generated ever more terrorists and helped create failed states where they can spawn. What will it take for this country to learn the limits of military force, the weakness of “strong power”? Dr. Martin Luther King got it right when he taught us:
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. www.rainbowpush.org
37 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business - Tech Tools
Maxine Waters Rocks L A Press Club For m By Dennis J. Freeman
D
on’t mess with Auntie. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) means a lot of things to a lot of people. For her constituents in the 43rd District, which encompasses a large swath of South Los Angeles, Waters is the pitt bull advocate they need to represent them in the House of Representatives. To her peers over on Capitol Hill, Waters mean something entirely different. She is that no-nonsense hardliner that draws a line in the sand and dares you to cross it. Apparently, President Donald Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devn Nunes (RCA) and others within the Republican Party have made the mistake of crossing ethics, and perhaps, treasonous lines in Waters’ eyes. And she hasn’t been quiet about it. Waters has been front and center in criticizing the actions of Trump, dumping gasoline on the fire known as the Bill O’Reilly sexual harassment scandal and taking the hardball playbook in standing up for issues such as supporting the political football known as Planned Parenthood. Waters has a reputation of pulling no punches which is why Dr. Gloria Zuurveen, owner/founder and publisher of Pace News as well as a Los Angeles Press Club board member, invited her to speak. Waters didn’t hold back in releasing her feelings about collusion allegations between White House staff members and associates and Russia, and the overall corruption atmosphere in Washington, D.C. Dubbed "AConversation with Congresswoman Maxine Waters", the hour-long discussion, which was moderated by NBC’s Beverly White, Waters
didn’t waste time before going into attack mode. Her first line of action was making a beeline in going after Trump. “My constituents…people are outraged at the actions that are being taken by this president,” Waters said. “As a matter of fact, he turned a lot of them off during the campaign, as he did me.” Waters said it was Trump’s actions during the 2016 presidential campaign trail that left her sour about him being a potentially respectable commander-in-chief. “When I saw him mock a disabled journalist (Serge Kovaleski), and basically make fun of him, I was turned off,” said Waters. “When he talked about grabbing women by their private parts, I was turned off. And I was at a place in Missouri, where he literally stalked Hilary Clinton, got in her face, called her crooked. And when she was trying to make her presentation, he just surrounded her.” It is no surprise that Waters see Trump as less than respectable. “This is a dishonorable man,” Waters said. “This is a person who does not respect others. This is a person that does not deserve to be respected. And my constituents ….they want us to do something about him, and when I called for impeachment, even though some of my colleagues said, ‘Shh!
38 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business - Tech Tools
Need a More Private Chat Space? Try Mastodon. monopolizing your communication. Pick a server that you trust — whichever you choose, you can interact with everyone else. Anyone can run their own Mastodon instance and participate in the social network seamlessly.
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Don’t say that. It’s too soon.’ My constituents said, ‘Go get him.’” Trump wasn’t Waters’ only target. She saved a stingy rebuke for O’Reilly, the Fox News host accused by multiple women of sexual harassment. O’Reilly and Fox News recently shelled out $13 million to settle layers of sexual harassment claims (five). When White mentioned that O’Reilly had fled the backslash from his sexual harassment claims by going on vacation, Waters responded in
Due to exceptionally high traffic, registrations on this instance (mastedon.social) are closed until quality of service can be assured for existing users. Choose one of the various other public instances to sign up!
About the mastodon.social instance To learn the details governing the mastodon.social instance visit: https://mastodon.social/about/more
Other instances While the number of instances if growing, you can search for instances that may be of interest to you at: https://github.com/tootsuite/ documentation/blob/master/ Using-Mastodon/List-of-Mastodoninstances.md.
Log in Visit instances for your own information or to be part of a chat group and when your are ready to set up your own super private chat space just log in and sign up at: https://mastodon.social/auth/sign_ in.
only the way she can. “I’m hoping it is a permanent vacation,” Waters said. “This man has gotten away with some of the most outrageous and ridiculous things that he says year in and year out. He doesn’t deserve to be on television. He doesn’t deserve to have a channel.” Waters words proved to be prophetic because O’Reilly’s vacation became permanent as he was fired by Fox News on April 20, just a week after Waters rocked the Los Angeles Press Club.
39 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business - Tech Tools
Facebook Takes on Crowdfunding with "Personal Fundraisers" From: Relaxnews (AFP)
T
he social networking platform is allowing users to raise money in relation to six types of spending: education, medical, pet medical, crisis relief, personal emergency, and funeral and loss. Facebook's personal fundraising feature will launch in the US and as a beta trial program over the next few weeks, the company's VP for Social Good said in a news post on March 30, 2017. "You can share it in a newsfeed and invite friends directly to your fundraiser," a video explained.
"People can donate in a few taps right on Facebook, and can easily share their fundraiser with their own friends." Furthermore, Donate Buttons, introduced in 2016 for over 750,000 non-profits, will also be made available to use during and after live broadcasts. www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/facebooktakes-on-crowdfunding-with-personal-fundraisers/arBBz5MGY?li=AA4Zoy&ocid=spartandhp
40 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Marketing
5 Tips for Creating a Captivating "About Page" for Your Site By Amy Lecza , All Points PR
today? This is the place to share an interesting story that will help you stick out and be remembered. Don’t be afraid to share some personal and/or fun facts, too.
Don’t forget a picture
This speaks for itself, but make sure there’s a good-quality photo he About page can be a Display your unique voice of yourself or your team on the challenging piece of writing for The About page is a wonderful About page. People respond well to many PR pros as it presents opportunity to display the unique images of human beings, and they’ll a mix between a professional bio facets of your personality – or your certainly feel more comfortable if and a compelling pitch. Whether it’s brand’s personality. Let the brand's they have a sense of who you are. for a brand, an individual or even voice shine through your writing, If a potential customer or client yourself, the About page is without and feel free to infuse it with humor wants to hire, refer or recommend a doubt one of the most important and informality. Readers want to you, they’ll need to put a face to components of a website. It’s the connect with you, so provide them the name. Give yourself every first place potential customers will an avenue to feel like they can advantage you have, including a go to get a good sense of you. And, get to know you (or your brand). nice, smiling photo of your face on no pressure here, but you have Avoid corporate jargon, overused the About page. Feel free to add only a few words to video here as well – impress them and About Nubian Skin US but there should be convince them to stick A nude bra and skin tone hosiery are the basics of every a stationary photo around. elsewhere on the woman’s wardrobe, at least in theory. For many women of Here are some tips color, finding suitable skin-tone hosiery and lingerie has not page. for crafting an About been an option. Frustrated by the lack of skin-tone choices to Keep in touch page to be proud of. go with her ever-expanding wardrobe, Nubian Skin founder, Similar to the It’s not about you Ade Hassan, decided it was time for ‘a different kind of nude’. above advice about a Confused? Even Inspired by trail blazing women, Eunice W. Johnson and picture, the following though the page is super model Iman, who created Fashion Fair and Iman seems obvious. Yet likely titled “About cosmetics, Ade took the leap and created Nubian Skin. It’s how often have you Me,” it’s not really been an uphill battle, but every revolution starts somewhere. visited a site and about you – it’s about Nubian Skin launched in October 2015, and is now available wanted to contact your key audience. throughout the United States, online and at select Stockists someone as a result Put yourself in including Nordstrom. and couldn't? So, the shoes of audience So for all you beautiful women, next time you need a nude be sure to provide members – what do pair of hold-ups or maybe a nude strapless bra to go under readers with adequate they want to hear? that stunning white halter dress, Nubian Skin is only a few contact information They’re in the market clicks away. so they can get in for your services, touch with you. This so use this opportunity to pitch buzzwords or tired clichés. How means links or buttons to your them just as you’d pitch a reporter. you talk about yourself – or your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, And speaking of page titles, stick band – is just as important as what LinkedIn and Pinterest pages, an with what works – “About Me,” you’re saying, so make it good. email address and, if the situation “About” or “About Us.” This Tell a good story calls for it, a physical address and/ probably is not the place to get The number one rule? Keep from or phone number. Nothing is worse creative – people need to be able being boring. No one knows better than having to do a deep Google to find this page quickly. Their than you what makes you – or your search to find the contact info of search will be derailed if they don’t brand – unique. Answer questions someone you need to connect with, make the connection between your your audience wants to know only to come up short. quirky title and the information they about – what are your values? What www.prnewsonline.com/5-tips-for-creatingactually need. journey led you to where you are a-captivating-about-page-for-your-site/
T
41 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Federal Reserve Bank Appoints first African-American Regional Bank President By Ana Swanson, The Washington Post
T
he Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta announced Monday that Raphael Bostic will be its 15th president and CEO effective starting June 5, 2017. Bostic, a professor of public policy at the University of Southern California and former assistant secretary for Policy Development and Research at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will be the first African-American president of one of the Federal Reserve’s 12 regional banks. Bostic will replace Dennis Lockhart, who retired Feb. 28. The Federal Reserve has often
b e e n criticized for its lack of diversity. A report released in February of 2016 by the left-leaning advocacy g r o u p Center for Popular Democracy and the Fed Up campaign found that 83% of Fe deral Reserve b o a r d members are white, compared with 63% of the population overall. Men made up nearly three-quarters of all board members. “These key decision-making bodies remain dramatically unbalanced and unrepresentative of the vast majority of people who participate in the economy,” the report says. Critics say the imbalance is particularly notable since the economic conditions the Fed is charged with managing are often much harsher for minorities. The unemployment rate for AfricanAmericans was 8.1% in February, compared with 4.1 % for whites
and 5.6% for Hispanics. Minorities were disproportionately affected by the financial crisis, experiencing higher rates of subprime loans and foreclosures. In testimony to Congress in February, Fed Chair Janet Yellen reiterated that unemployment rates remain much higher for African-Americans and Hispanics. “A strong labor market does improve the situation of vulnerable minorities, although it is as I mentioned disturbing that such large disparities continue to exist,” she said. In a statement Monday, Shawn Sebastian, the co-director of the Fed Up coalition, congratulated Bostic on his appointment. “Not only will Prof. Bostic be the first African-American and first openly gay Federal Reserve president in the history of the institution, but he is an exceptionally well-qualified economist and public servant who has dedicated his career to studying and combating racial, economic, and social inequity,” Sebastian said. Bostic previously worked in the Federal Reserve as an economist in the monetary and financial studies section from 1995 to 2011. The Atlanta Fed is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks. It oversees a district encompassing Alabama, Florida, George and parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/ finance/fed-appoints-first-africanamerican-regional-bank-president/ article_655e67d5-4527-53bd-8baefde3bb02f05b.html
42 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
The Marjani Story "A beauty & cosmetics company for women of color"
color can feel confident that every product was made or each service was created with their specific beauty needs in mind. We begin our curation process with brand partnership identification. By only working with brands around the globe that mirror our passion for enhancing the beauty of women of color, we ensure that each product featured or tip given has our members’ specific needs in mind. We will partner with brands across the globe, focusing on independent brands that produce safe, quality, on trend products. We want to empower women of color to accept and embrace their diversity, redefine traditional standards of beauty and connect women of color across the world creating a global network.
Our Mission
M
To create a retail experience for women of color where beauty and cosmetic products are accessible to all, no matter the shade, hair texture, age, nationality or geographical location. To build a community composed of members with a shared passion and respect for the wide spectrum of beauty of women of color. To partner with brands that highlight the diversity amongst women of color and develop products specific to their needs. To form a global beauty ecosystem for women of color by linking the buying power of local consumers to international brands.
arjani Beauty Company (https://marjani-beautycompany.myshopify.com) is a beauty and cosmetics retailer for women of color with a selection of beauty products curated from across the globe (see page 114). This company was borne from the desire of our founders to create a space and platform where the collective diversity of women of
color is celebrated. There is no one size fits all when it comes to women of color’s hair, skin and cosmetic needs. As women of color, we are constantly breaking the mirrored vanity when it comes to the “ideal standards” of beauty. All the while, mass market brands fail to keep up or even attempt to fulfill our diverse needs. At Marjani Beauty, women of
Our Vision for the Future To be the leading global cosmetics and beauty company with curated products and accessible services for women of color.
43 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Kimberly Smith, CEO/Founder
Business
New Report: Major California Insurers do Almost No Business with Firms Owned by People of Color By Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Director
People of color own nearly half of California businesses but get only 3% of contracts
I
n the most diverse state in America, the 10 largest insurers do shockingly little business with suppliers owned by people of color, according to a new report released March 13, 2017 by The Greenlining Institute. Insurers buy huge amounts of goods and services in California – over $23 billion in 2014 alone – but the largest firms did barely over 3% of their contracting with businesses owned by people of color. “Insurance is a huge economic force in California, one that all of us have to deal with,” said Greenlining Institute Diversity and Inclusion Director Danielle Beavers. “That these companies do just 3% of their contracting with minority-owned businesses – in a state where people of color own nearly half of all businesses – is just pathetic.” For Supplier Diversity Report: California’s Insurance Companies Shirk Contracting with Minorities (http://greenlining. org/issues/2017/supplier-diversityreport-californias-insurance),
Greenlining reviewed reports filed with the state Department of
Insurance for 2014 by the 10 largest insurers, including household names such as State Farm and GEICO. Key findings include: • Under a law known as AB 53, insurers that collect over $100 million in premiums in California must report their spending with businesses owned by minorities, women, disabled veterans and LGBTQ individuals. In 2014, 226 companies filed such reports. • These 226 companies spent a total of $23.44 billion in California, of which minority businesses received $729 million in contracts, just 3.11%. • The 10 largest insurers showed huge variations in their contracting with minority business enterprises, ranging from just $302,326 at Prudential to MetLife’s $38.58 million. State Farm, which bought over $618 million in goods and services in California, purchased less than 2% of that total from minority business enterprises. • Spending with different racial and ethnic groups also showed massive variations. Of the $105 million the top 10 insurers spent with minority business enterprises, just half of 1%
($604,020) went to African American businesses, while nearly 60% ($62.55 million) was spent with Asian American firms. • Current data collection has large gaps. For example, half of the top 10 insurers do not track their total procurement within California, leaving it impossible to know what share of contracts went to minority business enterprises. • Because AB 53 sunsets in 2019, the legislature must act to make this data collection permanent, and to close gaps in the data being collected. Visit The Greenlining Institute, a multiethnic public policy, research and advocacy institute, at www.greenlining. org and follow them at @Greenlining. http://sfbayview.com/2017/03/newreport-major-california-insurers-doalmost-no-business-with-firms-ownedby-people-of-color/
44 APRIL 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Green Technology
Liquid Energy Storage System gets the "MOST" out of the Sun By David Szondy
S
olar power is potentially the greatest single energy source outside of controlled nuclear fusion, but the Sun is literally a fair weather source that relies on daytime and clear skies. To make solar energy a reliable, 24-hour source of energy, a team of scientists at Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg is developing a liquid
energy storage medium that can not only release energy from the Sun on demand, but is also transportable. The Chalmers team has been working on variants of its system, called a MOlecular Solar Thermal (MOST), for over six years, with a conceptual demonstration in 2013. It differs from other attempts to store solar energy in things like heated salts and reversing exothermic reactions in that the MOST system stores the energy directly in the bonds of an organic chemical. In this case, the scientists exposed a hydrocarbon called norbornadiene to light. This alters the chemical
bonds, turning it into quadricyclane. Altering the temperature of the quadricyclane or exposing it to a catalyst reverses the effect and energy in the form of heat is released and carried off by a water jacket. According to the team, the present system converts 1.1% of sunlight directly into chemical bonds, which is 100 times more efficient than the 2013 version that could only manage 0.01%. In addition, the new liquid storage system replaces ruthenium, a rare metal, with carbon-based elements that are much cheaper. Additionally, it can go through over 140 store and release energy cycles without noticeable degradation. "The technique means that we can store the solar energy in chemical bonds and release the energy as heat whenever we need it." says team leader Kasper Moth-Poulsen. "Combining the chemical energy
storage with water heating solar panels enables a conversion of more than 80% of the incoming sunlight." The teams says the system allows solar energy to be stored and transported before being released as heat when and where it's needed. The research was published in Energy & Environmental Science (http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/ articlelanding/2017/ee/c6ee01952h#!divAbstract). http://newatlas.com/most-transportable-solar-energystorage/48596/
45 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Register for Free Webinar on the Education Landscapes in Nigeria and Ghana Tuesday, May 9th from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT Overview Is your school interested in recruiting more students from Sub-Sahara Africa? If you seek to diversify your student body, increase enrollment and want more information about how to connect with students from West Africa, this webinar is for you. Webinar Information Learn from the US Commercial Service and EducationUSA specialists about higher education systems, current market trends and typical student profiles from Nigeria and Ghana. Find out what opportunities are available for U.S higher education institutions, including the upcoming Education Recruitment Tours to Nigeria and Ghana in September 2017. Why Nigeria? This market is the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa, both in terms of the economy and the population. One-fifth of Nigeria’s population is between the ages of 15 and 24, creating significant demand for higher education opportunities. As the demand cannot be met domestically, students are searching for international opportunities. Education fairs will be held in both Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria. Why Ghana? Ghana has experienced a decade of sustained economic growth, and its education expenditure relative to income is double the average for the African continent. These factors, coupled with the fact that English is the primary language of instruction, sets Ghana as the second largest sender of students to the United States. U.S. schools will participate in an education fair in Accra, in addition briefings, meetings, and networking events. For More Information Contact: Daniel Gaines, Senior International Trade Specialist, 703-235-0104, daniel.gaines@trade.gov Marisa Ring, Senior International Trade Specialist, 816-421-4809, marisa.ring@trade.gov
Bobby Hines, International Trade Specialist - Textile/Apparel/Food/Agriculture/Publishing and more DownTown Los Angeles Export Assistance Center U.S. Department of Commerce|International Trade Administration 213-894-4231/C 213-276-3675 /FAX 213-894-8789/Skype for Business Email: bobby.hines@trade.gov
47 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business - Marketing
The Experience Business and TV on the Cloud — Adobe Summit 2017 By Thorin McGee
I
n Las Vegas recently, IBM and Adobe both revealed where the winds are blowing their marketing clouds. The companies held nearly simultaneous summits, and each one offered a new marketing paradigm along with new capabilities that would not have been imaginable a few years ago. In this segment, I’m offering my thoughts on Adobe. Next segment, I’ll talk about IBM.
The Experience Business Adobe announced a transformed version of its cloud. According to Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, transformation is all or nothing. You either commit to it, or you don’t achieve it. And Adobe came to Vegas to commit to the “Experience Business.” What Adobe means is that successful businesses must be committed not to their products, culture or business processes, but to the customer experience. According to Adobe EVP Brad Rencher, consumers have become very demanding. Connecting with them is not about the things companies are selling, but about the experiences they’re delivering. “A great experience doesn’t just save time for your customers,” says Rencher, “it maximizes the time they spend with your brand.” What does an experience business look like to customers? • Will know me and respect me.
• Will speak in one voice. • Will make technology transparent and let’s the consumer drive the terms of our interaction. • Will delight me at every turn because it knows that today’s experience, although it wows me today, will disappoint me tomorrow. According to Rencher, there are four imperatives for the company to be able to deliver those experiences: Focus on context: Not just are
they shopping, but where, when and why are they shopping? What’s the context? Tech can help deliver context at scale, but you must develop your data strategy into a context strategy in order to do that. Design for speed and scale, across your company: Rethink your entire content supply chain so it can deliver exactly the right content for the context of their visit. Real-time response is essential: “Milliseconds make the journey,” said Rencher. It is essential that
48 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
you can respond to your customers in real-time (still at scale) in order to be able to leverage what you know about the context of their visit. Put customers first: Your content and other responses should match what the customer needs regardless of contact channels or your own silos. Systems integration is key to this as channels expand. “From CEO to the newest hire,
too.” Adobe’s offering is designed to give you the tools to do that easier. And in order to better align their tools with those goals, they announced a new organization and several new pieces for their cloud.
Adobe Experience Cloud … Now With TV! “Experience Cloud is where you do the work of the experience business,” said Rencher. And it’s now the name of the entire enterprise side of the Adobe cloud. Underneath Experience Cloud, you have the enterprise Document and Creative clouds, along with Marketing Cloud, Analytics Cloud and the new Advertising Cloud.
Sensei Within the Experience Cloud, marketers not only have access to all of those components, but also to a new AI, machine-learning digital assistant system called Sensei. Sensei is not a single AI entity, but a category of learning, artificial intelligence tools that help marketers spot trends
and anomalies, automate some marketing processes and help with the dirty work of crunching numbers and planning marketing.
Advertising Cloud The new Advertising Cloud is probably the most exciting addition to the Adobe cloud. This tool leverages Adobe’s recent acquisition of TubeMogul’s programmatic advertising software to allow all of your media planning and buying to be integrated into one solution. That includes both digital marketing and in-line television ads, and marks the first time I know of that TV ad buying can sit in your marketing automation platform and be accountable in the way. To power that, Adobe is also launching its own, independent advertising network that you’ll be able to access through the app. www.targetmarketingmag.com/post/theexperience-business-and-tv-on-the-clou d/?ne=4a21b9167bf658408191e7c491 40a9aa#utm_source=today-%40-targetmarketing&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_ campaign=2017-03-29&utm_content=the+ experience+business+and+tv+on+the+clo ud+%E2%80%94+adobe+summit+2017-2
we are all responsible for the experience,” said Rencher, “and fractured technology doesn’t get you there.” Every vendor conference has it’s share of spin, but I don’t think Adobe is off-base on this concept. The best businesses are remembered for the experiences they provide. For example, later in the conference I caught a session where Southwest said “We were always an experience business, we just happen to fly people around 49 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
A
re you a Small Business interested in selling your product or services to Metro or to Prime Contractors that do business with Metro? Would you like to learn how to win contracts as a Prime Contractor through SB Prime, Metro's exciting set-aside initiative? If so, we invite you to come grow with us and learn about Metro Connect. Start now and register for a How to Do Business with Metro Workshop. Metro staff will show you how to take advantage of the vast array of products, services and transportation related opportunities projected over the coming weeks, months and year. As an added bonus, Metro's procurement staff will host informal interviews with firms before the workshop, starting at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 9, 2017 8:30 a.m.: Registration 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: One-on-One with Contract Administrators and Continental Breakfast 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Program
Metro Headquarters 3rd Floor, Board Room, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Topics: Highway Project Update, Procurement Update, Certification Update, Small Business Prime Update, LA SAFE/511 Next Generation Update To learn more about how Metro Connect's Small and Disadvantaged Business Certifications can help open the door to contracting opportunities with Metro visit Metro Vendor Portal. For further questions, please contact Marisela Villar at VillarM@metro.net or via phone at 213.922.2235.
50 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Former NASA Administrator Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., USMC, (ret.) Joins LORD Corporation Board of Directors
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ord Corporation – a global leader in vibration and motion control technologies, sensing systems, adhesives and coatings, announced that Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., USMC, (ret.) has joined its Board of Directors. Bolden most recently served as the 12th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from July 17, 2009 until January 20, 2017. Earlier in his career, Bolden served 34 years in the United States
Marine Corps, retiring in 2003 with the rank of Major General. At NASA, Bolden led a nationwide team to advance the mission and goals of the U.S. space program. During his tenure, Bolden oversaw a safe transition from 30 years of space shuttle missions to a new era of exploration focused on full utilization of the International Space Station and space aeronautics technology development. NASA’s dynamic science activities under Bolden include an unprecedented landing on Mars with the Curiosity Rover, launch of a spacecraft to Jupiter, enhancing the nation’s fleet of Earth-observing satellites, and continued progress toward the 2018 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. In the Marine Corps, Bolden completed flight training and served as a Naval Aviator, flying more than 100 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Later, Bolden was selected as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Office and traveled to space orbit four times aboard the space shuttle, commanding two of the missions and piloting two others. His flights included deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope and the first joint U.S.-Russian
54 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
shuttle mission. After 14 years as an astronaut, Bolden served in multiple Command assignments for the Marine Corps. In 1997, Bolden was assigned as the Deputy Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in the Pacific. During the first half of 1998, he served as Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Forward in support of Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait. He was promoted to his final rank of major general in July 1998 and named Deputy Commander of U.S. forces in Japan. He later served as the Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., from 2000 2002. Bolden retired from the Marine Corps in 2003. His many military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal and the
Distinguished Flying Cross. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2006. Born in Columbia, South Carolina, Bolden holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. “We are honored to welcome former NASA Administrator and retired Major General Charlie Bolden to LORD,” said Ed Auslander, LORD president and CEO. “Throughout his highly accomplished career, Charlie has served as an outstanding role model for integrity, courage and a pioneering spirit. We are humbled that Charlie will bring these same qualities to our board of directors and help us navigate the complexities we face in our global markets.”
About LORD Corporation
LORD Corporation is a diversified technology and manufacturing company developing highly reliable adhesives, coatings, motion management devices, and sensing technologies that significantly reduce risk and improve product performance. For more than 90 years, LORD has worked in collaboration with our customers to provide innovative oil and gas, aerospace, defense, automotive and industrial solutions. With world headquarters in Cary, N.C., LORD has approximately 3,100 employees in 26 countries and operates 19 manufacturing facilities and 10 R&D centers worldwide. LORD actively promotes STEM education and many other community engagement initiatives. For more information, visit http:// www.lord.com. http://www.theroot.com/yourultimate-auntie-rep-maxine-waterstakes-knuck-if-1791590115
Business
New Book Intends to Help Save Paris Accord on Climate Change
Welcome to More.
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ichael Bloomberg has released his new book, "Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet," co-authored by former Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope. The new book offers a specific policy objective: To help save an international agreement, negotiated in Paris, to reduce global carbon emissions. Under the agreement, the U.S. pledged that by 2025 it would reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels, which would be a reduction of about 1.6 billion tons. "Washington won't determine the fate of our ability to meet our Paris commitment," he said in an email to the AP. "And what a tragedy it would be if the failure to understand that led to an unraveling of the agreement. We hope this book will help to correct that wrong impression — and help save the Paris deal." "My goal has been to save and improve lives," he said. "Some ways of doing that can be controversial at first, but end up being highly popular and successful." "As it turns out, Trump's election makes the book's message — that the most important solutions lie outside of Washington — even more important and urgent," Bloomberg said."
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.msn.com/en-us/news/us/bloombergto-world-leaders-ignore-trump-on-climate/arBBAcNc2?ocid=spartanntp
58 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
WE'RE CLOSING! *Half Price Blow Out Sale Liquidating inventory!
Beginning Monday, February 20th until: in stock furniture will be 1/2 off marked price including DESKS, CHAIRS, FILE CABINETS, BOOKCASES, CREDENZAS and other office items.
62 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest - In Memory Of
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Business - Culture
This Woman is Redefining Perceptions of Afros with this Powerful Photoset By Victoria Sanusi
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azhane Leah from northwest London has created a stunning photo set to capture how people feel about the words “black power”. Leah, a student who runs a popular blog (www. dazhaneleah.co.uk), used social media to carry out research for the project. “I asked everyone what the phrase ‘black power’ meant to them,” she told BuzzFeed News. “Based on everyone’s answers I was able to come up with themes for each shoot.” Replies she received included “understanding that our hair is meaningful”, “being unapologetic about our features, culture, and background” and “to love everything about yourself”. Another wrote: “To me, it means to be comfortable in your own beautiful black skin.” The result was the photos she named Afro Bloomin’ – the first segment of her Black Power Series. Leah said: “I see beauty in natural hair and I see beauty in flowers – together I think they go hand in hand and I wanted to express my own passions and opinions as well as [the views of] others through my photos.” The photographer said she was overwhelmed by the positive response to the images. www.buzzfeed.com/victoriasanusi/afros-in-fullbloom?utm_term=.tfO92mn7z#.kxRDOJPbr https://twitter.com/Dazhaneleah/status/709433983193456641/photo/1?ref_ src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. buzzfeed.com%2Fvictoriasanusi%2Fafros-in-fullbloom www.allure.com/story/afro-art-photos
“I see beauty in natural hair and I see beauty in flowers – together I think they go hand in hand,” photographer Dazhane Leah said.
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Model: Crystal Marcelle Dazhane Leah
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From: Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO, NAACP
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ne of the most troubling prospects for 2017 is the nomination of Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions for Attorney General. Senator Sessions stands against everything that you and I fight for: He's spoken out against the Voting Rights Act, and has described the work that the NAACP and ACLU do to protect civil rights as "un-American." We must do all we can to prevent him from rolling back the rights and protections our parents and grandparents worked so hard to gain, and we've worked so hard to preserve. Please make a donation today — even $4 can make a real difference — to help us fight back in 2017. The Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States. And our president-elect has appointed Jeff Sessions, a man who's actively threatened to strip us of our rights throughout his career. Can we trust someone with our rights — and our lives — with a track record like this? • Sessions was denied appointment as a federal judge because of racist comments he made to a colleague. • He opposed and criticized the removal of the Confederate flag from public spaces. • He once joked that he approved of the Ku Klux Klan until he learned its members smoked marijuana. Too many of our brothers and sisters have sacrificed for the rights we have today. We're ready to battle for our rights in 2017 — and we need your support. P l e a s e contribute what you can right now and help us resist: http://action.naacp.org/StopSessions
71 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
www.nubianskin.com/us
Sell Your Products & Services on
Black Business Association is joining forces with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and a number of other businesses and community organizations to help promote safe driving through
It Can Wait.
http://itcanwait.com
Publisher's Message from page 3
of the Black Business Association (BBA) I invite you to a signature star-studded event in recognition of "Black Music Month" on June 20, 2017 honoring "The Godfather of Black Music", Mr. Clarence Avant, with the theme “The Business Behind the Music.” In addition the Honorary Chairman of the event is the legendary Quincy Jones. For more information, contact the BBA via email at mail@bbala.org or call (323) 291-9334. Lastly, especially at this time
of the year, I would be remiss if I did not mention the ongoing need to develop and equip our young people with the tools, resources, training and mentorship to continue to grow more generations of entrepreneurs, as a critical part to economic empowerment for African Americans and the communities they live and work in. Many teenagers and young adults will soon be on summer break and seeking employment opportunities. Please join the Black Business News and the BBA in their efforts to offer young people employment opportunities in entrepreneurial work environments, where exposure
to your business can potentially be a life-changing positive step that leads to more productive lives, beyond the classrooms and into the world of business. Remember Black Buying Power is no myth: we collectively spent or contributed $1.3 trillion to the economy in 2016. Let’s work towards getting more of our young people on track to be the decisionmakers for Fortune 500 and BE 100 companies, and trailblazers leading the way with successful entrepreneurial start-ups, with the goal of sustainable economic empowerment.
75 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
www.bbala.org
F
Happy Easter
OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION
Business Technology:
Take A Look! by LaSandra Stratton
C
heck out what these firms and organizations have to offer for your personal interests, personal wealth building, and business expansion opportunities.
Create Facebook Videos
Facebook offers videos in your News Feed. And what’s really cool is they start to play when you get near them … but without sound. Then simply click on the video to hear the sound. Here are a few tips to help you create your own videos.
1. Create a Video From Pictures So how can you take advantage of video on Facebook? Use a slide show! Creating a video slide show is very simple. Choose “Share a photo or video” when you go to your page. Then choose “ C r e a t e Sl i de sh ow” and have three to 10 photos ready for upload. Just remember one thing: They will be automatically cropped to a video size and proportion. Next, you’ll choose the duration each photo stays on screen and if you want them to fade or cut from picture to picture. You can also rearrange the order of photos, too. The last step: Add music. You can choose from selections
Facebook has or upload your own. (Just remember, you must have rights to any music. No uploading your favorite Stones, Sting or Ed Sheeran songs.) The good news is there’s lots of “rightsfree” music on the Internet. Then all you do is hit “Create Video” and once it’s ready, Facebook emails you. Viola! You now have a video on Facebook. You can use this for products, real estate, entertainment or just about anything where up to 10 photos will get your message across. 2. Add Text to the Beginning of Your Video Wait, it’s a video. Why would I want to add text to it? The simple answer is there’s no sound unless someone clicks on the video. If you want them to get your message right from the start, add text. This could be the difference between zooming past it or actually clicking on it.
powerful tool to feature a video. If you’re introducing a new product, promoting an upcoming event or featuring a new service, the Facebook CTA button on your cover image brings powerful attention to a video hosted on a micro-page or website. www.targetmarketingmag.com/post/5ideas-creative-facebook-videos/?ne=4a2 1b9167bf658408191e7c49140a9aa#utm_ source=today-%40-target-marketing&utm_ medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=201704-13&utm_content=5+ideas+for+creative +facebook+videos-3
Securely Charge Phones and Tablets with Clean Energy
S
olar System is the latest offering from goCharge. Completely powered by the sun and backup battery system - a clean energy system.
3. Use CTAs IN Newsfeed Videos Make sure to add a call to action (CTA) to your Facebook video. Make it easy for the viewer by taking them to a Web page where they can learn more, watch more or even buy. Examples for the CTAs include: Book Now, Learn More, Sign Up, Do wnl oa d, W a t c h More, Shop Now and as the MasterCard video below uses very effectively, Apply Now. Choose your CTA wisely as your selection can help or hurt your engagement and clickthrough rates.
4. Use the Cover Image ‘Watch Video’ CTA Your cover image can become a
The Solar System is an all weather, vandal proof charging solution that can withstand up to 50 mph winds
78 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
and moderate to severe rain. When the sun is shining, the system is completely powered by solar energy. When the sun goes down, the batteries become operational and at full usage, the Solar System will last up to 12 hours* Power Play is a versatile charging solution using a permanent, but easily removable wall mount. It is designed to be used as a branding opportunity with ample advertising space and backlit sponsor sections. Venue owners can employ the unit anywhere, as it only uses one household power plug. Visit goCharge to view the fulline of products and rental or purchase prices.
phone to connect to WiFi. Building on micro-learning apps like Duolingo, WaitSuite aims to leverage moments when a person wouldn’t otherwise be doing anything — a practice that its developers call “wait-learning.” “WaitSuite is embedded directly into your existing tasks, so that you can easily learn without leaving what you were already doing.” WaitSuite’s apps include “WiFiLearner,” which gives users a learning prompt when it detects that their computer is seeking a WiFi connection; “ElevatorLearner,” which automatically detects when a person is near an elevator by sensing Bluetooth iBeacons, and *6 hours standard battery life. Additional then sends users a vocabulary word battery can be purchased/rented for support to translate; and “WaitChatter,” the for up to 12 hours. system’s instant messaging app. https://gochargenetworks.com/ https://news.mit.edu/2017/learnlanguage-while-you-wait-forwifi-0417
WaitSuite - Learn a language while you wait
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here are countless moments throughout the day when we’re waiting for messages, texts, and Snapchats to refresh. To help us make the most of these “micro-moments,” researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a series of apps called “WaitSuite” that test you on vocabulary words during idle moments, like when you’re waiting for an instant message or for your
Mobil Passport
The Mobile Passport app speeds you through U.S. Customs and Border Protection at 1 cruise port and 21 airports (more to be added). This app is officially authorized by U.s. Customs and Border Protection in cooperation with the Airports Council International. This free app is sponsored by Boeing. The app uses a 4-Step process: • Enter your profile information as it appears on your valid, official passport. You can set up profiles for your entire family. Your
information will be encrypted and shared only with CBP. • Answer CBP’s four brief questions about your trip. Then carefully review ALL of your information for the trip. • Once you are at your port of entry (airport or sea port), connect to wireless or wi-fi and submit your data to CBP. Remember: when you submit, you are confirming under penalty of law that your information is correct. Within a few seconds, you will receive a CBP receipt
with an encrypted barcode. Your receipt will be valid for 4 hours. • Follow the Mobile Passport Control signs to the designated Mobile Passport Control line. Show your passport to the CBP officer and scan the barcode on the CBP receipt. And that’s it! https://mobilepassport.us/
Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.
79 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest - Women's History Month
Neglected US Civil Rights Church is Returned to its Glory By ADRIAN SAINZ
This March 25, 2017 photo shows an art exhibit set up in the Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn. With work to stabilize the building complete, the goal now is to fix up the church for meetings, religious ceremonies… © The Associated Press
A
19th century church in Tennessee that fell into disrepair despite the notable role it played in the civil rights movement is now being resurrected. With its tall tower and multicolored stained glass windows, the Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis was the home base for the sanitation workers strike that brought civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Jr. to the city 49 years ago. It was the starting point for the March 28, 1968 march led by King, a rally that turned violent when police and protesters clashed on the iconic Beale Street. After King was assassinated in Memphis a week later, and after the strike ended with the workers securing a pay raise, the church's influence waned.
It fell into disrepair and became an empty landmark overshadowed by the modern FedEx Forum sports arena across the street. Shuttered for years, the Clayborn Temple is returning to glory as one of the most significant buildings associated with the civil rights movement in the South. Work to stabilize the building is complete. Now, the goal is to fix up the church for meetings, religious ceremonies, community events and other gatherings. Fred Davis, a former Memphis City Council member who walked next to King during the 1968 march, said the Clayborn Temple was a symbol of the civil rights activities of the 1960s that is being brought back to life. "It can be a place for recreation, education, and
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communication that can take place for citizens of all hues and convictions in this city," said Davis. For years, the church was among the most visible structures in Memphis. The cornerstone was laid in 1891, and it was dedicated in 1983 by the Second Presbyterian Church. Built in the Romanesque Revival style, it boasted a limestone exterior, hardwood floors, curved pews, a majestic organ, and a 110-foot tower topped with a 120foot spire. The spire and pews are long gone, but the tower, organ and parts of the original floor remain. The church bell sits in an alcove, ready to be re-installed. After 50 years, the Second Presbyterians moved away. The African Methodist Episcopal Church, or AME Church, bought Clayborn Temple for about $100,000. Sanitation workers started striking in February 1968 after two men were killed while working on a garbage truck. Workers wanted to unionize, and fought for higher pay and safer working conditions. City officials declared the strike illegal and arrested scores of strikers and protesters. The Clayborn Temple hosted nightly meetings and was a staging point for marches to City Hall, historians say. King, Davis and hundreds more gathered at the temple before the 1968 Beale Street march. Police broke it up after storefront windows were smashed. A 16-year-old was killed. Marchers retreated to the temple. Police fired tear gas inside and people broke stainedglass to escape. King promised to lead a second, peaceful march in Memphis, but he was killed by a sniper while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4. A M E ' s congregation eventually moved out, and suburbanization and economic stagnation hurt the once-thriving downtown area. The church has been vacant for 25 years, plagued
by water damage and neglect. Last year, a group called Clayborn Reborn announced it was renovating the church. The effort was boosted when the National Park Service announced a $400,000 grant for renovations. The church needs work. Trusses need to be shored up, the floor must be refurbished, beams require strengthening or replacing. Rob Thompson, director of the Clayborn Reborn project, estimates that $10 million must be raised to pay for renovations. The goal is to open the church at the end of 2019 or early 2020, Thompson said. Clayborn Temple was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its local significance in 1979. Clayborn Reborn has applied for inclusion on the register for its national importance. Thompson said he feels that King's assassination may have overshadowed the sanitation workers' strike. Making Clayborn Temple whole again could change that. "My thesis is, had King not been killed here, Memphis would be known for the sanitation strike the way that Selma is known for 'Bloody Sunday' and Montgomery was known for the bus boycott," Thompson said. "Their story really hasn't been made part of our collective consciousness." http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/neglected-us-civil-rightschurch-is-returned-to-its-glory/ar-BBzhGkH?li=AA4ZnC&ocid=sp artandhp
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Community/Public Interest
Pulitzer Prize Winners 2017 By Constance Grady
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n April 10, 2017, the Pulitzer Prize committee released its 101st class of winners. The Pulitzer, which honors America’s strongest journalistic and creative work, is usually chosen from a pool of finalists selected by experts in each category (the Pulitzer jury) and then narrowed down to a single winner by the Pulitzer board. But the board is not bound to the finalist list created by the jury; that’s just a recommendation. The Black Business News congratulates awardees Colin Whitehead, Tyehimba Jess, Hilton Als and Lynn Nottage. http://www.vox.com/culture/2017/4/10/15248268/ pulitzer-prize-winners-2017-full-list Poetry: Olio - Part fact, part fiction, Tyehimba Jess's much anticipated second book weaves sonnet, song, and narrative to examine the lives of mostly unrecorded African American performers directly before and after the Civil War up to World War I. Olio is an effort to understand how they met, resisted, complicated, coopted, and sometimes defeated attempts to minstrelize them. So, while I lead this choir, I still find that I'm being led…I'm a missionary mending my faith in the midst of this flock… I toil in their fields of praise. When folks see these freedmen stand and sing, they hear their God speak in tongues. These nine dark mouths sing shelter; they echo a hymn's haven from slavery's weather. Detroit native Tyehimba Jess' first book of poetry, leadbelly, was
Tyehimba Jess
a winner of the 2004 National Poetry Series. Jess, a Cave Canem and NYU Alumni, has received fellowships from the Whiting Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, and the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center. Jess is also a veteran of the 2000 and 2001 Green Mill Poetry Slam Team. He exhibited his poetry at the 2011 TEDxNashville Conference. Jess is an Associate Professor of English at College of Staten Island. www.amazon.com/Olio-Tyehimba-Jess/ dp/1940696208/ Fiction: The Underground Railroad - Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood— where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned—Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted. In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor—engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora
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and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on
Colin Whitehead a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom. Like the protagonist of Gulliver’s Travels, Cora encounters different worlds at each stage of her journey—hers is an odyssey through time as well as space. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the unique terrors for black people in the pre–Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once a kinetic adventure tale of one woman’s ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shattering, powerful meditation on the history we all share.
interviews with residents of one of the poorest cities in the country, Reading, PA. The play, set in 2000 and 2008, tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets and laughs while working together on the factory floor. When layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a fight to stay afloat. "The people of Reading, Pennsylvania welcomed me with open arms, and they continue to welcome me and to have belief in the resurrection of their city. I hesitate to use the word resilience beca use I feel like I am talking in clichés, but that’s what they have," Nottage said. "I think [this Pulitzer] will change the journey of this play. I am gratified because I want it to have a wider audience, especially since this is tough subject matter without box office stars." www.broadway. com/buzz/188189/ lynn-nottagessweat-wins-2017pulitzer-prizefor-drama-i-wishi-had-a-bettervocabulary-so-icould-describehow-good-this-is/
www.amazon.com/Underground-RailroadNational-Winner-Oprahs/dp/0385542364/ Criticism: New Yorker Magazine - Hilton Als has been a writer/critic for the New Yorker magazine since 1989. Drama: Sweat Lynn Nottage’s drama Sweat, currently on Broadway at Studio 54 marks Nottage’s second Pulitzer win; she won in 2009 for her play Ruined. Nottage will receive a prize of $10,000. Sweat is based on Nottage's research and
Lynn Nottage
85 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest
(L-R) John Hope Bryant, Operation Hope, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., Pamela Clary, MSCAA Board Vice Chairman, and Ambasador Andew Young
Operation HOPE inspires installation of Historical Marker honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Final Flight at Memphis International Airport
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lobal financial dignity and economic empowerment nonprofit Operation HOPE, Inc. has inspired the installation of a historical marker to honor the final flight of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis on April 3, 1968. On April 3, 2017, 49 years to the day that Eastern Flight 381 arrived from Atlanta, the organization, civil rights icons Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. and Ambassador Andrew Young, and local government and community leadership, including Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, participated in the unveiling event of the marker in the Memphis International Airport’s B Ticketing lobby. “I think these details matter,” said Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO, John Hope Bryant. “Life lives in the details.” The marker was unveiled along with Ernest Withers’ photographs of the arrival and many additional never before seen photos in the city over the years. King came to Memphis to advocate on behalf of striking sanitation workers. He was fatally shot the next day while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. The historical marker was funded by First Tennessee Bank and approved by the Tennessee Historical Commission. 86 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest - Obituary
Comedian Charlie Murphy Dead at 57 By Ryan Parker
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urphy, brother of comedian Eddie Murphy, died from leukemia on Wednesday. Eddie Murphy and his family have addressed the loss of their loved one. "Our hearts are heavy with the loss today of our son, brother, father, uncle, and friend Charlie," the
skit show thanks to his amazing stories of interactions with other celebrities during the height of his brother's fame in the 1980s. The most popular short turned into a skit about Rick James. Murphy also appeared in numerous movies, TV shows and
in the audience that was like, 'That s--- wasn't funny' POW! I'm jamming you, man," Murphy once said. "Because the s--- was funny. There was 10,000 people laughing, and you that one joker that wanna try and squeeze a lemon. F--- you. I don't even want you to be there. And I took it as a personal crusade, and they were like, 'You know what, you're a little overzealous with your job.' So, that is how I ended up not doing that anymore." Murphy is also remembered for his amazing tale about the legendary musician, Prince. Made into a skit for Chappelle Show, Murphy said he and friends played basketball against Prince and his entourage one night in the 1980s. Murphy said he was shocked how good Prince was at the game. Afterward, Prince made everyone pancakes. Prince was on record saying the story was true, even the breakfast.
Social Media
Murphy family said in a statement. "Charlie filled our family with love and laughter, and there won't be a day that goes by that his presence will not be missed. Thank you for the outpouring of condolences and prayers. We respectfully ask for privacy during this time of great loss for all of us." Charlie Murphy became a household name through Dave Chappelle's Comedy Central
even lent his voice to some video games. Murphy was on record as saying he was a hothead when he worked as a bodyguard for his brother. He said he loved Eddie so much, and thought he was so funny, that he would pick fights with people who did not laugh at his brother's jokes when he performed. "It was to the point that, if I went to a show and you were the hater
"We just lost one of the funniest most real brothers of all time . Charlie Murphy RIP," Chris Rock wrote on Twitter. Mogul Russell Simmons tweeted: "Just came out of meditation and learned that one of my friends and my biggest comedy idol passed. Damn I loved Charlie Murphy." "Terribly saddened ... Charlie," comedian Paul Mooney wrote. Murphy's final tweet on Tuesday: "One to Sleep On: Release the past to rest as deeply as possible." www.msn.com/en-us/tv/ celebrity/comedian-charliemurphy-dies-at-57/arBBzLJum?OCID=ansmsnnews11
http://www.msn.com/en-us/ tv/celebrity/eddie-murphyand-family-mourn-charliemurphy-our-hearts-are-heavy/arBBzMo0i?fdhead=flex-ar2&ocid=s partandhp&ocid=spartanntp
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Linda Hopkins Dies: Broadway Star of ‘Me And Bessie’ & ‘Black And Blue’ was 92 By Greg Evans
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inda Hopkins, one of Broadway’s great gospel and blues voices, died Monday in Milwaukee. She was 92. Perhaps best known for her popular onewoman show Me and Bessie — a 1970s tribute to blues singer Bessie Smith — and the 1980s revue Black and Blue, Hopkins won a Tony Award in 1972 for her show-stealing performance in the musical Inner City. Described today by Harvey Fierstein as an “irreplaceable American original,” Hopkins’ success in Black and Blue — in which she shared the stage with Ruth Brown and Carrie Smith in the 1989 tribute to Harlem’s Cotton Club — earned her another Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She lost to Brown.
Hopkins was born Melinda Helen Matthews in New Orleans on December 14, 1924. Discovered by Mahalia Jackson, she began her career as a touring gospel vocalist in the mid-193os. She made her Broadway debut in 1970’s Purlie and played a blues singer in Clint Eastwood’s 1982 movie Honkytonk Man. She also appeared 1974’s The Education of Sonny Carson and the 1978 MLK miniseries King and played a gospel singer in a 1979 episode of Roots: The Next Generation. She performed several times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
She continued to play concerts until suffering a stroke 10 years ago. Her death was confirmed by her great-niece to The New York Times. She leaves no other immediate survivors. http://deadline.com/2017/04/lindahopkins-dies-tony-award-me-andbessie-1202068202/
89 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest - Obituary
Joni Sledge Has Died By Adam Sweeting
J
oni Sledge, who has died aged 60 of unknown causes, was one of four siblings who banded together to create the music group Sister Sledge. Formed in Philadelphia in 1971, their career really lifted off after they were put together with the writer-producers Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (the masterminds of Chic). With the sisters, the prolific pair set about creating We Are Family (1979): it became one of their most memorable achievements, and the group’s definitive album. The women had been touring regularly on the US east coast in the early 1970s and, after releasing their first album, Circle of Love, in 1975, had begun to build a following
in Europe too. Yet they had no idea what Rodgers and Edwards had in mind until they arrived at the recording studio that day. As Rodgers recalled in his book Le Freak: “The first time we met Sister Sledge was also the first time they heard the song We Are Family. When they walked into the studio, we were still writing the song as it was blasting over the loudspeakers … Once we had finished, we gave it to them and basically said: ‘Here it is and here’s how it goes!’” Though Joni commented in the Guardian last year that “recording We Are Family was like a one-take party”, Rodgers and Edwards had a specific way of working that did not leave much space for different
ideas from the artists. However nobody could argue with the results. The first single, He’s The Greatest Dancer, was a No 9 pop hit in the US and No 1 on the R&B chart. We Are Family went to No 2 on the pop chart and again topped the R&B listing, with both tracks entering the British Top 10. A third single, Lost in Music, fared poorly on the US charts (though it made the UK Top 20), despite being a haunting, trance-like piece of work. Joni sang the lead vocal on it and, as her sister Debbie commented, “the words are about determination, not giving up, so they kind of fitted where we were at the time”. The We Are Family album went to No 3 on the Billboard Hot
90 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
100 and topped the US soul albums chart. Rodgers remarked: “Pound for pound, I think We Are Family is our best album hands down.” Born in Philadelphia, Joni was the second of four daughters of Edwin, a tap dancer on Broadway, and his wife, Florez (nee Williams), an actor. Joni and her sisters, Debbie, Kim and Kathy, received voice training from their grandmother Viola Williams, a former operatic soprano, and gained early experience singing at the family church, Williams Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal. After forming Sister Sledge, they recorded their first single, Time Will Tell (1971), for the Money Back label and had their first UK Top 20 hit in 1975 with Mama Never Told Me. Also that year, they made Circle of Love, from which the single Love Don’t You Go Through No Changes on Me was a breakthrough hit in Japan, then recorded a second long-player, Together (1977), in Germany. We Are Family elevated their career to a new plane, but they could not sustain its enormous success. The follow-up album, Love Somebody Today (1980), fell far short of its predecessor, though it delivered modest hits with Got to Love Somebody and Reach Your Peak, and helped to sustain the sisters on a three-year campaign of international touring. They switched to producer Narada Michael Walden for All American Girls (1981), and the following year self-produced The Sisters, which brought them a Top 30 pop hit with a version of the old Mary Wells track My Guy. In 1984, they enjoyed a fresh spurt of chart activity with a re-release of Lost in Music, which had been remixed by Rodgers and reached No 4 in the UK, and also had a UK No 11 hit with Thinking of You, belatedly extracted from the We Are Family album. In 1985 they topped
Joni Sledge, right, performing with her sisters in their disco heyday. Photograph: Echoes/Redferns the British chart with Frankie, from their album When the Boys Meet the Girls. In 1996, Joni wrote the song Brother, Brother Stop after witnessing a shooting incident in Los Angeles, and it was recorded for a Sister Sledge greatest hits collection. She also wrote several of the songs on, and produced, their album African Eyes (1997), which was nominated for a bestproduction Grammy. In 2001, Sister Sledge (including Kathy, who had left to pursue a solo career in 1989) recorded an all-star version of We Are Family as a post9/11 benefit disc. Joni and Debbie performed on the Pyramid stage
at Glastonbury festival in 2005, with Kim, now an ordained minister, rejoining them to perform for Pope Francis at the World Meeting of Families festival in Philadelphia in 2015, alongside Andrea Bocelli and Aretha Franklin. Kim said of Joni: “She’s always been able to hear and see more and also know what’s coming, and I think it’s because she’s got that pulse within.” Joni is survived by her son, her sisters, Debbie, Kathy and Kim, and their half-sister, Norma Carol. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/ mar/12/joni-sledge-obituary
91 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest - Obituary
Stax Records Veteran, Marvell Thomas By Adam Sweeting
M
arvell Thomas, a member of Stax's first family died at the age of 75. A respected pianist, producer and arranger, Thomas played on many of the foundational hits for Stax Records. Thomas was the son of entertainment icon Rufus Thomas and was the older brother of Carla and Vaneese Thomas. “Marvell Thomas was one of those rare behind-the-scenes musicians,” said Stax spokesman Tim Sampson. “He contributed so much to the ‘Memphis Sound’ but never quite got the mass recognition he merited, although he always seemed to accept that role. The keyboards, arrangements and production talents he lent to everyone from his sister Carla
Thomas to Isaac Hayes were absolutely essential to the success of Stax Records.” Thomas grew up spending most of his time on Beale Street in Memphis, where his father performed. Even with his early exposure to the entertainment industry, music was not his original plan for life - he wanted to be a doctor. While preparing for medical school, Stax opened its doors and his course of life changed. Thomas's career at Stax continued through a two-year army stint until its bankruptcy in the 1970's. He also did session work at Muscle Shoals and served as music director for Peabo Bryson plus touring with the Temptations. Other contributions to the entertainment industry
included appearances in the films "WattStax" and "Mystery Train", and contributions to the soundtrack "Hustle & Flow". As most performers do, Thomas continued to perform and write up until the final months before his death. http://www.deltabluesmuseum.org/ news-marvell-thomas-rip.asp
Clyde Stubblefield, Funk Drummer Succumbs By Adam Sweeting
C
lyde Stubblefield, the funk drummer for James Brown and one of the most sampled drummers of all time, died of kidney failure, according to The Associated Press. He was 73. Stubblefield died in Madison, Wisconsin, after being hospitalized for several days. He had kidney disease during the past decade. One of the great funk drummers, Stubblefield was the creator of the break in James Brown’s “Funky Drummer” that became one of the most sampled pieces of music in history. The sample can be heard
in “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy, “Let Me Ride,” by Dr. Dre, and “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J. According to Rolling Stone magazine, the break has been sampled more than 1,000 times. “We were sitting up in the studio, getting ready for a session, and I guess when I got set up I just started playing a pattern,” Stubblefield recalled about the creation of the famous drum break. Not listed as a songwriter on the track, he received little in the way of royalties or other compensation for the
popular break beyond the original recording session fees. He began drumming for Brown in 1965. During this period, the
92 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Lonnie Brooks Dies at 83 From the Associated Press
C
hicago blues musician Lonnie Brooks, whose relationship with his adopted home was cemented by his hit recording of Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago," has died at age 83. His son Ronnie Baker Brooks, who toured with his father for years, confirmed the celebrated guitar player died on Saturday night in
Chicago. Born Lee Baker Jr. in Louisiana, he came to Chicago more than 50 years ago and changed his name to Lonnie Brooks. He recorded a number of albums for Chicago-based Alligator Records' "Living Chicago Blues" series including classics such as "Bayou Lightning," ''Hot Shot," and "Lone Star Shootout." He appeared in
Dan Aykroyd's flim "Blues Brothers 2000." He was well known to Blues fans around the world for his intense, unhurried guitar solos and his raspy, but strong voice.
band featured two drummers, and Stubblefield played alongside fellow percussionist John “Jabo” Starks. They can be heard on several of Brown’s influential albums such as “Cold Sweat” (1967), “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud,” (1969) and “Sex Machine” (1970). Together, they formed the foundation of the funk style of drumming.
Born April 18, 1943, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Stubblefield parlayed an early enthusiasm for music into a career. Before joining Brown’s band, he toured with soul music legend Otis Redding. Upon news of his death, musicians took to social media to salute the master of breakbeats.
“The Funky Funkiest Drummer Of All Time. Clyde Stubblefield thank you for everything you taught me. The spirit of the greatest grace note left hand snare drummer will live on thru all of us. #RIP,” wrote the Roots’ Questlove on Instagram.
www.msn.com/en-us/music/ news/chicago-blues-musicianlonnie-brooks-dies-at-83/arBBzeUft?ocid=spartandhp
http://www.legacy.com/ns/clydestubblefield-obituary/184181187
93 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest - Obituary
William Coleman, Civil Rights Attorney Who Broke Racial Barriers, Dies
W
illiam T. Coleman Jr., a civil rights lawyer from Philadelphia who prevailed in several landmark Supreme Court cases, broke a number of racial barriers in his own right and was the second AfricanAmerican to lead a Cabinet-level department, has died. Transportation Secretary during the Ford administration and coauthor of the main brief in Brown v. Board of Education, Coleman was a prominent Republican who advised presidents of both parties. He died Friday at his home from complications related to Alzheimer's disease, his daughter, Lovida Coleman, said. He was 96. Coleman's service in Ford's Cabinet from 1975 to 1977 was a high point in a career that included work on government commissions and partnerships in law firms in Philadelphia and Washington. William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. was born on July 7, 1920, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia to a family of ministers, teachers and social workers. His father ran the Germantown Boys Club. Coleman showed an early interest in both civil rights and the law. As a teenager, he often spent vacation days sitting in on trials and decided early on he wanted to be a lawyer. His first effort to break down a racial barrier occurred at Germantown
High School when he tried to join the all-white swimming team. He was suspended for his activities. "They abolished the team, rather than let me swim," Coleman recalled in a 1982 interview with The New York Times. He earned his bachelor's degree summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1941. Coleman enrolled in Harvard Law School, but Army service during World War II interrupted his studies. After the war he returned to Harvard and was among the first blacks to serve on the Harvard Law Review. After graduation, he clerked for U.S. Appeals Court Judge Herbert Goodrich and Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, becoming the first African-American to clerk at the nation's high court. Following his clerkships, he became an associate at the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison law firm in New York City in 1949. There, he did volunteer work with Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Coleman's best-known civil rights work was on a series of cases that were combined into Brown v. Board of Education, in which the Supreme Court unanimously declared in 1954 that school segregation is unconstitutional.
He returned to Philadelphia in 1952 to join the law firm Dilworth, Paxon, Kalish, Levy and Green and was named partner there in 1956. Coleman specialized in corporate, antitrust and transportation issues, while continuing to work on civil rights cases. He was co-counsel in the 1964 case, Loving v. Virginia, in which the Supreme Court struck down the ban on interracial marriages. In 1966, he represented Pennsylvania in its successful efforts to desegregate Girard College in Philadelphia. President Dwight D. Eisenhower named Coleman to the Commission on Employment Policy in 1959. In 1964, he was named an assistant counsel to the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. That is where he first met then-Rep. Gerald Ford, R-Mich., a member of the panel. Coleman's work so impressed President Lyndon Johnson that he approached the lawyer about becoming a federal appeals court judge, but Coleman declined. In 1973, Coleman also declined an offer by his longtime friend Attorney General Elliot Richardson to be the special prosecutor for Watergate. Richardson, who died in 1999, described Coleman as "a man of very clear practical judgment
94 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
© In this Jan. 18, 1977, file photo, then-Secretary of Transportation William T. Coleman, Jr., speaks ... Image:
in grasping the essentials of the situation with clarity of mind, strength of judgment, tenacity and resourcefulness." Coleman accepted Ford's offer to run the Transportation Department in 1975. A fiscal conservative, Coleman advocated less reliance on federal subsidies for transportation and higher user fees. The Democratic-controlled Congress disagreed with his views and continued to increase federal spending for transportation programs. He returned to the practice of law when Ford left office in 1977 and joined the Washington office
of the Los Angeles firm O'Melveny and Myers, where he remained a partner until the time of his death. He specialized in corporate issues but retained his interest in civil rights matters. In 1982, he accepted the Supreme Court's invitation to appear as a friend-of-the-court to challenge the Reagan administration's position that segregated private schools should be allowed to be tax exempt. Coleman's position prevailed. President Bill Clinton awarded Coleman the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 1995. "I can honestly say, if you are
looking for an example of constancy, consistency, disciplined devotion to the things that make this country a great place, you have no further to look than William T. Coleman Jr.," Clinton said. In 2004 he was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the board of the Military Commission Review. Coleman is survived by his wife, Lovida; sons Hardin and William; his daughter, Lovida, and four grandchildren.. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ william-coleman-civil-rights-attorneywho-broke-racial-barriers-dies/arBBzaF0k?ocid=spartandhp
95 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest - Obituary
Sylvia Moy Dies at 78
By Gail Mitchell, Billboard
S
ylvia Moy, the Motown songwriter who collaborated on such breakthrough Stevie Wonder hits as "My Cherie Amour" and "I Was Made to Love Her," has died. She was 78. Moy died at Beaumont (Oakwood) Hospital in Dearborn, Mich., following complications from pneumonia. Moy's death occurred on the
same day that Wonder received ASCAP's inaugural Key of Life Award. As one of Motown's first female songwriter/producers, Moy was instrumental in shaping the label's pioneering legacy. She, Wonder and fellow songwriter Henry Cosby initially teamed up in 1965 to write Wonder's No. 1 R&B and No. 3 pop single "Uptight (Everything's Alright)." The trio went on to pen the aforementioned Billboard Hot 100 hits "Cherie Amour" and "Made to Love Her" as well as "I'm Wondering" and "ShooBe-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day." Among her additional credits are The Isley Brothers' "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" and Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston's "It Takes Two." Moy, a
six-time Grammy Award nominee, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006 with Cosby. Sony/ATV, publisher of Moy's classic songs that are part of Motown's Jobete catalog, issued a statement to Billboard: "We are extremely sad to hear about the death of Sylvia Moy, whose songwriting played an important part in Motown's history, including its influence on Stevie Wonder's career. Her songwriting versatility is also evident in songs including 'It Takes Two' and 'This Old Heart Of Mine.' She additionally broke down barriers as one of Motown's firstever female producers. Her classic songs will live on forever." www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/steviewonder-collaborator-sylvia-moy-dies-at-78/arBBA1m44?ocid=spartandhp
96 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
Why 2017 Is Africa's Year: Travelogue Podcast By CNT Editors
Countries like Senegal, Ethiopia, and Kenya are fast making Africa a true destination continent. Getty
Listen to the Travelogue Podcast to get a behind the scenes look into the Condé Nast Traveler April issue to see why we're heading back to Africa again and again this year.
A
frica used to be the ultimate exotic adventure, a once-ina-lifetime trip to experience the unfamiliar and eye-opening. But as distances shrink (it takes as long to get to Dakar from New York as it does to get to Paris), art and food scenes emerge, and security concerns in Europe make tourists consider new destinations, Africa has become more accessible to travelers of all types. The focus of our April issue is just how diverse and immersive the continent can be, from Tangier all the way to Cape Town. Last year, we chatted with Traveler editors about how and why you should be planning a trip to Africa. But even since then, there's been new airport and hotel openings, making country-hopping essential (and easy). And this isn't just a safari-fest. You can go to Dakar to surf. Or Addis Ababa for a historical pilgrimage and Italian coffee shops frozen in time. Or Laikipia for more-than-just-the-big-
five, conservation-focused lodges. As Traveler features director Alex Postman said, you may have to work a little harder for moments of travel joy, but when you find them they're something altogether authentic. Conservation, safety, complicated politics, tourism infrastructure, international media portrayals of Africa: We cover it all. Brace yourself, you'll be booking a trip, with the help of a travel specialist if you so choose, before you know it. All that's left is just to figure out where on the continent—that's more than 50 countries—you want to go. Thanks to podcast newcomers Austin Merrill of @EverydayAfrica (make sure to check out their upcoming book) and Cherri Briggs of Explore, Inc. for joining our planning committee, and to Alex Postman, Erin Florio, and Brad Rickman. As always, many thanks to Brett Fuchs for engineering and mixing. Check back every Friday for the latest installment of Travelogue (https://soundcloud. com/condenasttraveler/why-2017-is-
africas-year). To keep up with our
podcast each week, subscribe to Travelogue on the iTunes store and if you have a minute to spare, rate us and leave a review—we love to hear from you. www.cntraveler.com/story/why2017-is-africas-year-traveloguepodcast?mbid=nl_040217_Daily&CNDID= 38890654&spMailingID=10741035&spUs erID=MTQ5NTc0OTAyMDYxS0&spJobID= 1140125109&spReportId=MTE0MDEyNT EwOQS2
98 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
New Pyramid Remains Discovered South of Cairo By AP News Agency
A
top antiquities official said that an Egyptian excavation team has discovered the remains of a new pyramid that dates back to the 13th Dynasty, some 3,700 years ago. The head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector, Mahmoud Afifi, said in a statement on Monday that the remains were located north of King Sneferu's bent pyramid in the Dahshur royal necropolis, about 40km south of Cairo. Due to the bent slope of its sides, the pyramid is believed to have been ancient Egypt's first attempt to build a smooth-sided pyramid. The necropolis was the burial site for courtiers and high-ranking officials.
Adel Okasha, the head of Dahshur necropolis, said that the remains belong to the inner structure of the pyramid, including a corridor. Other remains included blocks showing the interior design of the pyramid. www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/ pyramid-remains-discovered-southcairo-170403102437622.html
99 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Africa Investments & Foreign Policy Forum – Washington DC National Press Club 529 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20045 April 20, 2017, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM WAT
"The Trump Administration and US-Africa Relations" Explore foreign policy priorities for the new US administration as well as situate trade at the front burners of the discourse. Con rmed speakers for this forum include Liberian Vice President Joseph Boakai; Minister of Finance, Trade & Economic Planning, Republic of the Seychelles, Dr. Louis Rene Peter Larose; Former US unde-secretary for Africa, Mr. Herman Cohen; Former US ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Renee Sanders, senior US Administration of cials, top African business leaders, top African diplomats and senior of cials, etc. To register for this event, and take advantage of the unique networking opportunities and policy brie ngs, please contact: African Leadership Magazine +44 74 3880 2727 info@africanleadership.co.uk
MAKING GLOBAL LOCAL (MGL)
developing and middle-income countries.
Making Global Local (www.ustda. About USTDA gov/program/making-global-local) is an The U.S. Trade and Development initiative designed to connect Agency (www.ustda.gov) towns and cities across the helps companies create U.S. country with USTDA's exportjobs through the export of promoting programs. Over U.S. goods and services for the past few years, U.S. priority development projects in companies have increasingly emerging economies. USTDA targeted emerging economies links U.S. businesses to export as export destinations. Given opportunities by funding project its unique role, USTDA is preparation and partnership perfectly positioned to support building activities that develop U.S. businesses interested in sustainable infrastructure and entering or expanding their presence in foster economic growth in partner countries. 101 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
African Stock Exchanges • Bolsa de Valores of Cape Verde - www.bvc.cv (in Portuguese) • Bond Exchange of South Africa - www.bondexchange. co.za • Botswana Stock Exchange www.bse.co.bw • Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres - UEMOA (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) - www.brvm.org • Casablanca Stock Exchange (Morocco) - www.casablancabourse.com/bourseweb/index. aspx • Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (Tanzania) - www. dse.co.tz • Douala Stock Exchange (Cameroon) - www.douala-stockexchange.com/index_us.php • The Egyptian Exchange - www.
• • • • •
• • •
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
102 March 2017 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 103 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
EXIM Bank Launches Alliance Program
T
he Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank) recently announced the launch of its Alliance Program. The program will affiliate key EXIM stakeholders more closely with the Bank and offer them a
menu of training and education opportunities. Eligible groups include national and regional trade associations, industry groups, media groups, and think tanks. “Through the Alliance Program, EXIM Bank will continue to educate and grow our network of key industry stakeholders,” said Charles J. Hall,
acting chairman and president. “We want to ensure U.S. exporters have additional tools and access to U.S. government resources needed to compete globally.” Alliance members can participate in EXIM Bank events, roundtable discussions, webinars, and training sessions. Additionally, members enjoy access to EXIM
104 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
regional directors and are uniquely positioned to benefit from networking opportunities. For more details, see below: • Education and Training: EXIM Bank will provide education and training, leveraging a range of resources such as articles and blogs, EXIM eBooks and Videos, peer-to peer-communication, and
Trade Finance focused webinars. • Export Assistance: EXIM Bank will provide exporter assistance through a number of consultations hosted by EXIM Regional Directors located in regional finance centers throughout the U.S. The external affairs team will coordinate with regional directors to host training sessions in person (or via webinar) and provide counseling on EXIM products and trade finance opportunities. • Marketing and Digital Engagement: EXIM Bank will engage with Alliance members and provide exporter-related information through tailored banner advertisements, branded emails, social media posts, and marketing collateral. Our team will create content which focuses on issues that resonate with an organization’s membership, or highlight an initiative within the organization that has broad appeal. Content can be used in informational and marketing collateral, blogs on the organization’s website, emailed to the organization’s members, or placed in online newsletters. Additionally, EXIM can share the content with customers on our subscription lists and promote them on EXIM Bank social media.
To learn more, please visit www.exim.g ov/ who- we -se rve/ EXIM-Bank-alliance, and join the conversation at #EXIMallPro.
ABOUT EXIM BANK: EXIM is an independent federal agency that supports and maintains U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. The Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms, including working capital guarantees and export credit insurance, to promote the sale of U.S. goods and services abroad. Almost 90% of its transactions directly serve American small businesses. In fiscal year 2016, EXIM approved $5 billion in total authorizations to support an estimated $8 billion in U.S. export sales. Since 2009, EXIM has supported more than 1.4 million American jobs in communities across the country and sent $3.8 billion of surplus to the U.S. Treasury for deficit reduction. Small business exporters can learn about how EXIM products can empower them to increase foreign sales by clicking here. For more information about EXIM, visit www. exim.gov. http://www.exim.gov/who-weserve/EXIM-Bank-alliance
105 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
konya gi.co.t
z
International
One Africa:
J
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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We’re excited to introduce you to our brand-new collection of dazzled lingerie for women of all skin-tones, which is available to purchase now! Initially presented for London Fashion Week, the brands collaborated when founders Ade Hassan and Destiney Bleu (of D.Bleu.Dazzled) realized that both of their brands were being used on the TV show Empire and on Beyoncé’s formation tour due to the variety of skin-tones both brands offered! It was a this point they decided to collaborate, and the Nubian Skin x D.Bleu.Dazzled collection was born. e collection is comprised of a Strapless Convertible Bra, Short and ong and each piece is custom made and carefully crystallized by hand. All pieces are available in Nubian Skin’s signature four skin-tones Berry, Cinnamon, Caramel and Café au Lait in sizes 30B – 40DD & S – XL. e perfect addition to any out t when you want to shine! We hope you enjoy our new collection, because ‘Shine Never Goes Out of Style.’ www.nubianskin.com/global 114 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
The Economic Turn Around in the USA is in Our Hands •Buy Products Made or Assembled in the USA •Hire One New Employee •Eat an Extra Meal Out Each Week •Start/Grow a Business to Generate Wealth & Jobs
Buy Black Save Black Invest Black
Collection Bed, Bath & Beyond http://bsmith.com/shop
http://marvin-sin.squarespace.com
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.
www.shaddpianos.com
Baron's Painting & Decorating Service Baro Wiiams
30 Years of Experienc i Geate Los Angeles Ae Specialiing i Exterio and Interio Painting, Tiling, Linoleu Flooring, & Wa Paper
"I wi pain any on tory building o hous fo $2,500 satisfctio guaranteed."
1-323-490-3774
Cultural Interiors West &
Cordially Invited Cultural Interiors West 5573 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019
Experience our exciting array of products from Cards to Cupcakes, African Masks, Asian Teacups, Healthy Herbal Teas, Gourd Purses, Candles, to Furniture Hope to see you soon!!! In the meantime visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/CulturalInteriors-West/140688362658236
119 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
New Location Leimert Park Village 3347 W. 43rd Street Los Angeles, CA 90008 1-323-299-6383 www.zambezibazaar.com shop@ zambezibazaar.com
120 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
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1-484-459-6625 zimbabwegallery@yahoo.com www.shonasculpture.com @ZimbabweGallery www.facebook.com/Zimbabwe Gallery P P 3500 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30326 G M 2841 Greenbriar Pkwy SW, Atlanta, GA 30331
Downtown Culver City: 9537 Culver Blvd. 310-202-5453 Open Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm www.honeyskettle.com
Buy Black! Bank Black! Educate Black! Invest Black!
Shop for all of the NoMu products at: https://shop.nomu.co.za and www.amazon.com
Bernahu Asfaw & Getahun Asfaw
1041 S. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019 323-938-8827 or 323-938-8806 • Fax: 323-932-6047 messob@gmail.com • www.messob.com
Open 7 days a week • 11am - 11pm
Krispy Kruchy Chicken is in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Los Angeles. Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a cajun-style chicken (bone-in and tenders), served fresh, never frozen and fried in zero trans fat oil. Their menu also includes signature dishes of Traditional Wings; Krispy Wings; Cajun Sweet & Sour Wings; Cajun Tenders; Red Beans and Rice; Jambalaya; Boudin Bites (Cajun rice balls); Krispy Shrimp and Honey Butter Biscuits. For additional information, please call Krispy Kruchy at 1-323-293-3332 or visit www. krispykrunchy.com. 125 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Parker House Sausage (www.
parkerhousesausage.com) was started by Chicago entrepreneur, Judge H. Parker who came to Chicago from Montgomery County, Tennessee with little more than the conviction that there was a potential market for homemade sausage products prepared according to his mother’s recipes. By 1919 Judge Parker began selling his unique blend of herbs and spices mixed with flavorful, savory sausage from a horse drawn cart on a retail basis. Recognized as one of the oldest family owned businesses in the U.S. In 2014 Parker House expanded its product line to include chicken products including breakfast sausage, hot links, and smoked sausage.
SHOP ONLINE! //shop.parkerhousesausage. com
We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence. Need a dinner idea. Go to the Recipe Page on our website. Thanks for visiting!
S
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
www.wosa.us
http://aaavintners.org
http://shallwewine.com
Ma's Best is a bakery specializing in the production of home-style yeast rolls and baked products. www.facebook.com/masbestrolls/#!/masbestrolls/?tab=page_info#!/masbestrolls/info
Try all 3 flavors!
In your local grocery store or shop online for syrups, recipes, and books. Learn about our special projects and join the recipe contest.
MICHELE FOODS, INC. 1-708-331-7316 www.michelefoods.com
133 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
The Plan Workbook Lays out a simplified step by step guide for parents to use, beginning from before their children are born, to plan the steps they will take to prepare African American boys throughout their developmental years all the way to manhood.
135 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Eso Won Books African American Books 4327 Degnan Boulevard Leimert Park, Los Angeles
Give the Gift of Books and Music Come see our unsurpassed collection of books, music, videos, children’s books, and games!
1-323-294-0324
www.esowonbookstore.com //esowon.booksense.com for Calendar of Events
136 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Books to Consider
Books to Consider...
Life's Work: A Moral Argument for Choice
I
by Dr. Willie Parker
n Life’s Work, an outspoken, Christian reproductive justice advocate and abortion provider (one of the few doctors to provide such services to women in Mississippi and Alabama) pulls from his personal and professional journeys as well as the scientific training he received as a doctor to reveal how he came to believe, unequivocally, that helping women in need, without judgment, is precisely the Christian thing to do. Dr. Willie Parker grew up in the Deep South, lived in a Christian household, and converted to an even more fundamentalist form of Christianity as a young man. But upon reading an interpretation of the Good Samaritan in a sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he realized that in order to be a true Christian, he must show compassion for all women regardless of their needs. In 2009, he stopped practicing obstetrics to focus entirely on providing safe abortions for the women who need help the most— often women in poverty and women of color—and in the hot bed of the pro-choice debate: the South. He soon thereafter traded in his private practice and his penthouse apartment in Hawaii for the life of an itinerant abortion provider, focusing most recently on women in the Deep South. In Life’s Work, Dr. Willie Parker tells a deeply personal and thought-provoking narrative that illuminates the complex societal, political, religious, and personal realities of abortion in the United States from the unique perspective of someone who performs them and defends the right to do so every day. He also looks at how a new wave of anti-abortion activism, aimed at making incremental changes in laws and regulations state by state, are slowly chipping away at the rights of women to control their own lives. Dr. Parker
uncovers the growing number of strings attached to the right to choose and makes a powerful Christian case for championing reproductive rights.
Dr. Willie Parker
http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/ Lifes-Work/Dr-Willie-Parker/9781501151125
The Third Reconstruction:
Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
O
ver the summer of 2013, the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II led more than a hundred thousand people at rallies across North Carolina to protest restrictions to voting access and an extreme makeover of state government. These protests—the largest state government–focused civil disobedience campaign in American history—came to be known as Moral Mondays and have since blossomed in states as diverse as Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New York. At a time when divide-and-conquer politics are exacerbating racial strife and economic inequality, Rev. Barber offers an impassioned, historically grounded argument that Moral Mondays are hard evidence of an embryonic Third Reconstruction in America. The first Reconstruction briefly flourished after Emancipation, and the second Reconstruction ushered in meaningful progress in the civil rights era. But both were met by ferocious reactionary measures that severely curtailed, and in many cases rolled back,
138 April 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Books to Consider racial and economic progress. This Third Reconstruction is a profoundly moral awakening of justiceloving people united in a fusion coalition powerful enough to reclaim the possibility of democracy—even in the face of corporatefinanced extremism. In this memoir of Rev. William how Rev. Barber and Barber allies as diverse as progressive Christians, union members, and immigration-rights activists came together to build a coalition, he offers a trenchant analysis of race-based inequality and a hopeful message for a nation grappling with persistent racial and economic injustice. Rev. Barber writes movingly—and pragmatically—about how he laid the groundwork for a state-by-state movement that unites black, white, and brown, rich and poor, employed and unemployed, gay and straight, documented and undocumented, religious and secular. Only such a diverse fusion movement, Rev. Barber argues, can heal our nation’s wounds and produce public policy that is morally defensible, constitutionally consistent, and economically sane. The Third Reconstruction is both a blueprint for movement building and an inspiring call to action from the twenty-first century’s most effective grassroots organizer. www.amazon.com/Third-Reconstruction-MondaysPolitics-Movement/dp/0807083607
Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul
James McBride
K
by James McBride
ill ’Em and Leave is more than a book about James Brown. Brown’s rough-and-tumble life, through McBride’s lens, is an unsettling metaphor for American life: the tension between North and South, black and white, rich and poor. McBride’s travels take him to forgotten corners of Brown’s never-before-revealed history: the country town where Brown’s family and thousands of others were displaced by America’s largest nuclear power bombmaking facility; a South Carolina field where a longforgotten cousin recounts, in the dead of night, a fuller history of Brown’s sharecropping childhood. McBride seeks out the American expatriate in England who co-created the James Brown sound, visits the trusted right-hand manager who worked with Brown for fortyone years, and interviews Brown’s most influential nonmusical creation, his “adopted son,” the Reverend Al Sharpton. He describes the stirring visit of Michael Jackson to the Augusta, Georgia, funeral home where the King of Pop sat up all night with the body of his musical godfather, spends hours talking with Brown’s first wife, and lays bare the Dickensian legal contest over James Brown’s estate, a fight that has consumed careers; prevented any money from reaching the poor schoolchildren in Georgia and South Carolina, as instructed in his will; cost Brown’s estate millions in legal fees; and left James Brown’s body to lie for more than eight years in a gilded coffin in his daughter’s yard in South Carolina. James McBride is one of the most distinctive and electric literary voices in America today, and part of the pleasure of his narrative is coming to understand Brown through McBride’s own insights as a black musician with Southern roots. Kill ’Em and Leave is a song unearthing and celebrating James Brown’s great legacy: the cultural landscape of America today. https://www.amazon.com/ Kill-Em-Leave-SearchingAmerican/dp/0812993500/ ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_en coding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&tag =kinjaroot-20&ascsubtag=98 2d5342e3b52df216a1df6f714 8c04a1c3c7a96&rawdata=% 5Br%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fw ww.theroot.com%2Fbooks-byblack-authors-to-look-forwardto-in-2016-1790854219%5Bt% 7Clink%5Bp%7C1790854219 %5Ba%7C0812993500%5Bau %7C5876237249236879664% 5Bb%7Ctheroot
139 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Jun 201 7
BBA Salute to Black Music Taking place at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Downtown Los Angeles, under the theme "The Business Behind the Music". The awards dinner will highlight the achievements of African American entertainment industry entrepreneurs and those government agencies and corporate entities that provide positive supports for African American businesses. For particiation, sponsorship, advertisement information visit www.bbala.org.
140 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Pan African Film Festival -- www.paff.org United African Organization -- http://uniteafricans.org Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce -- www.zambiausachamber.org
Media/Information
Investment/Development
Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content Agency in Africa -- www.africa-interactive.com
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
Africa is a Country -- www.africasacountry.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 (news) -- 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 How Africa, The Rise of Africa -- http://howafrica.com Publish Africa -- http://wow.gm/publishafrica Rock Me Africa -- //rockmeafrica.com YouTube Educational Channels -- http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know United Nations -- http://webtv.un.org World Library -- www.worldlibrary.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
Culture/Arts Cultural Events/Content -- www.okayafrica.com Hungry Black Man -- https://thehungryblackman.com
Commerce/Entrepreneurship African Success Stories -- www.risingafrica.org #IAMWANDA -- www.facebook.com/IamWANDAorg She Leads Africa -- http://sheleadsafrica.org
Organizations African Leadership Forum -- http://afrialeadership.org African Union -- www.au.int/en Black Business Association -- www.bbala.org CauseCast -- www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonprofits.com 141 March 2017 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819