April 2018 by Black Business News Group

Publisher's Message

t is hard to believe that fifty years have passed since the tragic and untimely assassination of civil rights leader, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968. I, like many, can vividly remember that day and those that followed as a sense of shock and despair swept across the nation. It was so unexpected and jarring, even though the newscasts carried his speech from the night before, in which he seemed to give a foretelling of his own passing. “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life…longevity has its place” and “I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to The Promised Land”. Words never to be forgotten. These fifty years have seen some of the highest highs and Pubisher/Editor-In-Chief lowest lows for African Americans in these United States, in terms of education, civil rights, human rights, and economics. Black-owned businesses have provided an economic base for our community, despite facing many challenges and obstacles that continue to emanate from the unlevel playing field. We have exemplary black entrepreneurs who have risen from the most humble of circumstances, and still others who have accumulated wealth to pass on to their children, creating legacies that will well serve African Americans for generations to come. Yet, with all that has been accomplished over fifty years, we have so far to go with the current sociopolitical climate that keeps most of us off balance, awaiting to see what today’s Twitter will bring. Times like these Dr. Martin should remind us that L. King Jr. staying grounded

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

earhustle411.

in something and com someone greater than ourselves in the earthly realm holds the true power of sustenance. We strive to achieve, to afford stability to our families and communities, and move ahead regardless of the adversary, but we must also keep in mind that worldly possessions do not define value of a human being. What people will say and recall about us after we are gone has everything to do with our character and integrity and commitment, regardless of what we had in our bank accounts. Hopefully, we have all given thought to what we will leave behind when we depart this life, and how we will be regarded through the legacies we leave. Will anyone commemorate our individual passings fifty years hence, like Dr. King or will our lives be just blips on the eternal radar of human existence? Making your mark and leaving a positive impact in whatever field of endeavor – in other words, service – is the rent you pay for the time spent here on Earth. Are you paid up? Are you in arrears? As Dr. King said, we may not get there together, but what would be more honorable than doing your best to contribute to the wealth and self-sufficiency of black people who will follow in your footsteps. I strongly recommend that you give this subject due consideration, join with like-minded people who are working for our common good, and get busy. Tomorrow isn’t promised.  www.bbala.org

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 Phyllis Dixon

ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR Kim Anthony

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Linda Ware

PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bene Uche 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. 

About

The mission of The Black Business News (BBN) 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 (a division of the Black Business Association) 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/blackbusinessnews

2018 Black Business Association Upcoming Events

June

Black Music Month June 19th

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

Government 6 8 9

11 18

Students Lead Huge Rallies for Gun Control Across the U.S. Reps Lieu and Yoho Introduct Bill 10 Strengthen State Department Cyber Defenses Trinidad and Tobago Swears in First Woman President – Paula Mae Weekes 17 States, 7 Ci es Sue To Remove Ci zenship Ques on From 2020 Census NAACP Sues President Trump Over 2020 Census Tennessee Republicans Punish Memphis For Removing Confederate Statues

Entertainment 22

BBN Show Biz Buzz

Editorials/Perspectives 14

26 26 29 30 32 38 40

Winnie Mandela Dead at 81 a er Ba le with Illness in Hospital Remembering Dr. Mar n Luther King, Jr. Commemora ng the Sacriﬁce of Life Mississippi Teens Marching to Memphis to Honor MLK When I Met Dr. King One of 10 Historians on "What People S ll Don't Know About Mar n Luther King Jr." A SNAP SHOT OF MLK’s CIVIL RIGHTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS How Dr. King Lived is Why He Died.

Business 50 50 52

The Facebook Quandary – It’s About More than the Data A Few of Facebook's Fix-Up Ac on Plans

54 58 58 60 62

Four Alterna ves to Facebook Are You Ready to Start a Company? Ask Yourself These 6 Ques ons. The 10 Things You Must Do From Day One so Your Startup Thrives 5 Essen als for Succeeding When You Become Your Own Boss

Community/Public Interest 86 87 88 90

Roc Na on Announces Investment in An Incarcera on Program Lakers Unveil Statue of Elgin Baylor Outside Staples Center Books Allow Kids Facing Adversity to Feel like Superheroes Guidebook Maps the Legacy of Black Women on Chicago's South Side

Obituary/Memorials 92 94 94 95 96 99 100 104

Linda Brown, Central Figure in School Segrega on Case, Dies DuShon Monique Brown Dies: ‘Chicago Fire’ Actress Was 49 Cynthia Griﬃn, Veteran Los Angeles journalist, Dies at age 59 Cecil Taylor, pioneer of free-jazz movement, dead at 89 Yvonne Staples of the Staples Singers Dead at 80 African Stock Exchanges African Leaders Sign Con nental Free-trade Agreement The Only Non-Stop Flight from Chicago to Africa Will Begin in June

Columns 54 110 147 150 151

Take A Look! Shopping Gallery Books to Consider... BBA 2018 Master Planner Resource Vault

5  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

By Michael D. Shear

Naomi Wadler, 11, captivated her audience as she declared "never again!" on behalf of black women and girls who have been the victims of gun violence. ©Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

tanding before vast crowds from Washington to Los Angeles to Parkland, Fla., the speakers — nearly all of them students, some still in elementary school — delivered an anguished and defiant message: They are “done hiding” from gun violence, and will “stop at nothing” to get politicians to finally prevent it. The students, as they seized the nation’s attention on Saturday with raised fists and tear-streaked faces, vowed that their grief about school

shootings and their frustration with adults’ inaction would power a new generation of political activism. “If they continue to ignore us, to only pretend to listen, then we will take action where it counts,” Delaney Tarr, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where a gunman killed 17 people last month, told tens of thousands rallying in Washington. “We will take action every day in every way until they simply cannot ignore us any more.”

For many of the young people, the Washington rally, called March for Our Lives, was their first act of protest and the beginning of a political awakening. But that awakening may be a rude one — lawmakers in Congress have largely disregarded their pleas for action on television and social media in the five weeks since the Parkland shooting. That reality helped drive the Parkland survivors in Washington, as they led a crowd that filled blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and Capitol Hill. Thousands more rallied at about 800 “sibling” marches around the country and abroad, where students, like those in the capital, made eloquent calls for gun control and pledged to exercise their newfound political power in the midterm elections this fall. Aerial video captured seas of people — in front of Trump International Hotel in New York; in a central square in Tokyo; along the streets of Boston; at a rally in downtown Fort Worth, Tex.; and crammed into a park less than a mile from Stoneman Douglas High. Delivered in soaring speeches, emotional chants and hand-painted signs, the protesters’ messages offered angry rebukes to the National Rifle Association and politicians who have left gun laws largely intact for decades. A sign in Washington declared “Graduations, not funerals!” while another in New York said “I should be learning, not protesting.” Crowds in Chicago chanted “Fear has no place in our schools” as they marched.

6  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Celebrities, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, the “Hamilton” star, and the pop singers Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus, performed in Washington, where politicians and adult activists were largely sidelined in favor of the fresh-faced students offering stories of fear and frustration, but also hope for change. The most powerful, and impassioned, moments came from the surviving students of the Parkland shooting, who declared themselves angry, impatient and determined to stop the slaughter. “Today, we march,” Ms. Tarr said. “We fight. We roar. We prepare our signs. We raise them high. We know what we want, we know how to get it and we are not waiting any more.” An 11-year-old girl from Virginia, Naomi Wadler, captivated her audience as she declared “Never again!” on behalf of black women and girls who have been the victims of gun violence. Calls like Naomi’s stood in stark contrast to action on Capitol Hill and at the White House in the hours before the rallies. President Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill that took no significant new steps on gun control: It did nothing to expand background checks, impose additional limits on assault weapons, require a higher age for rifle purchases or curb the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines. The spending legislation, which was viewed as the last opportunity this year for Congress to enact major new gun restrictions before the midterm elections in November, included only some school safety measures and modest improvements to the background check system. Organizers at national gun control groups, who provided logistical support and public relations

advice as the students planned the Washington rally, said they believed that the students would not become disillusioned by the lack of immediate action in Congress. They noted that rallies took place in 390 of the country’s 435 congressional districts. “The mass shooting generation is nearing voting age,” said John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a national group that advocates tougher gun laws. “They know the midterms are six months away, and they plan to make sure that they vote and they get others to register to vote. They are absolutely poised to turn this moment into a movement.” Gun rights organizations largely stayed silent on Saturday, following vigorous eﬀorts since the Parkland shooting to squash any movement toward signiﬁcant gun control legislation. A spokesman for the N.R.A. declined repeated requests for comment. On the eve of the march, Colion Noir, a host on NRATV, an online video channel produced by the gun group, lashed out at the Parkland students, saying that “no one would know your names” if someone with a weapon had stopped the gunman at their school. “These kids ought to be marching against their own hypocritical belief structures,” he said in the video, adding: “The only reason we’ve ever heard of them is because the guns didn’t come soon enough.” Small counterprotests took place in a few cities. In Salt Lake City, several hundred people gathered near a high school, some carrying signs with messages like “AR-15’s EMPOWER the people.” Brandon McKee, who wore a pistol on his belt, brought his daughter, Kendall, 11, who held a sign that said “Criminals love gun control.” “I believe it’s their goal to unarm

America, and that’s why we’re here today,” Mr. McKee said of the Washington marchers. In Boston, about 20 protesters favoring gun control confronted a small clutch of Second Amendment supporters in front of the State House. The two sides quickly got into a shouting match. The pro-gun protests were swamped in size and enthusiasm by those marching for gun control, many of whom traveled for many hours to attend the rallies in cities across the country. Sebastian Jennings, 18, said he spent 36 hours taking a bus to Washington from western Arkansas. Tour buses lined the streets. Security was tight in Washington, where military trucks and guards blocked almost every intersection near the rally amid a huge police presence, and in other cities where marches and rallies forced the closing of major roads. In towns like Dahlonega, Ga., smaller rallies sought to demonstrate

a desire for new gun restrictions even in rural, Republican-leaning communities where gun ownership is common and support for the Second Amendment is strong.  www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ students-lead-huge-rallies-forgun-control-across-the-us/arBBKElsa?ocid=spartandhp

7  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

ongressmen Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) and Ted Yoho (R-FL) announce the introduction of the bipartisan “Hack Your State Department Act”. The bill will strengthen cyber defenses for the State Department by tapping ethical hackers to

Rep. Lieu

Mr. Lieu said: “As one of only four Computer Science majors in Congress, I recognize we have a lot of work to do to ensure the U.S. Government is on the cutting edge of combating cyber threats. We’re a global leader on so many fronts and that should include cybersecurity. I’m proud of this bill because the vulnerability disclosure and bug bounty programs are innovative ways to solve what is one of our government’s most pressing concerns: data security. By capitalizing on the skills of some of the best minds in cybersecurity, as well as the general public, we’ll be able to make sure the State Department is able to safely and securely continue its mission as America’s voice abroad.” Upon introduction of the bill, Mr. Yoho said:

Department enables us to effectively identify our vulnerabilities and use the brightest cybersecurity minds to strengthen our defenses. Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and our cyber defenses must evolve with them.” Support for the Hack Your State Department Bill Katherine Charlet, Director of Carnegie's Technology and International Affairs Program and former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy "Executive agency networks are major targets for malicious actors in cyberspace. By using crowdsourcing policies, these agencies can identify and fix critical vulnerabilities. With this bill, Representatives Lieu and Yoho are promoting a cost effective and valuable way to raise the bar for cybersecurity. " Ari Schwartz, Coordinator of Coalition for Cybersecurity Policy and Law and Former Special Assistant to the President for Cybersecurity at the National Security Council -"A properly resourced vulnerability disclosure program can be a valuable component to any organization's cybersecurity plan. We hope this bill from Reps. Lieu and Yoho will encourage more agencies government-wide to leverage external expertise to enhance security.” 

identify vulnerabilities in State Department’s networks and data systems. Like the “Hack the Department of Homeland Security Act”, which Rep. Lieu introduced in 2017, this program will rely on a bug bounty system where authorized hackers can enter a State Department system, identify and disclose weaknesses and receive compensation. Additionally, it will establish Rep. Yoho a Vulnerability Disclosure Program to field vulnerabilities reported by the general public. The “You are only as strong as your Trump Administration's 2017 weakest link. Vulnerability to cyber(full text of the Bill at: https://lieu. Report to the President on Federal attacks has been and continues to house.gov/sites/lieu.house.gov/ IT Modernization recommended be a serious threat to our national files/LIEU_091_xml.pdf ) that agencies establish vulnerability security. It is vital that we do all we https://lieu.house.gov/sites/lieu. disclosure policies and set up can to find the weak links in our house.gov/fi les/LIEU_091_xml.pdf private bug bounty programs. government systems and fix them Upon introduction of the bill, as fast as possible. Hack the State 8  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government - Presential Election

Trinidad and Tobago Swears in First Woman President – Paula Mae Weekes

hief of Justice Ivor Archie swore Weekes in at a ceremony at Queen’s Park Savannah in Port Spain at 10 a.m. local time, replacing Anthony Carmona. A retired judge from the Appeal Court, Paula Mae Weekes was the only presidential nominee proposed by the government. Weekes graduated from law school and has a remarkable career in both public and private spheres. She was called to the Bar in 1982 and she served the Oﬃce of the Director of Public Prosecutions for 11 years. In 1996 she became a judge at the Criminal Division of Trinidad’s High Court before being promoted to the Court of Appeal in 2005. She was then sworn-in as Justice of Appeal in the Turks and Caicos Islands for three years. She was

also Chancellor of the Anglican Church and was responsible for their finances. Shortly after being elected, Weekes admitted she felt “completely terrified” about the idea of being president. “I can tell you that apart from feeling honored and humbled, I felt completely terrified. And that terror has not yet abated,” Weekes said. In Trinidad, the president is the head of state and is responsible for approving bills before they become law, for “casting an eye on the operations and behavior of the Government,” as well as being the head of the armed forces. Most of the president’s actions in Trinidad and Tobago are implemented in accordance with the advice of the cabinet, the prime minister or the leader of the opposition. Among her constitutional

mandates is to appoint the nation’s senators: 16 according to the prime minister’s advice, six based on the opposition’s advice, and nine at her own discretion. Trinidad and Tobago have a parliamentary system in which the president is elected by an Electoral College, consisting of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Following the Weekes’ inauguration, Trinidad and Tobago became the only republic in Latin America and the Caribbean to have a woman head of state after Chile’s Michelle Bachelet left oﬃce on March 11th.  www.amazonswatchmagazine.com/ others/happenings/trinidad-tobagoswears-ﬁrst-woman-president-paulamae-weekes/

9  April 2018 Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government - Census Bureau Suit

17 States, 7 Cities Sue To Remove Citizenship Question From 2020 Census By Hansi Lo Wang

ew York state is leading a group of 17 states, seven cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in a lawsuit against the Census Bureau and Commerce Department to try to remove a new citizenship question from the 2020 census questionnaire. It comes more than a week after California filed a similar lawsuit in San Francisco federal court against Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees the bureau, and Census Bureau officials. The states joining New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court are Connecticut, Delaware,

Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. The cities are Washington, D.C.; Chicago; New York; Philadelphia; Providence, R.I.; Seattle; and San Francisco, plus the United States Conference of Mayors, a bipartisan group. The census has not asked all U.S. households about citizenship since 1950. The Justice Department requested the question be added back to the questionnaire so it can enforce the Voting Rights Act with a better count of voting-age citizens. But New York and other states are

alleging that adding the question is unconstitutional because it would undermine the government's constitutional responsibility of counting every person living in the U.S. every 10 years. Their complaint also alleges that the addition of a citizenship question violates the Administrative Procedure Act because there are suﬃcient citizenship numbers already to enforce the Voting Rights Act and the change does not meet the Census Bureau's own standards for testing new questions.  www.npr. org/2018/04/03/599159295/17-states7-cities-sue-to-remove-2020-censuscitizenship-question

10  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government - Census Bureau Suit

NAACP Sues President Trump Over 2020 Census By William J. Ford

he NAACP announced that the group has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, the U.S. Census Bureau and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, “to combat the imminent threat that the 2020 Census will substantially undercount African Americans and other people of color in communities throughout the United States,” a press release about the lawsuit said. Prince George’s County, the NAACP’s Prince George’s County branch and two county residents (branch President Bob Ross and Elizabeth Johnson), also joined the suit. Prince George’s County experienced one of the highest undercounts in the nation at 2.3 percent during the 2010 Census, according to the suit. The figures are based on counties with a population of at least 100,000. “Such a dramatic undercount will especially dilute the votes of racial and ethnic minorities, deprive their communities of critical federal funds and undervalue their voices and interests in the political arena,” the suit alleges. During a press conference about the lawsuit at the National Press Club in Northwest D.C., Bradford Berry, general counsel of the NAACP said that this lawsuit is unique, because the plaintiffs seek action before work on the 2020 Census begins. For instance, the suit claims the federal government has decreased resources and manpower for the 2020 Census and “cancelled crucial, pre-Census field tests and

seattlemedium.com is rushing to digitize the Census without adequate cybersecurity protections, thus undermining public confidence in the privacy of Census data” the press release said. The lawsuit also states that the Census Bureau doesn’t have sufficient staffing; the agency’s acting director, Ron Jarmin, was also named as a defendant in the suit. On Capitol Hill last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved $2.8 billion for the bureau, an increase more than double the amount of the Trump administration’s request of $1.1 billion. “Proposing a bill and passing a bill are two different things,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. “Once the final bill passes, we would like to evaluate to see if it’s sufficient. We simply need the political will to make sure we have an accurate count for this [upcoming] Census.” Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III said his jurisdiction has lost about $200 million in federal money, because of Census undercounts.

The Maryland jurisdiction of nearly 900,000 people borders Washington, D.C., with 65% of the population African American. Federal law requires that citizens are counted in a decennial census that not only helps redraw political boundaries, but also for counties and states to receive federal money for improvement of schools, roads and other needs. Critics have argued that a proposed citizenship question in the 2020 Census will deter legal immigrants from responding and decrease the number of people counted in those communities. The Hispanic population in Prince George’s County stands at about 18%. “What’s more frightening about this Census count, more than in the past, is the rhetoric from the Trump administration,” Baker said after the press conference. “With a growing Latino population in the county, this is a direct assault on those folks participating in the Census. If it’s happening here, then it’s happening everywhere.” http://seattlemedium.com/naacp-suespresident-trump-2020-census/

11  April 2018 Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

12  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial But they separated just two years later and divorced in 1996. With or without Nelson, who died in 2013, Winnie built her own role as a tough, glamorous and outspoken black activist with a loyal grassroots following in the segregated townships. “From every situation I have found myself

Winnie Mandela Dead at 81 after Battle with Illness in Hospital By Victoria Craw & wires

outh African anti-apartheid campaigner Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has died aged 81, her family have conﬁrmed. “She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones,” the family said in a statement. The ex-wife of Nelson Mandela was known as “mother of the nation” and had been admitted to hospital in January with a kidney infection. Her family said she “kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the struggle for justice in South Africa one its most recognisable faces.” News of her death comes on the day the US marks 50 years since the assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther

Nelson and Winne in the garden of Archbishop Desmond Tutu's residence in Cape Town. Picture: AFP PHOTO / WALTER DHLADHLASource:AFP

King — who her former husband paid tribute to while accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. The young activist met Nelson Mandela at a bus stop in Soweto when she was 22 in 1957 and the pair married a year later. Their romance lasted 38 years that was largely spent apart, with Nelson imprisoned for 27 years, leaving Winnie to raise two daughters and keep his political dream alive. In 1990 the world watched when Nelson Mandela ﬁnally walked out of prison — hand-in-hand with Winnie.

In P

/ DANIE

Arrested in 1991 while staring a protest calling the release of detainees on hunger strike. Picture: PHOTO / TREVOR SAMSONSource:AFP

14  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Paris in 1990. Picture:

AFP PHOTO

EL JANIN

Earl 'Skip' Cooper, II, Publisher, Black Business News with Winnie Mandela in Beverly Hills, CA in 1986.

for

in, you can read the political heat in the country,” she said in a biography. Winnie was born September 26, 1936, in the village of Mbongweni in what is now Eastern Cape. She completed university, a rarity for black women at the time, and became the ﬁrst qualiﬁed social worker at Johannesburg’s Baragwanath Hospital. It was her political awakening, especially her research work in Alexandra township on infant mortality, which

AFP

see page 16 15  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial from page 15

found 10 deaths in every 1,000 births. “I started to realise the abject poverty under which most people were forced to live, the appalling conditions created by the inequalities of the system,” she said. She wed Mandela in June 1958 but he soon went underground to escape authorities. In October that year, she was arrested for the ﬁrst time at a protest by women against the pass system that restricted movements of black people in white-designated areas. After Nelson was sentenced to life in prison, Winnie was also in and out of jail as the police hounded her in a bid to demoralise him. Government security forces tortured her, tried locking her up, conﬁned her to Johannesburg’s Soweto township, and then banished her to the desolate town of Brandfort, where her house was bombed twice. She was allowed to visit her husband in prison rarely, and they were always divided by a glass screen.

‘NECKLACING’ LINK Throughout the height of apartheid, Winnie remained at the forefront of the struggle, urging students in the nydailynews.com washingtonpost.com

16  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Rev. Jesse L Ja onlineni

ackson Sr. igeria.com

Soweto uprising in 1976 to “ﬁght to the bitter end”. But in the 1980s, the militantmartyr began to be seen as a liability for Mandela and the liberation movement. She had surrounded herself with a band of vigilante bodyguards called the Mandela United Football Club, who earned a terrifying reputation for violence. Winnie was widely linked to “necklacing”, when suspected

traitors were burnt alive by a petrol-soaked car tyre being put over their head and set alight. Her notoriety was reinforced by a speech in 1986 when she declared that “with our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country.” In 1991, Winnie was convicted of kidnapping and assault over the killing of Stompie Moeketsi, a 14-year-old boy. Moeketsi, who was accused being an informer, was murdered by her bodyguards in 1989. Her jail sentence was reduced to a ﬁne, and she denied involvement in any murders when she appeared before Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings. “She was a tremendous stalwart of our struggle, and icon of liberation — something went wrong, horribly, badly wrong,” Tutu said as damning testimony implicated her. She served as a deputy minister in President Mandela’s government. After a 2003 conviction for fraud, she later rehabilitated her political career winning a seat in parliament in 2009 elections. But her bitterness emerged in 2010 newspaper interview, saying: “Mandela let us down. He agreed to a bad deal for the blacks.” Despite it all, she was a regular visitor travelling from Soweto — where she still lived — to Mandela’s bedside in his ﬁnal months, and she said she was present when he died. At her lavish 80th birthday party in Cape Town, Madikizela-Mandela wore a sparkling white dress and beamed with pleasure as she was lauded by guests that included senior politicians from rival parties. “Mama Winnie has lived a rich and eventful life, whose victories and setbacks have traced the progress of the struggle of our people for freedom,” then vice president Cyril Ramaphosa, who is now president. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year, according to her family.

TRIBUTES FLOW Her death has been met with sadness on social media, with many posting tributes to “Mama Winnie”. Leaders and friends alike provided commentary such as Idris Elba, @idriselba Rest in peace Mama Winnie. My heart is heavy right now. You lived a full and important life contributing to the liberation of a nation by force and ACTUAL ACTIVISM. You will never be forgotten. 9:47 AM - Apr 2, 2018 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gUbJrfp3Xo)  www.news.com.au/world/africa/winnie-mandela-dead-at-81-southafrican-media-reports/news-story/22e505f758fb5a600f0a77fbfd6 bc67e 17  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

Tennessee Republicans Punish Memphis For Removing Confederate Statues By Sara Boboltz

e n n e s s e e ’ s Republican-controlled House on Tuesday retaliated against the city of Memphis for removing two Confederate monuments by withholding $250,000 previously earmarked for the city’s 2019 bicentennial celebration. Democrats in the House condemned the move, which came in the form of a last-minute amendment to an appropriations bill and triggered a heated debate. State Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D) said the amendment was the most In 2005, protesters rallied against the name of Memphis’ Nathan Bedford Forrest “vile, racist” measure he Park in front of a statue of the Confederate general. Carlo Allegri via Getty Images had seen, while state Rep. Raumesh Akbari (D) called it in May 2019, each. That evening, the nonprofit anniversary “un-Christian.” Memphis government officials “The amendment and the took down the monuments. Some people in the majority- have been working on a plan that explanation is hateful,” Akbari said black city had been voicing their Strickland calls “Memphis 3.0.” before the vote. But Republicans were not moved, discomfort with the lingering According to the project’s website, and the amendment passed with a reminders of the Confederacy for organizers aim to develop “great strong majority. In a largely party- well over a decade. Tennessee neighborhoods” and “walkable/ Republicans strongly bikeable communities connected line vote, only five Republicans House joined 22 Democrats in opposing opposed removing the statues, by effective transportation options,” however, and have called for an among other goals. the measure. “While we would have appreciated Memphis itself had been legally investigation into the legality of the the additional funding, the blocked from removing the parks’ sale. “The law was very clear, and they ongoing planning for the joint citystatues of Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan got smart lawyers to figure out how county bicentennial will continue Bedford Forrest and Confederate to wiggle around the law,” state unchanged,” Strickland said. A Memphis resident has set up president Jefferson Davis from Rep. Gerald McCormick (R) told a GoFundMe page to help recoup two public parks, according to Nashville Public Radio. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland the $250,000.  The Commercial Appeal. But in December, the city council voted (D) said on Twitter that officials www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tennesseerepublicans-memphis-confederateunanimously to sell the parks to a “followed the state law down to the statues_us_5ad7556de4b0e4d0715c55a9 local nonprofit, for a reported $1,000 letter of it.” Ahead of the city’s 200th 18  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware

Venus Williams Rallies Past Kiki Bertens at Miami Open

hen Venus Williams slammed a forehand winner on the final point to win a seesaw marathon Sunday, she had enough energy left to spin in delight at the net, a triumphant fist leading the way. Some 21 years after her Key Biscayne debut, wins at the Miami Open remain something to celebrate. The match took nearly three hours on the hottest day of the tournament so far, and the 37-year-old Williams

Venus Williams now must recover quickly to next play defending champion Johanna Konta. The stadium was nearly full by the finish. Williams, who lives in South Florida and has long been a favorite with Key Biscayne fans, said they kept her going. "I felt everybody behind me," she told them. "My opponent played well. I had a lot of chances; she had a lot of chances. I hope it was really entertaining for you all." Williams, who is seeded No. 8, won the tournament way back in 1998, 1999 and 2001. Last year she reached the semifinal, and this year she outlasted her

sister, eight-time champion Serena Williams, who was upset in the first round. "I love it here," Venus said. "This was my first big win. I have a lot of great memories. I hope I can get another win this year. You never know.  www.msn.com/en-us/sports/tennis/venus-williamsrallies-past-kiki-bertens-at-miami-open/arBBKGofu?ocid=spartandhp

Byron Allen Acquires The Weather Channel

yron Allen continues to expand his Entertainment Studios media holdings with the purchase of The Weather Channel basic cable TV network. Through his company Allen Media, Allen has acquired the Weather Group, parent company of The Weather Channel TV network and Local Now streaming service, from The Blackstone Group, Bain Capital and Comcast/ NBCUniversal. No dollar figure has been revealed, but according to sources the purchase price was around $300 million. “The Weather Channel is one of the most trusted and extremely important cable Byron Allen networks, with information zimbio.com vitally important to the safety and protection of our lives,” said Allen, Founder, Chairman, & CEO of Entertainment Studios. “We welcome The Weather Channel, Allen, a comedian-turned-entrepreneur, has been growing his Entertainment Studios, which became the largest independent producer of first-run syndicated programming. Entertainment Studios is 100% owned by Allen, who started the company from his dining room table 25 years ago.  www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/byron-allen’s-entertainmentstudios-acquires-the-weather-channel-tv-network-fordollar300-million/ar-BBKyTis?ocid=spartandhp

‘Black Panther Becomes Fourth Biggest Movie at Domestic Box Office

22  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Snoop Dogg's 'Bible of Love' #1 on American Billboard Gospel Chart

ore than a month and a half after its release, Black Panther continues to break box office noop Dogg records. As of has topped Monday, the Marvel the American and Disney movie Billboard gospel has earned $652.5 chart with his 16th million at the domestic studio album Bible box office and more of Love for the first than $1.2 billion time, 25 years since worldwide, both of his number one which are milestones: album, Doggystyle, Black Panther‘s global was released in box office pushes it 1993. past its Disney cousin The 32-track Frozen into the top double album also ten all-time earners. features guest Its domestic numbers recordings from other hdwallpapers.in gospel artists such have now surpassed Jurassic World, as Erica Campbell, which means Black Marvin Sapp, Tye Panther now has the Tribbett and Charlie fourth-highest domestic box office ever — it trails only Wilson. Bible of Love also Avatar, Titanic, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. made it into the Billboard 200 The Ryan Coogler-directed film stars Chadwick chart and reached number 148. Boseman as T’Challa, the king of the fictional African Snoop reflected on his change country Wakanda who doubles as the region’s in musical style when speaking at the Essence Festival superpowered costumed protector. After five straight and he said that he hoped he would bring light with his weeks atop the box office, Black Panther had already new music. ‘With all of the negativity happening in the become the highest-grossing superhero film ever in world right now, I figured it was time to do something the U.S. Now, it’s going toe-to-toe on those all-time positive to bring people together.  rankings with even non-superhero blockbusters. www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5559555/ Black Panther‘s impact on the superhero genre will Snoop-Doggs-Bible-Love-number-one-Americanprobably be felt for some time to come. King T’Challa Billboard-gospel-chart.html#ixzz5BuOt6mqq and the African nation of Wakanda are all over trailers for Avengers: Infinity War, and a proper Black Panther sequel has been confirmed by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, who told EW that Black Panther‘s success demonstrates the power of diverse cinematic representation. isney and its Middle East distribution partner, “As Panther has so loudly declared, [representation] Italia Film, will be releasing the Marvel can only help you, can only help you tell unique stories, superhero blockbuster April 18 in a new AMCcan only help you do things in a new, and unique, and branded movie theater in Riyadh with a gala premiere, fresh, and exciting way,” Feige said. “If you do that, an Italia Film spokesman said. audiences will notice it, and appreciate it, and support The “Black Panther” bow will mark the first screening it.”  of a film release in the kindgom since movie theaters www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/black-panther- were banned in the early 1980s, after Saudi Arabia becomes-fourth-biggest-movie-at-domestic-box-oﬃce/ adopted ultraconservative religious standards in 1979. ar-AAvqngl?ocid=spartanntp

‘Black Panther’ to Break Saudi Arabia’s 35-Year Cinema Ban

see page 24 23  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBN Show Biz Buzz

from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 23

in the country include iPic, Empire,

Wins Pulitzer

Removal of the ban, announced last December, is part of a drive by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to transform Saudi society. “Black Panther” will inaugurate the new Saudi era in a luxurious cinema in a building originally intended to be a symphony concert hall. The facility, in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, has more than 600 leather seats, on orchestra and balcony levels, and marble bathrooms. AMC Entertainment, which is owned by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda, expects to open up to 40 cinemas in Saudi Arabia within five years and up to 100 theaters in Saudi Arabia by the year 2030. With a population of 32 million, 70% of whom are under the age of 30, and a relatively affluent citizenry, some analysts expect that Saudi Arabia could eventually produce $1 billion in revenues and be among the top 10 markets for theatrical revenues. AMC and the Development and Investment Entertainment Company, which issued the license for AMC to operate, have said their goal is to achieve approximately a 50% market share of the Saudi Arabian movie theater industry. Other exhibitors building cinemas

Vue, CJ CGV, Cinépolis, and Dubai-based Vox Cinemas and Cinemacity.  http://variety.com/2018/film/global/blackpanther-to-break-saudi-arabias-35-yearcinema-ban-1202744703/

BlacKkKlansman to Compete at Cannes

he long-running Cannes film festival announced Thursday the first round of films that will compete for its annual awards, including the esteemed Palme d’Or. Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman is in that list. BlacKkKlansman was inspired by the real-life story of Ron Stallworth, a pioneering black police officer from Colorado Springs who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in 1978 — produced by Jordan Peele and starring John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Topher Grace.  www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/ spike-lee-jean-luc-godard-ﬁlms-join2018-cannes-ﬁlm-festival-competitionlineup/ar-AAvNY57?ocid=spartandhp

Kendrick Lamar

endrick Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for music Monday, making history as the first non-classical or jazz artist to win the prestigious prize. The revered rapper is also the most commercially successful musician to receive the award, usually reserved for critically acclaimed classical acts who don’t live on the pop charts. The 30-year-old won the prize for “DAMN.,” his raw and powerful Grammy-winning album. The Pulitzer board said Monday the album is “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern AfricanAmerican life.” He will win $15,000. Lamar has been lauded for his deep lyrical content, politically charged live performances, and his profound mix of hip-hop, spoken word, jazz, soul, funk, poetry and African sounds. Since emerging on the music scene with the 2011 album “Section.80,” he has achieved the perfect mix of commercial appeal and critical respect.

Kendrack Lamar justjared.com The Pulitzer board has awarded special honors to Bob Dylan, Duke

24  April 2018 Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

see page 25

The Obama Presidency

he Black Business News Group has published our three-part commemorative coverage of "The Obama Presidency." These publications are available for review and study in the Black Business News digital publication library - www.issuu.com/blackbusinessnews - along with all of the Black Business News Group family of publications - Black Business News, Black Business News International and Black Business News Travel Africa. These special commemorative issues include text and images that reflect public commentary, legislative issues, international relations, ground braking policies, campaigns, White House staffing and family profiles to chronicle the most historic presidency of our times. 

https://issuu.com/blackbusinessnews/ docs/bba_news_jan__09

https://issuu.com/blackbusinessnews/ docs/13-jan

https://issuu.com/blackbusinessnews/ docs/18-jan_obama

Ellington, George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Hank Williams, but a popular figure like Lamar has never won the prize for music. In 1997, Wynton Marsalis became the first jazz act to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. That makes Lamar’s win that much more important: His platinumselling major-label albums — “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” ″To Pimp a Butterfly” and “DAMN.” — became works of art, with Lamar writing songs about blackness, street life, police brutality, perseverance, survival and self-worth. His piercing and sharp raps helped him become the voice of the generation, and easily ascend as the leader in hiphop and cross over to audiences outside of rap, from rock to pop to jazz. He’s also been a dominator on the charts, having achieved two

dozen Top 40 hits, including a No. 1 success with “Humble,” and he has even collaborated with the likes of, Rihanna and Beyoncé. His music, with songs like “Alright” and “The Blacker the Berry,” have become anthems in the wake of high-profile police shootings of minorities as the conversation about race relations dominates news headlines. He brought of dose of seriousness to the 2015 BET Awards, rapping on top of a police car with a large American flag waving behind him.. Lamar’s musical success helped him win 12 Grammy Awards, though all three of his majorlabel albums have lost in the top category — album of the year. Each loss has been criticized by the music community, launching the conversation about how the

Recording Academy might be out of touch. “DAMN.” lost album of the year to Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” in January. The rapper, born in Compton, California, was hand-picked by “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler to curate an album to accompany the ubiquitously successful film, giving Lamar yet again another No. 1 effort and highly praised project. “DAMN.,” released on April 14, 2017, won five Grammys, including best rap album, and the album topped several year-end lists by critics, including NPR, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, BBC News, Complex and Vulture.  https://apnews.com/ ac835b25865f4199a1126176179ece9f

25  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Special Focus - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorating the Sacrifice of Life

Pastor William D. Smart, Jr.

want to take this time to thank the Black Business Association and President Earl “Skip “ Cooper II for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr focus. Today as we commemorate the 50th year of the Sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are called to understand what true sacrifice is. It is finding a cause that you fight and believe in so much that you are willing to die for it. Dr. King found that purpose and was willing to die for it, that is why we use sacrifice and not assassination. Nobody took his life, he gave his life. We are challenged today to make the world better by finding our positive purposes that will bring betterment, transformation, love, and service to humankind. While we live in a different world from 50 years ago, many of the same problems still plague us. Militarism, poverty, racism, and violence at all levels. However we are now called to be those agents of change. We must utilize the indomitable spirit within all of us to be the transformers of our world. One area that Dr. King was concerned about was Black Business Development. He realized how helpful the Black Business Community was during

v a r i o u s boycotts. A strong business community b r o u g h t important resources to the movement. People being able to buy Black helped usher in pride, self worth and continual economic strength. During a time when the wealth gap between whites and blacks is so vast, White Pastor William D. Smart Jr., Co-Pastor Christ Liberation wealth is at Ministries; President/CEO Southern Christian Leadership $ 1 1 0 , 0 0 . 0 0 Conference-Southern California while the average African American wealth is ugly vile head of white racism. a dismal $10,000.00, We need more On the anniversary of the Sacrifice black wealth and it has to come of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, his from Black Business development. local organization, the Southern We need to support and then fight Christian Leadership Conference for our businesses. of Southern California wants to We need to have the foresight to partner with you, in his spirit to build a move into untapped industries and strong African American Community create new commercial enterprises through Our businesses. that will supply the world. This can Today is our beginning-we must only happen if we are educated to make the right moves, develop "Buy Black Baby." the right strategy, and serve the Our true freedom comes when we community. This is our call to have the resources to go, buy, and action. Yes we will persevere. April live wherever we please without the 4, 2018. 

26  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Rev. James Lawson: Sharing MLK’s Dream Rev. Jim Lawson was a friend and fellow “warrior of peace” with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. He played a prominent role in the civil rights movement. He became aware of King while serving as a missionary in India and reading about the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala. When he met King in 1957 on the campus of Oberlin (Ohio) College, both men recognized a common commitment to nonviolence as a way to change U.S. society. In 1959, Lawson began leading workshops on nonviolence, which led to the successful campaign to desegregate lunch counters in downtown Nashville, Tenn.

saw Martin Luther King as the Moses of the last half of the 20th century. It is said that Martin King embodied love. He is the word of love made ﬂesh, and I think that that’s very true. Martin, you were a greater instrument of the purpose of God and the word of God for my life personally and for our world. I marveled then at the way in which you were able to frame the questions of faith and justice and nonviolence and love and truth. It is too bad that many people relegate you to civil rights and not to theologian, pastor, a profoundly called man who found his life turned upside down by God’s call. I saw him twice on April the 4th, the day he was assassinated. What was left unsaid on that day, perhaps, might have been how much I appreciated his life and his leadership and to the extent to which I understood that to be indeed a carrying of the Cross that very few people recognized or understood. One of the heritages of the 50s and 60s and 70s is that we have more Americans today who are, really, very much aware that our society is not the best that it can

United Methodist pastor Victor CyrusFranklin was first introduced to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at a young age. His family made an effort to celebrate and remember the civil rights champion's life every year. He identified with Dr. King as a leader and a preacher. Victor CyrusFranklin identifed with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as a preacher and Rev. James Lawson poughkeepsiejournal.com went on to pursue be, that the schizophrenia between a Master of Divinity degree at our claim to be democratic and then Gammon Theological Seminary in some of the issues, like sexism and Atlanta. He currently serves as an racism, economic exploitation and assistant pastor at Holman United opportunity, that that split still goes Methodist Church in Los Angeles. on. Love and truth and compassion e look back 50 years ago still are the only ways by which we and say, “Of course there human beings can create the kind should be voting rights for of nation or world that we deeply all. I don’t know why we needed hunger for.  to march about that to begin with. Of course there should be jobs Pastor Victor Cyrus- available. Of course women should vote." So we look back and wonder Franklin: Sharing why there was a need for it. But MLK’s Dream just as there were forces then that felt threatened by them, there are forces here today. We can learn from what happened then to help us learn what we need to do now. There’s still a movement for those who’ve been pushed to the margins to claim their voice and create the power to change the world for the better. Even though Dr. King was a Ph.D., a Nobel Prize winner, he still very much identified with those who many of us in society reject. He was very

Victor Cyrus-Franklin

vebidoo.com

27  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

see page 28

Special Focus - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from page 27

clear that’s who Jesus was. In order to be a follower of Jesus, you have to not just work for but stand with those folks in Nazareth. Information is more accessible than it ever has been, yet we still know less and less about him. I don’t think we know who King is. I think we rely on one to two speeches and then even very short blurbs or soundbytes or phrases from those. There are so many published volumes of not only his speeches and lectures, but even works that he’s written himself, and they’re available online. I even think Dr. King Rev. Joseph Lowery received the Congressional Medal of Freedom from would be concerned about the President Barack H. Obama zimbio.com ways that we lift his name up and neglect to affirm the others who struggled and sacrificed for the George Wallace in 1965. Wallace question whether he has anything freedoms that we’re still preserving had ordered troopers to beat the really to live for. and fighting for today. As we marchers in what came to be You really don’t understand celebrate Dr. King, we remember called Bloody Sunday. In 1995, as nonviolence as a lifestyle until you and celebrate all of them because Lowery led the 30th anniversary get in the midst of a crisis. But as that helps us to see how today reenactment of that day, Wallace we moved through the struggle, it there’s not one charismatic leader apologized to him. became a way of life. And love, which who can get us to the promised land, but we together, working He was perhaps the most we think perhaps subconsciously together, we can get there.  spiritually empowered person in was there all the time as we were terms of the struggle for human followers of Jesus Christ, well, that justice and human rights that I ever love came out. And love translates The Rev. Joseph met. I consider myself having been itself into nonviolence. We were Lowery: Sharing blessed to have known him so well careful that we did not hate because and for so long, and yet I wish it we never hated white people. We MLK’s Dream could have been longer. He used hated the deeds and the policies The Rev. Joseph Lowery was a to say to me, “Joe, I’ll never live to and the practices that characterized pastor at Warren Street United be 40.” I was all, “Come on, man, life in those days and, to some Methodist Church in Mobile, Ala., you gon’ live to be old, like Ol’ Rip extent, today as well. We wanted to when he met the Rev. Martin Van Winkle. You gon’ be old, this redeem people. Luther King Jr. in the mid-1950s. I thank him for the inspiration that long beard, dragging the ground.” And in 1957, he co-founded the But he was right. He died at 39. The he provided for me, not only in his Southern Christian Leadership fact that he lived under the danger, life but even in his death. When I Conference with King and served the fear of death and in the shadow think of him and his courage, I find as president and chief executive of death, it never affected his strength.  officer from 1977 to 1998. commitment to move on the journey King named Lowery chairman toward freedom and justice. And he Source: www.umc.org/news-andof the delegation delivering often said, if a man doesn’t have media/united-methodists-sharethe demands of the Selma to something he can die for then he’d mlks-dream Montgomery March to Gov. 28  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Mississippi Teens Marching to Memphis to Honor MLK By Adrian Sainz, Associated Press

earing aqua-colored T-shirts and hydration backpacks, a group of teenagers on Saturday launched a 50-mile walk from northern Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee, a tribute to slain civil

one mile for each year since King was gunned down while standing on the balcony of the old Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. The teens, who are from Pearl and Richland, will discuss issues related to race and civil rights as they make

rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Escorted by police cars, support vans and a portable restroom, six middle school, high school and college students, along with two adult mentors, began their march in rural Dundee. Their journey along Highway 61 will take them past Mississippi Delta ﬁelds and farms, then the casinos of Tunica, before they meet friends and family on the Tennessee-Mississippi line Tuesday. The decision to walk 50 miles was deliberate; the distance represents

the slow trek to Memphis. They range in ages from 14 to 19. Five are black. One is white. "It's a way to show people that you can have friendships with different people of different backgrounds, different races, on all levels," said Damonte Steele, a 15-year-old sophomore at Pearl High School. Steele is in ROTC at Pearl High School with his 18-year-old friend Benjamin Rutledge, who is white. Rutledge said King "changed a lot of our viewpoints here in America." "I like doing events that challenge me and improve my character, and allow me to meet people too,"

Rutledge said. The group gathered at the post office in Dundee, one of many small communities nestled in the flatlands along the Mississippi River in the northern part of the state. Their police escorts inched along as the band trudged down the side of the road known as the Blues Highway. They plan to walk about 10-15 miles per day until they reach their destination. The group will take part in community meetings after they finish for the day, and will spend their nights in hotels, said organizer Jarvis Ward. The teens will convene a youth rally Tuesday. On Wednesday, they will take part in activities at the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the site of the former Lorraine Motel. "Our hope is to not only honor all that Dr. King achieved, but to be part of continuing his work," said Ward, president of the Pearson Foundation, a community service organization based in Pearl. "We want to show how racial justice, economic justice and racial reconciliation can be advanced in and by the next generation."  www.clarionledger.com/story/ news/2018/03/31/teens-marchingmemphis-honor-mlk/475877002/

29  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Special Focus - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When I Met Dr. King By Charlayne Hunter-Gault

y one and only encounter with Martin Luther King, Jr., was during a chance meeting on what was then called “Sweet Auburn Avenue,” the prosperous hub of black-owned businesses in Atlanta. It was the summer of 1961, when King had earned the love and respect of the city’s young civil-rights demonstrators with whom he had marched. I was working as a reporter for the Atlanta Inquirer, an independent black newspaper covering the city’s ongoing segregation, writing stories that mainstream newspapers chose to ignore. By the time I met King, he and a group of local students had triumphed in their eﬀort to end the racist practice of separate and unequal in local restaurants, shops, and schools. King had joined them on the picket line, at sit-ins, and in jail. The attorney Donald Hollowell represented the students in court. The experience would inspire the young people to add a new mantra to their freedom slogans: “King is our leader, Hollowell is our lawyer, and we shall not be moved.” King’s support for the demonstrators in Atlanta led to one of the worst experiences of his career. When the students were released after merchants agreed to desegregate, King was forced to remain in jail and was transported to a prison miles away from Atlanta.

(l-r) Dr. Ralph Abernathy with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Photograph by Don Cravens / The LIFE Images Collection / Getty

He was made to lie in the back of a police vehicle with a dog snarling at him the entire way there. Even after his release, challenges remained throughout the South. I met King many months after his release on a bright, sunny day, when I happened to be on Sweet Auburn Avenue with a colleague, who suddenly turned to me and

said, “There’s Dr. King.” I was awed by this chance meeting with a man who, at that point, was already the icon of the civil-rights movement. I ran up to him, prepared to introduce myself and to lavish praise on him for all that he had done for Atlanta and the students, and for his sacriﬁces on behalf of black Americans. As I started to introduce

30  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

myself—before I could get past my name—he reached for my hand, energetically shaking it, while telling me he was proud to meet me. “You are doing a such magnificent job down there,” he said, a reference to my enrollment at the all-white University of Georgia, where Hamilton Holmes and I were the first African-American students to attend earlier that year. As I recalled, in a book I wrote years later, King told me that education “was the key to our freedom, and then he generously thanked me again and wished me success.” Before I could tell him how proud of him I was, he was mobbed by other admirers, which prevented him from seeing the tears rolling down my cheeks. I will always remember that moment and what it taught me about King and one of his core values: humility. Over the next several years, I watched King with admiration as I tried to find my way in journalism. In 1963, while sitting at my desk at The New Yorker, I watched the March on Washington, which he and other civil-rights activists organized, and shed more tears as King talked about his dream of living in a country where his four children would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. In the speech, he displayed the humility as well as the strength of his convictions that I had seen in Atlanta, before hundreds of thousands of Americans. King’s assassination fifty years

Charlayne Hunter-Gault ago caused me to leave a special fellowship for “new journalism” I had at Washington University, in St. Louis. By then, there were riots in the streets all over the country, and I didn’t think the classroom was where I needed to be. I went to Washington to cover, for Transaction magazine, the Poor People’s Campaign and the next phase of the civil-rights movement, focussing on human rights and economic justice. Thousands travelled to the nation’s capital to spend their days in tents, undeterred by the pouring rain that left the Mall a muddy mess. They made their way, each and

every day, for six weeks, to the grounds and halls of Congress to make their demands heard, undeterred by nature or by human resistance. And while King was no longer physically among them, surely, they were motivated by his spirit and his determination for all of God’s children to be free at last.  Charlayne Hunter-Gault is a journalist and a special correspondent for the year-long PBS NewsHour series “Race Matters: Solutions.” www.newyorker.com/news/newsdesk/when-i-met-dr-king

31  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Special Focus - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of 10 Historians on "What People Still Don't Know About Martin Luther King Jr." By TIME staﬀ Leadership Conference. When the SCLC started in 1957 she presided and gave the ﬁrst speech. When they were doing the Montgomery bus boycott, one night she was at the house with the baby and there was a thud and the front porch exploded. The next morning Dr. Martin Luther King Sr. came—and he was a very impressive man—and he said he was taking her to Atlanta, that he wasn’t going to let his grandchild get killed in Montgomery. She was only in her 20s, but she looked up at him and said, ‘You don’t understand. I may be married to Martin but I’m also married to the movement.’

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. in Montgomery, Ala., in 1958 © Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Barbara Reynolds, an author of My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Coretta Scott King as told to the Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds: People are missing the fact that Coretta Scott King was a co-partner with Martin in the greatest and most successful human-rights drive of our era. While she lived she was most often referred to as a wife, and after his death as a widow, but she was more than that. They functioned as a team. When the movement was getting started, she would give concerts to help fund the Southern Christian

Coretta Scott King pinterest.com

She had the courage to stay and lead and raise four children without fear. She knew this was history in the making.  www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/10-historians-on-whatpeople-still-dont-know-about-martin-luther-king-jr/arAAvsPSQ?ocid=spartanntp

32  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Councilman Marqueece Harris Dawson, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Jacqueline DuPont-Walker, Reverend James Lawson, Jr, William W. Funderburk, Jr. and more gather for the oﬃcial cutting of the Tree Grove at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation park on Saturday March 30, 2018. (Photo by Simone Grant)

undreds of civil rights and community leaders marched to the top of Kenneth Hahn Park to dedicate a memorial tree grove to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Saturday. L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas marched alongside a pioneer in the civil rights movement, Reverend James M. Lawson, Jr. Lawson was a friend and teacher of Dr. King who was with him the day before he was assassinated. “This is our way of paying tribute to America’s most prominent drum major for peace,” Ridley-Thomas said. Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968 but his message of freedom, equality and non-violence lives on today. For me to be here and see this happening, trying to set a highmark, our standard ought to be high, said Rev. James Lawson. Now, 50 years later, the Memorial Tree Grove overlooking downtown Los Angeles, seeks to remember the legacy of a leader.  33  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Special Focus - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear NCRC members and allies, “There is nothing new about poverty,” Martin Luther King Jr. said in his Nobel Peace Prize address in 1964. “What is new, however, is that we have the resources to get rid of it." His words are truer today as wealth rises across the United States but only for a small group of individuals. The seven days after Rev. Dr. King's assassination - fifty years ago today - set in motion a decade of landmark civil rights laws. A half century later, our annual conference marks a special moment in our movement. We will hear from Jesse Jackson, one of Rev. Dr. King’s closest allies. We will discuss necessary shifts to unify our movement towards a #JustEconomy. Then we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, by fanning across Capitol Hill to meet with our elected leaders about eradicating poverty and discrimination in our communities. Today, and every day, we honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s courage and vision by standing unafraid and fully committed to a more racially and economically just America. In solidarity, Jenn Jones Chief, Membership & Policy, NCRC National Community Reinvestment Coalition www.ncrc.org

Special Focus - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A SNAP SHOT OF MLK’s CIVIL RIGHTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS King organized and led marches for Blacks' right to vote, desegregation, labor rights, and other basic civil rights. Most of these rights were successfully enacted into the law of the United States with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act under the leadership of MLK Jr. •

•

• •

•

ing, representing the SCLC, was among the leaders of the "Big Six" civil rights organizations who were instrumental in the organization of the ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, on August 28, 1963. This is where King gave his most famous 17 minute, "I Have a Dream", speech before the Lincoln Memorial.

•

1 T

•

n 1966, the movement headed North to Chicago: A) King and Ralph Abernathy, moved into the slums of North Lawndale on Chicago's West Side, to demonstrate their support. B) SCLC in collaboration

ontgomery Bus Boycott 1955 sparked by Rosa Parks refusal to sit in white section boycott, was urged and planned by Nixon and led by King: The boycott lasted for 385 days. A) During this time King's house was bombed. B) King was arrested during this campaign. C) Resulted with a United States District Court ruling in Browder v. Gayle that ended racial segregation on all Montgomery public buses. D) King's role in the bus boycott transformed him into a national ﬁgure and the best-known spokesman of the civil rights movement. outhern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was founded in 1957 by ML King with other civil rights activists to harness the moral authority and organizing power of Black churches to conduct nonviolent protests in the service of civil rights reform. 957 Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom was the ﬁrst time King addressed a national audience.

he Gandhi Society for Human Rights was founded in 1959 to address the issue of segregation. King served as honorary president.

•

protesters, including children. Footage of the police response was broadcast on national television news and dominated the nation's attention, shocking many white Americans and consolidating Black Americans behind the movement.

n 1962, King and the Gandhi Society produced a document calling on President Kennedy to deliver a Second Emancipation Proclamation. Kennedy did not execute the order. ing and the SCLC joined the Albany, Georgia movement in December 1961 and mobilized thousands who along with King were swept up in mass arrests. King was given the option of going to jail or paying a ﬁne. He chose jail.

n April 1963, the Birmingham Police Department, led by Eugene "Bull" Connor, used high-pressure water jets and police dogs against peaceful

n March 1964, King’s SCLC joined forces with a controversial movement led by Robert Hayling in St. Augustine, Florida. uring the 1965 march to Montgomery, Alabama, violence by state police and others against the peaceful marchers resulted in much publicity, making Alabama's racism visible nationwide.

loody Sunday, March 7 1965, where six hundred marchers assembled in Selma led by John Lewis and other SNCC and SCLC activists, crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River en route to Montgomery when state and local lawmen attacked them ferociously with billy clubs, tear gas and literally kicked and beat men and women the same to drive them back to Selma ing ignored the denied petition for an injunction against the State of Alabama and led marchers on the 9th to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma anyway. He was moved to hold a short prayer session before turning the marchers around asking them to disperse so as not to violate the court order. he March from Selma to Montgomery proceeded on March 25, 1965. At its conclusion on the steps of the state capitol, King delivered a speech that became known as "How Long, Not Long."

38  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

with CCCO, tested discriminatory housing practices across real estate oﬃces. C) Numerous marches were planned and executed. D) King was hit by a brick during one march but continued to lead marches in the face of personal danger •

•

uring an April 4, 1967, appearance at the New York City Riverside Church—exactly one year before his death—King delivered a speech titled "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” as his ﬁrst public stance against the Viet Nam War reﬂecting his evolving political advocacy,

n March 29, 1968, King went to Memphis, Tennessee, in support of the Black sanitary public works employees, who were represented by AFSCME Local 1733. The workers had been on strike since March 12 for higher wages and better

treatment. •

•

ing was fatally shot at 6:01 p.m., April 4, 1968, as he stood on the motel's second-ﬂoor balcony. He was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. CST.

•

hen Dr. King was assassinated, Blacks took to the streets in rioting as the only outlet to express their oppressed rage mourning the death of the peaceful warrior who had dared to dream a world where ‘Black people would be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. 

n April 3, King addressed a rally and delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" address at Mason Temple, the world headquarters of the Church of God in Christ. King's ight to Memphis had been delayed by a bomb threat against his plane.

39  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Special Focus - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

OP-ED CONTRIBUTION

How Dr. King Lived is Why He Died. By Jesse Jackson April 3, 2018

s the nation prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we should dwell not merely on how Dr. King died but also on how he lived. He mobilized mass action to win a public accommodations bill and the right to vote. He led the Montgomery bus boycott and navigated police terror in Birmingham. He got us over the bloodstained bridge in Selma and survived the rocks and bottles and hatred in Chicago. He globalized our struggle to end the war in Vietnam. How he lived is why he died. As he sought to move beyond desegregation and the right to vote, to focus his work on economic justice, antimilitarism and human rights, the system pushed back hard. In the last months of his life, he was attacked by the government, the press, former allies and the military industrial complex. Even black Democrats turned their backs on him when he challenged the party’s support for the war in Vietnam. A growing number of Americans had a negative view of Dr. King in the final years of his life, according to public opinion polls. A man of peace, he died violently. A man of love, he died hated by many. America loathes marchers but loves martyrs. The bullet in Memphis made Dr. King a martyr for the ages. We owe it to Dr. King — and to our children and grandchildren — to commemorate the man in full: a radical, ecumenical, antiwar, pro-immigrant and scholarly champion of the poor who spent much more time marching and going to jail for liberation and justice than he ever spent dreaming about it. This is a painful time of the year for me because it is when I am asked to remember the most traumatic night in my life. We had come to Memphis in 1968 to support striking sanitation workers in their fight for better wages and safer working conditions. On the evening of April 4, Dr. King was going to take a group of us, including the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Andy Young, Hosea Williams and Bernard Lee, to dinner at the home of the Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, not far from where we were staying, the

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with Jesse Jackson in Selma, Ala., for the 1965 march. CreditFrank Dandridge/The LIFE Images Collection, via Getty Images

Lorraine Motel. As we prepared to go, Dr. King cheerfully admonished me, the youngest of the group, for not being suitably dressed for the evening. I wasn’t wearing a tie. “Doc, the only prerequisite for dinner,” I joked back, “is an appetite, not a tie.” We laughed. Dr. King loved to laugh.

50 Years Later, Remembering King, and the Battles That Outlived Him In his last years, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was grappling with many issues: workers’ rights, a sprawling protest movement, persistent segregation and poverty. We inherited them all. April 3, 2018 After dinner we were going to attend a rally for the sanitation workers. I had brought the Operation Breadbasket Orchestra from Chicago to play at the rally. Dr. King, always the hottest ticket in any town, was scheduled to speak. He’d be hard pressed, though, to

40  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

work of ending poverty and the war. As the Rev. Joseph Lowery said, we would not let one bullet kill the movement. Dr. King’s spirit has been our moral guidepost for 50 years. That spirit is alive today with the high school students of Parkland, Fla., as they push the country toward sensible gun control. It is alive with the teachers of West Virginia, who have blazed a trail for other workers. It is alive with Black Lives Matter, the Dreamers, Colin Kaepernick and thousands of African-American voters who defied the pundits and sent an Alabama Democrat to the Senate for the first time in a generation. It is alive with the Rev. William Barber as he resurrects Dr. King’s last crusade, the Poor People’s Campaign. Dr. King bequeathed AfricanThe Rev. Jesse Jackson in Memphis, on the Lorraine Motel balcony Americans the will to resist and where Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. CreditMark Humphrey/ the right to vote. Yet while we were Associated Press marching and winning, the powers of reaction were regrouping, preparing top the speech he gave the night ordained at 19, earning a Ph.D. at a counterrevolution. Five decades before at the Mason Temple in 26, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize ago, a segregationist governor, Memphis, where he pledged that at 35, would be dead at 39. George Wallace, peddled hate and “we, as a people, will get to the On April 4, the fatal shot rang out division in reaction to the civil rights promised land.” just after 6 p.m. as we were about movement. Today, it is the president It was raining cats and dogs, to get into the cars to go to dinner. himself who is inciting anguish, but the Mason Temple, part of the Dr. King was on the balcony of the bigotry and fear. Church of God in Christ, was Lorraine Motel. I was in the parking We are in a battle for the soul nearly full. I was sitting behind lot below. of America, and it’s not enough to Dr. King as he preached from the A couple of hours later, the admire Dr. King. To admire him is pulpit. He spoke with such pathos Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Dr. King’s to reduce him to a mere celebrity. and passion that I saw grown men successor, gathered us at the It requires no commitment, no wiping away tears in the sanctuary. Lorraine. By then much of urban action. Those who value justice “I’m not worried about anything,” Dr. America had already moved from and equality must have the will and King told the crowd of about 3,000. shock and sorrow to rage and courage to follow him. They must “I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes flames. We had a choice: Surrender be ready to sacrifice. have seen the glory of the coming to our own anguish and anger, or The Struggle Continues.  of the Lord.” honor the slain prince of peace by The Rev. Jesse Jackson (@ None of us took those words as a picking up the baton of nonviolent RevJJackson), a former aide to the premonition. We had heard similar direct action. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is the sentiments from him before. Maybe With deep breaths, the baton founder and president of the Rainbow we were in denial. While danger firmly in our hands, we went PUSH Coalition. was all around, we never thought to Resurrection City, the www.nytimes.com/ the Martin Luther King we knew tent city erected by Dr. King’s interactive/2018/04/03/us/mlkand loved, admitted to Morehouse Poor People’s Campaign in assassination-anniversary.html College at 15, graduated and Washington, and continued the

41  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

ALL ANCESTRY TEST KITS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL Don't be fooled by other ancestry test kits pushing highly discounted prices this holiday season. Over the years, countless people have called us disappointed with the lack of specificity from other ancestry test kits. Get the results you want, the first time. Order today! Get the results you want, the first time. Order at https://shop.africanancestry. com

Sincerely, Gina Paige President, African Ancestry Maternal Country of Ancestry: Nigeria Maternal Tribe of Ancestry: Fulani

Asia Pacific Business Outlook April 16 - 17, 2018 ~ Los Angeles http://apboconference.com/register Special Discount for U.S. Commercial Service Clients, enter code: USCS-AP2018 Now in its 31st year, Asia/Pacific Business Outlook (APBO) is North America’s premier event for business leaders who want to expand their trade and investment in the Asia/Pacific region. The USC Marshall School of Business and the U.S. Department of Commerce have been working together on APBO since 1988 to help exporters take advantage of tremendous opportunities and overcome challenges in the constant changing economies of Asia. More than just a business conference, APBO is a comprehensive networking and learning experience designed to provide business leaders with the contacts and the latest, relevant and valuable information available–all focused, organized and distilled into two invaluable days. The conference attracts a nationwide group of about 300 American executives who operate throughout the Asia/Pacific region. The conference provides a unique mixture of over 50 leading academic, business and government experts to advise a diverse audience of American firms on how to become more competitive in the dynamic Asia/Pacific marketplace, including private one-on-one appointments with senior commercial officers from American embassies and consulates in 18 economies. Access 18 Markets in Two Days: Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam Contacts for APBO: ciber@marshall.usc.edu or tel: 213.740.7130 www.apboconference.com U.S. Commercial Service Contacts: Jason Sproule - U.S. Commercial Service, Los Angeles. Tel: 949-283-0690, Jason.Sproule@trade.gov Erica Ramirez - U.S. Commercial Service, Irvine, Tel: 949-660-7105, Erica.Ramirez@trade.gov

45  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Adarrius Joseph www.facebook.com/swift.bitness 46 April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

From chaos in the White House to controversy confronting the tech industry in Europe and Silicon Valley, it's time to assess, 'Where Do we Go From Here?' Don't miss the Diversity, Inclusion & Equality Dialogue; Diversity Data; Data Privacy: Is There a backlash? Thursday, April 12 @ Intel Corporation ď ł Friday, April 13 @ HP Enterprise Pre-registration Required. There will be no on site registration https://pushtech2020-2018annualsummit.eventbrite.com?discount=Comp

ď ł www.rainbowpushsv.org

Hear from Facebook, Google, Intel, StubHub, Pinterest and HP Enterprise and others

Editorial - Technology & Democracy

The Facebook Quandary – It’s About More than the Data By Jesse Jackson

Sheryl Sandberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Rev. Jesse Jackson

acebook is the latest company to find itself embroiled in a controversy over breach of data and the privacy rights of its 2 billion users around the world. We urge its leadership – Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg – to take full, direct and personal ownership of the issue – they are the “face of Facebook.” Mr. Zuckerberg’s blog post and recent CNN interview is a good first step, but he and Sheryl must take the next

step - nobody but them has the authority and integrity to speak to Facebook’s responsibilities, accountability and plan to right the wrongs and win back the trust of the community. On one level the issue is about Facebook’s privacy policies, the rules governing its

50  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

(arnnet.com.au)

apps, the mining of, use and mis-use of Facebook data and the platform, by Cambridge Analytics (https:// cambridgeanalytica.org) and their clients and partners. But at a broader level is the power of Facebook and the new technology platforms, including Google, Instagram and Twitter...they are the new tools to deliver news and fake news, information and disinformation that affect people around the world, instantly. It is being delivered legally and potentially illegally, in ways known and unknown, transparent and in the darkness as practiced by the Trump campaign. Facebook is now not just a place to make friends. It is also a platform that has the global power to influence, impact and even determine the outcome of elections. Information derived from Facebook – and other technology platforms – can be used for good and to change the world in positive ways. Now we know it can be used deceitfully and deceptively – by domestic entities and foreign governments like Russia – to undermine our democracy, influence and undermine our elections. We already know that Russia sought to undermine the voting systems in some 17 states in the 2016 elections. All evidence points to continued efforts to meddle in the 2018 mid-term elections. Everybody – except the current resident of the White House, recognizes this and demands the highest level of action be taken to protect our democracy and our vote. Social media and internet platforms like Facebook, Google and Twitter must put in place every legal policy to prevent mis-use and abuse. They cannot afford to do "too little, too late."

People demand that their privacy rights and personal information be protected. There can be no compromise. Massive amounts of personal information and data is obtained and stored by banks, telecom and technology companies – and many have been subject to data breaches like the hack of Equifax, and every company – and thus every individual – is at risk.

Recommendations We urge a broad dialogue and conversation – in communities and in the halls of Congress – to find new policies and solutions - regulatory, technical and forensic. But be clear: it's more than about the data; it's not simply an engineering fix. We look forward to engaging with Facebook leaders, and the tech industry as a whole, to find new solutions to these unforeseen problems and issues. We’ve looked into the future. And it is now. The worst news is the manipulation and mid-use by the robbers of our dreams. The best news is that there is now a consensus commitment to muster our collective wisdom and work together to unleash new innovation to solve this crisis. As Facebook users, Rainbow PUSH will vigorously stand up for democracy and the privacy rights of our constituents, and make our views known at Facebook’s upcoming annual shareholder meeting. Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Founder and President Rainbow PUSH Coalition www.rainbowpush.org Press contact: Butch Wing, 510-701-8955 bwing@rainbowpush.org Don Terry, dterry@rainbowpush.org

51  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Technology

Cutting Third-party Data Providers out of Ad Targeting

acebook says it will stop using data from third-party data aggregators — companies like Experian and Acxiom — to help supplement its own data set for ad targeting. Facebook previously let advertisers target people using data from a number of sources: • Data from Facebook, which the company collects from user activity and proﬁles. • Data from the advertiser itself, like customer emails they’ve collected on their own. • Data from third-party services like Experian,

Price: $50 Plus $7 Shipping Within the USA www.amipnewsonline.org/store.html

which can collect oﬄine data such as purchasing activity, that Facebook uses to help supplement its own data set. When marketers use this data to target ads on Facebook, the social giant gives some of the ad money from that sale to the data provider. This third data set is primarily helpful to advertisers that might not have their own customer data, like small businesses or consumer packaged goods companies that sell their products through brick-and-mortar retailers.  www.recode.net/2018/3/28/17174098/facebook-dataadvertising-targeting-change-experian-acxiom

United States and Africa Relations:The Obama Presidency is a creative chronicle and compilation of history between The United States of America and Africa, with a special focus on the Obama Administration’s eight-year engagement with the continent’s leaders and peoples. The narrative of this 300-plus-page book is primarily based on the 4 Pillars of the Administration’s strategy toward engagement with sub-Saharan Africa that was signed and issued by President Obama in June 2012 - Strengthen Democratic Institutions; Spur Economic Growth, Trade and Investment; Advance Peace and Security; and Promote Opportunity and Development. Using both human and national interest stories, it highlights key initiatives and US-Africa partnerships, includes important presidential and governmental statements, speeches, White House Fact Sheets, historic photographs, and follows the trajectory of bilateral and multilateral relations wherever it leads. United States and Africa Relations: The Obama Presidency is a treasure to individuals and professionals involved in international aﬀairs, as well as those who have a basic interest in the subject. The book’s uniqueness lies in its simplicity in sharing information on bilateral and multilateral relations. It was jointly published in 2017 by AMIP News and The Africa Society. For inquiries call 1-202-460-3912 or 1-202-460-3906

52  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Crackdown on Ad Targeting by Let Users Appeal if a Post Was Wrongly Removed Email without Consent

acebook will launch a certification tool that demands that marketers guarantee email addresses used for ad targeting were rightfully attained. This new Custom Audiences certification tool was described by Facebook representatives to their marketing clients, according to two sources. Facebook will also prevent the sharing of Custom Audience data across Business accounts. Facebook spokesperson Elisabeth Diana told TechCrunch “I can confirm there is a permissions tool that we’re building.” It will require that advertisers and the agencies representing them pledge that “I certify that I have permission to use this data”, she said. Diana noted that “We’ve always had terms in place to ensure that advertisers have consent for data they use but we’re going to make that much more prominent and educate advertisers on the way they can use the data.” The change isn’t in response to a specific incident, but Facebook does plan to re-review the way it works with third-party data measurement firms to ensure everything is responsibly used. This is a way to safeguard data” Diana concluded. The company declined to specify whether it’s ever blocked usage of a Custom Audience because it suspected the owner didn’t have user consent.” 

n an interview with Vox’s Ezra Klein, Mark Zuckerberg (www.vox.com/2018/4/2/17185052/

mark-zuck erberg-fa cebook-interview-fak e-newsbots-cambridge) says he is exploring the option for

Facebook users to independently appeal to the content moderation team if their content gets taken down for violating community policies. The CEO likens the appeal process to Facebook operating more like a government, with the goal of creating a network that “reflects more what people in the community want than what short-term-oriented shareholders might want.” Currently, Facebook only allowed appeals for content that was removed for violating copyright laws, and they must be filed through a United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) counternotification. In Zuckerberg’s vision, the ability to independently appeal should be available like “any good-functioning democratic system.” The process would operate similarly to Periscope’s “flash jury,” where viewers are randomly selected and polled on whether a reported comment is abusive.  www.theverge.com/2018/4/2/17187974/markzuckerberg-community-content-removal-appeal-voxinterview

https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/31/customaudiences-certiﬁcation/

BREAUX Capital (www.breauxcapital.com), is a financial savings and financial education company meant to improve the financial welfare of Generation Y’s and young Black entrepreneurs. The founders, three Morehouse graduates, believe the first step to financial wellness is through saving. BREAUX Capital offers an online automated savings platform, where users can decide how much money they would like to be set aside and allows members to build their savings over time. There are three tiers in the BREAUX community: BREAUX 20, BREAUX 50 and BREAUX 100 all of which gives members access to automated savings as well as access to the “wealth building forum.” The company creates a community for Black, male millennials with similar financial aspirations and provides them with a platform to connect with one another. Attend BreauxComing and TechGrove events and watch out for Little BREAUX.

www.breauxcapital.com

Business - Technology Technology:

Take A Look! by LaSandra Stratton

Four Alternatives to Facebook From Vincent Hollier

he new concerns regarding data privacy have raised questions among those businesses and individuals who use Facebook and other social media software platforms on a regular basis - are there any other options for me and my business? Tech guru Vincent Hollier has sent us a few suggestions for alternative social media platforms to share with you.

BLOCKSTACK

lockstack (https://blockstack.org) is a new internet for decentralized apps that you access through the Blockstack Browser. With Blockstack, there is a new world of apps that let you own your data and maintain your privacy, security and freedom. Blockstack uses the lower layers of the traditional internet and focuses on decentralizing the application layer. Blockstack provides key tools and infrastructure to developers enabling decentralized storage and decentralized authentication & identity. Developers build single-page applications in JavaScript then plug into user-run APIs, which eliminates centralized points of control. Users run decentralized apps through the Blockstack browser and give explicit read/write permissions to their data. Information is encrypted and stored on users’ personal devices. There are no middlemen, no passwords, and no massive data silos to breach. Get started by installing the Blockstack Browser (available for Mac, Windows, and Linux). There are many Blockstack apps already in production and more being built every day with the participation of the online open source community and in partnership with VC Bounties Programs (blockstack.org/funding). Some of the apps available with Blockstack are: Graphite: The first truly decentralized and encrypted replacement for Google G-Suite and Microsoft Office. This includes documents, Excel-style sheets, contacts and conversations. Graphite never stores your identity or data. Stealthy: A secure decentralized communication platform that supports live chat, video conference, and file sharing. Features include message read receipts for sent, received, and viewed,

Dotpodcast: Search, subscribe, and pay podcasters without being tracked or censored. Blockstack oﬀerings are growing abd you can be part of the growth and development. Start Building an App - If you’re a developer, we’re here to help. Discover tutorials, docs, source code, our forum, and more. Request an app - If you’ve got an idea for an app you’d like to see built on Blockstack, let us know and we’ll take note. Funding - Developer building something great with Blockstack? Investor looking to fund powerful applications on Web 3? Visit https://blockstack.org/ funding. IndieWeb

ndieWeb (https://indieweb.org/Getting_Started) is a people-focused alternative to the "corporate web". When you post something on the web, it should belong to you, not a corporation. Too many companies have gone out of business and lost all of their users’ data. By joining the IndieWeb, your content stays yours and in your control. Your articles and status messages can go to all services, not just one, allowing you to engage with everyone. Even replies and likes on other services can come back to your site so they’re all in one place. You can post anything you want, in any format you want, with no one monitoring you. In addition, you share simple readable links such as example.com/ideas. These links are permanent and will always work. The IndieWeb effort is different from previous efforts/ communities: Principles over project-centrism. Others assume a monoculture of one project for all. We are developing a plurality of projects. The IndieWeb community has a code-of-conduct. Selfdogfood* instead of email. Show before tell. Prioritize by scratching your own itches, creating, iterating on your own site. Design first, protocols & formats second. Focus on good UX & selfdogfood prototypes to create minimum necessary formats & protocols.

54  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Perhaps most importantly, we are people-focused instead of project-focused, and have regular meetups where everyone is welcome. *selfdogfood is a stronger form of dogfooding, that is, using your own creations on your own personal site that you depend on, as an aspect of your primary online identity, day to day. Build what you need.

Mastodon

astodon (https://joinmastodon.org) isn’t one place and one set of rules: it’s thousands of unique, interconnected communities to choose from, filled with different people, interests, languages, and needs. Don’t like the rules? You’re free to join any community you like, or better yet: you can host your own, on your own terms! With powerful tools to control who sees your posts and a 500-character limit, Mastodon empowers you to share your ideas, unabridged. The best part? All posts are in chronological order, not “optimized” to push ads into your timeline. With apps for iOS, Android, and every other platform imaginable, Mastodon is always at your fingertips. You’re a person, not a product. Mastodon is a free, open-source development that has been crowdfunded, not financed. All instances are independently owned, operated, and moderated. There is no monopoly by a single commercial company, no ads, and no tracking. Mastodon works for you, and not the other way around. Mastodon comes with effective anti-abuse tools to help protect yourself from online abuse. With small, interconnected communities, it means that there are more moderators you can approach to help with a situation. This also means you can choose who sees your posts: friends, your community, or the entire *fediverse Install your own: If you are interested in running your own instance — for your friends, family or organization — you can get started by reading the installation documentation. You only host your own users and the content that they subscribe to. Anyone can run a server of Mastodon. Each server hosts individual user accounts, the content they produce, and the content they subscribe to. Each user account has a globally unique name (e.g. @user@example.com), consisting of the local username (@user), and the domain name of the server it is on (example.com). Users can follow each other, regardless of where they’re hosted — when a local user follows a user from a different server, the server subscribes to that user’s updates for the first time. Servers are run independently by different people

and organizations. They can apply wildly different moderation policies, so you can find or make one that fits your taste perfectly. A decentralized network is harder for governments to censor. If one server goes bankrupt or starts acting unethically, the network persists so you never have to worry about migrating your friends and audience to a yet another platform again.

diaspora*

iaspora* (https://diasporafoundation.org) is based on three key philosophies: Decentralization - instead of everyone’s data being held on huge central servers owned by a large organization, diaspora* exists on independently run servers (“pods”) all over the world. You choose which pod to register with, and you can then connect seamlessly with the diaspora* community worldwide; Freedom - you can be whoever you want to be in diaspora*. Unlike some networks, you don’t have to use your real identity. You can interact with people in whatever way you choose. The only limit is your imagination. diaspora* is also Free Software, giving you liberty over how you use it; and Privacy - in diaspora* you own your data. You don’t sign over rights to a corporation or other interest who could use it. In addition, you choose who sees what you share, using Aspects. With diaspora*, your friends, your habits, and your content is your business ... not ours! Want to get started? 1. Choose a pod - Find a pod that suits you or host a pod yourself if you have some sysadmin skills. 2. Sign up - Once you’ve decided which pod is right for you, based on the ratings and information at Pod Uptime and maybe recommendations from people you trust, sign up there and create a proﬁle with as much or as little personal information as you like. You are in control about how much you share. 3. Join the conversation! - Start following some #tags related to your interests: it could be #music, #photography, #privacy or #linux - whatever you’re into. Share a public message with the #newhere tag to introduce yourself, and away you go. You’re now part of the vibrant diaspora* community.  *Fediverse is a portmanteau of "federation" and "universe". It is a common, informal name for a federation of social network servers whose main purpose is microblogging, the sharing of short, public messages. By running social network software that supports a standard set of protocols called OStatus, independently run servers can connect to the Fediverse[1], allowing its users to follow and receive short messages from other users on any connected server.

55 April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

From: NAACP It’s a new year for voting rights, President Trump has disbanded his Advisory Commission on Election Integrity – which we all knew to be nothing more than a voter suppression scheme. The Commission demanded a wide range of voter data from all ﬁfty states and D.C. under the guise of hunting down “voter fraud.” But in the hands of Vice President Pence and “Voter Suppression King” Kris Kobach, the data would have become a weapon for voter suppression – an arsenal of information to keep Americans, especially Black and Brown Americans, away from the polls. We immediately recognized the Commission as malevolent and simply illegal and sought justice in the courts. From Pennsylvania to Florida, Indiana to Texas, Georgia to Utah, we stopped states from unlawfully disclosing voter information to Trump’s Commission. And our method worked: in his explanation of the Commission’s demise, Trump cited “the endless legal battles” which left the Commission without the data necessary to accomplish its objectives. This is a major victory but we’ve got lots of work ahead. According to Kobach, the administration is already making plans for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to take over the investigation, matching state voter rolls to federal databases of noncitizens. IT’S TIME TO MAKE DEMOCRACY WORK FOR EVERYONE. Add your name to the thousands who have said they are ready to stand up for democracy in 2018. Onward, Derrick NAACP President and CEO

Please contribute what you can right now and help us RESIST:

http://action.naacp.org/StopSessions

56  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Start Up Series

Are You Ready to Start a Company? Ask Yourself These 6 Questions. By Cassandra Frangos

ecoming a founder can be seen as an expedited path to the C-suite, whereby leaders sacrifice a large measure of security to create something all their own with a team of like-minded partners. Those who follow the founder path in order to lead an organization stand apart because they actively create their own opportunities, and therefore have greater control over the timing of their career advancement. But, how will you know if (or when) this particular path applies to you? According to the executives I've worked with and interviewed, six key questions help determine your fit as a founder.

Am I having the impact I want? Entrepreneurs are an upbeat bunch. Few of the founders I have met left their executive positions because they were unhappy. In fact, most loved what they were doing and were extremely successful. In some cases, they would have reached the C-suite in their organization eventually. But, in each instance, they wondered: Can I have a greater impact out on my own? Erik Larson was a senior director at Adobe Systems before he launched Cloverpop, an online business software that uses behavioral economics to guide better and faster decision-making. Larson said the idea of building a business had captivated him for years. "It was always something I knew I'd do," he said. "But, even more, I found it amazing to think about creating a business that employed people and generated real value in the world." Similarly, Christopher Wu left Snapfish to co-found Paper Culture with two goals in mind. "We wanted to build a great business, of course," he said. "But, just as important, we wanted to make a difference across many different dimensions." For Wu and his founding partners, that meant having a positive impact on the planet and raising awareness for climate change. As part of that purpose, Paper Culture plants a tree for

each order fulfilled.

What problem will I solve? The entrepreneurs I spoke with said their ventures sprung from a desire to improve how they and others around them worked and lived, and to solve a particular problem or fill a void. Larson said the idea of using behavioral economics and science to improve decision-making was "an idea he couldn't let go of." Yet, even beyond any specific idea or execution strategy, many of the founders I interviewed said they were motivated to solve a particular problem. Susan Marshall is a case in point. She was the senior director of product marketing at Salesforce before she became a founder. The entrepreneurial light went on in Marshall's head one day when she was out on the road talking to customers and hearing about the same unsolved problems over and over. Marshall surmised that if she could solve their problem and help them be successful, she would also be successful. With that in mind she launched Torchlite, a software and services solution that helps marketers get more done by connecting freelance talent, campaigns and marketing technology into a single campaign management platform.

Who are my co-founders? Taking your potential co-founders and their skills into account can get you closer to deciding whether the entrepreneurial path to the C-suite is right for you. Perhaps the most important assets co-founders deliver are experience and contacts that supplement your own. Chang founded Accompany with several partners, including the former CFO of Ning, Ryan McDonough, who moved over to become Accompany's CFO. She also brought on a best friend and fellow Googler with considerable technical chops to serve as her chief technology officer (CTO). One of Wu's co-founders, Anurag Mendhekar, was a former colleague from his

58  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

lhyatesconsulting.com earlier stint at Yahoo and a startup CEO at several previous ventures. Mendhekar assumed the CTO role at Paper Culture and is a mentor to Wu, who is the CEO. Several of the founders I spoke with said their cofounders "served as sounding boards" and offered an "objective reality check" early on about the viability of the business and the likelihood for success.

Am I staked financially? For most top executives, choosing the founder path requires a personal fiscal sacrifice associated with leaving a high-paying executive position to go out on their own. Cloverpop's Larson put it this way: "The financial question is probably the most important. No matter how long you think it'll take to be a viable business, you need to be ready for it to take five times longer." Another founder told me: "I walked away from an annual million-dollar salary to make nothing at first and then pay myself maybe $90,000 annually." Yet, today, he's on his sixth startup as CEO. The founders I interviewed all had some type of financial cushion when they were making their move: personal savings, a spouse who was gainfully employed or financial liquidity following an exit from their previous position, for example.

Do I have the personal support I need? The importance of personal support can't be

overstated along any path to the C-suite. Reaching the highest levels of leadership is difficult and stressful no matter how one arrives. That said, the lack of institutional infrastructure -- benefits, training, salary -in startup environments means an executive's personal support network must be especially strong. Personal support comes primarily from co-founders, friends and family, and its uplifting impact is undeniable. Chang said that without her husband's moral support she never would have had the courage to leave Google. Larson told me that his wife's encouragement and her own extremely successful career made it possible for him to take the leap.

What will I do if I fail? One thing is certain if you choose the founder's path: You will fail at some point. Maybe not initially, and maybe not ultimately, but there will be a time (and perhaps many times) when you fail in some significant way. Unlike the other paths to the C-suite, the founder's path involves frequent failure, which means you need to determine whether failure and reinvention is a realistic option for you. Search yourself and decide how you would fare if you fail. Will you reinvent yourself? Pivot? Recommit and forge ahead? Change paths? Regardless, ask yourself the question and envision what your next move would be.  https://ﬂipboard.com/@ﬂipboard/-are-you-ready-to-start-acompany-ask-yo/f-49b410050e%2Fentrepreneur.com

59  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Start Up Series

The 10 Things You Must Do From Day One so Your Startup Thrives By John Rampton

hether you’re thinking about starting your own business or need to reignite that ﬁre, you’re probably searching for the right advice. You need advice that you are likely to be able to actually incorporate into your schedule. As I battle tested as an entrepreneur, here are the 10 small business tips that have led me to success.

1. Get started on the right foot. Before getting too far ahead of yourself, make sure that you start your small business on the right foot. It won’t guarantee that your business will thrive, but it will reduce the chances of it failing. So, how exactly can you get your business started the right way? • Be passionate about what you do. This is going to keep you pushing forward during any rough patches. • Start your business while you still have a full-time job so you’ll have money to survive until your

•

• •

•

• Authority Figure archive.washtenawvoice.com

business takes-off. Set aside some cash so that you don’t have to borrow as much. Don’t go it alone. Entrepreneurs have this mindset that they have to do everything on their own. That’s not the case. You’re going to need support from your friends and family, and advice from mentors. Build traction. Start building a customer-base before officially launching. Write your business plan. Your business plan is going to guide you throughout the entire life of your business. Do your homework. Conduct market research to better understand your industry and target audience. Become an expert on your industry, products and services. Bring-in the pros. For example, if you’re not an accountant, hire a CPA to handle this area of your business. Don't waste dollars trying to save pennies doing jobs you aren't qualified for. Get the money lined-up. Start looking for ways to fund your business, such as through peerto-peer lenders or investors, before you're in a real cash crunch. Become a professional. Start by getting business cards, a business phone number and email address. Always treat people in a courteous and professional manner. Get your legal and tax issues in order. You'll save yourself a ton of time, money and headaches down the road if you get your

Authority Fi

pngim

legal and tax responsibilities right from the get-go.

2. Learn from and connect with other businesses. Visit your competition, introduce yourself and develop a good relationship with them. Refer customers to them when it makes sense and don't be afraid to ask them for help or advice. Even though you and your competitors are oﬀering similar products or services, you each have your own specialization. Instead of fearing that competition, give them credit at what they excel at. Believe it or not, that will be reciprocated.

3. Address excuses. Even though starting your own business can be exciting, it can also be one of the scariest choices you’ll make in your life. Because of the risk involved and the fear of failure, most people never follow their dreams. This is a shame since you don’t want to someday regret you never took that leap of faith. Instead of letting these excuses control your life, you need to address them ASAP. If not, you’ll never start your own business. One

60  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

igure

mg.com

way to move forward is to work with a life coach who can provide you with actionable steps in getting started.

on what you do best. As for the rest, like administrative tasks and customer support, delegate or outsource them to someone else.

4. Become a leading authority ﬁgure in your industry.

6. Reduce overhead.

Thanks to content marketing, it has never been easier to establish yourself as an authority ﬁgure and build trust among your potential customers. When they trust you, they’ll be more likely to support your business and refer it to others. You can also get some free publicity by being featured in leading publications, which in turn introduces your business to a new audience. Simply put, if you want your business to succeed, you need to become a respected voice within your industry. You can achieve this by creating content like blog posts, podcasts, webinars, videos, infographics and case studies. Write guest blog posts and appear at as many industry events and conferences as possible.

5. Focus on your niche and delegate what you can. As small business owner, you’re already devoting a majority of your time and energy to starting and maintaining your business. Why would you make life even more hectic by spreading yourself too thin? Focus on your niche and stick with it. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel or diversity yourself too much. Focus on what you know, what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about it. It may sound hokey, but when you do, you’ll be on the path to success without adding any more stress to your life. Trying to do everything on your own is a recipe for crashing and burning. To avoid burnout while growing your business, focus only

Sit down and create a budget so you can spot unnecessary expenses. If you're spending thousands of dollars each month on an empty office, consider a coworking space or going completely virtual. This way you can offer more competitive pricing options and you will be much likely to have the sufficient cash when you run into a rough patch. If you haven’t started your business just yet, then here are 25 expenses that are often overlooked. Be aware of these expenses and plan more accordingly.

7. Hire the right team. Your employees are the foundation of your small business. Remember, they’re your biggest supports and advocates. As such, you should make sure that you hire the right team for your business. While you obviously want to hire talented individuals who possess skills that you don’t, you also want to hire experts who are positive, ﬂexible fans of your business. It helps if you get along with them as well. When you do, you’ll notice that you have a fun and productive work environment.

8. Be an information sponge. Regardless if it’s your spouse, parents, friends or mentor, listen to what others have to say about your business. They may have a new idea or resolution to a problem, and their feedback could reﬂect what your customers think. If they’re not excited about your business, you may want to consider pivoting to something that does excite them.

9. Follow your intuition.

Authority Figure dailystar.co.uk

At the same time, trust your gut. There will be people who think you’re insane for leaving a decent gig to risk it all but, if this is the path that you choose, then stop hanging out with those naysayers. As Steve Jobs once said, "Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

10. Wow your customers. Of course, you wouldn’t be in business if it wasn’t for your customers. Thank them for their support by wowing them. Most of the time that involves something like a coupon, discount, early access to an event/promotion or a freebie like a piece of content or swag. However, the easiest way to “wow” your customers is sending them a handwritten thankyou note. Not only is it the right thing to do, it also sets you apart. As Florence Isaacs explains in Just a Note to Say, “When you write, there is no response to distract you from reaching within and exploring exactly what you feel and want to say. There is no mechanical equipment to act as a barrier."  https://ﬂipboard.com/@ﬂipboard/-the10-things-you-must-do-from-day-one-/f3886dd8391%2Fentrepreneur.com

61  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Start Up Series

5 Essentials for Succeeding When You Become Your Own Boss By Kimanzi Constable

ow that your dream of entrepreneurship is near reality, the real work of your life begins. You will be free in a way you haven’t been before, but how you pay your bills is on you. The amount of money you earn is proportional to the amount of work you put into your business. Here are ﬁve essentials to growing a wildly successful business now that you have become your own boss.

1. Get clear on your outcome. To get anywhere, you have to know where you’re going. It’s the same in any business. To succeed as your own boss, you have to know what you want your outcome to be. You became your own boss for a reason greater than making money without punching the clock. Get clear on your goals. Get honest about all the things you want to accomplish in your life and how your business will help you get those things. Give yourself metrics to build upon each step of the way. Set lofty goals that are attainable but not easily. Live each day knowing you will one day accomplish those goals and keep your focus on the outcome of those accomplishments.

2. Build systems that can be scaled. Being the boss is more than signing your name on some paperwork. It means you are the person responsible for the growth of your business. To grow, you need to implement strategies and put systems in place that allow you

to scale. Your goal should be to grow your business bigger than just you. You need marketing systems (even, possibly, a team), plans for each quarter, sales goals, a system to organize your time and more. Tools and technology can help you with creating systems. Research what systems work best to grow the type of business you have.

3. The real goal is to become the best you. You become a better boss as you become a better person. Your personal development is inseparable from the growth of your business. Your reward for putting in the work to be the best you is the energy and motivation you need to grow your business. Continue to eat food that nourishes your body. Spend the appropriate amount of time exercising. Read books and consume content that educates and inspires you. Experiment outside your comfort zone. Wake up each day determined to challenge yourself more than the day before. Become the best version of yourself in every area of your life. It will make you a strong entrepreneur who grows an amazing business.

4. Leverage today’s tools and opportunities. We are very fortunate to live in the internet age. More than 3.5 billion people log into the internet every day. About 2.46 billion people use social media every day. Today, you can access all the information you want -- about anything -- with a few strokes of your ﬁnger on

your smartphone. You can use software and technology that can take your business to the next level in months. Your business will experience explosive growth when you leverage all these opportunities. Leverage the power of the internet to market and give your business exposure to millions of people. You can get interviewed on podcasts about your business and write for large business and personal development publications. These two strategies alone will grow your audience and exposure. Use tools such as Wordpress, Clickfunnels, Hootsuite, Asana, Mailchimp, DocuSign and many more. You don’t need to understand and know how to use all of it. The goal is to leverage what makes sense for your growth strategy.

5. Surround yourself with entrepreneurs who push you. Your circle has an effect on how successful you become. One secret to becoming successful as your own boss is surrounding yourself with entrepreneurs who inspire and push you. You want those in your life who are just as hungry as you. People who are complacent will drag you down to their level quickly. Join a mastermind group. Network with local entrepreneurs doing great things where you live. Join Facebook groups with like-minded game changers. The point being: elevate your circle to become successful. Use these five essentials to help you build the business of your dreams and create a life of freedom.  Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/-5essentials-for-succeeding-when-you-be/f6d20af1f5e%2Fentrepreneur.com

62  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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 8, 2018 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.

Thanks For Your Support!

72  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Small Business Conference

www.smallbusinessconference.energy.gov

Registration is now open for the 17th Annual U.S. Department of Energy Small Business Forum & Expo (DOE2018), May 22-24, 2018 at the Westin Galleria Houston, Houston, Texas.

he DOE Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization created the Annual DOE Small Business Forum & Expo to connect the agency's offices, power administrations, laboratory and technology centers, and prime contractors with small business entrepreneurs to meet the mission needs of the Department of Energy (www.doe.gov).. DOE2018 is a great way for small businesses to network and discuss their services and solutions with agency procurement officials, small business program managers and prime contractor representatives already working within DOE. DOE2017 brought in over 800 attendees and over 100 exhibitors! Of those in attendance, 30% were representatives from government agencies, large businesses, and industry. Register now and become part of the Department of Energy's mission.

For more information, visit smallbusinessconference.energy.gov.

www.

Registration Fees: Early Bird Rate - $299 (expires Feb. 28, 2018) Regular - $379 (till 5/19/2018) Onsite - $449 (5/20/2017 to on-site) For Registration and General Information: Mr. Earl Morgan Hotline: (571) 297-4006 Email: InfoDOE@aetherquest.com

Set-Aside Alert For more information about Set-Aside Alert, the "eyes and ears" of small business federal contractors, visit our website at www.setasidealert.com. Or contact Tom Johnson, Publisher at tjohnson@setasidealert. com. 

75  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

A Higher Loyalty: Truth,

Welcome to More.

Lies, and Leadership

n his forthcoming book, former FBI Director James Comey shares his never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government, exploring what good, ethical leadership looks like, and how it drives sound decisions. His journey provides an unprecedented entry into the corridors of power, and a remarkable lesson in what makes an effective leader. Mr. Comey served as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama. H e previously served as U.S. A t t o r n ey for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. Deputy Attorney General in the administration of President George W. Bush. From prosecuting the Mafia and Martha Stewart to helping change the Bush administration's policies on torture and electronic surveillance, overseeing the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation as well as ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, Comey has been involved in some of the most consequential cases and policies of recent history. 

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.amazon.com/dp/B074J6F41V/ref=dpkindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

78  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business

www.ustda.gov

King Remembrance OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

85  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

Roc Nation Announces Investment in Anti-Incarceration Program By sourcestaﬀ

Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter of Roc Nation

ay-Z has announced that Roc Nation will be investing an anti-incarceration program called Promise. The app-based program is a new technology and community supervision service that aims to reduce prison populations. The program is available today, by creators Phaedra Lamkins and Diana Frappier. Promise will provide ﬁnancial assistance to those who cannot aﬀord bail, and help them with their

court obligations. The app will track what they are doing by participation purposes and important dates on a unique calendar for counseling. “Promise will help government agencies support those who would otherwise be in custody or who are on some form of community supervision-namely probation or parole,” the company said in a press release. “We are increasingly alarmed by the injustice in our criminal justice

system,” Shawn ‘JAY-Z’ Carter said in a statement. “Money, time and lives are wasted with the current policies. It’s time for an innovative and progressive technology that oﬀers sustainable solutions to tough problems. Promise’s team, led by Phaedra, is building an app that can help provide ‘liberty and justice for all’ to millions.”  http://thesource.com/2018/03/20/rocnation-announces-investment-in-antiincarceration-program/

86  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

Lakers Unveil Statue of Elgin Baylor Outside Staples Center By ALEX VEJAR

he Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of Elgin Baylor before recent home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Baylor's statue became the sixth that decorates the front of Staples Center, joining Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West and Chick Hearn. "I certainly appreciate all the wonderful things people have said about me," Baylor said. "But without the wonderful teammates, (this) certainly wouldn't have been possible. I'd just like to thank my teammates." The Lakers selected Baylor ﬁrst overall in the 1958 NBA draft. He averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds in 14 seasons for the franchise, including the ﬁrst two

when it played in Minneapolis. Various Lakers alumni spoke during Baylor's ceremony, including O'Neal, Johnson, West and AbdulJabbar. Johnson said Baylor put entertainment into the NBA, and will always remember that Baylor set the Finals record for single-game points against the Boston Celtics on the road. "You did some things that Dr. J, Michael Jordan, Kobe (Bryant), myself, we couldn't do," Johnson said. "I tried to do it. I just couldn't hang that long in the air." Bryant provided his message to Baylor via video. "I've stole so many of your moves, it's not even funny," Bryant said. West held back tears when speaking about the friendship between him and Baylor. The two played together in Los Angeles.

"This is one of the greatest men I've ever met in my live," West said. Baylor was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977. He made the NBA All-Star team 11 times, and won the All-Star Game MVP Award in 1958-59, the same year he was Rookie of the Year. Baylor was named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times in his career, and holds the all-time record for most points in an NBA Finals game (61). Baylor was the ﬁrst player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in a game. He scored 71 against the New York Knicks on Nov. 15, 1960.  www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/ lakers-unveil-statue-of-elginbaylor-outside-staples-center/arAAvzEyg?ocid=spartanntp

87  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

Books Allow Kids Facing Adversity to Feel like Superheroes By Claire Ballentine, dyslexia, homelessness, and obesity. Oyejide, who lives in Raleigh, has written roughly 50 books over the past seven years and selfpublishes them through Amazon. He estimates that he's reached about 200,000 elementary and middle school-age kids. "They all feature kid superheroes that have to overcome some adversity that makes them feel less than," Oyejide said. Growing up in Nigeria, Oyejide was shy and

introverted, and he felt isolated from his more-outgoing peers. But he gained confidence through reading Spider-Man comic books. Peter Parker was an awkward kid, too. The boys who picked on Peter were the ones he was saving after school as Spider-Man. "That spoke to me because it said, I don't know what my superpower is, but there is hope that one day I will also be able to go out and make a difference," Oyejide said. When Oyejide became a father - his sons are 7 and 10 now - he realized that he needed a way to impart these life lessons to his kids. Writing was a bit of a career shift for Oyejide, who came to the United States when he was 17 to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta. He studied computer science and had a long career working for companies like IBM and Red Hat. However, he faced setbacks when he was laid off three times, a harsh break for a high-achiever who always got good grades in school. His wife encouraged him to take a

Bolaji Oyejide lives in Raleigh with his family. © Courtesy Bolaji Oyejide/ Raleigh News & Observer/TNS

olaji Oyejide was not a social butterﬂy growing up, but reading comic books inspired him to have conﬁdence in his own talents. Now, he's working to pass on that lesson through a series of adventure stories about uncommon superheroes. Called "Brave Young Heroes," the books feature underdog kids who overcome conditions such as autism, anxiety, asthma, 88  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

break from his corporate career and write the superhero books, which he had been talking about for years. "It turned into post-traumatic growth," he said. "The greatest successes are formed through our failures." A superhero in one book can fly but is terrified of heights. Another who lives in Egypt can control sand but has asthma. Through social media, Oyejide has received feedback from readers around the world. He learned that one mother in France reads the books to her 5-year-old daughter every night, translating the text from English to French. "It's fascinating to watch the mixture of cultures," he said. "We're making sure these kids build resilience and empathy." Oyejide noted that kids around the world need both "mirrors and windows." Mirrors are heroes that kids can relate to because they look like them. Windows can give kids the ability to look into someone else's life and identify with that person, despite their differences. For instance, Oyejide learned about a Hispanic child at his son's school who did a book report on one of the Brave Young Heroes books. Instead of choosing the book featuring a Hispanic hero, the student reported on a story featuring an Egyptian girl. Muriel Summers, principal of A.B. Combs Elementary in Raleigh where Oyejide's children attend, said the books appeal to kids because they show that we all have the power to make a difference. "The books send a message that you are in charge of you and that you can do great things," she said. "You don't have to wear a costume, you don't have to have superhero powers, you can do greatness with just who you are." She said Oyejide has donated

his entire collection of books to the school library and often visits to speak with students. To expand the books' reach, Oyejide is launching a new eﬀort this year to create 12 new superheroes, each representing disadvantaged or displaced kids in countries around the world. The countries include Dominica, Kenya, Haiti, Iran, and Afghanistan.

Oyejide hopes to ﬁnd a way to help with the global refugee crisis, in which more than 50% of displaced people are children, according to UNICEF. "That was absolutely heartbreaking to me," he said. "There are a lot of organizations that will provide basic needs like food, clothing and shelter, but what about the emotional resilience? What about these kids holding onto hope?" School shootings also weighed on him. He said too often the kids responsible are labeled as loners or

weird. "When society appreciates what makes us unique, if we feel appreciated, weird kids can grow up to change the world," he said. To promote the books, Oyejide plans to travel to the 12 countries, starting with Dominica. He's also traveling to Germany in June to visit a refugee camp with kids from Syria, Iran and Afghanistan. His mission is to help kids ﬁnd their identity and inspire them to change the world one day. "It's not what happens to us, it's what we do with it," he said. "These kids that go through trauma, they can get through it." Visit The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) at www. newsobserver.com.  www.msn.com/en-us/news/goodnews/books-allow-kids-facingadversity-to-feel-like-superheroes/ ar-BBKz6O3?ocid=spartandhp

89  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

Guidebook Maps the Legacy of Black Women on Chicago's South Side By Lolly Bowean

ith its boarded-up windows and rusting wrought-iron fence, the abandoned three-story mansion in the 4700 block of South King Drive doesn't look historically significant. But in the 1930s, the elegant greystone was where Melissia Ann Elam, a woman born into slavery and later emancipated, provided housing and social services to other black women and girls who came to Chicago during the first wave of the Great Migration.

For years, this site and others where black women labored to serve their South Side communities have gone unnoticed, blending into the urban landscape. But two women plan to release a guidebook that maps where more than 40 black women landed during the 1800s and early 1900s and worked to transform life for AfricanAmericans. Some, like social justice crusader and journalist Ida B. Wells, poet and Pulitzer Prize winner,

© Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune/TNS Author Essence McDowell at the Melissia Ann Elam Home for Working Women and Girls at 4726 South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Chicago, Ill. McDowell is co-author of a book "Lifting as They Climbed…

Gwendolyn Brooks, and pilot Bessie Coleman, remain well known. But most of the women in the book, "Lifting as They Climbed," have faded into history, even as their work in medicine, the fine arts, strategic organizing and housing continues to touch lives. "It has bothered me that black women's intellectual contributions ... have been marginalized or always connected to forces of suffering," said Mariame Kaba, one of the authors. "People haven't taken the time to really know black women, in our fullness as three-dimensional human beings," she said. "I want people to think about what these women did, the stories they told, the music they made, the institutions they built and how it's connected to black women's lives today." The project is tied to Women's History Month, but also comes during a national conversation about how black women's contributions have been erased from history and what that has meant for women who have followed in their footsteps. There are tours that highlight historical landmarks important to the black community in Bronzeville and Pullman. But this project is unique because it is centerd on significant women - and specifically points to their homes, churches, schools and businesses across South Side neighborhoods. For example: the crumbling three-flat in the 6100 block of South Rhodes where writer Lorraine Hansberry grew up in the 1930s. It inspired the play "A Raisin in the Sun." The book is meant to take visitors into Woodlawn, Grand Crossing,

90  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

and Hyde Park for a self-guided tour. Some of the buildings still exist, while others are now vacant lots. Few have markers explaining their historical significance. "I want young girls to visit these places and see what black women built," Kaba said. "I want people to take this book and travel their own city and go to places they don't normally visit. I'm hopeful that people will read these stories and get excited to learn more about black women's contributions." The guidebook was the brainchild of Kaba, who moved to Chicago in 1995. An educator and social justice organizer, Kaba realized as she traveled around the city that she was following in the footsteps of other black women. "Chicago has shifted and communities have changed so many times, the neighborhoods aren't the same," Kaba said. "But what happened to the people that were here before us? We walk by places and don't know the history." In her personal time, she began to research women like Emma Jane Atkinson, who moved to Chicago in 1847, became an abolitionist and helped provide food, clothing and shelter to runaway slaves. She learned about Fannie Hagen Emanuel, who arrived to Chicago in the mid-1880s and opened a settlement home for black girls

where she taught them how to sew, cook and develop other skills so they could find work. At 41, Emanuel went to medical school and became one of the country's first black doctors serving black women. In 2012, Kaba helped design a tour that mapped the history of captivity and confinement of black people in America. After that project, she decided she would turn her research on Chicago's black women into a tour, too. But in 2015 she relocated to Brooklyn, N.Y., and her project came to a halt. Before abandoning it, she put out a call on social media asking if anyone would like to take it on. "A lot of people responded and folks started asking, 'How can we help?' " she said. One woman offered to help cover the costs of publishing and another offered access to historical archives. But it was Essence McDowell who vowed to do whatever it took to get it done. McDowell said the project came just as she was exhausted from her activist work. She was sitting on boards, marching in protests and helping younger activists develop organizing strategies. Her volunteer work stretched her thin, and she wondered if she was being effective. "I felt like I was doing everything I could, but I needed to pause and take inventory," she said. Together, McDowell and Kaba developed a list of women they wanted to highlight. With research the list grew, in part because one woman's story would carry them to another woman's story. They narrowed their list, focusing on the South Side and women with a range of different backgrounds. "These black women created a road map, a blueprint for how to build in a community," McDowell

said. "These women didn't care what people thought of them, they didn't let racism stop them, they didn't let the threat of violence, didn't let social structures, stop them." Neither of the women was paid for producing the book and they worked on it between their full-time jobs. McDowell visited every site. She helped write and edit the short biographies of the women included. She searched archives for images of the women, designed the book and helped organize a one-time tour the two women will lead based on its content. On a recent afternoon, McDowell visited three of the locations. A neighbor who has long lived across from Emanuel's former home admitted she had never heard of the woman. Outside of Hansberry's former place, a resident said she sees visitors stop and take photographs, but didn't understand why. "I wish it was fixed up," the woman said about the building. McDowell stood outside the former Elam House and let her eyes roll from the ground to the castlelike roof, taking in the fullness of the majestic mansion with its intricate stone carvings. She imagined what it must have felt like for a woman who had seen firsthand the brutality of slavery to own a mansion where black women could find asylum. McDowell said the project reenergized her. "I consider these women my family now," she said. "There's Mama Elam. Mama Emanuel. Mama (Roberta Evelyn Winston) Martin. These women are a part of me and part of our city." The book is available online at www.chicagoblackwomentour. com. Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com  www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/ guidebook-maps-the-legacy-of-blackwomen-on-chicagos-south-side/arBBKz0kk?ocid=spartandhp

91  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Linda Brown, Central Figure in School Segregation Case, Dies Associated Press

challenge segregation in public schools before the Supreme Court, and Brown's father, Oliver Brown, became lead plaintiff.

s a girl in Kansas, Linda Brown's father tried to enroll her in an all-white school in Topeka. He and several black families were turned away, sparking the Brown v. Board of Education case that challenged segregation in public schools. A 1954 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court followed, striking down racial segregation in schools and cementing Linda Brown's place in history as a central figure in the landmark case. Her sister, Cheryl Brown Henderson, founding president of The Brown Foundation, confirmed the death to The Topeka Capital-Journal. She declined comment from the family. Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel at NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., said in a statement that Linda Brown is one of a band of heroic young people who, along with her family, courageously fought to end the ultimate symbol of white supremacy — racial segregation in public schools. "She stands as an example of how ordinary schoolchildren took center stage in transforming this country. It was not easy for her or her family, but her sacrifice broke barriers and changed the meaning of equality in this country," Ifill said in a statement. The NAACP's legal arm brought the lawsuit to 92  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Several black families in Topeka were turned down when they tried to enroll their children in white schools near their homes. The lawsuit was joined with cases from Delaware, South Carolina, Virginia and the District of Columbia. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that separating black and white children was unconstitutional because it denied black children the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law. "In the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place," Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote. "Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." The Brown decision overturned the court's Plessy v. Ferguson decision, which on May 18, 1896, established a "separate but equal" doctrine for blacks in public facilities. "Sixty-four years ago, a young girl from Topeka, Kansas sparked a case that ended segregation in public schools in America," Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer said in a statement. "Linda Brown's life reminds us that by standing up for our principles and serving our communities we can truly change the world. Linda's legacy is

This undated file photo, shows Linda Brown, the Kansas girl at the center of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down racial segregation in schools.

a crucial part of the American story and continues to inspire the millions who have realized the American dream because of her." Brown v. Board was a historic marker in the civil rights movement, likely the most high-profile case brought by Thurgood Marshall and the lawyers of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund in their decade-plus campaign to chip away at the doctrine of "separate but equal." "Her legacy is not only here but nationwide," Kansas Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis said. Oliver Brown, for whom the case was named, became a minister at a church in Springfield, Missouri.

He died of a heart attack in 1961. Linda Brown and her sister founded in 1988 the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research (www. brownvboard.org. www.facebook.com/brownfoundationks) . The foundation says on its webpage that it was established as a living tribute to the attorneys, community organizers and plaintiffs in the landmark Supreme Court decision. Its mission is to build upon their work and keep the ideals of the decision relevant for future generations. "We are to be grateful for the family that stood up for what is right," said Democratic state Rep. Annie Kuether of Topeka. "That made a difference to the rest of the world."  www.startribune.com/linda-brown-central-ﬁgure-in-schoolsegregation-case-dies/478008783/

93  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

DuShon Monique Brown Dies: ‘Chicago Fire’ Actress Was 49 By Denise Petski

uShon Monique Brown, known for her role as Connie, Assistant to Chief Boden, on NBC’s Chicago Fire, died Friday. The Cook County medical examiner’s office tells The Chicago Tribune. Brown died shortly after 12 PM at St. James Olympia Field Hospital. A cause of death is not yet known. Brown had played the key recurring character since the series launch in 2012. She previously played the role of Katie Welch on Fox’s Prison Break and recently guest-starred on Electric Dreams. Brown, a Chicago native,

was a longtime theater actor before segueing to television, having performed at the Goodman, Victory Gardens, Lookingglass, Drury Lane, MPAACT and Pegasus Players in Chicago. Her other TV also include guest spots on Empire and Shameless. In an interview last year with the website Hidden Remote, Brown that when she was first cast in the role of Connie on Chicago Fire, “my character didn’t even have a name. She was a noun. She was Secretary and it was a one-liner. What was

Cynthia Griffin, Veteran Los Angeles journalist, Dies at age 59 By William Covington

t is with profound sadness that the management and staff of Our Weekly announce the passing of longtime editor Cynthia

E. Griffin, who died March 29 after a lengthy illness. She was 59. Cynthia got interested in journalism while attending elementary school. She wrote articles for the school paper at 37th Street and Cienega elementary schools. She maintained her interest in journalism while attending Mount Vernon Middle School and Dorsey High School. Cynthia graduated with honors from Dorsey and matriculated to UC Riverside, transferring later to UCLA where she obtained her BA in Journalism in 1980. Cynthia signed on in 1980 with Entrepreneur magazine

exciting was (I) was auditioning for a Chicago show, but it was also the possibility that she could maybe develop into something.”  www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/ dushon-monique-brown-dies-‘chicagoﬁre’-actress-was-49/ar-BBKCTEF?li=B Bnb2gh&ocid=mailsignout

and website which focused on stories about entrepreneurship, small business management, and business in general. While there, Cynthia was in charge of publishing “how-to” manuals on business start ups and interviewing new business and franchise owners. She also worked for radio station KFWB. After leaving Entrepreneur Magazine, Cynthia interned for Los Angeles Times Home Magazine. When the magazine was discontinued, she joined Wave Newspapers as a staff writer. Cynthia arrived at Our Weekly in 2004 in serving as one of the original reporters and covered business and education stories. Prior to her sick leave late last year, she served as Assistant Editor and also mentored students in the Urban Media Foundation and also worked with USC's Annenberg School of Journalism. 

94  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

http://ourweekly.com/

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Cecil Taylor, pioneer of free-jazz movement, dead at 89 By Associated Press

In this April 14, 2016 file photo, pianist Cecil Taylor performs in an unannounced second set at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Taylor, who revolutionized jazz by launching the free-jazz movement. © The Associated Press FILE more details were provided. Taylor, born in New York on March 25, 1929, was known as one of the pioneers of the free jazz movement, and was seen as both a grounding breaking and uncompromising artist. Taylor released his first album, "Jazz Advance," in 1956. He was also known as a poet and would recite his poems at live shows. "Cecil had a magical touch on the keys and was a genius at the arts. He lives on through his uncanny ability to express his music and poetry in various forms of beauty, pain, injustice and peace," Wilner said in a statement to the AP. "He will always be remembered in the history of Jazz for his free-form improvisational notes. He will be missed by his family, friends and fellow musicians." bells.free-jazz.net Taylor returned to the stage in 2016 in New York City after years away, ecil Taylor, the visionary pianist who using a cane and holding his assistant's arm. He revolutionized jazz by launching the free-jazz received a standing ovation  movement in the late '50s, died Thursday at his www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/cecil-taylorhome in Brooklyn. He was 89. pioneer-of-free-jazz-movement-dead-at-89/arTaylor's legal guardian, Adam C. Wilner, confirmed AAvyS9n?ocid=spartandhp the death to The Associated Press by phone Friday. No

95  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Yvonne Staples of the Staples Singers Dead at 80 By NICOLE BITETTE

vonne Staples, the baritone voice behind the soul group Staples Singers, died in her hometown of Chicago. She was 80. Staples, who belted out hits like "Respect Yourself," "I'll Take You There" and "Heavy Makes You Happy," died at her home this week, the Chicago-Sun Times reported. She performed with her sisters Mavis and Cleotha, along with their father, guitarist Roebuck "Pops" Staples, in churches across the South Side of Chicago before cutting records and expanding beyond the Windy City in 1953. The group got their start in the '40s after Pops taught his three daughters to sing. Together, the group crossed the lines between gospel, pop, funk and soul. In 1999, the singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for delivering music with a message, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's website. "The Staples’ evolved from gospel music to soulful pop, delivering hits in both genres," the site reads. "The family group’s music was a vehicle for social activism, positive change and love." The Staples Singers' performance at the 1972 Wattstax festival, often dubbed the "Black Woodstock," was the highlight of a documentary about the event. Between 1971 to 1975, the Staples Singers cracked the Top 40 eight times. Yvonne's sister, Cleotha, the

Singer Yvonne Staples poses for a portrait at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on March 4, 2011. *Charley Galley/ Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards. Mavis Staples, Pops Staples, Cleotha Staples and Yvonne Staples pose for a portrait in 1977. © Michael Ochs Archives oldest of the Staples siblings, died in 2013 after a 12-year battle with Alzheimer's. She was 78. Mavis Staples, 78, is the only remaining Staples sister and is scheduled to perform at the Baton Rouge Blues Festival this Saturday. She also has an upcoming

concert at the Suffolk Theater in Riverhead, N.Y., in August. Pops Staples died on Dec. 19, 2000.  www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ music/yvonne-staples-staples-singersdead-80-article-1.3926096

96  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Africa Innovation Summit

June 6-8, 2018 Convention Center Kigali, Rwanda Information: www.AfricaInnovationSummit.com

The AIS is an Africa-wide and home grown initiative aimed at harnessing the innovation potential of the continent. It aims to mobilize the people and, especially those with the ‘power to act’, including investors, the people with the ideas, the policy makers, the researchers and academics, the business community, the youth, as well as innovators and thinkers into a coalition for collective action to promote and build an enabling environment for innovation in Africa. The goal is to engage as many people as possible in order to build a broad constituency in support of innovation in Africa. The basic fact is that Africa cannot outsource its development.

98  April 2018  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

99  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

African Leaders Sign Continental Free-trade Agreement

frican leaders have signed an agreement to set up a massive free-trade area to improve regional integration and boost economic growth across the continent. The deal to create the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was signed at an extraordinary summit in Kigali, Rwanda by representatives of 44 of the 55 African Union (AU) member states. "Our peoples, our business community and our youth, in particular, cannot wait any longer to see the lifting of the barriers that divide our continent, hinder its economic takeoff and perpetuate misery, even though Africa is abundantly endowed with wealth," said AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat. The agreement commits countries to removing tariffs on 90% of goods, with 10% of "sensitive items" to be phased in later. It will also liberalise trade in services and might in the future include free movement of people and a single currency. AfCFTA will now have to be ratified by individual countries. By creating a free-trade zone, African leaders hope to boost intra-Africa trade, which stands at around 10% of all trade across the continent. The list of countries that did not sign the agreement was not immediately available. Nigeria pulled out of the signing ceremony after President Muhammadu Buhari cancelled his attendance on Sunday. A statement at the time said the decision was made "to allow time for

broader consultations". The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had warned Buhari against signing the agreement, calling it a "renewed, extremely dangerous and radioactive neoliberal policy initiative". Buhari's decision to postpone signing was a setback for the deal as Nigeria is one of the continent's economic powerhouses. But analysts welcomed the agreement's potential to boost African economies. "In the long-run, the continental free-trade area has tremendous potential beneﬁt to all the member countries in boosting their trade and transforming their economies," Edward Brown, director at the African Centre for Economic Transformation, told Al Jazeera. "You're talking about 1.2 billion [people] with a combined GDP of $2.2 trillion, so it's a huge market," he added, referring to the AU member states. But others pointed to potential job losses and adverse eﬀects on the development of domestic manufacturing capabilities. "Competition tends to have a detrimental impact on wages in low-cost jobs, so countries need to think

100 April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

about how they're going to address that situation," said Eyerusalem Siba, a research fellow at the Brookings Institution's Africa Growth Initiative. Mahamat, the AU Commission Chair, said the aim was to have AfCFTA come into force by the end of this year. A second phase of negotiations will be held to cover investment, competition policy and intellectual property. "The devil is in the implementation," said Brown. "The countries are going to go back home and look at their rules and regulations and begin to reform them and to align them with the free-trade agreement. "It's going to take some time; this is the beginning of the process.  www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/ african-leaders-sign-continental-free-tradeagreement-180320180017027.htm Al Jazeera News l

101  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

http://usafricayes.com

102  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018 The Westin Los Angeles Airport 5400 W Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045 Tickets available online at: www.africanfocus.org or call 310.676.7300

International

The Only Non-Stop Flight from Chicago to Africa Will Begin in June By Katherine LaGrave

ome this summer, getting from the Midwest to East Africa will become significantly easier: On June 10, Ethiopian Airlines will begin nonstop service from Chicago's O’Hare International Airport to Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa on Boeing 787 aircraft. The thrice-weekly, 13-hour, 45-minute flight will be the only non-stop service between Africa and Chicago. "Chicago is the main hub of our Star Alliance partner, United Airlines, and the flight will be operated together with United to avail the best product for travelers from all over the U.S. connecting to more than 55 destinations in

Africa," Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said in a statement. "The flight will further boost the growing economic and people-to-people relations between the U.S. and Africa in general, and Ethiopia in particular by enabling greater flow of trade, investment and tourism.” Though years of conflict made Ethiopia a no-go for many until recently, the country has quickly become a destination for travelers drawn to its ancient history, jazz scene, and capital on the rise. Where to start in Addis? Tomoca Coffee, where beans are ground in vintage machines; the chaotic Merkato, Africa’s largest outdoor

market; Yilma, a siga bet, or raw meat house; and the new Addis Fine Art gallery in Bole. The best time to visit is from September to March—after the rainy season— but be sure to get out of the capital, too: the city of Gondar, the Simien Mountains, Bahir Dar, the Blue Nile, and the sacred rock churches of Lalibela should be on your list.  www.cntraveler.com/story/the-onlynon-stop-ﬂight-from-chicago-to-africawill-begin-in-june?mbid=nl_040918_ Daily&CNDID=38890654&secondary_ link=1&spMailingID=13282233&spUse rID=MTQ5NTc0OTAyMDYxS0&spJob ID=1380795146&spReportId=MTM4M Dc5NTE0NgS2

104 April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Brazil: Technical Assistance: Pernambuco Data Center and Broadband Network www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&i d=a7c1e771c6af001cb14feaaba5d73772&tab=co re&_cview=0 Deadline: April 30, 2018 India: e-Tender to Install Distribution Automation Test Bed and Situational Awareness Test Bed in Bangalore www.ustda.gov/business-opportunities/trade-leads/ india-e-tender-install-distribution-automation-test-bedand Deadline: May 1, 2018

Senegal: Supply of 10,000 Single-Phase Meters www.ustda.gov/business-opportunities/trade-leads/ senegal-supply-10000-single-phase-meters Deadline: May 02, 2018 Zambia: 100MW GET FiT Solar PV Tender RFQ https://www.ustda.gov/business-opportunities/tradeleads/zambia-100mw-get-ﬁt-solar-pv-tender-rfq Deadline: May 18, 2018 Mauritius: Setting Up of Waste-to-Energy Plant(s) https://ustda.gov/business-opportunities/trade-leads/ mauritius-setting-waste-energy-plants Deadline: June 08, 2018

Join USTDA at EXIM's 2018 Annual Conference. The event presents a unique opportunity for American small business exporters to grow their international sales. Featuring a combination of keynote remarks, plenary sessions, and interactive breakout sessions, attendees will hear from the brightest minds in business, economic policy, media, and government as they discuss their thoughts on the U.S. and world economies and the changing landscape of the global marketplace. They will also be able to meet and converse with experts in trade, government and banking. On Thursday April 19th, USTDA's Regional Director for Sub Saharan Africa, Lida Fitts, will be speaking on a panel detailing the Government Resources to Grow Your Small Business Exports along with representatives from the Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and EXIM Bank.

Learn more and remember to register: www.exim.gov/events/annual-conferences/2018 105 April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

konya

gi.co.t z

International

One Africa:

Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!

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

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

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

land should be excluded from African aﬀairs.

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

www.uniteafricans.org

Shopping Gallery

Find Maisha, Mala, Malina & Mhina at:

//malaville-toys.myshopify.com www.instagram.com/malavilledolls www.facebook.com/MalavilleMB

Zumo Learning System with Tablet e Zumo Learning System provides an accessible learning environment for children of all abilities. Zumo helps children fall in love with STEM.

www.zyrobotics.com info@zyrobotics.com

111  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

SUPER SOAKER

Toys R Us Amazon Wal-Mart Target and more...

112  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

www.fentybeauty.com

Skin Care for You om Smokey Robinson www.skinphonic.com

www.mentedcosmetics.com

https://ﬂawlesshair.com 114  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

https://marjani-beauty-company.myshopify.com

www.sheamoisture.com

@EleVenbyVenus elevenbyvenus.com

Artwear Handpainted Handbags, Skirts, Tees, Accessories, Calendars, Wall Hangings & More! http://gbabysworld.blogspot.com Gbabyartwear@hotmail.com or Gbabyart345@gmail.com Find Gbaby Products at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Collectiveâ&#x20AC;? http://www.atthecollective.com 280 Elizabeth Street, Atlanta, GA

https://www.tracyreese.com/ www.andreaiyamah.com

DigitalKente www.digitalkenteshop.com/ 117  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

TMBLR v1

a sneaker optimized for kids playtime

www.facebook.com/superheroic

www.pumafenty.com

"Sole Savers" Rollable Flat Shoes The perfect companion for any avenue, just throw them in your bag and go.

www.solesavers.co

I'm In Love With My Body And I wouldn’t change it for anything! At Nubian Skin we’re all about empowering women & embracing our colour, so loving our bodies is what we do best. We’re loving the bodysuit from the Naked Collection – it’s our product highlight this week! We’ve got something for every kind of body as our range is available from XS – XXL in our four beautiful nude shades. ere are so many ways you can wear it – see some of our favourites…

www.nubianskin.com

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 122  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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 Baron Williams 30 Years of Experience in the Greater Los Angeles Area Specializing in Exterior and Interior Painting, Tiling, Linoleum Flooring,

Cultural Interiors West &

Cordially Invited Cultural Interiors West 5573 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019

& Wall Paper

"I will paint any one story building or house for $2,500 satisfaction guaranteed."

1-323-490-3774

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

125  March 2018  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

126  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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 127  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Honey’s Kettle Fried Chicken is Incredibly Good By Shirley Hawkins

f you like biting into juicy, succulent, mouth watering chicken just dripping with fall-off-the-bone flavor, look no further than Honey’s Kettle Chicken located in downtown Culver City. People travel from miles around just to savor Honey’s Kettle Chicken, voted “Best Chicken in L.A.” by Los Angeles Magazine and the Huffington Post. And no wonder—its owner, chef Vincent Williams, has spent 45 years frying up millions of pieces of chicken just oozing with that unmistakable Southern flavor. Founded 17 years ago by husband-and-wife team Vincent and Arlene Williams, the duo only uses farm-fresh, hormone and antibiotic-free chickens dipped in a secret-recipe batter and fried in 100% peanut oil. The result is a light and crispy

battered fried chicken is nongreasy and made from scratch. ‘I fry about 600 pounds of chicken a day,” boasted Vincent, who said that he uses only the finest quality ingredients. He always keeps his ingredients top notch because one of his goals was to build “one of the greatest restaurants ever made.’’ The chicken will knock you out-but don’t forget to order Honey’s magnificent sides. If you like handmashed potatoes, freshly prepared. coleslaw, lip-smacking macaroni and cheese, sautéed green beans, scrumptious catfish, delectable corn on the cob, tasty pecan pie, iceshaker lemonade and homemade biscuits dripping with honey, make a bee-line to Honey’s. There is always a lunchtime crowd eagerly lined up and trailing out the door, patiently waiting to get their Honey ‘fix.’ Customers have been known to tear open their orders in the paper bag and start munching the crackling, golden pieces right there on the curb. Fans have even driven from as far away as Las Vegas and San Diego to bite into Honey’s famous bird, and celebrities such as rapper Kendrick Lamar, singers Keisha

Cole and Justin Timberlake, Queen Latifah, Stevie Wonder, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and former model Tyra Banks have all ordered from Honey’s. Believe it or not, William’s business was not an overnight success. “I went through 30 straight years of pure hell,’’ Williams recalls in his eﬀorts to keep his business aﬂoat. ‘’But my goal now is to build a multi-billion dollar company and to make sure to keep it in the family.” Williams is a long-standing member of the Black Business Association. ‘’The chicken is outstanding,’” said Earl ‘Skip” Cooper II, publisher and editor of the Black Business News and the CEO and president of the Black Business Association. “Their sides, including their mashed potatoes and green beans, are outstanding. And I really have a thing for their original blueberry biscuits.” Honey’s Kettle Fried Chicken is located at 9537 Culver Blvd. in Culver City. Open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Phone: 1-310-202-5453. Website: 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. 132  March 2018  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.

LOOK FOR US IN THE FROZEN FOODS SECTION!

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!

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

Delicious Southern Flavors At Home!

Whether you’re north or south of the Mason-Dixon line, east or west of the Mississippi, Grandma Maud’s gives you a taste of the South in your own kitchen.

Try our Recipes:

//grandmamauds. com/recipes

You’ll ﬁnd our Bean Meals, Southern Seasonings and Pie Fixin’s in supermarkets throughout the U.S.A. (Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s, Safeway and Kroger Stores) – and online at: (h ps://eyelevellink.com/collec ons/ vendors?q=Grandma%20Mauds) or call us at: 1-773-493-5353! 136  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Not Just Cookies NJC is a cookie company providing, natural desserts superior in quality and taste. Our cookies and pies are made with the finest ingredients. We offer select gluten free and vegan desserts that are rich in taste. Not Just Cookies is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) founded by Johnathon Bush.

e can cater for any event or party. We offer custom packaging for all of our cookies and pies to suit any need. Cookie platters also available. Corporate gifts, company parties, restaurants looking to outsource pastries, we're here for you. The menu: Turtle Cookies, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal, Butter Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin, Brownies, Snickerdoodle, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Ginger Cookies, Vegan Brownies, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip, Sweet Potato Pie, and Fruit Pies (apple, cherry, blueberry or peach). Visit www.notjustcookies.com for online shopping, store locations, shipping and catering details. Talk to us by calling: 1-800-833-4541 or send NJC an inquiry at: info@ notjustcookies.net. 137  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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

141  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

www.wosa.us www.winetalkwithmarcia.com

http://aaavintners.org

http://shallwewine.com

https://unclenearest.com

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

144  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BLACK WRITERS ON TOUR 2018 & SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BLACK BUSINESS EXPO Promoting literacy awareness, giving exposure to African-American authors, writers, motivating and developing aspiring new writers and authors. And, providing exposure and showcasing Black Businesses!

Dr. Rosie Milligan, Host & Founder

Activities Include: Mr. Ivy Stokes, Keynote Speaker •Workshops/Seminars Business/Financial Guru •Let the Elders Speak Forum 12:00 to 1:30 PM •Children’s Writing Contest

10 FREE Workshops for General Public FREE General Admission & Parking Saturday, April 21, 2018 9:00am to 6:00pm Carson Community Center 801 E. Carson Street, Carson, California 90746

For more information contact: Black Writers On Tour 323-750-3592 www.blackwritersontour.com

Literacy is Everybody's Business!

Books to Consider

Books to Consider...

Black Girls Rock!: Owning Our Magic. Rocking Our Truth by Beverly Bond (Editor) From the award-winning entrepreneur, culture leader, and creator of the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! movement comes an inspiring and beautifully designed book that pays tribute to the achievements and contributions of black women around the world. Fueled by the insights of women of diverse backgrounds, including Michelle Obama, Angela Davis, Shonda Rhimes, M i s t y Copeland, Y a r a Shahidi, and Mary J. Blige, this book is a celeb rat ion of black women’s voices and experiences that will become a collector ’s items for generations to come. Maxine Waters shares the personal fulfillment of service. Moguls Cathy Hughes, Suzanne Shank, and Serena Williams recount stories of steadfastness, determination, diligence, dedication and the will to win. Erykah Badu, Toshi Reagon, Mickalane Thomas, Solange KnowlesFerguson, and Rihanna offer insights on creativity and how they use it to stay in tune with their magic.

Pioneering writers Rebecca Walker, Melissa HarrisPerry, and Joan Morgan speak on modern-day black feminist thought. Lupita Nyong’o, Susan Taylor, and Bethann Hardison affirm the true essence of holistic beauty. And Iyanla Vanzant reinforces Black Girl Magic in her powerful pledge. Through these and dozens of other unforgettable testimonies, Black Girls Rock! is an ode to black girl ambition, self-love, empowerment, and healing. Pairing inspirational essays and affirmations with lush, newly commissioned and classic photography, Black Girls Rock!: Owning Our Magic and Rocking Our Truth is not only a one-of-a-kind celebration of the diversity, fortitude, and spirituality of black women but also a foundational text that will energize and empower every reader.  www.amazon.com/gp/product/1501157922/ ref=pe_1205910_278335020_em_1p_0_ti

Hang Time:

My Life In

Basketball

by Elgin Baylor

lgin Baylor's memoir of an epic all-star career in the NBA--during which he transformed basketball from a horizontal game to a vertical one--and his fights against racism during his career as a player and as general manager of the LA Clippers under the infamous Donald Sterling. People think of Elgin Baylor as one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game-and one of the NBA's first black superstars-but the full extent of his legacy stretches beyond his spectacular, gamechanging shots and dunks. With startling symmetry, Baylor recounts his story: flying back and forth between the U.S. Army and the Lakers, his time as a central figure in the great Celtics-Lakers rivalry and how he helped break down color barriers in the sport, his 1964 All-Star game boycott, his early years as an executive for the New Orleans Jazz, and twenty-two years as general manager for the notorious L.A. Clippers and Donald Sterling, spent fighting to draft and sign young, black phenoms--only to be hamstrung

147  April 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

by his boss at every turn. No one has seen the league change, and has worked to bring change, more than Baylor. Year after year, he continued to fight and persevere against racism. At the beginning of his career, he was forced to stay in separate hotel rooms. From those days to today's Elgin Baylor espn.com superstardom, he has had a frontrow view of the game's elevation to one of America's favorite sports. For the first time, Elgin Baylor tells his full story. He's played with the legends, lived with them, and knows more about the NBA than anyone living, and is finally ready to set the record straight.  https://dpl.bibliocommons.com/item/ show/1704147094_hang_time_my_life_in_basketball

Perfect Is Boring: 10 Things My Crazy, Fierce Mama Taught Me About Beauty, Booty, and Being a Boss by Tyra Banks and Carolyn London Supermodel and super CEO of our time Tyra Banks and her mother Carolyn show readers why when you kick perfection to the curb and showcase your unique beauty ain’t nobody gonna stop you! In Perfect Is Boring, Tyra Banks and her mother, Carolyn, get raw, real and cray-in-a-good-way as they share what they’ve learned on Tyra’s journey from insecure preteen to supermodel and entrepreneurial powerhouse. Though she’ll be the first to tell you she is not her daughter’s best friend—‘cause she ain’t that kinda mama!—there’s no doubt that Carolyn’s signature mix of pep talks and tough love got Tyra to where she is today, and here they pay it forward to empower readers with a reminder that perfect really isn’t all that. Whether they’re writing about watching Tyra’s most imperfect moment go viral (Does “Be Quiet Tiffany!”

ring any bells?), no-holds-barred sex talks or how they’ve overcome everything from fashion industry discrimination to media fatshaming and a misguided attempt at a music career, they never lose their sense of humor or we-gotyour-back-spirit. Full of smart, wise, and often hilarious lessons for mothers, daughters, fathers and sons everywhere—including “Take Responsibility for Yourself,” “Lip Gloss + Pizza Sauce = Boss,” and “Fix It or Flaunt It”—Perfect Is Boring is a must-read for anyone who needs a kick in the booty, a pat on the back, or a good reason to laugh-out-loud. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/561936/ perfect-is-boring-by-tyra-banks-and-carolynlondon/9780143132301

Hey A.J. It’s Bedtime! by Martellus Bennett

t’s A.J.’s bedtime, but when there’s a party in your room, it’s hard to get some rest. And everyone knows A.J. and her friends Martellus Bennett party the best! sportsmockery.com Unbox the party and join the fun with Hey A.J., It’s Bedtime! Available in paperback and limited deluxe boxed-set editions. Our Deluxe Boxed-Set Edition is a great gift! We’ve gone the extra mile to provide an embossed UV package with a magnetic hinged lid and a black satin puller ribbon. Inside you will find a Hardback version of “Hey A.J. It’s Bedtime” with a midnight blue glitter

148  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Books to Consider

cloth and glossy blue foil blocking with debossing. With everything perfectly sealed in a dust jacket that has gloss lamination and aqueous varnishing, this is the perfect gift for any occasion – whether it’s bedtime or party time!  www.theimaginationagency.com/shop-categories/ books/hey-aj-its-bedtime/#

I Am Enough by Grace Byers (Author), Keturah A. Bobo (Illustrator) I Am Enough is the picture book everyone needs, and it's now a New York Times bestseller!

his is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another—from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo. This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and Grace Byers graduation. theunusualbymcm.wordpress.com

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.  www.amazon.com/I-Am-Enough-Grace-Byers/ dp/0062667122

149  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBA 2018 Master Planner April All About Supplier Diversity Certification Business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs learn about supplier diversity certifications, which certifications they are eligible for, how to apply; and how to leverage certifications for contracting opportunities. This workshop is conducted in collaboration with Thomas & Webster. For particiation and sponsorship information visit www. bbala.org and call 1-323-291-9334. 

tion with Thomas & Webster. For particiation and sponsorship information visit www. bbala.org and call 1-323-291-9334. 

June

May Veterans Business Summit Business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs learn about supplier diversity certifications, which certifications they are eligible for, how to apply; and how to leverage certifications for contracting opportunities. This workshop is conducted in collabora-

Annual Salute to Black Music In recognition of Black Music Month, this gala event salutes both the creative and business community of the Black Music and Entertainment industries. For particiation and sponsorship information visit www. bbala.org and call 1-323-291-9334. 

150  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Resource Vault Media/Information APO (Africa Wire®/MENA Wire®) -- www.apo-opa.com Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content Agency in Africa -- www.africa-interactive.com Africa is a Country -- www.africasacountry.com Africa News & Stories -- http://africatodaytv.com Africa Newsroom -- www.africa-newsroom.com Africa World Now Project -- www.africaworldnowproject.org 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 AfricaFocus -- www.africafocus.org Africast TV -- www.africast.tv The African World -- www.theafricanworld.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 Blavity Inc. -- www.blavity.com BridesNoir -- www.bridesnoir.com The Chocolate Voice -- www.thechocolatevoice.com CuisineNoir -- www.cuisinenoirmag.com Cybrary -- www.cybrary.it DiasporaVoice -- www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice How Africa, The Rise of Africa -- http://howafrica.com KweliTV -- www.facebook.com/kwelitv Macauhub -- www.facebook.com/Macauhub Publish Africa -- http://wow.gm/publishafrica Red Media Africa -- www.facebook.com/RedMediaAfrica Rock Me Africa -- //rockmeafrica.com YouTube Educational Channels -- http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know United Nations -- http://webtv.un.org WikiHow -- www.wikihow.com World Library -- www.worldlibrary.org

Commerce/Entrepreneurship #IAMWANDA -- www.facebook.com/IamWANDAorg African Success Stories -- www.risingafrica.org African Technology Foundation -- www.thea25n.com Black Female Founders -- www.blackfemalefounders. org Nigeria (Africa) ﬁnancial news -- //nairametrics.com 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 Black Emergency Managers Association International -- www.blackemergmanagersassociation.org CauseCast -- www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonproﬁts.com Community Healing Network -- www. communityhealingnet.org Pan African Film Festival -- www.paﬀ.org StayWoke -- www.staywoke.org United African Organization -- http://uniteafricans.org Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce -- www.zambiausachamber.org

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

Culture/Arts Cultural Events/Content -- www.okayafrica.com Hungry Black Man -- https://thehungryblackman.com Shadow & Act -- //shadowandact.com/about-us

151  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819



Resource Vault 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

152  March 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819