FINAL EDITION DECEMBER 2018

Page 1

Publisher's Message A Hope, Plan & A Future – An Expected End

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appy Holidays, and thank you for a year of your continued support throughout 2018. Even though there may have been times that we might have felt as though we were not going to make it, we did. I also acknowledge those friends, business partners and icons that we lost during 2018, Unfortunately, there Pubisher/Editor-In-Chief were more losses than can be listed here but please take a look at the images scattered throughout this column and pay homage to these and those that you knew and possibly loved.

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

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

Sarah Harris Dean L. Jones Phyllis Dixon

Winnie Mandela howsouthafrica.com

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s we start the New Year off better equipped and prepared than the prior year, I want to inspire and encourage you by sharing a few nuggets of wisdom that not only applies to our business community, but has broad application in all areas of our lives. 1. Faith & Family. Above all things faith and family are paramount. Building empires with no one to share with, or support you, is an exercise in vain glory…leaving a greater sense of fulfillment. 2. Define Your Exit Strategy. All business owners need to consider an exit strategy at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey. Once this has been addressed, the roadmap to build and accomplish your end goal becomes a lot more achievable. 3. Dealing with Fear. Quote from one of our Staff Writers Aretha Franklin – “Never be afraid of doing too much work – go the extra mile, theimproper.com it pays great dividends. 4. Support Each Other’s Businesses. Support comes in many forms. You can be supportive by providing referrals to each other, sharing business ideas that you come across that may be helpful to another business owner. Hunt together – source for business opportunities – combining capabilities strengthens your potential for more contracting opportunities. 5. Your Voice. Your voice is important. Get involved with organizations to keep abreast of legislative issues that will potentially be a positive for your business, or create challenges. Know your local elected officials. Put your public servants to work for you. 6. Goal Setting. Write down your goals, review your goals on a regular basis, update and modify as needed. When we don’t write our goals down and only talk about them, it’s called daydreaming. Hon. Kofi Anon 7. Respect Your Business. Respect the value of your lusakatimes.com workforce and your clients/customers. If you’re interested in starting a business, or shifting your current business’ focus to some other profitable business segments, the following is a list of top and growing

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 RobinsonGRAPHIC 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 © 2018 by Black Business News All Rights Reserved. The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein. 

see Publisher's Message on page 45 3  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

About

ABOUT THE BLACK BUSINESS NEWS GROUP‌ 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 aecting small businesses across the United States of America (USA), providing guides to greater access to ďŹ nancial capital, management eďŹƒciencies, business education, mentorship opportunities and social media networks. The goals of the Black Business News Group include: •

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

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

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exploring major public and private sector contracting methods to educate s. black-owned and operated enterprises. MĹ´Ĺ´Z ՗Â? ª€ŸŴŴ G @@

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or providing an aďŹƒrmative inuence for nemerging entrepreneurs by sharing inal novative design and creative cultural content that exposes them to the his-tory of black enterprises and urgess them to participate in the USA’s fu-ture.

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

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Black Business News Group Publications ď ƒBlack Business News ď‚łBlack Business News International ď ‘Black Business News Travel Africa

Contents

Black Business News…December 2018 3

Publisher's Message

Government 6 8 10 11

13

14

Hakeem Jeffries Elected to Lead Democratic Caucus, Karen Bass to Chair Congressional Black Caucus Rep. Bobby Scott Among Members Set To Chair House Committees UN Panel says the U.S. Owes Reparations to African-Americans 400 Years of AfricanAmerican History Commission 6 Ways to Use the 2019 USPS Promotions 27 to Your Advantage Voter Suppression and Racial Targeting: In Facebook’s and Twitter’s Words

Editorials/Perspectives 50 58

White Churches Have a Moral Responsibility to Stand Up A Year in Review Before we Move Forward

Entertainment 16

BBN Show Biz Buzz

Business 24 25 27 36 55

62

66

67

Instead of "Plus Size" Barack Obama Most Beloved Celebrity by Millennials Procter & 58 Gamble Acquires Walkerr & Company Company, Tristan Walker will Remain as CEO Byron Allen Bidding on Tribune Media?

Community/Public Interest 75 76

Minority Business Development Agency Awards Nearly $2 Million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities 400th Commemoration Year of Enslavement 1619-2019

Obituary/Memorials 78 79 80

Olivia Hooker, Coast Guard Pioneer, Race Riot Survivor Laid to Rest Wilfred DeFour, 100-yearold Tuskegee Airman, dies Nancy Wilson, Grammy Winning Jazz Singer, Dies at 81

International 82 84 86

African Stock Exchanges The Ebony Butterfly of Ballet Senegal Opens World’s Largest Black Civilisation Museum in Dakar

Columns

These YouTube Channels Prove the Service Can Inspire You and Help Grow Your Business Washington Post names Miki King Chief Marketing Officer 50 Former Players Form Freedom Football League 8 Tips for Creating Content That Creates Leads Why Serena Williams is Using This Word to Describe Her Latest Collection

42 Take A Look! 92 Shopping Gallery 94 Toys Toys Toys 104 Create Your Look 120 Adorn My Space 126 Set The Table 144 Books To Consider 151 BBA 2019 Master Planner 152 Resource Vault

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

58

Government

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks to members of the media after a session of House Democrats organizational meeting to elect leadership at the Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium November 28, 2018 in Washington, DC. Photo: Alex Wong (Getty Images)

Hakeem Jeffries Elected to Lead Democratic Caucus, Karen Bass to Chair Congressional Black Caucus By Monique Judge

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ith the Democrats taking over the House during the last election, it appears all the Congressional new blood is leading to new leadership across the board. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York will be the

new Democratic Caucus leader, and Rep. Karen Bass of California will be the new chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Jeffries, 48, beat former CBC chair Rep. Barbara Lee of California in a 123-113 vote according to The Hill. At 72, Lee would have been the first black woman to be elected to the post had she won. “I stand on the shoulders of people like Jim Clyburn … There’s

a great legacy of the Congressional Black Caucus,” Jeffries said after the vote. “It’s a proud moment for our community. But I’m focused on standing up for everyone.” As both The Hill and the New York Times note, Jeffries’ win is emblematic of the younger class of freshman Congress members who seem eager to shake things up, turning loose the old guard in favor of new voices and leadership. Even as Nancy Pelosi stands ready to resume her role as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House-which she did under President Obama-with the backing of Reps. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts, John Lewis of

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

The Honorable Karen Bass, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Georgia and Katie Hill of California, there are opponents of the 78-yearold who hope she will not have the 218 votes it will take to keep her position. Democrats have reportedly expressed concern about Pelosi, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, 79, and Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, 78, being the septuagenarian leadership of a party that is long overdue for a generational changing of hands. Meanwhile, the Congressional Black Caucus elected and announced its new chair. Rep. Karen Bass of California will be the 26th chair of the CBC, and the

eighth woman to hold the position. Outgoing CBC chair Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA) said in a release announcing Bass’s election. “From her days in the California General Assembly where she became the first African-American woman in U.S. history to lead a state legislative body, to her work in Congress to address both domestic and international issues affecting people of African descent, Congresswoman Bass has demonstrated tried and true leadership. I commend Congresswoman Bass on becoming the new chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. There’s much work to be done next Congress to ensure equality and justice for African

Americans and other marginalized communities, and I am confident Congresswoman Bass will continue to provide strong leadership in this regard.” The CBC also elected Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH) as 1st Vice Chair; Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) as 2nd Vice Chair; Congressman Hank Johnson (DGA) as Secretary; Congressman A. Donald McEachin (D-VA) as Whip; and Congressman-elect Steven Horsford (D-NV) as Parliamentarian.  www.theroot.com/hakeem-jeffrieselected-to-lead-democraticcaucus-kare-1830721783

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

Government - Prison Reform

Rep. Bobby Scott Among Members Set To Chair House Committees by Lauren Victoria Burke

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long with what could be nine new members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the CBC will also likely feature five new Chairmen wielding the gavel of five committees in the U.S. House. Rep. Maxine Waters is slated to chair the powerful House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Bobby Scott will be the Chairman of Education and the Workforce Committee, Rep. Elijah Cummings will Chair the Government Oversight Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson will Chair Homeland Security and Texas’ Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson will Chair the

Rep. Bobby Scott, Virginia

Rep. Elijah Cummings, Maryland committee on Science, Space and Technology. A leadership election will be held in the coming weeks to confirm the five as Chairs of the committees they are now the senior Democrat on. None are expected to be challenged. The gavel being held by five African-American members of Congress will give them the power to investigate, hire at least 30 new staff members each and control the policy agenda in the House. Two members who will very likely receive media

attention over the next two months in the lead-up to the start of the new Congress in January 2019 are Reps. Waters and Cummings. Rep. Waters has been a leading critic of the Trump Administration. She has been vocal not only against Trump’s policies but has led push back on fiscal policies that impact millions of Americans. Rep. Cummings will have the power to investigate Trump. With the power of the gavel as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Cummings will be able to subpoena Trump Administration officials. It will likely be a long two years as the 2020 campaign in discussed more vocally now that the 2018 campaign

8  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Rep. Maxine Waters, California

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Texas

is over. There is also likely to be at least nine new members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The

Rep. Bennie Thompson, MIssissippi

new CBC Chairs on five House Committees will likely enjoy support of their membership on the committees they chair – as well as

membership in the largest Caucus in the Congress.  http://thenewjournalandguide.com/ scott-among-members-set-to-chairhouse-committees/

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

Government

Joe Stewart and Patricia Bayonne-Johnson, both descendants of people sold as slaves by Georgetown University, arrive to hear about moves aimed at acknowledging and encouraging dialogue about the Jesuit-run university's ties to slavery in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 1, 2016. Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters

UN Panel says the U.S. Owes Reparations to African-Americans By Eugene Mason

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he United States owes African-Americans reparations for slavery, a recent report by a United Nationsaffiliated group said. The UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent said that compensation is necessary to combat the disadvantages caused by 245 years of legally allowing the sale of people based on the color of their skin. The U.N. group warned that the U.S. has not confronted its legacy

of “racial terrorism.” The report, which is non-binding, specified that reparations can come in a variety of ways, including educational opportunities, psychological rehabilitation, debt cancellation and formal apologies. Some institutions have started to take these steps. Georgetown University announced earlier this month it would offering free tuition for descendants of the 272 slaves that were sold in 1838 to help pay the university’s debts.

The U.N. report also linked past injustices to recent police killings of black men that have sparked protests across the U.S. “Contemporary police killings and the trauma that they create are reminiscent of the past racial terror of lynching,” the report said. The U.S. created a reparations plan in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War that stated that freed families would be granted “forty acres of tillable land” and a mule from the Union Army. The plan, proposed by Union General

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

Government - 400 Hundred Year Commemoration

400 Years of African-American History Commission By National Park Service

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n August 1619, 20 enslaved Africans were brought to Point Comfort in the English colony of Virginia. Point Comfort is now part of Fort Monroe National Monument. The 400 Years of AfricanAmerican History Commission Act, signed into law January 8, 2018, established a 15-member commission to coordinate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans in the English colonies. The Commission will meet at least three times a year. The Commission's purpose is to plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities throughout the United States that: • recognize and highlight the resilience and cultural contributions of Africans and African Americans over 400 years; • acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on the United States; • encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, artistic,

William T. Sherman after meetings with black community leaders in Savannah, Georgia, was reversed by President Andrew Johnson and the land was returned to plantation owners.  www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/ reparations-african-americans-un? fbclid=IwAR3M7xLfG2513dscxssT T0W1ZVG9PVT4FGi0xPZvTWLtSZPJmTCHnY4KDk Reprint from September 29, 2016

religious, and economic organizations to organize and take part in anniversary activities; • assist states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration; and • coordinate scholarly research about the arrival of Africans and their contributions to the United States. The Commission may also provide: • grants to communities and nonprofit organizations to develop programs; • grants to research and scholarly organizations to research, publish, or distribute information about the arrival of Africans in the United States; and • technical assistance to states, localities, and nonprofit

organizations.

Meetings The first meeting of the 400 Years of African-American History Commission will occur at Fort Monroe National Monument in Hampton, Virginia on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. For more information, please email Christine Lucero at e-mail us.

Members The Secretary of the Interior has appointed Commission members based on recommendations by Members of Congress, state governors, civil rights and historical organizations, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Park Service.

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see page 12

Government - 400 Hundred Year Commemoration Primary Members •

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Mr. Terry E. Brown, Superintendent, Fort Monroe National Monument, National Park Service, Virginia Mr. Lonnie G. Bunch III, Founding Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; former President, Chicago Historical Society; Former Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs, National Museum of American History, Washington, DC Mr. Ron Carson, CEO, Carson Black Lung Research and Education Center; Founder, Appalachian African-American Cultural Center; Former Black Lung Program Director, Stone Mountain Health Services, Pennington Gap, Virginia Ms. Kenya M. Cox, NAACP Kansas State President; Executive Director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, Office of the Governor, Wichita, Kansas Reverend Nora “Anyanwu” Cox, Minister and Founder, Holy Spirit Healing Ministry; Retired Nurse; Community Advocate and Activist, Wichita, Kansas Dr. Rex M. Ellis, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Former Vice President, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; Board of Trustees, Fort Monroe Authority, Williamsburg, Virginia Mr. Ted T. Ellis, Artist and Cultural Historian; Art Ambassador, National Juneteenth Organization, Friendswood, Texas (formally of New Orleans, Louisiana) Mr. Glenn M. Freeman, President, Omaha Chapter,

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Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, a patriotic civic organization; retired decorated Air Force Chief Master Sergeant; Omaha, Nebraska Dr. Joseph L. Green, Jr., Pastor and Co-Founder Antioch Assembly; Founder/ CEO, Josiah Generation Ministries; Founder, The 2019 Movement, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Mr. Hannibal B. Johnson, Attorney, Author, and Independent Consultant specializing in diversity and inclusion/cultural competence issues and non-profit governance, Tulsa, Oklahoma Mr. Kenneth S. Johnson, CEO, Johnson, Inc., Richmond-based marketing and communications firm; Board of Trustees, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia Mr. Bob Kendrick, President, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City, Missouri Mr. George K. Martin, Managing Partner, McGuireWoods law firm, Richmond office; Member, 2019 Commemoration (VA) Steering Committee, Richmond, Virginia Dr. Myron L. Pope, Vice President for Student Affairs, University of Central Oklahoma; Adjunct Instructor, Department of African and AfricanAmerican Studies, The University of Oklahoma; Advisory Board Member, Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, Edmond, Oklahoma

Jr., Superintendent, Petersburg National Battlefield, National Park Service, Virginia

Related Links •

400 Years of African-American History Commission Act (Public Law 115-102) - www. nps.gov/orgs/1892/upload/PLAW115publ102.pdf

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African American Heritage— stories of the African American experience preserved in our national parks and historic places - www.nps.gov/subjects/ tellingallamericansstories/ africanamericanheritage.htm

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Fort Monroe National Monument - www.nps.gov/fomr/ index.htm

Contact Information The Commission is administered by the National Park Service www.nps.gov. Christine Lucero, Commission Liaison 400 Years of African-American History Commission P.O. Box 210 Yorktown, VA 23690 1-757-856-1213  www.nps.gov/orgs/1892/ africanamericanhistorycommission. htm

Alternate Members •

Mr. Lewis H. Rogers,

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fineartamerica.coms

Government - Marketing Services

6 Ways to Use the 2019 USPS Promotions to Your Advantage By Summer Gould

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SPS promotions (https:// postalpro.usps.com/ promotions/2019_promotions)

are back for 2019. Do you have a planned marketing strategy to not only save money on postage, but really stand out? There are a variety of programs to choose from, so you should be able to find at least one that is a good fit for you. If you are planning mailings in 2019, why not participate in a promotion and save money on postage? Let’s take an in-depth look at each program:

6 Direct Mail Postage-Saving Promotions • Tactile, Sensory and Interactive Promotion — This program runs from Feb.1 to July 31. Use this program to highlight special finishing technologies that engage the senses. Some ideas are special visual effects, sound, scent, texture/tactile coatings and even taste. In addition, you can create interactive mail pieces, such as pop-ups, infinite folds or other dimensional aspects. This is a really fun one that can only be done with print marketing. • 2019 Emerging and Advanced Technology Promotion — This program runs from March 1 to Aug. 31. Use this program to engage customers and prospects by use of mobile technology in

direct mail. This can be done with QR Codes, augmented reality, NFC, video and more. This is a very powerful way to create a longer connection and increase the effectiveness of your message. • 2019 Earned Value Promotion — This program runs from April 1 to June 30. This will have a more limited application, because it is only for companies that use reply mail. If you use reply mail, use this program to save postage on each piece of business reply mail and courtesy reply mail you get sent to you. • 2019 Personalized Color Transpromo Promotion — This program runs from July 1 to Dec. 31. Use this program to add color marketing messaging on your bills and statements. Turn transactional mail into promotional pieces, also. • 2019 Mobile Shopping Promotion — This program runs from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31. Use this program if you are selling products during the holiday shopping season. By adding mobile technology to your mail that allows your customers or prospects to make a purchase or pursue other online shopping experiences, you can qualify to save on postage.

• 2019 Informed Delivery Promotion — This program runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. Use this program of Informed Delivery, which will send an email to people with a color picture of your mail piece to let them know what is coming in their mail box that day. You can even provide a clickable link so that people can start purchasing right then. Each of these promotions provides a 2% postage discount at the time of mailing, except for the earned value — which provides 3 cents, per piece returned. You can participate in as many of the promotions as you would like. Each promotion requires registration to

participate and reporting after the mailing is complete, but they are worth the savings. Are you ready to get started?  www.targetmarketingmag.com/ post/6-ways-to-use-the-2019-uspspromotions-to-your-advantage/#ne= 4a21b9167bf658408191e7c49140a 9aa&utm_source=today-%40-targetmarketing&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_ campaign=2018-12-13

13  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government - Investigations

Voter Suppression and Racial Targeting: In Facebook’s and Twitter’s Words By Tiffany Hsu

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report submitted to a Senate committee about Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election says that social media companies made misleading or evasive claims about whether the efforts tried to discourage voting or targeted African-Americans on their platforms. The report*, which is based largely on data provided to Congress by companies such as Facebook and Twitter, was produced for the Senate Intelligence Committee by New Knowledge, a cybersecurity company, along with researchers at Columbia University and Canfield Research. It found the Russian campaign focused on influencing African-Americans and also tried to suppress voting. Researchers wrote that the platforms “may have misrepresented or evaded in some of their statements to Congress” and that “it is unclear whether these answers were the result of faulty or lacking analysis, or a more deliberate evasion.” Here are some past statements from social media companies about Russian targeting of certain demographics and attempts to suppress turnout among Democratic voters.

Twitter In

statements submitted in September to the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of a hearing with Jack Dorsey, the Chief Executive of Twitter, the company said that it “unequivocally

condemns the use of our platform for any election interference activity.” Referring to Tailored Audiences, an advertising feature that can target certain users, the company said it had uncovered a voter suppression effort: “Twitter is not aware of any advertisements targeted with Tailored Audiences that appear to be designed to discourage any United States citizen from voting.” ■ In the same submission, Twitter elaborated on that statement, referring to the Russian Internet Research Agency, a notorious troll factory: “Twitter did not see that content created by the Russian Internet Research Agency that constituted voter suppression.” Twitter removed more than 10,000 accounts in September and October that were posing as those of Democrats and posting messages to discourage voting. The company said it had reviewed and removed hundreds of misleading posts about voting rights, including some suggesting that it is possible to vote via text message.

Facebook ■ In October, Facebook also submitted answers to questions from the Senate committee, including one that asked about advertisements that discouraged voting. Facebook said that its policies prohibit ads and other content from misrepresenting information about voting. The company said that it allows authorized advertisers who

confirm their identities and locations to run ads in the United States about elections. It did not directly answer questions about whether it knew of ads that focused on members of a particular race or political party. “Facebook is committed to transparency for all ads, including ads with political or issue content. Facebook believes that people should be able to easily understand why they are seeing ads, who paid for them, and what other ads those advertisers are running.” ■ When asked whether content created by the Russian Internet Research Agency was designed to discourage voters, Facebook told the Senate committee that “this is an assessment that can be made only by investigators with access to classified intelligence and information from all relevant companies and industries.” “Congress iss best bes estt placed to use the inform information mation we and and others provide to inform the e public p blic pu comprehensively compreh hensively and completely, co ompletely, which wh hic ich h iss why we provided d IRA ads and content to the Senate Sena ate Select Committee on Intelligence Intellige gence for ge review.”  www.nytimes.com/2018/1 www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/business/ 12/17/business/ russia-voter-suppression-facebookrussia-voter-supprression-facebookes twitter.html?utm_medium=techboard. twitter.html?utm_m medium=techboard tue.20181218.pro&utm_ tue. e.2 e. 20181218.pro&utm_ source=email&utm_content=&utm_ source=em maili&utm_content=&utm_ ma campaign=campaign *https://int.nyt.com/data/ documenthelper/533-read-report-internetresearch-agency/7871ea6d5b7bedafbf19/ optimized/full optimized/full.pdf#page=1 pdf#page=1 Image credits: 1000logos.net,

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

BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware

'Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse' Is Amazing Animated Masterpiece

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pider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is scheduled for December 14th release. The animation film features the voices of Shameik Moore as Mike Morales and Mahershala Ali as Uncle Aaron. The new film not only introduces an animated Spider-Man for theatergoing viewers, it does so in a wildly broad and complex way, featuring many different versions of Spider-Man and his spider-family from the comics. And it uses the most popular superhero in the world (yes, look at Spidey's merchandising and his enormous popularity in the Asia Pacific market) to set up potential sequels and spinoffs for an expanded universe of other animated films. If Into the Spider-Verse is a big hit -- and I think it will be -- then we are looking at the start of a new trend toward animated feature films based on popular mainstream superhero properties. Sony has already announced plans for an animated sequel to Into the Spider-Verse, as well as a tie-in animated film starring

Mahershala Ali

Shameik Moore

Spider-Woman and other women from the spiderverse.  www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2018/12/06/ spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-is-amazinganimated-masterpiece/#10c5b4203684

WVON Presents Chicago's Declining Black Population

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VON 1690AM, Chicago’s premier urban talk radio station will air a five-part radio docuseries on the declining Black population in what was once considered America’s Black Mecca. Exodus: Movement of the People, will chronicle the two migrations that occurred in the past century, which made Chicago home to more than 1.2 million Blacks and the series of occurrences which has caused the decline of nearly 300 thousand of its residents. WVON’s reporter and special assignment producer Josh McGhee wrote and produced the five-part series which includes exclusive interviews from a number of long-time residents, historians, demographers, and urban planners. All share insight and commentary on why African Americans are exiting Chicago in record numbers, resulting in the city loss of its 3rd place ranking to Atlanta, in total Black population of a major U.S. City.

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WVON’s Exodus series will air Monday thru Friday at 7:50 am, 11:50 am, 4:50 pm and 7:50 pm on WVON beginning December 9th thru December 13th, and can also be accessed live on the iHeart Digital Network App. A podcast of the series will also be made available for a limited time at www.wvon.com. For more details, contact Todd Ronczkowski at 773 336-3414. - MG Media. 

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2019 Golden Globe Nominations Include:

he Golden Globe Awards Show is scheduled to air on January 6, 2019 on NBC. The nominations were announced by Terry Crews, Danai Gurira, Leslie Mann and Christian Slater, Isan Elba, Meher Tatna, and Barry Adelman. In a record for diversity at the annual Golden Globes Awards, four of the 10 nominees in the two Best Picture categories this year have non-white directors. Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman," Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther," Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk" all were recognized d iin n th the e Be B Best estt P Picture-Drama ictu ict ic ture-Dra ture Dra rama ma category, while John M. Chu's "Crazy Rich Asians" made the cut in the Best Picture – Comedy or Drama competition. Best Motion Picture – Drama “Black Panther” “BlacKkKlansman” “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy "Green Book". Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama John David Washington, ("BlacKkKlansman") Best Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Regina King ("If Beale Street Could Talk") Best Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Mahershala Ali ("Green Book") Best Original Song – Motion Picture “All the Stars” (“Black Panther”) Best Director – Regina King successfulpeeps.wordpress.com Motion Picture Spike Lee (“BlacKkKlansman”) Best Animated Feature "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse" Best Screenplay – Motion Picture Barry Jenkins (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie (“Green Book”) Best Original Score – Motion Picture Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther”) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Donald Glover ("Atlanta") Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Regina King (“Seven Seconds”) Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television Thandie Newton ("Westworld)  www.msn.com/en-us/tv/golden-globes/ golden-globe-nominations-complete-list/arBBQzQj3?ocid=spartanntp

American Film Institute (AFI) Top 10 Films Announced

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he American Film Institute’s annual list highlighting the top 10 movies of the year includes multiple awards frontrunners. Given its foreign-language status, Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” see page 17 17  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBN Show Biz Buzz from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 17

landed a Special Award from the American Film Institute film jury. Otherwise two juries — which are a mix of critics, academics, and film professionals — celebrate the best of American cinema and television. AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR “BlackKklansman” “Black Panther” “Eighth Grade” “If Beale Street Could Talk” “The Favourite” “First Reformed” “Green Book” “Mary Poppins Returns” “A Quiet Place” “A Star Is Born” AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR “The Americans” “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” “Atlanta” “Barry” “Better Call Saul” “The Kominsky Method” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” “Pose” “Succession” “This Is Us” AFI SPECIAL AWARD “Roma” The annual AFI Awards luncheon (January 4) is a lovely untelevised gathering that brings the film and television industries together to celebrate the best of the year.  www.indiewire.com/2018/12/afi-awards-top-10-films-tv2018-roma-1202025280/

Viola Davis To Play First Black Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm In Amazon Biopic

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iola Davis is set to produce and star in the historical drama “The Fighting Shirley Chisholm” for Amazon Studios about the trailblazing political icon, according to Deadline. Davis’ production company, JuVee Productions,

Viola Davis Evan Agostini/Invision/AP which she co-runs with husband Julius Tennon, recently inked a first-look feature film deal with the streaming service. The film will be the inaugural project under the new deal, but not Davis’ first with the studio, as she recently wrapped production on the comedy “Troupe Zero,” which also stars Allison Janney and Jim Gaffigan. Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968 and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination four Troupe Zero years later. The Brooklyn-born politician, who died in 2005, was consistently a champion of progressive causes through her career, fighting against discrimination of black Americans, women and LGBTQ people. In recent years, Chisholm’s own legacy has been re-examined, most recently in the critically acclaimed 2004 documentary “Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed” about her presidential run. In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Chisholm a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.  www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/viola-davis-shirley-chisholmamazon-movie_us_5c004f75e4b08506231af9ca?ncid=f cbklnkushpmg00000047&utm_medium=facebook&utm_ source=bv_fb&ir=Entertainment&utm_campaign=hp_fb_ pages

Netflix is Creating its First Original African Series

18  December 2018 Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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Queen Sono

etflix is planting seeds in South Africa, creating its first original African series Queen Sono. The new show stars Quantico actress Pearl Thusi, who will lead the spy dramedy that begins production in 2019, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Thank you to Netflix for believing in this idea,” Thusi tweeted on Monday. “I cannot wait for every young woman, every woman on this continent

original series Netflix has planned for Africa as it expands its international market. "Over time our roots will get deeper in Africa and South Africa, and we're moving pretty quickly to that now, and plan to invest more in local content,” said Erik Barmack, Netflix vice president, international originals. Queen Sono is expected to hit the streaming service in 2019.  www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/12/netflixqueen-sono

Aretha Franklin Doc 'Amazing Grace' Picked Up by Neon

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mazing Grace — the documentary featuring late superstar Aretha Franklin — has been picked up by NEON in time for an awards play. NEON is planning an early 2019 theatrical release following the film's Oscar-qualifying run in NY and LA.

Pearl Thusi kogut.oglobo.globo.com

and actually this planet to meet Queen Sono. We have worked so hard on this and I cannot wait.” Director Kagiso Lediga and Executive Producer Tamsin Andersson, who Kagiso Lediga are behind the channel24.co.za Johannesburg-based movie Catching Feelings, are helming the series. Thusi also starred in that Netflix drama. "We are delighted to create this original series with Netflix, and are super excited by their undeniable ability to take this homegrown South African story to a global audience,” Lediga said. “We believe Queen Sono will kick the door open for more awesome stories from this part of the world.” In the series, Thusi will play a trained South African spy who takes on dangerous missions while also juggling her personal life. It’s the first of several new

Aretha Franklin ebony.com Amazing Grace is a concert film that tracks Franklin's return to gospel music in 1972 with the choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, when the legendary queen of soul was 29 years old and at the peak of her vocal powers. Franklin died this August at the age of 76, after which the singer's family and filmmakers came to an

19  December 2018 Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

see page 20

BBN Show Biz Buzz from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 20

agreement. Sabrina Owens, Franklin’s niece and personal representative of the Aretha Franklin Estate, said in a statement: “Amazing Grace is the heart and soul of Aretha Franklin. This film is authentic and is my aunt to her core. Our family couldn't be more excited for audiences to experience the genius of her work and spirit through this film." Alan Elliott produced Amazing Grace alongside Joe Boyd, Chiemi Karasawa, Rob Johnson, Sabrina Owens, Tirrell D. Whittley, Jerry Wexler and Joseph Woolf. The deal was negotiated by NEON and Endeavor Content on behalf of filmmakers. 

foreign tally to $261.3 million. “Aquaman” — starring Jason Momoa — opens in the U.S. on Dec. 21. “Spiderbirthmoviesdeath.com Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” amassed $21 million when it debuted in 44 markets. Sony’s take on the Marvel character launched in North America with $35.4 million, ranking

www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/arethafranklin-doc-amazing-grace-picked-up-by-neon/arBBQEKCP?ocid=spartandhp

Aquaman and Spider-Verse Do Well Boxoffice Wise

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hings are going swimmingly at the box office for “Aquaman” as the Warner Bros.’ superhero flick hits another major milestone overseas. James Wan’s take on the ruler of the seven seas just passed $250 million internationally, and a weekend haul of $126.4 million from 43 territories brings its

Jason Mamoa fortressofsolitude.co.za

as the best start for an animated movie in December.  https://variety.com/2018/film/news/aquaman-box-office250-million-1203090919/

Black Business News Group

21  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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‘The Magic & The Marvel’: Wayne Shorter Among 2018 Kennedy Center Honorees By Michael J. West

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ver the course of his fruitful career, prolific saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter has amassed numerous accolades, including an NEA Jazz Masters fellowship, induction into the DownBeat Hall of Fame and the Recording

Academy’s Special Merit Award for lifetime achievement. Now, he is a member of the 2018 class of Kennedy Center Honorees—and according to his admirers in the jazz world, it’s about time. “It’s long overdue,” said vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, walking the red carpet prior to the Dec. 2 Honors gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. “Wayne is a musical genius.” Bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding echoed the sentiment: “It feels long overdue. I think we all recognize him every day, but it’s really beautiful to amplify his magic on this scale.” Spalding was among the musicians who paid tribute to Shorter from the stage of the Kennedy Center’s Opera House, where the 85-year-old saxophonist was feted alongside his fellow honorees: country music star Reba McEntire, classical composer Philip Glass, singer-actress Cher and the creative team behind the musical Hamilton (writer-actor LinManuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail, choreographer Andy Blakenbuehler and music director Alex Lacamoire). The onstage segment paying tribute to Shorter began with an ensemble that included pianists Herbie Hancock and Danilo Pérez, saxophonists Joe Lovano and Tineke Postma, bassists John Patitucci and Alphonso Johnson, drummers Brian Blade and Terri Lyne Carrington, and percussionist Alex Acuña. The band, led by Carrington as musical director for this portion of the program, performed a medley of Shorter compositions, including “Footprints,” “Elegant People,” “Joy Ryder,” “Over Shadow Hill Way” and Spalding’s vocal arrangement of “Endangered Species.” Opera singer Renée Fleming followed with a bravura performance of Shorter’s orchestral piece “Aurora” (with lyrics taken from Maya Angelou’s poem “On the Pulse of Morning”). Pianist Jason Moran (the Kennedy Center’s Artistic Director for Jazz) and guitarist Bernie Williams also paid tribute to Shorter in short speeches from the stage. “Wayne Shorter is an icon,” Moran said. “Many of his hundreds of compositions have become standards. I can safely say that right now, at a jam session somewhere in the galaxy, a band is playing one of his pieces.”

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

Kennedy Center

Wayne Shorter performs at Kennedy Center Honors program acknowledging Herbie Hancock in 2014

More praise for Shorter came in video form, first through footage taken the previous evening at the State Department Trustees dinner, hosted by Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan. At the dinner, honorees received their official medallions. “If jazz music traces and describes our voyage on Earth, then Wayne has written a colorful and fertile encyclopedia,” said Hancock, Shorter’s friend and collaborator of more than 50 years. “His interests lie way outside of the mainstream, and the word ‘safe’ isn’t in his vocabulary.” In a separate video made specifically for the gala, tributes to Shorter were delivered by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, guitarist Carlos Santana and keyboardist Donald Fagen (who collaborated with the saxophonist on the Steely Dan album Aja). “Wayne Shorter stays relevant,” said Marsalis. “In an era when computers and other things that are nonhuman are being elevated, [the fact] that a master can reconnect you with the magic and the marvel of a human being, with the poignancy and directness that Wayne Shorter does it, it touches everybody.” “You can hear all of creation coming out of his horn,” said Santana. Shorter, who used a wheelchair at the event, remained characteristically humble. Before the gala, he paused on the red carpet to reflect on what the Kennedy Center Honor meant to him: “It means that everything that the people who came before me have

Honors program promotion image features (l-r) Cher, Philip Glass, Reba McEntire, Wayne Shorter and the Hamilton logo.

done, was not done in vain.” During the tribute segment at the gala, Shorter could be seen wiping tears from his eyes. Following the gala in the Opera House, a select group of attendees was invited to a large banquet. Tucked among the hundreds of dinner guests in the Kennedy Center’s Grand Foyer was a jazz septet featuring musicians from Washington, D.C. As diners enjoyed appetizers, the band played “Footprints,” with trumpeter Graham Breedlove and bassist Zack Pride offering impressive solos. It was yet another reminder of the scope of Shorter’s artistry. The Kennedy Center Honors event was filmed for TV broadcast on CBS as a two-hour special, airing on Dec. 26 at 8 p.m. ET.  http://downbeat.com/news/detail/wayne-shorter-amongkennedy-center-honorees Image Credits: notreble.com, cbs.com

23  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Marketing

These YouTube Channels Prove the Service Can Inspire You and Help Grow Your Business By John Boitnott

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don't hear about YouTube as a viable learning platform nearly as much as I think it deserves. There's exceptional video content on almost any entrepreneurial topic you can imagine, along with new ideas being uploaded by the minute. Determining quality versus poor content isn't always easy on YouTube. However, there is social proof of subscribers, video view numbers, and likes to help you gauge what videos are reliably truthful, or just the most enjoyable. Plus, many people find video content, with its images and graphics, easier to learn from and engage with than other content like books, blogs, or podcasts. With large amounts of remarkable content on YouTube, one of the biggest challenges is navigating to find what is most useful and applicable to your needs. Here are five of the best channels to follow in order to accelerate your learning to help your business succeed: Y Combinator (YC) has an extremely informative and applicable YouTube channel for small business owners and motivated employees. The channel brings successful founders, designers, engineers, and more to discuss their best secrets and desirable practices. They feature

everything from formation of a product to raising money, to building effective company culture. This channel gives you a chance to hear from business leaders around the world. People talk about what works well for them, with a diversity of differing industries and verticals. Stanford online - If you want to learn about a cross-section of different t o p i c s from top researchers a n d professors in the world, Stanford online is a perfect place to go. In 2018 alone, they published content on the future of drones, the life of an entrepreneur, privacy, sustainability, and many more intriguing business subjects. The lectures tend to be around an hour in length, and are often taught by highly regarded professors. Although some of these topics may not be immediately applicable to your company, they can certainly ignite inspiration and widen perspective. The research you encounter may also provide interesting conversation fodder at the office. CrashCourse uploads roughly ten-minute videos that give

you animated crash courses on various subjects, including entrepreneurship. This channel is constantly uploading new content, as well, and has been around for some time. The playful nature of the videos keeps them loose and engaging, which helps fight boredom.

These videos are often beneficial for their broad overview. They let you learn a little about a variety of subjects, providing a helpful introduction to any topic that might suddenly become relevant to your business. Learning about topics like Darwinism or the impacts of the Industrial Revolution may also give you unique knowledge that informs how you think about the future or how your business may be impacted. Polymatter is a tech-based YouTube channel that has recently begun uploading significantly more content. They put together videos diving into a variety of ideas and trends in the tech world, from the emergence of scooter startups to the value of Amazon. Watching these videos is

instructive around the future of up-and-coming industries. This channel helps you gain a better

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

Business - Profile

Washington Post names Miki King Chief Marketing Officer By Max Willens Miki King, CMO

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he Washington Post has named Miki King its first-ever Chief Marketing Officer. King, who had previously served as the news publisher’s V.P. of Marketing, will be responsible for subscriber acquisition and retention efforts, as well as enterprise sales and a new national marketing effort, which will focus mostly on performance, rather than brand marketing. She will report to Fred Ryan, the Post’s publisher & CEO. King’s promotion adds the Post to a growing list of news publishers who have added a new kind of chief marketing role, one focused on driving consumer revenue rather than elevating the publisher brand in the eyes of advertisers and readers. “Prior to my assuming leadership, we were just segmented,” King said. “We had a digital and print marketing team that was not functioning cohesively.” King has spent most of 2018 reorganizing the Post’s

different marketing operations, which had been spread across multiple budgets. The Post has also been pouring resources into consumer marketing. King said that the total number of people spread across those groups has grown 30% over the past year. King said she’s also focused on retraining a lot of existing staffers. People that worked on local marketing efforts, for example, are now focused on customer experience across both print and digital products. “The goal was to have one voice to the consumer market,” King said. A new area of responsibility for King will include advertising. Though the Post currently advertises on its owned and operated platforms, as well as social channels and through search marketing, it will begin to invest more in out-of-home campaigns in select markets, though King declined to be specific about which ones. 

grasp of the current climate of the business world too. too You'll be better able to orient your company if you go through tough times. You may even find inspiration from the innovation around you. Academy of Ideas - This channel takes you back in time to learn from intelligent philosophers, psychologists, and thought leaders in history. Their videos also tend to run about ten minutes, and explore past

ideas and concepts, concepts tying them to current events. events These vids put an emphasis toward current news that ties in with historical data and concepts. The discussions are time tested and refreshing.

TBTNEWS

Above all, many of the videos on these channels let you take a step back from your daily work routine and think about broader, more philosophical concepts. They shed light into the human experience and get you to consider what you and your team need in order to thrive in the business world, over time. www.inc.com/john-boitnott/follow-these-5-youtube-channelsto-accelerate-your-learning-help-your-business-succeed. html?utm_medium=40digest.prsonly.20181213.carousel&utm_ source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign

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

California State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) Individual Company Export Promotion Program (ICEP) The following are edited guidelines for STEP/ICEP. Complete guidelines are located at: https://californiaexport.org/icep. For a copy of the complete guidelines, send a request to: bobby.hines@trade.gov Request: California STEP

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he ICEP program will be used to reimburse eligible California small businesses up to $3,000 USD for specific export promotion related expenses performed on trade promotion related activities.

ICEP will open: • •

November 1, 2018 – January 31, 2019. April 1, 2019 – July 31, 2019.

Qualifying California companies must: • Be organized, operating and or incorporated in the U.S.A. • The applicable industry-based small business size standard established under section 3 of the Small Business Act; or • The alternate size standard applicable to the program, under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 695 et seq.) • The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards for your business based on your NAICS code: www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/ Size_Standards_Table_2017.pdf • Registered to do business in the State of California and in good standing with the California Secretary of State: http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/ • If a company is registered as a sole proprietorship with a fictitious name, the applicant must be registered and in good standing with the county in which the business is located. • Must be in business for at least one year at the time of the approved ICEP activity takes place • Have sufficient resources to bear the costs associate with trade, including the costs of packing,

shipping, freight forwarding, and customs brokers. • Agree to provide information on export sales data resulting from the ICEP reimbursement funding, and respond to all subsequent STEP surveys on a timely basis.

Qualifying Expenses: The ICEP program provides the opportunity for eligible companies to apply for direct financial assistance to implement an export promotion activity(s). Events/ activity(s) eligible for reimbursement may include : • Participation fees for international trade missions that support U.S./California exports. • Participation fees for international export trade show exhibitions • Export research tool subscriptions used to assist STEP clients with market research (up to $1,000 maximum) • Website translations, search engine optimization, localization services (up to $1,000 maximum) • Cost of compliance testing of an existing product for entry into a foreign market (maximum of $2,000) • Fees for shipment of sample products internationally (up to $2,000 maximum) • Other export initiatives determined to be appropriate.

How to apply? Please go to https://californiaexport.org/register/ to register for STEP indicating interest in the “Individual Company Export Promotion” program 30 days in advance of the event for which reimbursement is being sought.

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

Business - Profile

50 Former Players Form Freedom Football League By Josh Alper Ricky Williams

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he Alliance of American Football (AAF https:// aaf.com) and XFL (www.xfl.com) aren’t the only upstart leagues bidding for a place in the football landscape. The Freedom Football League (FFL) announced its existence on Thursday. The league is being launched by 50 former players, including Ricky Williams, Terrell Owens, Jeff Garcia and Simeon Rice. Games are planned for the spring and summer and the league plans to be financed “by a combination of private funding and public offerings in 2019.” The league also outlined four “philosophical and operational pillars.” They are holistic health and wellness support on and off the field, amplifying the voices of players addressing issues they care about, keeping the game affordable for fans and “eliminating financial exploitation and profiteering to the benefit of the few at the expense of many.” “The Freedom Football League (www.freedom football.co) is the perfect integration of my passion for social justice, economic equality and health and wellness, with my life-long dedication and love for professional football,” Williams said in a press release. “As much as I’d like to throw on the pads and play, this league is designed to bring competitive football back to the masses, providing players and fans alike with the economic benefits of owning stake in a team, while also ensuring players are empowered to use their public platform for social good.”

The league has plans for 10 teams in cities that either don’t have NFL franchises or, in the case of Oakland, are soon to be without one. The FFL has plans to expand into additional locations based on fan interest at the

The new professional fo otball league will fea ture a unique owne rship model, where fans and players ow n teams togethe r. local level. The first ten teams include The San Diego Warriors, T h e Oklahoma City Power, The Portland Progress, The Texas Terrell Revolution, Owens The Ohio Players, The Florida Strong, The Birmingham Kings, The St. Louis Independence, The Connecticut Underground and The Oakland Panthers.  www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/ricky-williams-terrellowens-among-50-former-players-launching-freedom-footballleague/ar-BBQBbxs?ocid=spartanntp https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/12/06/1663410/0/ en/Coalition-of-Fifty-Former-NFL-Players-Launch-the-FreedomFootball-League.html

27  December 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

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nited 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. The book highlights key initiatives and US-Africa partnerships through important presidential and governmental statements, speeches, White House Fact Sheets, historic photographs, and follows the trajectory of bilateral and multilateral relations wherever it leads. The uniqueness of United States and Africa Relations: The Obama Presidency lies in its simplicity in sharing information on bilateral and multilateral relations intertwined with the Barack Obama historic presidency. 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

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 p

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re you a Small Business interested in selling your product or services to Metro or to Prime Contractors that do business with Metro? Would you like to learn how to win contracts as a Prime Contractor through SB Prime, Metro's exciting set-aside initiative? If so, we invite you to come grow with us and learn about Metro Connect. Start now and register for a How to Do Business with Metro Workshop. Metro staff will show you how to take advantage of the vast array of products, services and transportation related opportunities projected over the coming weeks, months and year. As an added bonus, Metro's procurement staff will host informal interviews with firms before the workshop, starting at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 8, 2019 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.

The Black Business Association (BBA), the oldest ethnic business organization in the State of California headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, in recognition of the National Women History Month, will convene the 2019 Salute to Black Women Business Conference, Expo and Awards Luncheon on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel. The 2019 National Women’s History Months theme is “Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Non-Violence.” This theme honors women who have expanded the American tradition of using inclusive, democratic and active means to reduce violence, achieve peace, and promote the common good. Honoree: Barbara Morrison We are proud to recognize her outstanding achievements as a worldwide tour entertainer and her impact to the children’s arts programs with The Barbara Morrison Performance Arts Center, located in Los Angeles, which supports the Harmony Project. It will be our privilege to publicly acknowledge her as a special honoree recipient. She is the epitome of greatness in regard to being a “Visionary Women.”

Honoree: Kheris Rogers We are proud to recognize Kheris Rogers as the Outstanding Young Achievers Award starting her business at 11 years old. Her mission to empower confidence with her clothing line “Flexin in my Complexion” which is something The BBA wants to recognize. It will be The BBA’s privilege to publicly acknowledge her as a special honoree recipient. She is the epitome of greatness in regard to being a “Visionary Young Lady.” 32  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Honoree: Cynthia Marshall Cynthia Marshall will receive an Award for her outstanding achievements as the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks – a ďŹ rst for an African American woman. From her days at AT&T over 30 years ago, her leadership, commitment and professionalism always exceed expectations; and always well-tempered with ensuring the target goals are in the best interest of those she is leading.

Honoree: Cynthia Marshall Charisse Bremond Weaver will receive the Community Legacy Activist Award. The BBA is proud to recognize her commitment to the legacy of her father Walter Bremond, the founder of the Brotherhood Crusade and the National Black United Fund, which cannot go without her being honored in her father’s image for her outstanding achievements in becoming the ďŹ rst female President and CEO of the Brotherhood Crusade. Her unique ability to bring quality people and necessary resources together for a common cause not only exempliďŹ es the Brotherhood Crusade, but also signiďŹ cantly strengthens its relevance to her father’s legacy. It will be The BBA’s privilege to publicly acknowledge her as a special honoree recipient. She is the epitome of greatness in regard to being a “Visionary Womenâ€?.

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Business - Marketing

8 Tips for Creating Content That Creates Leads By Andrew Schulkind

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he goal of content marketing is, of course, to win new business. More precisely, it’s to win new business in a manner that is sustainable and profitable — you can’t spend $2 to earn $1. Below are thoughts on how to create content that will power a successful, high-ROI content marketing program.

Getting to Know You

the two generally go hand-in-hand.

Get to know your audience and their interests. Don’t assume you know – ask! And once you’ve asked, don’t assume the answer never changes. The goal is to create content that addresses the topics they love with answers to questions they have. And that’s a whole lot easier to do if you’re not guessing about what they want.

(But It's Not Really Google)

Let Google Guide You If “let Google guide you” makes you think “SEO,” you are correct! But you don’t have to commit to a fullon SEO campaign if doing so doesn’t make sense for you. (It may not, depending on your target market, your offering or other factors.) There are all sorts of keyword

It’s worth splitting hairs to say that it’s not really Google that is guiding you here. They’re just aggregating the data for you. It is your audience and potential audience who are telling you (through their choices of keyword phrases) what they’re interested in and what language they use to find relevant information. Which brings us back to talking to your clients, prospects and all who interact with them (sales teams and customer service personnel) to find out what really interests them.

Personality and Perspective Have a voice and a viewpoint. More than anything else, being “you” is the only thing that will make you stand out from the crowd. Don’t shrink away from showing your personality, whether through humor, a sense of wonder, or absolutely geeking out over the details of your niche. And don’t worry about alienating some of your audience. You’re going to do that anyway, so you may as well help those members of your audience who aren’t a good fit to weed themselves out.

Worms, Roxanne. I’m Afraid of Worms

tools available if you don’t have an SEO expert inhouse or on contract. One caveat: if SEO isn’t right for you, there may be limited value to keyword research:

That subhead is a reference to Roxanne, the Steve Martin movie re-imagining the Cyrano de Bergerac story. The line in the original is “I’m afraid of words” but the worms paint a nice picture, no? All of which is a long way of reminding you not to forget visuals. Breaking up the printed word is critical, especially for longer pieces, so make use of images as well as white space, sub-heads, bullets, and other formatting.

36  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Take a Load Off You wouldn’t dig fence posts with a teaspoon. Don’t do your content generation manually. Use tools to automate processes and batch tasks so that it’s not a never-ending death march of, say, social media posts. Do ‘em once a week, schedule ‘em with a tool like Hootsuite or Buffer, and get on with other work.

Track, Analyze and Adjust

And think beyond the printed word. Video, animation, and other tools will help bring your ideas to life and get your audience engaged.

Planning An editorial calendar will help you stay on track throughout the year. And should also ensure that you pay attention to all audience segments and all stages of the buying process. IBonus: if you map out what you need, there’s much less “what am I going to write about” stress.

Use the firehose of analytics data for good. It’s tempting to ignore it because it can be so overwhelming. Start small if you have to, and look at just one aspect of your data. Track it over time. Make adjustments to content and track whether they help or hurt your results. Then add another dimension to the simple data you’re tracking. Do a little research and you’ll find out how to get the data you’re aiming for. (And your analytics dashboard will become a little less intimidating.) Your goal should be to turn data into information and information into actionable insights. With that as your guidance premise, creating content that creates leads will be much easier and your content marketing programs much more successful.  www.targetmarketingmag.com/post/content-marketing-8-tipscreating-content-leads/#ne=4a21b9167bf658408191e7c49 140a9aa&utm_source=today-%40-target-marketing&utm_ medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2018-12-04

Black Business News Group

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

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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. ď ƒ MĹ´Ĺ´Z ՗Â? ª€ŸŴŴ G @@ @

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Business - Technology

Why Massive Satellite Launch Signals Start of IoT Revolution By Wayne Rash, eWeek

I

t was the sort of picture-perfect launch that has now become routine for SpaceX, with a Falcon 9 rocket on its third trip into space carrying a pair of deployment vehicles from Spaceflight designed to safely launch dozens of satellites into their respective orbits. Among those satellites were several satellites devoted specifically to providing communications for internet of things devices worldwide. What’s different about these satellites is that they’re intended to work with low-power devices that don’t need continuous contact. They are the sort of devices such as pipeline monitors or shipping container trackers that previously had been difficult or impossible to monitor in remote areas. While satellite communications for such devices has been around for some time using services such as Iridium or Inmarsat, those services are more oriented for constant communications, and the communications devices they use require more battery power. The new IoT satellites are designed to work with devices that require substantially less power. These small satellites are also significantly less expensive than communications satellites of years past. Because they are small, they cost less to launch. Those lower costs translate into less-expensive monitoring for IoT users. Satellite Services a Lot Less Expensive Now For example, Fleet Space Technologies, which had two of its IoT satellites on board the launch, is offering monitoring services for $29 AUD (Australian dollars, approximately $21.33 US) per portal. The Fleet portals include satellite communications and a LoRaWAN gateway that can connect up to 10 devices at that

price. LoRaWAN is a low-power, long-range form of device communications designed for IoT. The way the Fleet system works is that the portals collect data from the devices that are in communication with it, and then it sends that data to the Fleet satellites. The two satellites that were launched Dec. 3 will allow the portals to communicate a few times a day. However, Fleet is already working on arranging more launches, which means that getting complete global coverage is only a matter of time. Hiber, from The Netherlands, uses a different approach. “We at Hiber provide low-cost and lowpower internet of things connectivity,” a spokesman told eWEEK. “In short, this means we can read out any sensor out in the open, anywhere in the world, starting with a ‘once per day’ service for only €6/year/sensor. As we add more satellites to the network, our capacity will further improve as well as our service levels.” The 6 euro-per-year price is seriously inexpensive, and the ability of the Hiber satellites to read any sensor anywhere in the world means that communications even in remote areas of the world are now possible. The sensors that Hiber can make available include environmental sensors or position sensors far from cell towers or from WiFi. If a shipping company needs to keep tabs on the location of a critical shipping container, this is one way to do it. Some Satellites Are the Size of a Sandwich One of the more intriguing satellites included in the plans for today’s launch is from a company called Swarm Technologies, based in Palo Alto, Calif. Swarm is planning to launch hundreds of tiny satellites that are approximately the size and shape of a cheese

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

sandwich. These hundreds of satellites are promised to form the lowest-cost satellite network available, and like the others, they are aimed at IoT communications. Swarm got into trouble with the FCC, which has to approve satellite launches by American companies, because of a licensing mixup. But since then, it has since been granted approval to fly and communicate with its satellites. Currently, the company has seven satellites in orbit: three launched Dec. 3 and four launched in January. While all of these satellites are being launched, the one thing that’s missing is some means of communicating with the ground. That problem is being addressed by Audacy, which is providing a commercial space data relay service that connects satellites, in the words of the company, “From the launchpad to the Moon.” Audacy’s first data-relay satellite was launched along with the IoT satellites on the same mission. While it’s not clear which of these IoT satellites will prove to be the one that catches fire in the minds of the industry, it’s clear that the operators of these space resources see that true global communications for the internet of things is a real need. In some ways, they will help bring that possibility about, because if the communications infrastructure is there, and if it’s affordable, then the users will come.

The infrastructure is already beginning to be built in space. Spaceflight is launching these satellites on every platform it can find. The Dec. 3 launch was the biggest single launch of this type of satellite, but every time a rocket launches with a few more on board, the web of IoT connectivity will grow. Critical mass may not happen in 2019, but it won’t take long after that before the challenges of IoT communications go away and communications become as ubiquitous as cell phones are to people. Oh, and for those who just can’t resist a look at a perfect SpaceX launch, you can watch it here (www. youtube.com/watch?v=Wq8kS6UoOrQ&feature=youtu. be&t=289). www.eweek.com/innovation/why-massive-satellite-launchsignals-start-of-iot-revolution?utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=EWK_NL_EP_20181205_STR1L2&dni=459209 073&rni=25652266 Image Credits: seradata.com, keywordsking.com

New IoT Infrastructure Is Now in the Works 41  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Technology Pandora for iOS is a free download from the App Store. 

Technology:

Take A Look!

https://9to5mac.com/2018/12/06/pandora-podcasts-nowavailable/?utm_medium=techboard.thu.20181206&utm_ source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign

Podcasts Now on Pandora

P

andora has officially launched its podcasts platform today after running a beta on iOS and Android for about three weeks. Podcasts on Pandora is now available for all users and to start includes “hundreds of podcasts with over 100,000 episodes across a wide variety of genres.”

Pandora made the announcement in a blog post. "Today we are beyond excited to bring you podcasts on Pandora! We are now introducing hundreds of podcasts with over 100,000 episodes across a wide variety of genres including News, True Crime, Sports, Comedy, Music, Business, Technology, Entertainment, Kids, Health and Science. You listen, you thumb, and we tune the listening experience for the moment you’re in." Users will now find a Podcasts tab at the top of the app to easily browse and listen. Pandora says unique features of listening to podcasts on its platform include: • Effortless Podcast Discovery (powered by the Podcast Genome Project) • Recommendations…Everywhere • Its Thumbs Up system Rather than offering a broad range of content, Pandora’s take on podcasts is to make discovery as seamless as possible in all areas of the app. "To make podcast discovery as effortless as possible, we’re serving up recommendations in search, browse, and podcast backstage pages. Look through the app and you’ll see new podcasts and episodes everywhere." For now, it seems that Pandora is just hosting mainstream podcasts, but notes that creators can apply to be considered to have their podcast on the platform. Check out more details here if you’d like to get your show on Pandora: www.ampplaybook. com/podcasts/.

Get Ready to Handle E-Mail Bomb Threats at the Office

A

s has been the case of scam emails starting from the days of the Nigerian prince, the bomb threat email was written in broken English, its details were vague, and it made unlikely claims. The researcher who told me about it said that he’d ignored it until he heard about it going on elsewhere. In this case, ignoring the email was the right call. Of course it was a fairly easy call for most places that received the email, but not for everyone. Schools that received their own copies were either locked down or evacuated, including (tragically) Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut and Columbine High School in Colorado. Government offices and many companies were also evacuated while police searched their buildings. The FBI issued a statement that day about the threats, saying in a tweet that the agency was aware of the threats, and that they were working with local law enforcement to provide assistance. Each of the emailed threats contained a vague description of an explosive device and a demand that the recipient pay $20,000 in Bitcoin to keep the bomb from going off. The problem for the bad guys was that the email was so obviously a hoax that nobody paid the ransom. However, this ransom email was a lot like one that circulated earlier this year in which the sender claimed that he’d taken over the recipient’s webcam and had recorded them watching pornography. Then the threat was that the video would be sent to the victim’s contact list unless a ransom in Bitcoin was paid. The sextortion ploy worked, apparently because the ransom was only a couple hundred dollars, and apparently because a lot of people watch porn on their computers. According to several reports, that effort raised a half million dollars for the bad guys. This most recent attempt seems to have been an effort to rachet up the money with a bigger demand and a bigger threat. But the bad guys missed the mark this time. But what about next time? The cyber-criminals who launched the emailed bomb threat hoax and those that launched the sexploitation effort may not be the same people, but they are certainly aware of each other, just

42  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

as they’re aware of those who launch ransomware attacks. They’re also aware that this latest round of emails caused significant disruption in some areas, and they’re aware that ransomware attacks are fairly effective methods of extortion. Their next step could change the game.

Depending on the goals of the cyber-criminal, the changes could include learning English and placing lower demands so that victims are more likely to simply pay the ransom. But the goal could also be to demand a higher ransom, and then to make sure that they’re believed by actually carrying out their threat in at least one location. If one of the victims had suffered even a small explosion in an evacuated building, you can bet that other places that had received the same threat would start looking for ransom money, which is what the bad guys were after. While nobody can say that the next extortion effort will involve a bomb threat, you have to assume that an extortion threat of some kind is a near certainty. This means your security team will need a plan and a set of procedures for handling it. Once that process is complete, your staff will need to be trained in how to react, and they should practice their response. The specific steps will depend on the organization that’s being victimized. For example, a school receiving something like a bomb threat can’t afford to ignore it, even if it’s pretty obvious it’s a hoax. They still need to evacuate everyone. Another organization may decide to simply call the police and ask for help. What’s important is that each organization needs to have a response plan. Decide who gets such a

threatening email, who is responsible for evaluating the threat and who decides the response. Decide what to do if there’s a threat to personal safety versus other types of extortion. In addition, you need to decide how to preserve evidence so that law enforcement agencies can track down whoever is making the threat and use it against them. You may want to talk to your local law enforcement about setting up the right procedures. In addition, if you’re in an industry with a federal interest, such as a defense contractor, you should also contact federal law enforcement about their suggestions for setting up your procedures. While these recent bomb threats weren’t exactly a cybersecurity issue, they did arrive through email, just like phishing attacks or ransomware delivery. If you have email screening software, it might be time to make sure it’s updated. But in the meantime, you’ll be better protected if you have a plan in place--and if the people who need to carry out the plan know what they’re supposed to do.  www.eweek.com/security/why-enterprisesneed-to-have-strategy-against-email-bombthreats?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EWK_ NL_EP_20181218_STR1L2&dni=460155389&r ni=25652266 Image credits: thepinsta.com Curatted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

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Publisher's Message from page 3

industries for your consideration: • Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics. • Healthcare. • Urban Transportation • Cyber Security. • Drones. • Online Education. • CBD Products. • Eco Accomodation. • Other personal services. • Support Services for Oil & Mining. • Renewable Energy. • Nutrition. • Direct selling establishments. • Building finishing contractors. • Specialized freight trucking.

Maurice Prince John Mack

Ron Dellums

Upcoming Events As the President & CEO of the Black Business Association (BBA), please Nancy Wilson mark your calendars and the save the date for our upcoming Tribute to Black History Month, February 28, 2019. Featured honorees will include, Carl Dickerson, Danny Bakewell, Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, and Gwen Moore (see page 15). Please contact the BBA office for more details at mail@bbala. org. 

Joe Adams

www.bbala.org Aubrey Stone

Hollis Smith

Dr. Anyim Palmer

Good-Bye and Thank You to Friends, Partners, Icons and Leaders. We honor you.

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

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

W

e want to take this moment to say thank you to our members, staff and supporters for all of the work you have done this year. Together, we marched for our lives in Washington, we commemorated our history in Memphis, we secured victory for DREAMers, and earlier this month, our community turned out to the polls like never before—and you were with us every step of the way. None of our achievements this year could have been possible if it weren't for the gift of your time, membership and donations, and for that, we say thank you. We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, from our families to yours. Leon W. Russell @ChairmanNAACP Chairman National Board of Directors Karen Boykin-Towns @KarenBTowns Vice-Chairman National Board of Directors Derrick Johnson @DerrickNAACP President and CEO NAACP

47  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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Editorial

White Churches Have a Moral Responsibility to Stand Up By Jesse Jackson

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n 2019, we will commemorate 400 years since the first 20 slaves were transported by ship from Africa by white slave traders and landed in Jamestown, VA. Now four centuries later, race remains a central dividing line. Today, for example, the racial wealth gap exposes a stark difference. The median wealth of a white household (median means half are above and half below) is 12 times greater than that of a black household. The median wealth of a white household is $134,430, of blacks it is $11,030. This is virtually all about equity in a home, the leading source of middle income wealth. African-Americans still suffer from de facto segregation, after years of being red-lined from decent neighborhoods. In the financial collapse, AfricanAmerican households suffered the worse. Black unemployment rose twice as much as white unemployment in the Great Recession. Middle-class black families, lacking inherited wealth, were targeted for the most aggressive and leveraged home loans. When the bust came, they were the most at risk and suffered

Police officers at the 16th Street Baptist Church, headquarters of the Birmingham Campaign in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963. The church was bombed by white supremacists in September of that year, killing four girls. the greatest loss of homes. The wealth gap is not erased by educational attainment, by fulltime employment, by getting the right occupation. The typical black family with a head of household working full time has less wealth than a white family whose head of household is unemployed. Median wealth for a black family whose

head has a college degree is about 1/8 that of a median white family similarly educated. African-Americans are constantly told to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. In the black church, for example, ministers repeatedly preach the need for discipline, self-reliance, faith and hard work. Yet even those who succeed still

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

remain behind. The divide has deep historical roots. Two-hundred forty-six years of chattel slavery (16191865), only twelve years of Reconstruction (1865-1877), 19 years of Black Codes, KKK and white citizen council violence (1877-1896), 58 years of legal apartheid with nearly 5,000 AfricanAmericans lynched and, even since the 1954 Brown decision, ongoing racial discrimination. During the recent midterm elections, I was constantly asked whether African-Americans would

suppression, income and wealth inequality, criminal justice reform and climate change —that now pose an existential threat to the next generation. Why does the white church remain so silent in the face of these mounting crises and denial of justice and opportunity? In Birmingham in 1963, with dogs biting children, high-pressure fire hoses knocking down peaceful protesters, bombers blowing up churches and Dr. King in jail, many white church leaders chose to attack Dr. King’s non-violent methodology rather than to fight

vote in high enough numbers and margins for Democrats so that candidates white and black had a chance to be elected. Democrats seem almost satisfied if 20 to 30% of whites turn out to vote for black or progressive white candidates. What responsibility do white people have to register and turnout for progressive black and white Democrats running for office? The nation is facing many morally relevant social, economic and political crises — voter

for a non-discriminatory Public Accommodations Act. One would have thought when the four little girls were bombed in the 16th Street Baptist Church, white churches would have at least held prayer services or services of reconciliation. Instead, most attacked Dr. King as an outside agitator, as if he had set the bombs. Recently in Alabama, I witnessed a stark contrast. One extreme was the excitement in anticipation of the Georgia/Alabama SEC

championship football game. When a young African-American athlete, Jalen Hurts, replaced an injured Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, every Alabamian of every political persuasion, right, left and center, was pulling for him. With Hurts’ remarkable display of skill, Alabama won the game. He not only won the game, he arguably beat George Wallace and the legislators who earlier locked blacks out of the University of Alabama. He beat Bull Connor who unleashed the dogs on demonstrators and the KKK on Freedom Riders. He beat the KKK bombers who watched as the church was decimated and four little girls were murdered. The other extreme was witnessed in Hoover, Ala., where E.J. Bradford was shot in the back by a policeman. That police officer is still on the payroll. The patterns and prejudices of the old South are hard to overcome. Here once more, the white church has the opportunity and the responsibility to stand up, to serve as a Christian witness. White voices of moral authority and inclusive leadership are needed now as much or more than ever. That is why the silence seems so deafening.  www.rainbowpush.org Image credits: ooyuz.com, al.com, thepeopleschampion.me

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

Business - Fashion

Why Serena Williams is Using This Word to Describe Her Latest Collection Instead of "Plus Size" By Marina Liao

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erena Williams announced an exciting component to her eponymous fashion line: The addition of sizes beyond XL. Williams, who launched Serena back in May 2018, partnered with Neighborhood Goods, a Dallas-based retail company, for this new announcement. (Williams' Serena line is already offered on the Neighborhood Goods website.) Instead of referring to this new collection as "plus size" or calling it "extended sizes," Williams has a fresh take on the nomenclature. She's calling it Great. "I got tired of the word 'plus.' I don't want to be 'plus.' I want to be great," Williams, who, herself, is in-between sizes, tells MarieClaire.com. "I want other women to feel that way too. I wanted to make clothes that would fit a curvy women and have them feel great, let's focus on that." The Serena Great Collection launched with pieces in sizes 1X to 3X (dress sizes 14 to 24). On Neighborhood Goods and Williams' own website (www. serenawilliams.com/collections), you'll find casual black leggings, a sequin skirt for holiday parties, and a chic ruched dress. Though the selections are limited right now, this appears to be her first step towards launching more clothes in this size category. You can shop the Great Collection at https://neighborhoodgoods.com/ collections/serena-great. Prices for the new collection remain the same as her current offerings—all under $200—a point Williams emphasized during our conversation. "It’s important to me to have high quality pieces without them costing $500," she tells me. "I personally love fast fashion, it's fun fashion, but there is nothing out there like that with amazing quality that lasts forever, so I'm creating it." The journey to designing her own fashion line hasn't been easy, however, as Williams noted in an Instagram post back in May. When I bring this up, Williams shares with me that while it was discouraging for people in the fashion industry to tell her "no," she didn't let that stop her for building a line. Instead, she "cut out the middleman," and went for a "direct-to-consumer approach," by launching her fashion line herself. The approach, clearly, was successful. When I ask the star what advice she'd give to other women being told no in the pursuit of their dreams, Williams says, "You can’t let that word discourage you.

o You have to believe thatt you can do it,, that this can work. Turn something negative into a positive." T h i s determination st fashion possible to her h r he to bring the best customers of all sizes is what makes Serena and her namesake clothing line so...Great.  www.marieclaire.com/fashion/a25456334/serena-williams-greatcollection/ Image Credits: pinkvilla.com

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Editorial

A Year in Review Before we Move Forward By Earl "Skip" Cooper, II

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ith December signaling the close of another year, in order to plot our pathway forward, I wanted to shine the spotlight on the many positive strides and accomplishments African Americans made in 2018, and will continue as we move into 2019. It cannot be said enough about the importance of reviewing our progress as a people and business community, because it serves as

Cynthia Marshall

a timely and revealing reminder to remember and celebrate the successes of others. I typically make mention of the need for African Americans as a business community to be more supportive of each other, in this instance, support also translates into celebrating those who have left their mark. This is especially important considering the political and cultural environment of our nation, where we are witnessing increased opposition to the idea of Black achievement. In the business community inside corporate America, we celebrate the recent accomplishments of Cynthia Marshall and Mellody Hobson. Marshall became the first African American woman to become the CEO of a major sports franchise, the Dallas Mavericks. Hobson’s business journey has been equally as impressive to Marshall’s, in Hobson’s appointment as the Vice Chair of Starbucks. As a native of Oakland, California, I take particular pride in the accomplishments of my high school, McClymonds, football team

that made history by becoming the first public school to win three (3) state CIF 4 titles in a row in the modern era. Also actor Mahershala Ali was the first muslim actor to win an Academy Award in 2016 for the move Moonlight. He also recently won the 2018 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in the move Green Book. In addition, Ryan Coogler, Movie Director, who at the young age of 32 years, provided movie aficionados with one of the biggest cultural benchmarks to date to movie theaters across the country in the last decade with Black Panther. His vision for the Black Panther movie delivered the "biggest, blackest superhero movie" of all time, and the film netted $1.3 billion worldwide… "Wakanda London Forever!” Breed T h e elections this year was covered with many successes for African American men and women, being the first ever to serve or be elected in the capacity of their recent successful election bids and/or

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Congressional District in the U.S. House. She becomes the first woman of color to represent Connecticut in Congress.

Ryan Coogler appointments. • London Breed become San Francisco's 45th—and first black female—mayor. • Randall Woodfin, elected as

Lauren Underwood Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama. At 37, Woodfin is Birmingham's youngest mayor in nearly 125 years, giving him a unique perspective on issues for the millennial generation. • Ayanna Pressley was elected to represent Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House. She becomes the first African American woman to represent any New England state in Congress. • Wesley Bell, St. Louis County

prosecutor-elect upset a longtime incumbent to become the next prosecutor for St. Louis County. • Ilhan Omar was elected to represent Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House. She is the first Somali American in Congress as well as the first Muslim woman elected to Congress. • Lauren Underwood, elected to represent Illinois’ 14th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Underwood made history with her victory as the first woman and first African American elected to represent the district. • Jahana Hayes was elected to represent Connecticut’s 5th

• Letitia “Tish” James was elected New York attorney general— the first woman and first African American elected who will serve in that • Ilhan capacity. Omar • Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who was voted to become the Senate Democratic Leader in the New York State Legislature. The vote locked Stewart-Cousins as the first woman and the first Black woman to lead a majority conference in the state legislature. • Rachael Rollins was elected the District Attorney for the state of Massachusetts. • Lucy McBeth was elected to the Georgia Congressional District. • Juliana Stratton was elected Lieutenant Governor of the state of Illinois. She is the first African American women to hold this office. There is so much we have to celebrate in terms of the successes of others as we enter into the last month of the year. What a great foundation to continue to build on going into 2019.  www.bbala.org

Letitia James

Image credits: infotecs.com, nerdist.com, findance.com, gram. edu, bizjournals.com, zimbio.com mywebtimes.com

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

Business - Influencers

Barack Obama Most Beloved Celebrity by Millennials Michelle Obama and Dwayne Johnson Ranked Second and Third for Age Group

these entertainers, politicians, athletes, entrepreneurs and spiritual leaders have on our lives and the products, services, policies and beliefs we buy, use and believe in. In this way, they are undeniably powerful brands."

Barack Obama bluntforcetruth.com

B

arack Obama is the most beloved celebrity by millennials across the U.S. followed by Michelle Obama and Dwayne Johnson, according to MBLM's BFF Study. The marketing firm created its inaugural BFF Study to complement its annual study of intimate brands, where it discovered media & entertainment brands are now the top industry. However, millennial men and women have differing preferences. Men in the age group ranked more athletes in general and LeBron James first. Women adored Michelle Obama most and preferred entertainers overall. "This study reveals which living icons we emotionally bond most with and why," stated Mario Natarelli, managing partner, MBLM. "Just think about the impact

The top 10 most beloved celebrities for millennials are: 1. Barack Obama 2. Michelle Obama 3. Dwayne Johnson 4. Rihanna 5. Beyoncé 6. LeBron James 7. Oprah Winfrey 8. Tom Hanks 9. Bill Gates 10. Serena Williams The top 10 most beloved celebrities for millennial men are: 1. LeBron James 2. Barack Obama 3. Dwayne Johnson 4. Bill Gates 5. Stephen Curry 6. Donald Trump 7. Tom Hanks 8. Serena Williams 9. Rihanna 10. Michelle Obama The top 10 most beloved celebrities for millennial

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women are: 1. Michelle Obama 2. Barack Obama 3. Dwayne Johnson 4. Rihanna 5. Beyoncé 6. Oprah Winfrey 7. Tom Hanks 8. Bill Gates 9. Serena Williams 10. LeBron James Other notable findings from the BFF Study include: • Barack Obama ranked #1 overall with a Brand Intimacy Quotient of 77.5 • He was also #1 for bonding, which is a deeper connection where you actively follow, watch and listen to the icon • Donald Trump dominated with men and older Americans. He had the strongest "can't live without" measure and ranked highest on fulfillment, exceeding expectations • Colin Kapernick ranked #1 for identity, having values people strongly identify with

Michelle Obama es.wikipedia.org for enhancement, making people more capable and connected • Sean Hannity, who ranked 14th, was #1 in fusing, the strongest stage of intimacy, reflecting who people aspire to, and was an extension of their own personality To view the BFF Study's Top 20, visit: https:// mblm.com/lab/famous-figures/. The full report can be downloaded here: http://content.mblm.com/bffreport-2018. Methodology This year's Brand-Intimate Famous Figures (BFF) Study is based on an online survey among 1,003 adults, 18 and older, with quotas established by age, gender and region in order to insure national representation. The survey took place from 10/23/18 through 10/26/18, and the margin of error at the 95% level of confidence is +/- 3.09%. About MBLM: MBLM has invented a new marketing paradigm, Brand Intimacy, delivering expertise and offerings across three areas of focus: Agency, Lab and Platform. With offices in seven countries, our multidisciplinary teams help clients build stronger bonds and deliver optimized marketing outcomes and returns for the long term. To learn more about how we can help you create and sustain ultimate brand relationships, visit mblm.com. 

Dwayne Johnson de.wikipedia.orgg • Mark Zuckerberg, who ranked 17th, is closely aligned to his Facebook brand and ranked highest

www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/barack-obamamost-beloved-celebrity-by-millennials-according-tomblms-bff-report-300761205.html

63  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Beauty

Procter & Gamble Acquires Walker & Company, Tristan Walker will Remain as CEO By Anthony Ha

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alker & Company Brands (https://walkerandcompany. com), a startup making

health and beauty products for people of color, has been acquired by consumer giant Procter & Gamble. The company was founded five years ago by Tristan Walker, who previously led business development for Foursquare, and who aimed to create products that would better serve the needs of people of color with coarse or curly hair. Walker & Co. started out with its Bevel shaving products for men, then launched Form, a collection of hair products for women.

P&G says the acquisition will help it “better serve consumers of color around the world.” Walker & Co. will operate as a whollyowned subsidiary of the larger organization, with Walker continuing to serve as CEO, and the entire 15-person team moving to Atlanta. “When I started Walker & Company Brands, I set out to build a company that would meet the health and beauty needs of people of color on a global scale,” Walker said in the announcement. “Having access to P&G’s outstanding technology, capabilities and expertise helps us to further realize that vision, giving us the power to scale and bring new products to people of color, while staying true to our mission and continuing to nurture the loyal community we’ve worked hard to build.”

The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. According to Crunchbase, Walker & Co. had raised more than $33.3 million in funding, most recently in a Series B three years ago. Investors include Institutional Venture Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Upfront Ventures, Daher Capital, Collaborative Fund, Google Ventures, Felicis Ventures and Melo7 Tech Partners. “We have tremendous respect for the work Tristan Walker has accomplished and we are excited to welcome Walker & Company to the P&G family,” said P&G Beauty CEO Alex Keith in a statement. “The combination of Walker & Company’s deep consumer understanding, authentic connection to its community and unique, highly customized products and P&G’s highly-skilled and experienced people, resources, technical capabilities and global scale will allow us to further improve the lives of the world’s multicultural consumers.”  https://techcrunch. com/2018/12/12/ procter-gambleacquires-walkercompany/?utm_ medium=40digest. prsonly.20181212. carousel&utm_ source=email&utm_ content=&utm_ campaign=campaign

Bevel

Form 66  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Investment

Byron Allen Bidding on Tribune Media? By MG Media / Anthony D'Alessandro

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ntertainment Studios (http://entertainmentstudios. com) boss Byron Allen is seriously interested in buying Tribune Media, The New York Post reports. Allen shelled out $300 million for the Weather Channel in April, and he’ll be up against three other bidders for Tribune. It’s the company’s second go-round on the auction block. The FCC blocked Tribune’s sale to Sinclair Broadcasting, three months ago in what was to be a $3.9 billion deal. The market cap for Tribune, which includes New York-based WPIX-TV and Chicago’s WGN, is at $3.4 billion. The Post reports that Allen’s rival bid has backing from Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Also vying for Tribune Media is Nexstar Media Group and Leon Black’s Apollo Global Management. Next bids are expected by mid-December. The new news comes after

Entertainment Studios has the Keanu Reeves sci-fi movie Replicas opening on January 11, and they are pushing the Jamie Lee Curtis- and Jake Gyllenhaalproduced documentary Hondros and the Ted Kennedy thriller Chappaquiddick which is up for awards this season. And on the heels of buying The Weather Channel, Entertainment Studios Inc. has secured $500 million in credit facilities. Byron Allen expressed that ES will use the money for general business purposes, productions, coproductions, and acquisitions. The credit facilities were organized by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Jefferies Financial Group, Brightwood Capital Advisors and Comerica Bank. "As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, this additional capital positions us for further investments and acquisitions," Allen said in a

statement. "More importantly, these group of lenders has provided us with the financial backing and capacity to increase the credit line and make large-scale acquisitions, which is a major part of our strategy going forward." With the addition of The Weather Channel, Entertainment Studios owns eight 24-hour HD cable TV networks including Pets.tv, Comedy.tv and Cars.tv. The company also produces 41 television shows, such as America’s Court with Judge Ross and The First Family, and has released such films as 47 Meters Down, Hostiles and Chappaquiddick. The company employs 650 people. 

Black Business News Group

Government - Trade

Discover Business Opportunities in the Indo-Pacific Region The 2019 U.S. Commercial Service Trade Winds program includes an Indo-Pacific focused business forum in New Delhi, India consis ng of regional and industry specific conference sessions as well as pre-arranged consulta ons with U.S. Diplomats represen ng commercial markets throughout the region. Customize an op onal business matchmaking schedule, based on input from our Commercial Specialists throughout the region, and grow your interna onal sales through mee ngs with pre-screened poten al buyers, agents, distributors and joint-venture partners in the following Indian ci es on May 8-10: New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata Op onal business matchmaking appointments may also be arranged in Bangladesh or Sri Lanka on May 13. • Learn how to increase profits and overcome barriers in the Indo-Pacific region during business development conference. • Network with the region’s leading industry and government officials and experienced U.S. and global companies Want to learn more about these dynamic markets? Click on each to access their Country Commercial Guide: India - www.export.gov/ar cle?id=India-Market-Overview Bangladesh - www.export.gov/ar cle?series=a0pt0000000PAtGAAW&type=Cou ntry_Commercial__kav Sri Lanka - www.export.gov/ar cle?series=a0pt00000000GteAAE&type=Count ry_Commercial__kav. h ps://live.even a.com/en/tradewinds19/Registra on/# Deadline to Register for Trade Winds: February 15, 2019 Bobby Hines, Interna onal Trade Specialist/1-213-894-4231 DTLA Export Office: U.S.D.O.C. | Interna onal Trade Administra on 444 S. Flower St, 37th FL, LA, CA 90071 Tex les/Apparel/Spor ngGoods Team Page h ps://2016.export.gov/industry/apparel/index.asp Virtually promote your USA Apparel/Tex le/Spor ngGoods h ps://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/newRegistra on. jsp?SmartCode=8Z0C

FOR

Christmas Day

OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

71  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

Community/Public Interest

Minority Business Development Agency Awards Nearly $2 Million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), is announcing grant awards of nearly $2 million to four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In June 2018, MBDA invited HBCUs to propose projects that will achieve one or more of the following objectives: increase their ability to compete for and receive Federal research and development funds; establish partnerships with Federal laboratories and other technology resources; increase Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) entrepreneurship; and compete for Federal contracts. “Historically Black Colleges and Universities served as the catalyst to creating the black middle class in America and will continue to be the incubator for minority business talent, innovation, and leadership. These important schools generate billions in economic impact annually and are engines for job creation in their local economies across the United States,” said MBDA National Director Henry Childs II. “These grant awards will provide seed money for these institutions to pursue innovative projects and to build more revenue-generating infrastructures to better serve our nation’s future entrepreneurs and workforce.” • • • •

The HBCUs that received grant awards include: Clark Atlanta University ($499,497) to develop a STEM entrepreneurship curriculum that increases student interest in the innovation economy at three Atlanta University Center Consortium campuses. Howard University ($359,891) to design a technical support model for 11 HBCUs in the mid-Atlantic region to compete for Federal research and development funds and leverage partnerships with Federal laboratories. South Carolina State University ($404,992) to launch regional training sessions for HBCUs to compete for Federal research and development funds. Tougaloo College ($695,412) to establish a partnership among multiple HBCUs, private companies, federal labs, and research institutions to increase capacity for HBCUs to participate in federal research and contracting opportunities.

These programs are part of the 2018 MBDA Broad Agency Announcement, a new initiative this year. More than $13 million was awarded for 35 projects focused on Department of Commerce and MBDA priorities from resources that increase disaster preparedness and relief to programs that increase access to capital. For a full listing of MBDA’s 2018 grant awards, visit www.mbda.gov/news. About the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) MBDA, www.mbda.gov, is the only Federal agency dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. minority-owned businesses through the mobilization and advancement of public and private sector programs, policy, and research. Our services provide greater access to capital, contracts, and markets and better equip minority-owned firms to create jobs, build scale and capacity, increase revenues and expand regionally, nationally and internationally Contact: Velicia D. Woods, 202-482-6272, MBDAPublicAffairs@mbda.gov

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

Community/Public Interest

400th Commemoration Year of Enslavement 1619-2019

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n August 20, 1619, according to American history books, the first “20 and odd” Africans walked off a ship and joined the inhabitants of the British Colony of Jamestown on the shores of what would become the Commonwealth of Virginia. They were not slaves, but “indentured servants,” and as such, could buy their freedom with their labor as could Whites under the same conditions. But within a short time, the value of Africans as slaves to build the nation’s economic legacy was recognized, beginning their importation as slaves. Despite the enslavement of Blacks in America until 1865, their presence contributed significantly to the social, economic, artistic and political heritage of the United Staes of America. In 2019, the nation will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first Africans to land at a British Colony. On August 20, 2016 the nation officially launched the commemoration of this key event in 1619 starting at 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Historic Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. “The year 1619 is a landmark

for the United States and especially for Virginia. Three cultures (American Indian, English and African) began forging the seeds of democracy, diversity and opportunity,” said 2019 Commemoration co-chair, Senator Thomas K. Norment, Jr. Fort Comfort, where the first White Colonists arrived and where Blacks arrived as indentured servants and were later enslaved, is near Fort Monroe. Fort Monroe is where the first Blacks were freed during the civil war. While the first Blacks were indentured servants and had the option to buy their freedom in 1624, laws were imposed which made Blacks slaves for life. While renowned vessels such as the Santa Maria, Susan Constant, or Mayflower are anchored to the maritime narrative of the “New World,”

76  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Calendar of Events JUNE

Unveiling - Tomb of the Unknown Slave Commemoration and Celebration New World Motion Picture Studios & Gardens June 19th in Aton, California

AUGUST

few know of the White Lion. This ship transported the “20 and odd” Africans, natives of the Kingdom of Ndongo in what is now Angola to the British Colony of Jamestown. They were taken as captives aboard the White Lion from a Portuguese slave ship. These first Africans to English North America were sold there as involuntary laborers or indentured servants. On African Arrival Day, there will be a variety of activities meant to recognize the dignity of the men and women while revealing more about their role in the colony, their customs and what vestiges of their heritage remain today. “The long and painful journey that began in 1619 is Hampton’s story; it is Virginia’s story. But, most importantly, it is America’s story,” said Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck. For information about the African Arrival Day events, www.africanarrivalday.com.  http://thenewjournalandguide.com/1619-arrival-of-africans-istheme-for-2019-event

Roots and Reconnection Time: YEAR OF RETURN Trip-Pilgrimage-Conference Conference theme: 400 YEARS OF MEMORY & BELONGING IN GLOBAL AFRICA August 2-August 11, 2019 in GHANA For information: www.facebook.com/ events/297094944234380/ For reservations: Theresa Scott Kwakye, Cross Cultural Travel and Tours at: travel@ crossculturalgh.com African Arrival Day Fort Monroe National Monment, National Park Service www.africanarrivalday.com

https://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/World_News_3/ Ghanaian-president-proclaims-2019-Year-of-Return-of-Blacks-toAfrica ml?fbclid=IwAR3SYUFYriMrHlZEeQ3cQ9vXfRLIKcLVHUHnyYSjZ 67R1Ct1A99y06bwlC4#.XB8UDruvbTs.facebook Image credits: encyclopediavirginia.org, blackthen.com, slideshare.net

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Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Olivia Hooker, Coast Guard Pioneer, Race Riot Survivor Laid to Rest Edited by Emmett Cash, III

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he first African-American woman to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard and one of the last survivors of a race riot in Oklahoma has been laid to rest with military honors.

In this Dec. 5, 2018 photo, U.S. Coast Guard members participate in funeral services for Olivia Hooker in White Plains, N.Y. Hooker, the first African-American woman to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard and one of the last survivors of a race riot in Oklahoma, has been laid to rest with military honors. Hooker passed away on Nov. 21, 2018, at the age of 103. (Petty Officer 3rd Class Steve Strohmaier/U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

A funeral was held Wednesday in White Plains, New York, for Olivia Hooker. She was 103 years old when she died on Nov. 21. The Coast Guard says Hooker enlisted in the Coast Guard Women's Reserve in 1945 and rose to the rank of yeoman second class before her discharge in 1946. Hooker also survived

one of the worst race riots in U.S. history. She was 6 years old in 1921 when the late-spring riot destroyed much of a Tulsa neighborhood that had been known as "Black Wall Street." Hooker was a psychologist and a professor of psychology at Fordham University, where she retired at age 87 in 2002.  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/coastguard-pioneer-race-riot-survivor-laid-to-rest/arBBQzAX7?ocid=spartandhp

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Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Wilfred DeFour, 100-year-old Tuskegee Airman, dies By Ralph Ellis and Laura Ly, CNN

This photo from Sunday, April 15, 2012, shows Tuskeegee Airman Wilfred Defour, left, with Jackie Robinson's widow Rachel Robinson, right, on Jackie Robinson Day at a New York Yankees' baseball game in New York. © Kathy Willens/AP

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ilfred DeFour, who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, was found dead Saturday in New York. He wa s 100. New York police said officers responded to a 911 call to a residence in Harlem and found a man identified as DeFour unconscious and unresponsive. There were no obvious signs of trauma, police said, and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death. DeFour attended a ceremony last month for the renaming of a Harlem post office in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, CNN affiliate WABC reported. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the US service corps. They trained at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Macon County, Alabama.

"I regret so many of my comrades are no longer here with us," DeFour said, according to WABC. "It will mean there's recognition for Tuskegee Airmen and that's very important." The group was generally said to include pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff who went through a US Army Air Corps training program to bring African-Americans into the war effort, according to Tuskegee Airmen Inc., a group devoted to the history of the airmen. DeFour was an aircraft technician during World War II, WABC said. After the war, he worked for the US Postal Service for 33 years. www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/wilfred-defour-100-year-oldtuskegee-airman-dies/ar-BBQG4HQ?ocid=spartandhp

79  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Nancy Wilson, Grammy Winning Jazz Singer, Dies at 81 By Andrew Dalton and Hillel italie, Associated Press

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ancy Wilson, the Grammywinning "song stylist" and torch singer whose polished pop-jazz vocals made her a platinum artist and top concert performer, has died. Wilson, who retired from touring in 2011, died after a long illness at her home in Pioneertown, a California desert community near Joshua Tree National Park, her manager and publicist Devra Hall Levy told The Associated Press late Thursday night. She was 81. Influenced by Dinah Washington, Nat "King" Cole and other stars, Wilson covered everything from jazz standards to "Little Green Apples" and in the 1960s alone released eight albums that reached the top 20 on Billboard's pop charts. Sometimes elegant and understated, or quick and conversational and a little naughty, she was best known for such songs as her breakthrough "Guess Who I Saw Today" and the 1964 hit "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am," which drew upon Broadway, pop and jazz. She resisted being identified with a single category, especially jazz, and referred to herself as a "song stylist." "The music that I sing today was the pop music of the 1960s," she told The San Francisco Chronicle in 2010. "I just never considered myself a jazz singer. I do not do runs and — you know. I take a lyric and make it mine. I consider myself an interpreter of the lyric."

Wilson's dozens of albums included a celebrated collaboration with Cannonball Adderley, "Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley," a small group setting which understandably could be called jazz; "Broadway — My Way"; "Lush Life"; and "The Nancy Wilson Show!" a best-selling concert recording. "How Glad I Am" brought her a Grammy in 1965 for best R&B performance, and she later won Grammys for best jazz vocal album in 2005 for the intimate "R.S.V.P (Rare Songs, Very Personal)" and in 2007 for "Turned to Blue," a showcase for the relaxed, confident swing she mastered later in life. The National Endowment for the Arts awarded her a "Jazz Masters Fellowship" in 2004 for lifetime achievement. Wilson also had a busy career on television, film and radio, her credits including "Hawaii Five-O," ''Police Story," the Robert Townsend spoof "Meteor Man" and years hosting NPR's "Jazz Profiles" series. Active in the civil rights movement, including the Selma march of 1965, she received an NAACP Image Award in 1998. Wilson was married twice — to drummer Kenny Dennis, whom she divorced in 1970; and to Wiley Burton, who died in 2008. She had three children. Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, the eldest of six children of an iron foundry worker and a maid, Wilson sang in church as a girl and by age

4 had decided on her profession. She was in high school when she won a talent contest sponsored by a local TV station and was given her own program. After briefly attending Central State College, she toured Ohio with the Rusty Bryant's Carolyn Club Big Band and met such jazz artists as Adderley, who encouraged her to move to New York. She soon had a regular gig at The Blue Morocco, and got in touch with Adderley's manager, John Levy. "He set up a session to record a demo," Wilson later observed during an interview for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. "Ray Bryant and I went in and recorded 'Guess Who I Saw Today,' 'Sometimes I'm Happy,' and two other songs. We sent them to Capitol and within five days the phone rang. Within six weeks I had all the things I wanted." Her first album, "Like in Love!", came out in 1959, and she had her greatest commercial success over the following decade despite contending at times with the latest sounds. Gamely, she covered

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Beatles songs ("And I Love Her" became "And I Love Him"), Stevie Wonder's "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" and "Son of a Preacher Man," on which she strained to mimic Aretha Franklin's fiery gospel

style. She was so outside the contemporary music scene an interviewer once stumped her by asking about Cream, the million-selling rock trio featuring Eric Clapton. "It took me years to know what that question was about. Remember, I was constantly working or I was traveling to perform. The '60s for me were about work," she told JazzWax in 2010. In the 1970s and after, she continued to record regularly and perform worldwide, at home in nightclubs, concert halls and open-air settings, singing at jazz festivals from Newport to Tokyo. She officially stopped touring with a show at Ohio University in September 2011, but had been thinking of stepping back for years. When she turned 70, in 2007, she was guest of honor at a Carnegie Hall gala. The show ended with Wilson performing such favorites as "Never, Never Will I

Marry," ''I Can't Make You Love Me" and the Gershwin classic "How Long Has This Been Going On?" "After 55 years of doing what I do professionally, I have a right to ask how long? I'm trying to retire, people," she said with a laugh before leaving the stage to a standing ovation. In accordance with Wilson's wishes, there will be no funeral service, a family statement said. A celebration of her life will be held most likely in February, the month of her birth. She is survived by her son, Kacy Dennis; daughters Samantha Burton and Sheryl Burton; sisters Karen Davis and Brenda Vann and five grandchildren..  www.usnews.com/news/ entertainment/articles/2018-12-13/ nancy-wilson-grammy-winningjazz-singer-dies-at-81 Image credits: pdxretro.com, alamy.com, allmusic.com

81  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

African Stock Exchanges • Bolsa de Valores of Cape Verde - www.bvc.cv (in Portuguese) • Bolsa Valores de Mocambique - www. bolsadevalores.co.mz • 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. casablanca-bourse.com/bourseweb/index.aspx • Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (Tanzania) - www. dse.co.tz • Douala Stock Exchange (Cameroon) - www. douala-stock-exchange.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=%2fEnglish%2fP ages%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 Namibian Stock Exchange - www.nsx.com.na Nigerian Stock Exchange - www.nse.com.ng/ Pages/default.aspx Rwanda Stock Exchange - www.rse.rw/ 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/e-communique/exchangemagazine/category/50-free-version.html

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Friday, December 7th, 2018 Red Carpet Arrival 6:00 pm EST Pageant Finall 7:00 pm EST Grand Hyatt Hotel 1000 H Street NW Washington D.C., 20001 https://missafricanunionpageant.org #TheAfricaWeWant. One Africa!! One Continent!! One Voice!!

anP l a u n n 27th A al v i t s e F m il African F (PAFF)

day, s r u h T m un fro r l l i w ay, F d F n o PA M 7 – y r a u r at the Feb 9 1 0 2 18, y r a u r b aters e e F h T 5 1 ave R k r a m e dwin l n a Ci B e h t f erty o p o r p e Los h t , a on z a l P aw h s n e r C Hills ia. n r o f i l a C , Angeles

International

THE EBONY BUTTERFLY OF BALLET By py thomas

M

ichaela DePrince’s journey began tragically, as she was born in Sierra Leon during a civil war in which her father was killed, and her mother passed away shortly afterwards due to disease and starvation. At the very young age of 3, taken to an orphanage by a family member because of her skin condition, vitiligo, which in her culture was considered a curse and demonic. Although life for her was difficult at the orphanage because of her skin condition, it was there she would begin to develop hope for a future for herself when she stumbled across a magazine left on the ground with the pages blown open to an image that would captivate her imagination and heart. It was an image of a white ballerina, not any image, but what she saw was the image of woman who was happy, and she wanted to be happy. There would be more hardships that Michaela would have to endure before she and her best friend from the orphanage would be adopted by an American woman. Michaela and her friend were adopted as sisters by Elaine DePrince who renamed them Michaela and Mia. The adoption brought love, education and the offer to take ballet classes which were welcomed by both Michaela and Mia. Ballet is one of the most beautiful artistic dance expressions. The dancers have finely sculpted bodies, their movements well-synchronized with masterpiece musical compositions, and their well-honed athletic abilities move and entertain its audiences like fluid magic, captivating its admirers. There are many forms

of dance expression, but ballet has always remained in a category by itself…a tightly defined social status level of entertainment, enjoyed only by those who could afford the very expensive tickets, in the company many times of society’s affluent supporters of the performing arts. Michaela’s determination and focus earned her the right to become the star Ballerina for the Dutch National Ballet. Her remarkable dancing and jumps, became her signature hallmark and never disappointed her audiences. Her metamorphosis continues, not letting ‘racial’ or ‘beauty’ stereotypes deter her from hard work that has now truly made her dreams come true for happiness and transformed into the “Ebony Butterfly of Ballet. True to its art form, ballet is very much like a butterfly. Dance is always an emerging experience, and expression of passion and uniqueness celebrated. Emerging on the horizon we have been witnessing the butterfly-like metamorphosis of a Ballet queen, who’s

84  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

very humble beginnings were tragic and a struggle for existence. My personal nickname for this emerging queen of ballet is the “Ebony Butterfly of Ballet,” Ballerina Michaela DepuPrine. Michaela is widely known and respected as “one of the wonders of today in the Arts and Performing Arts field.” Michaela is a known face now in many ad campaigns such as Hello, Jockey among others. But the most outstanding is her current ad for Chase Bank Quick Pay Mobile App. The Chase ad was prominent during the 2018 Grammy Awards and was played every five minutes. She has now joined the ranks of professional athletes Serena Williams and Stephen Curry, who are also part of Chase’s Quick Pay Mobile App promotion. Michaela’s endorsement power continues to grow as we see her in commercials, doing voiceovers, as a talk show guest and a featured speaker at many events; and additionally, she is now a bestselling author ("Taking Flight"), and her book is to be made into a movie, produced by Madonna. Michaela is a “she-ro” to many, as she has defied the stereotype images of beauty and body types in a formerly “all-exclude us (Blacks)” industry. In the words of Maya Angelou, “…and so I rise,” Michaela is a true example of rising above mediocrity, and not allowing other’s predetermined opinions to deter her

from her dreams; and more importantly, taking advantage of opportunities and literally putting her own sweat equity into her vision. One of the most

important things Michaela has done with her success, is she has remembered the sister adopted with her from the orphanage, where the two of them were ranked the lowest. As Michaela has opportunities, she continues to make sure that her sister does too. Supporting each other – a tutorial that would serve many of us well to revisit. There’s a lesson in her journey for all of us. Let the sound of her lessons and experiences, dance well in each of our hearts.  www.bbala.org Image credits: lindanieuws.nl, it.blastingnews.com, glamour.com

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

International

Senegal Opens World’s Largest Black Civilisation Museum in Dakar By Lawrence Audu

A

fter years of waiting, Senegal is set to open what has been described as the largest museum of black civilization ever on December 6 in the capital, Dakar. Spread over an area of 14,000 m2 with a capacity of 18,000 pieces of art, the Museum of Black Civilizations, which will be used for the conservation of cultural values of the black people and for the presentation of Africa to the world, was built thanks to a donation from China amounting to $34.6 million, according to officials. Senegal’s late president Leopold Sedar Senghor was the first to propose the idea of a museum about the civilisations of black Africa during a world festival of black artists in Dakar in 1966. In December 2011, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade laid the foundation stone in the capital Dakar but works were suspended during a political change until the subsequent leader, Macky Sall set the project rolling between December 2013 and December 2015. “This building, just like all others within the Cultural Park will not be considered as a Senegalese monument, but an African monument,” Wade said when the first stone was laid. Finally, the doors of the museum will be opened with an exhibition on the theme “African civilizations: continuous creation of humanity”. “On two levels, visitors will travel from the Neolithic to the multiplicity of African cultures, through the Iron Age, to understand the contributions of Africa to the scientific and technical heritage. The director of the museum boasts a modern scenography, with the latest technologies, to dialogue paintings, sculptures, masks and some masterpieces, as a piece of one of the major figures of the plastic arts of Mali, Abdoulaye Konaté, and a monumental baobab of 112 meters high made by a Haitian representative of the diaspora,” an official said. Essentially, the museum features vestiges of the first hominids who appeared in Africa several million years ago to the latest contemporary art in collections of paintings and sculpture.

“This museum will not look like any other, because it will not be a museum of sub-Saharan Africa,” said Hamady Bocoum, the director of the museum, adding that the pan-African project “will be proof that the African man is well in history.” Since the museum could contain works owned by France since colonization, Senegal’s culture minister has called for the restitution by France of all Senegalese artwork on the back of a French report urging the return of African art treasures. According to Abdou Latif Coulibaly, the country was ready to work with France to find an amicable solution, adding that “If you have 10,000 pieces (of art identified from Senegal), we want to have the 10,000.” Apart from suffering from the negative consequences of colonialism, Africans have had to negotiate for the return of valuable historical cultural artefacts that were smuggled out of their countries. These priceless monuments, which symbolize African identity are currently scattered across the world, with an impressive number in British and French Museums. Many African countries have called for the return of these treasures but are yet to receive any positive response from these western countries, which are making huge sums of money from these objects, with some even insisting that they were obtained legally. French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced that his country will return 26 artefacts taken from Benin in 1892. The thrones and statues, currently on display at the Quai Branly museum in Paris, were taken during a colonial war against the then Kingdom of Dahomey. The statement comes a few months after Macron announced that a commision had been set up to look into the issue of returning looted artefacts to their rightful African countries during a joint press appearance with the President of Benin, Patrice Talon. The announcement by France that the artefacts should be returned “without delay” has sparked discussions about the return of all African artefacts in European museums, especially with information that the U.K. had decided in October to return Nigerian artefacts on a temporary basis.

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

Af

Museum of Black Civilisations

rican Renaissance Monument

Grand National Theatre Meanwhile, the Museum of Black Civilisations is said to be one of the elements of the Cultural Park which

Wade refers to as one of the “Seven Wonders.” The six other buildings are the Grand National Theater, the School of Beautiful Arts, the School of Architecture and the Music Palace, the Contemporary Art Museum, the National Library combined with the National Archives.  www.thenigerian.news/senegal-opens-worlds-largestblack-civilisation-museum-in-dakar/

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

konya

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z

International

One Africa:

J

Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!

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

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

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

land should be excluded from African affairs.

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

www.uniteafricans.org

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COMING TO YOUR E-MAIL BOX. Business/Government Contract Opportunities Business In Africa Commentaries/Editorials Financial Management Tech Tools for Growth Mobilization Africa Travel for Business & Pleasure

Read the Back Issues of our Digital Publications at: https://issuu.com/blackbusinessnews

Shopping Gallery

Toys Toys Toys Holiday Shopping - Toys Toys Toys

Find Maisha, Mala, Malina & Mhina at:

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www.facebook.com/NaturalGirlsUnited/ @naturalgirlsunited https://officialblackwallstreet.com/biz/natural-girls-united/ www.naturalgirlsunited.com/ 95  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

www.dreamkidz.com/collections/books

"Queens of Africa Dolls"

These unique dolls represent dierent ethnic groups in West Africa like the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa ethnic groups. Unlike other fashion dolls that merely darken the molds of Caucasian dolls, Queens of Africa dolls use specially designed molds with sub-Saharan facial features like high cheek bones, full lips and nose, curly hair and more. They come with a book series that features historic African queens and women leaders. Check out our gift sets at QueensOfAfricaDolls.com.

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sold and exclusively distributed by C.A.K.E (Culture of Africa for Kids Everywhere) Inc.

O

ur 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 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-itsbedtime/#

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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 graduation. 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  www.amazon.com/I-Am-Enough-Grace-Byers/ dp/0062667122

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eaturing forty trailblazing black women in American history, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of breaking boundaries and achieving beyond expectations. Illuminating text paired with irresistible illustrations bring to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash. Among these biographies, readers will find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things - bold women whose actions and beliefs contributed to making the world better for generations of girls and women to come. Whether they were putting pen to paper, soaring through the air or speaking up for the rights of others, the women profiled in these pages were all taking a stand against a world that didn't always accept them. The leaders in this book may be little, but they all did something big and amazing, inspiring generations to come. www.amazon.com/dp/B072V4QDCF/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_ encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Turning Love Into Action A Father Creates and Markets Books for Children

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obert “Bo” Chaney has found that there is a misconception that no one cares about our youth. As a result of his personal experiences as well as the interactions that he has had with today’s young people, he has a passion to reach as many young people as he can. Throughout his adult life, Bo has successfully mentored many young, underserved, minority males, empowering them with the knowledge and skills to navigate school and the workplace. Bo has spent numerous hours developing curriculum that is customized to meet the needs of underserved youth. Through his dedication, he's found ways to prepare young people for the workforce, through strategic lessons and connections which “uncover the unknown.” One way Bo has approached d his passion is to prepare young people through his series of books focused on grade school kids - The Adventures of Rob & Rocky. The books expose children to career options, life choices, and cultural differences. These books are written using “sight words”, words children should know by sight

at the end of their grade level. The series starts when Rob and Rocky walk to school and discuss what they want to be when they grow up. Through basic conversation, they talk about a variety of career options that have been overlooked for years such as Fireighter, Mailman nd more . Check out the first book in the

series and share it with teachers and school systems in your area www.robandrocky.com. Hear and see Bo talk about the book series at: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ot0ibLIXx9E&feature=you tu.be. The Adventures of Rob and Rocky will make a great Christmas gift for family members and friends. 

Search for more toys, books and music for our young people. 98  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

7 Cities Where You Can Find a Black Santa This Christmas By Natelegé Whaley

S

anta is normally portrayed in popular culture as an older pudgy white man with a white beard. But for decades, black families have searched for a black Santa to capture holiday memories. This tradition is long standing. As early as the 1940s, department stores in Harlem, New York City, and Chicago featured a black Santa Claus. In some cities, these jolly old men have become local celebrities because of their recurring role as St. Nick. But black Santas aren’t always expected or accepted. For instance, the Mall of America in Minneapolis chose its first black Santa, Larry Jefferson, for the holiday season to promote diversity in 2016. Some of the patrons were happy to welcome him, while there were also racist online commentators who complained that Santa should be white, attempting to ruin his moment. Regardless of what the haters say, when the Christmas holiday rolls around again, black Santas still remain booked, busy and sometimes hard to find. So here is the ultimate guide on where to find them around the country this Christmas.

New Orleans Fred Parker, aka the Seventh Ward Santa, has taken photos with generations of Black New Orleanians. See him at the Dennis Photofinish located at 1753 N Tonti St in New Orleans.

New York City The Macy’s at Herald Square in New York City has a black Santa available by request. He is not advertised and seems to be known only by word of mouth. In 2017, the Santas at Macy’s arrive on Nov. 24 and will be posted until Christmas Eve, according to the Macy’s website. Tip: This year you must set up an appointment to see Santa.

Atlanta In Atlanta, Dee Sinclair, also known as the “real black Santa” is a popular face who is available for booking at private events. His holiday schedule is already filling up. Black Santas are also taking over malls in the city, according to a local community blog 365 Atlanta Family. At South DeKalb Mall, Santa will be visiting until Christmas Eve. Check the site for his schedule here. Greenbriar Mall boasts a “naturally bearded AfricanAmerican Santa” between Nov. 18 and Christmas Eve. And the Mall West End has its own special “Kente Santa Claus,” who arrives on Friday at 11:30 a.m.

Seattle The Northwest AfricanAmerican Museum is holding a black Santa photo day on the first and second weekend of December.

mic.com

Washington, D.C. Iverson Mall, located in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Temple Hills, Maryland, hosts a Black Santa annually. Santa’s schedule will be posted to Iverson Mall’s Facebook page according to its management office.

Los Angeles In Los Angeles, Langston Patterson as Santa has been a cultural staple for black families at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza for the past 13 years. “Love, giving, sharing, forgiving, exchanging gifts — that’s what it means to me,” Patterson said in a Los Angeles Sentinel profile on his legacy in 2016. Santa will make an appearance at the mall’s annual winter wonderland event on Dec. 9, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Detroit For the third year in a row, Detroit’s Eastern Market will host a Black Santa Photo Experience made possible by BLAC Detroit and Metro Parent. The event is free for attendees and will be held Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Dec. 10 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees must bring their own cameras to take photos.  https://mic.com/articles/186100/7-citieswhere-you-can-find-a-black-santa-thischristmas#.rIh6bWshx

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

Ice Cream Toys & Books is a small independent Black-owned online retailer that specialises in an everexpanding range of globally sourced Afrocentric products for children everywhere. We started this company after becoming increasingly frustrated with the very limited & poorly represented range of Afrocentric products that the major high street & online stores were carrying at the time.

Zumo Learning System with Tablet The Zumo Learning System provides an accessible learning environment for children of all abilities. Zumo helps children fall in love with STEM. • Includes a 7 Tablet, Math Games and a Wireless Smart Toy, named Zumo • Unique technology maps physical movements to touch screen gestures • A suite of apps are included that are specially designed to enable tactile-based learning • Designed for K-3rd graders for learning in the home or classroom • Apps are customizable to the special needs of each child • Zumo offers many different play experiences through apps already available on iTunes www.zyrobotics.com info@zyrobotics.com 100  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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

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

Former Toys ‘R’ Us Manager Opens His Own Toy Store By ShoppeBlack

toy cars, dolls, and more — a selection informed by Warner ’s experience at Toys ‘R’ Us and his four kids. Warner immigrated with his family to the U.S. from Guyana over a decade ago and says opening his own business m e a n t lendon Warner always achieving the American dream. wanted to run his own But getting here wasn’t easy — business. So, when he it required years of sacrifice and and 33,000 other Toys ‘R’ Us strategic planning. The former Toys ‘R’ Us store employees lost their jobs this year as the company closed its U.S. manager had already attained a locations, he saw the behemoth license last fall before his employer retailer’s absence as the perfect announced it would close all 800 of its U.S. stores. He saved his tax opportunity. refunds and found extra income He opened his own toy shop. “Sometimes,” Warner tells by selling toys and other items at MONEY, “it takes one business to flea markets with his wife for years go out of business for another to go to afford the downpayment on his store’s location. “We were using into business.” Toys, Babies & More opened that as fuel to get to go to where we in a 1,600 square-foot location in want,” Warner says. “The community that I’m in doesn’t Hyattsville, Md., in late September — just in time for the busy holiday have anything like a toy store. Even season. The unassuming store is at Walmart, there’s a long line,” filled with stuffed animals, gadgets, Warner says. “God blessed me in a

G

time where I can afford to pay the rent.” Now, with his own business, Warner says he wishes it were larger so he “could hire at least 10” former Toys ‘R’ Us employees. But, like many of them, the sudden job loss and lack of severance pay hit Warner hard, too. He still has car insurance bills, young children, and a $2,000 mortgage to care of. “It’s still a struggle for me, too,” Warner says. Even now, with the store open, the money he earns goes directly back into the store. “It’s still not easy,” Warner says. “I still have bills.” But he’s thrilled. Opening his own store is the cumulation of decades of experience — and surviving the tumultuous retail climate in the U.S. He first learned the tricks of the trade from a prominent businessman in Guyana who owned a number of restaurants and became like a second father to Warner. He listened to him conduct business over the phone; he learned the importance of saving money; he learned the necessity of making a sacrifice. Now, Warner is trying to build a loyal customer base. The store is brand new, and, while he says it serves an untapped market in the area, toys aren’t necessarily flying off the shelves. But he’s staying positive. “Some days, no one walks in, and some days, for three days, I have no one walk in,” Warner says. “But it doesn’t break me because I have encouragement and motivations to make it happen.” “It’s not all glory right now for me,” Warner adds. “But I’m happy to achieve the American Dream.” Toys, Babies & More is located at 7455 Annapolis Rd. in Hyattsville, MD.  https://shoppeblack.us/2018/11/ manager-opens-toy-store/

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

... and Remember: We Play with our MINDS - NOT WITH OUR HEADS! www.gtscience.com www.trainemupacademy.org

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106  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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Black-Owned Watch Brands You Should Make Your Brands MG Media, TBTNEWS

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hile timepieces or watches are usually a luxury for most, there are several Blackowned brands that create and market high-quality watches that won't break the bank... and they are definitely worth taking time to look at! Here are seven Black-owned watch brands that you should support:

Youngblood Timepieces: Launched in 2006, this brand of high-end signature watches continues to be one of the most sought-after Black-owned watch brands. Its co-founders Paul Youngblood and Patrick Martin created the brand to offer both accessory and apparel products for savvy shoppers who sought to maximize their value without compromising on quality. https://youngbloodworldwide.com/collections/menswristwatches

Talley & Twine: Started with just a few sketches and no previous knowledge of the watch industry, Robert Williams designed his first watch that eventually became a successful luxury watch brand. Since then, they aimed to create quality, detailed, attention-grabbing timepieces that are reasonably priced and resist the status quo.

Seventeenth Watches: Owned and operated by an army veteran, Chris Johnson, who is also Black, this brand creates watches that are a perfect union between simplicity and class. Their styles are usually unisex and minimalist that makes it a timeless piece that would seem to still be in trend even in the next decades. www.seventeenth-watches.com/ Benson Watch: Established on the principle that "time should be spent doing what you love," its founder, Marcel Benson, wanted to encourage people to take charge of their time and live life on their terms. Additionally, this brand produces exclusive collection watches that are available for limited time only and will not be replicated anymore. https://www.bensonwatch.com/ SPGBK Watches: Founded by two African-American fraternity brothers from Fayetteville, North Carolina, this brand aims to create original culturally-inspired watches that are inspired by diversity and inclusion. The name is an abbreviation of "Springbreak" as the two founders, who were both HBCU graduates, wanted the company to be collegethemed. www.springbreakwatches.com/

https://store.talleyandtwine.com/

Enbois by Maxim: Named after the French word which means "wooden," this brand's watches are designed with the finest sustainable materials. Also, an acronym for Each New Bead Offers Its Support, its founder Maxim Thuriere sought a way to give back to his country of heritage, Haiti, where a portion of each transaction is donated to help improve educational opportunities as well as reforest Haiti.

Vitae London: Based in London, England, this brand features watches that are made of either a high-quality genuine leather band or a stainless steel mesh band with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass that are stylish, elegant, and built to last. What's more, for every watch sold, the company supports an underprivileged child in South Africa through education. https://vitaelondon.com/

http://enbois-originals.com/ 116  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Your Christmas Underwear Guide... We’ve made dressing for the party season simple! Here are our festive staples & what we’re wearing them with...

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125  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Set The Table

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VIRTUE RESTAURANT 1462 E 53rd St., Chicago, IL 60615 1-773-947-8831

www.virtuerestaurant.com Hospitality is a virtue! Kindness is a virtue! Service unlike servitude is a virtue! American Southern Cuisine Chef Erick Williams

Downtown Culver City: 9537 Culver Blvd. 310-202-5453 Open Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm www.honeyskettle.com om

50 Restaurants, 50 States: The Best Black-Owned Restaurants In America By Shontel Horne, Travel Noire

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wning a restaurant is tough. It can be expensive just to get started and most

generations ago and many that have opened recently. The restaurants included were selected based on a variety of factors, including historical significance, consistency and quality of the food, the impact the Yo’ Mama’s Restaurant – Birmingham restaurant has had on restaurants fail within the first year. its neighborhood and the Black-owned restaurateurs face value for the price, but the even greater challenges like lack goal of this list is to serve as of funding and resistance in certain a reminder that black people neighborhoods, so when one does are working hard across become successful, it deserves to the United States to share be celebrated. their legacy and culture I’ve set out to find the best through food. Whether it’s black-owned restaurants in every through flavors rooted in the state across America, including American south, cooking restaurants that were founded techniques from Ethiopia and Jamaica, or new culinary concepts, these black-owned restaurants have all earned Rodney Scott’s BBQ – Charleston support and recognition, and they’ve done so by patronizing the Black-owned one plate at a time. Visit all 50 restaurants, food wagons, bakeries, Restaurants, 50 caterers, wineries, breweries, etal States using the link in your town, city and state.  below but, strengthen https://travelnoire.com/theand support the Black best-black-owned-restaurants-inCulinary Industry america-shontel-horne/ SoCo – Brooklyn 128  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Shop for all of the NoMu products at: https://shop.nomu.co.za and www.amazon.com

21720 Avalon Blvd. Suite 102B Carson, California 90745 1-424-570-0531 www.darrowsNewOrleansgrill.com

@DarrowsNewOrleansGrill Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinks Eat-In, Take Out, Catering

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

www.amazon.com/Pattie-Labelle-Sweet-Potato-Family/dp/B07KFXM2QV/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1543253889&sr=8-2-fkmr0&k eywords=patty+labelle+pies Image credits: nbcbayarea.com, popsugar.com, cbs4indy.com, www.amittenfullofsavings.com/patti-labelles-banana-pudding/

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!

S

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

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  December 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.

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

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Now available at Whole Foods!

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

140  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

www.wosa.us www.winetalkwithmarcia.com

http://aaavintners.org

http://shallwewine.com 142  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

https://amarula.com

www.blackmommavodka.com www.blackmommateas.com/black

https://unclenearest.com h ttps://unclenearest.com 143  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Books To Consider Holiday Shopping - Books To Consider

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

145  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Books to Consider

Books to Consider...

The World is Watching Edited by David Robinson, Alice Palmer, Edward “Buzz” Palmer Part historical, part reflective essays, and interviews, The World Is Watching is a riveting and imperative autobiographical collection of international struggle, world travel and conversations, and remarkable and unfiltered interactions across languages, cultures, and continents. Edited by award-winning public administrator and former journalist David Robinson, former Illinois State Senator Alice Palmer, and former chair of the Chicago Sister City Committee (under Harold Washington and Eugene Sawyer administrations) Edward “Buzz” Palmer. The latest book from Third World Press Foundation sheds light on “one of the un-discussed problems in the national and international Black world is our ignorance of foreign affairs,” says award-winning poet, professor, architect of the Black Arts Movement, and Third World Press Foundation founder and publisher Haki Madhubuti. “The deadly arrival of the 21st century requires an awakening of a newly expanded consciousness. We must not only be experienced street fighters but as our best scholars, historians, poets, business people, diplomats, teachers, artists, and political athletes clearly understand-we must engage in trench-like and intellectual warfare simultaneously,” expressed Haki. "This book holds up a mirror for Black Americans to see themselves through the eyes of notable men and women outside the United States and Americans who have experiences outside the United States. Their observations and appraisements offer fresh eyes through which Black Americans – especially our young – can see themselves as world people.” 

https://www.amazon.com/World-Watching-Edward-LPalmer/dp/0883784084/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF 8&qid=1544208120&sr=1-1&keywords=the+world+is +watching https://thirdworldpressfoundation.org/product/preorder-the-world-is-watching/

Things That Make White People Uncomfortable by Michael Bennett, Dave Zirin, Martellus Bennett (Foreword)

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ichael Bennett is a Super Bowl Champion, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, a fearless activist, a feminist, a grassroots philanthropist, an organizer, and a change maker. He's also one of the most scathingly humorous athletes on the planet, and he wants to make you uncomfortable. Bennett adds his unmistakable voice to discussions of racism and police violence, Black athletes and their relationship to powerful institutions like the NCAA and the NFL, the role of protest in history, and the responsibilities of athletes as role models to speak out against injustice. Following in the footsteps of activistathletes from Muhammad Ali to Colin Kaepernick, B e n n e t t demonstrates his outspoken leadership both on and off the field. Written with award-winning sportswriter and author Dave Zirin, Things that Make White People Uncomfortable is a sports book for our turbulent times, a memoir, and a manifesto as hilarious and engaging as it is illuminating.  www.amazon.com/Things-That-White-PeopleUncomfortable/dp/1608468933

146  December 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Everything's Trash, But It's Okay

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by Phoebe Robinson

ritten in her trademark unfiltered and witty style, Robinson's latest collection is a call to arms. Outfitted with on-point pop culture references, these essays tackle a wide range of topics: giving feminism a tough-love talk on intersectionality, telling society's beauty standards to kick rocks, and calling foul on our culture's obsession with work. Robinson also gets personal, exploring money problems she's hidden from her parents, how dating is mainly a warmedover bowl of hot mess, and definitely most important, meeting Bono not once, but twice. She's struggled with being a woman with a political mind and a woman with an ever-changing jeans size. She knows about trash because she sees it every day--and because she's seen roughly one hundred thousand hours of reality TV and zero hours of Schindler's List. With the intimate voice of a new best friend, Everything's Trash, But It's Okay is a candid perspective for a generation that has had the rug pulled out from under it too many times to count.  www.amazon.com/Everythings-TrashBut-Its-Okay-ebook/dp/B07D6WRTCF/ ref=pd_sim_351_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_ i=B07D6WRTCF&pd_rd_r=2dcdebbe-00f8-11e9-91e2f976ad544836&pd_rd_w=0PAYo&pd_rd_wg=T74d4&pf_rd_ p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=4SJ PH6J33V1P5ZZMDGN8&psc=1&refRID=4SJPH6J33V1P5 ZZMDGN8

Taking Flight: From

War Orphan to Star Ballerina

by Michaela DePrince, Elaine Deprince

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i c h a e l a DePrince was known as girl Number 27 at the orphanage, where she was abandoned at a young age and tormented as a “devil child” for a skin condition that makes her skin appear spotted. But it was at the orphanage that Michaela would find a picture of a beautiful ballerina en pointe that would help change the course of her life. At the age of four, Michaela was adopted by an American family, who encouraged her love of dancing and enrolled her in classes. She went on to study at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre and is now the youngestt principal princi i ipall dancer dancer with wit i the Dance Theatre of youngest Harlem. She has appeared in the ballet documentary First Position, as well as on Dancing with the Stars, Good Morning America, and Nightline. In this engaging, moving, and unforgettable memoir, Michaela shares her dramatic journey from an orphan in West Africa to becoming one of ballet’s most exciting rising stars.  www.amazon.com/dp/B00JCSA8U8/ref=dp-kindleredirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Not Our President: New

Directions from the Pushed

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

Books to Consider

Out, the Others, and the Clear Majority in Trump’s Stolen America Edited by Haki Madhubuti and Lasana Kazembe, Cornel West (Foreword)

D

onald J. Trump is the 45th president of the United States! This happened in 2016 and it is not a hallucination. Trump’s political ascendancy, cabinet-level federal appointments, and not-so-subtle endorsement of white nationalism have expedited feelings of fear, loathing, and endless uncertainty among many Americans – in particular, the poor and working-class. Not Our President: New Directions from the Pushed Out, the Others, and the Clear Majority in Trump’s Stolen America is a call-to-action for critical thinking, civic engagement, and progressive movement-building among everyday people – the vast majority of whom stand outside of Trump’s vision for America. Not Our President is critical reading! The book includes contributions from Molefi K. Asante, Edmund W. Gordon, Maulana Karenga, Henry Giroux, Mitch Landrieu, Greg Carr, Sonia Sanchez, Bill Ayers, Gerald Horne, Elizabeth Warren, Ishmael Reed, Julianne Malveaux, Jessica Care Moore, Nikky Finney, Herb Boyd, Michael Simanga, Talib Kweli Greene, and others.  www.amazon.com/Not-Our-President-directionsMajority/dp/088378372X

Sweet Home Café Cookbook: A Celebration of African

American Cooking by NMAAHC, Jessica B. Harris, Albert Lukas A celebration of African American cooking with 109 recipes from the National Museum of African American History and Culture's Sweet Home Café

S

ince the 2016 opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, its Sweet Home Café has become a destination in its own right. Showcasing African American contributions to American cuisine, the café offers favorite dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, adding modern flavors and contemporary twists on classics. Now both readers and home cooks can partake of the café's bounty: drawing upon traditions of family and fellowship strengthened by shared meals, Sweet Home Café Cookbook celebrates African American cooking through recipes served by the café itself and dishes inspired by foods from African American culture. With 109 recipes, the sumptuous Sweet Home Café Cookbook takes readers on a deliciously unique journey. Presented here are the salads, sides, soups, snacks, sauces, main dishes, breads, and sweets that emerged in America as African, Caribbean, and European influences blended together. Featured recipes include Pea Tendril Salad, Fried Green Tomatoes, Hoppin' John, Sénégalaise Peanut Soup, Maryland Crab Cakes, Jamaican Grilled Jerk Chicken, Shrimp & Grits, Fried Chicken and Waffles, Pan Roasted Rainbow Trout, Hickory Smoked Pork Shoulder, Chow Chow, Banana Pudding, Chocolate Chess Pie, and many others. More than a collection of inviting recipes, this book illustrates the pivotal--and often overlooked-role that African Americans have played in creating and re-creating American foodways. Offering a deliciously new perspective on African American food and culinary culture, Sweet Home Café Cookbook is an absolute must-have.  www.amazon.com/Sweet-Home-Café-CookbookCelebration-ebook/dp/B07H1VBKS9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8& qid=1545529687&sr=8-1&keywords=sweet+home+cafe

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

Black Business News Group

Image Credits: zazzle.com, ebay.com, http://clipart-library.com/african-american-christmas-pictures. html, clipartbest.com,

BBA 2019 Master Planner

Resource Vault Media/Information APO (Africa Wire®/MENA Wire®) -- www.apo-opa.com Africa Business Communities -- https://africabusinesscommunities.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 Business Directory & Blog -- www.blackbusiness. org Black Business News Group -- www.issuu.com/blackbusinessnews BlackNews.com -- www.blacknews.com Black Wall Street Times -- http://bwstimes.com 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 Cape Up with Jonathan Capehart -- https://itunes.apple. com/us/podcast/cape-up-with-jonathan-capehart/ id1143265842?mt=2 The Chocolate Voice -- www.thechocolatevoice.com CuisineNoir -- www.cuisinenoirmag.com Cybrary -- www.cybrary.it The Elders -- https://theelders.org DiasporaVoice -- www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice Face2Face Africa -- https://face2faceafrica.com How Africa, The Rise of Africa -- http://howafrica.com KweliTV -- www.facebook.com/kwelitv Macauhub -- www.facebook.com/Macauhub Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) -- www.youtube.com/ user/marquesbrownlee MahoganyBooks -- http://blog.mahoganybooks.com/ Publish Africa -- http://wow.gm/publishafrica Red Media Africa -- www.facebook.com/RedMediaAfrica

Rock Me Africa -- //rockmeafrica.com TONL -- https://tonl.co/ YouTube Educational Channels -- http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know UN Video -- https://videos.un.org/en United Nations -- http://webtv.un.org WikiHow -- www.wikihow.com World Library -- www.worldlibrary.org

Culture/Arts African Networks -- http://afn.bibalex.org/MainPart/ About_.aspx African Origins -- www.african-origins.org Almasi Arts -- www.almasiarts.org Cultural Events/Content -- www.okayafrica.com Digital Assets Repository -- http://dar.bibalex.org/ webpages/dar.jsf Freedom Park -- www.freedompark.co.za Hungry Black Man -- https://thehungryblackman.com Infocus247 -- https://infocus247.com Information for Africa -- http://bibalex.org/baifa/en/home/ index Library of Alexandria -- www.bibalex.org/en/ default

Paradigm Grey -- www.paradigmgrey.com Travel Noire -- https://travelnoire.com Shadow & Act -- //shadowandact.com/about-us

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 Black Privilege -- www.blackprivilege.org/ Nigeria (Africa) financial news -- //nairametrics.com She Leads Africa -- http://sheleadsafrica.org Shoppe Black -- https://shoppeblack.us/

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



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 Color of Change -- www.colorofchange.org Community Healing Network -- www. communityhealingnet.org Pan African Film Festival -- www.paff.org StayWoke -- www.staywoke.org TimesUp -- www.timesupnow.com 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

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

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154  July 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

NYSE trader/broker Lauren Simmons © CNBC Make It

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