2018 January by Black Business News Group

Publisher's Message

n January 15, 2018, America will be celebrating the national holiday of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s (MLK, Jr.) birthday, his life and contributions to not only African Americans, but to all Americans. As African Americans we must stay strong and resilient during these difficult times of racial and social divide throughout the nation. MLK, Jr.’s vision for Blacks and others continues to grow, but not without the commitment of many to hold feet to the fire to continue to push for economic, judicial and social and racial equality. For African American business owners, MLK, Jr.'s vision for self-sufficiency (i.e. economic empowerment) has proven to be an important catalyst towards equity. However, there is Pubisher/Editor-In-Chief still so much work to do. Our Black buying power continues to increase, but still needs to be redirected / recycled back into our communities, businesses and services for it to become sustainable, and provide a wealth-building platform for African American generations to come. Historically, Black-owned businesses played a seldom talked about, but very important role in the Civil Rights Movement. Louis Ferleger (Professor of History, Boston University) and Matthew Lavallee (Graduate Student, Boston University), recently published an article in the Institute of New Economic Thinking, on how in Alabama and throughout the South, Black business owners were on the front lines, enduring pressure from the White community, while supporting and assisting those involved with the battle for civil rights of Blacks and others in this nation. An important contribution made by Black business owners manifested from the leadership of AG Gaston, an African American businessman who established a

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

Black Business News Group P.O. Box 43159 Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA 1-323-291-7819 Fax: 1-323-298-5064

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

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sarah Harris Dean L. Jones Phyllis Dixon

ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR Kim Anthony

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Linda Ware

PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dean Jones Linda Ware Ralph D. Sutton Timothy Lester, Jr. Veronica Hendrix Giavanna Foster P. Yvette Thomas Aman Williams LaSandra Stratton

GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris Tia Robinson

STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg Jennifer Marie Hamilton

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx Sabir Narishima Osei

CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR La Sandra Stratton

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications Montgomery Bus Boycott amistadresource.org

number of businesses in Birmingham, Alabama, and who played a significant role in the struggle to integrate Birmingham in 1963. In his lifetime, Gaston's companies were some of the most prominent African-American businesses in the American South. In response to the Rosa Parks inspired the Montgomery Boycott of public transportation, the city’s relatively large network of black-owned taxi companies – eighteen companies operating approximately 210 cabs – provided the first transportation solution for Blacks, which helped to ensure the effectiveness of the public transportation boycott. Just these two examples alone should cite and remind

Copyright © 2017 by Black Business News All Rights Reserved. The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein. 

see Publisher's Message on page 74 3  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

About

The mission of The Black Business News (BBN) is to inspire and inform public and private sector industry representatives on the importance of smart small business growth. As a versatile source of socioeconomic development activity news, the publications of the Black Business News Group (a division of the Black Business Association) impart current local, national and international industry and social trends and news affecting small businesses across the United States of America (USA), providing guides to greater access to financial capital, management efficiencies, business education, mentorship opportunities and social media networks. The goals of the Black Business News Group include: •

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

•

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

•

exploring major public and private sector contracting methods to educate black-owned and operated enterprises.

•

providing an aﬃrmative inﬂuence for emerging entrepreneurs by sharing innovative design and creative cultural content that exposes them to the history of black enterprises and urges them to participate in the USA’s future.

•

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

View back issues at: https:// issuu.com/blackbusinessnews

2018 Black Business Association Upcoming Events

February Annual Awards Dinner February 24th

Black Business News Group Publications Black Business News Black Business News International Black Business News Travel Africa

Contents

Black Business News… 3

Publisher's Message

Government 6 7 7 8

10 16 20 22

First-in-nation Medicaid Work Requirements Approved by White House for Kentucky Congresswoman Waters Slams HUD’s Delay of Fair Housing Rule Trump Signs Bill Renewing NSA's Internet Surveillance Program Hundreds of Thousands of Poor Americans will Soon be Able to Move to Better Areas Judge Temporarily Blocks Ban of DACA Weah Elected Liberia President Botswana Responds to President Trump's Insults of Africa and Africans U.S. State Department Rolls Out a New Travel Advisory System Net Neutrality Supporters Predict Tough Court Battle Over FCC's Repeal Plan

Entertainment 26

BBN Show Biz Buzz

Editorials/Perspectives 14 48 54

Trump, Condemned for ‘Shithole’ Countries Remark Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream Lives On Standing Up to Racism Wherever It Appears is the Best Way to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Business 34 36

Obama Foundation Selects Lakeside Alliance for Construction Management America’s Top Minority/Woman-Owned

37 38 42 52 58 59

Municipal Bond Firm Tech Surveilance May Sweep You Up - Be Aware 17 Top Black Inﬂuencers You Should Partner With In 2018 Breaux Capital Financial Service Start-Up U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris Grand Marshal of Martin Luther King, Jr. 33rd Annual KINGDOM DAY PARADE H&M Sorry About Ad With Black Boy in ‘Coolest Monkey’ Hoodie Bianca Vobecky Honored at the 2018 Rose Day Parade for her Multi-MillionDollar Construction Company

Community/Public Interest 86 88 89 90

U.S. Olympian Hits Her Stride Winter Olympics 2018: African Athletes to make History in Pyeongchang Steph Curry joins Barack Obama in PSA for Initiative to Help Young Men of Color NASA Celebrates Legacy of First Black American Astronaut

Obituary/Memorials 92 94 95

Frances Grice Dr. Anyim Palmer, Educator Extraordinare JoJo White

International 43

99 100 101

Rainbow Push Coalition & Africa Global Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) Global Trade Conference African Stock Exchanges Ethiopian Airlines Makes History with Allfemale Crew Trip within Africa Ms. Bience Gawanas appointed as Special Adviser on Africa

Columns 84 108 144 147 148

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

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

Government

First-in-nation Medicaid Work Requirements Approved by White House for Kentucky By Benjy Sarlin

breitbart.com

ust one day after inviting states to add new work requirements to Medicaid, the Trump administration approved Kentucky's request for a waiver to do just that, the state's Republican governor announced. The move sets up Kentucky as the ﬁrst test case for the dramatic shift in federal policy, which health policy experts say will likely face lawsuits before it can be fully entrenched. Previous administrations had rejected attempts by states to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients, saying they went against the law's intent. "It will be a model for the nation," Gov. Matt Bevin said at a press conference announcing the changes. He called Kentucky's plan long overdue and said it would be "transformational in all the right

ways" by pushing "able-bodied working age" adults to seek out employment. Under the now-approved program Kentucky submitted last year, adults between 19 and 64 would have to perform 80 hours a month of "community engagement," which could include paid work or activities like school, job training, and volunteering. There would be exceptions for primary caregivers, medically frail individuals, pregnant women and former foster care youth. The changes would also require beneﬁciaries who are covered by the work requirements to pay monthly premiums and would penalize them if they missed payments after 60 days. It would remove some beneﬁciaries from Medicaid who fail to keep the state updated on their eligibility and lock

them out for a six-month period. In submitting its waiver request, Kentucky officials projected the changes would reduce Medicaid enrollment among adults by as many as 95,000 people over five years. "Make no mistake: People will die because of this," Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., said in a statement. "Thousands of Kentucky families will face financial ruin. Governor Bevin and President Trump are creating an entirely unnecessary crisis in our Commonwealth for entirely political reasons." Groups criticizing the work requirements have predicted lawsuits ahead. Critics of the changes say they subvert Medicaid's purpose of providing health care to low-income people and that Congress would need to approve a new mission to push people towards employment. "This is a sad day for the hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians who have gotten health care coverage since 2014, some for the first time in their lives," Eliot Fishman, senior director of health policy of Families USA, said in a statement. "Their hopes now rest with a legal challenge to this waiver approval, a legal challenge that Families USA strongly supports. The courts are now the primary line of defense for all of Kentucky's progress in getting its people access to quality health care." Kentucky has been the site of ongoing battles over health care. It's seen one of the largest drops in its uninsured population under Obamacare, partly thanks to the state's use of the law's funding to expand Medicaid. Bevin ran for office criticizing the Medicaid expansion, but ultimately decided to leave it in place. ” https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/-firstin-nation-medicaid-work-requireme/f813adfa175%2Fnbcnews.com

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https://democrats-ﬁnancialservices.house. gov

Congresswoman Maxine Waters

n response to the Trump Administration’s decision to delay the implementation of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, made the following statement: “The Trump Administration’s move to delay the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule is a flagrant attack on efforts to ensure fair housing opportunities for all people, including minorities, women, families with children, and persons with disabilities." The Fair Housing Act requires that federal agencies and recipients of federal housing funds take proactive steps to affirmatively further fair housing, in order to help remedy years of governmentsupported segregation and inequality. The Obama Administration implemented a strong Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule that provides communities with greater clarity on how to help break down barriers to fair housing opportunity by providing local authorities with better data to analyze their housing needs. In particular, the rule

supports investment in high poverty areas and in opportunities for mobility, which I, along with other advocates, recommended clarity on during the comment period. The rule must not be delayed or weakened. This is just one in a series of important housing regulations that Secretary Ben Carson and the Trump Administration are working to roll back. For example, they have also attempted to delay the Small Area Fair Market Rent rule, which

Trump Signs Bill Renewing NSA's Internet Surveillance Program By Dustin Volz

is designed to reduce segregation and give Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher recipients more choices about where to live. Let’s not forget that Donald Trump and his father once ran afoul of the Fair Housing Act, and were charged with discriminating against African American and Puerto Rican renters. It comes as no surprise that Trump and his HUD Secretary have disgracefully declared war on fair housing and eﬀorts to prevent discrimination." 

.S. President Donald Trump said he had signed into law a bill renewing the National Security Agency's warrantless internet surveillance program. "Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection," Trump said on Twitter, referring to legislation passed by the U.S. Congress that extends Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for six years. https://ﬂipboard.com/@ﬂipboard/trump-signs-bill-renewing-nsasinternet/f-009bb5893f%2Freuters. com

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Government - Housing

Hundreds of Thousands of Poor Americans will Soon be Able to Move to Better Areas By Tracy Jan

federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to implement an Obama-era rule (Small Area FMR) on Jan. 1 that would give low-income families greater access to housing in more affluent neighborhoods. The 2016 rule was designed to break up areas of concentrated poverty in two dozen metro regions, from Atlanta and Charlotte to San Diego and Honolulu. It would operate by taking into account the rental prices in specific neighborhoods — instead of averaging across an entire metropolitan area — making it easier for poor people to afford apartments in middle-class neighborhoods with better schools, lower crime rates and more job opportunities. Under the current system, families receiving public rental assistance have been concentrated in deeply segregated, high-poverty communities. A coalition of civil rights organizations sued the Trump administration in October after HUD Secretary Ben Carson announced that the agency would delay implementing the rule by nearly two years to allow the new administration time to fully understand its effects. Housing industry groups, including the National Association of Home Builders, lobbied against the rule, arguing that it would lead to disinvestment in inner city neighborhoods.

Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell, appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by President Barack Obama, ruled on Dec. 23 that HUD’s decision to delay implementing the rule was “arbitrary and capricious.” She said the agency failed to show sufficient reason for a pause, and that a delay would irreparably harm the plaintiffs: a Hartford, Conn., mother of five and a Chicago mother trying to move their families to safer suburban communities. “It’s long overdue that our federal government remedy the massive disparities in wealth and education its policies continue to produce, and modest rules like this one play an integral role in leveling the playing field for blacks, Latinos, and lowincome Americans,” Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said in a statement. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund was among the half-dozen groups that challenged

HUD’s efforts to delay the rule. “Suspending this rule was yet another attack by this administration on communities of color,” Ifill said. “By restoring the prior rule, this injunction is a key step toward expanding equal opportunity in all aspects of American life.” A spokesman for HUD declined to comment this week on Howell’s decision. In an August blog post, the agency said it was trying to give local public housing agencies more time to prepare before it mandated the changes. More than 200,000 families in two dozen communities will now have greater choices about where to live, said Philip Tegeler, president and executive director of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council, which was also part of the lawsuit. “This represents a new opportunity for tens of thousands of families with housing vouchers,” Tegeler said. “It’s about the right to choose where to live and the right not to be segregated. Good housing policy does not confine families to high

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poverty neighborhoods.” Families with incomes low enough to receive Section 8 vouchers have little say over where to live because it is generally left up to individual landlords whether to accept the housing vouchers. And those vouchers are often too low to cover rent in more affluent neighborhoods, relegating families to clusters of apartments in poor, highly segregated areas. The new rule addressing that problem was issued in November 2016 by then-HUD Secretary Julián Castro after years of study and public debate. Housing agencies in 23 metro areas will now be required to adopt “small area fair market rents,” which tie voucher subsidies to specific Zip codes. It would, in essence, redistribute the value of Section 8 rental vouchers, providing higher government subsidies for apartments in more expensive communities and lower subsidies for units in poor neighborhoods. Such a rule was first rolled out in Dallas in 2010 as part of a fair

housing settlement. Since then, pilot programs have been instituted in Chattanooga, Tenn.; Laredo, Tex.; Long Beach, Calif.; Cook County, Ill.; and Mamaroneck, N.Y. Studies have shown that moving low-income families into wealthier communities results in better lives for their children, who are eventually more likely to attend college, earn more money, and reside in better neighborhoods as adults. But Carson has dismissed other government interventions to desegregate communities as “social engineering.” The 23 aﬀected metropolitan areas are: • Atlanta-Sandy SpringsMarietta, Ga. • Bergen-Passaic, N.J. • Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, N.C.-S.C. • Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill. • Colorado Springs • Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerﬁeld Beach, Fla. • Fort Worth-Arlington, Tex. • Gary, Ind.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Conn. Jackson, Miss. Jacksonville, Fla. Monmouth-Ocean, N.J. North Port-BradentonSarasota, Fla. Palm Bay-MelbourneTitusville, Fla. Philadelphia-CamdenWilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. Pittsburgh Sacramento — Arden-Arcade — Roseville, Calif. San Antonio-New Braunfels, Tex. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif. Tampa-St. PetersburgClearwater, Fla. Honolulu Washington-ArlingtonAlexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach, Fla.  www.msn.com/en-us/money/ realestate/hundreds-of-thousands-ofpoor-americans-will-soon-be-able-tomove-to-better-areas-thanks-to-thisjudge/ar-BBHr55F?ocid=spartandhp

Judge Temporarily Blocks Ban of DACA By Sudhin Thanawala and Andrew Dalton

federal Judge on January 9th temporarily blocked the Trump administration decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation. U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiﬀs to prevent President Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court. Alsup said lawyers in favor of DACA clearly demonstrated that the young immigrants "were likely to suﬀer serious, irreparable harm"

with out court action. The judge also said the lawyers have a strong change of succeeding at trial. DACA has protected amout 800,000 people who were grought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. The program includes hundreds of thousands of collegeage students. U.S. Attorney General Jeﬀerson Sessions announced in September 2017 that the program would be phased out, saying former President Barack Obama had exceeded his

authority when he implemented it in 2012. The move sparked a flurry of lawsuits nationwide. Alsup considered five separate lawsuits filed in Northern California, including one by the state and another by the governing board of the University of California school system.  www.chicagosuntimes.com

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Government - Presential Election

Ex-soccer Star Weah Elected Liberia President by Wide Margin By JONATHAN PAYE-LAYLEH

ormer FIFA World Player of the Year George Weah has been elected Liberia's new president by a wide margin as the West African nation faces its first democratic transfer of power in more than 70 years. Vice President Joseph Boakai conceded on Friday, congratulating the ex-soccer star. With more than 98% of votes counted, Weah received 61.5% of the ballots while Boakai received 38.5%. Africa's first female president, Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is stepping aside after two terms at the head of the nation founded by freed American slaves. She led the country from back-to-back civil wars and saw it through a deadly Ebola outbreak that killed nearly 5,000 Liberians but was criticized for not better tackling corruption. The 51-year-old Weah, a senator who entered politics after retirement from soccer more than a decade ago, led the first-round vote in October but didn't receive enough ballots to win outright over the 73-year-old Boakai, who has been vice president for 12 years. Sirleaf didn't publicly support either candidate. In his remarks conceding the election, Boakai offered a "hand of goodwill" to Weah and dismissed the idea of challenging the runoff results in court, alluding to past conflicts. "I refuse to subject our nation to such an experience," he said. "I reject any temptation of imposing

pain, hardship and uncertainty on our people." Weah is expected to take office in January. Though voter turnout for Tuesday's runoff was low, he drew support from the younger generation, which makes up a majority of Liberia's population of 4.6 million people. "We are young people and have suffered in this country for so long," said one supporter, Love Norrision. The commission said 56% of

the country's 2.2 million registered voters cast ballots in the runoﬀ, which was contested twice in court amid claims of irregularities, with its original Nov. 7 date delayed. This was Liberia's ﬁrst independently run election since the end of its civil wars. The United Nations has helped to oversee past votes. Weah led the ticket for a coalition party, the Congress for Democratic Change, with Jewel Howard-

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Former soccer star George Weah, Presidential candidate for the Coalition for Democratic Change, casts his vote during a Presidential runoﬀ election in Monrovia, Liberia, Tuesday Dec. 26, 2017. © The Associated Press

Taylor as his vice presidential running mate. She is a senator and the ex-wife of imprisoned former warlord and President Charles Taylor, which raised concerns among some Liberians. Weah had run in the country's last two elections, winning the ﬁrst round of the 2005 vote that eventually went to Sirleaf. He ran as the vice presidential candidate with diplomat Winston Tubman

in the 2011 poll; they boycotted the runoﬀ that granted Sirleaf her second term. Weah's rags-to-riches story has been an inspiration to many supporters who call him "King George." He was born in a slum of the capital, Monrovia, and showed early promise in soccer. He played for top local clubs before starting his international career in Cameroon, then moved on to AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, where he became famous. While with AC Milan, Weah in 1995 won World Player of the Year. He later played for Chelsea and Manchester City.

Weah's limited educational background hurt his political aspirations, and he returned to school after the 2005 attempt for president. He obtained a high school diploma abroad and earned a degree from Illinois-based DeVry University. As Liberia grappled with the Ebola outbreak in 2014, Weah was elected as a senator, defeating Sirleaf's son Robert for the seat. Weah's critics have argued that his lack of political experience makes him unequipped for Liberia's top job.  www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ ex-soccer-star-weah-electedliberia-president-by-wide-margin/arBBHt72V?ocid=spartandhp

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Government - International

Trump, Condemned for ‘Shithole’ Countries Remark, Denies Comment but Acknowledges ‘Tough’ Language By Ed O'Keefe, Anne Gearan

resident Trump’s comments about African countries and Haiti drew condemnation from around the world, putting the White House and Republicans on the defensive while casting doubt on hopes of resolving disputes in the coming weeks over immigration legislation. In a tweet Friday, Trump seemed to deny using the term “shithole” to refer to some countries during a private White House meeting Thursday, but acknowledged he used “tough” language during the negotiations. Among Republicans, there were differing responses to the comments, but few of them outright condemned his remarks. The lone Democrat present for the Oval Office encounter said that Trump’s denial was false and the president “said things that were hate-filled, vile and racist.” “I cannot believe that in the history of the White House, in that Oval Office, any president has ever spoken the words that I personally heard our president speak yesterday,” Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters. In a sign that the outcry over Trump’s remarks is unlikely to abate quickly, senior House Democrats said that they planned next week to introduce a resolution censuring the president for his comments. President Trump speaks to the media as he meets with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in the Oval Office on Jan. 10. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) A day after the White House

did not deny that Trump used the vulgarity, first reported by The Washington Post, Trump dove into the controversy and blasted out his own version of the meeting early Friday morning on Twitter. “The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made — a big setback for DACA!” Trump wrote, referring to negotiations over the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that allowed children brought to the country illegally, known as “dreamers,” to avoid deportation. But Trump’s attempt at a denial did little to quell the international outrage at his reported comments that the United States should seek immigrants from countries such as Norway instead of African and Latin American nations. “There is no other word one can use but ‘racist,’ ” United Nations human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said at a briefing in Geneva. “You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents as ‘shitholes,’ whose entire populations, who are not white, are therefore not welcome.” Ebba Kalondo, spokeswoman for the African Union, said the comments were alarming. “Considering the historical reality of how many Africans arrived in the U.S. during the Atlantic slave trade, this flies in the face of all accepted behavior and practice,” she said. The controversy began Thursday

when the president grew frustrated with lawmakers during an Oval Office meeting as they discussed protecting immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as part of a bipartisan deal over the dreamers, according to several people briefed on the meeting. “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump said, according to these people, referring to countries mentioned by the lawmakers. Trump then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries such as Norway, whose prime minister he met with Wednesday. A White House official said Trump also suggested that he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because he felt that they help the United States economically. In addition, the president singled out Haiti, telling lawmakers that immigrants from that country must be left out of any deal, these people said. “Why do we need more Haitians?” Trump said, according to people familiar with the meeting. “Take them out.” In November, the Trump administration rescinded deportation protection granted to nearly 60,000 Haitians after the 2010 earthquake and told them to return home by July 2019. This week, the administration announced that similar protections for roughly 200,000 Salvadorans will end in September 2019 — unless Congress enacts legislation providing them permanent legal status. In another tweet Friday, Trump focused on remarks attributed to him about Haiti, saying: “Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said ‘take them out.’ Made

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up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings — unfortunately, no trust!” Early Saturday, the president again took to Twitter to address his critics: “The Democrats are all talk and no action. They are doing nothing to fix DACA. Great opportunity missed. Too bad!” Less than an hour later, Trump tweeted, “I don’t believe the Democrats really want to see a deal on DACA.” Reaction to Trump’s remarks across the political spectrum and around the globe mirrored what has happened in the past — hastily arranged meetings among diplomats, outrage and sharp criticism from Democrats, and measured comments by Republicans. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who has been negotiating the immigration policy deal with Durbin and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), said in an interview with The Post that he was not at the meeting, but heard about Trump’s comments “before it went public. And what I’ve heard reported is consistent about what I heard about the meeting.” In a statement Friday afternoon, Graham, who was at the meeting, did not specifically address what Trump said. “Following comments by the President, I said my piece directly to him yesterday,” he said. “The President and all those attending the meeting know what I said and how I feel. I’ve always believed that America is an idea, not defined by its people but by its ideals.” On Friday, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) told a South Carolina newspaper that Graham told him that the reported comments are “basically accurate.” “If that comment is accurate, the comment is incredibly disappointing,” Scott told the Post & Courier newspaper.

In a joint statement, Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) — two of Trump’s biggest allies on Capitol Hill who attended Thursday’s meeting — said, “We do not recall the president saying these comments specifically but what he did call out was the imbalance in our current immigration system, which does not protect American workers and our national interest.” Trump, the senators said, “brought everyone to the table this week and listened to both sides. But regrettably, it seems that not everyone is committed to negotiating in good faith.” Cotton and Perdue are cosponsors of legislation that would enact severe restrictions on legal immigration — a bill Trump has said he supports, but that senior GOP leaders have said could not pass Congress. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), who also attended the meeting, did not address the comments in a statement issued by his office Friday. “There are almost 800,000 young DACA beneficiaries who are facing imminent deportation in March if we don’t reach a deal,” he said. “I’m not going to be diverted from all possible efforts to continue to negotiate to reach a deal. So statements at the eleventh hour are not going to distract me.” An immigration hard-liner in Congress, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), tweeted support for Trump’s remarks Friday: “If those countries aren’t as you described, Democrats should be happy to deport criminal aliens back to them. &End #AnchorBabies, too.” In the wake of news reports about his comments, Trump initially was not particularly upset by the outcry and spent a portion of Thursday night calling friends and confidants to assess the potential fallout — part of his routine attempts to take the

temperature of longtime contacts, according to a White House official familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly about the president’s response. While Trump does not generally enjoy widespread negative media coverage of his more controversial statements, the official added he is cognizant that the situation will probably be perceived differently in Washington and on television news compared with his political base across the country. Hillary Clinton, Trump’s 2016 Democratic rival, weighed in, tweeting that Friday’s eighth anniversary of a major earthquake in Haiti “is a day to remember the tragedy, honor the resilient people of Haiti, & affirm America’s commitment to helping our neighbors. Instead, we’re subjected to Trump’s ignorant, racist views of anyone who doesn’t look like him.” Left unanswered is how much damage Trump’s comments have done to the ability of Congress to soon reach a deal on DACA. Durbin said in a written statement Friday that he and others in his bipartisan group will continue pressing for an agreement. It “continues to build support for the only deal in town,” he said. Graham voiced a similar sentiment in his statement. “I believe it is vitally important to come to a bipartisan solution to the immigration and border challenges we face today,” he said. “I am committed to working with Republicans and Democrats to find common ground so we can move forward.”  Ashley Parker, Mike DeBonis, Erica Werner and Josh Dawsey contributed to this report. BBN Editor https://ﬂipboard.com/@ﬂipboard/-trumpcondemned-for-shithole-countries-/fb0427681ba%2Fwashingtonpost.com

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Government - International

The Government of the Republic of Botswana Responds to President Trump's Insults of Africa and Africans By BBN Editor

he office of the Ministry of International Affairs of the Republic of Botswana on January 11, 2018 issued a formal statement in response to the derogatory comments made by the President of the United States regarding Africa and Africans. A copy of that document is shown on the next page. The written and official responses from the African Union Representational Mission to the United States and the United Nations may be found by visiting: www.xxx.xxx. 

PRESS RELEASE BOTSWANA CONDEMS REMARKS MADE BY PRESIDENT TRUMP 12 January 2018, The Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation wishes to inform the public and the international community that the Government of Botswana, today summoned the US Ambassador to Botswana to express its displeasure at the alleged utterances made by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, when he referred to African countries and othrs as "shithole countries" during a meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the White House on Thursday 11 January 2018. The Botswana Government has also enquired from the US Government through the office of the Ambassador, to clarify if Botswana is regarded as a "shithole" country given that there are Botswana nationals residing in the US, and also that some of Batswana may wish to visit the US. The Government of Botswana is wondering why President Trump, must use this descriptor and derogatory word, when talking about countries with whom the US has had cordial and mutually beneficial bilateral relations for so many years. Botswana has accepted US citizens within her borders over the years and continues to host US guests and senior government officials, including a Congressional delegation that will come to Botswana at the end of this month; that is why we view the utterances by the current American President as highly irresponsible, reprehensible and racist. Botswana calls on SADC, the African Union and all other progressive nations across the world to strongly condeme the remarks made by President Trump. Public Relations, Research and Information Department www.mofaic.gov.bw

PRESS RELEASE No. 001/2018 Africa Union Mission - Washington, DC - 12 January, 2018 The African Union Mission wishes to exprress its infuriation, disappointment and outrage over the unfortunate comment made by Mr. Donald Trump, President of the United States of America, which remarks dishonor the celebrated American creed and respect for diversity and human dignity. While expressing our shock, dismay and outrage, the African Union strongly believes that there is a hugh misunderstanding of the African continent and its people by the current Administration. There is a serious need for dialogue between the US Administration and the African countries. The African Union, through its Member States, values the strategic partnership with the US. This relationship should be from the point of equality and mutual respect based on accepted international principles of respect of basic human dignity for all The African Union Mission condemns the comments in the strongest terms and demands a retraction of the comment as well as an apology to not only the Africans but to all people of African descent around the globe. www.usau.usmission.gov

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Government - International

Dear Friend,

n light of recent remarks made by Trump in reference to Haiti and some African countries last week, I wanted to share some positive news coming out of Washington, DC regarding our country's relationship with Africa. This week, Congress passed the "African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Millennium Challenge Act (MCA) Modernization Act" by a unanimous voice vote on the House Floor. The bill, which I introduced with my colleague, House Foreign Aﬀairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.), will make AGOA more eﬀective by directing the President to establish a website with information regarding AGOA and by encouraging embassies in chosen countries to promote export opportunities to the United States. The bill also includes a piece of legislation I introduced in 2015, which would enable eligible countries with Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compacts to simultaneously enter one additional compact if the country is making considerable and demonstrable

progress in implementing the terms of the existing compact. This would promote and develop a stronger economic relationship between sub-Saharan Africa and the United States. As you know, for well over a decade, AGOA has served as the key foundation to U.S.-Africa trade and investment. The AGOA and MCA Modernization Act hopes to build on and improve this successful law. AGOA and the MCC have proven track records of spurring economic development. Expanding these programs advances our position as international leaders, strengthens our domestic job market and economy, while protecting our national security interests. It is in our economic and political interest to expand our relationships with the nations of Africa and this legislation strengthens key laws in that eﬀort. You can watch my full remarks advocating for Congress to pass this important piece of legislation at: https://bass.house. gov/media-center/ press-releases/housepasses-agoa-and-

mca-modernization-act. I also wanted to be sure to include the update that I provided my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus with this week. My most recent brief was regarding Gambia’s journey towards progress and Kenya’s booming tech industry. You can read it at: https://bass. house.gov/sites/karenbass.house. gov/files/Africa%20Update%20 January%2016%202018.pdf. It’s important to always remember the opportunity in the second largest continent on Earth. I look forward to continuing to highlight these opportunities for growth. Sincerely, Karen Bass Member of Congress Ranking Member, House Subcommittee on Africa

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

Government - Travel Advisory

U.S. State Department Rolls Out a New Travel Advisory System By Sebastian Modak, Condé Nast

he U.S. State Department has recently instituted a new system, first announced in December, for alerting Americans about possible security risks abroad. Instead of the former system, which issued "travel alerts" for short-term risks caused by discrete events like nationwide protests or epidemic outbreaks, and "travel warnings" for lingering concerns stemming from conflict or political instability, the State Department has implemented a tiered system that identifies the risk for every country in the world. "In the new Travel Advisories, we've done away with Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts," said Bureau of Consular Affairs Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Overseas Citizen Services Michelle Bernier-Toth, in a briefing. "We've done away with emergency and security messages-that was something that people didn't always understand the difference-and we have gone to a Travel Advisory for every country, including Antarctica. And within that Travel Advisory, we have gone to a four-level ranking system." Level one countries are considered the safest, where travelers are asked to "exercise normal precautions." Level two means "exercise increased caution"; level three means Americans should "reconsider travel." Level four, the highest, translates to "do not travel."

For each country at level two or above, the travel advisory will also include one or more risk indicators, explaining why a country has been given a certain level: a C for crime, terrorism (T), civil unrest (U), health (H), natural disaster (N), time-limited event (E), or other, a designation for "potential risks not covered by previous risk indicators." Bernier Toth also explained that a single country could carry different advisory levels for specific regions if a country as a whole is deemed relatively safe, but a specific region is experiencing instability or the effects of a natural disaster. Mexico, for example, carries a level two advisory , but a "Do not travel" warning (that is, a four) for five specific states, due to cnme. She also noted that the level four advisory doesn't necessarily mean Americans are banned from visiting a country-like they currently are with North Korea - bu t that the State Department thinks Americans would be at high risk from terrorism, conflict, or crime if they were to go there. The way the State Department assesses threats hasn't changed-just its packaging of it. So where does it leave countries around the world? For a sampling, Bhutan gets a level one, China is at level two, Cuba is at level three, and the Central African Republic is at level four. The State Department's travel site will continue to offer detailed information about each country along with the advisory

level and the risk indicators. You can see a full list of countries (https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/ NEWTravelAssets/pdfs/Travel%20 Adviso ry% 20Country %2 0List% 20 Alphabetical%201-10-18%20VERT. PDF) and their advisory level, plus

a colorful, interactive map at travel. state.gov. Countries with a level one or level two designation will go through official reviews every year, to see if the advisory needs to change, while those in the upper two levels will be reviewed every six months. That schedule, according to Bernier-Toth, is subject to change in response to specific events (a natural disaster, for example, or a contested election). U.S. citizens will continue to receive country-specific alerts in the event of an emergency-like a terrorist attack or natural disasterthrough the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) (https://step.state.gov). The decision to change the system is significant: Bernier-Toth said in the briefing that "this is the first major overhaul in a very long time. I don't even know when the last one was." Still, it seems to be more for the sake of facilitating clearer communication than any increased global threat: "Frankly, I personally was tired of explaining the difference between a Travel Warning and a Travel Alert even to some of my colleagues," BernierToth said in the briefing.  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel. html

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COUNTRY Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba (BES) Bosnia-Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic (CAR) Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo-Brazzaville (ROC) Congo-Kinshasha (DRC) Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao

LEVEL 4 1 2 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 1 2 1 3 1 1 2 1 1 4 3 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 3 1

COUNTRY Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Domincan Republic Dominica Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French West Indies Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel, The West Bank, and Gaza Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia

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LEVEL 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 3 2 3 3 1 1 1 2 2 4 4 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1

Government - Communicagion

Net Neutrality Supporters Predict Tough Court Battle Over FCC's Repeal Plan By Harper Neidig

et neutrality supporters are predicting that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will have a hard time defending its decision to repeal the landmark rules in court. The agency, led by Republican Chairman Ajit Pai, will vote next week on scrapping the 2015 net neutrality rules, which prevent internet service providers from blocking or slowing down websites or creating internet “fast lanes.” “The draft order seems to say that the FCC is no longer interested in exercising its responsibilities as an expert agency,” Jonathan Sallet, a former FCC general counsel under the Obama administration, said in a call with reporters Wednesday. “I do not believe a court of appeals will uphold this order,” he added. Tom Wheeler, the former Democratic FCC chairman who pushed the rules through in 2015, argued that a repeal represents the “successful culmination of a grand plan” by companies like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T. “What we’re talking about here is the Trump FCC, in cooperation with the Republican Congress, taking away existing consumer protections at the request of the industry,” Wheeler told reporters. “This is a classic example of the regulators being captured by those they are supposed to oversee.” The rules have survived legal challenges in the two years since they’ve taken effect, and supporters are already promising to sue to try to overturn Pai’s plan if it passes as expected. "We are confident that the Restoring Internet Freedom order will be upheld in court," FCC spokeswoman Tina Pelkey said in a statement. "The U.S. Supreme Court has reviewed and upheld only one framework for Internet access service — the Title I light-touch framework to which the FCC is returning in the Restoring Internet Freedom order.”

Pai voted against the net neutrality rules as a minority member of the commission in 2015, and has since been arguing that they are too heavy-handed and stifle innovation. He's also made the case that web companies like Facebook and Google are bigger threats to internet freedom than the internet providers governed by the FCC rules. “So as we think about internet policy, we should look at the entire internet economy — not single out one part of it,” Pai wrote in a Washington Times op-ed on Tuesday. “And our aim shouldn’t be to pick winners and losers but instead to have consistent rules of the road. These rules should promote investment and innovation, protect internet freedom, and promote the market-based vision that’s served us so well for so long.” But Democrats have dismissed that argument as a deflection from his own policies. And they’re predicting that the fight won’t end when the commission votes on Dec. 14. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) dismissed calls from Republicans to come up with a legislative replacement to the FCC rules, arguing that there’s still a chance to save the regulations. “It’s a very vulnerable decision that they’re about to make,” Markey said on Wednesday’s call. “I think we have a very good chance of prevailing in court.”  http://thehill.com/policy/technology/363617-net-neutralitysupporters-predict-tough-court-battle-over-fccs-repeal-plan

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

Government - Politics

Obama Is Returning to Politics in 2018 By Sam Schwarz

f President Donald Trump and the Republican Party were already worried about defending their majorities in the House and Senate come November, they will now have another major factor to contend with: Barack Obama. The former president enjoyed a busy year since leaving the White House but has largely stayed under the radar. Now Obama is reportedly planning to return to the political stage in 2018, setting the stage for a prominent role in the lead up to the crucial midterm elections. Close associates to the 44th president predict a politically active year, including campaign stops and other displays of public support. Obama will "continue to be politically active in 2018, with more endorsements and more campaigning," his spokeswoman Katie Hill told The Chicago Tribune. The president spent part of 2017 jet-setting around the globe and making the most of some time off after eight years of non-stop scrutiny and governing, but he always maintained that he would never leave politics behind. Before leaving office, Obama vowed to remain politically relevant and work with and endorse candidates who sought to preserve his legacy and signature accomplishments. In 2017, Obama took on President Donald Trump on multiple occasions though he seldom addressed

justjared.comt the 45th president by name, instead saying that the Trump presidency has created "an unusual time." More specifically, Obama spoke out against Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare, advocated in favor of protections for so-called Dreamers and criticized Trump for his decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement. While Trump has recorded record low approval ratings for a president at the end of his first year, Obama has only become more popular in retirement with a favorability rating of over 60%. Near the end of 2017, Obama even polled with a higher approval rating than Trump in the ruby-red state of Alabama. So Obama's appearance on the campaign trail should scare Trump and Republican candidates across the board. In a September poll, 52% of respondents to a poll said they wished that Obama were still in office. An active role by the former president in the 2018 elections is likely to further fire up an already energized Democratic base. In 2017, Obama made just a single campaign appearance, showing up in Virginia to campaign for the ultimately victorious then-candidate Ralph Northam. In 2018, he will trump that number. www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/obama-is-returning-topolitics-in-2018/ar-AAuODn5?ocid=spartandhp

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BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware

2017 Kennedy Center Honors

n lieu of the typical White House fete, there was a dinner Saturday at the State Department. The main event, as usual, was at the Kennedy Center. The awards ceremony is a fundraiser for the center and an opportunity to celebrate cultural icons. On stage on Sunday night, Quincy Jones paid tribute to Lionel Richie, and Emily Estefan performed for her mother, Gloria Estaban. J.J. Abrams, meanwhile, called Norman Lear a "superhero." The other two honorees were rapper LL Cool J and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade. These events marked the 40th annual Kennedy

Center Honors. The ceremony aired on CBS on December 26.  Brian Stelter http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/04/media/kennedycenter-honors-trump/index.html

Donna Summer Musical Headed to Broadway in Spring 2018

UMMER: The Donna S u m m e r Musical, which traces the life and career of the late disco legend, has been confirmed for a Broadway run starting this spring. The news comes only a little more than a month after the production made its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse and Theatre in California. Told through the dramatic lens of her final concert, Summer explores the artist’s meteoric rise and tragic fall, and features three actresses in the main role as well as more than 20 of Summer’s iconic hits in the score, including “Love to Love You, Baby,” “Bad Girls,” and “Hot Stuff.” The book is written by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, and Des McAnuff, with the production directed by Des McAnuff. Summer is set to begin previews at The 2017 Kennedy Center honorees were (clockwise from top left) LL Cool J, Lionel Richie, the Lunt Fontanne Gloria Estefan, Norman Lear and Carmen de Lavallade. Theatre on March 28, 26  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

2018 before opening on April 23. Tickets will go on sale January 8 through Ticketmaster.com.  www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/donna-summer-musicalheaded-to-broadway-in-spring-2018/ar-BBH26d5?ocid=spartanntp BBFmWqD?ocid=spartandhp#image=5

John Legend to lead NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live!

ohn Legend has been named to the title role in NBC’s upcoming live musical event, Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, as announced on the Today show. Legend has been dipping his toes into the acting ring quite a bit lately, appearing in last year’s award-winning La La Land, and playing Frederick Douglass on TV’s Underground earlier this year. The original musical, based on the final week © Charley Gallay/Getty Images of Jesus’ life, opened on Broadway in 1971, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who wrote it, will executive produce the event. Jesus Christ Superstar Live! will air on Easter Sunday, April 1, on NBC. 

War, King T'Challa returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country's new leader. However, T'Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from factions within his own country. When two foes conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must team up with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, Wakanadan special forces, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war. Fandango recently announced that Black Panther has officially surpassed Civil War‘s record for the best first-day advance sales for an MCU film on the ticketselling platform. Interest in the standalone Marvel film has been surging on social media ever since Civil War. Coming off a series of electrifying trailers with music from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, featuring an all-star cast including Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther only seems to be gaining steam. The film debuts February 16, 2018.  www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/

Variety Critics Name A Few Films to Look for in 2018 “A Wrinkle in Time” (March 9) see page 28

Breanne L. Heldman www.msn.com/en-us/ tv/news/john-legendto-lead-nbcs-jesuschrist-superstar-live/arBBH1IOi?ocid=spartanntp

The Black Panther Film Debuts in February with Highest Marvel Ticket Pre-Sales Yet

fter the events of Captain America: Civil

Black Panther 02-16-18 hdwallpapers.in

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BBN Show Biz Buzz

from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 27

ith so few women being handed the reins of blockbuster franchise movies, there’s reason to celebrate the faith Disney put in director Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) and screenwriter Jennifer Lee (“Frozen”) to adapt Madeline L’Engle’s visionary fantasy novel — starring none other than Oprah! While the

Spike Jordan Peele Lee

killed their husbands unites Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Erivo. — Nick Schager.

“Black Klansman”

Oprah Winfrey/birthmoviesdeath.com

rest of Hollywood takes baby steps, Disney is making giant strides in the right direction, having also tapped Niki Caro to helm its live-action “Mulan” remake. — Peter Debruge “Widows” (Nov. 18) oasting an impressive cast — plus an Oscar-winning director in Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”), who co-wrote with “Gone Girl” scribe Gillian Flynn — this update of the 1983 British

Emmy Awardnominated “Star Talk,” returns as host of the series, scheduled to premiere globally in John David Spring 2019. The Washington announcement was made at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Saturday. The series hails from executive producer, writer, and director Ann Druyan, Sagan’s widow and one of the writers on the original 1980s series. She and Steven Soter, another writer from the original show,

or many, the pinnacle of Spike Lee’s career to date remains 1992’s epic biopic “Malcolm X.” A quarter-century later, he returns to fact-based drama with the incredible story of Ron Stallworth (played by Denzel’s son John David Washington), an African-American police detective who managed to infiltrate a Colorado Ku Klux Klan chapter — even getting appointed its leader. With Jordan Peele on board as a producer, this should be Lee’s most Neil de Grasse Tyson © scorchingly relevant joint in some Provided by Variety time. — Dennis Harvey  won the Emmy for Outstanding http://variety.com/2017/film/ Writing for Nonfiction Programming news/most-anticipated-movies- in 2014 for the show’s first season. of-2018-1202647174 Seth MacFarlane, Brannon Braga, and Jason Clark also serve as executive producers. It will be produced by Cosmos Studios, the Ithaca, NY-based company Druyan co-founded in 2000, and Fuzzy Door Productions, MacFarlane’s company. Following a wildly successful run he cable network has in 2014 as the most-watched series ordered a second season ever on National Geographic of the science documentary Channels internationally, and television series, which is a follow- seen by more than 135 million people up to the 1980s series “Cosmos: worldwide on National Geographic A Personal Voyage” with Carl and Fox, the new season will once Sagan. Neil deGrasse Tyson, again premiere in the U.S. on both the astrophysicist and host of the FOX and National Geographic and

‘Cosmos’ to Return for Second Season on National Geographic

T TV miniseries about four women who choose to finish the heist that

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globally on National Geographic in 171 countries and 43 languages. The first two seasons of the “Cosmos” television series transported a global audience to the farthest reaches and most deeply hidden recesses of the universe. In the course of those journeys, the series dramatized the lives of many of the forgotten searchers who contributed to the world’s understanding of who, when and where we are in the universe. “Cosmos: Possible Worlds” will venture to previously uncharted territories.  www.paradigmgrey.com/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/ news/‘cosmos’-to-return-for-secondseason-on-national-geographic/arAAuDRn2?ocid=spartandhp

Stevie Wonder Wows Crowd on 'Smart' Piano at Tech Show

Trying to distinguish your product among the thousands at the CES gadget show is no easy feat, so it helps when music legend Stevie Wonder pays an unexpected visit. Especially when your product is a "smart" piano designed to teach people how to play. Piano teacher Gabie Perry was demonstrating the internetconnected device, made by a California startup, when someone told her that Wonder asked to try it. She thought it was a joke. W o n d e r spent about 15 minutes playing tunes as a crowd gathered at The One Music Group's CES booth in Las Vegas. Wonder says he likes to visit the conference to "see new things" and meet people. He's

among several celebrity musicians attending, including rapper Iggy Azalea and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry. www.msn.com/en-us/news/ technology/stevie-wonder-wowscrowd-on-smart-piano-at-tech-show/ ar-AAuzfPI?ocid=spartandhp

The Weeknd, Eminem & Beyonce to Headline

Coachella 2018

he Coachella 2018 lineup has arrived. We already knew Beyoncé would be heading to Indio, California, this April -- thanks to her cancellation at last year's festival because of her pregnancy -- but the two-weekend festival has now confirmed The Weeknd and Eminem as her fellow headliners. The 2018 festival kicks off on see page 30 29  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBN Show Biz Buzz

from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 29

April 13 and then wraps up weekend two on April 22. In addition to the three headliners, some notable artists on the bill include red-hot rappers Cardi B and Post Malone, R&B torchbearers SZA and Miguel, and newly minted rock hitmakers Portugal. The Man. When Beyoncé was told by her doctors to skip Coachella last spring, Lady Gaga filled in as a replacement headliner and Queen B promised to hit the desert for the 2018 festival. The Weeknd first performed at the festival in 2012, long before he was topping the Billboard Hot 100. Eminem, meanwhile, will make his Coachella debut atop the Sunday lineup. www.billboard.com/articles/news/ festivals/8085897/coachella-2018lineup?utm_source=twitter&utm_ source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

Netﬂix, Will Smith Planning "Bright" Sequel - First Movie Franchise in Streaming-only History

etflix has ordered a sequel to its, Will Smith-led original movie, "Bright," making it the first movie franchise in the history of streaming-only films, Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw reports. The fantasy-action film starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton as LAPD cops in a world where humans, orcs, and elves coexist, "Bright" was made for a reported budget of over $90 million. It premiered on Netflix on December 22.

Will Smith and Joel Edgerton

"Let's see what the audience says after it opens," Ayer told THR. "If the audience wants another one who knows." The ﬁlm was streamed over 11 million times over three days. BBN Ed.  www.businessinsider.com/netflixorders-sequel-bright-will-smithfantasy-ﬁlm-2017-12

government work on behalf of the American people and our values.” Obama, Hill wrote, hopes that the movie “will lead young people to consider how they can get involved to make a positive diﬀerence in the world.” The ﬁlm is in theatres beginning January 19th and may be streamed

"The Final Year," a Documentary

his documentary is a unique insiders' account of President Barack Obama's foreign policy team during their last year in office. Featuring unprecedented access inside the White House and State Department, The Final Year offers an uncompromising view of the inner workings of the Obama Administration as they prepare to leave power after eight years. The film’s true story is the people — the complicated, passionate, flawed humans — who shape change. According to a statement issued through Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill, the former president agrees, saying that “The Final Year” shows “how hard the diplomats and civil servants in the U.S.

from: https://theﬁnalyearfullmovie. org. BBN Ed.  www.imdb.com/title/tt7215444

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Morgan Freeman Receives Life Achievement Award at SAG

headed to accept the honor. “Morgan, lift up your hat,” instructed Moreno, who wanted to make sure the

Morgan Freeman

Sterling K. Brown

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

ne of the most legendary Hollywood actors was honored audience in a big way at the 2018 was able to Screen Actors Guild see his face. Awards. “You have Morgan Freeman, no idea how 80, received the life long I’ve achievement award at had to put the ceremony this year with that,” for his work in film, in Freeman addition to his humanitarian SAG Award: The Actor joked before accomplishments. His starting his Electric Company costar Rita speech. Moreno, who is an EGOT winner, “This is beyond an honor. This is a presented him the honor, which place in history. Oh, and one more Freeman presented to her back in thing, I wasn’t going to do this. I’m 2013. going to tell you what’s wrong with “Morgan is more than just an this statue, it works from the back, actor, producer humanitarian — from the front it’s gender specific. this man is a national treasure,” Maybe I started something.” Moreno, 86, said before the video After winning a statewide drama montage dedicated to Freeman’s competition in Mississippi at age career. 12, Freeman went on to perform Even before taking the stage, in small parts before serving in Freeman was greeted with a the U.S. Air Force, eventually standing ovation from the star- graduating to film and television studded audience — and the cheers roles in his subsequent career in intensified, even more, when he Hollywood, which has resulted

Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

in over $4.5 billion in cumulative worldwide ticket sales.  http://people.com/movies/sagawards-2018-morgan-freeman-lifeachievement-award/

Sterling K. Brown Wins SAG Award

erling K. Brown made history at the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday when he became the ﬁrst black actor to win the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series category. Brown won for his role as Randall Pearson in the NBC drama This Is Us. "What a blessing it is to get to do what you love for a living," Brown said in his acceptance speech. www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyandoli/ sterling-brown-made-history-at-the2018-sag-awards-and-gave?utm_term=. vn6J8N9M1Q#.aty0jVzPEm

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Business

he Obama Foundation recently announced that it has selected Lakeside Alliance to serve as the construction manager for the Obama Presidential Center. Lakeside Alliance is a newly created joint venture consisting of Turner Construction Company, and the Presidential Partners consortium of Powers & Sons Construction, UJAMAA Construction, Brown & Momen, and Safeway Construction. Powers & Sons, UJAMMA, Brown :& Momen and Safeway represent some of the most established and well-respected African-American owned constuction firms in Chicago. The creation of the joint venture will ensure that minority firms from

the South Side (Chicago) will be in signigicant leadership positions in the construction of the Obama Presidential Center. Not only will the Presidential Partners have 51% of the overall financial equity of the contract, key roles in the day-today decision making and strategysetting will be performed by people of color and women. Smaller firms are often precluded from winning large-scale construction projects because they lack the necessary resources or experience with similarly-sized projects; the joint venture structure is dsigned to solve that problem by creating a consortium that includes minority firms working in partnership

with a national firm. The structure goes beyond a typical arrangement where a national firm receives the majority of a contract and an MBE/ WBE receives a smaller share. The Obama Foundation anticipates that participation by the minority firms will provide the experience they need to grow and compete for other significant projects in the future. "The Obama Foundation believes in creating opportunities for diverse and local businesses and building pathways to meaningful jobs for minorities and other underrepresented populations," said David Simas, CEO of the Obama Foundation. "The development of the Obama Presidential Center gives us an opportunity to make a major, unprecedented impact on the South Side in terms of hiring talented, local businesses and indiiduals. We look forward to working with Lakeside Alliance to achieve our goals, set new benchmarks and make the Obama Presidential Center a landmark that our neighbors can be proud of." 

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

Business - Financial Systems

Siebert Cisneros Shank Is America’s Top Minority/ Woman-Owned Municipal Bond Firm

Suzanne Shank

iebert Cisneros & Co., LLC

Shank

(www. siebertcisnerosshank .com)

was the No. 1 minority/womanowned municipal bond firm in America in 2017, taking the honor for a record 19th time. In achieving this unprecedented success, SCSCO in 2017 led 44 issues as senior manager, totaling $7.3 billion in par amount, ranking 13th nationwide. Total volume for the firm was $62.7 billion in negotiated

municipal issuances in 2017, ranking 8th overall. The firm’s average deal size was $243 million, putting it at No. 3 in the nation among all firms, outranking Bank of America, J.P Morgan, Barclays and Citi. The firm moved up in several other categories as well, ranking 3rd nationally as senior and co-managing underwriter of water and sewer issuance as well as for airport issuance (full credit to each manager), representing 38.6% and 49.3%, respectively, of market share for these sectors in 2017. The firm also showed impressive growth in Texas, ranking 1st (full credit to each co-manager) and served as senior manager or comanager on 59 issues totaling over $10.4 billion. The firm is betting on continued growth in Texas with several new hires in 2017, including former Dallas Independent Schools Chief Financial Officer Dr. James C.

Terry, to focus on the K-12 sector. In addition, the firm recently expanded its presence at its East Coast headquarters, doubling its office space on Wall Street as it expands and deepens its talent pool. “2017 was a banner year for the firm and a continuation of its strong structuring, pricing and distribution performance,” said CEO and Chairwoman Suzanne Shank. “Our strong performance in past years was rewarded, as the firm received a number of repeat mandates from long term clients, as well as mandates by new clients who recognize that we are not just an outstanding minority-owned firm but an outstanding firm, period. Our team has worked so hard to get us here and we will not rest on our laurels.” “This is a great affirmation of what I have long known: SCSCO is one of the most competitive and talented firms in the country and we are aggressive in every region of the nation and in every sector of the industry,” said Partner and Head of Investment Banking Gary Hall. “I see it every day as our bankers serve our clients by executing deals that set the market. I know that 2018 is going to be just as successful, if not

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

Business - Technology

By Jonathan Rodriguez

o some people, few things are more violating than government surveillance. But with tracking down criminals getting harder than ever, local police are getting desperate. Sometimes that involves loading up on NSA-style tech. One spy device in their arsenal is a computer that can impersonate a cellphone tower. So it can be used to locate and infiltrate a mobile device. That might sound like a blatant invasion of privacy. Rest assured, however, the state appeals court ruled this kind of spying illegal without a warrant in 2016. But that’s not the most disturbing tech at police disposal.

What Baltimore is Doing Using encrypted computers, mobile phones — even using currencies like Bitcoin to do business under the radar — criminals are savvier than ever before. Tired of being burned by the bad guys, police departments have invested big money into high-end spy gear. For instance, the Baltimore

City Police Department bought a cell-site simulator nearly a decade ago and used it — secretly — in at least 837 investigations, according to a USA Today report. This device — called the Stingray — tricks a cellphone into thinking it’s communicating with a real tower. Once they’ve connected, authorities can record all the phone’s data transmission — audio, visual and internet data packets. Using little more than a van, a laptop and the Stingray device, police can find and track a phone’s location accurately to within a few feet. The Baltimore County Police Department purchased an even more sophisticated simulator - the “Dirt Box” is a long-range cell-site simulator that can be mounted to a helicopter for increased mobility. But there’s a catch… these devices are not precision-minded tools. Police sweep in hundreds of unrelated cellphone signals with each scan, filtering out the signal

UFED

they want. This means that on the hunt for a suspect, an ordinary citizen’s cellphone could be under surveillance. Still, police argue this could be the only way to catch the most techsavvy criminals on the move.

Phone Passwords Cracked Baltimore City PD also has what’s called a Universal Forensics Extraction Device, or UFED. This tool connects to a phone and unlocks the device. Once the UFED has unlocked the cellphone, police can extract not just the data stored on the phone, but private cloud-based data, too. Like it or lump it, folks, this spy tech isn’t going anywhere.  www.wallstreetdaily.com/2017/02/16/ uptick-police-surveillance-tech-sparksnew-opportunity

more so.” Dual headquartered in New York and Oakland, CA, SCSCO has 17 offices nationwide. It has transacted more than $1.4 trillion of municipal bonds and $1.1 trillion of corporate bond and equity transactions since its founding in 1996. It earned the distinction in 2010 of becoming the first minority-owned firm in America to rank among the top 10 senior managers of municipal bonds.  37  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Going Forward

17 Top Black In uencers You Should Partner With In 2018 By Rachel Travels, Contributor

or a demographic that has a consumer buying power of $1.3T by the end of 2017, there still seems to be a huge gap or disparity with the representation of Black Influencers in various industries. As a Travel Influencer and creator of Rachel Travels (https://racheltravels.com), I’ve had remarkable opportunities to work with amazing global brands like major airlines, luxury resorts, and a myriad of other organizations to help educate, encourage and bring awareness to my audience of Black travelers. However, many Black influencers are having a challenging time convincing brands that the Black American consumer demographic should not only be included in their core marketing strategies; but that our experiences, habits, and behaviors are unique and require different approaches. Kent Johnson, Co-Founder of Black and Abroad said at the Travel and Social Good Summit, "Inclusion isn’t putting a Black or Brown face on a White Experience." With this, I’ve combined a small list of highly qualified, brilliant, and passionate Black Influencers whose brands you should be eager to partner and collaborate with in 2018.

TRAVEL Will Edmond: The creator of “The Adventures of Will,” has coined himself as a “nature-loving nomad.” Will’s mission is to encourage his audience to explore the world, educate sustainability through ‘living off the land,’ vegan cooking, and much more. His gift of great storytelling and education is presented through video. You can catch his latest episodes here.

For Brands interested in partnering, visit: www. WillEdmond.com. Jetta Bates Vasilatos: With 60 countries under her belt, Jetta is the founder of the Jetta Setting Travel and Lifestyle Channel. Jetta is an avid cool hunter who is all about jumping in, embracing the culture, and frequently showing up where she is least expected. Star of Bravo TV’s “Tour Group,” Jetta is an on-air contributor, skilled interviewer, photographer, and engaging digital correspondent who revels in sharing authentic travel and lifestyle experiences and trends. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to www.JettaSetting.com. Black & Abroad: What started as a movement between a small group of friends, quickly catapulted into one of the beloved mainstays of the black travel community. Black & Abroad is a cultural collective dedicated to celebrating and encouraging travel among the African Diaspora. Through their web content, videos, and merchandise, founders Eric Martin and Kent Johnson have managed to create a platform that has garnered a presence in over 120 countries in all seven continents. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to info@weareblackandabroad.com. World Peace Connection: Peace Makers of World Peace Connection, Chari Chin-Young and Dane Caston truly believe that humans can create world peace if we all follow our inner inspiration. World Peace Connection founders are high school sweethearts who quit their jobs to backpack the world with just their inspiration and dreams. Their mission is to ask people, “What inspires you the most about life and living?”. They’ve collected over 200 inspiring stories in over 20 global cities. World Peace Connection creates Peace Projects for brands, schools, and entrepreneurs who are looking to create World Peace through social action. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: www.WorldPeaceConnection.us.

Tech

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

Amanda Spann: Amanda is the PR girl turned Founder behind apps like TipOff Game (https:// itunes.apple.com/us/app/tipoff-word-guessing-game/ id1110306961?mt=8) and AfriDate (http://afridateapp.com).

Previously running a virtual accelerator for startups in Africa and the African Diaspora, she leverages her branding and business background to offer tools, resources and consulting services to companies and app startups desiring to build their brands from any and everywhere. Her sites YouNeedABlackPerson. com and ConsultABlackWoman. com made waves in the aftermath of the Pepsi and Shea Moisture Advertising flubs. For brands looking to connect with a rising Techpreneur or solicit consulting services for themselves, you can contact Amanda at: www. SpannAndCompany.com. Wayne Sutton: With over 14 years experience in technology, design and business development and as the Co-founder of Change Catalyst and its Tech Inclusion programs, Wayne has created and paved the way for underrepresented communities and minorities in the tech space. Waynes mission is to encourage, educate, and support start-up entrepreneurs to innovate and change the world. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: www.SocialWayne.com. Dawn Dickson: After eight short months in Corporate America, Dawn quickly realized that Corporate America was not the path she was created to thrive in. The Founder and CEO of Flat Out Heels (www.flatoutofheels.com), her company changed the game when they offered foldable

flats that you can purchase from vending machines. Dawn is also the Founder of PopCom (http://popcom. shop), an automated retailing technology company, provides consumer data and analytics to assist vending machines in understanding their demographics and buying habits. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: Dawn Dickson (www.linkedin.com/in/dawndickson).

Lifestyle & Wellness Tiffany Janay: Tiffany has been on the scene calling people to action to Motivate Yourself for nearly a decade. Through her social media, events, and sisterhood circles she has inspired thousands to make life-saving decisions. She believes that holistic living is the root of everything and the more one can bring in their connection with Mother Earth, the greater they will feel and uncover their unique purpose. She shares her love of plant-based lifestyles with recipes while traveling the world. She also shares her journey of womanhood and empowers both men and women alike with her motivational, vulnerable expressions, and thought invoking posts. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: TiffanyJanay.com. Rwenshaun Miller: While mental health is a topic that is starting to gain momentum, awareness, and acceptance in the black community, Rwenshaun stands as an advocate and a champion in this space. Through his journey after being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, he founded Eustress, Inc. (www.eustressinc.org) to raise awareness on the importance of mental health in underserved communities allowing individuals to identify and overcome challenges to achieve a healthier and productive lifestyle. A speaker, coach, and consultant, Rwenshaun uses his platform and personal experiences to encourage, support, and advocate awareness around mental health, especially for black men in America. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: www.Rwenshaun.com. Alexis Felder: “Lexi with the Curls” as she is

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

see page 40

Business - Technology 17 Black Influencers from page 39

known, started out as one of the first YouTube vloggers who focused on healthy, natural, black hair. Alexis is multifascinated, focusing on encouraging women of color to embrace themselves through fitness, fashion, self-care, and travel. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: www.LexiWithTheCurls. com. Jason Warner: Community building, is a phrase which encompasses Jason’s brand, Own The Vision Foundation (ht tp://ownthevision.com). Own The Vision Foundation is a catalyst to assist, encourage, and develop Black communities across the United States to come together with common interests and have joint ownership or participation. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: Jason@ownthevision.com. Free The Vision: Free The Vision is the cultural influencer and social curator behind a multitude of lifestyle content. From authoring books, speaking engagements, writing editorials, hosting, cohosting, and producing podcasts his mark is undeniable. He is the necessary perspective to any conversation. He is the host and creator of the podcast Uncivilized Gentleman (https://soundcloud.com/uncivilizedgentleman), as well as co-host of Silence The Shame Podcast (https:// itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/silence-the-shame-podcast/ id1213102630?mt=2) with the legendary Shanti Das. He

is an emerging presence you do not want to take your eyes off. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: FreeTheVision.com.

Entrepreneur Koereyelle Dubose: If anybody is an advocate for women being their bosses and getting to “werk,” it’s

Koereyelle. She is the Founder of @BusyAtTheBeach (https://www.instagram.com/BusyAtTheBeach), and the “Werk, Pray, Slay” conference (www.ins tagram.com/ WERKPraySlay).

As Black women are the fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs, there is a massive opportunity for brands to tap into a segment of business owners that are eager for new tools, resources, and information on how to create, streamline, and sustain thriving businesses. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: www.koereyelle.com. Kerry Abner: Kerry is a passionate, non-traditional marketing guy connecting brands to new audiences through exchanges of value. He hosts events for artists, bloggers, entrepreneurs, career-climbers and everyone in between. Kerry’s businesses help companies turn their audience into advocates through digital, social and experiential activations. His websites www. intecoogroup. com & www. fuelconcepthouse.com were founded on the need to better facilitate c r o ss -g e n er a t i o n al relationships in the digital age. He is best known for delivering outside-the-box ideas, unwavering work ethic, and his empowering personality. For brands looking to connect with a rising marketing thought-leader for consulting or services, you can contact Kerry at: Kerry@intecoogroup.com. Nehemiah Davis: Nehemiah Davis is a world traveling, social entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. He’s known for his philanthropic efforts helping communities and countries around the world with clothing drives, toiletries

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

drives & book drives. When Nehemiah isn’t traveling & curating community events, he runs an online academy that’s helping hundreds of people around the world follow and pursue their dreams. For brands looking to partner with an entrepreneur/ philanthropist who profoundly cares about serving the community and helping others, contact Nehemiah at: www.NehemiahDavisFoundation.org. Ryan Wilson: #MembersOnly is the tag in which Ryan Wilson and Co-Founder TK Peterson have tagged their innovative, invitation-only, members club, The Gathering Spot (https:// thegatheringspot.club). Leaving his Corporate job to create a safe, innovative, “space and community,” Ryan’s mission and vision are to bring together creatives from all walks of life to enjoy, build, and network in an inclusive space. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries

to: Info@TheGatheringSpot. club. Dominique Broadway: Focusing on demystifying the overwhelm, miseducation, and misconceptions of finances, Dominique is a rising powerhouse. From an early age, Dominique has been intrigued with money; ways to generate it, how it moves, and most importantly the impact it has on people’s lives. With Social Money Movement, Dominique is helping Millennials shatter the very taboo and perceptions as it pertains to finances, wealth, and building legacy. For Brands interested in partnering, send inquiries to: www.DominiqueBroadway.com.  www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/17-top-blackinfluencers-you-should-partner-with-in_us_5a3c4565e 4b06cd2bd03d96a?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003

WWW.THECOLLEGEEXPO.ORG 41  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Finance

Breaux Capital - Morehouse Grads Financial Service Start-Up By Hasani Malone, TBTNewsBusiness

recent report for the University of Chicago’s GenForward project shows that Black millennials are suffering from worse financial burdens than their white and Asian counterparts because of comparatively lower rates of employment. Three Morehouse graduates are working to turn that around for Black millennials with BREAUX Capital (www.breauxcapital.com), a financial technology company meant to improve the financial welfare of Generation Y’s and young Black entrepreneurs. Brian Williams met Derrius Quarles and Ras Asan at Morehouse College, and after their graduation from the school (Quarles and Asan in 2013 and Brian in 2014) they decided to stay in touch. Their discussions about improving economic mobility for all Black people led to the birth of BREAUX Capital, a financial savings and education platform. “We thought about how we could merge wealth building and the black male, millennial community. In our conversations we figured there didn’t exist a space where Black millennials could build wealth in real time,” Williams said. Williams and his fellow co-founders 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,” which allows members to connect online. “We initially started as an online investment club where initially you would buy at your stake and each month you would contribute to it,” Williams said. “We learned during that process that a lot of us are seeking that knowledge bridged with cultural competency.” But most importantly, the company creates a community for Black, male millennials with similar financial aspirations and provides them with a platform to connect with one another. Besides their online forum, members are able to connect at BREAUX Capital official events like BREAUXComing, which is put on annually during the Morehouse Homecoming Week in October. Here, the company is able to interact and engage directly with their target demographic of young, black males. They’re currently working on their second annual event TechGroove, which will start in mid-2018, which is a tech-infused, job symposium that allowed Morehouse students to network amongst companies like Jiffy, Mozilla Firefox and LinkedIn. They’ll also be launching Little BREAUX, a mentorship program that incorporates

Derrius

Ras

Brian principles of wealth building and entrepreneurship for young black men.  truthbtoldwithcarlwest.blogspot.com

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

Rainbow Push Coalition & Africa Global Chamber of Commerce (AGCC)

cordially invite you to attend the

GLOBAL AND AFRICA DIASPORA INVESTMENT FORUM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 3:30 – 5:00 PM The Sheraton New York, Times Square Hotel 811 7th Avenue at 53rd Street, New York, NY USA

Phone: 1-212-581-1000 This session is a follow up the Africa and Global Investment Opportunities Fora held during our annual Wall Street Summit in New York and our Annual Convention in Chicago. Panelists will discuss global investment opportunities including Africa’s continuing tremendous business opportunities not only in oil, gas and natural resources, but also in areas such as energy, healthcare, telecommunications, technology, entertainment, construction, ﬁnancial services, and tourism in their respective countries/sectors. Other areas of investment opportunities within the Diaspora (the Caribbean, Americas, etc) will be explored. This forum will also discuss U.S. global trade policy under the current administration. 43  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Tribute - Oh Freedom

e was a skillful orator, a brilliant strategist, and charismatic leader—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. towered as the dominant force in the civil-rights movement from the mid1950s until his death by assassination in April 4, 1968. In 1954, while still working on his dissertation, King returned south to b e c o m e pastor of the Dexter A v e n u e B a p t i s t Church of Montgomery, Alabama. He completed his Ph.D. and earned his degree in 1955 at the age of 25. But, like many blacks living in the South, King was deeply troubled by the social economic conditions that his fellow African Americans faced daily. Low wages, segregated housing, violence and second-class citizenship were regular conditions blacks continued to face. On December 1, 1955, NAACP secretary of the Montgomery chapter 42-year-old Rosa Parks boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus to go home after an exhausting day at work. The driver, James F. Blake, ordered her to give up her seat in the ‘’colored section’’ to a white passenger and she refused. Parks was arrested and booked

for violating the Montgomery City Code. On the night Parks was arrested, E.D. Nixon, head of the local NAACP chapter met with Martin Luther King, Jr. and other

once declared. The Montgomery Bus Boycott involved 382 days of car-pooling and walking to work, harassment, violence and intimidation for the Montgomery's

Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King voicesﬁlm.com

local African American community leaders in Montgomery to plan a citywide bus boycott. King was appointed president of the boycott group. In his ﬁrst speech as the group's president, King declared, "We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice." King mobilized the black community boycott of the city's bus lines. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” King

African-American community. Both King's and E.D. Nixon's homes were bombed. King faced arrest and other violent harassment. After suffering large financial losses, the city of Montgomery lifted the law mandating segregated public transportation. The U.S. Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional. Flush with victory, AfricanAmerican civil rights leaders recognized the need for a national organization to help coordinate their efforts. In January 1957, Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, and 60 ministers and civil rights activists founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to harness

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

the moral authority and organizing power of black churches. King was elected president of SCLC. King met with religious and civil rights leaders and lectured all over the country on racerelated issues and helped other communities to organize their own protests against discrimination. Later, King, inspired by Gandhi’s success with non-violent activism, visited Gandhi's birthplace in India. The trip aﬀected him in a deeply profound way, increasing his commitment to America's civil rights struggle. King returned to the United States in 1960 to become co-pastor, with his father, of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta Georgia. King's nonviolent tactics were put to their most severe test in Birmingham during a mass protest for fair hiring practices and the desegregation of department-store facilities. On October 19, 1960, Rev. King and 75 students entered a local

from a Birmingham Jail’’ to refute his critics. On August 28, 1963, King helped to organize and spoke at the historic March on Washington. It drew more than 250,000 people in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. It was here that King made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, emphasizing his belief that someday all men could be brothers. "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the rolexmagazine.com color of their skin but by the content department store and requested of their character." — Martin lunch-counter service but were Luther King, Jr. "I Have A Dream" denied. King was imprisoned speech, August 28, 1963. Time for violating his probation on a magazine designated King as its traffic conviction. The news of his Person of the Year. imprisonment entered the 1960 A few months later, in 1964, presidential campaign, when King traveled to Norway to accept candidate John F. Kennedy made the Nobel Peace Prize. When he a phone call to Coretta Scott King. returned from Norway, King took Kennedy expressed his concern on new challenges. In Selma, for King's harsh treatment for the Alabama he led a voter-registration traffic ticket and political pressure campaign that ended in the Selmawas quickly set in motion. King was to-Montgomery Freedom March. soon released. King next brought his crusade Television footage broadcast to Chicago, where he launched all over the world captured programs to rehabilitate the slums police using dogs to quell civil and provide housing. In the North, unrest in Birmingham, Alabama. however, King soon discovered Birmingham’s police commissioner that young and angry blacks cared “Bull” Connor also allowed fire little for his preaching and his nonhoses to be turned on young violence philosophy and even less civil rights demonstrators. The for his pleas for peaceful protest. brutality used against the marchers Their disenchantment was one of dramatized the plight of blacks to the reasons he rallied behind a new the nation at large, with enormous cause: the war in Vietnam. impact. Although he was trying to King was arrested, but his voice was not silenced: He wrote ‘’Letter see page 50

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

Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael

create a new coalition based on equal support for peace and civil rights, it caused an immediate rift, particularly with the NAACP. Students, professors, intellectuals, clergymen and reformers rushed into the movement. Then, King turned his attention to the domestic issue that he felt was directly related to the Vietnam struggle: poverty. He called for a guaranteed family income, he threatened national boycotts, and he spoke of disrupting entire cities by nonviolent "camp-ins." With this in mind, he began to plan a massive march of the poor on Washington, D.C., envisioning a demonstration of such intensity and size that Congress would have to recognize and deal with the huge number of desperate and downtrodden Americans. The rising tide of civil rights agitation produced a strong eﬀect on public opinion. Many people in cities not experiencing racial tension began to question the nation's Jim Crow laws and the near century second class treatment of AfricanAmerican citizens. This resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act signed by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964 which authorized the federal government to enforce desegregation of public

newsweek.com

On March 21, approximately 2,000 people began a march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery. On March 25, the number of marchers, which had grown to an estimated 25,000, gathered in front of the state capitol where Dr. King delivered a televised speech. Five months after the historic peaceful protest, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965. King began making a link between discrimination and poverty, and he began to speak out against the Vietnam War. He felt that America's involvement in Vietnam was politically untenable and the government's conduct in the war discriminatory to the poor. He sought to broaden his base by forming a multi-race coalition to address economic and unemployment problems of all disadvantaged people. Plans were in the works for another march on Washington, D. C. to revive his movement and bring attention to a widening range of

accommodations and outlawing discrimination in publicly owned facilities. King's struggle continued throughout the mid-60’s. On March 7, 1965, a civil rights march, planned from Selma to Alabama's capital in Montgomery, turned violent as police with nightsticks and tear gas met the demonstrators when they tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. On March 9, 1965, a procession of 2,500 marchers, both black and white, set out once again to cross the Pettus Bridge and confronted barricades and state troopers. Instead of forcing a confrontation, King led his followers to kneel in prayer and they then turned back. Alabama governor George Wallace continued to try to prevent another march, however, President NBA players are wearing these "I have a dream" shirts Lyndon Johnson pledged during their warmups to honor Martin Luther King Jr. his support and ordered up until MLK Day this year. The front says "I HAVE U.S. Army troops and A DREAM," and on the back, there's a quote from the Alabama National that famous speech along with the date he made the Guard to protect the speech, Aug. 28, 1963. © USA TODAY USA TODAY protestors.

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issues. But King interrupted these plans to lend his support to the Memphis sanitation men's strike. The men were bargaining for basic union representation and long-overdue raises. In the spring of 1968, the labor strike by Memphis sanitation workers drew King to one last crusade. On April 3, he gave his final and what proved to be an eerily prophetic speech in Memphis, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” "I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land." But he never got back to his poverty plans. On April 4, 1968, while standing on a balcony of reedom of speech is a core American value. Martin Luther King Jr. used the black-owned Lorraine that freedom in his quest for racial equality in the United States. Hotel just off Beale Street To honor King’s January 15 birthday, fifth-grade students at Watkins in Memphis with Jesse Elementary School in Washington go to the Lincoln Memorial each year to Jackson and Ralph recreate King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which became a defining Abernathy, King was shot in moment of the civil rights era. the neck by a sniper’s bullet. In 2017, these students gathered, a few weeks after King’s birthday, to The shooter, a malcontent commemorate his oratorical gifts. Each student reads a line of the 1963 speech drifter and former convict at a microphone and in front of a crowd, and in doing so, feels the power of his named James Earl words. View the video at: https://youtu.be/x1NohAyvoaA.  Ray, was eventually https://share.america.gov/students-embrace-spirit-of-martin-luther-king/ apprehended after a two-month, international manhunt. The assassination been honored with schools and National Civil Rights Museum. sparked riots and demonstrations public buildings named after him King remains one of the most in more than 100 cities across and a memorial on the National influential and inspirational leaders of the 21st century and his legacy America. In 1969, Ray pleaded Mall in Washington, D.C. in 2011. In 1969, his widow, Coretta Scott will continue to influence future guilty to assassinating King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He King, organized the Martin Luther generations.  King Jr. Center for Non-Violent died in prison on April 23, 1998. However, King's legacy has lived Social Change. Today it stands on. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was next to his beloved Ebenezer established as a national holiday in Baptist Church in Atlanta. His birthday, Jan. 15, is a national numerous cities and states in 1971 and as a United States federal holiday, celebrated each year with programs, artistic holiday in 1986. Hundreds of educational Shirley Hawkins & streets in the U. S. were named in displays, and concerts throughout Earl "Skip" Cooper, II the United States. The Lorraine his honor. In addition, his life and work have Hotel where he was shot is now the

Students Embrace the Words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

King’s Legacy Will Live On!

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

Business - Looking Forward

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris Grand Marshal of Martin Luther King, Jr. 33rd Annual KINGDOM DAY PARADE

drian Dove, President and CEO, Kingdom Day Parade announced that California U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris is the Grand Marshal for the 2018 Annual Kingdom Day Parade. ABC-7 will broadcast the entire 33rd Kingdom Day Parade Live. The Kingdom Day Parade honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and has grown from its humble beginnings into the largest and longest running Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Birthday Celebration in the nation! This year, 2018 would have been Dr. King’s 89th birthday and is also the 50th Anniversary of his untimely Homegoing. Although he never reached the age of 40, his legacy will live forever. This years’ theme, borrowed from First Lady Michelle Obama is: “When They Go Low, We Go High”. In 2017, Grand Marshall Kamala D. Harris was sworn in as a United States Senator for California. She serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Committee on the Budget. She was elected as the first African-American and first woman to serve as California's Attorney General. In this role, she worked tirelessly to hold corporations accountable and protect the state’s most vulnerable. Dr. Dove remarked, “We reached out to our distinguished Kamala Harris, because she very quickly in her capacity as a Senator, has become the embodiment of America’s struggle to regain our sense of constructive compassion and the pursuit of what Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. called the spirit of our better angels”. The Kingdom Day Parade was first organized 37 years ago by Johnny Grant. In 1985, it was moved to Los Angeles and has grown to enjoy a live TV broadcast on KABC 7 for over 8 years and a media audience of over 2.4 million viewers and listeners. Several hundred thousand spectators every year line the route which has remained true to its roots, still winding through the same inner-city streets it first began on in south central. Some of the spectators reserve side walk space with sleeping bags, coming out as early as the night before in what has become a unique Los Angeles tradition. The parade features more than 150 units involving over

3,000 individuals which include; the “Kingdom Day Parade Queen & Her Royal Court”, elaborate floats, marching bands, high school & middle school drill teams, novelty acts, equestrian units, and an exciting turn out of celebrities and community leaders. Senator Kamala Harris Congresswoman Maxine Waters was the January 2017 Grand Marshal. Other past Parade Grand Marshals are: Stevie Wonder, The Godfather of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday holiday national recognition, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Governor Jerry Brown, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilmembers Herb J. Wesson, III and Curren Price, Steve Harvey, LA Dodger’s Star Matt Kemp, businessman Danny Bakewell, Sr., Little Richard, Debbie Allen, former Police Chief Bernard Parks, and a host of others. The Kingdom Day Parade’s community and corporate supporters include: Presenting Sponsor Blue Shield of California, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, Denny’s Crenshaw, Covered California, Farmers Insurance, Los Angeles Unified School District, Downtown LA Motors, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw, U.S. Bank, METRO, KJLH Radio, KNBC Channel 4, 93.5 KDAY, KTLA Channel 5, McDonalds, and LAUSD’s Beyond The Bell. The mission of the Kingdom Day Parade and CORECalifornia, in strategic collaboration with corporate sponsors and the County and City of Los Angeles, together with the State of California, is to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. keeping his Dream alive, sustaining his message of equality and agape for all and continuing his fight against injustice using love as its weapon. 

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

Editorial

Standing Up to Racism Wherever It Appears is the Best Way to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. By Jesse Jackson

Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.

annual breakfast celebrating the life of Dr. King that it is “exactly what [Mr. Trump] said and he said it repeatedly.” When it comes to veracity, I’ll put my faith in the Senator from the Land of Lincoln. Mr. Trump’s outburst came during

s the nation prepares to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – one of our greatest Americans – on Monday, President Donald Trump offers a stark contrast in leadership. The best way to react to Mr. Trump’s latest decidedly non-Presidential outburst is not with anger at his incendiary, vulgar and racially-charged remarks this week about immigrants from “shithole countries.” The best response is to do what Dr. King fought so hard for. It is to get registered to vote and then to cast ballots in massive and historic numbers. The 2018 midterm elections are just around the corner. Now more than ever, we must continue Dr. King’s movement to “redeem the soul of America.” Hours after the world-wide fire storm ignited by his vile words, Mr. Trump is denying saying them. But Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois was in the room where it happened and said today at Chicago’s 32rd

a meeting at the White House about immigration reform. Silence is betrayal. Democrats must demand a vote

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

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

on a clean Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, bill. They should fight for a reversal of the policy throwing 200,000 El Salvadorians and 60,000 Haitians out of the country. And Mr. Trump should immediately apologize to the American people for embarrassing our nation before the world and apologize to the countries and the vast continent he insulted – Haiti, El Salvador and Africa. Perhaps Mr. Trump has no idea that our rich, diverse and powerful nation was built by slaves and immigrants. Perhaps he does not know that 7 of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world during the last decade are in Africa and it is the most resourcerich continent on earth, including rubber from Liberia, gold from Ghana, diamonds and uranium from Congo. Perhaps he does not have a clue that African immigrants to the US are among the most educated groups in the United States. They are professors at some of the major colleges, universities, and other institutions across the U.S. They are doctors and elected officials. They serve in the military and some have made the ultimate sacrifice for our great nation

overseas and right here at home. Just two weeks ago, Emmanuel Mensah, an immigrant from Ghana and member of the National Guard, was home for the holidays and lost his life from smoke inhalation while trying to save people from a deadly apartment fire in the Bronx section of New York City. It is becoming increasingly and depressingly obvious that there is so much Mr. Trump does not know about the world and his own country he purports to lead. Ignorance is a weapon of mass destruction in the hands of the powerful. Racism must not be normalized. It must be condemned. Every U.S. Senator and member of Congress must do so immediately. On an issue like this there should be no Republicans or Democrats, just Americans coming together and standing up for what’s right. That is the best way to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Founder and President Rainbow PUSH Coalition www.rainbowpush.org

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

From: NAACP When @realDonaldTrump takes the stage Tuesday night for the State of the Union, he’ll surely exaggerate his achievements, justify policies that beneﬁt the wealthiest at the expense of the poor and the middle class, explain why his Department of Justice opposes voting rights, and rationalize laws that plainly discriminate against people of color. While he is at the Capitol, we will be hosting our own event to oﬀer an agenda on how people who believe in decency and equality can participate in holding back Trumpism and advancing democracy at all levels of government.

Join us for

The Real State of Our Union January 30, 2018 at 7:30pm Shiloh Baptist Church 1500 9th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. The following leaders will join me in a powerhouse panel, hosted by Roland Martin: • Melanie Campbell, President and CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener, Black Women's Roundtable Public Policy Network • Dr. Greg Carr, Professor of Africana Studies, Howard University • Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director, National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law • Liz Copeland, President and Founder, Urban Conservative Project, Inc. • Joseline Garcia, President, United States Student Association • Tiﬀany Loftin, Senior Program Specialist in Community Advocacy and Partnership Engagement, National Education Association • Dr. William Spriggs, Professor of Economics, Howard University We hope that you will be able to join the conversation in person or online via Facebook and Twitter. Positive change has never come from the top down. It's driven by everyday citizens who come together to make our democracy work for everyone. RSVP for this event: (http://action.naacp.org/page/s/real-state-of-our-union-rsvp?utm_ medium=email&utm_source=NAACP&utm_content=7+-+RSVP+for+this+event&utm_ campaign=20180125-TRSOOU&source=20180125-TRSOOU)

In Solidarity, Derrick NAACP, President and CEO Please contribute what you can right now and help us resist: http://action.naacp.org/StopSessions 56  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Dear Friends, It is my honor to write to you as your newly elected President and CEO. In the face of a brutal and near-daily national assault on civil rights and progressive issues, the NAACP has recognized the immediate need for a leader to guide the organization during its strategic re-envisioning process. The NAACP has a long legacy of activism and civil rights leadership, but I am committed to retooling and refreshing the Association to best confront 21-century challenges. As president, I seek to shepherd the Association into a period of growth and strength: building our ﬁeld, our funds, and our force as a champion of civic engagement. I will use every tactic in our playbook to ensure that African Americans can achieve equality in the United States. Will you join me (www.naacp.org)? Looking forward,

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

Business - Stand Up to Racism

H&M Sorry About Ad With Black Boy in ‘Coolest Monkey’ Hoodie By Heather Fletcher

ast night (January 8th), H&M had already pulled the photo of a black boy wearing a green “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” hoodie oﬀ of its site. While no such tweet appeared on its main Twitter account, repeated comments to customers from the @hm_custserv account repeatedly apologized for the ad. Although the retailer is far from the ﬁrst to be called tone-deaf about race, H&M’s ad immediately cost it the partnership of a major celebrity. The Weeknd (@ theweeknd) wrote on Twitter: "woke up this

morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm anymore..." Once again, social media users questioned the marketing methods at a major retailer. How did no one see this ad? Is there enough diversity on the staff? Meanwhile, H&M pulled the hoodie off of the market globally. TheWrap writes yesterday: The image drew wrath on Twitter, including from the group Models of Diversity, which tweeted Monday, “And then H&M UK got the bright idea to feature a black boy model with ‘Coolest Monkey in the Jungle’ hoodie on its website. How on earth can this be? SHAME ON YOU !” New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow was equally blunt in his assessment of the image, tweeting Sunday, “@hm, have you lost your damned minds?!?!?!”.  http://www.targetmarketingmag. com/article/hm-sorry-ad-blackboy-coolest-monkey-hoodie/#n e=4a21b9167bf658408191e7c4 9140a9aa&utm_source=today%40-target-marketing&utm_ medium=newsletter&utm_ campaign=2018-01-13&utm_content= h%26amp%3Bm+sorry+about+ad+wit h+black+boy+in+%E2%80%98coolest +monkey%E2%80%99+hoodie-4

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

Commentary - Citizenship

Bianca Vobecky Honored at the 2018 Rose Day Parade for her Multi-Million-Dollar Construction Company By Shannen Hill

ianca Vobecky has become one of the most sought-after entrepreneurs in Los Angeles after turning a trucking business that she operated out of her house into a multi-million-dollar construction company. Vobecky was born in Haiti and grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. After graduating from high school, she attended a community college where she became a contestant in a beauty contest and won the opportunity to come to California. What was supposed to be a trip, turned into a job working as an office manager for a construction and engineering firm, where she developed a passion for developing contracts. After years of working with the firm, Vobecky decided that she wanted a business of her own and started working for Xerox who offered to pay for her to get a business degree through evening and night classes while working for them. “As I was working and getting promoted throughout the years, one thing that I noticed was that management did not look like me. I thought that the chances of me getting up to the corporate office were very slim and if I wanted to be in management, I would have to start my own,” said Vobecky. With her passion and commitment, Vobecky started researching and studying how to get a General Contractor’s license. Owning a construction company was always the goal, but after learning that the process to get the license would take years, Vobecky decided to start a trucking company in 2006. She didn’t want to get any loans and the trucking company would allow her to bring in money while working from home. “When I started, I just wanted to have a small business where I could spend more time with my kids instead of having them in daycare, so we started at home for the first three years,” said Vobecky. Three years later, Vobecky had the money and licenses to start Vobecky Enterprises. The construction company builds commercial buildings along with federal government buildings, including court houses and homeland security. The company also builds for utility companies. Vobecky started her

Bianca Vobecky

Courtesy of Wells Fargo

construction company during the recession, so she knew that she had to aim high to make money. She nailed her first opportunity and only good reviews have come after. “It was a challenge being a woman in the industry who nobody knew, so I went to a lot of events, joined organizations and did a lot of marketing,” said Vobecky. “When I got my first opportunity, I over-performed and got good references. I make sure to do everything right. I pay my taxes, dot my I’s and cross my T’s because people always look you up to see what you’re about.” One company that looked up Vobecky’s work and took notice was Wells Fargo. In 2016, the Small Business Administration recognized her as the Minority Small Business Champion, where Wells Fargo was the sponsor. Vobecky has personal and business accounts with Wells Fargo, but she never thought that she would be riding their stagecoach at the 2018 Rose Day Parade. “I had been in the Glendora parade when my son played little league, but this was much bigger. My husband and daughter rode on the stage coach too, so it was really nice to share that experience with them.” Last year, the Los Angeles Business Journal recognized Vobecky as one of the Top 100 Minority Owned Businesses in Los Angeles and the Black Business Association recognized Vobecky as Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year. Vobecky also mentors and speaks at events for small businesses. For more information about Vobecky Enterprises, visit www.vobecky.com.  https://lasentinel.net/bianca-vobecky-honored-atthe-rose-day-parade-for-her-multi-million-dollarconstruction-company.html

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

re you a Small Business interested in selling your product or services to Metro or to Prime Contractors that do business with Metro? Would you like to learn how to win contracts as a Prime Contractor through SB Prime, Metro's exciting set-aside initiative? If so, we invite you to come grow with us and learn about Metro Connect. Start now and register for a How to Do Business with Metro Workshop. Metro staff will show you how to take advantage of the vast array of products, services and transportation related opportunities projected over the coming weeks, months and year. As an added bonus, Metro's procurement staff will host informal interviews with firms before the workshop, starting at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 12, 2018 8:30 a.m.: Registration 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: One-on-One with Contract Administrators and Continental Breakfast 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Program

Metro Headquarters 3rd Floor, Board Room, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Topics: Highway Project Update, Procurement Update, Certiﬁcation Update, Small Business Prime Update, LA SAFE/511 Next Generation Update To learn more about how Metro Connect's Small and Disadvantaged Business Certiﬁcations can help open the door to contracting opportunities with Metro visit Metro Vendor Portal. For further questions, please contact Marisela Villar at VillarM@metro.net or via phone at 213.922.2235.

Exhibit Your Books with the U.S. Commercial Service at Book World Prague 2018! The U.S. Commerce Department is pleased to offer an opportunity to exhibit titles during our sixth annual book fair exhibition at Book World Prague, May 10â&#x20AC;&#x201C;13, 2018. No need to travel --- just send us your titles and catalogues and we will exhibit them for you!

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

Registration Deadline February 28, 2018

Registration Fees Small companies: $150 Medium companies: $300 Large companies: $375

Targeted list of contacts

Registration

Inclusion in the Prague Book Fair catalogue

Bobby Hines International Trade Specialist DownTown LA Export Office United States Bobby.Hines@trade.gov Tel: 213 894 4231

Online promotion through the U.S. Embassy website Post-show follow-up and trade leads

WHY IS THE CZECH PUBLISHING MARKET INTERESTING? As a nation of avid readers, Czech Republic has the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest number of published titles per capita. More than one third of total book production are translations. We will help you to maximize opportunities in the Czech market and match your titles with interested publishers.

More information Mr. Zdenek Svoboda U.S. Commerial Service Prague Czech Republic Zdenek.Svoboda@trade.gov Tel: +420 257 022 323

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

Business - Small Business Conference

www.smallbusinessconference.energy.gov

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

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

For more information, visit smallbusinessconference.energy.gov.

www.

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

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

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Publisher's Message us of how much of an economic force Black-owned businesses can be, when we put our innovation and creativity together and support each other. For example, in addition to preaching at four diﬀerent congregations, a local Pastor, George Lee ran a prosperous printing business and a grocery store, positioning him as a prominent leader in Belzoni, Mississippi’s Black community and a resource to Civil Rights freedom ﬁghters. Next month is our nation’s Black History Month where countless numbers of African Americans and others will join us in celebrating the countless contributions that Blacks have made to our nation’s history, b e y o n d just being deemed as free labor to exploit. The resiliency of our people not only amazes me, but many from other cultures. Immigrants coming to America, and familiar with our history, see it as a source of inspiration and hope, a chance to build a future for them as well.

he Black Business Association (BBA), headquartered in Southern California, will be hosting, along with our corporate sponsors, our Annual Awards Dinner during the Black History month celebration on February 24, 2018, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The BBA’s theme for this year’s event and salute is “African Americans in Time of War.” (see page 13)

pportunities. The following are just a few key industries cited by INC. Magazine that Black entrepreneurs and business owners will ﬁnd worth their while in investigating as showing the greatest promise for entrepreneurial opportunities for 2018: • Virtual Reality - revenue for virtual reality and its close cousin augmented reality is expected to climb to over $7 billion, and by the end of 2021, that number will explode to $75 billion. • Cannabis (Marijuana) – Cannabis is currently one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S. A total of 29 states currently permit the use of medical marijuana, and recreational use is legal in eight states, and the District of Columbia. Revenue is expected to grow from $7.2 billion in 2016 to over

$24 billion in 2020. And since the industry is still relatively new and volatile, there's plenty of room for companies with innovative growing and plant breeding techniques to shape the market. • Green Energy - The green energy industry has been steadily gaining steam in the U.S. over the last ten years, following the example of renewable energy leaders Europe and China. • Drones - Drones started out as military technology, and they're still primarily used for military and security applications. But as drones become both more sophisticated and more affordable, we can expect to see plenty of other industries hop on the drone bandwagon, as well as drones as toys will increase as the affordability becomes more commonplace. • Biotechnology / Healthcare – The demand for the development of new regenerative medicine technologies, finding treatments for hard-to-treat conditions like dementia and cancer, and feeding the world by improving the yield of crops is full of opportunities, for those who produce equipment and services for research and development. • Robotics (Artificial Intelligence (AI)) – Robotics/ AI is fast-becoming a very integral part of how we live and get things done. Many entry-level and/ or labor positions will continue to be replaced with robotic technologies, the demand for people with the technical skills to create, maintain and repair is on the boom as well. • Security / Law Enforcement – All things associated with Security (IT systems, security personnel) and law enforcement are other markets where the needs are great from being a service provider for equipment to training canines, to providing goods and services to the ever-growing prison industry. Our Defense / Military systems are being heavily funded to decrease our vulnerability around the world. New sources are being sought to address many of these areas and can be found on FedBizOps.Gov. • Content & Digital Marketing – This growing industry continues to morph into an important tool facilitating how advertisers and others market to consumer groups, fashion social and political messages, and efect the education process.

o year can be considered good or happy without our health, love and support of family and friends. Remember the importance of supporting each other in business, to recycle more of our dollars amongst ourselves, and to work toward building a sustainable economic environment that will beneﬁt our present and future generations. 

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Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House

Welcome to More.

ith extraordinary access to the West Wing, Michael Wolff reveals what happened behind-thescenes in the first nine months of the most controversial presidency of our time. Since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the country—and the world—has witnessed a stormy, outrageous, and absolutely mesmerizing presidential term that reflects the volatility and fierceness of the man elected Commander-inChief. This account of Trump’s administration provides a wealth of new details about the chaos in the Oval Office, including: • What President Trump’s staff really thinks of him • What inspired Trump to claim he was wire-tapped by President Obama • Why FBI director James Comey was really fired • Why chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner couldn’t be in the same room • Who is really directing the Trump administration’s strategy in the wake of Bannon’s firing • What the secret to communicating with Trump is Never before in history has a presidency so divided the American people. Brilliantly reported and astoundingly fresh, Fire and Fury shows us how and why Donald Trump has become the king of discord and disunion. 

Open the door to a hotel you don’t just visit. You own it. Choice Hotels® is committed to achieving more diversity in hospitality with exclusive incentive programs designed to reduce up front costs and provide more support to minority hotel developers. And our commitment doesn’t stop there. Choice Hotels promotes and pursues diversity at all levels, ranging from our workforce to our hotel guests, from our suppliers to entrepreneurs looking to create wealth. Like you. Open the door to hotel ownership opportunities with Choice Hotels. Because you’re not in business for less. You’re in it for more. www.choicehotelsdevelopment.com/#&panel1-2

www.amazon.com/dp/B077F4WZZY/ ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_ encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 80  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

King Day

OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

Business Technology:

Take A Look!

updates. Start building your app today. Visit the Guidebook website for pricing, instructions and services.  https://guidebook.com

by LaSandra Stratton

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

Create Your Own App

uidebook (https:// guidebook.com) is the easiest, quickest way to build an app. The world has gone mobile. Now you can too in 4 simple steps.elect the level that works for you. Choose a template Guidebook anticipates the type of apps users want to make with a library of templates. Save time on the building process with smart suggestions for content and layout.

Select your features A drag-and-drop interface allows you to select the right types of features for your app and arrange them in the way that works for you.

Digital Business Cards and Tickets

MoveShake (www. moveshake.net) system is a

complete ecosystem that includes a central website with web design tools to create & design webCards (the MoveShake Design Studio) and a mobile app to view & organize received webCards as well as send one's own webCards. The mobile app also provides templates and layouts to create basic design webCards. A webCard is a digital card that uses industry standard web design technologies such HTML, CSS and Javascript to present an interactive digital graphical user interface (UI). A webCard may have navigation buttons or tabs that allow the card viewer to go from one screen to another, active links that allow the viewer to launch a smartphone's dialer or email client, functions to redirect the viewer to the contact's website or social media account, and active screen widgets that animate images, or slide or scroll images across the screen. There are many advantages and

Fill with content Complicated schedules and lists can magically populate your app in seconds with easy information importing. Publish it Your app is up and running in no time. Once it’s published keep your content relevant with immediate

benefits of the MoveShake system including: the ability to to create & design webCards means that web designers can have a new income

stream; using the MoveShake app, a user can give their webCard via email, SMS/Text, (or via NFC if the other user also has the MoveShake app); NFC tags or stickers used on paper business cards, conference badges and desktop business card dispensers may be recognized & read; and an NFC enabled MoveShake app may allow others to swipe their smartphone near their NFC enabled badge or card dispenser to receive their webCard. MoveShake may be used to create and manage eTickets for events and transportation services among other applications. 

EbonyLife TV

bonyLife TV (ebonylifetv. com), Africa’s first Global Black Entertainment and Lifestyle network, was launched on June 30, 2013 and began broadcasting on July 01, 2013 to a pan-African audience, by a license agreement with Multichoice (DStv) Africa, Africa’s largest Pay TV platform. The channel is distributed to 49 African countries, including South Africa and Southern African countries. Ranked as one of the most watched channels on the DStv platform by our target demographics across the continent which consist of youth (aged between 18 and 34) and women, EbonyLife TV annually produces over 1,000 hours of premium, original, and homegrown Anglo-African entertainment programming to include Talk, Entertainment, Reality, Comedy, Drama, Lifestyle, Factual, among others, of which 80% belongs exclusively to us. This makes us the largest self-owned library on the continent. EbonyLife TV continues to secure distribution deals across the globe. In the UK, we are available

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to viewers on Talk Talk TV; we serve viewers in Canada via the Ethnic Channels Group. We are concluding terms with Virgin Media and DISH, while our VOD platforms are also available for download by viewers in the US, Europe, Canada, Asia and the Middle East on Play Store for Android devices and on App Store for iOS devices, as well as at vod.ebonylifetv.com. The channel broadcasts from the only purpose-built film and TV studios in Sub-Saharan Africa that are equipped with state-ofthe-art HD equipment. We remain

very excited about our partnership with the Walt Disney Company on the production of Desperate Housewives Africa, based on the multiple award winning ABC Television drama hit series, Desperate Housewives. This is the first drama format ever to be made in Africa. We commenced broadcast of the series in April 2015, and the feedback is most encouraging. We have agreements in place with a number of international studios for format co-productions. In 2014, we also set up EbonyLife Films which has completed its first feature film titled FIFTY, directed by Biyi Bandele and due for release globally in the last quarter of 2015. FIFTY has been produced to the best international standards possible.

We take huge pride in our recent acquisition of the global rights to produce the most critically reviewed work of Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Death and the King’s Horseman. We are extremely proud of this and torrents of other achievements which are consistent with our vision to be the preferred global network for premium African entertainment. In acknowledgement of EbonyLife TV’s relevance in the African media and entertainment space, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recently partnered with the channel to host the SemiFinal round of judging of the Emmy® awards in Nigeria. EbonyLife TV believes it’s the dawn of a new era in Africa and is motivated by the need to create and remain an alternative form of media for the continent. Our Mantra is “everything you think you know about Africa is about to change forever”. This rallying cry and credo drives us to constantly inspire and celebrate Africa while enabling it to take its place on the global stage as a media and entertainment powerhouse. Shows include: • Adventures of Lola & Chuchu • Men's Corner • EL Now • Fifty • Sons Of The Caliphate • Hello Africa • Pharaoh’s Disciples  Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

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Community/Public Interest

U.S. Olympian Hits Her Stride By ShareAmerica

Maame Biney competes in the women's 1,000-meter event during the U.S. Olympic short-track speedskating trials in Kearns, Utah. (© AP Images)

w e l v e y e a r s a f t e r immigrating to the United States from Ghana to live with her father, Maame Biney became the ﬁrst AfricanA m e r i c a n woman to win a spot on the U.S. Olympic speedskating team. Biney was ﬁrst introduced to her sport

when her father saw a “Learn to Skate” sign at an ice rink in Reston, Virginia, and thought his energetic 6-year-old daughter might channel some of her abundant energy into skating. She did and in the process proved herself a natural. Almost as soon as she took to the ice, she looked like someone who’d been skating for months, her father recalls. Biney tried ﬁgure skating ﬁrst, but a coach noticed she was fast and encouraged her to take up speedskating. She competed in local events before moving up to the U.S. Junior Championships, where she won a bronze medal. Known for her explosive starts and powerful stride, Biney is now

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

All smiles: Biney takes a break at a speedskating competition in Innsbruck, Austria. (© Christof Koepsel/ISU/Getty Images)

one of the top U.S. short-track speedskaters. In December she won the women’s 500-meter event and qualiﬁed for the U.S. team that will compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She is not only the ﬁrst AfricanAmerican woman to represent the U.S. in her sport. At 17, she’s the youngest speedskater on the U.S. team. Still, the accomplished high schooler — who wants to become a chemical engineer — doesn’t take herself too seriously. “I just hope everyone sees how fun the sport is, when you can just go fast and just be awesome,” she said. “Not that I am awesome or anything, but just — you feel good about yourself, so

yeah. Be proud of yourself.” She hopes girls who watch her will be inspired to pursue their own dreams. Biney has fans around the world, including in West Africa, where skating isn’t common. “Since speedskating or any ice sport isn’t really an option back in Africa, I would just tell all the little kids back there just to ﬁnd something that you love, and be happy,” she said. “Because why are you going to do something if you don’t have fun?” At the Olympics in February, Biney says, her strategy will be simple: “Go fast and don’t fall.” Her event, the 500 meter, is the shortest and requires tremendous sprinting ability. Although Olympians compete

under intense pressure, Biney’s father, Kweku, hopes she can just soak up the moment and enjoy the experience. “Once you stay focused, everything will fall in place,” he said. “She doesn’t need to be afraid of anything, and I don’t think she is.” For his part, Kweku says that seeing his daughter walk with Team USA during the opening ceremony will be enough of a reward. Anything more will be a bonus. This piece was based on a story published by Voice of America https://share.america.gov/africanamerican-speedskater-hits-herstride/

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

Community/Public Interest

Winter Olympics 2018: African Athletes to make History in Pyeongchang From Winter Olympics

igeria's Women's Bobsleigh Team will make history in Pyeongchang as the first African sled to compete at the Winter Olympics. Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere, and Akuoma Omeoga hit the qualifying standard in November but needed to maintain their world ranking until 14 January. Nigeria will be represented for the first time at the Winter Olympics. Simidele Adeagbo will also fly the West African nation's flag in the Women's Skeleton. All three bobsledders were once track and field athletes before switching to winter sports, with Adigun competing in the 100m hurdles at the London 2012 Olympics. Adigun will pilot the Nigerian sled in South Korea with either Onwumere or Omeoga to be selected as brakewoman. "It's surreal," said Adigun, speaking in November. "One of the things that you aspire to is to have a podium spot with respect for the process and respect for the learning curve of what it is that we're actually doing." Adeagbo, 36, only took up skeleton four months ago but will compete in Pyeongchang after finishing third in her two races at the North American Cup in Lake

Placid, New York at the weekend. The Canadian-born slider - a former triple and long jumper - first expressed an interest in bobsleigh

Akwasi Frimpong

Nigerian Women's Bobsleigh Team but was encouraged to try skeleton instead. Ghana represented for first time in skeleton Akwasi Frimpong has been confirmed as Ghana's first Olympic Skeleton athlete. Frimpong, who will turn 32 during the Games, was born in Ghana before moving to the Netherlands aged eight. After enjoying success as a young athlete - winning the Dutch 200m junior title in 2003 - Frimpong switched to winter sports after missing out on the London Olympics through injury. Frimpong was first introduced to bobsleigh - narrowly missing the cut for the Dutch team for Sochi 2014 - before changing to skeleton. Sliders were required to be in the IBSF world top 60 to qualify for Pyeongchang - a feat Frimpong

achieved with 14thand 15thp l a c e finishes in Lake Placid at the Simidele Adeagbo weekend. "I'm ready to represent Ghana for the first time in history in the skeleton event at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games," he said. Africa was first represented at the Winter Olympics at Sarajevo 1984 by Senegalese alpine skier Lamine Gueye. At Sochi 2014, Togo and Zimbabwe were the only nations from the continent to send athletes to the Winter Olympics.  www.bbc.com/sport/winterolympics/42694188

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

Community/Public Interest

Steph Curry joins Barack Obama in PSA for Initiative to Help Young Men of Color By Tonia Hill

Steph Curry with Barack Obama businessinsider.com

asketball fans didn’t get to see Steph Curry play on Christmas [Day 2017], but they have been able to see him in public service announcements for My Brother’s Keeper (@ iamkeeper), an initiative aimed at helping boys and young men of color succeed in life. In 30-, 60- and 90-second spots, Curry is joined by former president Barack Obama, who launched the initiative in 2014, as well as Chance the Rapper. In each spot, Curry is seen at the Warriors’ practice facility, looking at a video on a smartphone and saying, “We’re the ones …” He appears to be repeating words spoken early in the videos by a young man who says, “We’re the ones to inspire our generation, to rise up and stand for the idea of

opportunity for everyone.” The longer spots begin with a message delivered by Obama in 2015, at the launch of the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance. “I want you to know: you matter,” he said. “There’s nothing, not a single thing, that’s more important to the future of America than whether or not young people all across this country can achieve their dreams.” In the recent videos, which began rolling out shortly before Christmas, Obama is shown looking at a smartphone and saying, “I am my brother’s keeper.” Chance the Rapper says the same thing to the camera in the 90-second version. It’s not the ﬁrst time that Curry and Obama have appeared in a video for My Brother’s Keeper, an organization whose stated goal is to

work with “cross-sector partners” to “accelerate impact in targeted communities, mobilize citizens and resources” while encouraging “mentorship, reducing youth violence, and improving life outcomes for boys and young men of color.”. In April 2016, the pair had starring roles in a humorous video called “The Mentorship,” in which Obama is shown helping Curry work on his résumé, beating the Warriors star at Connect Four and, most improbably, working with the twotime NBA MVP on his shooting form. “You don’t need to be an NBA star or the president of the United States to be someone’s hero,” a narrator says in the video. Curry, along with his wife Ayesha, has also appeared in a 2016 video with then-First Lady Michelle Obama. Over the past few years, the Golden State player and Obama have formed a friendship strengthened by golf outings and after hitting the links with the former president in October, Curry said, “Same personality, same charisma, same vibe about him. There were just maybe two or three less Secret Service members.”  www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/stephcurry-joins-barack-obama-in-psa-forinitiative-to-help-young-men-of-color/ar-BB Hovwc?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

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

Community/Public Interest

NASA Celebrates Legacy of First Black American Astronaut By: Erick Johnson, Chicago Crusader, NNPA Member

ifty years ago, a tragic accident ended the groundbreaking career of Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., a Chicago native and stellar Air Force pilot who became America’s ﬁrst Black astronaut. On December 8, 2017—the 50th anniversary of his death—NASA honored his often-ignored legacy and contributions to the agency. Earlier this year, the Chicago Crusader reported about the lack of visibility of NASA’s ﬁrst Black American astronaut and helped to raise awareness

was being done to h o n o r Lawrence, w h i l e N A S A h e l d memorials to mark the 50th

Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr.

about Lawrence’s incredible journey. In planning a story for its annual Black History Month edition, Chicago Crusader staﬀers discovered that little

anniversary of three, White astronauts who perished in a ﬁre aboard the Apollo 1 space module, during a preﬂight test.

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

The Crusader story lauding Lawrence’s achievements was published in dozens of Black newspapers after the National Newspapers Publishers Association (NNPA) carried it on its newswire. Born in 1935 to the late Gwendolyn Duncan and Robert H. Lawrence, Sr., the future Air Force pilot was a man ahead of his time. Long before magnet and STEM programs were part of the high school curriculum, Lawrence excelled in math and science. At 16, he graduated with honors from Englewood High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Bradley University. He married the late Barbara Cress from the prominent Chicago Cress family and entered the Air Force at age 21 before earning a doctorate in physical chemistry from Ohio State University, becoming the first astronaut at NASA to earn a doctorate degree. As a United States Air Force pilot, Lawrence accumulated over 2,500 flight hours. In June 1967, Lawrence graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (Class ‘66B) at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. In that same month, he was selected by the USAF as an astronaut for their Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL) program, thus becoming the first Black astronaut. Lawrence died while training another pilot, Maj. John Royer, to perform the “flare” maneuver—an operation that Lawrence had already mastered— in the F-104 Starfighter. According to NBC News, “Lawrence’s memory languished in obscurity” partly due to the fact that, the Pentagon only recognized someone as an “astronaut” if they actually flew to an altitude above 50 miles. However, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL.) mounted a campaign that forced NASA to put Lawrence’s name on the Space Mirror Memorial in 1997—thirty years after Lawrence’s death. “On Dec. 8, 1997, on the thirtieth anniversary of his death, Lawrence had his name unveiled on the Florida memorial,” NBC News reported. The ceremony recognizing Lawrence, earlier this month—although spirited, at times—was a somber one for the 300 guests that included decorated NASA astronauts, dignitaries, relatives, and friends, who had flown and driven miles across the country to honor Lawrence at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Lawrence’s older sister, Dr. Barbara Lawrence, attended and spoke; another prominent Chicago resident who was present was E. Dawn Griffin, the

oldest daughter of Ernest Griffin, founder of Griffin Funeral Home in Bronzeville. The Griffin Funeral Home, which closed in 2012, handled the funeral arrangements for Lawrence. Members from Lawrence’s college fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, also attended to honor one of their own. On the sprawling grounds of the NASA facility, they participated in a two-and-a-half-hour ceremony that began at the Center for Space Education and culminated with an emotional wreath-laying ceremony at the base of the national Space Mirror Memorial, a massive black granite structure where Lawrence’s name is among those of 20 astronauts who either died in flight or in training. The ceremony brought out some of NASA’s astronauts and biggest officials. Charles Bolden, America’s first Black NASA chief administrator, and Stephanie Wilson, the second Black female astronaut, attended the service. Another Black astronaut, Winston Scott, played the trumpet in a band that performed various jazz songs, including, “Fly Me to the Moon.” Reportedly, jazz was one of Lawrence’s favorite musical genres. Dr. Herman B. White Jr., a physicist and lecturer at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., Lawrence’s alma mater, gave a presentation where a memorial scholarship and a conference room bear Lawrence’s name. Recently, Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio renamed a dormitory in Lawrence’s honor. Bolden, who piloted the space shuttles Columbia and Discovery, praised Lawrence for his spirit. “He took that first step,” Bolden said. “If he had lived, he would have been flying on that space shuttle also.” Col. Robert Cabana, who flew on four shuttle missions, agreed. “Major Robert H. Lawrence truly was a hero,” said Cabana. “He set the stage for what was to come.” Dr. Barbara Lawrence shared her experiences with her brother as they grew up on the South Side of Chicago. She said, when Robert was young, he was a very disciplined student and dedicated to learning. “I’m truly proud to have been his sister,” she shared. “He wasn’t interested in being the first Black astronaut. He was only interested in being given the opportunity to do what he wanted to do. I’m sorry he wasn’t here a little longer, but I think his job was one that was well done.”  https://lasentinel.net/nasa-celebrates-legacy-of-first-blackamerican-astronaut.html

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

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Francis Grice, Former Black Business Association Board Member, Passes Away

rancis Grice, a minority business and community activist, in the Inland empire who came to San Bernardino from Detroit, Michigan in 1962 and immediately began working at St. Bernardine Hospital. She would later become a key figure in the fight for integrated schools within the San Bernardino City Unified School District. Frances passed away December 31st. She was 84. Colleagues who knew her said nobody put more into the local civil rights movement, or given more years of activism and personal energy to the Westside of San Bernardino than she did. In addition to promoting civil rights, Grice founded the Operation Second Chance technical school in 1967 that provided low income youth the opportunity to receive employment training. She pioneered local environmental action with the development of green jobs, sustainable communities and clean energy through Operation Second Chance. At the same time, Ms. Grice pushed to help Black business with contracts, grants and projects to lift the low-income community out of its historic disenfranchisement. She fought to be a voice for the poor for all those without access to resources or rights. In the early 70's, Operation Second Chance received funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Minority Business Enterprise (OMBE), to serve as a

business development center to assist minorities in entrepreneurship. Frances became a very strong advocate for minoirty business owners for financial assistance, procurement opportunites in the public and private sectors and other areas of assistance. She also worked hand in hand with local architects, developers, and selected minority contractors for each Seated: Frances Grice, (Standing, left: Will phase of blueprints and Marshall and Earl "Skip" Cooper, II, Executive construction of Operation Director of the Black Business Association. Second Chance. The building was a source of pride, and appreciated by the community who always respected what the building stood for. In 1984, personal and professional tragedies nearly brought Grice’s works to a halt. The death of her child, who was her “best friend” Darlene, at age 26, sent her life into a tailspin. Not long after, a succession of financial problems ended operations, and within two years, she had lost her only other child, Anthony, 34, to a heart attack. “My son told me before he died, `Mama, don’t give up, don’t give up,” Ms. Grice recalled in a 1995 From the mid-90’s on through interview with the Precinct Reporter. “Folks still say, `How did you get 2012, that early fight cleared the way through all that?’ You get knocked as she sought to level the playing down; you get back up. With each field of the good ole’ boys network disaster, the Lord brought me closer to help the Black community tap state and federal procurement to Him.”

Frances, d n a u o y e v o l e W miss you dearly. You will always . s t r a e h r u o in e b 'Skip' & Gwen

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opportunities. Operation Second Chance ceased operation following her personal tragedies. She later founded ADF Networking Consultancy Inc., which offered statewide contract procurement and compliance services. She held several procurement events drawing out dozens of big vendors to work directly with small business, minority, women, disadvantaged and disabled veterans. In 1987, ADF received a consulting contract from Southern California Edison, under the supervision of Frank Quevedo, to increase the participation of African American-owned businesses in the contracting process. Mr. Quevedo became a very close friend after his retirement. “We had the first wastewater

treatment training program with assistance from the Regional Director at the time, Will Marshall, of the U.S. Department of Commerce, (EDA). We started our own businesses because there were no businesses that would hire us,” she had said in the 2012 interview with the Precinct Reporter. San Bernardino Community College District Trustee Joseph Williams said Grice was a community stalwart who always led by example. “She was just an awesome person,” he said. “She understood the importance of providing opportunities to minorities in our community.” Carolyn Tillman recalled Ms. Grice as a bundle of “love and firecrackers,” and how Ms. Grice and her grandmother worked together at the community hospital. Tillman said she counts it a privilege to have interviewed Ms. Grice for the Westside Action Group Oral History Project. She fought to end de facto segregation in San Bernardino city schools in the 1960’s and 70’s. That lawsuit dragged on for years through the court system, and she often talked about the depth of personal sacrifice in that fight for equal education. Ms. Grice described how she, and social activist partners, Valerie Pope Ludlam and Bonnie Johnson, had dodged bullets after a school board meeting to desegregate San Bernardino city schools. The three faced off against the KKK, and threats of hanging, and cross-burnings. Ms. Johnson’s house was bombed, but it did not stop them from staying their fight against segregation. “Frances was a skilled griot and kept my attention for two straight

hours–what a life she lived! She was a bold, civil rights advocate who fought for and won battles for economic and educational change in this community. She paid a great price for her sacrifice, may she never be forgotten,” She was bestowed with the Presidential Award from Presidents Reagan and Bush in White House Rose Garden. She received Congressional Record Commendations, along with awards from Congressman Jerry Pettis, Congresswoman Shirley Pettis, and the late Congressman George E. Brown. Congressman Joe Baca presented her with a Congressional Certificate of Achievement, and she won recognition from Assemblywoman Gwen Moore State of California Legislature Women-Owned Business Award. She received two State of California Legislature Woman of the Year Awards – from Assemblyman Joe Baca and Assemblyman Jerry Eaves. Locally, she has been recognized with the National Municipal League of Cities All American City Special recognition award, and State of California Assembly Resolution from the Honorable Mervyn Dymally and Wilmer Carter for outstanding leadership. Also, Inland Empire Women in Leadership, Women of Achievement from the League of Women Voters and Women of Achievement Award from the Los Black Business Association. Frances’ accomplishments include: National Small Business Advocacy Award recipient; Member of Martin Luther King Jr. Statue Maintenance Committee; All American City representative and NAACP member. Framce also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Black Business Association at a Salute to Black Women Award Ceremony. 

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

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Dr. Anyim Palmer, Educator Extraordinare By LA Sentinel News Service

t is with heavy hearts that we are announcing the passing of our beloved founder and brother, Dr. Anyim Palmer. Dr. Palmer made his transition on Friday, December 15, 2017 while under the care of physicians at the Long Beach College Medical Center, he was 95 years of age. Dr. Anyim Palmer was one of the most innovative, resourceful educators of his time. Dr. Palmer created a model for educating children that could be used to address the current American Educational crisis. If you were to ask this most remarkable man the formula for his incredible exploits in educating African American children, he consistently pointed to his elementary and high school system of Forth Worth, Texas. He attended James E. Guinn Elementary and I.M. Terrel High school. Despite strict segregation, substandard facilities and equipment in comparison to non-minority institutions, Black teachers produced students who routinely out scored their majority counterparts in reading and math tests. In hindsight, Dr. Palmer cited the highly competitive academic environment in which he was developed as the anchor of his educational achievements. With an unparalleled work ethic and a relentless ambition to develop exceptional students, Dr. Palmer followed a direct path to success. After high school he enrolled in Temple University in Philadelphia Pennsylvania where he made the dean’s list his first and only year at the university. Unable to secure a scholarship or a job to pay for tuition, Dr. Palmer left college for the military. After a brief stint in the Army he left the south

and ventured to California. For the next 14 years he amassed a plethora of degrees and teaching credentials while simultaneously working full time. From his AA degree in 1960 from Los Angeles City College to his Doctorate in Secondary Educational Administration & Political Science in 1972 from Claremont Graduate School, Dr. Palmer turned specialized knowledge into extraordinary academic performance. In 1975, while still a tenured professor in the Pan African Studies Department at California State University at Los Angeles, Dr. Palmer founded the Marcus Garvey School with his life savings. After creating much greatness in the lives of many students, he retired from the Marcus Garvey School in 1997. For 42 years, the Marcus Garvey School has unequivocally stood as testimony to the incredible achievements of its founder. The school has received national acclaim for its academic achievements performed by students. One news reporter dubbed the Marcus Garvey School “the miracle school”. Dr. Anyim Palmer will be greatly missed by all of the students, teachers, administrators, and parents he impacted throughout his journey here on earth. Although he has made his transition, he will always live on through the wonderful Legacy he has left behind, the Marcus Garvey School. Please visit the Marcus Garvey School website at Marcusgarveyschool.org for information regarding "the miracle school."  https://lasentinel.net/the-founder-of-marcus-garvey-school.html

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

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Celtics Legend JoJo White Passes Away at 71 After Battle with Cancer By Michael Dixon

asketball Hall of F a m e r and former NBA Finals MVP JoJo Warren "Pete" Moore (left), an original member of the legendary Motown singing White, who spent group the Miracles, died at the age of 78.e © Gilles Petard/Redfernsrspeakers.com the majority of his career with the Boston Celtics, has passed away at the age of 71. A former teammate of White’s told Gold Medal. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, He made every All-Star team from who shared the news on Twitter. 1971-1977, was a two time NBA White’s NBA career lasted from Champion (1974, 1976), winning 1969-1981. He was drafted by the the Finals MVP during Boston’s Celtics and remained with Boston six-game victory over the Phoenix until the 1978-79 season. He Suns in 1976. His No. 15 jersey finished his career with the Golden is retired by the Jayhawks, while State Warriors (1979-80) and the his No. 10 is retired by the Celtics. then Kansas City Kings (1980-81). White was enshrined in the Hall of Prior to his NBA career, White Fame in 2015.  was a standout at Kansas and https://sportsnaut.com/2018/01/ a member of the 1968 Olympic celtics-legend-jojo-white-passesbasketball team, which won the away-71/ 95  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

East Africa Energy and Infrastructure Summit USTDA's Regional Director Lida Fitts will be speaking at the East Africa Energy and Infrastructure Summit in Kampala, Uganda on regional cooperation in East Africa.

Africa Energy Forum: Off the Grid USTDA's Country Manager for East Africa Lisa Coppe will also be speaking at the Africa Energy Forum: Off the Grid in Kampala, Uganda on February 7 and discussing how to tackle the risks in financing off grid projects. About USTDA: The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries. LEARN MORE: https://www.ustda.gov

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www.meetingsafrica.co.za convention@southafrica.net

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

• • • • •

• • •

egx.com.eg/English/homepage. aspx Ethiopia Commodity Exchange - www.ecx.com.et Ghana Stock Exchange - www. gse.com.gh Johannesburg Stock Exchange (South Africa) - www. jse.co.za/Home.aspx Khartoum Stock Exchange (Sudan, in Arabic) - www.kse. com.sd Libyan Stock Market - www. lsm.ly/_layouts/membership/ login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fEnglis h%2fPages%2fdefault.aspx Lusaka Stock Exchange (Zambia) - www.luse.co.zm Nairobi Stock Exchange (Kenya) - www.luse.co.zm Malawi Stock Exchange - www. mse.co.mw

• Mozambique Stock Exchange (in Portuguese) - www. bolsadevalores.co.mz • Namibian Stock Exchange www.nsx.com.na • Nigerian Stock Exchange www.nse.com.ng/Pages/default. aspx • Stock Exchange of Mauritius www.stockexchangeofmauritius. com • Swaziland Stock Exchange www.ssx.org.sz • Tunisia Stock Exchange - www. bvmt.com.tn • Uganda Securities Exchange www.use.or.ug Read the lastest issue of The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke/media-center/ecommunique/exchange-magazine/ category/50-free-version.html

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

International

Ethiopian Airlines Makes History with All-female Crew Trip within Africa By Nduta Waweru

n Saturday, December 16, an Ethiopian Airlines flight with an all-female crew departed from Addis Ababa to Lagos, Nigeria. The airline stated that the women would fill all the roles in the flight from the pilots to the cabin crew to the operators of the flight ramp and dispatchers. This is not the first time for such a feat in Africa. In March this year, Malawi Air had the first ever all-female crew from Blantyre, Malawi, to Dares-Salaam in Tanzania. The flight was flown by Malawi’s first female captain, Yolanda Ndala-Kaunda, and her assistant, Lusekelo Mwenifumbo. In 2015, the Ethiopian Airlines was the first African airline to fly an all-female crew out of Africa. Captain Amsale Gualu flew the all-female crew flight from Addis Ababa to Bangkok. She took that opportunity to show the advantage of women getting equal opportunity in whatever fields they work in. “This flight shows us that if women get equal opportunities and work hard, I’m sure they can achieve whatever they want in all fields including the aviation industry,” she said. Gualu was also the first Ethiopian female captain to fly the Bombardier from Addis Ababa to Gondar in 2010. “This is an ample opportunity to inspire young African female students to believe in their dreams and embark to fill the skill gap for Aviation professionals. Women are the continent’s greatest untapped resources, and hereby fully dedicated to ensuring the increased number of women in decision-making positions on top of key operational areas by consistently grooming

Ethiopian Airlines launches first flight with an allfemale crew Photo: Ethiopian Airlines and mentoring successor female employees for top managerial, technical and operational positions,” the Airline said in 2015. With Tigist Kibret as the first officer, Gualu will be flying the Boeing 777. In a statement issued in Lagos, the airline said the flight will leave Addis Ababa, the airline’s operational hub to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. On board would be select Nigerian journalists. The Airline is in the process of implementing a 15year strategic plan, known as Vision 2025. The plan involves the setting up of seven business centres, Ethiopian Domestic and Regional Airline; Ethiopian International Passenger Airline; Ethiopian Cargo; Ethiopian MRO; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian In-flight Catering Services; and Ethiopian Ground Service.  https://thisisafrica.me/ethiopian-female-crew-trip-withinafrica/

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

International

Ms. Bience Gawanas of Namibia appointed as Special Adviser on Africa Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations

nited Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres announced the appointment of Bience Gawanas of Namibia as Special Adviser on Africa. She will succeed Maged Abdelaziz of Egypt to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his commitment and dedicated service to the Organization. Ms. Gawanas is currently

initiating far-reaching campaigns such as the continental Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA). Ms. Gawanes was elected for two terms as the Commissioner for Social Affairs at the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in 2003 and 2008, during which time she

newera.com.na Special Adviser to the Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Namibia. Prior to this, she was Special Adviser to the Minister of Health and Social Services. A champion of women’s health and rights in Africa, she has been commended for her role in

was responsible for advocacy as well as the harmonization and coordination of regional and continental policies and programme on promoting social development. Her portfolio included health, HIV/ AIDS and nutrition, migration and population, arts and culture, the

welfare of vulnerable groups, labour and migration, and sports. Prior to her work as Commissioner, she was Ombudswoman of Namibia (1996-2003). She has also worked as a lawyer at the Legal Assistance Centre, a human rights NGO (19901991) and as a lecturer on gender law at the University of Namibia (1995-1997). She has served on various taskforces and commissions, including the UNAIDS Global Task Team on Improving AIDS Coordination Among Multilateral Institutions and International Donors, the Task Force for Scaling-Up of Education and Training of Health Workers, the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, the Commission on Accountability and Information on Women’s and Children’s Health, the Global Steering Committee on Universal Access, the Commission on Accountability and Information on Women and Children’s Health, and the Lancet-Oslo University Commission on Global Governance for Health. She holds an LLB Honours degree from the University of Warwick, UK, and an Utter Barrister Degree from the Council of Legal Education School of Law/ Lincolns Inn, UK. She also holds an Executive MBA from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and an honorary doctorate degree in Law from the University of Western Cape. Born in 1966 she has three children and four grandchildren..  https://www.cnbcafrica.com/apo/2018/01/16/ ms-bience-gawanas-of-namibia-appointed-asspecial-adviser-on-africa/

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

International

THE MOROCCAN AGENCY FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT / SOCIETÉ MAROCAINE D'INGÉNIERIE TOURISTIQUE (SMIT) In partnership with

THE NATIONAL U.S.-ARAB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Cordially invites you to participate in the

MOROCCO TOURISM INVESTMENT ROAD SHOW TO THE USA Los Angeles: January 22 - 26 The Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) - January 22 - 24 Investment Briefing & B2B Matchmaking Session - January 25 InterContinental Century City, Los Angeles Site visit meetings with potential investors - January 26 http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eexpb77s9b70c9e8&llr=icji4ejab Washington, DC: January 29 Event details to be announced http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eexpn7ged8ea8e49&llr=icji4ejab New York City: January 30 - 31 Investment Briefing & B2B Matchmaking Session - January 30 InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel Site visit meetings with potential investors - January 31 http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eew2llxo6b35dd0d&llr=icji4ejab To Learn More About Investment Opportunities in Morocco, Please visit: www.nusacc.org/uploads/2/2/9/7/22977530/17smit-investment_ppt_presentation-final.pdf.

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

BACKGROUND

he International Finance Corporation recognizes Morocco as a top market reformer in the Middle East and North Africa. The nation has emerged as a commercial hub as a result of its economic reforms, investment incentives, competitive costs of production, modern banking processes, strong laws to protect intellectual property, and proximity to major markets. An introduction to the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) and investment opportunities in Morocco may be found at https:// smit.gov.ma/en. Morocco has a Free Trade Agreement with the United States and an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU). These agreements attract traders looking to enter Morocco, the world's largest markets (such as the EU and the United States), and the world's fastest growing markets (e.g., Africa). The U.S. - Morocco Free Trade Agreement entered into force in January 2006, eliminating duties on more than 95% of all goods and services, and U.S. exports have grown dramatically since then. With an annual Gross Domestic Product growth rate of nearly five percent over the past five years, Morocco's recent economic history is one of macroeconomic stability and low inflation, despite the challenges of the Arab Spring. In the World Bank's 2017 Doing Business report, Morocco's rating improved to 69th in the world.

Morocco is conveniently located for investors who are interested in exporting to Europe and Africa. Moreover, the availability of skilled and competitive labor at lower costs, relative to Europe, is a key factor in attracting automakers to Morocco. These automakers are also eligible for tax exemptions for 25 years, provided that most of the production is destined for export. For events in California, contact: Huda Salman, Associate Director, Los Angeles Field Oﬃce, National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, hsalman@nusacc.org, +1 (213) 482-5111. For events in Washington, DC, contact: Audrey Townend, Associate Director, External Aﬀairs, National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, atownend@nusacc.org, +1 (202) 289-5502. For events in New York, contact:

Ahmad Al Sayed, Associate Director, New York Field Oﬃce, National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, aalsayed@nusacc.org, +1 (212) 986-8024. In Partnership With: Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), established almost 50 years ago, is America's longest serving organization dedicated to U.S.Arab business. NUSACC is widely regarded as the voice of American business in the Arab world. Tel: +1 (202) 289-5920 Fax: +1 (202) 289-5938 www.nusacc.org 

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

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International

One Africa:

Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!

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

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

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

land should be excluded from African aﬀairs.

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

www.uniteafricans.org

Shopping Gallery

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

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

SUPER SOAKER

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

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

www.mentedcosmetics.com

https://ﬂawlesshair.com 112  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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

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

DigitalKente www.digitalkenteshop.com/ 115  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

TMBLR v1

a sneaker optimized for kids playtime

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

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Nubian Skin Sale! 60% OFF LACE LINGERIE IN YOUR SKIN-TONE! Just use the code NSSAVE60 when you check out...!

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The Economic Turn Around in the USA is in Our Hands •Buy Products Made or Assembled in the USA •Hire One New Employee •Eat an Extra Meal Out Each Week •Start/Grow a Business to Generate Wealth & Jobs

Buy Black  Save Black  Invest Black 120  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Collection Bed, Bath & Beyond http://bsmith.com/shop

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This magniﬁcent handcrafted concert grand is a "Best of" in terms of sound, new technology, beauty, and construction. Massively well-built to withstand the rigors of intense concert performances without compromise, the SHADD Concert Grand is a coveted treasure for pianists and collectors. With a rich voluminous sound that performs true to all genres of music, this phenomenal instrument has a rare diversiﬁed ability to play from the softest whisper with pure clear sound to a major roar with a bass section exuding an abundance of power and resounding singing sensations.

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

Cultural Interiors West &

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& Wall Paper

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

1-323-490-3774

Experience our exciting array of products from Cards to Cupcakes, African Masks, Asian Teacups, Healthy Herbal Teas, Gourd Purses, Candles, to Furniture Hope to see you soon!!! In the meantime visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/CulturalInteriors-West/140688362658236

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

New Location Leimert Park Village 3347 W. 43rd Street Los Angeles, CA 90008 1-323-299-6383 www.zambezibazaar.com shop@ zambezibazaar.com

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

1-484-459-6625 zimbabwegallery@yahoo.com www.shonasculpture.com @ZimbabweGallery www.facebook.com/Zimbabwe Gallery P P 3500 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30326 G M 2841 Greenbriar Pkwy SW, Atlanta, GA 30331

Downtown Culver City: 9537 Culver Blvd. 310-202-5453 Open Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm www.honeyskettle.com 125  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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

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

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

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

Buy Black! Bank Black! Educate Black! Invest Black!

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

Bernahu Asfaw & Getahun Asfaw

1041 S. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019 323-938-8827 or 323-938-8806 • Fax: 323-932-6047 messob@gmail.com • www.messob.com

Open 7 days a week • 11am - 11pm

Krispy Kruchy Chicken is in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Los Angeles. Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a cajun-style chicken (bone-in and tenders), served fresh, never frozen and fried in zero trans fat oil. Their menu also includes signature dishes of Traditional Wings; Krispy Wings; Cajun Sweet & Sour Wings; Cajun Tenders; Red Beans and Rice; Jambalaya; Boudin Bites (Cajun rice balls); Krispy Shrimp and Honey Butter Biscuits. For additional information, please call Krispy Kruchy at 1-323-293-3332 or visit www. krispykrunchy.com. 130  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Parker House Sausage

(www.parkerhousesausage.com) was started by Chicago entrepreneur, Judge H. Parker who came to Chicago from Montgomery County, Tennessee with little more than the conviction that there was a potential market for homemade sausage products prepared according to his mother’s recipes. By 1919 Judge Parker began selling his unique blend of herbs and spices mixed with ﬂavorful, savory sausage from a horse drawn cart on a retail basis. Recognized as one of the oldest family owned businesses in the U.S. In 2014 Parker House expanded its product line to include chicken products including breakfast sausage, hot links, and smoked sausage.

LOOK FOR US IN THE FROZEN FOODS SECTION!

SHOP ONLINE! //shop.parkerhousesausage. com

We invite you to browse through our store and shop with conﬁdence. Need a dinner idea. Go to the Recipe Page on our website. Thanks for visiting!

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

Delicious Southern Flavors At Home!

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

Try our Recipes:

//grandmamauds. com/recipes

You’ll ﬁnd our Bean Meals, Southern Seasonings and Pie Fixin’s in supermarkets throughout the U.S.A. (Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s, Safeway and Kroger Stores) – and online at: (h ps://eyelevellink.com/collec ons/ vendors?q=Grandma%20Mauds) or call us at: 1-773-493-5353! 134  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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

e can cater for any event or party. We offer custom packaging for all of our cookies and pies to suit any need. Cookie platters also available. Corporate gifts, company parties, restaurants looking to outsource pastries, we're here for you. The menu: Turtle Cookies, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal, Butter Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin, Brownies, Snickerdoodle, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Ginger Cookies, Vegan Brownies, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip, Sweet Potato Pie, and Fruit Pies (apple, cherry, blueberry or peach). Visit www.notjustcookies.com for online shopping, store locations, shipping and catering details. Talk to us by calling: 1-800-833-4541 or send NJC an inquiry at: info@ notjustcookies.net. 135  January 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Ma's Best is a bakery specializing in the production of home-style yeast rolls and baked products. www.facebook.com/masbestrolls/#!/masbestrolls/?tab=page_info#!/masbestrolls/info

Try all 3 ﬂavors!

In your local grocery store or shop online for syrups, recipes, and books. Learn about our special projects and join the recipe contest.

MICHELE FOODS, INC. 1-708-331-7316 www.michelefoods.com

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

www.wosa.us www.winetalkwithmarcia.com

http://aaavintners.org

http://shallwewine.com

https://unclenearest.com

Eso Won Books

African American Books 4327 Degnan Boulevard, Leimert Park, Los Angeles

Give the Gift of Books and Music Come see our unsurpassed collection of books, music, videos, children’s books, and games!

1-323-294-0324

www.esowonbookstore.com  //esowon.booksense.com for Calendar of Events

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

Books to Consider

Books to Consider...

Melba's American Comfort: 100 Recipes from My Heart to Your Kitchen

by Melba Wilson

resh from the kitchen of her legendary Harlem restaurant, Melba’s, the reigning queen of American comfort food serves up one hundred delectable recipes that put her own special touch on favorite dishes—and taste just like home. Where do celebrities and foodies go for the most delicious fried chicken and eggnog waffles? To Melba’s, of course! Melba Wilson is a sweet, upbeat, occasionally sassy, always g e n u i n e ambassador for the cuisine known for years as soul food but that she prefers to call American comfort food. Melba cut her culinary teeth at the iconic Sylvia’s, the famed Windows on the World, and the hugely popular Rosa Mexicano. Now, as the pioneering owner of her own legendary Harlem restaurant, she proudly holds court in Melba’s always-packed dining room, dishing out lovingly prepared sweet potato pie, wine-braised short ribs, BBQ turkey meatloaf, deviled eggs, and a legion of mouth-watering American classics as well as unforgettable special twists on beloved comfort foods. Now you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to dig into her sumptuous signature recipes! With mouthwatering full-color photography and a beautiful design, Melba’s American Comfort features the secrets of her irresistible home cooking, passed down

from her greatgrandmother and other t a l e n t e d generations and given her own loving variations, plus a treasure trove of delightful stories from the heart of her bustling kitchen. 

Melba Wilson

www.amazon.com/dp/B010MH9ZYC/ref=dp-kindleredirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Sweet Potato Soul: 100 Easy Vegan Recipes for the Southern Flavors of Smoke, Sugar, Spice, and Soul

by Jenne Claiborne

enné Claiborne grew up in Atlanta eating classic Soul Food--fluffy biscuits, smoky sausage, Nana's sweet potato pie--but thought she'd have to give all that up when she went vegan. As a chef, she instead spent years tweaking and experimenting to infuse plant-based, life-giving, glow-worthy foods with the flavor and depth that feeds the soul. The result? Her first cookbook, SWEET POTATO SOUL, offering 100 vegan recipes that riff on Southern cooking in surprising and delicious ways, beautifully illustrated with fullcolor photography. Jenné revives the long tradition of using fresh, local ingredients creatively in dishes like Coconut Collard Salad and Fried Cauliflower Chicken. She improvises new flavors in Peach Date

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

BBQ Jackfruit Sliders and Sweet Potato-Tahini Cookies. She celebrates the plant-based roots of the cuisine in Bootylicious Gumbo and savory-sweet Georgia Watermelon & Peach Salad. And she updates classics with Jalapeño Hush Puppies, and her favorite, Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls.

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

Jenné Claiborne Along the way, Jenné explores the narratives surrounding iconic and beloved soul food recipes, as well as their innate nutritional benefits--you've heard that dandelion, mustard, and turnip greens, okra, and black eyed peas are nutrition superstars, but here's how to make them super tasty, too. From decadent pound cakes and ginger-kissed fruit cobblers to smokey collard greens, amazing crabcakes and the most comforting sweet potato pie you'll ever taste, these better-than-the-original takes on craveworthy dishes are good for your health, heart, and soul.  www.amazon.com/Sweet-Potato-Soul-Recipes-Southernebook/dp/B07197QM16/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=151475 6830&sr=8-2&keywords=Black+Eyed+Peas+for+the+Soul

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison This beautifully illustrated book introduces readers of all ages to 40 women who changed the world.

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

Vashti Harrison 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-kindleredirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir

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

Books to Consider

by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele

ome people march with signs held high in the air. Others protest with sit-ins and shutdowns. Since 2014, many across the country have chanted "Black Lives Matter" during moments of injustice in the black community. Patrisse Khan-Cullors, a cofounder of the Black Lives Matter group, said although she and the groups supporters are viewed as an extension of the Civil Rights Movement, they are also viewed as "terrorists" in the eyes of others. In her new book, "When They Call You A Terrorist-A Black Lives Matter Memoir," Khan-Cullors challenges the terrorist label while providing a backstory to the group's cause. It chronicles her life growing up in Van Nuys, California and eye-opening

Patrisse Khan-Cullors

experiences that drew her into black activism that "young poor black girls who are queer rarely get to be at the center of the American conversation." K h a n- C u llo rs co-founded Black Lives Matter in 2014 with Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza. Today it is has over 40 chapters a cross the U.S. and affiliations around the world, with a mission to "build local power and to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes."

NBCBLK Interview 01/16/18 by Erica Ayisi: Why do you want to share your story? Khan-Cullors: I think for me growing up in a

community where I saw very little representation of my own story whether it be in the media or even just in the world. I think it’s an important moment given the current administration that we're living under that has called for a law and order country to prioritize the voices that have been most criminalized in the last few decades. How does your book aim to change the current culture that we’re in? The book is part of a long legacy of books written by black people in this country in particular, trying to talk about the conditions that we experience. It gives people a heart center around why it’s so important to change those conditions. I think the book allows for a conversation

around the evolution of Black Lives Matter and where we’re at and where we’re going. How can readers be a part of your vision for your book? People should join an organization. Now is not the time to try to do some of the hardest work of changing systems on your own. It’s not possible. What is possible is joining together and being organized. It might be a formal organization Asha Bandele that your join or it might be something small or might start something on your own. Be in community. We really need each other right now.  www.amazon.com/dp/B071ZT28ZF/ref=dp-kindleredirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/when-they-call-youterrorist-black-lives-matter-founder-patrisse-n837901

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

BBA Master Planner January 2018 Black Business Association Procurement Summit Grow your business through training, match making and software labs at the Procurement Summit. For particiation information visit www.bbala.org, call 1-323-291-9334 or go to www.suiteevents.com/bbasummitjan31. 

February 2018 Black History Month Annual Awards Dinner & Celebration In recognition of Black History Month, the annual awards dinner highlights the achievements of African American entrepreneurs and the government agencies and corporate entities that provide support for African American businesses. Our Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Rev. Cecil "Chip" Murray. For particiation and sponsorship information visit www.bbala.org or call 1-323-291-9334. 

March 2018 Annual Salute to Black Women Business Conference, Vendor

Faire & Awards Luncheon In recognition of National Women’s History Month, this conference highlights the achievements of African American women entrepreneurs, along with workshop, including a workshop designed especially for young ladies between 13 and 18 years of age, entitled “Role Models for Success.” This conference also provides the opportunity for vendors to promote and sell their goods and services in the Vendor Faire. A favorite feature of the annual Salute is the African American Dessert Buffet. For particiation and sponsorship information visit www.bbala.org or call 1-323291-9334. 

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

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

Resource Vault Media/Information Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content Agency in Africa -- www.africa-interactive.com Africa is a Country -- www.africasacountry.com Africa News & Stories -- http://africatodaytv.com Africa Newsroom -- www.africa-newsroom.com Africa World Now Project -- www.africaworldnowproject.org Africa World Press Books -- www.africaworldpressbooks.com African Trade Magazine -- www.africantrademagazine. com African Vibes Magazine -- www.africanvibes.com The Africapitalist -- www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/ africapitalisminstitute/africapitalist-magazine AfricaFocus -- www.africafocus.org Africast TV -- www.africast.tv The African World -- www.theafricanworld.tv Afritorial -- www.afritorial.com www.facebook.com/Afritorial AllAfrica (news) -- http://allafrica.com Black Wall Street Times -- http://bwstimes.com Black Business News Group -- www.blackbusinessnews.net Black Children's Books and Authors -- http://blackchildrensbooksandauthors.tumblr.com BlackPast.org -- www.blackpost.org Black Press USA -- www.blackpressusa.com Black Then -- https://blackthen.com Blavity Inc. -- www.blavity.com BridesNoir -- www.bridesnoir.com The Chocolate Voice -- www.thechocolatevoice.com CuisineNoir -- www.cuisinenoirmag.com DiasporaVoice -- www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice How Africa, The Rise of Africa -- http://howafrica.com KweliTV -- www.facebook.com/kwelitv Macauhub -- www.facebook.com/Macauhub Publish Africa -- http://wow.gm/publishafrica Red Media Africa -- www.facebook.com/RedMediaAfrica Rock Me Africa -- //rockmeafrica.com YouTube Educational Channels -- http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know United Nations -- http://webtv.un.org World Library -- www.worldlibrary.org

African Technology Foundation -- www.thea25n.com Black Female Founders -- www.blackfemalefounders. org Nigeria (Africa) ﬁnancial news -- //nairametrics.com She Leads Africa -- http://sheleadsafrica.org

Organizations African Leadership Forum -- http://afrialeadership.org African Union -- www.au.int/en Black Business Association -- www.bbala.org Black Emergency Managers Association International -- www.blackemergmanagersassociation.org CauseCast -- www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonproﬁts.com Community Healing Network -- www. communityhealingnet.org Pan African Film Festival -- www.paﬀ.org StayWoke -- www.staywoke.org United African Organization -- http://uniteafricans.org Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce -- www.zambiausachamber.org

Investment/Development Africa Reports -- www.africareports.com African Development Bank -- www.afdb.org African Export-Import Bank -- //afreximbank.com/ afrexim/en AfrigadgetTV -- www.afrigadget.com 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

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

Commerce/Entrepreneurship #IAMWANDA -- www.facebook.com/IamWANDAorg African Success Stories -- www.risingafrica.org

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Resource Vault 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

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