2018 May Issue

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Publisher's Message

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n May we celebrate Memorial Day – a day where we honor the brave men and women of this nation’s armed military forces who lost their lives beginning with the Civil War. More importantly, this holiday was started as a way for Black Americans to remember their loved ones who were killed in battle, because up until that time, the contributions Pubisher/Editor-In-Chief that Black veteran soldiers made losing their lives to defend this country had gone unnoticed and unrecognized. As this nation’s true history is explored and exposed, we continue to see the footprint of Black Americans being credited for continuing to enhance and enrich this nation’s history. Felice León of Root TV, recently posted an article citing the following historical facts:

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

Rewind to the end of the Civil War. In 1865, Charleston, S.C., was in ruins, and many Union soldiers were being held prisoner in a converted racecourse. At least 257 of the captives died because of the horrific conditions, and their bodies were discarded in a mass grave. Later, a group of black workmen dug up the bodies and reburied them to properly honor the fallen. On May 1, 1865, over 10,000 people—recently freed slaves, black schoolchildren, colored soldiers and their allies—held what was the first Memorial Day parade. “They paraded around the racetrack, and then they gathered as many as could fit into the cemetery compound; about three or four black preachers read from Scripture,” said David Blight, a professor of history at Yale and director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery. His research is responsible for bringing this little-known history to light. As entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders, Blacks are in a unique position to continue making history and leaving footprints of business successes. One way we’re able to continue progressing is by repeatedly igniting the fire of supporting one another’s businesses. Last year African Americans spent over $13 trillion dollars in the U.S. economy. How much of this went to Black-owned businesses? Sadly, very, very little. Every day we awaken, we have another opportunity to do better – to improve ourselves, homes, communities, families, and our businesses. We can relearn and re-embrace the strong sense of community our forefathers had, supporting each other in business,

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 Bene Uche Linda Ware Ralph D. Sutton Timothy Lester, Jr. Veronica Hendrix Giavanna Foster P. Yvette Thomas Aman Williams LaSandra Stratton

GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris Tia Robinson

STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg Jennifer Marie Hamilton

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx Sabir Narishima Osei

CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR La Sandra Stratton

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

see Publisher's Message on page 74 3  May 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 Events

May

Business Resources for Veterans - 24th

June

Black Music Month - 19th Black Business News Group Publications Black Business News Black Business News International Black Business News Travel Africa


Contents

Black Business News… 3

Publisher's Message

Government 6 7 8 11 12

16

17 18 20

Supreme Court Strikes Down Part of Immigration Law Rep. Lieu Celebrates $2.4 Billion Grant for Los Angeles Transportation Systeem Goldman Prize: Two South African Activists win for Halting Russian Nuclear Deal Small Business Week National Small Business Week 2018 Google Files Public Comment in Support of Clean Power Plan, Criticizes EPA Proposal for Roll Back AGOA and MCA Modernization Act Signed Into Law Net Neutrality Dies on June 11th Boxing Champion Jack Johnson Pardoned Posthumously

Entertainment 24 28 30 32

BBN Show Biz Buzz Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize Win Yale Law's James Forman Jr. Wins Pulitzer The Last Slave: The Story of Cudjo Lewis

Editorials/Perspectives

54 Jesse Jackson Calls on Big Tech to Redouble Diversity Efforts 77 ON VETERAN'S DAY

Business

34 Lyft Rides Aren't Killing the Ozone Anymore 35 2018 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards 38 Halle Berry Launches Lifestyle Site 42 Here are Some Free Ivy League University Courses You can Take Online Right Now!

45 60% of Small Business Owners Don't Apply for Innovation Funding 47 SCAM ALERT: Black Lives Matter 52 Rihanna on Body Image, Turning 30, and Staying Real—No Matter What 56 Windows 10 April 2018 Update is Coming 58 Turn Your Passions Into Profits Online 59 Kit.com: Share Your Passions and Experience 61 Virtual Reality: ‘I AM A MAN’ Puts You at the Heart of the Civil Rights Struggle 64 The 10 Most Beautiful Black-Owned Hotels Around The World 67 Studies find Google Assistant the Most Accurate Virtual Assistant 75 Melody Trice, Life Unlimited

Community/Public Interest

87 Serving Up Tennis to Inner City Youth 88 Black Classic Press 40th Anniversary 89 NASA High School Competition: All-Female, All-Black Team Target of 4chan Hackers 90 Museum Memorializing Black Lynching Victims Opens in Montgomery, Alabama

Obituary/Memorials

94 Donald McKayle, Pioneering choreographer and UC Irvine Professor, Dies at 87 96 Chicago Chef Judson Allen, Dies 96 Reggie Lucas, Dead at 65

International

100 South Africa to Send Government Delegation to PUSH Convention in June 2018 102 Ethiopian Airlines’ Dreamliners to Fly NonStop Chicago to Addis Ababa 103 Swaziland's New Name is 'eSwatini'

Columns

58 Take A Look! 98 African Stock Exchanges 108 Shopping Gallery 146 Books to Consider... 149 Resource Vault 151 BBA 2018 Master Planner

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


Government

By Domineco Monataro

U.S. Supreme Court thenation.com

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he U.S. Supreme Court declared a clause in federal law, requiring the deportation of immigrants convicted of a "crime of violence," unconstitutionally vague Tuesday. It's a blow to the Trump Justice Department and came at the hands, ironically, of conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, who sided with the court's liberals in a 5-4 decision. In 2015, the court also held that a clause alluding to a "violent felony" in the Armed Career Criminal Act was unconstitutionally vague. For background on the case, Sessions v. Dimaya, here's Oyez's

summary: "James Garcia Dimaya, a native and citizen of the Philippines, was admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident in 1992. In 2007 and 2009, Dimaya was convicted under the California Penal Code for first-degree residential burglary; both convictions resulted in two years' imprisonment. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a non-citizen convicted of an aggravated felony is subject to deportation. The INA definition of aggravated felony includes a 'crime of violence,' which is any offense that involves the use or substantial risk of physical force

against another person or property. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) subsequently initiated deportation proceedings against Dimaya and claimed that his burglary convictions constituted crimes of violence under the Act. The Immigration Judge held that Dimaya was deportable and that burglary constitutes a crime of violence because it always involves a risk of physical violence. The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirmed. "While Dimaya's appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit was pending, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Johnson v.

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


Government - Transportation

Rep. Lieu Celebrates $2.4 Billion Grant for Los Angeles Transportation Systeem From: Jenna Bushnell

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ongressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority was awarded $2.4 billion to expand Los

Angeles’ transportation system, including lengthening the Metro Green Line. In April, Rep. Lieu sent a letter to Governor Edmund Brown, Jr. in support of the Green Line project, which will extend the subway system from Redondo

United States, which held that the definition of a 'violent felony' in the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) was unconstitutionally vague. As a result, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the INA's crime of violence provision was unconstitutionally vague because it was largely similar to the violent felony provision in the ACCA that

the Supreme Court struck down in Johnson. The appellate court found that both provisions denied fair notice to defendants and failed to make clear when a risk of violence could be considered substantial."

Overseas emails case vacated Also, given that President Trump signed the CLOUD Act, the court

Beach to the new Regional Transit Center in Torrance. “This is a triumph for South Bay and Los Angeles County residents, businesses and visitors.As our region continues to grow, it has become even more critical that we better connect our community through public transportation. I’m proudly supporting transit expansions like the Green Line project because they will provide better commuting options for the communities of the South Bay and ease travel through the region for residents and visitors alike. This means more cars off the road—a vital way to mitigate traffic congestion and help our environment. Connecting more people in an efficient and responsible way means we’re bringing additional commerce to more areas in our community. It’s an all-around win for our communities.”  www.lieu.house.gov

officially vacated the major U.S. v. Microsoft case dealing with whether email stored in servers abroad could be compelled to be turned over to law enforcement. That move was largely expected at some point.  www.npr.org/2018/04/17/603160263/ supreme-court-strikes-down-part-ofimmigration-law

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Government -Activism Wins

By Nosmot Gbadamosi, CNN

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t was the ultimate David versus Goliath battle. Two female South African environment activists working for small NGOs taking on the South African government and winning a legal challenge that stopped a $76 billion dollar nuclear deal with Russia. For their herculean efforts, Makoma Lekalakala, 52, and Liz McDaid, 55, were awarded the prestigious 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize (w ww.go ldm a npriz e. org / pri ze-recipie nts /c urr entrecipients) on Monday.

Makoma Lekalakala and Liz McDaid have won a top environmental prize for defending their country against the negative impacts of nuclear expansion. © Nosmot Gbadamosi

"These were hard won gains," Lekalakala said on being awarded the Goldman prize. "But for us the whole thing was about holding our leadership accountable to the people. We really fought for it." The highly-coveted Goldman prize is awarded annually to six people from six different continents who undertake "sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk." The activists challenged the proposed nuclear deal in court on the grounds that negotiations were kept secret and an agreement was reached without parliamentary debate in South Africa. In a landmark ruling on April 26,

2017, a High Court in Cape Town pulled the plug on the nuclear deal, declaring it unlawful and unconstitutional. Other nuclear power deals South Africa had signed with corporations in US and South Korea were also voided by the court. The government's attempt to put the state power utility company Eskom in charge of procurement instead of the country's electricity regulator was also declared illegal. The ruling also stated that all nuclear proposals in South Africa must get a public hearing and parliamentary approval. The energy minister at the time said it would not appeal the case and indicated it would seek new

deals with parliament consultation. "We will try our level best to start signing new agreements," said Minister Mmamoloko KubayiNgubane in a statement.

Female activism Suing the South African government was the last thing on their minds when the pair stumbled upon the secret deal in 2014. But the government's reluctance to answer questions forced Lekalakala and McDaid to take the case to court. "We just had to take a different route," Lekalakala says. For almost two years, Lekalakala and McDaid held public protests, brought other environmental

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lobbyists into their fold and mobilized a strong campaign force of mostly women. "Women were able to understand very quickly the link between having not enough money right now at a household level to buy electricity and the problem of having even more expensive electricity if the nuclear deal went through," McDaid says. "It was actually quite affirming that people were recognizing the role that women could play in such a campaign." "Little money was raised because people were saying this is risky, nobody wanted to be linked to having supported this court case," Lekalakala said They found a lawyer, Adrian Pole, who agreed to take the case on pro bono, buying them time against the government's attempts to stall the case. "The government, they tried to wear us out and hoped that we run out of money for the lawyers," McDaid said. "In every step of the legal process they would ask for a delay."

on the agreement was taken off the Russian contractor's website, Lekalakala says. "That told us that there was something fishy going on."

"Greed of a few" Many countries have cut back nuclear programs after the 2011 disaster in Fukushima, South Africa is one of the few that consider such projects in its energy mix despite the environmental and health impact it poses to residents in areas where nuclear stations are located. Zuma's administration pushed for a nuclear program though government forecasts and studies showed the country did not need it for 20 years as electricity demands continue to drop in the country. "So this is not about energy but the way that the processes have been manipulated and twisted so it benefits a few," McDaid says. "It was about the greed of a few individuals." McDaid, climate change coordinator at SAFCEI (http:// safcei.org/what-we-do/food-security),

believes the nuclear deal would Denials have bankrupted the country. In 2014, South Africa, then under The agreement, which she claims, the leadership of Zuma, appointed had been negotiated without a Russian energy company Rosatom competitive tender process also to build nuclear plants worth posed serious threats to South one trillion rand ($76bn). When Africa's economy. completed, the project would yield "The proposed budget for this one 9.6 GW of power, according to project is equivalent to the country's government figures. annual budget," McDaid says. The environmental activists "You can imagine we don't have say they were alerted to the deal that money, so we have to borrow when Ecodefense, a Russian it." environmental organization, spotted McDaid's secondary objection details of the plan on Rosatom's to the proposed project was the website. potential for mismanagement. "They sent it to us asking if we "Nuclear energy like any other big are aware of it," says Lekalakala, project gets delayed, it's easy for a director at Earthlife Africa (ELA) money to disappear along the way" (http://earthlife.org.za). she says. "That's money that could South Africa's government be going into the development of denied knowledge of the deal people in the country." when confronted and an article Zuma quit as President of South

Africa in February after a series of corruption scandals which saw his party calling for his resignation. South Africa's former president faces 16 counts of corruption relating to a 1990s arms deal. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

New court battles ahead The fight is not over for the activists, however. Despite the ruling, both women continue to fight attempts to resurrect additional deals that could jeopardize South Africa's environment. "We are kind of both aware that it never seems to die, it just seems to go away for a while and then resurrects itself," says McDaid. "Our role is to keep working together with communities and take them along in the fight," Lekalakala adds. They have been calling on the South African government to close Koeberg -- the country's only nuclear power station over concerns about its disaster management plans. For the last 30 years, nuclear waste from Koeberg's reactor has been buried in the Namaqualand desert, home to the indigenous Nama people who say they were never consulted on the decision to host the nuclear waste site on their land. "Basically the court case hit the reset button," McDaid says. "There's an opportunity now with the change of president. We don't see this particular regime fast tracking nuclear but the concern is the power of the bureaucrats to influence the political will of the government and potentially convincing them that there is still a space for nuclear."  www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ goldman-prize-two-south-african-activistswin-for-halting-russian-nuclear-deal/arAAweLmg?ocid=spartandhp

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



Government - Small Business Week

Small Business Week April 29 through May 5 A Proclamation from the White House 

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uring Small Business Week, we recognize the ingenuity of the American spirit and the renewed promise of the American Dream. America is a country of innovators, entrepreneurs, and builders. Our Nation’s strength is derived from our people’s initiative and desire to create a better tomorrow for our country through hard work and determination. Small businesses are at the heart of our Nation. Our country’s 30 million small businesses employ nearly 58 million Americans — 48 percent of the labor force. Each year, small businesses create twoout-of-three net new, private-sector jobs in the United States. For this reason, my Administration worked with the Congress to enact a tax relief plan that provides small businesses with hundreds of billions in additional tax cuts. Moreover, we remain focused on eliminating unnecessary and unduly burdensome regulations, which hurt hardworking Americans. Across the Nation, we are enabling entrepreneurs to invest more of their time and hardearned profits into growing their businesses and delivering better value for American consumers. As we usher in a new era of American prosperity, my Administration will continue to implement a pro-growth agenda based on policies that champion small business creation and growth, giving more Americans the opportunity to start, scale, and succeed in businesses of their own. We will ensure trade deals are fair and reciprocal, cutting the barriers that prevent American producers from selling their products abroad. We are protecting our economic interests and intellectual property by investing in our Nation’s cybersecurity, making sure our workforce has the education, skills, and training that small business owners demand, and investing in our country’s infrastructure to improve productivity and the ability to transport goods and services. This week, we celebrate all the entrepreneurs who have taken a risk to start and grow a small business. They are driven by a belief that they can do something better, smarter, and more efficient than what has been done before. They make our neighborhoods vibrant places to live and work. They invest in their neighbors and employ millions of Americans. When they succeed, we all succeed. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 29 through May 5, 2018, as Small Business Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners as they grow our Nation’s economy. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.  


Government - Business

National Small Business Week 2018, Will Take Place April 29 to May 5 By John Mooney

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BA Administrator Linda McMahon will start the week in Washington, D.C., where she will recognize and award outstanding small business owners and resource partners – including

Week, the following awards will be given: • Small Business Person of the Year (one from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin

partner banks that process SBA loans– from all around the country. McMahon will continue the week with a bus road show starting in Jacksonville, Florida, and then continue on to South Carolina and North Carolina. At each stop she will meet with small business owners, visit small businesses and hold roundtable discussions. Additionally, virtual events, recognition and educational opportunities throughout the SBA’s 10 Regions and 68 Districts will be held throughout the week. Further, the SBA will hand out awards to exemplary entrepreneurs and lenders to small businesses. During the 2018 National Small Business

Islands, and Guam) • Small Business Exporter of the Year • Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery • Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Public Official • Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Volunteer • Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for Excellence (for large prime contractors who use small businesses as suppliers and contractors) • Jody C. Raskind Lender of the Year • Small Business Investment

Company of the Year • Awards to SBA Resource Partners • Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Center Award • Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award • Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award Every year since 1963 the SBA takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from across the nation through National Small Business Week. The SBA was established by President Eisenhower during the 1950s to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns and to strengthen the overall economy of the United States. The agency has processed more than 20 million loans since its inception, although it does not lend on its own. Instead, SBA guarantees a percentage of a loan amount that a lending partner makes. This mitigates the risk assumed by the lending institution, thereby making the loan more attractive. By doing so, the SBA spurs the flow of capital to small firms that might not otherwise be able to secure financing at reasonable rates. Often the borrowers are new and growing companies that have not yet developed a track record of

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repayment and are not financially strong enough to obtain traditional term loans from banks without the government backing. Small business lending via SBA loans is important for community and regional banks, which face increased competition from larger banks and non-bank lenders, including institutional investors, hedge funds, pension funds and others that have gotten into small business lending credit marketplace. Meanwhile, borrowers benefit from being able to obtain financing at attractive rates and terms. Aspiring entrepreneurs, including women, minorities, and veterans, are taking advantage of the SBA’s 7(a), CDC/504, Microloan and Community Advantage loan programs in record numbers. In 2016, the SBA approved more than 70,000 loans totaling almost $29 billion through the 7(a) and 504 loan programs, according to the agency’s Fiscal Year 2016 filing. The SBA’s 7(a) lending program, which grants loans

between $150,000 and $5 million to small businesses, provides funding for business acquisitions, operations, or expansion. Fees, interest rates and terms of the loan are negotiated by the borrower (small business owner) and one of the SBA’s approved lenders. What makes SBA 7(a) loans so popular is that they require lower down payments and provide longer term financing. This can be particularly helpful to startups and firms that are looking to expand or that need to improve their cash flow situation. Securing capital enables on operations and business growth instead of the repayment of debt. SBA 7(a) loans require submission of the last three years of business tax returns and two years of personal tax returns on all principals having a 20 % stake or more in the company. SBA Express loans are made in amounts up to $350,000 and are used for working capital or for buying equipment. Loans of $100,000 or less do not require any proof of income. However, loans for amounts greater than $100,000

require last two years of business and personal tax returns from principals having more than 20% stake in the company. SBA CDC/504 loans offer longterm fixed rates and are used for financing assets including real estate and equipment. The small business borrower must occupy at least 51% of the real estate property a. To be considered for a Certified Development Company/504 loan, applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements. In addition to processing loans, the SBA also offers training and mentoring programs for free or at greatly reduced costs. Further, the agency provides guidance for companies looking to become suppliers to the federal government, which requires that a certain amount of government contracts must go to women-owned and minority-owned businesses.  www.biz2credit.com/blog/2018/03/13/ national-small-business-week-willtake-place-april-29-to-may-5-2018/

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"ON MEMORIAL DAY"

emorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. It was originally known as Decoration Day, its origin is traced to the years following the Civil War and became an official Federal holiday in 1971. In the United States, Memorial Day or Decoration Day is a Federal holiday for remembering the people who died while serving in the US armed forces. In 1966 Congress declared Waterloo, New York, to be the birthplace of the Memorial day holiday. Originally Memorial Day honored military personnel who died in the Civil War (1861-1865). According to the timeline CNN reports for events leading up to the marking of Memorial Day: • May 5, 1866 - Residents of Waterloo, New York, observe a Memorial Day in honor of all who died during the Civil War. Businesses are closed and soldiers' graves are decorated. • 1868 - General John Alexander Logan officially proclaims May 30, 1868, as Memorial Day in honor of the Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. Until after World War I, southern states celebrate a separate Memorial Day in honor of the Confederate dead. • 1971 - Congress declares Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. • December 28, 2000 – President Bill Clinton signs the "National Moment of Remembrance Act," which designates 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day each year as the National Moment of Remembrance. According to CNN statistics on US war casualties include: • Civil War - Approximately 620,000 Americans died. The Union lost almost 365,000 troops and the Confederacy about 260,000. More than half of these deaths were caused by disease. • World War I - 116,516 Americans died, more than half from disease. • World War II - 405,399 Americans died. • Korean War - 36,574 Americans died. • Vietnam Conflict - 58,220 Americans died. • Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm - 383 service members died. • Operation Iraqi Freedom - 4,411 service members died. • Operation New Dawn - 73 service members died. • Operation Enduring Freedom - 2,346 service members died. • Operation Freedom's Sentinel - 48 service members have died as of May 2018. • Operation Inherent Resolve - 61 service members have died as of May 2018. Why is it important to mark the holiday? Because these fallen heroes and other veterans from history to date risked their lives, giving up their lives so that Americans, can live in a better, safe country. It is important to note that two remarkable holidays Veterans Day and Memorial Day celebrate US Forces for their courage, efforts and contributions in the US Military, however these two holiday get mixed up by some people. Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor military personnel who died in the service of their country especially those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle fields. Memorial Day 2018 falls on May 28. On Memorial Day in the US, cities and towns across the US host Memorial Day parades each year and in many occasions military personnel and members of the veteran’s organizations join in the parades and activities. The largest of the Memorial Day parades take place in New York, Chicago and Washington D.C. On Memorial Day Americans observe the day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. For some people they use the Memorial Day weekends to take trips or throw parties and barbecues. The Memorial Day weekend also in the US is used to mark the beginning of summer. 



Government - Clean Energy

Google Files Public Comment in Support of Clean Power Plan, Criticizes EPA Proposal for Roll Back By Ben Schoon

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ust shy of the deadline, Google this week officially filed a public comment in support of the Obamaera Clear Power Plan, which the Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed to roll back (https://electrek.co/2017/03/29/trump-clean-power-

Plan,” according to The Verge (www.theverge.

plan-batteries-australia), joining companies like Apple in support of the plan. In the comment filed yesterday, Google criticizes the EPA for its proposal to roll back this plan, and laid out a “strong economic case for the Clean Power

keeping the Clean Power Plan would encourage companies such as Google to keep investing in renewable energy sources, and that those sources are becoming more affordable, as well as being a good source of jobs.

com/2018/4/25/17282818/ google-clean-power-plan-repeal-public-comment-appleepa-pruitt). Essentially, it boils down to the fact that

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


Government - AGOA / MCC

From: Rep. Karen Bass, Ranking Member of the House Africa Subcommittee

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his week, the "African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Millennium Challenge Act (MCA) Modernization Act" was signed into law after passing unanimously through both the House of Representatives in January, and the Senate later in the year. This important bill includes a bill I introduced in 2015, which would enable eligible countries with Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compacts to be awarded with an additional compact. For example, a resource-poor landlocked country in sub-Saharan Africa could be rewarded an additional compact to enhance already successful efforts of investment designed to increase economic growth and reduce poverty. Additional compacts would promote and develop a stronger economic relationship between countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the United States. Signed into law in 2004 with broad bipartisan support, MCC is an independent, U.S. foreign aid agency with the mission to fight global poverty. MCC represented a paradigm shift in international development and foreign assistance by focusing on good policies, country ownership of projects and data-driven results. Google also says that Global Warming is “an urgent global priority that requires robust federal policy engagement and strong action from the business community.” Finalized in 2016, the Clean Power Plan was designed to have the biggest carbon polluters in the US, power plants, to cut greenhouse emissions by approximately 32% by 2030. The plan was for States to reach targets set by the EPA by using more efficient methods, such as natural gas instead of coal, or using more renewable energy. However, the plan never actually went into effect. Under the Trump administration, we’re looking at an attempt to roll back the plan completely. Apple was first to comment on the matter, but with Google, the company goes a step further to say that the EPA should not only keep the Clean Power Plan, but update it with even lower emission targets. This is primarily because renewable energy is becoming even more affordable.  https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/-google-files-publiccomment-in-support-/f-2ae9c3286d%2F9to5google.com

All too often, Congress is faced with fixing something that is broken. This bill is different in that it will enable a successful program to grow and help more people. The AGOA and MCA Modernization Act will also improve AGOA by making information about AGOA more accessible and by encouraging embassies in chosen countries promote export opportunities to the United States. 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 Millennium Challenge Corporation 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 economic relationships with the nations of Africa and this legislation strengthens these key laws in that effort.

I also wanted to be sure to include the update that I provided my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus with last week. My most recent brief was regarding South Sudan’s ongoing civil war and combatting climate change by empowering women. You can read Africa UpDate here (https://bass.house. gov/sites/karenbass.house.gov/files/AU%20April%2017%2C%20 2018.pdf?utm_source=Updates+-+Subcommittee+on+Africa %2C+Global+Health%2C+Global+Human+Rights+%26+Inter national+Organizations&utm_campaign=f96d9c033c-EMAIL_ CAMPAIGN_2018_01_19&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ e49ca2ba40-f96d9c033c-310309537&mc_cid=f96d9c033c&mc_ eid=62ac172c0e).

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. 

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


Government - Internet Communicaion - Opinion

Net Neutrality Dies on June 11th By Jacob Kastrenakes believes that by allowing ISPs more flexibility, they’ll be able to make more money, and therefore will be more likely to extend service to areas of the US that aren’t currently profitable to reach. While net neutrality may be on its way out, many of its core tenets probably aren’t going to be gone for good. There’s growing consensus among legislators that something needs to be done to address net neutrality. And some have viewed the FCC’s revocation of the rules as a way to force Congress’ hand. Chances are, no net neutrality law is going to be passed in any kind of timely manner. Congress has a lot of higher priority items to get to and a major partisan divide. And whenever Congress does get

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et neutrality is done for in the US as of early next month. The Federal Communication Commission’s rules protecting consumers from discriminatory behavior by ISPs are officially scheduled to come off the books on June 11th. The final portion fo the order revoking the rules is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow and will go into effect 30 days later. An FCC spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that there would be no net neutrality rules as of June 11th. The FCC has chosen to replace its popular net neutrality rules with next to nothing. Instead of having rules that stop internet providers from dividing the internet up into fast and slow lanes and prioritizing their own content, the new order

allows internet providers to block, throttle, and prioritize content if they want to. The only real rule standing in their way is that they have to publicly disclose any of this behavior. Congress is the next stop for net neutrality advocates While there have been some last-minute attempts to block the repeal of net neutrality, chances are exceedingly slim that they’ll make it through. Ultimately, the legislature and executive branch are controlled by Republicans who largely dislike the rules and want ISPs to be able to do what they want with internet traffic. The FCC’s current leader

around to addressing net neutrality, it isn’t clear that the ultimately law will be as strong as what the FCC has on the books today (and is about to get rid of). But it at least means that net ne utrality advocates’ fight is going to continue, and the only next step seems to be for Congress to come up with a final answer.  www.theverge. com/2018/5/10/17338978/netneutrality-end-date-fcc

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Government - Posthumous Pardon

Boxing Champion Jack Johnson Pardoned Posthumously By Dartunorro Clark

Trump's attention in recent months by actor Sylvester Stallone. Trump tweeted in late April that he was considering a full pardon for Johnson. However, the campaign to pardon Johnson began long before Stallone and was largely pursued Jack Johnson, New York, 1932. He was 54.AP file for years by Linda Haywood, the fighter's great-great-niece. "At the end of the day this isn't resident Donald Trump about Trump, this isn't about the pardoned black boxing champion Jack Johnson on petitions," Haywood, 62, told NBC Thursday, posthumously nullifying News in a recent interview from her his conviction by an all-white jury home in Chicago. "This is about for an interracial relationship more history being re-written and righting a wrong and clearing my uncle's than 100 years ago. "He overcame these difficult name." Johnson, who reportedly stood circumstances to reach the heights of boxing and the boxing world at over 6 feet and weighed about and inspired generations with his 200 pounds, is a legendary figure tenacity and independent spirit," in boxing. His meteoric rise and Trump said. "I believe that Jack controversial prison sentence made Johnson is a very worthy person him a symbol of racial injustice and to receive a full pardon, and in this led to numerous biographies, films case, a posthumous pardon, so I and documentaries of his life over am taking this very righteous step, the decades. He was born in Galveston, Texas, I believe, to correct a wrong that in 1878, the son of former slaves, occurred in our history and to honor a truly legendary boxing champion." and from an early age he showed Johnson's story was brought to a knack for boxing, often competing in — and winning — underground

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prizefighting matches across the country. When he finally made it to mainstream boxing, he was often jeered by white spectators during fights with white challengers, with many hurling racial slurs and death threats at Johnson. However, the taunts never seemed to phase Johnson as he often delighted in humiliating his opponents in the ring. He was also not coy about flaunting his wealth and his fondness for dating white women, which during America's Jim Crow era was illegal and tantamount to a death sentence. Though Johnson's boxing profile grew as he notched more wins, many white boxers still refused to fight him. There was a quest for "the great white hope" who would eventually defeat Johnson. In 1908, at age 30, he became the first black boxer to win the world heavyweight title when he defeated the Australian Tommy Burns, the reigning champion. But it was his 1910 bout against Jim Jeffries, a white boxer who held the heavyweight title before Burns, that arguably sealed Johnson's legacy as a boxing champion. It was dubbed the "Fight of the Century," with more than 22,000 spectators turning out for the contest in Reno, Nevada. Johnson defeated Jeffries in the 15th round. However, two years later he was

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


James Earl Jones as Jack Johnson

convicted under the White Slave Traffic Act, also known as the Mann Act, for crossing state lines with his white girlfriend, Lucille Cameron. Johnson fled the United States and spent time in Europe to avoid prison, but in 1920 he returned to the United States and agreed to surrender. He spent nearly a year behind bars. After his release, he was never able to bounce back and lost much of his fortune, according to Haywood, his niece. He died in 1946, at age 68, in a car crash near Raleigh, North Carolina. Johnson's story was adapted into the 1967 play "The Great White Hope," starring James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander, and made into a film in 1970. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and

Tony Award for best play in 1969. The film was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, including best acting for Jones and Alexander. Johnson's life story was also the basis for the documentary "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson," directed by Ken Burns and aired on PBS in 2004. Haywood said it was a more accurate portrayal of her uncle's life. Haywood led the charge to clear her uncle's name with speeches, petitions and even worked to push Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama to pardon her uncle. Her efforts received support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has pushed for a

pardon since 2004. McCain, a life-long boxing fan, applauded the decision in a statement on Thursday. "For years, Congress has overwhelmingly supported legislation calling on multiple U.S. presidents to right this historical wrong and restore this great athlete's legacy," McCain said. "President Trump's action today finally closes a shameful chapter in our nation’s history and marks a milestone that the American people can and should be proud of.” Haywood said her uncle would be happy with her yearslong effort to right an injustice.  Edited by BBN www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/ trump-grants-posthumous-pardon-blackboxing-champ-jack-johnson-n868751




BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware

Jordan Peele Teams With BuzzFeed for Fake-News Awareness Video

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on’t believe everything you see and hear in an internet video. That’s the message from Jordan Peele and BuzzFeed, who teamed up for a public-service video announcement that puts Peele’s words into the mouth of former President Barack Obama. The 72-second segment begins as what appears to be a message from Obama. Halfway through, it is revealed to be Peele — delivering his famous Obama impression as a voiceover to a digitally manipulated video.

in the Sunken Place” or “President Trump is total and complete dipshit.” “Stay woke, bitches,” Peele says at the end of the video. The project emerged from discussions between Peele and BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti about fake news, and the importance of media literacy as technology makes it incredibly easy to disseminate misinformation by manipulating video and audio. As a courtesy, prior to releasing the video BuzzFeed shared it with aides who work with President Obama. The video was produced by BuzzFeed creative director Jared Sosa in collaboration with Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, and written by Peele. BuzzFeed distributed the clip across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Snapchat. The video was generated using After Effects, an offthe-shelf motion-graphics program, and Fakeapp — an artificial-intelligence video-editing program that has been used mainly for superimposing celebrities’ faces onto porn scenes. Watch the video at this link (www.theverge.com/ tldr/2018/4/17/17247334/ai-fake-news-video-barackobama-jordan-peele-buzzfeed).  http://variety.com/2018/digital/news/jordan-peeleobama-fake-news-video-buzzfeed-1202755517/

Idris Elba to Star in Netflix Comedy Series ‘Turn Up Charlie’

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“We’re entering an era in which our enemies can make it look like anyone is saying anything at any point in time, even if they would never say those things,” Peele-as-Obama says. For example: “Ben Carson is

etflix has ordered a comedy series starring Idris Elba called “Turn Up Charlie,” Variety has learned. Co-created by Elba and TV producer Gary Reich, the series follows Charlie (Elba), a struggling DJ and eternal bachelor, who’s given a final chance at success when he reluctantly becomes a manny to his famous best friend’s problemchild daughter. Netflix has ordered an eight-episode first season of the half-hour series. Production will begin this May in the U.K. This marks the second comedy series Elba has created. He also created and stars in the current Sky One series “In the Long Run,” playing a Sierra Leonean immigrant living with his family in London

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Arthur Curry grows up to discover that he can breathe underwater and has superhuman strength and endurance (which allow him to survive at extreme depths). He can also communicate with and command aquatic life. James Wan, the director, said "The kind of filmmaker that I am, even my darker horror films generally are still very fun. And I think that's important for me and the kind of films I make."

Idris Elba Beretta/Sims/REX/Shutterstock

circa 1985 that is loosely based on Elba’s own life. Elba’s best known TV role is his time spent as Stringer Bell on the hit HBO series “The Wire.” His other TV credits include his starring role in the U.K. police drama “Luther,” the mini-series “Guerrilla,” and guest arcs on shows like “The Big C” and “The Office.” On the film side, he is known for his appearances in the “Thor” franchise and other Marvel films, “Pacific Rim,” “Star Trek: Beyond,” and “Beasts of No Nation.”  http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/idris-elba-netflix-comedyseries-turn-up-charlie-1202756227/

Aquaman Movie Due in December 2018

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arner Bros. has confirmed to that DC's latest outing will be out in the UK on December 14, instead of December 21. Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa began filming in early May 2017. Aquaman's standard origin story is that he was born to a lighthouse keeper called Tom Curry and a mysterious woman called Atlanna, who soon afterwards dies (or seems to die), but not before revealing that she is a member of the royal family of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis.

Jason Mamoa (Aquaman) wallpapersden.com

"I think Aquaman is a character that a lot of people have made fun of over the years, and I just think it's fun to actually show a really different, cool, badass side to this character. But at the same time, let's not forget to have fun with it."  www.msn.com/en-us/movies/video/what-jasonmomoa-thinks-of-getting-his-own-movie-aquaman/ vi-AAwliyE?ocid=spartandhp

‘Luke Cage’ Back for Season 2 on Netflix

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BBN Show Biz Buzz

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n a gritty new look at Season 2 of Marvel's Luke Cage, Luke has finally embraced his status as

difficult fight. After her arm was cut off by Bakuto (Ramón Rodríguez) in Marvel's The Defenders, Misty Knight (Simone Missick) is back on the streets with a shiny new bionic prosthetic!. 

Kelly Clarkson. She'll also reward fans with a performance on the live telecast, her first televised performance in nine years. Past award recipients include Prince, Stevie Wonder, Cher,

www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/luke-cagemeets-his-match-and-gets-knockedout-in-this-gritty-season-2-trailer/arAAwTAVL?ocid=spartandhp

'Cloak & Dagger' Coming to TV

F © Mike Colter, Marvel's Luke Cage | Photo Credits: David Lee/Netflix Harlem's protector and is enjoying the fame when he's caught offguard by a slick new figure who literally knocks him back to Earth, rendering him unconscious. T h e dangerous man in the fancy suit who took down Luke is none another than John McIver (Mustafa Shakir), Mustafa Shakir the criminal mastermind who will end up being Season 2's big bad. In the comics, he also goes by the name Bushmaster and has squared off against both Luke Cage and the Iron Fist. Luckily for Luke, he won't be Simone Missick alone in this

reeform (https://freeform. go.com) is taking Marvel's Cloak and Dagger straight to series. It will arrive on June 7 with a two-hour premiere. Tandy Bowen and Tyrone J o h n s o n ( A u b r e y Joseph) come from starkly d i f f e r e n t backgrounds, each growing up with a secret they never dared share with another soul. Freeform is Aubrey Joseph an American commercial cable and satellite television network viewed in the United States and Canada. It is a sister channel of ABC. 

Janet Jackson to get the Billboard Icon Award

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anet Jackson's icon status is being confirmed at the Billboard Awards. The superstar is set to get the Billboard Icon Award at the May 20 ceremony in Las Vegas, hosted by

Janet Jackson Neil Diamond, Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez. Jackson has been a dominant force on the Billboard charts for decades, thanks to hits including "That's The Way Love Goes," ''I Get Lonely" and "All for You." The multiplatinum superstar will kick off another leg of her State of the World Tour in July. www.msn.com/en-us/music/ awards/janet-jackson-to-getthe-billboard-icon-award/arAAwSMC2?ocid=spartandhp

Donald Glover Reprises Lando Calrissian in "Solo"

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onald Glover plays Lando Calrissian in the story of young Han Solo in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” The spinoff movie opens in theaters on May 25th. Billy Dee Williams first inhabited the role of Calrissian, who made his appearance as the head of Cloud City, a floating city above the planet Bespin, in 1980's The Empire Strikes Back. He has a competitive and strained friendship with Solo,

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brought in six million total viewers. http://realitybox.co.uk/get-awaymurder-renewed-season-5abc/#ixzz5FQec3b8f

"Fahrenheit 451" on HBO May 19th

M Donald Glover (left) and Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian

ichael B. Jordan is an executive producer and has a starring role in the feature "Fahrenheit 451." The story is one of the futuristic tales told by Ray Bradbury, well-inown science fiction

movieweb.com

Renewed for a 5th Season

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Thandi Newton having lost the starship Millennium Falcon to the smuggler in a card game. The film explores a previously unseen side of Calrissian, with Lucasfilm saying it will show "his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy’s underworld." Thandie Newton of Westworld fame is also featured in the Solo movie as Val.

BC has renewed How To Get Away With Murder for a fifth season. #HTGAWM stars Viola Davis as lawyer/ educator Annalise Keating. The news was confirmed by showrunner Pete Nowalk on Twitter, who thanked the fans for their support of the show. The renewal will be welcome news to Murder fans, who will want the answer to the mystery behind Gabriel Maddox. The fourth season averaged a 0.9 rating in the key demo of adults 18-49. And overall

Michael B. Jordan author. The feature will premiere on HBO on May 19, 2018. https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/ michael-b-jordan-talks-fake-newsinternet-culture-and-1826075152

www.hollywoodreporter.com/ heat-vision/donald-glover-cast-aslando-940517

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BBN Show Biz Buzz

from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 28

Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize Win: Overdue Recognition of Black Excellence By Ira Madison III

Kendrick Lamar

Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast

The rapper is far from the first Pulitzer Prize-worthy black artist. But like Beyoncé and fellow virtuosos, he has long been denied the industry award recognition he deserves. appers boast of plenty of things in their lyrics, but now the Pulitzer Prize prize can be added to the list. Compton’s Kendrick Lamar will be the first rapper (and first winner who is not a classical or jazz musician) able to name-drop the Pulitzer for music after his album DAMN. was

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awarded the honor this Monday. DAMN. was awarded because the Pulitzer board characterized it as “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern AfricanAmerican life.” Pulitzer administrator Dana Canedy told the New York Times after announcing the award, “The time was right. We are very proud of this selection. It means that the jury and the board judging system worked as it’s supposed

to — the best work was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. It shines a light on hip-hop in a completely different way. This is a big moment for hiphop music and a big moment for the Pulitzers.” It's certainly an honor to receive the Pulitzer and Lamar deserves all the accolades for his treatise on self-righteousness, violence, and spirituality within the black community and himself. But it's easy to hear the phrase “the time was right” and call to mind Lamar's

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BBN Show Biz Buzz

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Music and Arts Festival, she mounted a spectacular performance that honored the history of black Grammy losses. Earlier this year, contributions to music — from he lost Album of the Year to Bruno hip-hop, to jazz, to bounce, to Mars. Two years prior, he lost the Juvenile, to Nina Simone — and filtered it through a presentation designed purely for a black gaze. Beyoncé's own mother, Tina Lawson, admitted on Instagram that she worried the “predominantly white audience at Coachella would be confused by all of the black culture and Black college culture.” According to Lawson, Beyoncé responded, “I have worked very hard to get to the point where I have a true voice and at this point in my life and my career I have a responsibility to do what's best for the world and not what is most popular.” Beyoncé’s performance was breathtaking in many of the Dana Canedy, Pulitzer Administrator ways Lamar’s album is. It is courier-journal.com black art devoid of pandering to a white aesthetic and it same category to Taylor Swift. celebrates black history while Two years prior to that, he lost also managing to entertain. It’s no the same category to Daft Punk. surprise that Beyoncé and Lamar Lamar has been at the top of his game for years and his own industry has refused to award him, so it was certainly a shock that the Pulitzer board would. It is particularly surprising when the award was given for “capturing the complexity of modern African-American life,” as if black musicians haven't been doing that for decades. Certainly since 1943, when the Pulitzers expanded to music. You only need to look to another black have collaborated — during her artist at the top of their game right Coachella set Beyoncé performed now: Beyoncé, who also lost Album their joint song, “Freedom,” of the Year (and was awarded after a rendition of the Black no Pulitzer) for her staggering National Anthem, James Weldon 2016 album Lemonade. This past Johnson’s song “Lift Every Voice weekend at the Coachella Valley and Sing.” She performed it alone

this time, but she’s performed the song with Lamar before — most famously at the 2016 BET Awards as they splashed about in a pool of water, baptizing themselves and the audiences with their asomatous art. Freedom to both artists is, to put it simply, to proclaim, “I’m black and I’m proud” as James Brown did in 1968. For Beyoncé, it’s thanking Coachella for “allowing [her] to be the first black woman to headline,” then adding, “ain’t that a bitch?” before launching into a black joie de vivre. For Lamar, it’s his music allowing him to use his poetry to reckon with absolution from the personal sins he was ushered into while growing up amidst gang violence in Compton. It’s perhaps prophetic then, that Lamar is the first to win the Pulitzer as a rapper. Wasn’t it the first black sitting President to admit that his favorite album is a rap album — Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly? When Canedy said “the time was right” after she announced Lamar’s win, she wasn’t speaking as someone who had finally acknowledged the power of hiphop in exploring dimensions of black life. It was only in July of last year that Canedy replaced Mike Pride as the administer of the Pulitzer Prizes, becoming the first woman and first AfricanA m e r i c a n to hold the position. If it was about time for Lamar, then it was about time for Canedy as well — and for greater recognition of black excellence.  www.thedailybeast.com/kendrick-lamarspulitzer-prize-win-overdue-recognition-ofblack-excellence-3

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Yale Law's James Forman Jr., Former O'Connor Clerk, Wins Pulitzer By Tony Mauro

“Clerking exposed me to the dreary state of criminal defense representation in trial courts around the country," Forman said in a recent interview with The National Law Journal..

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ale Law School professor James Forman Jr. on Monday won a Pulitzer Prize award for his powerful book tracing the growth of tough-on-crime and mass incarceration policies and their impact on people of color. The book “Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America” draws on Forman’s experience as a public defender in Washington, D.C., a job he took after clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 1993 and 1994. In an interview with The National Law Journal in December, Forman

said his clerkship at the high court played a role in his career path and ultimately his book. “Clerking exposed me to the dreary state of criminal defense representation in trial courts around the country, and to the federal courts’ lack of interest in doing anything about that,” Forman said. “Clerking showed me that to make a difference, I would need to work at the trial level, because on appeal was too late.” Forman went on to say, “I decided to become a public defender in Washington, D.C., in 1994 because I viewed overincarceration as the civil rights issue of my generation. When I got to D.C. courtrooms I encountered lots of African-American police officers, judges, prosecutors, and court employees, many (though not all) of who seemed quite comfortable with locking up my clients, who were overwhelmingly African-American. I thought there was a story to be told.” The son of a leading civil rights activist from the 1960s, Forman served as a defender for six years. He taught at Georgetown University Law Center from 2003 to 2011, then joined the Yale Law School faculty, where he teaches constitutional law, a seminar called “Race, Class and Punishment,” and a seminar called “Inside Out: Issues

in Criminal Justice.” Forman also discussed his O’Connor clerkship with Terry Gross of NPR in 2017. “That was a hard, hard year. She’s a wonderful person,” Forman said. “And I loved how she treated me as an individual, as a clerk. She still to this day … asks after my family when I see her. And she’s connected to her clerks in that way. She cares about us, and she cares about our success. But I disagreed with her on most issues that came before the court having to do with civil rights or criminal law and criminal justice.” Asked how he handled the disagreements, Forman said he told O’Connor, “I will argue with you. I’ll tell you the truth about what I think. I will try to persuade you. But at the end of the day, you are the justice, and I’m the law clerk. And if I’m taking this job, I’m agreeing to help you do your work, right? I’m helping—if you decide to come out the other way and assign me the opinion, then I’ll write the best opinion I can for you.” Yale Law dean Heather Gerken said in a statement: “We couldn’t be prouder of James and his work. The book is an important intervention in one of the biggest debates in American society, and it’s wonderful to see it getting the recognition it deserves.”  www.law.com/ nationallawjournal/2018/04/16/ yale-laws-james-forman-jr-formeroconnor-clerk-wins-pulitzer/

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Business - History and Culture

The Last Slave:The Story of Cudjo Lewis

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heir Eyes Were Watching God is required reading in high schools and colleges and cited as a formative influence by Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. It’s been canonized by Harold Bloom — even credited for inspiring the tableau in Lemonade where Beyoncé and a clutch of other women regally occupy a wooden porch — but Zora Neale Hurston’s classic novel was eviscerated by critics when it was published in 1937. The hater-inchief was no less than Richard Wright, who recoiled as much at the book’s depiction of lush female sexuality and (supposedly) apolitical themes as its use of black dialect, “the minstrel technique that makes the ‘white folks’ laugh.” Six years earlier, Hurston had tried to publish another book in dialect, this one a work of nonfiction called Barracoon. Before she turned to writing novels, she’d trained as a cultural anthropologist at Barnard under the famed father of the field, Franz Boas. He sent his student back south to interview people of African descent. (Hurston was raised in Eatonville, Florida, which wasn’t the “black backside” of a white town, she once observed, but a place wholly inhabited and run by black people — her father was a three-term mayor.) She proved adept at the task, but, as she noted in her collection of folklore, Mules and Men, the job wasn’t always straightforward: “The best source is where there are the least outside influences and these people, usually underprivileged, are the shyest. They are most reluctant at times to reveal that which the soul lives by. And the Negro, in spite of his open-faced laughter, his seeming acquiescence, is

and Virginia hams, watermelon and Bee Brand insect powder, Hurston drew out his story. Kossula had been captured at age 19 in an area now known as the country Benin by warriors from the neighboring Dahomian tribe, then marched to a stockade, or barracoon, on the West African coast. There, he and some 120 others were purchased and herded onto the Clotilda, captained by William Foster and commissioned by three Alabama brothers to make the 1860 voyage. After surviving the Middle Passage, the captives were smuggled into Mobile

particularly evasive … The Negro offers a featherbed resistance, that is, we let the probe enter, but it never comes out.” Barracoon is testament to her patient fieldwork. The book is based on three months of periodic interviews with a man named Cudjo Lewis — or Kossula, his original name — the last survivor of the last slave ship to land on American shores. Plying him with peaches Lewis outside his home in Alabama in the 1930s. Photo: Erik Overbey Collection, The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of South Alabama. Colorization by Gluekit.

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


and political leaders” that the book laid uncomfortably bare Africans’ involvement in the slave trade, according to novelist Alice Wa l k e r ’ s foreword to the book, which is finally being published in May. Walker is responsible for r ein t r odu cin g the world to a forgotten Zora Neale Hurston, who’d died penniless and alone in 1960, in a 1975 Ms. magazine Zora Neale Hurston in the early 1930s, around the time essay. As she interviewed Cudjo Lewis. Photo: Courtesy of the Walker writes, Zora Neale Hurston Trust “Who would want to know, under cover of darkness. By this via a blow-by-blow account, how time, the international slave trade African chiefs deliberately set out to had been illegal in the United capture Africans from neighboring States for 50 years, and the venture tribes, to provoke wars of conquest was rumored to have been inspired in order to capture for the slave when one of the brothers, Timothy trade. This is, make no mistake, a Meaher, bet he could pull it off harrowing read.” One publisher, Viking Press, did without being “hanged.” (Indeed, no one was ever punished.) Cudjo say it would be happy to accept the worked as a slave on the docks book, on the condition that Hurston of the Alabama River before being rewrote it “in language rather than freed in 1865 and living for another dialect.” She refused. Boas had 70 years: through Reconstruction, impressed upon her the importance the resurgent oppression of Jim of meticulous transcription, and Crow rule, the beginning of the while her contemporaries — and authors of 19th-century slave Depression. When Hurston tried to get narratives — believed “you had to Barracoon published in 1931, she strip away all the vernacular to prove couldn’t find a taker. There was black humanity,” says Salamishah concern among “black intellectuals Tillet, an English professor at

the University of Pennsylvania, Hurston was of the exact opposite opinion. In any event, a dejected Hurston moved on to other projects, and the manuscript for Barracoon ended up languishing in her archives at Howard University. Until a few years ago, that is, when the Zora Neale Hurston Trust (http:// zoranealehurston.com) acquired new literary representation: Had any unpublished treasures been left in the vault? the agents wondered. It may have taken 87 years for Barracoon to see the light of day, but Valerie Boyd, who wrote a well-regarded biography of Hurston called Wrapped in Rainbows in 2003, believes the timing is perfect for a writer “whose life’s work was to document and celebrate the lives of ordinary black folk.” “We’ve got an open bigot in the White House,” Boyd says. “We’re much more engaged with racial issues, with the resistance movement. A book like Barracoon says, ‘Yeah, black lives matter. They’ve always mattered.’ ” Hurston seemed to assume that anyone deluded enough not to realize that would wake up if African-Americans were allowed to tell their own stories. (In one of her great quotes, she wrote that she always felt “astonished” when people discriminated against her: “How can they deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.”) Read the complete article by visiting the link below or the April 30, 2018, issue of New York Magazine (http://nymag.com). See the book review on page 147.  www.vulture.com/2018/04/zoraneale-hurston-barracoon-excerpt. html

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


Business - Climat Change/What Can I do?

Your Lyft Rides Aren't Killing the Ozone Anymore By Meredith Carey

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ideshare app Lyft is finally doing something about the CO2 that its more than one million drivers across the U.S. and Canada are pumping into the atmosphere: the company announced that from today on it will buy carbon offsets for every single Lyft ride, making it the only car-hailing company to offset its emissions. It may be an Earth Day stunt—but since the new policy will be in place for the foreseeable future, we'd say it's a pretty damn good one. Lyft will spend millions of dollars on the program donating to "renewable energy programs, forestry projects, and the capture of emissions from landfills," according to the company's co-founders Logan Green and John Zimmer. Passengers won't have to pay

specifics of which programs it will be donating to has yet to be announced. (The company is partnering with 3Degrees, which will verify and register the carbon offsets.) Given the scale of the company—Lyft gave 375.5 million rides in 2017—the move will make the company one of the biggest voluntary purchasers of carbon offsets in the world. "In the future all vehicles will operate with clean energy,” Green and Zimmer said in a blog post announcing the news. “But climate change is not waiting. It’s happening

anything extra for rides. Lyft says most of the money will go to offset programs outside of the more than 350 cities Lyft serves, though the

now, and it presents a clear and immediate threat to our world and those who live in it. Action cannot wait.”

The average car in the U.S. puts out more than four tons of CO2 each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Airlines are similarly hard on the atmosphere: A roundtrip flight from New York to San Francisco, produces about a ton of CO2 per passenger, The New York Times reported. But while a number of airlines, including Delta and JetBlue, have had carbon offset programs for passengers since 2015, the move by Lyft is a first for a ride-sharing company. To us, it looks like a win-win-win, for passengers (who won’t pay any more), for Lyft (who gets a nice PR bump), and for the planet. 

www.cntraveler.com/story/your-lyft-rides-arent-killing-the-ozone-anymore?mbid=nl_042018_Daily&CNDID=38890654&secondary_link= 1&spMailingID=13353575&spUserID=MTQ5NTc0OTAyMDYxS0&spJobID=1381783418&spReportId=MTM4MTc4MzQxOAS2 34  May 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819


2018 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards By Nina Kokotas Hahn

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urns out were Rodney that Seattle Scott of Rodney is now Scott’s BBQ who the place to go won Best Chef: for amazing Southeast and Southern food at a Nina Compton restaurant run by of Caribbeana French-trained meets-European chef. Edourado Compère Lapin Edourado Jordan, JuneBaby, Jordan scored the won Best Chef Best New Restaurant splendidtable. most coveted loot South. The org at the 2018 James Saint Lucia– Beard Awards— born Compton the so-called Oscars says that in of the food world— New Orleans, taking home Best it’s all about New Restaurant appreciating the Nina Compton, Compere Lapin, for Seattle’s buzzy deep-rooted local Best Chef South bestofneworleans. com JuneBaby and Best culture.  Chef: Northwest for Salare. Jordan’s first restaurant, the FrenchI t a l i a n Salare, was followed by Edourado Jordan, Solare, Best Ju n eB a by Chef Northwest splendidtable.org w h i c h Jordan says tells the story of Southern food in America. “I’m able to tell that story 3,000 miles away from where it first landed on American soil, and people are hearing me and understanding what I’m trying to do,” Jordan told us. “It’s an Rodney Scott, Rodney Scott's BBQ, Best Chef Southeast amazing feeling to be in the Pacific Northwest charlestoncitypaper.com and have a Southern restaurant that people are listening to. I think with Salare and JuneBaby, we’re waking up the country that Seattle is a force to be reckoned with from a food standpoint.” www.cntraveler.com/story/james-beard-awardOther big James Beard Award winners of the night winners-2018-the-best-restaurants-in-the-us 35  May 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819



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


Business - New Business

Halle Berry Launches Lifestyle Site

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scar winner, Halle Berry, is rebranding herself as a lifestyle expert. Halle Berry posted a provocative picture of herself on Instagram last month. In the photo, which shows her from the back, the Oscar winner does a headstand clad only in lace panties. While the image shows an abundance of flesh, it’s not only meant to be racy. Her yoga pose, sirsasana, revealed her strength, flexibility, and tone. She shared it with her 2.6 million followers in honor of what, since January, she’s dubbed #FitnessFriday. That’s right. Halle Berry is the latest celebrity to rebrand herself as a health guru, but her ongoing health challenges and personal turmoil distinguish her from other actresses who’ve made this transition. “Each Friday I’ll be posting something about fitness that I hope will inspire you,” she said on January 12. “So many of you are asking how I have managed to stay in great shape over the years.” She went on to announce the upcoming launch of her site, Hallewood (www.hallewood.com), which will feature health, style, fitness, and beauty content. And she attributed being in “the best shape“ of her life to personal trainer Peter Lee Thomas, who she says has taught her about fitness, nutrition, and self-defense. Just last week, Berry revealed her partnership with the New York Beautycon Festival’s B-Well experience focusing on health and wellness. Given the glut of actresses who’ve entered the wellness, style, and beauty arena in some capacity — Goop, Cameron Diaz, Tracee Ellis Ross, Reese Witherspoon, and even soon-to-be member of the British royal family Meghan Markle — it’s tempting to dismiss Berry’s foray into the lifestyle market. But Berry is the rare celeb uniquely primed to dole out wellness and beauty tips. She was diagnosed with Diabetes in young adulthood after reportedly falling into a coma. Now, at 51 years old, it certainly takes her a lot more effort to maintain her health. Moreover, when Berry praises her trainer for teaching her to defend herself and her two children, she’s not doing so to send a glib message about women’s empowerment. She’s a domestic violence survivor who says she lost hearing in one ear after a boyfriend assaulted her. For years, she’s supported

the Jenesse Center, a domestic violence intervention program started by a group of black women in South Los Angeles. As recently as 2015, she told People magazine that she still suffers emotionally because she grew up witnessing her father batter her mother. A victim of trauma living with a chronic health condition, Halle Berry is selling survival. Each time she posts a picture of herself boxing, sweating, or with her lean muscles on display, Berry draws attention to the fact that she didn’t fall apart in a society that devalues women of color, battered women, and anyone living with a chronic disease. Such individuals are expected to unravel by slowing killing themselves — turning to drugs, drink, overeating, undereating, or

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


www.hallewood.com

allowing the trauma they’ve accumulated to present as hypertension. But the fact that Berry’s life has been so traumatic is the very reason she’s been dogged by criticism throughout her career. In recent years, she’s made more headlines for messy custody disputes, disgruntled

exes, and beefs with paparazzi than for her film career. With three ex-husbands, she’s no different from Drew Barrymore or Jennifer Lopez, but Berry has faced misogynistic attacks implying that she’s unbalanced or “can’t keep a man” because her splits with some men have become tabloid fodder. She’s also faced some bad press related to her diabetes diagnosis. Apparently, it’s unclear whether Berry has Type I or Type II diabetes. While the former requires insulin, the latter doesn’t necessarily and may be managed with diet and exercise. In some cases, it may be reversed. When a publication quoted Berry as saying she’d “cured” what was reportedly Type I diabetes, the diabetic community called her

irresponsible. Later, doctors told ABC News that Berry had likely been misdiagnosed and had Type II diabetes all along. Berry’s camp didn’t comment further on the matter. Marketing herself as a wellness and beauty guru means Berry will be exposed to a level of scrutiny that she could avoid if she simply stayed in the actress l a n e . Outlets like E! News have already pu bl ish e d some of her nutrition tips and shared her Instagram photos. But she appears to be up for the challenge. In January, she declared “[I’m] coming for you 2018.” For people with messy personal lives, childhood trauma, disabilities, or chronic illnesses, getting wellness inspiration from a decidedly flawed celebrity marks a refreshing change from all the stars selling an unattainable lifestyle. Sure, Berry’s fans will never look like her, even at 51, but the challenges she’s overcome make her so very human.  www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/whats-hot/halleberry-is-launching-a-lifestyle-site-and-it-might-bethe-rare-celeb-wellness-brand-we-actually-like/arAAw4xX5?ocid=spartandh

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


SPRINT - T-MOBILE MERGER Dear Sprint Customers, As you may have seen, Sprint has announced plans to combine with T-Mobile, and I’m most excited about what this means for you, our customers. Separately, we are two great companies. But we realized that together, we could form one of the best partnerships in the world! We’re absolutely thrilled to supercharge the wireless industry with innovation, disruption and an obsession for making our customers feel special. When we combine our incredible assets with T-Mobile’s our competitors better watch out! We are going to raise the bar for the customer experience, especially when it comes to increasing our network coverage, speed and capacity – and building a super-connected 5G world. Think about the past 10 years of innovation that completely changed the way we live. Most of us couldn’t get by today without our favorite brands and apps such as Uber, Google and Amazon, all of which are fueled by 4G networks. Now imagine how 5G will revolutionize everything in our lives. Speeds 100 times faster than today, driverless cars, incredibly smart robots and smart city technologies will be powered by an always-connected 5G network. And only our new company is equipped to deliver a faster, more reliable network at lower prices and with better value. Sprint and T-Mobile have good network coverage on their own, but together we will deliver an amazing and seamless experience in busy city areas, rural towns and everywhere in between. We will create the best nationwide mobile 5G network and fuel a giant wave of innovation and disruption throughout the entire marketplace. This step up to 5G will be like the step up from black and white TV to color TV. It’s a gamechanger! We also plan to create thousands of new U.S. jobs in the coming years that will drive the economy and strengthen America’s competiveness. Our announcement is just the first step in a long process. We expect the transaction to close in the first half of 2019. Until then, we’re investing billions to build out our network so your service will keep getting better and better. And we’ll continue to offer the best value to our customers. I know many of you have questions about the transaction, so I encourage you to visit https://allfor5g.com/ for more information. Thank you for choosing Sprint. I can’t wait to deliver you better network service and better products at an amazing value! Marcelo Claure CEO, Sprint


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The Obama Presidency

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

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

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

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


Business - Self-Directed Education

Here are Some of the 300 Free Ivy League University Courses You can Take Online Right Now!

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he eight Ivy League schools are among the most prestigious colleges in the world. They include Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia universities, and the University of Pennsylvania. All eight schools place in the top fifteen of the US News and World Report 2017 national university rankings. These Ivy League schools are also highly selective and extremely hard to get into. But the good news is that all these universities now offer free online courses across multiple online course platforms. So far, they’ve created over 430 courses, of which around 344 are still active. Here’s a collection of all of them, split into courses in the following subjects: Computer Science, Business & Management, Humanities, Art & Design, Science, Health & Medicine, Mathematics, Education & Teaching, and Engineering. BBN Editor: We cannot list all 344 courses in this publication and urge you to use the article source link to see the full list and follow the links to those courses that might provide useful information for your goals: https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/-here-are-300-freeivy-league-university/f-fc7a08c19a%2Fqz.com.

• Analysis of Algorithms: Princeton University • Networks Illustrated: Principles without Calculus: Princeton University • Machine Learning: Unsupervised Learning: Brown University • CS50's Computer Science for Business Professionals: • Harvard University • CS50's AP® Computer Science Principles: Harvard University • HI-FIVE: Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment (Administrative/IT Perspective): Columbia University • Animation and CGI Motion: Columbia University • Networks: Friends, Money, and Bytes: Princeton University • CS50's Understanding Technology: Harvard University • Data Structures and Software Design: University of Pennsylvania • Algorithm Design and Analysis: University of Pennsylvania • Computer Science: Algorithms, Theory, and Machines: Princeton University

Humanities (59 courses)

Art & Design (19 courses)

Computer Science (23 courses)

Business (66 courses)

• CS50's Introduction to Computer Science: Harvard University • Algorithms, Part I: Princeton University • Algorithms, Part II: Princeton University • Machine Learning for Data Science and Analytics: • Columbia University • Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies: Princeton University BROWN • Artificial Intelligence (AI): Columbia University • Reinforcement Learning: Brown University • Computer Architecture: Princeton University • Machine Learning: Georgia Institute of Technology • Enabling Technologies for Data Science and Analytics: The Internet of Things: Columbia University • Machine Learning: Columbia University

• Introduction to Marketing: University of Pennsylvania • Introduction to Financial Accounting: University of Pennsylvania • Introduction to Operations Management: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania • Financial Markets: Yale University • Introduction to Corporate Finance: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania • Customer Analytics: University of Pennsylvania • Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content: University of Pennsylvania

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


• The Global Financial Crisis: Yale University • Financial Engineering and Risk Management Part I: Columbia University • Global Human Capital Trends: Columbia University • Entrepreneurship 2: Launching your Start-Up: University of Pennsylvania • Operations Analytics: University of Pennsylvania • Accounting Analytics: University of Pennsylvania PRINCETON • Entrepreneurship 1: Developing the Opportunity: University of Pennsylvania • Fundamentals of Quantitative Modeling: University of Pennsylvania • Social Impact Strategy: Tools for Entrepreneurs and Innovators: University of Pennsylvania • More Introduction to Financial Accounting: University of Pennsylvania • A Preview Course on The 5 Killer Risks of Enterprise Risk Management: Columbia University • Entrepreneurship 3: Growth Strategies: University of Pennsylvania • Entrepreneurship 4: Financing and Profitability: University of Pennsylvania • Wharton Business Foundations Capstone: University of Pennsylvania • Financial Engineering and Risk Management Part II: • Columbia University • Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies: Harvard University • Arts and Culture Strategy: University of Pennsylvania • Introducción al Marketing: University of Pennsylvania • Introduction to Global Hospitality Management: Cornell University • Leading the Life You Want: University of Pennsylvania • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): A Strategic Approach: University of Pennsylvania • Construction Project Management: Columbia University • Construction Scheduling: Columbia University • Analytics in Python: Columbia University • Construction Finance: Columbia University • Entrepreneurship and Healthcare in Emerging Economies: Harvard University • Decision-Making and Scenarios: University of Pennsylvania • Modeling Risk and Realities: University of Pennsylvania • Managing the Value of Customer Relationships: University of Pennsylvania

• Influence: University of Pennsylvania • Optimizing Diversity on Teams: University of Pennsylvania • Wharton Entrepreneurship Capstone: University of Pennsylvania • Business Strategies for Social Impact: University of Pennsylvania • The Power of Team Culture: University of Pennsylvania • Wharton Business and Financial Modeling Capstone: University of Pennsylvania • Management Fundamentals: University of Pennsylvania • Creating a Team Culture of Continuous Learning: University of Pennsylvania • Managing Social and Human Capital: University of Pennsylvania • Building High-Performing Teams: University of Pennsylvania • Global Trends for Business and Society: University of Pennsylvania • Financial Acumen for Non-Financial Managers: University of Pennsylvania • Crowdfunding: University of Pennsylvania • Business Analytics Capstone: University of Pennsylvania • Construction Cost Estimating and Cost Control: Columbia University • Introduction to Corporate Finance: Columbia University • Marketing Analytics: Columbia University • Demand and Supply Analytics: Columbia University • Business Strategy from Wharton: Competitive Advantage: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania • Retail Fundamentals: Dartmouth • Omnichannel Strategy and Management: Dartmouth

Health & Medicine (25 courses) Social Sciences (54 courses) Data Science (21 courses) • Statistical Thinking for Data Science and Analytics: Columbia University • Statistics and R: Harvard University • Introduction to Spreadsheets and Models: University of Pennsylvania • People Analytics: University of Pennsylvania • High-Dimensional Data Analysis: Harvard University • Introduction to Bioconductor: Annotation and Analysis of Genomes and Genomic Assays: Harvard University • Data Science: R Basics: Harvard University • Case Studies in Functional Genomics: Harvard University • Causal Diagrams: Draw Your Assumptions Before Your Conclusions: Harvard University • Big Data and Education: Columbia University

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


Business - Self-Directed Education from page 43

• Principles, Statistical and Computational Tools for Reproducible Science: Harvard University • Data Science: Inference and Modeling: Harvard University • Data Science: Visualization: Harvard University • Highperformance Computing for Reproducible Genomics: Harvard COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY University • Data Science: Linear Regression: Harvard University • Data Science: Capstone: Harvard University • Data Science: Wrangling: Harvard University • Data Science: Machine Learning: Harvard University • Data Science: Productivity Tools: Harvard University • Data Science: Probability Harvard University • Data, Models and Decisions in Business Analytics: Columbia University

Education & Teaching (17 courses) Science (25 courses) Engineering (16 courses) • Robotics: Aerial Robotics: University of Pennsylvania • Robotics: Computational Motion Planning: University of Pennsylvania • Energy Within Environmental Constraints: Harvard University • Robotics: Perception: University of Pennsylvania • The Art of Structural Engineering: Bridges: Princeton University • Robotics: Mobility: University of Pennsylvania • A Hands-on Introduction to Engineering Simulations: Cornell University • The Engineering of Structures Around Us: Dartmouth • Robotics: Estimation and Learning: University of Pennsylvania • MOS Transistors: Columbia University • Robotics: Locomotion Engineering: University of Pennsylvania • Robotics: Capstone: University of Pennsylvania • Robotics: Vision Intelligence and Machine Learning: University of Pennsylvania • Robotics: Dynamics and Control: University of Pennsylvania • Robotics: Fundamentals: University of Pennsylvania • Robotics: Columbia University

• Introduction to Linear Models and Matrix Algebra: Harvard University • Calculus: Single Variable Part 1 – Functions: University of Pennsylvania • Calculus: Single Variable Part 2 – Differentiation: University of Pennsylvania • Calculus: Single Variable Part 3 – Integration: University of Pennsylvania • Statistical Inference and Modeling for High-throughput Experiments: Harvard University • Calculus: Single Variable Part 4 – Applications: University of Pennsylvania • Analytic Combinatorics: Princeton University • Calculus Applied!: Harvard University • Fat Chance: Probability from the Ground Up: Harvard University UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA • Single Variable Calculus: University of Pennsylvania • A Crash Course in Causality: Inferring Causal Effects from Observational Data: University of Pennsylvania

Programming (4 courses) • Using Python for Research: Harvard University • Programming for the Web with JavaScript: University of Pennsylvania • The Computing Technology Inside Your Smartphone: • Cornell University • Software Development Fundamentals: University of Pennsylvania

Personal Development (4 courses) 

Mathematics (11 courses)

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


Business - Financing was too complicated. Alternative sources of funding were also explored in the survey, including government grants and incubator and accelerator networks. When it came to government grants, 34% of responding small business owners said they were not aware grants were available. Of a reported 44% who did know, they didn’t know where to apply. The number of small businesses who were not aware of incubator and accelerator networks was high — 63%. And there was also a gap in this knowledge between men and women. Specifically, 72% of women entrepreneurs said they weren’t aware of funding options from incubator and accelerator networks while only 54% of male entrepreneurs seemed unaware. Why is Innovation Important? The number one reason given by small business owners for implementing innovations in their organization was to meet the needs of clients. Sixty-nine percent of respondents gave this as the reason for innovating. Meanwhile, 61% said innovation was important for maintaining growth while 60% said it was necessary to create a better product. The report further indicates older entrepreneurs looked to improve the client side of the business, while their younger counterparts were focused on creating better products or services. Key to Innovation. In the survey, business owners identified four keys to innovation. Sixty-six percent of respondents indicated funding was most important, while 64% said it was networking. Another 61% said partnerships with staff were the key to successful innovation while 40% identified mentoring programs as most important. So how do small business owners continue to innovate? In the report, BMO makes the following suggestions: • Join a local Chamber of Commerce and attend monthly events. • Seek counsel from local banks to get an overview of potential loan options. • Read small business blogs which often highlight local, state and federal funding programs. Conclusion. In today’s highly competitive and technologically evolving economy, small business owners can’t stop innovating. As the report rightly points out, “Innovation should be a never- ending process.” And getting informed is the best way to do it. 

60% of Small Business Owners Don't Apply for Innovation Funding By Michael Guta

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he Creating Wealth through Business Improvements report from BMO Wealth Management reveals 60% of small business owners never apply for funding to support innovation. With the development of digital technology and advances in smartphones, apps, artificial intelligence, and social media to name a few, small businesses have to support and implement the latest innovation as quickly as possible. According to the report, innovation drives financial success for businesses of any size. This is especially true for small businesses because the right innovation allows for the creation of new products, services and marketing as well as ways to reach consumers. In addition to the improved external capabilities, it also makes internal teams more productive. Innovation Funding is Important. Even if small business owners would like to innovate, they are often either unaware or not capable of accessing the funds they need. In a press release announcing the results, Tania Slade, National Head of Wealth Planning at BMO Wealth Management (U.S.) explained the importance of access to information for small businesses. Slade said, “Having access to information about funding options and support networks is essential to the continued success of a small business, particularly in its early stages. Business owners who take advantage of the numerous resources at their disposal have an immediate advantage, and a far greater chance of seeing their innovation initiatives realized.” The challenge is funding, but small business loan numbers are looking much better today. The report comes from a survey conducted with the participation of 1,021 small business owners across the US. They were asked about keys to innovation success, experiences funding their innovation through business loans and grants, and knowledge of and participation in accelerator and incubator networks. Key Findings. As to the 60% of small businesses which never applied for funding, owners gave a number of explanations for never seeking the capital they needed. More than a third or 36% said they didn’t want to incur additional debt, while 22% believed they would be rejected. Another 21% stated the process

https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/05/innovation-funding-smallbusiness.html

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



Business - Technology

SCAM ALERT: Black Lives Matter By THE LOOP (Black Enterprise Magazine)

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f you haven’t read the upsetting news about the largest Black Lives Matter page on Facebook, all you need to know is that it is fraudulent. It turns out that an Australian man scammed Black Lives Matter donors out of $100K (www.blackenterprise.com/ australian-scammed-black-livesmatter-donors-out-of-100k). The fake Black Lives Matter page had amassed over 700,000 followers, dwarfing the 320,000 followers that the real page has on Facebook. As outlandish as it is, it pushes us all to smarten up when it comes to discerning what is real and what isn’t on social media.  www.blackenterprise.com

Facebook Removes Popular Black Lives

Matter Page for Being a Fake By Tiffany Hsu and Sheera Frenkel

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Facebook page that claimed a connection to the Black Lives Matter movement and had more than twice as many followers as the movement’s official page has been removed for being inauthentic, the company said. The disclosure came as Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, prepared to be questioned by members of Congress about, among other things, the veracity of material posted on the social media site. The page, titled “Black Lives Matter,” was followed by nearly 700,000 people and was tied to online fund-raising efforts that

generated at least $100,000, purportedly to support racial-justice causes in the United States — but was run by a white man in Australia, according to a CNN report. Facebook, which has been heavily criticized for its handling of users’ personal information and for allowing foreign meddling in the 2016 election, said on Monday that the page violated the company’s community standards and was run by a person or people who were not who they claimed to be. Facebook did not identify those behind the site, but CNN said the administrator of the page was Ian Mackay, an employee of the National Union of Workers in Australia.  www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/ business/facebook-black-lives-matter. html

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


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

www.breauxcapital.com



Business - New Business

Rihanna on Body Image, Turning 30, and Staying Real—No Matter What By Chioma Nnadi (edited by BBN to highlight the cosmetic and lingerie businesses reently launched by Rihanna. Read the complete article using the link at the end of this article.)

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obyn “Rihanna” Fenty has launched Fenty Beauty (www.fentybeauty.com see page xxx) in collaboration with Kendo, LVMH’s incubator for cool new makeup brands, last September. Leading with a range of foundations that cover a full spectrum of skin tones (there are 40 different shades), the brand shook up the beauty industry in ways few currently within it could have predicted, prompting a broader conversation about inclusivity that had long been ignored. The success of her cosmetics line was unprecedented, reportedly racking up a staggering $100 million in sales within 40 days. The wait lists at certain makeup counters continued for months. (I was among hundreds of women who lined up outside Harvey Nichols in London last fall, only to find that my shade had already sold out.) Rihanna was initially taken aback by the response. She had grown up watching her mother apply makeup, so thinking about foundations for darker skin tones came naturally. “As a black woman, I could not live with myself if I didn’t do that,” she says. “But what I didn’t anticipate was the way people would get emotional about finding their complexion on the shelf, that this would be a groundbreaking moment.” She’s taken the same approach with Savage X Fenty (www.savagex.com), her direct-to-consumer lingerie line in partnership with online retail giant TechStyle launching May 11th, offering a range of nude underwear that goes far beyond the bog-standard beige T-shirt bra. She’s not alone in questioning the limited notion of “nude”: Kanye West’s debut fall 2015 Yeezy collection featured a diverse cast of models in flesh-toned looks that encompassed a wide range of colors, from palest white to richest brown. Now Rihanna is pushing that idea one step further, shedding light on the frustrations that many black women face in dressing their bodies at the most intimate level. She has said in the past that her biggest regret about the sheer Adam Selman dress she wore to the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards was that she didn’t throw on a bedazzled thong, mostly

because the nude undies she ended up in weren’t the right match—“not my nude,” as she points out. It should go without saying that the new line will carry a body-positive message, too. Rihanna’s lingerie models come in all shapes and sizes; they are real women with real bodies who stand as a refreshing counterpoint to the impossible supermodel dimensions that have defined the look of lingerie for decades. Like Gigi Hadid and Serena Williams, Rihanna has been the target of body-shaming internet trolls. Her public responses have been rare, but when she does brush off the haters it’s usually done with a razor-sharp dose of wit: Last summer she posted a hilarious before-andafter weight-loss meme of the rapper Gucci Mane, a tongue-in-cheek nod to her own fluctuations on the scale. Because what could be more sexy than a sense of humor? “You’ve just got to laugh at yourself, honestly. I mean, I know when I’m having a fat day and when I’ve lost weight. I accept all of the bodies,” she says, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m not built like a Victoria’s Secret girl, and I still feel very beautiful and confident in my lingerie.”

As it happens, the name Rihanna gave her lingerie line perfectly encapsulates her state of being right now— “Savage is really about taking complete ownership of how you feel and the choices you make. Basically making sure everybody knows the ball is in your court. As women, we’re looked at as the needy ones, the naggy ones, the ones who are going to be heartbroken in a relationship. Savage is just the reverse. And you know, guys don’t like getting the cards flipped on them—ever.” Fans will recognize a version of this mission statement from the lyrics of “Needed Me,” the hit single from Anti that has gone platinum five times over.  www.vogue.com/article/rihanna-vogue-cover-juneissue-2018

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Introducing Summit21: This 2-day culminating experience will guide you to your greatest vision for your life and provide actionable steps towards making that a reality. Through engaging masterclasses and fireside chats, our conference provides hands-on experience with the brightest and most inspiring leaders and innovators in our community. Three Great Tracks: Our Beauty Track explores how to make our claim creatively and financially; Our Entrepreneurship Track gives first hand advice and useful tips from women who have and continue to crash through the glass ceiling; and Our Social Impact Track answers the relevant and crucial questions, “What now?” and “How can I truly make a change?” When, Where, Register: June 8-9, 2018, Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart, https://21ninety.com/summit21

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

nited States and Africa Relations: The Obama Presidency is a creative

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


Editorial - Technology & Democracy

Jesse Jackson Calls on Big Tech to Redouble Diversity Efforts By Jessica Guynn USA Today

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our years after pledging to change the face of technology, the industry is still struggling with too much discrimination and too little diversity. Now civil rights leader Jesse Jackson is calling on companies to redouble efforts to include more women, African Americans and Hispanics and release better information on the progress they are making. "It's time to take stock of what has been done; what has worked and what hasn't," Jackson wrote in a letter to Facebook, Amazon, Google, Apple and other major companies obtained exclusively by USA TODAY. The letter, which requests a number of new pieces of information from tech companies, was also signed by five groups advocating for greater diversity in tech, including the Kapor Center and the Greenlining Institute. (Note from Rainbow PUSH: CodeCrew, Hidden Genius Project and Qeyno also co-signed the request for data letter.) "Companies must set specific, quantifiable diversity and inclusion goals, targets and timetables," Jackson wrote. "Without them, the ability to measure and be accountable for progress will be difficult." The renewed push reflects growing frustration with how tech is addressing one of its greatest challenges in an increasingly global marketplace. The high-paying, fast-growing industry, mostly staffed by white and Asian men, is leaving out women, African Americans and Hispanics. And diversity activists say companies are deliberately withholding critical information and fudging demographic statistics to mask the extent of the problem. Their proposed fix: for more companies to make

public the annual reports they file with the federal government on workforce demographics broken down by race and gender. Fewer than two dozen companies have published these reports called EEO-1s, some of them only under duress. Many companies such as Tesla have refused to disclose any demographic information at all about their workers. In the letter, Jackson and other diversity advocates asked those companies that have not released EEO-1 reports to produce them for the last four years. They also asked companies to disclose the number of new hires made over the same period, broken down by gender, race and ethnicity; employee retention rates by race, ethnicity and gender; affirmative action plans and spending on suppliers from diverse backgrounds; and details on diversity and inclusion policies and practices. Pressure for increased transparency comes amid a broader backlash against big tech, from the White House to Capitol Hill and from the consumers to investors. It was never much of a secret in Silicon Valley that tech companies had very few women, African Americans and Hispanics. But tech CEOs refused to supply basic information on the demographics of their companies to the public, calling it a trade secret. Activists such as Jackson waged campaigns for years, arguing that making the information public was necessary to shake up the industry's lopsided demographics. Google began publishing the demographics of its workforce on an annual basis in 2014. Soon other top

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tech companies followed suit, revealing an industry at odds with America's growing diversity. Nationwide, the industry is 74% male, 69% white and 21% Asian, according to a report from the Kapor Center for Social Impact. In Silicon Valley, blacks and Hispanics make up between 3% and 6% of workers, and women of color are 1% or less. These groups are represented across other industries at much higher rates consistent with their proportion of the overall U.S. population, which is half women, about 13% black and nearly 18% Hispanic, according to 2016 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Not only are women and people of color hired in lower numbers than white men, they also leave tech at a much higher rate. A recent analysis by the nonprofit Ascend Foundation indicated that the number of black and Hispanic professionals in Silicon Valley's tech sector declined over the past eight years. Despite pledges, diversity advocates say too few CEOs have made diversity an urgent business priority. Diversity staffers are given little in the way of resources and authority. And, advocates say, diversity data is too easily manipulated to make it seem like companies are making more progress than they actually are. Diversity reports feature colorful pie charts containing percentages, not raw numbers, alongside smiling photos of women and minorities and aspirational messages from executives, but no raw numbers. Loretta Lee, who sued Google in February alleging she was subjected to repeated sexual harassment by male co-workers, claims her former employer would lump designers with engineers to inflate its diversity stats. "I can recall hundreds of engineering teams, just off the top of my head, but none that had more than one female software engineer, including my own, and most

had zero," she wrote in a blog post. Some diversity advocates say tech companies should develop a standardized methodology to track diversity. "If you don't have baseline data, you can't measure progress. And if you don't have baseline data, you can't compare across companies," Freada Kapor Klein says. "To have good data, you need uniform and consistent categories." For example, pie charts focus on race and gender, but not on the intersection of the two: women of color. EEO-1 reports exclude anyone with a non-binary gender identity. And EEO-1 job categories don't match job categories at tech companies, making it difficult to glean anything but broad generalities. Also missing from the current disclosures: pay and stock option gaps for women and minorities and the "cap table" — the percentage of ownership and equity in companies. New pushes are underway to create a standardized methodology that would increase transparency. The Alliance Working Group on Diversity and Inclusion, led by Harvey Mudd College President Maria Klawe, is exploring the creation of an organization that would provide diversity and inclusion ratings to start-ups, venture capital firms and tech incubators. And three tech workers created the "Dear Tech People" diversity ranking of 100 small and mediumsized tech companies by scouring tens of thousands of LinkedIn profiles. The challenge is getting the industry to adopt a single standard, says Tracy Chou. "If there were an industry governing board as in medicine or law, they could be the one to do it," she says, "but that doesn't exist in tech." ď ƒ www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2018/04/02/jesse-jacksonapple-amazon-facebook-google-redouble-diversityeorts/474543002/

https://rainbowpush.org


Business - Technology

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icrosoft today announced that the free Windows 10 April 2018 Update (previously rumored to be called the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update) will begin rolling out on April 30, 2018. For those keeping track, this update is Windows 10 build 17134. The name change here isn’t hugely significant, but it does signal Microsoft has given up on naming Windows 10 updates. Instead, the company is just going to stick with the month and year of release (there are still two major free updates expected every year), even if the update lands on the last day of the month. Windows 10 is a service, meaning it was built in a very different way from its predecessors so it can be regularly updated with not just fixes, but new features, too. Microsoft has released four major updates so far: November Update, Anniversary Update, Creators Update, and Fall Creators Update. The fifth one will be out on Monday.

New Features: Here is a quick rundown of the new features you can expect in the April 2018 Update: Timeline: Search through all the activities you performed up to 30 days ago to find what you were working on, including apps, files, and websites. You can also pick up what you were doing on your Android or iOS device, as long as you were signed into your Microsoft account while using Edge or Office 365. Focus Assist: Turn this on whenever you want to get things done without distractions, like social media, email, or other notifications — you can even set it to turn on automatically at certain times during the day, or make exceptions for people that you’re waiting to hear from. When you’ve finished, you’ll receive a summary of what came through. Edge: Microsoft’s browser has also received some features for helping you focus. There’s now an audio icon for muting and unmuting tabs (but no autoplay blocking), a full-screen reading experience (for books, PDFs, and Reading View pages), autofill on web payment forms, a clutter-

free printing option, and a Grammar Tools button to enable comprehension aids. Dictation: You can now take a note, or write a paper, with just your voice. Place your cursor in any text field, hit Win+H, and start talking. Cortana: Manage your smart home right from your PC using just your voice. Supported devices include Ecobee, Honeywell, and the Nest Learning thermostat. Microsoft also listed simplified IT management tools for enterprise customers, improvements to Photos and Windows Mixed Reality, better security, and PC gaming enhancements. If you’re a Windows Insider, these shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but if you haven’t been testing Windows 10 previews, you can go through past builds and see as the features were added. The enterprise improvements are worth calling out. Delivery Optimization allows for one device to download an update and then use the local network to deliver that update to peers, reducing bandwidth by as much as 90%. Windows AutoPilot now has an enrollment status page for ensuring that policies, settings, and apps can be provisioned on the device before the user gets to the desktop and begins interacting with the device.  https://venturebeat.com/2018/04/27/windows-10-april2018-update-is-coming-on-april-30/

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



Business - Technology Technology:

Take A Look! by LaSandra Stratton

5 Ways to Turn Your Passions Into Pro ts Online by Brian T. Edmondson

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f you’re an expert in your field or have a hobby that you really enjoy, the likelihood of you being able to make some money or even a full-time living from your passion is pretty high, as long as you’re willing to learn some skills and put in the work. Here are five ways you can turn your passions into profits online:

1. Start a YouTube channel. The amount of money that some people make from this channel is mind-boggling. The top YouTube earner, Daniel Middleton (www.standard.co.uk/ tech/youtube-streamer-dantdm-named-world-s-richestyoutuber-a3713901.html), is making $16.5 million posting

Minecraft videos. That’s a lot of dough! Creating a successful YouTube channel requires creating a following. This isn’t something that happens instantly, but instead develops over time. And you have to work at it. But if you have a passion that displays well on video, then YouTube is a great way to monetize it. Remember you don’t have to make millions to do well on YouTube. A great example of this is the YouTube channel “Woodworking for Mere Mortals.” (www. youtube.com/channel/UCBB7sYb14uBtk8UqSQYc9-w)

This isn’t one of the top 10 earners, but this guy does earn his full-time living from his passion and has built up a very respectable following of over 900,000 followers.

2. Become an Instagram influencer. Instagram is an extremely visual platform, so if you have a passion for something like fashion, dogs or workouts that work well in pictures or video, you can make pretty good money from Instagram when you develop a big enough following. The way many people make money from Instagram is by selling space on their Instagram accounts. These are often called “shout outs.” These can range from $30 a post for a smaller

account to the whopping $550,000 a post that top earner Selena Gomez gets for a sponsored post. Instagram is also great for selling your own items, as long as you do it sparingly and with great visuals.

3. Create online courses. Many people turn their passions into profits by creating courses that teach other people how to do what they’re experts in. This is part of the model that Woodworkers for Mere Mortals use. There are several ways to market these courses. You can do it yourself through platforms like WordPress and Thrivecart, or you can market on a platform with built-in customers like Thinkific or Udemy.

4. Make money blogging. Blogging sometimes gets a bad rap, but it can be quite lucrative if you set it up correctly. Engadget (www.engadget.com) is one of my favorite blogs,and it’s estimated to make 5.5 million dollars a month, primarily from advertising revenue. If you love to write and can produce high-quality content about your passion on a regular basis then this could be a good option for you to make money from the thing you’re passionate about. You can monetize your blog with Google Adsense ads, promoting products as an affiliate, or selling your own products, such as an online course.

5. Sell your services online. The fastest way to make money from your passion or your expertise is to sell services. Things like writing, web design or helping people clean out their closets all work. You can do this online or off-line, but the big advantage to selling services is that it takes far less traffic to a website to get people to buy a service than

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Kit.com: Share Your Passions and Experience by @cauthen

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it.com is a community where tastemakers can share the products they love. It's for anyone looking for what really works according to the people who actually use it. It's a resource for all kinds of industries and the root of it is real people in real situations. Most importantly, Kit connects people and allows them to help teach each other. And thanks to investors and a growing team, Kit is even adding more features to the product users already enjoy. For example, "Ask Kit" will address any product questions using Amazon Alexa and Twitter. This addition will help to round out and enhance the user experience and will once again ensure that the products you invest in are worth your time and money. Investors include Social Capital, April Underwood, Ellen Pao, Precursor Ventures, Black Angel Tech Fund, Authentic Ventures and Expa. We look forward to seeing how the company will continue to grow and improve. Congrats Camille and team!

About the Leader Camille Hearst is the founder-CEO of Kit, and she recently raised $2.5M in seed funding — and she's one of the few black women to raise more than $1M. Her visibility is important, especially in the wake of recent events that can be hard to process for people of

it does to get people to buy a product. And since traffic is usually the hardest part of the equation in getting “eyeballs on your offer,” this is a huge advantage. You can set up a simple two-page website, create a small ad in Google Adwords, and start getting clients within a week. And if you don’t want to build a website, then bidding for work on sites like FreeeUp.com or Upwork. com can be a great way to earn some cash for writing, technical work or graphic design. There are also sites and apps like TaskRabbit, Care or Rover where you can list real-world services for sale. Selling services is rather

color, women and any other marginalized group. Her success and determination can serve as a source of hope and inspiration. In a blog Hearst recently published, she gives us a glimpse of the journey that got her to where she is today. With incredibly supportive and openminded parents and the ability to help her father build PCs as a child, she was encouraged to pursue her dreams and graduate from Stanford with a BS and MS before entering the professional world.  https://blavity.com/founder-ceo-camille-hearst-raises-25m-to-help-hercompany-grow-and-unveil-new-features

labor-intensive, but it’s a great way to create cash flow and earn money right away with your passion.

The Key - Traffic The biggest key to all of these ways to turn your passions into profits is traffic. Traffic is the hardest piece of any monetization method. You must get eyeballs on your content in order to make money. So, if you decide on one of these methodologies for turning your passions into profits, make sure that you focus at least 50% of your time learning the traffic methodologies that go along with it. It’s entirely possible to make a good living from nearly anything that you’re passionate about. You just have to put in the time and effort to get there.  https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/-5-ways-to-turn-your-passionsinto-profi/f-e7b2da57b9%2Fentrepreneur.com

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From: NAACP It’s a day for celebration. Ruling on an NAACP-filed lawsuit, a federal court in Washington, D.C. rejected the Trump Administration’s bid to terminate the DACA program. Federal Judge John Bates said the decision by the Trump administration to rescind DACA was “virtually unexplained” and as such “unlawful.” He granted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 90 days to provide a legally sufficient explanation, and, if they fail to do so, DHS will be required to maintain the program. Judge Bates’ ruling marks the first time that any court has reached a decision that may enable new enrollees to participate in DACA since it was terminated. Our lawsuit was filed last fall against President Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, DHS Secretary Elaine Duke, and several departments within the administration. Two of the nation’s largest unions – the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) – as well as Princeton University and Microsoft Corporation joined us in this fight to defend people of color eligible for the DACA program. This administration attempted to renege on a promise that our nation made to undocumented young immigrants. The NAACP has protected that promise and seen justice prevail. Sign up to stay informed about the legal battles to protect our lives, our rights, and our future. In Solidarity, Derrick Johnson NAACP President & CEO www.naacp.org

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

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Business - Technology Meets History

Virtual Reality: ‘I AM A MAN’ Puts You at the Heart of the Civil Rights Struggle By Scott Hayden

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AM A MAN is an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) experience that lets you participate in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike and the events leading up to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. Created by Dr. Derek Ham, an assistant professor of Graphic Design at NC State University (www4.ncsu.edu/~daham/DerekHam/index. html), I AM A MAN was a winner of Oculus’ 2017 Launch Pad, a program designed to help fund VR content from diverse backgrounds. The VR experience is now available for free on Oculus Rift (www.oculus. com/experiences/rift/1558748774146820). I AM A MAN transports you to 1968 Memphis, Tennessee, where you, a sanitation worker, are put at the heart of the struggle for equality. Spliced within the interactive elements of the experience, which include dumping trash, reading news clippings, and watching historical TV broadcasts, you see photos and hear audio from an actual worker who speaks about how they suffered unpaid overtime, no sick leave, and how they were meant to feel utterly replaceable at every turn. You learn how the city’s sanitation workers, who were almost exclusively black, would routinely be relegated to the lowest-paying jobs and never given a chance to rise to the role of a heavy equipment operator, a superior, better-paying position reserved for whites. These, you learn, would form the main arguments behind the creation of the sanitation worker’s labor union and the resultant strike that shook not only Memphis, but unwittingly played as backdrop to MLK’s assassination. The experience continues: reading a few historical newspaper clippings in my kitchen, a TV program plays in the corner that feels like a public opinion piece on the nightly news. “If I’m a business man, and people who I do not want in my business insist on either coming in, or boycotting – which is in their perfect right to do – then certainly it’s not going to make me love them,” a well-dressed man explains. “A lion might like another lion better than he’d like

a bear. That’s just like white people and niggers. I mean, white people are going to Dr. Derek Ham naturally like white people better than they do niggers,” a young man says sheepishly. “It’s just not the things we’re used to down here,” a stone-faced 20-something says. “They come in and they sit down, and we’re not used to them sitting down beside us, because I wadn’t raised with ’em, I never had lived with ’em, and I’m not going to start now.” The screen fades to black, and you're back in the void where historical photos spin around me. The unnamed sanitation worker continues: “Sometimes you would get threats—’nigger, go back to work’—and this kind of thing […] all it means is a man is not a man. Whatever you say, or however you put it, when it comes down to that, a man is not a man, and he don’t have anything to say about his hours and working conditions.” Then MLK enters the story. “People had faith and confidence in him,” the worker says. You can see him placidly standing at the Lorraine Motel. You hear the gunshot of his assassin. The experience’s creator Derek Ham told Road to VR the free 15-minute experience is “on track to be available in April,” which will mark the 50th anniversary of the death of MLK. The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis is also slated to feature I AM A MAN at some point in the future. While Dr. Ham’s given the museum exclusive public usage rights for a year, he also hopes to take the I AM A MAN on the road to venues such as schools and libraries. www.roadtovr.com/preview-man-puts-heart-civil-rightsstruggle

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Business - Travel

The 10 Most Beautiful Black-Owned Hotels Around The World By Shontel Horne

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etween Airbnb, hostels, hotels and traditional bed and breakfast properties, travelers have countless options for accommodations when traveling around the world. There is a hotel for every type of experience a traveler could want, and with enough research, you can even support black hospitality entrepreneurs in the process. From Virginia to Marrakesh, if you want to support a black-owned hotel while you explore new destinations, these gorgeous properties are well worth the visit.

Jnane Tamsna – Marrakech, Morocco Everything about this North African resort is fabulous, from the striking urban Moroccan design to the chic owner, Meryanne Loum-Martin. The property consists of 24 guest rooms, five pools and nine acres of gardens, and one night at this majestic hotel will make you want to stay forever.

Spice Island resort continues to be one of the most opulent, inspiring hotels around. The rooms here are a bit pricey, but once you set foot on the lavish property, you’ll see that it’s worth every penny.

Negril Tree House Resort – Negril, Jamaica American-born owner Gail Jackson has a background in civil engineering and moved to Jamaica more than three decades ago to help create the Negril Tree House Resort with her late husband. Rooms at the mid-level property can be found for around $131.

Negril Tree House

Jnane Tamsna

Spice Island Beach Resort – Grand Anse, Grenada We’ve already written about our love for this picturesque hotel, but the family-owned, all-inclusive

Villa La Maison Michelle – St. James. Barbados

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Soweto, South Africa

Villa La Maison Michelle Husband and wife duo Michelle and Guy Jenkins own this heavenly property, which was built on land purchased by Michelle’s father more than 50 years ago. The property has just seven suites and boasts some of the best views in all of Barbados.

Like most of the hotels on our list, this four-star luxury boutique hotel is both black and femaleowned. Blending a modern, chic design with a touch of eclectic charm, the hotel manages to be stylish while also recognizing South Africa’s painful history with apartheid. Be sure to ask for the room where Michelle Obama stayed during her visit!

ikhaya Lodge – Cape Town, South Africa Located in the heart of Cape Town, this property is the perfect blend of modern and traditional African design and features loft-style apartments that make you feel right at home, which is the goal because “ikhaya” translates to “home” in the Bantu language of Xhosa. If you plan on staying here, be sure to request a room with stunning views of Table Mountain.

Ikhaya Lodge

Soweto Hotel Salamander Resort and Spa – Middleburg, VA BET co-founder Shelia C. Johnson personally designed this lavish property herself, which boasts 168 rooms and suites on 340 acres in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Not only are the rooms at Salamander elegant, but the property has features you won’t find anywhere else like an equestrian center, a fishing pond and ziplining all on site! Pictures of this resort simply don’t do it justice.

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RLJ Kendeja continued from page 65

La Maison in Midtown – Houston, Texas

Salamander Resort

Rooms at this cozy Texas bed and breakfast blend southern charm and contemporary design, with rooms starting at just $169. Guests can expect Jacuzzi tubs, a delicious continental breakfast every morning, and hospitality that makes you feel like you’re a part of the family.

Paradise Cove – Anguilla Hurricane Irma did major damage to this tropical oasis, but Paradise Cove bounced back and is more resilient than ever before. The property has 29 guest rooms, so expect coastalinspired villas and suites, a gorgeous pool and stunning views of the beach which is just 500 yards away from the hotel.

RLJ Kendeja – Paynesville, Liberia

La Maison in Midtown

Just one of the many hotels around the world owned by BET founder Robert Johnson, this four-star West African resort sits on 13 acres near Monrovia and boasts 78 guests rooms, a luxurious swimming pool, a lush spa and views of the ocean.  https://travelnoire.com/beautiful-blackowned-hotels-world

www.issuu.com/blackbusinessnews

Paradise Gove

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Business - Technology

Studies find Google Assistant the Most Accurate Virtual Assistant By Ben Schoon

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irtual assistants aren’t really a new technology, but over the past couple of years, they’ve become more and more important to our daily lives. Amazon had a big head start with its Alexa platform, but Google quickly caught up with its own Assistant. Now, a study is confirming what we already knew – Google’s is better. If you’ve ever used Assistant up against Alexa, you’ve probably found that Google’s option tends to be a bit more accurate. This week, two studies were released from Stone Temple Consulting and ROAST (via SearchEngineLand), giving us a bit of insight as to how these two options differ. First, there’s the report from Stone Temple, a follow-up to a similar study from last year. This study compares various assistants with over 5,000 different queries, scoring them based on how many questions they would answer, as

well as the accuracy. Here, Google Assistant pulled ahead of all competition. At its best, Google was able to answer over 90% of the questions, with an accuracy rate just shy of 80%. Interestingly, though, those numbers drop when you switch from Assistant on your phone to that of Google Home. On Home, the study found that it could only answer about 85% of questions, while having an accuracy rate of about 65%. However, when you compare that to the competition, that’s still pretty impressive. Microsoft’s Cortana surprisingly comes in second place, just a couple of points behind Google Home (although with the ability to answer more of the 5,000 questions). 

https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/studies-find-google-assistant-the-most-/f91a765430b%2F9to5google.com

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




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.

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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

not only because we had to, but because our forefathers recognized the importance of sustainable economic empowerment, long before they were brought to the U.S. and forced to become slaves. We are freer now to take advantage of the many opportunities that exist in our nation for all people. Certainly discrimination is still a major hurdle, but one we’ve been overcoming step-by-step for over 200 years. Business owners, continue on your journey, as there is never any failure in trying.

by June 11th to Ivette Jorge via email luz.i.jorge@ cbp.dhs.gov. • Black Business Association, in collaboration with the National Association of Black Veterans (NABVET), will host a special luncheon on November 9, 2018, to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Veteran’s Day. For details call the Black Business Association at 1-sss-sss-ssss or NABVET at 1-sss-sss-ssss. • SBA  www.bbala.org

Save the Date - Upcoming Events: • The Black Business Association’s (BBA) “Salute to Black Music”, honoring Siedah Garrett, Valerie Ervin, the Honorable Mike Davis and featuring Ellis Hall will be on June 19, 2018 6pm to 10pm at the California African American Museum, 600 S. State Street, in Los Angeles, CA. Visit www.bbala.org for more information and to make reservations. • Department of Homeland Security is sponsoring "Acquisition Overviews & Contracting Opportunities Day" on June 29, 2018 in Chula Vista, CA. DHS Joint Small Business Industry Day: (Customs Borders & Protection (CBP), U.S. Coast Guard(USCG), and Immigrations & Custom (ICE). RSVP

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


Business - Entrepreneur Profile

Melody Trice, Life Unlimited

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elody Trice is host of The Melody Trice Show and a Celebrity Red Carpet host. Melody’s televised day time talk show airs weekly on many local stations in California, from the beautiful city of Pasadena, to Long Beach, Berkeley, Monrovia, and Duarte. The Melody Trice Show is viewed by millions across the globe on the digital platform (www. melodytrice.com). Melody has interviewed celebrities guests on her show from actress Paula Jai Parker, to kid actor Chloe Noel from the hit TV show “True Blood” and many more. Melody is known for her amazing personality on California’s Red Carpet, bringing smiles and tons of energy. As a Red carpet host, Melody has interviewed many celebrity arrivals, for some of the hottest events in Southern California. From talks with Robert Kennedy Jr, to bringing awareness with Areva Martin/Award-winning Civil Rights Attorney, to smiles and fun with “Shug Avery,” Margaret Avery from the famous film "The Color Purple,” and the list goes on. Trice, also quotes her phrase “unlimited life with your girl Melody Trice!” Melody was raised in a very small town called Century, Florida, were she always had big dreams. She started public speaking as young as 7 years old. She has performed and entertained, followed with a standing ovation from the crowd.

From that moment on everyone knew she was destined for greatness. After, graduating from high school, Melody moved to Alabama, were she gave birth to her son, Chavon Jackson. Melody says son, Chavon, has been her motivation and inspiration to live life unlimited. Trice went on to Alabama Southern Community College in Thomasville, Al, receiving her cosmetologist license in 2001. She later opened up her own business called Melody’s Beauty Salon, in Linden, Alabama in 2005. In 2009, Melody went on to receive her Master cosmetology license; giving her to the ability to teach others the art of hair design. In 2010, Melody Trice added a addition, Melody’s Beauty Supply,

turning her business into a one stop. Melody’s entrepreneur skills, gained her an award for “Small Business of the Year,” from University of Alabama in 2009. Melody also received “Most Improved Business Award" in 2010 from the city of Linden Alabama. Melody took a great leap of faith in 2013 and moved to California. Melody’s faith, determination plus hard work has gained her great opportunities in show business. Melody has being acting in films such as “The HideOut,” “The Struggle” and many more. Melody Trice is definitely someone whose journey you should follow. Because life really is unlimited with Melody Trice.  mttv@melodytrice.com

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



advocacy, access to contracting opportunities and financial resources to the small business community for over 45 years. Not only statistically have veteranBy Bene Uche owned businesses been underserved in contracting he month of May is National Military and access to capital, but the numbers are even Appreciation Month. Many events are more disheartening for African American veterans and organized to honor the US Military Forces for women - owned business enterprises. Earl “Skip” Cooper II, BBA President, a Vietnam living and past veterans. It celebrates those who died in the pursuit of freedom and those serving in various Veteran himself, understands very well the plight of capacities in different arms of the military both at home black veterans and the importance and recognition they should receive. It is important to note that African and abroad. There are six (6) key national observances which Americans played a great role in US Wars both at bring to the fore the contributions and efforts of those home and abroad. During the 2018 Black History Month celebration who served in the Military. May 1, Loyalty Day - set the BBA honored another veteran who had made giant aside for reflection of loyalty to the proud American heritage and freedom. May 6 to 12 - Public Service strides in the religious, academic and professional Recognition Week, is set aside to honor men and development circles - the Rev. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray. women who serve at both Federal, State, county and He received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Rev. local government employees. May 8th is Victory Murray’s life and work exemplifies the commitment, in Europe Day held in remembrance of the day in courage and leadership exhibited by him throughout 1945 when Germans in Europe surrounded the Allies his career, military, professionally and otherwise. The marking the end of World War II in Europe. May 11th 2018 theme for African American Heritage Month is set aside as a day to honor Military Spouses was “African Americans in Times of War”. This year marks the 51st anniversary of the Vietnam with ceremonies and activities. This recognizes the War and Medal of Honor Recognition. It is important important role military families play in keeping the US strong and safe. May 19th is celebrated as Armed to note that in 1999 Senator John McCain introduced Forces Day when US citizens thank the US Military for legislation to designate the month of May as National its patriotic service to the United States and honor all Military Appreciation Month (NMAM). Both the serving in all branches of the US Military – the Army, Air Senate and House of Representatives adopted force, Coast Guards, Marines, and the Navy. Prior to resolutions calling for Americans to recognize and this is Armed Forces Week which leads up to Armed honor U.S. Service Members during NMAM. The Forces Day. This followed on May 28th by Memorial President also issues a proclamation calling on the Day, a Federal holiday in the US usually marked on the people of the United States to observe NMAM. On March 29, 2017, the President signed the Vietnam last Monday in May. It is a day that commemorates the War Recognition Act into law, designating March 29 men and women who died while serving the military. In fact the efforts and contributions of veterans as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The Black Business Association, in collaboration are too numerous to mention. Many organizations, with the National Association of Black Veterans government, public, private, non-profit take the honor of veterans very seriously; in fact veterans are given (NABVET), will host a special luncheon on November priority in a lot of considerations. For instance, on 9, 2018, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of May 24th in Los Angeles, California — The Black Veteran’s Day which was instituted in 1918 to mark Business Association (BBA), the oldest ethnic the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice which business organization in the State of California, will ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied host the “2018 Veterans Procurement & Business nations and Germany. Veteran’s Day in the United States annually falls on Conference” at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, 1816 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015. This year’s theme November 11th. Veterans are honored and thanked is “From the Battlefield to Business, Veterans are for their services to the United States through special Diversity in Action”. This conference, presented in events and fan fare, from the exhibition of the red, white collaboration with the Los Angeles Regional Small and blue colors on homes, restaurants, streets and Business Administration (SBA), the National public and private places. It honors military personnel Association of Black Veterans (NABVETS), and the who served the United States of America in wars and California Council for Veteran Affairs, is FREE to most especially living veterans.  Resource: National Association of Black Veterans veterans and minority business owners. www.nabvets.com The BBA and its collaborating partners have provided

ON VETERAN'S DAY

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Business

www.ustda.gov




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



Tao of Twitter

Welcome to More.

by Mark W. Schaefer

Open the door to a hotel you don’t just visit. You own it.

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ll new for 2018! The Tao of Twitter is the world's bestselling guide to Twitter. Whether you're a beginner or have enjoyed the platform for years, you're bound to learn new insights and ideas from this book. This allnew edition includes: • Secrets to building influence on Twitter • The formula behind every Twitter business success • 25 ways build an audience that wants to connect to you • Content strategies, time savers, and inside tips • 50 ways to use Twitter as a competitive advantage

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

You're busy and don't have time to decipher the confusing world of Twitter. This fun and easy book will ignite your journey toward social media influence and business success!  www.amazon.com/dp/B076CXSXYB/ ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_ encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 83  May 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819



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Mother's Day

OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION



Community/Public Interest

Serving Up Tennis to Inner City Youth By Rory Carroll

U.S. Open Champion Sloane Stephens teaches tennis to 400 elementary students at a workshop in Compton, Calif. April 12, 2018 © Lucy Nicholson

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.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens recently unveiled refurbished tennis courts at a school in impoverished Compton, California, the latest in an ongoing effort by the African American player to expand the reach of the sport to minorities. Four hundred elementary and middle school students joined the world number nine for a tennis lesson on a sun-soaked day on the crisp blue courts, which were paid for by Stephens' foundation (http:// sloanestephens.com/foundation) and the Compton Unified School District. Standing amid the children in a city where more than a quarter of residents live in poverty, Stephens told Reuters that to expose inner city kids to the game requires engaging directly with the neighborhoods that need it most. "We have to go into communities that are underprivileged and under-served and introduce tennis to them," Stephens said.

"It's very hands on and it's not easy. But to get into a school district like Compton, where there are a lot of minorities, is perfect because you give everyone the opportunity to play," added the Florida native who trains in nearby Carson. "It's a lot of reach without having to go really far." Compton is already etched into tennis history as the place where Serena and Venus Williams learned the game from their father Richard in the mid-1990s in lessons that were sometimes interrupted by the sound of nearby gunfire. With courts in the works at Compton's Manuel Dominguez High School and Compton High School, Stephens said the tennis transformation taking place could be an example for other communities where basketball and football are dominant. "We've redone schools, we've done black tops, we've done everything imaginable to try help the schools give the kids the opportunity to be able to play." "You can do it anywhere so long as you have someone that is committed," she added. Stephens also praised the United States Tennis Association's Net Generation, which helps connect underprivileged youth with free tennis lessons, courts and equipment and helped organize Thursday's event. Stephens, whose father played pro football and mother was an all-American swimmer, said the sport has been good to her and said she wants members of the next generation to have that experience too. "I've gotten to travel the world, met amazing people, and I've gotten to do a lot with my life," she said. "Tennis has given me that opportunity and just to be able to give that opportunity to one kid - it's life changing."  http://thesource.com/2018/03/20/roc-nationannounces-investment-in-anti-incarceration-program/

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Community/Public Interest

Black Classic Press Celebrates 40th Anniversary www.blackclassicbooks.com/40thanniversary-celebration

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ounded in 1978, Black Classic Press is devoted to publishing obscure and significant works by and about people of African descent. We specialize in republishing works that are out of print and quite often out of memory. We began publishing because we wanted to extend the memory of what we believe are important books that have helped in meaningful ways to shape the Black diasporic experience and our understanding of the world. In 1978, when we started publishing, three elders were inspirations and gave their support - John G. Jackson, John Henrik Clarke and Yosef ben-Jochannan. We are informed by the examples of these three giants. Each of these elders contributed in their own special way to our publishing efforts. John G. Jackson was steadfast that we should publish the works of Stanley Lane-Poole and Gerald Massey. He was thrilled to write the introduction for The Moors in Spain. He saw Lane-Poole's work as seminal, and Massey's work as a critical foundation for understanding African history. Brother Jackson also encouraged us to republish the original edition of Introduction to African Civilizations, a book he co-authored in 1937 with Willis Huggins.

John G. Jackson made his transition and became an ancestor in 1993. Another tremendous supporter was John Henrik Clarke. He liked the idea of Black Classic Press, and acknowledged the value and importance of our efforts on numerous occasions. In addition to directing us to books for republication, he also assisted us by writing introductions and authoring titles for the press. Dr. Clarke was a warrior, and a scholar. He made his transition and became an ancestor in 1998. The books we publish today are a celebration of his legacy. Just as important to BCP is Yosef ben-Jochannan. My relationship with Dr. Ben began in the early 1970s. At that time I was a bookseller, and sold all of his books, then published by Alkebulan Book Associates. His books have revolutionized the way Black people relate to African and the Nile Valley. For years he was his own editor and financed the publishing of his books from lecture fees and his salary. Working most often by himself, or at times with a trusted assistant, such as Prof. George Simmonds, he researched, typed and illustrated all of his books. Most of the elaborate pen and ink

drawings found in his books of the temples, pyramids and maps of the Nile Valley are his illustrations. Dr. Ben made his transition on March 19, 2015 at the age of 96. The works of John G. Jackson, John Henrik Clarke and Yosef benJochannan are included on this site. I am strongly convinced that any library of Black books is incomplete without their works. I encourage you to embrace our elders and reward yourself by ordering their books. Their contributions are many and we are forever grateful.  W. Paul Coates www.blackclassicbooks.com/about-us See page 141 for new publication announcement

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


Community/Public Interest

NASA High School Competition: All-Female, All-Black Team Target of 4chan Hackers By Gianluca Mezzofiore

boys instead, using anonymous privacy software to hack the voting system. Some /pol/ users posted racist insults and urged members to spread the campaign to other 4chan boards. NASA said in a statement to CNN it had to "end public voting to protect the integrity of the results" after hackers attempted to

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hree black teenagers came up with an innovative way to clean lead-contaminated drinking water in public schools -- an idea so smart it made the finals of NASA's coveted nationwide high-school science competition. But when NASA opened the contest to online voting, users from 4chan, the image-based online bulletin board, launched a campaign to hack the results, forcing NASA to shut down the voting. It's a disheartening speed bump in the otherwise inspiring story of Mikayla Sharrieff, India Skinner and Bria Snell, three 11th graders at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington, D.C. The trio -- the only all-female, all-black group in the finals -- engineered a filter that purifies drinking water in old public-school buildings by detecting impurities such as chlorine, copper, and bromine. "In older structured homes and buildings, lead pipes have been an issue in the media. In D.C. they're currently renovating many public schools," they said in a statement. "As a result, we have a mission to be a part of the community activism and history in the making. Our water filtration system can help aid in that mission." After the nomination, the Banneker students started campaigning on social media to attract support for their project in the public voting stage. "Public voting starts today and we need YOUR vote! We are the only team from the east coast & female minority group!" Sharrieff said in an April 23 tweet. "Hidden figures in the making," Snell tweeted, a reference to the 2016 movie "Hidden Figures," the unsung true story of African-American female mathematicians who worked at NASA in the golden era of space exploration. However, some users of 4chan's "politically incorrect" board (abbreviated as /pol/), where hoaxes and conspiracy theories often originate, complained the teens were getting a lot of votes because they were black and spearheaded an effort to torpedo their campaign. A CNN analysis of 4chan/pol/ uncovered several threads urging users to vote for a team of teenage

© Courtesy Inclusive Innovation Incubator

change the vote totals. "NASA continues to support outreach and education for all Americans, and encourages all of our children to reach for the stars." On Twitter the students have posted NASA's statement on the voting, along with a message thanking people for their support. NASA said it has an accurate record of the voting results before the disruption occurred. A panel of judges this month will choose the winners, who will be invited to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland for two days of workshops with scientists and astronauts. Each winning team will also receive $4,000. The three teens were coached and helped with their project by mentors at the Inclusive Innovation Incubator in Washington, a community space which combines science, technology and social inclusion. The Incubator said in a statement to CNN that the students are seeing "positive outcomes" for the NASA challenge, despite the attempts to corrupt the results. "The ladies are ecstatic about the experience and opportunity the NASA challenge provided," it said. "While it is true they had amazing community support in the popular public voting, the challenge is focused on the delivery of the scientific exploration ... Win or lose -- the girls met their goals and will wish the final winner congratulations."  www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nasa-high-schoolcompetition-all-female-all-black-team-target-of-4chanhackers/ar-AAwHrAI?ocid=spartandhp

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Community/Public Interest

Museum Memorializing Black Lynching Victims Opens in Montgomery, Alabama By The Charleston Chronicle

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he National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum has opened to teach American history never published in textbooks. The museum is a memorial to the documented 4,400 AfricanAmericans murdered in terrorist lynchings, which included beatings, drownings and being burned at the stake by Whites between 1877

and 1950 in 12 Southern States including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Their names are engraved on duplicate sets of columns, two for each county where a lynching was documented. Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) initially reported

that 3,959 African-Americans were victims of terrorist lynchings in the 12 states but added to the number as more victims became known. The lynchings forced Blacks to flee in terror from the South to the North. “Black people living in Oakland, California, Chicago, and New York are refugees from terror. They fled the South to escape lynching,” said Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, which had the museum constructed to pull the wraps off an untold story of America’s history. The story will make some Blacks as well as Whites uncomfortable and even angry. Historically, however, lynchings entertained some Whites. Some made a day of it, attending with picnic baskets. The museum, which is located in Montgomery.

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Sculpture depicting slave trade at the entrance of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice ©Guardian News

Sculpture depicting slave trade at the entrance of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice ©Guardian News Alabama, the state’s capital and one-time seat of the Confederacy, was founded by The Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit advocacy organization based in Montgomery. EJI published “Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror.” Since the report’s release, EJI has supplemented its original research by documenting racial terror lynchings in states outside the Deep South. Lynchings, for example, occurred in Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia and Nebraska. On June 15, 1920, a mob dragged Elias Clayton, Elmer

Jackson and Isaac McGhie, employees of the John Robinson Circus, from their jail cells and lynched them for allegedly raping Irene Tusken, a 19-year-old, although Dr. David Graham’s examination of Tusken found no evidence of sexual assault. That information did not prevent newspapers from publishing numerous stories about the alleged rape. The story about the lynchings is told in the 1979 book “The Lynchings in Duluth,” by Michael Fedo. A photo of the three men who had been lynched was made into postcards at the time and shown throughout Duluth. Bob Dylan’s song “Desolation

Row” recalls the lynching. Dylan was born in Duluth but grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota. Future Academy Award winning actor Henry Fonda witnessed the 1919 lynching of Will Brown in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, when he was a boy. Fonda was born in 1905. White terrorists burned Brown, a 40-year-old meat-packing worker, at the stake for allegedly raping a white woman. “It was the most horrendous sight I’d ever seen… My hands were wet and there were tears in my eyes. All I could think of was that young

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see page 92


National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum in Mo from page 91

Soil from lynching sites. The names of the victims are written on the jars

black man dangling at the end of a rope,” Fonda said. EJI also released a study about Black military veterans targeted for lynching. The report’s title is “Lynching in America: Targeting Black Veterans.” It builds on EJI’s 2015 report, “Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror.” More than 90% of terrorist lynching victims were black men, and some of the victims were boys as young as 12 and 13, Stevenson told NorthStar News Today.com and BlackmansStreet.Today in 2015. The study noted that at least 800 more African-Americans were murdered in lynchings than had been previously reported. The report focuses on racial terrorist lynching, which Whites, including

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ontgomery, Alabama

the police, elected officials, ordinary citizens and federal bureaucrats participated in the murders or condoned them to enforce Jim Crow laws and racial segregation. Terror victims were murdered without being accused of any crime; they were killed for minor social transgressions, including bumping a White person, wearing their military uniforms after World War I and not using the appropriate title to address a White person. For example, General Lee, a Black man, was lynched in 1904 by a White mob in Reevesville, Ga., for knocking on the door of a White woman’s home. In 1919, a white mob in Blakely, Ga., lynched

Bryan Stevenson lectures.org

William Little, a soldier returning from World War I, for refusing to take off his uniform. And in 1916, White men lynched Jeff Brown in Cedarbluff, Miss., for accidentally bumping into a White girl as he ran to catch a train. Thousands of volunteers for EJI have collected soil from over 300 lynching sites as part of the organization’s Community Remembrance Project. The jars of soil are exhibited at EJI. Each jar bears the name of a man, woman, or child lynched in America, as well as the date and location of the lynching. Work on the memorial began in 2010 when EJI staff began investigating thousands of racialterror lynchings in the South, many of which had never been documented. This research ultimately produced the first report. There is an admission fee and fees to attend other museum events. During the museum’s opening week, speakers will include Michelle Alexander, author of the book “The New Jim Crow,” former Vice President Al Gore, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D. NJ), and Ray Hinton, who spent nearly 30 years on Alabama’s death row for a crime he did not commit. The museum also is hosting a concert featuring Common and Usher.  www.charlestonchronicle. net/2018/05/01/museummemorializing-black-lynchingvictims-opens-in-montgomeryalabama/

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Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Donald McKayle, Pioneering choreographer and UC Irvine Professor, Dies at 87 By Anita Gates

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onald McKayle, one of the first choreographers to weave the African American experience into the fabric of modern dance and the first black man to direct and choreograph a Broadway musical (“Raisin”), died ecently at a hospital near his home in Irvine. He was 87. His wife, Lea Vivante McKayle, confirmed the death. He was a professor of dance at UC Irvine for almost 30 years. McKayle had been working on Broadway for more than two decades when he achieved his triumph with “Raisin,” a musical based on “A Raisin in the Sun,” Lorraine Hansberry’s classic drama about a black family struggling with loss, change and identity in midcentury Chicago. © Provided by Hearst Communications, Inc In this Jan. 25, 2012 photo Clive Barnes, in his New York provided by the University of California, Irvine, Donald McKayle watches Times review of the production, a dancer in a studio on the campus of the UCI. McKayle, a modern suggested that the musical was dancer and choreographer who brou… even more evocative than the play, and compared McKayle to the star choreographer Heritage Foundation’s original list of America’s 100 Jerome Robbins. “Mr. McKayle comes to the musical theater as a “irreplaceable dance treasures.” Long before his Broadway successes, though, his ranking choreographer,” Barnes wrote, “but also like Mr. Robbins, his skill with actors must now be work was well known to the New York dance world; at least two of his works are considered modern classics. unquestioned.” In 1951, when McKayle was barely of age, “Games” The show won the 1974 Tony Award for best musical, and McKayle was nominated for both his had its premiere at Hunter College Playhouse (now roles — as director of a cast led by Joe Morton and as the Kaye Playhouse). It depicted urban children at play in streets coursing with an undercurrent of fear, choreographer. They were not his first Tony nominations — the first and was distinguished by its being performed without was for “Golden Boy,” with Sammy Davis Jr., in 1965 any orchestral music: The dance was set to a cappella — and they would not be his last: He received two songs and chants associated with childhood games. When McKayle’s “Rainbow ’Round My Shoulder” more, for “Doctor Jazz” in 1975 and for “Sophisticated opened in 1959, few New York dance lovers had ever Ladies,” which was his original concept, in 1981. McKayle received more than a score of other seen a chain gang represented onstage before. A awards and fellowships, including a spot on the Dance line of bare-chested men, sometimes holding hands

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


flickr.com and sometimes intertwining their arms, as if chained together, lamented their imprisonment and dreamed of the cherished women in their lives. In 2016, when the work was part of Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance season at Lincoln Center, it received a Bessie Award for best revival. Donald Cohen McKayle was born in Manhattan on July 6, 1930, the younger of two sons of Philip McKayle and the former Eva Cohen, both born in Jamaica. When his children were small, the elder McKayle worked as a maintenance man for a while at the Copacabana; as World War II approached, he became an aviation mechanic. Donald’s mother did some work in the garment industry, then went back to school to become a medical assistant. Dance was a part of the McKayles’ life in their Harlem neighborhood, crowded with West Indian immigrants. Donald remembered going with his parents to the Renaissance Ballroom and watching his father pretend to dance on the job, wearing steel-wool pads on his feet as he mopped the floor. But it was modern dance that entranced the young man. It was a dance concert with Pearl Primus, another pioneer in introducing

African and Caribbean dance to Americans, that sealed the deal. “I want to dance like her,” he announced to a friend that night. And from then on he considered himself a dancer. Without any formal training, he received, in 1947, a scholarship to the New Dance Group, a company dedicated to promoting social change. Three years later he was on Broadway, part of the ensemble in the musical revue “Bless You All,” with Pearl Bailey as headliner. (He attended City College of New York but dropped out in his sophomore year.) McKayle’s career spanned seven decades. In 1994, San Francisco Ballet premiered his work “Gumbo YaYa,” which remains in the company repertory. His last work, “Crossing the Rubicon: Passing the Point of No Return,” addressed the plight of immigrants and was performed last year by the Etude Ensemble at UC Irvine. Although he formally retired from the university in 2010, he continued to teach and to work with the ensemble. McKayle worked in film and television as well, choreographing movies like the animated classic “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971) and the remake of “The Jazz Singer” (1980), starring Neil Diamond, and earning an Emmy nomination for “Minstrel Man” (1977). He also did the choreography for Marlo Thomas’ landmark TV special “Free to Be ... You and Me” (1974). The screen was not his favorite place, however. When Norman Lear, the king of socially conscious 1970s television, offered him a job as director of his newest series, “Good Times,” a “Maude” spinoff starring Esther Rolle, McKayle accepted, but hesitantly. He directed three episodes. After that, he had to take time off because of an illness in his wife’s family, and he never returned. His last Broadway contribution was to the revue “It Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues,” starring Gregory Hines, in 1999. In addition to his wife of almost 53 years, whom he had met in Israel when she was his dance student, McKayle’s survivors include two daughters, Liane McKayle and Gabrielle McKayle, both from his first marriage, to Esta Beck; a son, Guy; and two grandchildren. In a 2008 interview with the publication Backstage, McKayle was asked what his advice would be for young dancers. “Work in as many areas as you can,” he suggested. “The more colors you have on your palette, the more you have to work with, and the more you can aspire to.”  www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/donald-mckayle-pioneeringchoreographer-and-uc-irvine-professor-dies-at-87/ar-AAvMpIl

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


Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Chicago Chef, Author Judson Allen, of Taste 222, Dies

Reggie Lucas, Miles Davis Guitarist and Madonna Producer, Dead at 65

ABC7News

By Daniel Kreps

C

hicago c h e f J u d s on Todd Allen, who was the culinary lead at Taste 222 in the Fulton River District, has died, according to a tweet by the restaurant on May 5th. Allen was a celebrity chef who was Judson Todd Allen judsontoddallen.com Steve Harvey's personal chef and author of "The Spice Diet," which talked about he utilized spices to lose 160 pounds. In January, Allen talked with ABC7 about how he worked with Harvey to help him lose weight. Allen had said that Taste 222 was a vision of Don Thompson, a former CEO of McDonalds, who is now the CEO of Taste222 (www. taste222chicago.com). According to his Facebook bio, Allen also was CEO/ founder of Healthy Infused Cuisine. He lived in Oak Park and was a graduate of Chicago High School for Agriculture Sciences, as well as the University of Illinois Chicago and DePaul University's graduate business school. See book review on page 147. 

R

eggie Lucas, the Grammy-winning musician who played guitar for Miles Davis and later penned and produced some of Madonna's earliest hits, died Saturday at the age of 65. L u c a s ' daughter Lisa confirmed her father's death to Rolling Stone, adding that he died of complications from heart d i s e a s e . "Reggie Lucas, my adored and beloved father, passed away early this morning Reggie Lucas judsontoddallen.com

http://abc7chicago.com/food/chicago-chef-author-judson-allen-oftaste-222-dies/3433872/ www.amazon.com/dp/B0711H8V76/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_ encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

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

at the age of 65. He made beautiful music, a beautiful family, a beautiful life and I will miss him every single day that I live on this earth," Lisa Lucas t w e e t e d earlier in the day. As an 18-year-old


guitarist in New York City, Lucas was recruited to join Miles Davis' band in 1972. "It was real simple," Lucas told The Fader of his audition. "Miles said,'You wanna be in my band, motherf---er?' And I immediately said yeah." During his five-year tenure in Davis' band, Lucas would appear on the live recordings that formed Davis' jazz-funk trilogy Dark Magus, Pangaea and Agharta, as well as the saxophonist's classic 1972 album On the Corner and a handful of Get Up On It tracks, including "Rated X, "He Loved Him Madly" and "Mtume." The latter track was named after percussionist James Mtume, who formed the group Mtume with Lucas after their tenure in Davis' band. Together, Lucas and Mtume wrote Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's "The Closer I Get to You" and Stephanie Mills' 1980 hit "Never Knew Love Like This Before," which won the 1981 Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Performance. Following his 1978 solo LP Survival Themes and his Sunfire collaboration in 1982, Lucas entered the studio with Madonna in 1983 to record the up-and-coming singer's self-titled debut album. "When Warner Brothers called me about working

with Madonna, I was the big score," Lucas told Rolling Stone in 2013. "It seems ridiculous in retrospect, but I was an established professional and she was a nobody. I met with her at a tiny little apartment she had in the Lower East Side. I thought she was vivacious and sexy and interesting, and had a lot of energy." Lucas wrote and produced one of Madonna's biggest hits, "Borderline," and produced six of the album's eight songs, including "Lucky Star" and "Burning Up." "'Borderline' has a stylistic similarity to 'Never Knew Love Like This Before,' Lucas told Rolling Stone for the 30th anniversary of Madonna. "This was the first record I ever used a drum machine instead of a drummer. And the bass on 'Borderline' is an ARP 2600 synthesizer, but the great Anthony Jackson – who did that intro on the O'Jays' 'For the Love of Money' – is playing along on an electric bass guitar, and they're playing so tight you can't tell the difference." Over the course of his career, Lucas also worked with artists like the Four Tops, the Spinners and Lou Rawls.  https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/reggie-lucasmiles-davis-guitarist-and-madonna-producer-dead-at-65/arAAxw3qS?ocid=spartandhp

Africa Innovation Summit

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

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

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


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

• • • • •

• • •

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

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

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


International

http://usafricayes.com

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


International

South Africa to Send Government Delegation to PUSH Convention in June 2018

A

day after attending the state funeral of his longtime friend, Winnie MadikizelaMandela – “the mother of the nation” – Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., met South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa meets with Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. privately with the head of the country, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa have known each other for years. Rev. Still wearing the green t-shirts they donned before Jackson first visited South Africa in 1979, during some leading thousands of people here in the blazing morning of the darkest days of apartheid. sun on a “going green” environmental awareness walk, “I first met President Ramaphosa when he headed Rev. Jackson and President Ramaphosa huddled on the federation of labor and was a strong anti-apartheid Sunday at the end of the route to discuss economic activist,” Rev. Jackson said. “He never left South Africa, development and strengthening ties between the he stayed in the eye of the struggle. Now he is the United States and South Africa. head of state. He worked his way through the ranks, “President Ramaphosa has a real commitment to from labor to business to now.” expanding and democratizing economic opportunity,” Before their meeting Sunday, the African American Rev. Jackson said. “We will be working together more civil rights icon and the president of Africa’s most closely.” powerful nation led hundreds of people – black, President Ramaphosa will send “a strong delegation” white and Indian – through the streets of this formerly from the South African government to Chicago for the segregated township on a walk, honoring the memory 47th Annual Rainbow PUSH Coalition International of Mahatma Gandhi. Convention, June 13 through June 16. As people waved small South African flags at the Rev. Jackson, the founder and president of the starting line of the 33rd annual “Gandhi Walk,” Rev. Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and President Jackson reminded the crowd that Dr. Martin Luther 100 May 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819


because he had been to the country so many times and had stood with “generations” of South Africans in the long struggle against apartheid. She said he was one of “the individuals who paved the way for a free South Africa.” Rev. Jackson told the roomful of business owners and executives that when he first visited South Africa, the only blacks he saw in the airport were pushing brooms or slinging mops. “We never turned South Africa loose because it’s so much like South Carolina,” Rev. Jackson said, referring to his native state. “I grew up in apartheid, too. We called it segregation.”

sabcnews.com

King, Jr., had been a disciple of Gandhi’s nonviolent tactics and philosophy, adding, “We will march until justice is done and freedom won.” “We thank God,” he said, “for a new and noble South Africa. Let nothing break your spirit. Keep hope alive.” Later Sunday evening, Rev. Jackson was the special guest at a dinner hosted by an organization of South African entrepreneurs and business executives, Kingdom Business Network. The theme of the evening was, “Entrepreneurship as a form of social activism.” The group’s leader, Faith Mangope, said the goal of the organization is to help its members “go from survival to success, from success to significance.” As she introduced Rev. Jackson, Mangope said she was surprised that the two-time American presidential candidate did not also have a South African passport

Rainbow PUSH Coalition

Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a multi-racial, multi-issue, progressive, international organization that was formed in December 1996 by the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. through merging of two organizations he founded Operation PUSH People United to Serve Humanity (estab. 1971) and the Rainbow Coalition (estab. 1984). With headquarters in Chicago and offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Oakland, the organization works to make the American Dream a reality for all citizens while advocating for peace and justice around the world. RPC is dedicated to improving the lives of all people by serving as a voice for the voiceless. Its mission is to protect, defend and gain civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields while promoting peace and justice around the world. Get Informed & Be Social with PUSH! 

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

www.rainbowpush.or


International

Ethiopian Airlines’ Dreamliners to Fly Non-Stop Chicago to Addis Ababa By Ben Mutzabaugh

C

hicago has become one of the newest dots on Ethiopian Airlines' global flight map. The carrier is set to begin flying from O’Hare International Airport on June 10, offering three flights a week to its hub near Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa. The flight from Chicago is scheduled for 13 hours, 45 minutes and will be the only non-stop service connecting Chicago to Africa. The return Chicago-bound flight stops in Dublin on its way

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from Addis Ababa. Ethiopian will use Boeing 787-8 “Dreamliners” for the flights. Ethiopian says Chicago customers will be able to connect via Addis Ababa to more than 55 destinations across Africa. Chicago O’Hare will become the fourth U.S. destination for Ethiopian, which has flown to the U.S. since 1998. Its other U.S. gateways are Newark Liberty, Los Angeles and Washington Dulles. "We will be filling a critical air connectivity vacuum as our

flights will be the only direct service between Chicago and Africa," Ethiopian CEO Tewolde Gebremariam says in a statement. "Chicago is the main hub of our Star Alliance partner, United Airlines, and the flight will be operated together with United to avail the best product for travelers from all over the U.S. connecting to more than 55 destinations in Africa."  www.usatoday.com/story/travel/ flights/todayinthesky/2018/04/06/ ethiopian-airlines-dreamliners-flychicago/492394002/

Africa Day

bserved in Africa and around the world, Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963. Today, the OAU is known as the African Union (AU). Check in your region for celebratory events and programs. 102 May 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819


Swaziland Has Changed Its Name to 'eSwatini' By Sebastian Modak

King Mswati III sahistory.org.za

T

here are some things only an absolute monarch can get away with—like changing the name of the country you

rule with a single pronouncement. On Thursday, King Mswati III of the tiny southern African nation of Swaziland did just that at a celebration of the country's Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years since it achieved its independence from Britain. Swaziland, the king announced, will now be known as eSwatini. The new name translates to "land of the Swazi" in the local Swati language—so, basically, the same thing the old name meant, but without the portmanteau of English and Swati the British used when they ruled the country from 1903 to 1968. The king said the name switch is a break with the country's colonial past: Other countries in the region similarly changed their names upon achieving independence (Bechuanaland became Botswana, Nyasaland became Malawi, and Rhodesia became Zimbabwe).

"African countries on getting independence reverted to their ancient names before they were colonized. So from now on, the country will be officially be known as the Kingdom of eSwatini," the king, who is sometimes referred to simply as Ngenyama (or "the lion"), said in a speech at a stadium in Manzini, about 25 miles from the capital, Mbabane, Agence FrancePresse reports. He also said the move comes as a way to avoid confusion with another nation very far away: "Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland," King Mswati said. As the BBC reports, the king has actually referred to his dominion as eSwatini several times before, including during remarks made to the United Nations last fall. But this, a simple announcement from Africa's last remaining absolute monarch, makes it official. While some welcome the change, others note it's not where the king's priorities should be, according to the BBC. Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world (around 27% of its population of 1.3 million) and the king has been criticized internationally for human rights violations, including discrimination against women and the banning of all political dissent. Still, even an autocrat has to navigate a good deal of bureaucracy when instituting a change like this. A number of overhauls will have to be made, including changing the constitution, amending its currency where the "Central Bank of Swaziland" is displayed prominently, and renaming government institutions, including the military.  www.cntraveler.com/story/ swaziland-just-changed-its-nameto-eswatini?mbid=nl_042018_ Daily&CNDID=38890654&secondary_link=2&sp MailingID=13357842&spUserID=MTQ5NTc0OT AyMDYxS0&spJobID=1381815172&spReportId =MTM4MTgxNTE3MgS2

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



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:

J

Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!

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

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

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

land should be excluded from African affairs.

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

www.uniteafricans.org


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OXOSI

is an online platform for the best contemporary brands from Africa and around the world. The Studio: 73 Spring St, Suite 203, NYC Email: usa@oxosi.com to shop with a member of our styling team. email: ask@oxosi.com phone: +1 646 661 7732


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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

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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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124  May 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

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

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

generations ago and many that have opened recently. The restaurants included were selected based on a variety of factors, including historical significance, consistency and quality of the food, the impact the Yo’ Mama’s Restaurant – Birmingham restaurant has had on restaurants fail within the first year. its neighborhood and the Black-owned restaurateurs face value for the price, but the even greater challenges like lack goal of this list is to serve as of funding and resistance in certain a reminder that black people neighborhoods, so when one does are working hard across become successful, it deserves to the United States to share be celebrated. their legacy and culture I’ve set out to find the best through food. Whether it’s black-owned restaurants in every through flavors rooted in the state across America, including American south, cooking restaurants that were founded techniques from Ethiopia and Jamaica, or new culinary concepts, these black-owned restaurants have all earned Rodney Scott’s BBQ – Charleston support and recognition, and they’ve done so by patronizing the Black-owned one plate at a time. Visit all 50 restaurants, food wagons, bakeries, Restaurants, 50 caterers, wineries, breweries, etal States using the link in your town, city and state.  below but, strengthen https://travelnoire.com/theand support the Black best-black-owned-restaurants-inCulinary Industry america-shontel-horne/ SoCo – Brooklyn 127  May 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819


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

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Krispy Kruchy Chicken is in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Los Angeles. Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a cajun-style chicken (bone-in and tenders), served fresh, never frozen and fried in zero trans fat oil. Their menu also includes signature dishes of Traditional Wings; Krispy Wings; Cajun Sweet & Sour Wings; Cajun Tenders; Red Beans and Rice; Jambalaya; Boudin Bites (Cajun rice balls); Krispy Shrimp and Honey Butter Biscuits. For additional information, please call Krispy Kruchy at 1-323-293-3332 or visit www. krispykrunchy.com. 131  May 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!

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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!


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


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! 135  May 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819


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

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e can cater for any event or party. We offer custom packaging for all of our cookies and pies to suit any need. Cookie platters also available. Corporate gifts, company parties, restaurants looking to outsource pastries, we're here for you. The menu: Turtle Cookies, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal, Butter Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin, Brownies, Snickerdoodle, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Ginger Cookies, Vegan Brownies, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip, Sweet Potato Pie, and Fruit Pies (apple, cherry, blueberry or peach). Visit www.notjustcookies.com for online shopping, store locations, shipping and catering details. Talk to us by calling: 1-800-833-4541 or send NJC an inquiry at: info@ notjustcookies.net. 136  May 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

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



www.wosa.us www.winetalkwithmarcia.com

http://aaavintners.org

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


https://amarula.com

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

https://unclenearest.com

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


Eso Won Books

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

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

1-323-294-0324

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

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



Books to Consider

Books to Consider...

Locking Up Our Own: Crime

and Punishment in Black America

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by James Forman, Jr.

n recent years, America’s criminal justice system has become the subject of an increasingly urgent debate. Critics have assailed the rise of mass incarceration, emphasizing its disproportionate impact on people of color. As James Forman, Jr., points out, however, the war on crime that began in the 1970s was supported by many African A m e r i c a n leaders in the nation’s urban centers. In Locking Up Our Own, he seeks to understand why. Forman shows us that the first substantial cohort of black mayors, judges, and police chiefs took office amid a surge in crime and drug addiction. Many prominent black officials, including Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry and federal prosecutor Eric Holder, feared that the gains of the civil rights movement were being undermined by lawlessness—and thus embraced tough-on-crime measures, including longer sentences and aggressive police tactics. In the face of skyrocketing murder rates and the proliferation of open-air drug markets, they believed they had no choice. But the policies they adopted would have devastating consequences for residents of poor black neighborhoods. A former D.C. public defender, Forman tells riveting

stories of politicians, community activists, police officers, defendants, and crime victims. He writes with compassion about individuals trapped in terrible dilemmas—from the men and women he represented in court to officials struggling to respond to a public safety emergency. Locking Up Our Own enriches our understanding of why our society became so punitive and offers James Forman, Jr. important lessons to anyone concerned about the future of race and the criminal justice system in this country.  www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1JHFJA/ref=dp-kindleredirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston A major literary event: a newly published work from the author of the American classic Their Eyes Were Watching God, with a foreword from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker, brilliantly illuminates the horror and injustices of slavery as it tells the true story of one of the last-known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade— abducted from Africa on the last "Black Cargo" ship to arrive in the United States.

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n 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview eighty-sixyear-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children Zora Neale Hurston lifo.gr

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


transported from Africa to America as slaves, Cudjo was then the only person alive to tell the story of this integral part of the nation’s history. Hurston was there to record Cudjo’s firsthand account of the raid that led to his capture and bondage fifty years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States. In 1931, Hurston returned to Plateau, the African-centric community three miles from Mobile founded by Cudjo and other former slaves from his ship. Spending more than three months there, she talked in depth with Cudjo about the details of his life. During those weeks, the young writer and the elderly formerly enslaved man ate peaches and watermelon that grew in the backyard and talked about Cudjo’s past— memories from his childhood in Africa, the horrors of being captured and held in a barracoon for selection by American slavers, the harrowing experience of the Middle Passage packed with more than 100 other souls aboard the Clotilda, and the years he spent in slavery until the end of the Civil War. Based on those interviews, featuring Cudjo’s unique vernacular, and written from Hurston’s perspective with the compassion and singular style that have made her one of the preeminent American authors of the twentieth-century, Barracoon masterfully illustrates the tragedy of slavery and of one life forever defined by it. Offering insight into the pernicious legacy that continues to haunt us all, black and white, this poignant and powerful work is an invaluable contribution to our shared history and culture. See related story on page 32.  www.amazon.com/Barracoon-Story-Last-BlackCargo/dp/0062748203/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_ encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

The Spice Diet:

Fight Cravings and Win the Weight-Loss Battle by Judson Todd Allen Celebrity chef Judson Todd Allen presents the diet that helped him lose 160 pounds, featuring 60 guilt-free recipes packed with powerhouse flavor created especially for THE SPICE DIET.

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h e n Steve Harvey wanted to get camera-ready before his hit television show launched, he turned to Chef Judson Todd Allen to help him. While enjoying the flavorful food Chef Judson prepared, Steve Harvey lost 30 pounds and has kept them off. Chef Judson's diet plan is heaven for food lovers. Using the principles of food science, he offers a way to eat that feels indulgent as it satisfies food cravings and reduces appetite. His program will not only help readers break their addiction to unhealthy foods without feeling deprived but will also inspire them to get into the kitchen to prepare irresistable, healthy meals. THE SPICE DIET provides a full weight-loss program that includes meal plans, creative spice blends, easy-toprepare recipes, and a heaping helping of motivation. Chef Allen died on May xx, 2018. See obituary on page 96.  www.amazon.com/dp/B0711H8V76/ref=dp-kindleredirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Use Powerhouse Flavor to 147  May 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819


Books to Consider

Storming The Heavens: African Americans and the Early Flight for the Right to Fly

I

by Dr. Gerald Horne

n Storming the Heavens, Gerald Horne presents the early struggle of African-Americans to gain the right to fly. This struggle involved pioneers like Bessie Coleman, who traveled to World War I era Paris in order to gain piloting skills that she was denied in her U.S. homeland; and John Robinson, from Chicago via Mississippi, who traveled to 1930s Ethiopia where he was the leading pilot for this beleaguered African nation as it withstood an invasion from fascist Italy, became the personal pilot of His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie and became a founder of Ethiopian Airways, which to this very day is Africa's most important carrier. Additionally, Horne adds nuance to the oft told tale of the Tuskegee Airmen but goes further to discuss the role of U.S. pilots during the Korean war in the early 1950s. He also tells the story of how and why U.S. airlines were fought when they began to fly into South Africa—and how planes from this land of apartheid were protested when they landed at U.S. airports. This riveting story climaxes with the launching of the Soviet satellite, Sputnik, in 1957 which marked a new stage in the battle for aerospace and helps to convince the U.S. that the centuries-long fixation on the "race race" was hampering the new challenge represented by the "space race." This conflict was unfolding as the battle to d e s e g re g a t e public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas was s p o t l ig h t i n g , globally, the b l e e d i n g wound that was Jim Crow and sheds light on how and why depriving Dr. Gerald Horne A f r i c a n -

Americans of skills and education was causing the nation to fall behind. Thus, in this embattled context, barriers are broken and AfricanAmericans who once endured inferior conditions on planes and in airports and in airport manufacturing facilities alike, gained added impetus in their decades long struggle to win the right to fly. About the Author, Gerald Horne Dr. Gerald Horne’s research has addressed issues of racism in a variety of relations involving labor, politics, civil rights, international relations and war. He received his Ph.D. in history from Columbia University, his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and his B.A. from Princeton University. Dr. Horne’s undergraduate courses include the Civil Rights Movement an U.S. History through Film. He also teaches graduate courses in Diplomatic History, Labor History and 20th Century African American History. Dr. Horne is the author of more than thirty books.  www.blackclassicbooks.com/all-titles/

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


Resource Vault Media/Information APO (Africa Wire®/MENA Wire®) -- www.apo-opa.com Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content Agency in Africa -- www.africa-interactive.com Africa is a Country -- www.africasacountry.com Africa News & Stories -- http://africatodaytv.com Africa Newsroom -- www.africa-newsroom.com Africa World Now Project -- www.africaworldnowproject.org Africa World Press Books -- www.africaworldpressbooks.com African Trade Magazine -- www.africantrademagazine. com African Vibes Magazine -- www.africanvibes.com The Africapitalist -- www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/ africapitalisminstitute/africapitalist-magazine AfricaFocus -- www.africafocus.org Africast TV -- www.africast.tv The African World -- www.theafricanworld.tv Afritorial -- www.afritorial.com www.facebook.com/Afritorial AllAfrica (news) -- http://allafrica.com Black Wall Street Times -- http://bwstimes.com Black Business News Group -- www.issuu.com/blackbusinessnews 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 Black Twitter -- https://twitter.com/hashtag/blacktwitter Blavity Inc. -- www.blavity.com BridesNoir -- www.bridesnoir.com Cape Up with Jonathan Capehart -- https://itunes.apple. com/us/podcast/cape-up-with-jonathan-capehart/ id1143265842?mt=2 The Chocolate Voice -- www.thechocolatevoice.com CuisineNoir -- www.cuisinenoirmag.com Cybrary -- www.cybrary.it DiasporaVoice -- www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice How Africa, The Rise of Africa -- http://howafrica.com KweliTV -- www.facebook.com/kwelitv Macauhub -- www.facebook.com/Macauhub Publish Africa -- http://wow.gm/publishafrica Red Media Africa -- www.facebook.com/RedMediaAfrica Rock Me Africa -- //rockmeafrica.com YouTube Educational Channels -- http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know United Nations -- http://webtv.un.org WikiHow -- www.wikihow.com World Library -- www.worldlibrary.org

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

Commerce/Entrepreneurship #IAMWANDA -- www.facebook.com/IamWANDAorg African Success Stories -- www.risingafrica.org African Technology Foundation -- www.thea25n.com Black Female Founders -- www.blackfemalefounders. org 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 BlackCEO -- www.facebook.com/groups/blackceo/ Breaux Capital -- www.breauxcapital.com

Culture/Arts 149  May 2018  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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Resource Vault Disrupt Africa -- http://disrupt-africa.com/ The Exchange Magazine -- www.nse.co.ke Harlem Capital -- http://harlem.capital Silicon Harlem -- http://event.siliconharlem.net Ventures -- www.ventures-africa.com

U.S. Government Commerce Department -- www.doc.gov International Trade Administration -- http://trade.gov Minority Business Development Agency -- www.mbda. gov Power Africa -- www.usaid.gov/powerafrica Small Business Administration -- www.sba.gov State Department -- www.dos.gov Trade Africa -- www.usaid.gov/tradeafrica White House -- www.whitehouse.gov

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


BBA 2018 Master Planner May

June

Business Resources for Veterans

Annual Salute to Black Music "The Business Behind the Music"

Corporations, government agencies and non-profit organizations will gather at the Patriotic Hall, 1816 S. Figueroa, Los Angeles, on May 24th from 8am to 2pm to reach out to and share information with veterans who are in business or interested in going into business. This opportunity is conducted in collaboration with the California Council for Veterans, SBA, NABVETS and the Black Business Association.

For registration visit www.suiteevents.com/bba2018vetconference or call 103230291-9334. For more information visit www.bbala.org and call 1-323-291-9334. 

African-American Music Appreciation Month is a commemoration that takes place annually in the United States, throughout the month of June. Black music is a vital facet of American life and commerce, it touches all communities, and it demonstrates the enduring impact African Americans have worldwide. We invite you to join us in honoring those who make black music happen, grow and thrive as a global brand. Past Honorees include: Clarence Avant | Berry Gordy, Jr. | Smokey Robinson | Jheryl Busby | Janet Jackson | Michael Bivins For particiation and sponsorship information visit www.bbala.org and/or call 1-323-291-9334. 

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





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