Nov-Dec 2019 by Black Business News Group

Contents

Black Business News…Novemer/December 2019 3 4

About the Black Business News Group… Publisher's Message

Government 6 8

14 17 22 23

Rep. Waters Speaks to President Trump on the "State of Homelessness in America" Trump Administration Would Violate Law by Allowing 3D Printed Gun Blueprint Distribution, Judge Rules USPS Eyeing Drones for Mail, Package Delivery Byron Allen v. Comcast Case Could Tear Down America’s Oldest 35 and Strongest AntiDiscrimination Law EXIM Supports U.S. Small Business for Electrification Project in Senegal Members of Congressional Black Caucus Visit U.S. / Mexico Border at San Ysidro Cory Booker Bets $100 Billion on Historically Black Colleges and Universities President Obama Attributes the World's Problems to 'old people not getting out of the way'

Editorials/Perspectives 70 74

"Focusing on Freedom with Harriet Tubman: Enduring Advice on Relentless Resistance" President Trump’s War on the Poor

Entertainment 24

42 48

49 50 54 55 60 61 65

Community/Public Interest 81 82

83 84

88 92

BBN Show Biz Buzz

32 34 38

Social Media Updates to Test This Holiday Season This Black Woman Runs the Newest Luxury Yacht Charter Service Facepop Mobil App Takes Messaging to a Higher Lever Harlem Capital Partners with Techstars to Boost Investment in Women-Led, Black-Owned Startups This Black-Owned Juice Bar is Set Up in Whole

Michelle Obama Enlists Stars for 'Voting Squad' The Allstate Foundation and Serena Williams Shine a Spotlight on a Dangerous and Often Overlooked Form of Domestic Violence Barack Obama’s Thanksgiving Message for 2019 Stresses Giving Back The Man Who Killed Trayvon Martin is Suing Trayvon's Mother for $100 Million

Obituary/Memorials

Business 31

Foods Volkswagen Brings Electric Cars to Rwanda for Ride-hailing Service Grammy Winning Rapper Chamillionaire Launches $100,000 Competition for Minorityfounded Start-ups Meet The New Groupon For Black-Owned Businesses $1 Million Prize for Mathmatics Solution - Why are Parachutes such a Problem for Space Travel? The Smartest Corporate Card Why Pulling Out of Amazon Could be the Smartest Decision for Your Brand Tim Berners-Lee Marks Internet’s 50th with "Contract for the Web" Nominate Your Company TODAY! Masks and Photographs can Fool Facial Recognition Technology and That’s A Huge Problem

John Conyers, Longest-serving Black Congressman, Dies at 90 The Rev. Clay Evans, Famed Church Pastor, Civil Rights Icon and Gospel Singer, Dies at 94 Bernard Tyson, CEO and Chairman of Kaiser Permanente, Dies at 60 Literary Scholars Laud the Life and Works of Ernest Gaines Richard Hatcher, Trailblazing Black Mayor Elected in 1960s, Dies at 86

2  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

About

ABOUT THE BLACK BUSINESS NEWS GROUPâ&#x20AC;Ś 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 aďŹ&#x20AC;ecting small businesses across the United States of America (USA), providing guides to greater access to financial capital, management eďŹ&#x192;ciencies, business education, mentorship opportunities and social media networks. The goals of the Black Business News Group include: â&#x20AC;˘

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

â&#x20AC;˘

oďŹ&#x20AC;ering business growth enhancing information on education, exhibitioning, international trading, technology, industry trends, and more.

â&#x20AC;˘

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

â&#x20AC;˘

or providing an aďŹ&#x192;rmative influence for g emerging entrepreneurs by sharing innovative design and creative cul-e tural content that exposes them to the history of black enterprises and urgess them to participate in the USAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fu-ture. 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.

sector MĹ´Ĺ´Z Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2014;Â? ÂŞÂ&#x20AC;ÂźĹ´Ĺ´ G @@ @

<285 /,1. 72 $)5,&

$1 $0(5,&$1

$ 08/7,3/( $:$

g contracting

GV `+p Ĺ´Ĺ´+ ZZe Ĺ´Ĺ´M

%/,&$7,21

Annual Awards Dinner February

Salute to Black Women March

Salute to Black Music June

50th Anniversary Gala

%86,1(66 2:1(56

5' :,11,1* 38

2020 Black Business Association Events

-$18$5<

September

Veterans Procurement & Business Conference November

wÂ&#x2014;Ă&#x153; qÂ&#x2014;Ĺ´ Â&#x20AC;Ă&#x192; wÂ&#x2014;Ă&#x153; qÂ&#x2014;Ĺ´ ÂŞÂ&#x201C;

ď&#x201A;łBlack Business News International ď &#x2018;Black Business News Travel Africa

View back issues at: https://issuu.com/blackbusinessnews Click on FOLLOW to receive all new issues. 98

Bogaletch Gebre, who Fought to End Female Genital Mutilation in Ethiopia, Dies in Los Angeles 100 John Witherspoon, Comedian and Actor Dies at 77

International 106 Jumia, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Amazon of Africa,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; shutters in Cameroon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just before Black Friday 108 British University Appoints History Professor to Examine its Links to Transatlantic Slave Trade 109 Temporary Protective Status Restored 109 New Medical School to Open in 2021, South Africa

Black Business News Group Publications ď &#x192;Black Business News

110 ICE Creates A Fake University And Arrests More Than 250 Foreign Students 111 Death-Defying South African Lauded for Defence of Land and Women 112 5 Successful Startups Proving Africa is the Next Investorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hub

Columns 62 105 119 180 188 190

Take A Look! African Stock Exchanges Shopping Gallery Books to Consider... Resource Vault BBA 2019 Master Planner

3 ď&#x201A;ą November/December 2019 ď&#x201A;ą Black Business News ď&#x201A;ą www.bbala.org ď&#x201A;ą 1-323-291-7819

Publisher's Message

“STAYING ACTIVE - MOVING FORWARD”

s the year and the decade come to an end, we announce that 2020 will be the 50th Year Anniversary of the Black Business Association (www. bbala.org). This publication and the entire product line of the Black Business News Group reflect the depth and Pubisher/Editor-In-Chief breadth of the work of the BBA over the years - working to change the economic, civic and social landscape for the Black community within the USA arena. When you review the history of the USA over the years since the 1950's it is evident that organizations like the BBA have contributed to the remarkable changes that have taken place. Continue to support the BBA and its work as we all stay on the road to advancement - better access to contracting opportunities with government agencies and corporate entities, improved access to business investment and financing, equal access to voting and more. All of the issues are reflected in the pages of the BBNG publications. Follow us at https:// issuu.com/blackbusinessnews and, especially, join in the ongoing campaign for economic and civil rights.

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

On the Passing of John Conyers

nother giant from the '60s civil rights era has passed. Congressman John Conyers who served in local oﬃces in Detroit before serving in the US House of Representatives for over 50 years becoming "the

longest serving black congressman" and the "Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus." A profile of his life of service begins on page 88. Another political and civil rights leader has passed - Mayor Richard Hatcher. In 1967, he was one of the first Blacks elected mayor of a major city - Gary, Indiana. “While deeply saddened by his passing, his family is very proud of the life he lived, including his many contributions to the cause of racial and economic justice and the more than 20 years of service he devoted to the City of Gary," the family added. We also lost one of our leading ministers recently. Rev. Clay Evans, pastor of the Fellowship congregation in Chicago, was a leader in the church community, the spiritual music world and in our struggle for civil rights since the 1960s. Find Rev. Evan's profile on page 92.

Annual Veterans Conference

he Black Business Association (BBA), manager of the Black Business News Group (BBNG) publications, again conducts the Annual Veterans Procurement and Business Conference (page 10) to educate veterans and employers. Veterans often do not know what rights and opportunities are available to them. Potential employers from major corporations to micro operations do not know or recognize the value to their businesses and the community-at-large what benefits may accrue to them from employing or contracting with veterans. Education is a key service of the BBA and the BBNG organizations. The annual Veterans conference represents our commitment to continuing to inform the community. Armed with information our community may continue to move forward and grow economically.

Holiday Shopping/ Eating Out/Marketing

<285 /,1. 72 $)5,&

$1 $0(5,&$1

$ 08/7,3/( $:$5'

President Barack Obama and Rep. John Conyers WordPress.com

ump on the late holidayy marketing bandwagon.. Try out the Facepop app p (page 34) and create a few w direct-to-your customer ads to get them to shop with you this season. Look for the BBN Shopping Gallery publications to show up in your email-box very soon. This year we are issuing

4  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

%86,1(66 2:1(

:,11,1* 38%/,&

$7,21

'(&(0%(5

)Ê¼« ú Z¨ÊÕÕ«Ã¢ # ¼¼ Øú

two guides. We published our 1st guide just for books. If you have a product or service that should be included in the Shopping Gallery for 2020 send us the information at mail@ bbala.org with BBN Shopping Gallery in the Subject area. Preview the products and services in the November/December issue Shopping Gallery that starts on page 119. Use the BBA Show Biz Buzz section (page 24) as a guide to the what's "streaming" this holiday on your cable channels of choice. And, remember, there are so many films featuring black actors in the theatres this season to support (and enjoy). Happy Holidays!!

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

www.bbala.org PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Donald Byers, Jr.

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sarah Harris  Dean L. Jones

ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR

More Stars Join "Voting Squad"

Kim Anthony

ormer FLOTUS Michelle Obama is continuing her national social and community service work by expanding on the "When We All Vote" campaign. The Voting Squad is out to encourage us all to vote and get others to register and vote in 2020. “You’re the only person that can have that conversation with your family and your friends and your girlfriends and even with your community to get them registered and ready to vote. … When we all vote, we can change the world.” And if you have been following the news, you can see that there is a need for a change in the leadership of the USA. See page 81.

Congratulations - Miss Universe 2019 is South African, Miss World is Jamaican

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Linda Ware

PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bene Uche Linda Ware Ralph D. Sutton Timothy Lester, Jr. Veronica Hendrix Giavanna Foster Aman Williams Daniella Masterson LaSandra Stratton

GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris Tia Robinson

STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg Jennifer Marie Hamilton

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx Sabir Narishima Osei

CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR

lack Girl Magic truly ruled beauty pageants this year! On Sunday, Dec. 8th, Miss South Africa, Zozibini Tunzi, was crowned Miss Universe 2019 in Atlanta while on Saturday, Dec. 14th, Jamaica’s Toni-Ann Singh was named Miss World. They join the history-making group that includes Miss America Nia Franklin, Miss USA Cheslie Kryst and Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris, all of whom won their respective pageants this year; it is the first time Black women have simultaneously held these 5 titles.  www.ebony.com/news/south-african-crowned-miss-universesocial-media-goes-crazy-for-black-beauty-queens Image credits: philippineslifestyle.com preview.ph

La Sandra Stratton

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications Copyright © 2019 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.  Cover image: normansenema. com, WordPress.com

www.bbala.org 5  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Government - Civil Rights

Rep. Waters Speaks to President Trump on the "State of Homelessness in America" The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 Mr. President,

our shamelessness knows no bounds. From day one of your presidency, you have attacked our democracy and now you have set your ire on the 550,000 Americans who on any given night experience homelessness. Given this deplorable track record, I demand that you provide additional information on your Administration’s recent report, “The State of Homelessness in America,”[1] (https://endhomelessness.org/ homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-report) and your reported plans to unilaterally demolish homeless tent camps and relocate homeless individuals to federally-owned facilities.[2] As you know, homelessness in this country has reached crisis proportions and this effort would be one of the numerous cruel, unlawful, and unpatriotic actions you have taken during what will hopefully be a short-lived presidency. To date, your Administration has taken several steps that would increase homelessness in this country, including: proposing to defund key HUD programs, proposing to impose steep rent increases on the lowest income HUD tenants, seeking to evict mixed-status immigrant families living in subsidized housing, increasing the barriers to emergency shelter for LGBTQ individuals experiencing homelessness, and weakening fair housing protections. Your Administration also has implemented cruel and inhumane child separation and detention practices as part of its immigration policies. In light of this record, I am concerned that these newly reported efforts around homelessness are an effort to reduce the appearance rather than the rate of homelessness at the expense of the human and civil rights of people experiencing homelessness. Your Administration’s report further stokes these concerns by providing an oversimplified and misleading narrative of why homelessness exists in this country and the policies that may be successful in reducing homelessness. For example, the report ignores years of sound research on the efficacy of the Housing First approach in favor of supporting “service participation requirements” that have been proven to act as barriers to not just housing, but also employment, sobriety, higher education, and any number of positive life outcomes.[3] The report also draws erroneous conclusions about the impact of local “right to shelter” policies, suggests that punitive policing tactics are effective in reducing unsheltered homelessness, inflates the impact of regulations on the cost of housing, and minimizes the critical importance of federal programs that invest in housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness. There are over 550,000 people experiencing homelessness in this country, and more than 36,000 people experiencing homelessness in the City of Los Angeles alone on any given night. [4] I recognize that the homelessness crisis that our nation faces is a humanitarian issue, requiring evidence driven solutions that treat people experiencing homelessness with dignity and respect. That is why I have introduced H.R. 1856, the Ending Homelessness Act of 2019 (https://congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1856), to provide over 6  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

$13 billion in funding to comprehensively address the crisis. While homelessness may not be the headline news story this week, it is a crisis that is currently devastating this country. Members of Congress, state and local officials, and the general public deserve to know about the details of your plan before any action is taken. Please respond to questions below about the details of your efforts on homelessness, particularly in my home state of California. • What specifically does the Administration plan to do to address homelessness in this country, and in California in particular? • What assurances can you provide that your plans will not violate the Constitution and federal civil rights laws? • Does your plan include the renovation of government properties to serve as emergency shelters? If so, where will you obtain the funding to renovate and operate these facilities? • Does your plan include a long-term strategy to permanently house individuals and families experiencing homelessness? • Which entities and federal agencies do you expect will carry out this effort? Specifically, what role would the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) play in your effort? • How do you plan to work with state and local officials and organizations? • What is your position on my bill, H.R.1856, the Ending Homelessness Act of 2019? Sincerely, MAXINE WATERS Chairwoman, House Financial Services Committee  Immage credits: MPR News, the Des Moines Register, Pew Charitable Trusts, Fox 5 San Diego, Black America Web

7  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Government - National Security

Trump Administration Would Violate Law by Allowing 3D Printed Gun Blueprint Distribution, Judge Rules By Charlie Osborne for Between the Lines

World's first fully 3D printed revolver 3dprint.com

federal judge has ruled that the Trump Administration would violate federal law if plans to permit the sharing or sale of blueprints for 3D printed guns online went ahead. As reported by The Independent (www.independent.

co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-3d-printedguns-internet-court-blocks-blueprints-a9201151.html) ,

the White House has been blocked by Judge Robert Lasnik from the US District Court in Seattle from allowing the distribution of 3D gun blueprints on the Internet, reversing the administration's decision last year to permit such documents from being made widely available. The controversy stems from the case of Cody Wilson. Back in 2012, the creator of Defense Distributed began publishing CAD files for gun components and primitive models which could be manufactured at home by anyone with the right printer and materials. Wilson was stopped from distribution through a

restraining order, later circumvented by the selfdescribed crypto-anarchist by oﬀering them for sale through a 'pay what you want' model. This, too, was blocked, and Defense Distributed took the Obama Administration to court. Once passed on to the new administration, last year, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) quietly settled with Wilson after the latter argued that blocking the files was not only impeding his right to free speech, but also his right to bear arms. The lawsuit challenging the decision was then filed by numerous states as well as the District of Columbia. The department had previously said that 3D gun blueprints fell under export laws, such as the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), preventing the distribution of firearms oﬀ-shore. However, considering the reversal, Lasnik said that the "contrary" position of settlement did not match

8  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

the DoJ's past belief that distribution could threaten national security as well as international stability. The court order also says that on balance of "hardships and the public interest," allowing the plans to be made globally available tipped the case in the complainant's favor, especially as weapons manufactured through the CAD files could end up being used in attacks against US citizens. "Given that the CAD files and the resulting weapons can be transported, undetected, virtually anywhere in the world, these same impacts would likely arise within the United States even if the plastic weapons are manufactured abroad," the court order reads. "The States' interests in curbing violence, assassinations, terrorist threats, aviation and other security breaches, and violations of gun control laws within their borders are at least marginally related to the interests protected or regulated by the AECA. The state and federal interests, while not identical, are aligned and not in any way inconsistent." The ruling is likely to be appealed, but in the meantime, Defense Distributed is still unable to

publish gun-related CAD schematics online. The State Department told the publication that the decision is being reviewed. A spokesperson for Defense Distributed told Bloomberg that "the First Amendment protects the freedom of speech from all abridgment, including indirect censorship eﬀorts like this one." In a statement, Attorney General James said the ruling is a "vindication" of decision-making on matters that "would have a profound impact on public safety." "Without question, the release of step-by-step instructions for the production of untraceable and undetectable firearms would threaten the safety of not only our nation's residents but people around the globe," James said. "The court ultimately found the Trump Administration acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it determined to move forward with such a plan, and we completely agree."  www.zdnet.com/article/trump-administrationwould-violate-federal-law-in-allowing-3d-printedgun-plans-judge-rules/?ftag=TRE6a12a91&bh id=22879832233920783794305160720838

USPS Eyeing Drones for Mail, Package Delivery By Christian de La Chapelle, Fox Business

he United States Postal Service is considering drones as a new way to deliver mail. This was disclosed in a request for information (RFI), describing why it is examining this concept and how it might potentially work to help people and companies with their mail-related needs, according to Nextgov. “The Postal Service recognizes that the ability of [unmanned aircraft systems] to supplement mail delivery and information collection can substantially benefit the country and further the development of other autonomous systems,” said Postal Service officials. If the USPS mail-by-drones idea becomes a reality, it would be a pioneering plan of action. But, the agency is still reportedly very much in the research and analysis stages of looking at this concept. Nextgov revealed that the USPS has not yet hired any contractors for drone production and that it might engage multiple companies in an effort to "identify candidates for future solicitation". The safety management of the Postal Service's

drone idea would fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal A v i a t i o n Administration (FAA), which recently signed off on rival UPS being allowed to run the inaugural drone airline service. The RFI did note though that “the postal service is evaluating whether larger package sizes and weights may be needed to meet some objectives."  www.foxbusiness.com/technology/usps-drones-maildelivery?utm_medium=techboard.thu.20191017&utm_ source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign Image credits: wellbots.com

9  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

10  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

lovethispic.com

Government - Preserving Anti-Discrimination Law

Byron Allen v. Comcast Case Could Tear Down America’s Oldest and Strongest Anti-Discrimination Law By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

he United States Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments about the merits of a $20 billion lawsuit Los Angeles-based media executive Byron Allen filed against Comcast on behalf of Entertainment Studios, the broadcast and television production company he owns. If the justices decide the case in favor of Comcast, the Philadelphia-based telecommunications giant, that ruling could roll back the most important provision of one of the United States’ strongest civil rights law: the right to sue even if race is just part of the reason for discrimination against an entity or individual. Less than three years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved African American men, women and children, the United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Section 1981 of the law banned racial discrimination in making and enforcing contracts, including employment, and granted Blacks the same rights as “White citizens,” the law states, for the first time in the country’s history – at least on paper. For more than 150 years now, since first providing crucial labor and economic protection for newly freed slaves, that section of the legislation has stood as the basis for court cases filed by Blacks and other minorities facing discrimination in employment, contracting or other business activities. “This section of the code was designed to stop racial discrimination in business contracts regardless of whether or not discrimination was the sole reason a business contract wasn’t signed,” said California U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris. “So essentially, it would be against the law if racial discrimination was just a part of the reason a contract wasn’t signed. “If the Supreme narrows this law, it would give corporations cover – allowing them to cover up

racial discrimination and avoid accountability,” Harris continued. “A bad decision in this case could have impact on everyday businesses owned by Black people across our country.” Harris spoke about the case last night to more than 6,000 participants on a “Call to Action Tele-Town Hall” the national body of NAACP organized to let Americans know what they can do to protect the historic legislation (https://naacp.org/townhall-rsvp). On the nationwide conference call, she joined her U.S. Senate colleague and fellow U.S. presidential hopeful Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey); Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO; and Bradford Berry, the NAACP General Counsel. “We are faced with the reality that a corporation that many of us patronize – many of use for our cable service, Comcast, has now filed a petition to the Supreme Court to undermine our ability to use the act effectively, said Berry. “What Comcast is seeking to do is make it more difficult to prove a claim of discrimination by petitioning the Supreme Court to reinterpret Section 1981.” In February 2015, Allen sued Comcast. He alleged that the cable provider refused to carry his television stations, which include The Weather Channel, Cars. TV and Pet.TV, because of his race. Comcast denied Allen’s accusation of racial discrimination and won the lawsuit in U.S. District Court. The company argued that Allen should prove that, without race being a factor, it would have signed a contract to carry Entertainment Studios stations. Invoking Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Allen appealed the trial court’s decision to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. This time around, Allen won. A three-judge panel reversed the district court’s ruling

12  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Byron Allen in favor of Comcast and sent the case back for discovery and retrial. Instead of going back to trial, Comcast filed a petition to the Supreme Court to overturn the 9th Circuit Court’s decision. The high court agreed to hear the case. Johnson, NAACP’s national president, said his organization is not taking sides in the underlying dispute between Comcast and Allen. It is only concerned with preserving the Civil Rights Act of 1866. He did say, though, that Comcast could have taken other options instead of taking the case to the current conservative-leaning United States Supreme Court. “No one can predict the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling, but no one should put in the scope of danger an act as important as Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866,” Johnson said. The U.S Department of Justice, through the Solicitor General’s office, has sided with Comcast in the case and written a statement of support backing the company to the Supreme Court. Comcast insists that its decision to deny Allen television stations carriage had nothing to do with race, and that it carries other Black-owned television networks. If Allen wins, Comcast wrote in a statement, “it will permit frivolous suits such as this one to proceed in the federal courts and open the doors to burdensome discovery demands by plaintiffs

who have suffered no deprivation on account of their race while delaying justice for citizens with meritorious grievances.” After today’s hearing, Berry says he does not expect the Supreme Court justices to reach a decision until at least the Spring of next year. Antonio Moore, a Los Angeles-based attorney and founder of the political movement ADOS, which stands for American Descendants of Slavery (https:// ados101.com/about-ados), has called for an immediate boycott of Comcast. “The future of The Civil Rights Act hangs in a balance,” he wrote to supporters. “Comcast, Donald Trump and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are asking the U.S Supreme Court to end your ability to sue against racial discrimination by destroying the Civil Rights Act of 1866.” Harris urged participants on the call to get the word out to their loved ones and neighbors and “fight on the right side of justice.” “Comcast’s argument could effectively dismantle our country’s oldest anti-discrimination law,” Harris said. “This can not be the legacy our generation leaves behind.”  https://lafocusnewspaper.com/byron-allen-v-comcastcase-could-tear-down-americas-oldest-and-strongest-antidiscrimination-law https://thegrio.com/2019/09/04/la-urban-league-threatenscomcast-with-boycott-over-civil-rights-battle-withentertainment-studios https://deadline.com/2019/09/comcast-boycott-threatbyron-allen-urban-league-supreme-court-1202710764/ www.laul.org/no-racism-in-business/ Image credit: John Hain, Pixabay, Free Malaysia Today

13  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International - EXIM Financing Leads to Success

EXIM Supports U.S. Small Business for Electrification Project in Senegal

he board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) today approved a preliminary commitment to the Republic of Senegal for approximately $86 million in financing that would support U.S. exports of services, and electrical and renewable-energy equipment by Weldy-Lamont LLC, a small-business engineering firm in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, for a rural electrification project. The Chicagoarea company was selected for the project over foreign competition being supported by other governments, including China. The preliminary commitment is the first that EXIM has approved under the agency’s recently signed memorandum of understanding with Senegal’s Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation. If the transaction reaches final board approval, EXIM would provide funding for an estimated $100 million rural electrification project of the Senegal National Electricity Agency (Senelac), which would be the borrower of the financing and the buyer of the exports. The Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation would provide a sovereign guarantee of the financing. For the project, Weldy-Lamont is anticipated to source from a large U.S. supply chain to procure Americanmanufactured electrical and solar-energy equipment, as well as a variety of services. EXIM’s financing could support an estimated 500 American jobs in 14 states: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. “This project is an important step forward for American companies in sub-Saharan Africa to provide the goods and services needed for the region’s economic development while supporting employment in the United States,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross, an ex oﬃcio member of EXIM’s board of directors. “This deal also further opens the door for additional sales for U.S. companies to increase exports to this dynamic region—supporting even more jobs at home and greatly benefiting the African countries that are buying the highest quality ‘Made in America’ products and services.” “Weldy-Lamont’s selection for this project by the

Republic of Senegal is in no small part the result of a whole-of-government approach involving high-level U.S. government interagency collaboration to achieve a strategic realignment of Senegal’s ability to consider non-Chinese and non-European sources of goods and services. This project and EXIM’s preliminary commitment also represent our serious dedication to President Trump’s Prosper Africa initiative,” said EXIM President and Chairman Kimberly A. Reed. In addition to EXIM, other federal agencies involved in promoting the selection of Weldy-Lamont for the project include the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. “The availability of EXIM’s financing was critical to this American company winning the project against foreign competition that was being supported by the Chinese government. This transaction fully meets EXIM’s requirement of additionality—bringing EXIM’s export credit to a transaction where financing would not be available otherwise to support U.S. exports in an emerging market,” Chairman Reed noted. “EXIM is committed to partnering with sub-Saharan countries and helping U.S. businesses—especially small businesses—to expand their sales in Africa,” said EXIM Board Member Judith D. Pryor. “If the application reaches a final commitment, it also will demonstrate EXIM’s dedication to meeting three of our congressional mandates—support for America’s small businesses, promoting renewable-energy exports, and U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa.” “This project is a win-win for Senegal and America. It will bring electricity to many rural citizens in Senegal while also supporting local jobs,” said EXIM Board Member Spencer Bachus. “When finally approved, EXIM’s financing will support not only the exports of one U.S. small business but also an estimated 500 jobs in their supply chain across America.” EXIM’s financing would support Senelac’s

14  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Every elected official from local offices to national responsibilities needs to be able to recite the Pledge, by heart, and should believe in the underlying principal. procurement of design, engineering, procurement, and construction services by Weldy-Lamont—as well as U.S.-made electrical distribution and solar energygeneration equipment—for the extension of Senegal’s grid system into rural areas throughout the country. The proposed project will consist of low-voltage power lines along existing roads to rural villages, with more remote villages to be served by the establishment of a “micro-grid” of stand-alone solar units and limited lowvoltage lines. The completed project will reduce the need for community-based diesel generation of electricity and will connect an estimated 500 communities to the grid, with more than 50 additional communities to be supplied with electricity through the oﬀ-grid power plants. The project is anticipated to deliver electrical service for up to an estimated 440,000 Senegalese

who are currently without power. A preliminary commitment is a non-binding oﬀer of EXIM financing subject to the award of the export contract and EXIM’s review of an application for a final commitment. Conversion to a final commitment requires authorization by EXIM’s board of directors and is subject to the satisfaction of all conditions, policies, and legal requirements of the agency under its charter and as determined by the board. ABOUT EXIM BANK: EXIM is an independent federal agency that promotes and supports American jobs by providing competitive and necessary export credit to overseas purchasers of U.S. goods and services. A robust EXIM can level the global playing field for U.S. exporters  Image credits: reinsurancene.ws

15  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Government - International Trade

ccess Africa (https://ustda.gov/access-africa) is a partnership between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and U.S. industry leaders to support the development of quality Information and Communication Technology infrastructure across Sub-Saharan Africa. Working with public and private sectors across the continent, Access Africa brings together critical stakeholders and designs targeted programming to advance inclusive, secure, and sustainable connectivity. By partnering with USTDA through Access Africa, U.S. industry will have enhanced exposure to key stakeholders in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). USTDA will work to align its programming to support the technical, regulatory, institutional, and procurement priorities of Access Africa partners, which will also benefit public and private sector entities in the region. Partners will have the opportunity to directly contribute to USTDA’s Access Africa programming: • Access Africa partners will be invited to host or meet with relevant reverse trade mission delegations to showcase their technologies and equipment, participate in business briefings, or participate in an Access Africa partners roundtable with the delegation • Partners will be invited to advise on the content and attend relevant USTDA workshops and conferences in SSA. Partners will have the opportunity to support workshops and conferences by engaging with USTDA to provide training or other relevant programming • Partners are encouraged to submit project proposals to USTDA for funding consideration Click

here

(https://ustda.gov/sites/default/files/ Access%20Africa%20Brief%20Final.pdf) to learn more

about USTDA's Access Africa initiative. To learn more about becoming an Access Africa partner, email AccessAfrica@ustda.gov. Here is our list of Access Africa partners:

16  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Government - African Immigrants in Mexico

Members of Congressional Black Caucus Visit U.S. / Mexico Border at San Ysidro By CBS News 8 Team who immigrate to the United States of America are treated as if they are invisible," CBC Chairwoman Rep. Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles. "Many arrived in South America and then walked north, all to be dehumanized and mistreated at our southern border. We are heading to the CBC Chair Karen Bass and border to hear Congresswoman Barbara Lee at US border charlestonchronicle.com what they have been through." The caucus held an official congressional field The CBC visited the border in response hearing in San Ysidro on Friday, calling witnesses to the death of Cameroonian asylum who work closely with migrants and looking specifically seeker Nebane Abienwi in U.S. at issues facing migrants from African and Caribbean Immigration and Customs Enforcement nations. “The shelters tell them ‘we don't know how to custody last month. handle black people,’” said Nana Gyamfi from the he Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) visited Black Alliance for Just Immigration. “They take their San Diego County Friday to tour the U.S.- children to school, they tell them ‘we don't know how to Mexico border and discuss the treatment of teach black children’ somehow as if black people are African immigrants. an alien human that they can’t deal with. It boils down The CBC came to the border in response to the death to rank racism.” of Cameroonian asylum seeker Nebane Abienwi “To see what is taking place in the 21st century should in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement make all of us sick,” said Representative Yvette Clarke, custody last month. He is the seventh adult to die in D-New York. ICE custody this year. Caucus members say they plan to take what they Abienwi arrived at the border in September and was learned Friday to the United Nations to request taken to the Otay Mesa Detention Center. While there, international help and will look at using funding to force he suffered a brain hemorrhage and was transferred changes by Homeland Security.. to the Sharp Health Medical Center in Chula Vista. https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2019/11/22/ Abienwi was taken off life support at the facility Oct. 1 congressional-black-caucus-probing-treatment-ofat his family's behest. african-migrants-at-border/ "Thousands of African and Caribbean immigrants

17  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

BlackNLA's 16th Annual Toy Drive - Benefiting At-Risk-Children Learn how we're helping children this upcoming season, and how you can too! We ask YOU to help us put a smile on the faces of hundreds of children this holiday season. To maximize the reach of potential donations, BlackNLA. com is seeking participation of businesses and individuals to organize their staff, fellow co-workers, friends, clients and others in the surrounding areas to participate. The Toy Drive, launching Monday, November 4th, will be our 16th year helping underprivileged and at-risk youth in underserved communities in the Los Angeles Metro area. For more information and additional ways to help this year click here - www.blacknla.com/ToyDrive/Help.asp. Those interested in participating in this year's Toy Drive should contact BlackNLA.com by phone at 1-323-954-8988 or e-mail toydrive@blacknla.com.

How can you help this year?

COLLECT Toys • If you work at a company with 30 or more employees - a box can be placed in your lunch room or lobby. • If you have a company that gets repeat client traffic - a box can be placed in your lobby. Businesses participating as drop-off locations will be listed on our toy drive page and included in e-mails to be distributed to over 20,000 Los Angeles area companies and professionals. • If you belong to a alumni or association - organize a group donation day among members, or co-host a BlackNLA Holiday Mixer. • If you host events, host a toy drive event

DONATE Items • If you work at a company with items to donate to the youth - toys as well as personal hygiene and clothing are needed. • If you work at a company with items that can be raffled off at various toy drive events (tickets, electronics, services, products, gift cards etc.). Funds from the raffle are used to purchase toys and gifts for the Toy Drive. • Do you have unused gift cards? We can use those to purchase gifts. • Don't have time to shop? Contribute to our toy drive fund with a cash gift and we will shop for you. Click Here to make your gift.

Volunteers • Do you have time to deliver boxes to businesses? • Contact companies and organizations? • It takes a small village to run the toy drive we are looking for volunteers. Last holiday season, BlackNLA members, website visitors and corporate contributors teamed up to provide toys, books, games, clothing, toiletries, electronics, CDs, videos, and other suitable gifts to more than 800 children in the LA area. This is a grassroots community program designed to provide gifts for children and teenagers up to age 17. All donations, large and small, put some cheer into the holidays for a child who may otherwise not have received any gift at all.

The recipients Drew Child Development Corporation (Drew CDC), a private, non-profit organization located in South Central Los Angeles, is dedicated to the education, early intervention and the social well being of at-risk children, youth and their families in the metropolitan Los Angeles area. Information is available at http://www.drewcdc.org Heads Up Foundation - is a non-profit foundation that seeks to better the lives of at-risk youth and teens. The goal is to give urban at-risk youth the opportunity to attend college by providing book scholarships to students wishing to further their education. www.headsupfoundationinc.org Let's all work together in making this year's toy drive the most successful ever!!!

wo months th ago, we announced d our firstt wave off R Redistricting di t i ti U ttrainings i i iin 21 2 cities across the country. Since then, we've received an overwhelming demand for more opportunities to attend these events. So, we're announcing Virtual Redistricting U to give all of our grassroots supporters an opportunity to learn more about redistricting and make an impact on the process in their community. We know the movement for fair maps is fueled by local advocates in every state, so we are holding two sessions, in two timezones, to give everyone a chance to join us. Option 1: Tuesday, December 3 at 7pm ET Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qMyRE76LSU2sS83jr8I8Hw Option 2: Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm MT Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Cr1QFpnwSGqxXnZNGNiVDg As President Obama said when he launched Redistricting U, the movement for fair maps will determine the course of progress on every issue we care about for the next decade. That's why we're training grassroots leaders like you to lead this eﬀort. These virtual sessions will be just like our in-person trainings; the same materials, lessons and break out groups. Our goal remains to empower people with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to participate in and impact redistricting. Join us for one of these virtual trainings. Thanks for being involved in the fight for fair maps!

Redistricting U HQ (https://allontheline.org/redistrictingu/) All On The Line is the grassroots advocacy campaign supported by the National Redistricting Action Fund.

DONATE: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/aotloh 19  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Announcing ACCESS NIGERIA

Exhibition & Conference %# – 2, 2020

Lagos, Nigeria USA FAIR 2020 will present American manufacturers, suppliers and service providers with product showcase opportunities in the largest and most dynamic market on the African continent! EXHIBITION FEE & BENEFITS Participation Fee:

$2000 which covers the following:

• • • •

3x3m booth space for 3 days of exhibition Complimentary coffee/tea and lunch daily Reception hosted by the US Consul General Extra meeting space for choice 1-on-1 meetings

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

• Ambrose Thomas Ambrose.Thomas@trade.gov

(+234-1-4603749)

• Benedicta Nkwoh Benedicta.Nkwoh@trade.gov

Early Bird Registration: 10% discount until Nov. 30, 2019

(+234-1-4603520)

Optional Services: Exhibitors can also sign up for optional Single Company Presentation slot at $800 OR request a Gold Key service for up to 3 targeted meetings at $700.

ORGANIZED BY:

Announcing ACCESS NIGERIA

Exhibition & Conference %# – 2, 2020

3x3m booth space for 3 days ofexhibition Extra meeting space for 1 on 1 meetings Complimentary coffee/tea and lunchdaily Business networking reception hosted by the US Consul General

• Each Exhibitor may also choose to add SCP and GKS at additionalcosts FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Early Bird • Ambrose Thomas Registration: Ambrose.Thomas@trade.gov (+234-1-4603749) 10% discount until

• Benedicta Nkwoh

Benedicta.Nkwoh@trade.gov

Nov. 30, 2019 (+234-1-4603520)

ORGANIZED BY:

Government - Presidential Campaign

Cory Booker Bets $100 Billion on Historically Black Colleges and Universities By Nick Corasaniti

Senator Cory Booker greeting students after speaking at a criminal justice forum at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., in October. Credit...Demetrius Freeman for The New York Times

enator Cory Booker of New Jersey on Tuesday proposed investing $100 billion in historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions, a broad proposal in a Democratic field that has oﬀered varying plans to prop up this longstanding yet struggling arm of the educational system. Many H.B.C.U.s, as historically black colleges and universities are commonly known, have faced widespread financial woes recently, with some schools losing accreditation and facing plummeting enrollment. Mr. Booker’s proposal comes at a precarious time for his presidential campaign: Despite crossing the 200,000 individual-donor threshold last month, he is still short four qualifying polls for the December debate and is in real danger of being left oﬀ the stage. While many candidates, including Senators Kamala Harris of California, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; former Vice

President Joseph R. Biden Jr.; and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, of South Bend, Ind., have already rolled out proposals to invest billions into H.B.C.U.s, an anchor of Mr. Booker’s proposal is dedicating at least $40 billion to those institutions for climate change research. Mr. Booker’s plan also calls for an additional $30 billion in grants to expand and improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics — known as STEM education — at H.B.C.U.s and minority-serving institutions, and another $30 billion in grants to upgrade facilities and infrastructure at the schools. “H.B.C.U.s make our country stronger and more reflective of the diversity that makes us so great,” Mr. Booker said in a statement announcing the proposal. “I am here today because of the power of these institutions to uplift and bring about opportunity to black Americans.”  www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/us/politics/cory-booker-hbcu-plan. html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article

22  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Government - Presidential Campaign Advisory

President Obama Attributes the World's Problems to 'old people not getting out of the way' By Grace Panetta Obama's post-presidency documented (www.politico. com/news/magazine/2019/11/26/barack-obama-2020democrats-candidates-biden-073025).

ormer United States President Barack Obama attributed many of the world's problems to "old people ... not getting out of the way" at a recent leadership event in Singapore, the BBC Asia reported. When asked if he would consider stepping back into public life or politics, Obama emphasized that he believes in passing the torch to a younger generation of leaders. "If you look at the world and look at the problems it's usually old people, usually old men, not getting out of the way," Obama said at the Singapore event. "It is important for political leaders to try and remind themselves that you are there to do a job, but you are not there for life, you are not there in order to prop up your own sense of self-importance or your own power," he added. Since leaving the White House in 2017, the Obamas have taken a step back from directly participating in politics themselves and focused on fostering new leaders, as a recent in-depth report in Politico on

Currently, three of the leading frontrunners for the 2020 Democratic primary nomination are in their 70s. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is currently 7 years old, Obama's former Vice President Joe Biden is 77, and Sen. Bernie Sanders is 78. Politico reported that Obama, who will likely not endorse a candidate in the Democratic primary, is looking at the current field with cautious optimism and some trepidation. While Biden's campaign team is stacked with many former Obama officials, Obama himself is avoiding "putting his thumb on the scale," even when it comes to former officials in his own administration. Politico reported that Obama naturally has a more "familial" relationship with Biden, but the former president has told people around him that he would not automatically endorse Biden and that the former vice president would have to "earn it."  www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/obama-attributes-the-worldsproblems-to-old-people-not-getting-out-of-the-way-warning-politiciansthat-they-are-not-in-office-to-prop-up-their-self-importance/arBBY3lSm?ocid=spartandhp www.businessinsider.com/barack-obama-says-women-indisputablybetter-at-leading-than-men-2019-12?utm_source=msn.com&utm_ medium=referral&utm_content=msn-story&utm_campaign=bodyurl Image Credit: IndiWire

BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware

Dave Chappelle is Honored at the Kennedy Center

he Kennedy Center gave Dave Chappelle the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday night October 27th, the event was, from beginning to end, completely Chappellian. The controversial nature of Chappelle’s comedy was not ignored throughout the nearly three-hour program, which will be edited into a two-hour special airing January 6 on PBS. In his speech that concluded the event, Chappelle made it clear that he still feels strongly that comedy should involve crossing lines and making the audience uncomfortable. “There’s something so true about this

genre, when done correctly, that I will fight anybody that gets in a true practitioner of this art form’s way,” he said. “Because I know your heart. This is the truth, and you are obstructing it. I’m not talking about the content. I’m talking about the art form. Do you understand?” A few people in the audience responded, “Yes.” “Do we have an agreement?” he added, while the audience applauded. Then he continued, “What I really wanted to say tonight, and I’m glad to get the platform to do it: I’m gay! I am gay, and I can’t wait to see what this does for my career, being handled like this.”  www.vulture.com/2019/10/dave-chappelle-mark-twain-prizeceremony.htm

Phoebe Robinson is Heading to Comedy Central

omedian, author, and former Vulture TV (www. vulture.com/tv) recapper Phoebe Robinson is getting her very own show. Comedy Central announced that it’s ordered ten episodes of a half-hour unscripted interview series starring Robinson, which will feature “one-on-one interviews and unique experiences with pop culture luminaries.” As the untitled show’s log line notes, Phoebe Robinson. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Robinson is “a workaholic who has the luxury of working from home most days at the expense of experiencing the world,” so the series will follow her “getting out of the house and meeting the people she’s admired from afar.” It’s the first project to come out of Robinson’s newly formed production company, Tiny Reparations.  www.vulture.com/2019/08/phoebe-robinson-comedycentral-show.html

Netflix Brings Broadway Play "American Son" to Small Screen

A Dave Chappelle at the 2019 Mark Twain Prize ceremony. Photo: Tracey Salazar

merican Son is the small screen version of the Broadway play of the same name. Both star Kerry Washington. American Son will be available on Netflix starting November 1st.

Kerry Washington americansonplaycom

24  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

The storyline says: time passes and tension mounts in a Florida police station as an estranged interracial couple awaits news of their missing teenage son. Other stars are Steven Pasquale, Jeremy Jordan.  www.netflix.com/title/81024100?monetImpressionId=82abef0b4d41-45f4-84f8-e821512cc1a4&adId=453993620

“The Banker,” a movie starring Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson (in theaters in December, streaming in January). A subscription costs $4.99 a month, with usage allowed for up to six family members - www.apple.com/ apple-tv-app.  https://apnews.com/165d8109c0c0444192c49f9880ceca5d

APPLE TV PLUS Streaming Now

pple TV Plus could be cast as a highly pedigreed and improbable underdog in the world of Streaming. While the venture counts Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg among its first

Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard Inquisitr wave of talent, Apple TV Plus launches Friday, November 1st with just a handful of original programs. The service’s starting lineup includes: “The Morning Show” starring Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon, Jason Momoa and Anthony Mackie & Samuel L. Jackson Alfre Woodard in techtelegraph.co.uk the futuristic drama “See,” Hailee Steinfeld in “Dickinson,” a modern take on poet Emily Dickinson, a book-focused series from Oprah Winfrey, and the wildlife documentary “The Elephant Queen.” Upcoming fare includes Spielberg’s revival of “Amazing Stories”; additional Winfrey projects; the psychological thriller “Servant” from M. Night Shyamalan (Nov. 28); drama series “Truth Be Told” with Octavia Spencer (Dec. 6), and

First Black Captain Leads SA Rugby Team to World Cup Win

iya has l o n g ceased to be a son of the Kolisis or Zwide. Siya represents the whole of South Africa, because with the challenges we Siya Kolisi, Springbok Captain have in South Reuters Africa someone like Siya is needed. Ask a youngster in a township or the rural areas what Siya means to them. Siya is hope, Siya is a salve, Siya is the vision of a bright future, Siya is the key to the door to the road to freedom. Siya was appointed the first black Springbok captain last year. The sheer reach of him leading the Boks to victory made this the most significant of South Africa’s three World Cup titles. Led by the first black captain in the Springboks’ 128-year rugby history, South Africa’s multiracial squad swept to a record-tying third World Cup title by overpowering England in a 32-12 victory.  https://mg.co.za/article/2019-11-04-sa-rugby-must-run-withthis-world-cup-win-1 www.foxsports.com/rugby/story/we-love-you-south-africakolisi-pride-after-world-cup-win-110219

Afrochella – Ghana December 27, 2019-January 4, 2020

ith Afrochella (https://afrochella.com) just a few days before the New Year, the festival showcases the vibrant culture of Africa with fashion, art installations and music. Relax and dance your heart out on Accra’s beautiful beaches while creating the experience of a lifetime with new friends. Afrochella Festival is the official closing event for

25  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

see page 26

BBN Show Biz Buzz from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 25

Ghana’s 2019 Year of Return and this year’s theme is “Disaspora Calling.” Food, music, and art will be celebrated and expressed through many dimensions of Africa’s nations.  https://afrochella.com

Disney+ Streaming ServiceLaunches Nov 12th

isney’s foray into an online streaming subscription service, Disney+, goes live Nov. 12th. Disney+’s launch lineup is an impressive windfall for Disney fans. They’ve broken the launch titles up into seven distinct sections: Disney films, Disney animation, Disney Channel Originals, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic, and everything else. Disney+ launches for $6.99 a month. 

voter suppression in the 2018 midterm election where Stacey Abrams fought to become the first Black female governor in the United States. The issues Georgians faced included polling place closures, voter purges, missing absentee ballots, extreme wait times and a host of voter ID issues – all of which disproportionately prevented many students and people of color from casting their ballots. Suppressed: The Fight to Vote features experts, poll watchers and everyday Georgians speaking to the reality of voter suppression and the threat it poses in 2020. In a race that was ultimately decided by 54,723 votes, the film exposes that the basic constitutional right to vote continues to be under siege in America. Educate yourself about the tactics being used to prevent people from voting and how to fight back. The running time of the film is 38 minutes. The lessons from this film go beyond Georgia. Voter suppression is unAmerican and can not be tolerated. Join us in the #fighttovote to ensure democracy prevails. Sign up to host a screening with your group, faith community or school to educate others, spark discussion and, most importantly, take action. Brave New Films will provide hosts with a free copy of the film and a discussion and action guide to help you structure your screening. Suppressed: The Fight to Vote is available now. 

www.theverge.com/2019/10/14/20913417/disney-plus-launchlineup-marvel-star-wars-pixar-tv-shows-movies-simpsonsnational-geographic Image credits: InsideTheMagic.net

Suppressed: The Fight to Vote

uppressed: The Fight to Vote, the new documentary by Robert Greenwald (Director of Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price) weaves together personal stories from voters across the state of Georgia to paint an undeniable picture of

www.bravenewfilms.org/suppressed

"Bubba" Stewart Officially Retires from Motocross

ormer Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Champion James "Bubba" Stewart has officially announced his retirement, doing so in the third and final installment of a video series produced by his gear company, Seven (https://sevenmx.com). The Haines City, Florida, native is arguably the

26  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

most transcendent athlete the sport has ever seen, breaking countless barriers and pushing the skillset of the modern motocross athlete to new levels that were once unheard of. Stewart's prowess on the track helped him become a global phenomenon, and throughout his career he broadened the scope of motocross to an unprecedented scale, widely recognized as the "fastest man on the planet." Virtually everything he did was spectacular, and his talents on a motorcycle captivated anyone who watched. The on-track success Stewart achieved in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship alone is guaranteed

led Team USA to a pair of victories. Stewart's final start came at the Washougal National during the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, while the final victory of his illustrious career came at the 2014 High Point National. View Stewart's retirement statement videos at the link below.  https://promotocross.com/2019/05/17/james-stewart-retiresImage credit: netflixcenter.com

Lewis Hamilton Wins 2019 F1 Drivers' Championship for Sixth World Title

ewis Hamilton becomes outright second-most successful driver of all time. The Mercedes driver is now just one title behind Michael Schumacher's all-time record of seven. Hamilton only required an eighth-place finish in the key race in Austin to clinch the crown but nearly produced a heroic victory from fifth on the grid, eventually finishing second.

Stewart celebrates after capturing his first career Pro Motocross title in 2002. Racer X Archives

to make him an eventual Hall of Famer. He earned a trio of championships in American motocross, with a pair of 250 Class titles and one 450 Class championship. He'll go down as the most dominant 125cc rider in history, amassing 28 wins in 31 career starts, and he'll forever be remembered as the only other rider, alongside Ricky Carmichael, to compile a perfect 450 Class season, going 24-0 en route to the 2008 title. Beyond Pro Motocross, Stewart won a pair of premier class titles in AMA Supercross, and he's one of just three riders to win both of supercross' regional championships. At the Motocross of Nations, Stewart

The 2019 crown is Hamilton's third in a row and fifth since joining Mercedes nearly seven years ago. He won his first title with McLaren in 2008. Hamilton told Sky F1's Martin Brundle: "It's just overwhelming. It was such a tough race. Yesterday was a really difficult day for us. "Today I just wanted to recover and deliver the one-two for the team. I didn't think the one-stop would be possible. "I'm filled with so much emotion. It's an honour to be up here with those greats."  www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/11841311/lewis-hamiltonwins-2019-f1-drivers-championship-for-sixth-world-title

27  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

ED. BBNG see page 28

BBN Show Biz Buzz from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 27

Lil Nas X Wins Historic 2019 CMA Award

il Nas X's “Old Town Road (Remix)” scored the 2019 Country Music Association (CMA) Award for Musical Event of the Year. And that’s not all: According to Billboard, Lil Nas X made history, too, becoming the first hip-hop artist to ever win that award. Backstage during the winners’ press conference, Lil Nas X commented on the criticism, doubt and outright rejection he’s received within the country music genre, yet remained joyful regardless. “I’m happy to go to any award show,” Lil Nas X said. “Just being here at this point in my life, not knowing where I was going to go to next … this last year [has been] amazing. It’s so much positivity within this community, too, so I love it.”

The complete list of winners at the 2019 CMA Awards is available at cmaawards.com (https://cmaawards.com/ nominees-winners).  https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/yeahhh-lil-nas-x-is-gonna-takehis-historic-2019-cma-a-1839857636 Image credit: tomandlorenzo.com

Michelle Obama Earns First GRAMMY Nomination

ichelle Obama can now add GRAMMY Michelle Obama nominee to her Paras Griffin/Getty Images impressive résumé! The former first lady scored her first nomination from the Recording Academy recently, earning a nod in the Best Spoken Word Album category for her Becoming audiobook -- following in the footsteps of her husband, former president Barack Obama, who has twice won the award in that same category, for Dreams from My Father in 2006 and The Audacity of Hope in 2008. Becoming is a memoir that chronicles Obama's upbringing on the South Side of Chicago,

Thank You for Your Support This Year

Black Business Association & Black Business News Group Image credit: flyingstart.uk.com

28  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

as well as her law career and time spent in the White House. 

onstage the diverse array of women who make up the world’s population — women with hair, skin and bodies www.etonline.com/michelle-obama-earns-first-grammy- that do not conform to the ones that have traditionally nomination-for-becoming-audiobook-136716 dominated beauty contests. For decades in the United States, contestants were exclusively white because women of color were not allowed to participate. The franchises have evolved over time, becoming more and more inclusive — on the basis of race, sexual orientation and religious affiliation — even as the pageant world continues to grapple with core criticism over female objectification. Still, the slate of 2019 winners in the United States he crowning of Miss World 2019 has closed out and across the globe shows how far these contests this year’s historic pageant circuit, marking the have come, a milestone summarized in the powerful first time the titles for all five top beauty contests speech that Tunzi, of South Africa, gave Dec. 8 just before she was crowned Miss Universe. were won by black women. “I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like On Saturday, Jamaica’s Toni-Ann Singh was me, with my kind of skin and my kind of hair, was never named Miss World, joining a 2019 cohort of advocates for prison reform, women’s rights and music education considered beautiful,” Tunzi told the crowd last week. “I who used their platform to address conventional beauty think it is time that stops today. I want children to look at standards: Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi, Miss me and see my face. And I want them to see their faces America Nia Franklin, Miss USA Cheslie Kryst and reflected in mine.” Tunzi wore her hair natural and cropped close to Miss Teen USA 2019 Kaliegh Garris. her head, a common hairstyle out in the world but not on the pageant stage. In an interview with Insider, Tunzi said she cut her hair after growing tired of sitting for hours in salon chairs and had worn it natural for three years before last week’s contest. But as Miss Universe approached, Tunzi said, friends and advisers encouraged her to revert to a more traditional pageant look. She refused, she said, not because she believes wigs or weaves are wrong but because wearing her hair natural felt most authentic for her. “My message is not to say to all women, ‘Cut your hair, take off your weaves,’ no!” Tunzi told Insider. “My message is, ‘You are who you are.’ And if that’s From left, Miss USA Cheslie Kryst; Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann Singh, of Jamaica; your true authentic self, then don’t Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi, of South Africa; Miss Teen USA 2019 Kaliegh be shy about it.” When she won Miss USA in the Garris; and Miss America Nia Franklin. (Photos by Getty Images) spring, Kryst said in an interview “To that little girl in St. Thomas, Jamaica and all the with Refinery 29 that she hopes the prevalence of girls around the world — please believe in yourself,” women with natural hair this year will empower others. Singh wrote on Twitter. “Please know that you are “You can wear your hair the way that it’s growing out of worthy and capable of achieving your dreams. This your head proudly out in the world,” she said. As the number of black winners of beauty pageants crown is not mine but yours. You have a PURPOSE.” These pageants have always struggled to reflect rose throughout the year, peaking with five total after

Miss World’s Win Means Five (5) Black Women Hold the top 2019 Pageant Titles — a historic first

29  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

BBN Show Biz Buzz from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 29

Saturday’s Miss World event, other powerful black women took notice. Oprah Winfrey tweeted about Tunzi’s speech, and Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) praised Kryst, Garris and Franklin, who won Miss America. “You are trailblazers,” Harris said. All five title-holding women represent a range of professional backgrounds and experiences. Kryst is an attorney with a law degree and an MBA from Wake Forest University who is working to reshape the criminal justice system. Tunzi has raised awareness of climate change and gender-based violence. Garris started the We Are People 1st organization (www. courant.com/the-thread/hc-news-kaliegh-garris-miss-teenusa-profile-20190524-cxagmpmspjdlhmnhvsgfdwrmfastory.html), which aims to educate others about people,

like her sister, who live with disabilities. Franklin has advocated for the preservation of arts education in school. And Singh, the most recent winner, wants to be a doctor.  www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/12/15/missworlds-win-means-five-black-women-now-hold-top-pageant-titleshistoric-first/

Holiday Time Movies to Check Out This Year

ueen & Slim is a 2019 American romantic drama film directed by Melina Matsoukas and written by Lena Waithe, from a story by James Frey and Waithe. The film stars Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloë Sevigny, Flea, Sturgill Simpson and Indya Moore. The plot follows two African-Americans who must go on the run after killing a police officer in self-defense during a traffic stop gone wrong.

Idris Elba New York Times/Bruce Fretts

ats: Directed by Tom Hooper. With Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Ian McKellen, Francesca Hayward. A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life.

ust Mercy: Starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx shadows world-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson as he recounts his experiences and details the case of a condemned death row prisoner whom he fought to free.

lemency: Featuring Alfre Woodard and Aldis Hodge Clemency surveys how years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.

tar Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker: is the next and last segments of the American epic space-opera film produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. It will be the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), and the final episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". It is being produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams's production company Bad Robot Productions, and will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film's ensemble cast includes Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, Ian McDiarmid, and Billy Dee Williams.

pies in Disguise: An animated feature film in which super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith voiceover) and scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is … not. But when events take an unexpected turn, this unlikely duo are forced to team up for the ultimate mission that will require an almost impossible disguise – transforming Lance into the brave, fierce, majestic… pigeon. Walter and Lance suddenly have to work as a team, or the whole world is in peril. “Spies in Disguise” flies into theaters this Christmas.

umanji: the Next Level: Tthe gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to rescue one of their own, the players will have to brave parts unknown from arid deserts to snowy mountains, to escape the world's most dangerous game. The movie features Kevin Hart, Danny Glover, Michael Beasley, Ser'Darius Blain, Zachary Tzegaegbe and many more. 

30  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - New Marketing Tools

Social Media Updates to Test This Holiday Season By Sophie Maerowitz

hether you’re a nonprofit tapping into the giving spirit or a retailer seeking to boost holiday sales, here are some recent features to look into, by social platform.

gain new insights on audience preferences and values.

Facebook

Snapchat

Paid search exposure. Marketers now have the option for their ads to show up in Facebook general and Marketplace searches, similar to how search ads show up in the first page of Google results. The search placements are triggered by selecting “Automatic Placements” within Ads Manager, if your ad is eligible. Search ads look similar to News Feed ads and include the same controls, including a “Sponsored” label. Machine learning-powered personalization. As Facebook’s algorithm continues to get smarter, it can offer audiences more personalized content, which now includes serving up formats (collection vs. carousel, etc.) based on what users have interacted with in the past. This option can be managed in Facebook Dynamic Ad units. Likewise, marketers can play with different copy in headlines, primary text and description fields, and Facebook will show audiences whichever version is most likely to get them to convert. An “add language” feature allows marketers to automatically translate text for international users. Custom Stories templates. Facebook has unrolled customizable templates for Stories ads across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. Rather than starting each new asset from scratch, the system offers a variety of layouts, background colors, text and cropping options. This should save marketers ample time on creative—think of it as a mini-Canva built into Facebook’s ad platform.

D y n a m i c Ads. Snapchat’s latest offering is a godsend to brands with an e-commerce arm, allowing for easy-tocustomize Custom Stories templates Facebook creative. These templates can save marketers precious time; Snapchat then targets these ads based on the audiences most likely to interact with given content. 3D camera. Marketers will be able to add new depth and drive visual interest to their Snapchat content using a new 3D camera feature, which changes perspective based on how users move their phone. (Users can unlock 3D elements by giving their phones a “wiggle”.)

Twitter Topics. Twitter has announced that users will soon be able to follow specific Topics, based on suggestions offered by the platform. Similar to following hashtags in Instagram, this feature could prove invaluable to marketers for finding out who is talking about the issues and products relevant to their brand. Following these conversations will help brands find new followers and

TikTok Third-party integration. Despite being known for its wide variety of visual and audio effects, TikTok has increased its creative offerings via integration with other apps that drive visual interest, including Adobe Premiere Rush, Fuse.it and Momento. This can be a useful feature for designers who prefer to work within other apps rather than within the native interface, not to mention a visual differentiator from other TikTok users who limiti their visual effects to native features. Curated followings. As with any other social platform, public TikTok accounts are vulnerable to trolls and abusive users. A new option allows accounts to block or remove abusive followers. Accounts can also toggle between the “private” and “public” setting, useful for testing content that isn’t quite ready for prime time. www.socialshakeupshow.com/social-media-feature-roundupholiday-2019/?oly_enc_id=7910C8518789D0B

31  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Another First

This Black Woman Runs the Newest Luxury Yacht Charter Service By DeAnna Taylor

s a young girl growing up on Virginia’s eastern shore, Sheila Ruffin came to love boats at an early age. Her grandfather was an avid boater so she spent a lot of her childhood around the water. Once she was older, Sheila would go on to attend law school. After learning that she didn’t pass the bar exam the first time, it sent her into one of the darkest times of her life. But, there was a bright spot. She ended up landing a job on the beautiful island of St. Thomas. In addition to practicing law in St. Thomas, Sheila made the choice to also go to travel school to become a certified travel associate. Once she graduated, she wanted to find a niche area that allowed her to do more than become a travel agent. “I googled yacht agencies that were one-stopshops, but I couldn’t find any,” Sheila Ruffin, Owner and Creator of Soca Caribbean Yacht Charters told Travel Noire. “This gave me an idea of what I could do. Plus, I couldn’t find any people of color within the industry. Therefore, I set out to start my own company.” Soca Caribbean Yacht Charters was born out of a love for boats plus a need for more Black presence in the industry. Ruffin added the soca aspect because during her time in St. Thomas the sound of the music helped to pull her out of her depression. She always vowed that whenever she did start a business, it would somehow pay homage to the culture that did so much for her. “Being in St. Thomas and hearing Soca made me happy and more aware. It took my mind off of my troubles at the time. It gave me my life back.” All of Ruffin’s charters are based in the Caribbean in destinations such as the Bahamas, St. Lucia, St. Maarteen, and the British Virgin Islands. They will soon expand into Grenada as well. She paired with another company that actually owns all of the yachts, and her company provides luxury experiences. “We offer a door-to-dock-to-door service,” Ruffin

explained. “The minute you step out of your home, there is a luxury car waiting to take you to the airport. Once you arrive in your Caribbean destination, we provide transfers to the dock where you board your yacht. After your trip, we also provide all services in reverse.” There is a minimum of a 5 night, 6 day charter. During that time, Soca Yacht Charters provides an over the top luxury experience that includes your captain, personal gourmet chefs, bartenders, and more. You have the option to customize your experience any way

32  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

you want, based on your needs and preferences. Once onboard, you will primarily focus on the Caribbean destination that you docked from. That’s one of the main difference between yachting and cruising. “We want the client to really experience the culture of that one destination.” Ruffin is proud to introduce this company to the world. She is blazing the trail for Black women, and women in general, in an otherwise whitemale dominated market. She wants to break barriers and help those in the yacht industry see that if they continue to overlook people of color, the industry will not survive. “To be the anchor between the yacht industry and millennials and people of color is amazing,” Ruffin said. “It’s not easy. I’m entering into space where Black women aren’t normally present. It’s an amazing feeling.” We asked Ruffin to give advice to others looking to break into an industry that may not be as diverse, here’s what she said: “Pray and ask for clarity as far as a niche. The businesses that survive, are those that bring something different. As Nike says, “Just Do It.” Always keep your dreams close to you and protect them because the minute you voice it, you can’t take it back.” To learn more about Soca Caribbean Yacht Charters, you can check out their website: www.socayachtcharters. com or find them on social media: @ socayachtcharters.  https://travelnoire.com/black-womannewest-luxury-yacht-charter-service Image credits: Soca Yacht Charters charterworld.com

33  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Tech Start-up

Facepop Mobile App Takes Messaging to a Higher Level By Cora Jackson-Fossett, Staﬀ Writer, Los Angeles Sentinel

The Facepop team members discuss business strategies. (Courtesy photo)

our social media messages will become more vibrant and alive with the Facepop mobile app. According to company founder, Bervick J. Deculus II, the innovative tool transforms communications into memorable posts. Deculus launched his start-up tech company last year and since then, individuals and businesses are using the app to create personalized emoji-like videos featuring the face of the sender. The “talking head” can deliver catchphrases, inspirational quotes, well wishes, greetings, notifications, hot slang and more. “Facepop aims to enhance the messaging experience around the globe by enabling users to not only produce

more clearer and concise messages, but also empower their personal brand of commentary. People can create their fun talking-head videos for their friends and family, all by a simple press of a button – launch, create and share. It’s that simple,” explained Deculus, an L.A. native who runs the company with co-founders Jerome Henry and Kareem Grimes. While Generation Z and Millennial audiences are likely to embrace Facepop, the owners believe the app can help corporations and local businesses to empower their digital marketing campaigns or internal communications. “Can you imagine City Council president Herb J. Wesson, Jr.’s talking head video sent as a personal

34  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Bervick J. Deculus II demonstrates the Facepop app. (Courtesy photo)

text inviting you to next year’s Taste of Soul, set against a title sponsor themed background? Facepop packs personalization power like never before, period,” insisted Henry. One of the factors that make Facepop unique is its state-of-the-art facial recognition technology, he said. Competing apps oﬀer talking head videos as personalized avatars, but Grimes noted that Facepop eliminates that artificial aspect. “Our algorithm extracts a real-world human head from a real-world environment. We don’t understand the overworked emoji or avatar messaging tool,” he said with an ear-to-ear smile. However, they do possess entrepreneurial spirits and backgrounds in the film and music industries, which spurred their venture into the tech start-up field. “Tech entrepreneurship is a significant undertaking, especially in an industry where the odds stand against you. But, I refuse the tech industry’s present climate for minorities, our non-technical backgrounds or need to raise capital to become our deal-breakers,” said Deculus, a graduate of Howard University. “But, we are ready to rewrite the narrative of how American descendants of slavery can populate this industry as tech founders.” Currently, Facepop is only available as a free download from the App Store for iPhone X users

and higher, but plans are underway to expand the app to Android devices. The company is also exploring methods to implement visual eﬀect-driven filters, social media maven/celebrity Facepops and pre-scheduled auto messaging. “We intend to oﬀer a newfound tool for digital advertisers via micro-commercials, aka – branded Facepops featuring brand ambassadors or celebrities and internal communication services for small businesses and big box brands like the Los Angeles Rams, Carnival Cruise Line, Rolling Loud Festival, FedEx, and Netflix to impact customer and/or fan experience,” added Deculus. “Facepop will change the face of messaging, so buckle up!” Agreeing with that assessment, Eric Young of West Coast Entertainment LLC, and business manager to actor Michael Blackson, said, “Facepop appears to become pop culture’s next big thing. I like Deculus’ vision and I’m motivated to get my celebrity and social media influencer friends and clients on board.” Learn more about Facepop at facepome.com, Instagram: @facepopapp, or email info@facepopme. com.  https://lasentinel.net/facepop-mobile-app-takesmessaging-to-a-higher-level.html Image credits: Facepop

35  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Women Entrepreneurs

The Trillion-Dollar Opportunity in Supporting Female Entrepreneurs By Shalini UnnikrishnanRoy Hanna, Harvard Business Review

here is much discussion and debate about how to support female entrepreneurs — and rightly so. Currently, women-led businesses are less likely to survive, despite evidence that their startups are often highly successful. New analysis by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) shows that if women and men around the world participated equally as entrepreneurs, global GDP could ultimately rise by approximately 3% to 6%, boosting the global economy by $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion. So how do we support female entrepreneurs? The focus is often on improving access to credit (financial capital) or providing training to help women build new skills (human capital) — two areas critical for improving the success of women-led businesses. However, another key factor in the success of these businesses tends to be overlooked: access to networks. Working with public, private, and social sector clients around the world, we have seen first-hand how potent such networks can be. And we have also come to understand that these supportive mechanisms are in short supply. The good news is that action in all sectors can address this gap.

The Gender Gap in Entrepreneurship To better understand the entrepreneurial gender gap we analyzed 2014-2016 data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), breaking down entrepreneurship and business sustainability rates by gender and across 100 countries. Among the findings: • Across all six global regions, the percentage of working-age men who start a new business exceeds the corresponding percentage of workingage women who do by roughly 4 to 6 percentage points. • Four countries — Vietnam, Mexico, Indonesia, and the Philippines — have managed to buck the global norm; more women than men launched new businesses in these countries in 2016. • In 50 of the 100 countries studied, the gender gap in founding startups (the percent of men versus women who start a new business) narrowed from

2014 through 2016, with the biggest gains occurring in Turkey, South Korea, and Slovakia. • In 40 countries, however — most notably in Switzerland, Uruguay, and South Africa — the gender startup gap is widening. Although the gender gap in startup activity is fairly consistent across most countries, the gap in long-term business success varies more widely. In all regions except North America, women-led companies have lower sustainability levels than companies led by men. In the Middle East and North Africa, for example, women’s businesses are about 50% as likely as men’s to remain in operation 3.5 years after creation, while in Latin America, the women’s businesses are 82% as likely.

Drivers of the Gender Gap Our research indicates that there are many reasons for these deficits, including diﬀerences in access to financial support. According to a BCG analysis of 2018 data from MassChallenge, a US-based global network of accelerators, investments in companies founded or cofounded by women averaged $935,000, which is less than half the average of $2.1 million invested in companies founded by male entrepreneurs. This disparity exists despite the fact that startups founded and cofounded by women actually performed better over time, generating 10% higher cumulative revenue over a five-year period: $730,000 for women compared with $662,000 for men. This funding challenge is well documented, but our work also identified another, underappreciated challenge — women’s relatively limited access to “social capital” in the form of robust support networks. Again and again we find that networks are a critical factor for small business success. In low- and middleincome countries, for example, we studied how knowing at least one other entrepreneur (a proxy for entrepreneurial networks) impacted women-led businesses. We found that stronger and broader networks are linked to smaller gender gaps in business

36  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

sustainability and improved access to a variety of funding sources. Research by other groups, including the Asia Foundation, has found that peer-to-peer networks encourage women to set higher aspirations for their businesses, plan for growth, and embrace innovation.

Building a Better Network Large corporations can play a big role in cultivating networks. In many parts of the world, women-led small businesses are a significant element in global supply chains, whether as distributors, retailers, or suppliers. Companies can foster networks that help those female entrepreneurs gain insight and advice on everything from how to finance their operations to how to manage inventory. Consumer-packaged goods, for example, can partner with non-profits, trade associations, or local chambers of commerce, to bring together women who run small shops that distribute the company’s products. Supporting women-led businesses in this way is good business. If they do it well, companies can build a more diverse and reliable supply chain. BCG research has found this is one of many opportunities that companies have to advance societal goals while boosting returns for shareholders. All organizations that support female entrepreneurs — including companies, international donor groups and governments — can magnify their impact by creating and building out networks for women. In our experience, the best networks are built on the principles of intent, inclusion, and interaction: Intent: From the start, a network must have a clearly defined purpose. Networks should be much more than a glorified Rolodex. What can women gain by joining the network? Will they get access to human and financial capital, as well as social capital? How can the network help women achieve tangible business goals? Endeavor, for example, has a clear mission with its mentor and investor network to select and mentor

high-impact entrepreneurs from around the world and accelerate the growth of their ventures, providing business advice and better access to financial capital. (Full disclosure: BCG has supported, and continues to partner with, Endeavor.) Inclusion: Next, choose participants carefully. The best networks have a highly dedicated founder, whether that is an individual, an NGO, a corporation, or another organization with a long-term interest and presence in the community. They also have an active membership, and a diverse membership base, including a mix of new entrepreneurs and more established business owners, ideally with varied cultural backgrounds. To drive engagement and commitment, network founders can consider charging membership fees, instituting mandatory attendance requirements, and requiring interviews or references for new members. Interaction: Structure the network to facilitate both formal and informal interactions. Formal training has its place, but informal, peer-to-peer interactions are crucial to building trust and ensuring that the network stays relevant over time. Online platforms can be critical to success in this area. Nigeria’s Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, for example, has formal mentoring programs, but it also encourages informal relationships, idea exchanges, and collaboration through its online forum which members and alumni can access on demand, whenever they have an internet connection. It is no exaggeration to say that female entrepreneurs have the power to change the world. Closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship and fueling the growth of women-owned enterprises will unleash new ideas, services, and products into markets around the world. In order for that to happen, we need to ensure women have access to all forms of capital, particularly social capital in the form of powerful networks.  https://hbr.org/2019/10/the-trillion-dollar-opportunity-in-supportingfemale-entrepreneurs Image credit: blacknews.com, World Bank

37  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Invest in Women-Led Startups

Harlem Capital Partners with Techstars to Boost Investment in Women-Led, Black-Owned Startups By Dana Sanchez reported. Techstars has graduated nearly 1,800 startups, and 209 of its portfolio companies have seen exits worth a combined $24.4 billion oﬀ $8.3 billion in funding. The typical company leading a funding round after being in a Techstars accelerator does about a $1 million capital raise. The goal of the partnership is for Harlem Capital to refer diverse founders to Techstars, help fasttrack their application process and increase deal flow. Techstars will refer diverse-led, early-stage companies to Harlem Capital for the capital they need to scale and grow, the companies said in a press release. Harlem Capital’s strategy has been to write small checks, usually L-R: John Henry, Henri Pierre-Jacques, Brandon Bryant, Jarrid around $500,000, Forbes reported, Tingle, co-founders of Harlem Capital. Photo: Harlem Capital backing young companies it identifies through contacts arlem Capital Partners, a Black-owned firm and on-the-ground research. “Techstars continues to be one of the most diverse that’s busting stereotypes in Silicon Valley accelerators, which has led to 25% of our portfolio venture capital culture, entered a joint being Techstars-backed companies,” said Henri partnership with Techstars, one of the world’s top Pierre-Jacques, Managing Partner at Harlem Capital, startup accelerators, to recruit and invest in diverse in a prepared statement. “Techstars and Harlem founders. Committed to investing in Black and women founders Capital know that to improve the flow of capital to and founders of color, New York-based Harlem Capital diverse entrepreneurs, we have to be intentional in our is on a mission to change the face of entrepreneurship. investment eﬀorts and will use our partnership to move The early-stage venture capital firm plans to invest in beyond talk to action.” With Harlem Capitals’ referrals, Techstars looks to 1,000 diverse founders over the next 20 years. Harlem Capital’s co-founders are in their mid-to-late 20s: Henri further diversify the company’s incoming accelerator Pierre-Jacques, John Henry, Brandon Bryant and classes. All four Harlem Capital co-founders were living Jarrid Tingle. in Harlem when they started the fund. Naming the Most investors — 80% — are white males. Black investors represent about 2% of venture capitalists, company “Harlem” was a no-brainer, Tingle said in a according to the National Venture Capital 2018 Forbes interview. “Harlem has been synonymous with Black excellence, empowerment and cultural Association. Techstars runs 47 mentorship-driven accelerator expression since the Harlem Renaissance of the early programs globally including in most large U.S. 20th century … The neighborhood welcomed us after cities, partnering with 65 companies that mentor college.”  https://moguldom.com/234662/harlem-capital-partners-with-techstars-toentrepreneurs. It has accelerators at Citi Fintech boost-investment-in-women-led-black-owned-startups Innovation Lab and Barclays’ Accelerator, Forbes

38  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Invest in Women-Led Startups

This Black-Owned Juice Bar is Set Up in Whole Foods By DeAnna Taylor For Kansas City, Missouri native Chris Goode, his grandmother, Ruby Jean, was his world. She often stepped in to help his single mother care for him and his younger siblings as kids. When Chris was about 14, she suddenly fell sick and it was discovered that she was battling Type 2 Diabetes. The family did everything they could to save her, including taking her to a special medical facility. As everyone prepared to say their goodbyes, they brought in Chris’s great grandmother who lived in Oklahoma. They wanted to give her the chance to say goodbye to her child. Sadly, the pain of seeing her child on her deathbed caused her to have a massive heart attack in the hospital and she passed away. Two days later, Ruby Jean would also pass. “I remember it shifting my life,” Chris Goode, Owner of Ruby Jean’s Juicery told Travel Noire. “Everything just changed.” Fast forward to his early 20’s, Chris landed a job as an insurance adjuster. He was living the life, making a great salary, and traveling often. During a trip to Los Angeles to see some friends, Chris was introduced to the world of juicing. “At that time, my friends were doing a juice detox, so they told me they wouldn’t be eating while I was there. They convinced me to watch a documentary called “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” and I was immediately blown away. It made me think of my grandma.” After that trip, Chris went back to Missouri where he did a 10-day detox on his own. He felt great after and it prompted him to start getting into juicing culture. Every trip that he took, he scoped out the best juice bars in the area. One night, after praying and trying to figure out what it was that he ultimately wanted to do in life, he realized he too wanted to open a juice bar–in honor of his grandmother.

“I went all in and quit my job immediately,” Chris said. ” I did things a little prematurely with no concrete plan, but thanks to God it all worked out.” In 2015, the first Ruby Jean’s was opened in a small 700 square foot space of a gym in Kansas City. From the first day, business was great and only 4 months in a group wanted to license a separate location. Within two years, the brand was winning awards including a spot on Yelp’s ‘Top 100’ list that recognized businesses all over the U.S. and Canada. They also opened an additional location off of 30th and Troost, an area once named after a former slave owner. In late 2018, a representative from Whole Foods sent Chris an email stating that they were interested in forming a partnership. They had been following Ruby Jean’s for the last two years and loved what they were doing. A few months later, the deal was formed and Ruby Jean’s officially opened a brick and mortar location inside of the Whole Foods located at 301 E. 51st St in Kansas City. This makes it one of the first (if not the first) Black-owned businesses to have a setup inside of the grocery chain. “It feels great to see my grandmother’s face big as day when you walk into the location.” Ruby Jean’s offers everything from cold pressed juices, fresh smoothies, and juices on the spot. The Troost location also offers healthy food options too. Many of the menu items are named after significant things in Chris’s life or things significant to the culture of Kansas City. We asked Chris to tell us what this moment means for him: “It’s something that I don’t take for granted. God has given me this platform and opportunity. It’s amazing to create something my family is proud of.” He spends a lot of his time speaking to the inner city youth of Kansas City, in hopes of showing them an example of what they can one day become. To learn more about Ruby Jean’s Juicery, you can check out their website: rubyjeansjuicery.com or follow them on social media at: @rubyjeansjuicery”  https://travelnoire.com/black-owned-juice-bar-whole-foods/

39  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

re you a Small Business interested in selling your product or services to Metro or to Prime Contractors that do business with Metro? Would you like to learn how to win contracts as a Prime Contractor through SB Prime, Metro's exciting set-aside initiative? If so, we invite you to come grow with us and learn about Metro Connect. Start now and register for a How to Do Business with Metro Workshop. Metro staďŹ&#x20AC; 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 staďŹ&#x20AC; will host informal interviews with firms before the workshop, starting at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 10, 2019 8:30 a.m.: Registration 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. One-on-One with Contract Administrators and Continental Breakfast 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Program

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

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

400th Commemoration Year of Enslavement 1619-2019 ALL ANCESTRY TEST KITS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL Don't be fooled by other ancestry test kits pushing highly discounted prices this holiday season. Over the years, countless people have called us disappointed with the lack of specificity from other ancestry test kits. Get the results you want, the first time. Order today! Get the results you want, the first time. Order at https://shop.africanancestry.com www.facebook.com/africanancestry/videos/363773494403533/

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

www.africanancestry.com

Business - Environment Protection Econommy

Volkswagen Brings Electric Cars to Rwanda for Ride-hailing Service By Clement Uwiringiyimana

olkswagen (VOWG_p. DE) is importing a batch of electric powered Golf models into Rwanda for a local ride-hailing service, establishing a bridgehead in the country that it hopes to expand to other nations as it seeks to increase market share globally. Importing the vehicles into Rwanda, which sells itself to foreign investors on its reliable infrastructure, stability and relative ease of doing business, and where VW already assembles cars, is initially intended to test infrastructure and performance in the region’s climate. “We’ve been investing more than $30 billion into new electric vehicles and platforms and the entire world is moving in that direction,” VW’s Africa boss Thomas Schaefer told Reuters. “The plan for Africa is that ultimately, we replace the whole fleet into electric.” VW, which has a global target of producing 600,000 electric cars a year by 2022, is starting small in Kigali, importing 50 eGolf models in the first few months. The vehicles combustion-engine cars modified to run on electricity - will be integrated into the company’s app-driven “Move” service, launched last December. German power equipment firm Siemens (SIEGn.DE) will build 15 charging stations in Kigali. The stations can charge up to

▲▲Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente joins other officials at the launch of the e-G Ndengahimana/New Times

▼▼A Volkswagen e-Golf electric car is seen charging during its launch for use in Kigali, Rwanda October 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters

42  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

80% of a car’s battery within an hour, although it takes around 11 hours to charge a car at home, said Andile Dlamini, the group’s communications oﬃcer. The eGolf’s range, fully charged, is up to 230 kilometers. VW’s new ID3 models to be launched next year will have a range of 600 km. Rwanda has an installed p o w e r generation capacity of 286 MW the cars would mainly charge at night, when there is an excess of power. Unlike many African n a t i o n s , R w a n d a n electricity is relatively reliable. Rwanda’s prime minister E d o u a r d Ngirente said Golf in Kigali Photo: Sam he hoped electric car use n its ride-hailing service in could expand, noting fuel products were Rwanda’s biggest import last year. Schaefer acknowledged the high price of electric cars would not appeal to most African consumers, but said scaling up production and favorable government policy could help bring prices down. “The Rwandan government is working on electric vehicle policy and if that policy favors electric cars over traditional, then that development can happen very fast,” Schaefer said.  www.reuters.com/article/us-rwandavolkswagen-idUSKBN1X81UN

Essence Festival of Culture 2020 www.essence.com/recap-festival-page REAL ID On October 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will oﬃcially begin enforcing the REAL ID Act of 2005 at airports. This will require all Americans to present REAL IDcompliant identification to go through security at airports and federal facilities. Information: #REALIDReady and Your State DMV oﬃce or website and www. dhs.gov/real-id.

43  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Access to Capital For Your Small Business Why it’s important, and how to get it!

Four Points about Access to Capital • • • •

Can be very profitable Anybody who understands the rules can enjoy the benefits Micro Loans $1,000 Ͳ $50,000 Mature Loans $100,000 Ͳ $5 Million

Tuesday, November 5, 2019 @11:00 am – 1:00 pm Tuesday, November 12, 2019 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Tuesday, November 19, 2019 @ 11:00 am Ͳ 1:00pm Tuesday, November 26, 2019 @ 11:00 am Ͳ 1:00pm

Cost: FREE OF CHARGE! Council President Herb Wesson’s Office 1819 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90006 (Enter on Manhattan Place for Parking) RSVP ASAP Ͳ Call (626) 396Ͳ4993 Jon Bowles Call (213) 324Ͳ1424 Stan Lee www.interconnectionͲcenter.com

Sponsored by the City of Los Angeles

44  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Access to Capital For Your Small Business Why it’s important, and how to get it!

Four Points about Access to Capital • • • •

Can be very profitable Anybody who understands the rules can enjoy the benefits Micro Loans $1,000 Ͳ $50,000 Mature Loans $100,000 Ͳ $5 Million

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 @11:00 am – 1:00 pm Tuesday, December 10, 2019 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Tuesday, December 17, 2019 @ 11:00 am Ͳ 1:00pm

Cost: FREE OF CHARGE! Refreshments will be served. LAPD West Bureau 4849 W. Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019 RSVP ASAP Ͳ Call (626) 396Ͳ4993 Jon Bowles Call (213) 324Ͳ1424 Stan Lee

Sponsored by the City of Los Angeles 45  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

(323) 868-2621

Business - Marketing Infographic

arketers and consumers can both agree that the “Christmas Creep” is happening sooner and sooner every year in an effort to capitalize on the holidays. But it's not just businesses jumping on the trend. Shoppers, too, are looking to turn EVERY store and website visit into a chance to get ahead of their holiday shopping. So how do you build an ad strategy that attracts only the most qualified buyers (especially those who might

already have your product or service on their radar…)? These stats from the folks at Disruptive Advertising provide some helpful insights into holiday shopping and marketing habits this time of year. The holiday season has potential to be a major sales upswing for businesses, meaning your ads should be ready to roll out to your customers ASAP...because when you're prepared, your marketing efforts will set you up for success in the months to come.  www.DigitalMarketer.com

47  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Investments

Grammy Winning Rapper Chamillionaire Launches $100,000 Competition for Minority-founded Start-ups By Brandon Gomez

rammy-award winning rapper and investor Hakeem “Chamillionaire” Seriki announced November 11th on “Squawk Alley” that he and hip hop artist E-40 (www.instagram.com/e40/?hl=en) will invest $100,000 in a minority or woman founded start-up company. “Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy, but it’s even harder for minority and women led companies,” Seriki said. “These people are solving new and unique problems and I think the only thing in their way is capital.” Seriki was an early Lyft investor and remains bullish on the stock, while holding investments in more than 40 start-up companies. He previously invested in Ring (acquired by Amazon), Cruise (acquired by GM) and Maker Studios (acquired by Disney). But this competition comes as part of the investorslash-rapper’s larger push to bring awareness to a demographic of start-ups that he said have been historically underrepresented in the investment world. Seriki highlighted the demographic divide in the venture capital landscape, citing a cultural trickle-down of funding from white male investors to white male led companies. “When people say they can’t find African-American startups to invest in, it just sounds a little crazy to me,” Seriki said. “At one point I was getting 30 candidates a month, but when I said I only wanted to invest in women or minorities I started getting just two candidates a month.” Start-ups will submit their pitches on Convoz (https:// convoz.com), a face-to-face social app launched by Seriki in 2016 to enhance public collaborative communication. Pitches submitted via the app with be reviewed by Seriki, his team and Republic.co (https://republic. co/about), an SEC-registered platform that makes investing accessible to non-accredited investors. All start-up leaders from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply, with one word of advice from the award-winning artist.

Chamillionaire

“We’re not just talking about an idea. We’re talking about a real company,” Seriki said. Seriki, E-40 and Republic.co will partner with “Shark Tank” investor Daymond John who will help the group narrow applications to five finalists and choose a winner. “I am so excited to be one of the judges Daymond John in the $100,000 pitch competition,” John said. “If you feel that you are ready to pitch and knock it out of the park, I can not wait.” The pitch competition will run from Nov. 11 to Dec. 6.  www.cnbc.com/2019/11/11/rapper-chamillionairelaunches-competition-for-minority-start-ups.html Image credits: hip-hopvibe.com, gdaspeakers.com

48  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Special Couponss

Meet The New Groupon For Black-Owned Businesses By Leah Freeman-Haskin

t can be difficult for small, black-owned businesses to gain momentum and exposure. Whether it’s the scarcity of funding opportunities or negative stereotypes that can cast a shadow over a business’s reputation, there are numerous obstacles that black business owners face. Recently, a new way to support black-owned businesses has emerged in the marketplace. Black (https://blackbusinessboom.com), Business Boom created by Danielle McGee, is a movement dedicated to driving customers and revenue to small black-owned businesses by offering coupons on their web-based platform. “I started Black Business Boom because blackowned businesses typically have less access to funding, which consequently limits their ability to spend money on marketing,” said McGee to blacknews.com. “Our platform is an affordable way for small business owners to generate revenue while attracting loyal customers.” Via the website and new mobile app available on iOS and Android phones, business owners will have the chance to grow their business through exposure and sales by offering coupons and other incentives to customers across the country. “We must create actionable ways to dispel the myths and bridge the gap between black-owned businesses and consumers, in order for black-owned businesses to truly thrive and grow,” said McGee. According to Blacknews.com, the app features approximately 400 businesses that operate in various industries such as food, health, beauty, home, auto, and lifestyle. Customers can also earn rewards with customized loyalty programs. “It’s not enough to motivate consumers to support black-owned businesses through social movements,” said McGee. “It’s critical that black business owners understand how to retain customers and have access to resources that will help them excel in today’s marketplace.” https://travelnoire.com/groupon-for-black-ownedbusinesses/ 49  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Science Prize

$1 Million Prize for Mathmatics Solution - Why are Parachutes such a Problem for Space Travel? By Tim Fernholz

he United States is developing more spacecraft to carry people into space than any time in history. You might think the whole rocket full of explosive propellant is the biggest engineering challenge, but right now, it’s the soft landing that’s tricky—because designing parachutes, it turns out, isn’t so easy. The issue is physics. When a parachute is deployed to generate resistance in the atmosphere and slow a falling body, the flow of gas against and around its structure is complex and turbulent, especially at supersonic speeds. The study of that kind of turbulence is one of the most difficult phenomena for physicists to characterize and predict. There is even a $1 million prize available for solving one of its defining equations (Millennium Prize www.claymath.org/purposeand-goals). Earlier this year, auditors identified parachute problems as a top risk [www.gao.gov/assets/700/699881. pdf] to NASA’s commercial crew program, which has hired SpaceX and Boeing to design and operate vehicles to bring astronauts to the International Space Station. It was certainly a challenge for the Apollo program. “A major difficulty in design and development was the lack of adequate analytical methods for properly predicting dynamic behavior, loads and stresses,” a 1968 NASA paper on the Apollo parachutes concluded. “Development of these prediction methods must precede any major improvements…of future spacecraft systems.” That’s still true today. “Parachutes are a pain in the ass,” Miguel San Martin, a NASA engineer who has done extensive work landing robots on other planets, told Quartz in 2014. “[They are] convenient to analyze, slow the spacecraft dramatically, a very efficient machine, but we don’t understand the physics of how the parachute works, it’s a difficult thing to model. We are always holding our breath.” Landing a capsule with parachutes is a more proven technology—used regularly by the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, for example. But the newer American spacecraft are much larger than than the Apollo

capsules or the Soyuz, increasing the velocities and loads faced by their parachutes.

The Millennium Prize Problems In order to celebrate mathematics in the new millennium, The Clay Mathematics Institute of Cambridge, Massachusetts (CMI) established seven Prize Problems. The Prizes were conceived to record some of the most diﬃcult problems with which mathematicians were grappling at the turn of the second millennium; to elevate in the consciousness of the general public the fact that in mathematics, the frontier is still open and abounds in important unsolved problems; to emphasize the importance of working towards a solution of the deepest, most diﬃcult problems; and to recognize achievement in mathematics of historical magnitude. The prizes were announced at a meeting in Paris, held on May 24, 2000 at the Collège de France. The seven Millennium Prize Problems were chosen by the founding Scientific Advisory Board of CMI, which conferred with leading experts worldwide. The focus of the board was on important classic questions that have resisted solution for many years. Following the decision of the Scientific Advisory Board, the Board of Directors of CMI designated a $7 million prize fund for the solutions to these problems, with $1 million allocated to the solution of each problem. The rules for the award of the prize have the endorsement of the CMI Scientific Advisory Board and the approval of the Directors. The members of these boards have the responsibility to preserve the nature, the integrity, and the spirit of this prize.

The Parachute Challenge / Navier–Stokes Equation Waves follow our boat as we meander across the lake, and turbulent air currents follow our flight in a modern jet. Mathematicians and physicists believe that an explanation for and the prediction of both the breeze and the turbulence can be found through an understanding of solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations. Although these equations were written down

50  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Testing parachutes for Orion in 2017 (left), Boeing Starliner in 2018 (middle) and SpaceX Crew Dragon in 2018 (right). SpaceX Crew Dragon Parachute Test cnet.com

in the 19th Century, our understanding of them remains minimal. The challenge is to make substantial progress toward a mathematical theory which will unlock the secrets hidden in the Navier-Stokes equations.

Rules for the Millennium Prizes The revised rules for the Millennium Prize Problems were adopted by the Board of Directors of the Clay Mathematics Institute on 26 September, 2018. Please read this document carefully before contacting CMI about a proposed solution. In particular, please note that: • CMI does not accept direct submission of proposed solutions. • The document is a complete statement of the rules and procedures: CMI will not oﬀer any futher guidance or advice. • Before CMI will consider a proposed solution, all three of the following conditions must be satisfied: (i) the proposed solution must be published in a Qualifying Outlet (see §6), and (ii) at least two years must have passed since publication, and (iii) the proposed solution must have received general acceptance in the global mathematics community. Business and entrepreneur opportunities still abound because all of the needs of humankind have not been

met. Share the information on this opportunity with your local colleges and universities, youth mentoring programs and any other groups that are encouraging us, young and old, to reach for the stars - literally and figuratively.  https://qz.com/1741719/spaceflight-is-a-parachuteproblem-for-boeing-spacex-and-nasa/?utm_ source=email&utm_medium=daily-brief www.claymath.org www.claymath.org/millennium-problems www.claymath.org/purpose-and-goals https://qz.com/1725796/nasa-and-elon-musk-makeup-over-astronaut-flying-spat/

51  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Online Banking

Google to Offer Checking Accounts in Partnership with Banks Starting Next Year By Darrell Ellington

oogle is the latest big tech company to make a move into banking and personal financial services: The company is gearing up to offer checking accounts to consumers, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal (www. wsj.com/articles/next-in-googles-quest-for-consumerdominancebanking-11573644601), starting as early as

next year. Google is calling the project “Cache,” and it’ll partner with banks and credit unions to offer the checking accounts, with the banks handling all financial and compliance activities related to the accounts. Google’s Caesar Sengupta spoke to the WSJ about the new initiative, and Sengupta made clear that Google will be seeking to put its financial institution partners much more front-and-center for its customers than other tech companies have perhaps done with their financial products. Apple works with Goldman Sachs on its Apple Card credit product, for instance, but the credit card is definitely presented primarily as an Apple product. So why even bother getting into this game if it’s leaving a lot of the actual banking to traditional financial institutions? Well, Google obviously stands to gain a lot of valuable information and insight on customer behavior with access to their checking account, which for many is a good picture of overall day-to-day financial life. Google says it’s also intending to offer product advantages for both consumers and banks, including things like loyalty programs, on top of the basic financial services. It’s also still considering whether or not it’ll charge service fees, per Sengupta — not doing so would definitely be an advantage over most existing checking accounts available. Google already offers Google Pay, and its Google Wallet product has hosted some features beyond simple payments tracking, including the ability to send money between individuals. Meanwhile, rivals, including Apple, have also introduced payment products, and Apple of course recently expanded into the credit market with Apple Card. Facebook also introduced its own digital

payment product earlier this week (https://techcrunch. com/2019/11/12/facebook-wants-you-to-pay-people-onmessenger-instagram-and-whatsapp-with-facebook-pay),

and earlier this year announced its intent to build its own digital currency called “Libra” along with partners. The initial financial partners that Google is working with include Citigroup and Stanford Federal Credit Union, and their motivation per the WSJ piece appears to be seeking out and attracting younger and more digital-savvy customers who are increasingly looking to handle more of their lives through online tools. Per Sengupta’s comments, they’ll also benefit from Google’s ability to work with large sets of data and turn those into value-add products, but the Google exec also said the tech company doesn’t use Google Pay data for advertising, nor does it share that data with advertisers. Still, convincing people to give Google access to this potentially sensitive area of their lives might be an uphill battle, especially given the current political and social climate around big tech.  https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/13/google-to-oﬀerchecking-accounts-in-partnership-with-banks-startingnext-year Image credit: Internet Archive

52  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Online Banking

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Facebook Pay By Daniel Cooper

acebook's built payment platforms before, but they didn't take oﬀ in the way that the company wanted or needed. The mistake would be to assume that Facebook Pay (www.engadget.com/2019/11/12/ facebook-pay), the social network's new e-commerce

system, will fizzle in the way its predecessor did. It won't, because Facebook Pay is not only about helping users split the bill but also securing Facebook's future. The pitch for Facebook Pay is pretty simple: Connect your chosen card or PayPal to your Facebook account. Agree to connect it to Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram and you'll be able to send and receive money from any of those platforms from anywhere in the world. It is the logical extension of Facebook's plan to unify the infrastructure powering its various networks. In March, CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained how this would work in his "privacy-focused vision" for the platform. "A person discovers a business on Instagram and easily transitions to their preferred messaging app for secure payments and customer support," he wrote. The missing part was a platform-wide commerce platform that would mean you never have to leave Facebook. The benefit for consumers is convenience, especially once you've set up your payment details within the system. There's no need to fiddle with usernames or bank details, just find your friend's profile on their chosen (Facebook-owned) messenger and send them the cash. With ease of use, you would think, comes trust, something that Facebook is badly lacking in right now. Adding payments helps justify Facebook's decision to aggregate its platforms into one and makes it easier to build new systems in the future. If commerce is embedded within Facebook's platform, then it'll be a cinch to recruit new users for any potential homegrown Twitch, Patreon or YouTube rival. After all, one of the biggest problems with hooking up new customers is the friction around signing up.

It's likely that each platform will sell the benefits of Facebook Pay to its users in diﬀerent ways too. Facebook and Messenger will focus o on Marketplace and Fundraisers. Messenger and WhatsApp will focus on peer-to-peer payments, and Instagram w be all in on commerce. will Advertisers, especially online-only businesses that use Instagram as a storefront, are going to love this. If y you see something on your feed that y like, you could buy it with a single you push of a button from inside the same a app. That will not only reduce the e ever-worrying friction but also allow a advertisers to see the benefits of their t targeting. WhatsApp already lets you use it like this, but expect to see more companies go all in on Facebook as their only storefront. After all, you can use Instagram as a catalog, Facebook Pay to handle payments and WhatsApp for customer service. Combine that with Facebook's ad-targeting database and you'll be able to find and buy ads only for the people who want your product. Facebook Pay may finally allow the company to make money on the back of WhatsApp's 1.6 billion users. WhatsApp isn't as popular in the US as other platforms, but it's huge in the rest of the world, and Facebook hasn't begun to exploit its potential. If Facebook Pay, with WhatsApp, becomes the de facto messenger-and-payments platform outside the US, it'll be worth a fortune. Naturally, Facebook has outsourced the nuts and bolts of its system to Stripe and PayPal in the US and other processors elsewhere. It will oﬀer fraud detection, biometric security and live support between the hours of 6 AM and 6 PM (PT). And it has pledged to not store or share your payment information with third parties, although it will still be able to examine your transaction history. That, however, may not matter to the people who feel like Facebook is already beyond being trustworthy. After all, the company initially pledged to leave WhatsApp as a standalone app, but it changed its mind, resulting in CEO Jan Koum leaving the company. Actually, that's the same thing that Facebook said about Instagram, committing to "building and growing Instagram independently." So perhaps folks have a reason to be nervous.  www.engadget.com/2019/11/13/facebook-pay-unificationwhatsapp-instagram Image credit: pymnts.com

53  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - More Online Banking

The Smartest Corporate Card

rex (https://brex.com) is rebuilding B2B financial products, starting with a corporate card for technology companies. We help startups of all sizes (from recently incorporated to later-stage companies) to instantly get a card that has 20x higher limits, completely automates expense management, kills receipt tracking and magically integrates with their accounting systems. Brex is building the next generation of B2B financial services with better tech and without the restrictions of legacy technology. The Brex corporate card has no personal guarantee, instant approvals, and modern payment terms. Powered by the Mastercard network with best-inclass fraud protection. •

•

Get started in 5 minutes: Once approved, you can use your virtual card right away. You’ll receive physical cards in 3-5 business days. Easy to start, easy to scale. No personal guarantee: The only corporate card that doesn't require personal guarantees, credit scores, or security deposits from founders. One (or ten) less thing to worry about. Advanced fraud protection: You’re never liable for unauthorized transactions. We keep your account secure with 24/7 fraud monitoring, ID Theft and Purchase Protection.

available. Where competitor cards cut oﬀ your points earnings after you hit a spending limit, there's no cap on what you can earn with Brex. 7x-on rideshare, 4x-on brex travel, 3x-on restaurants, 2x-on recurring software and 1x-on everything else. Brex for Startups/Brex for Ecommerce: Get discounts on top services to run and grow your company. Brex’s partner oﬀers are worth over $50,000 in value and can be redeemed at any time—compared to an average of $500 in typical card signup bonuses. Brex was founded by Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi, two engineers who previously founded Pagar.me, one of the largest payment processors in Brazil with over $1.5 billion in GMV. Brex is backed by the co-founders of PayPal (Max Levchin and Peter Thiel), Y Combinator, Ribbit Capital, Yuri Milner, and Carl Pascarella (former CEO of Visa). https://brex.com Image credit: The Dough Roller

More Brex Opportunities Brex Ambassador: Apply to be a Brex Ambassador and join the league of people who back the startups and ecommerce brands coding, building, and designing their way to a better world. You’ll get commission for every company you refer that joins Brex, invitations to exclusive events, and other perks—they’ll get access to the best corporate card for startups and waived card fees for life. It’s a win-win for everyone. U.S. only. Brex in the Black: A crash course in financial operations. Bullet discussions on finance, fundraising, and financial processes with Brex’s CFO Michael Tannenbaum. Rewards with Brex: Make Brex your exclusive corporate card and get in on the most valuable rewards program 54  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

livethemagicofafrica.com

Business - Marketing

Why Pulling Out of Amazon Could be the Smartest Decision for Your Brand By Maria Haggerty

ike announced that as part of the company’s focus on elevating consumer experiences through more direct, personal relationships, it will stop selling its merchandise directly to Amazon. com. Here’s why Nike made the right decision. Partnering with Amazon undoubtedly has benefits — namely, a built-in audience and speedy delivery options. However, it’s crucial to consider what you’re jeopardizing in exchange. You're losing control of how your brand is presented. Even if you're lucky enough to benefit from Amazon's search algorithm — another thing brands have no control over — you essentially have no say in how your brand experience is delivered. Last year, Nike partnered with Jet.com, and given what Jet’s chief customer oﬃcer said, I’m not surprised. David Echegoyen told Footwear News, “the way in which people find, discover and use your product is as much part of the experience as the fact that you buy them and use them.” Echegoyen explained that Jet’s focus would be on delivering an experience that would allow both brands to utilize customer insights to enhance their experience. And because Nike products would only be sold direct from the brand on the Jet site, the confusion and brand dilution that shoppers often experience on marketplace platforms would eﬀectively be eliminated. What every brand should seek in its retail partners — and, really, all partners, to the extent that it’s possible — is recognition of the importance of delivering a cohesive brand experience at every touchpoint, and the desire and capabilities to do so. The advantages of owning your brand experience are abundant.

Control Your Customer Journey By limiting the channels where your products are available, you’re better able to deliver the best experience to your customers. This includes everything from product recommendations to delivery preferences, the physical unboxing experience, and more. This controlled approach also serves as a preventive measure against counterfeiting issues that could otherwise tarnish your brand’s reputation.

Own Your Data Amazon traces every shopper’s step, utilizing that data to make product suggestions based upon its own algorithm. These are insights that would be incredibly valuable to brands, arming them with information

that can help to deliver a better experience across all platforms, ultimately earning loyal customers. The problem is Amazon owns that data and doesn't share it with brands. Now, selling direct to consumer on your own channels provides you with 100% of your data, the benefits of which warrant its own article. With a compatible, focused retail partner, there may be more room for a discussion about data sharing.

Secure Better Profit Margins It’s diﬃcult to predict revenues when the sales process is out of your hands. Going direct to consumer gives brands the most control over profit margins. However, as a new or emerging brand, third-party channels are commonly part of the mix. Profit margins are dependent upon the type of partner and the value they bring to the table — or in this case, the cart. Amazon controls the market, so the terms of merchant agreements are almost certainly dictated. However, when you have a like-minded partner dedicated to delivering an experience, the terms may be subject to negotiation.

Shatter the Delivery Myth Thanks to the "Amazon Eﬀect," brands and retailers have had to figure out how to meet delivery expectations. Dotcom Distribution (https://dotcomdist.com) conducted a 2019 study that revealed online shoppers weigh shipping costs and delivery speed more heavily in their purchasing decisions than ever. Consider that 58% of respondents said shipping costs greatly impact their decision to make an online purchase, and 62% said free shipping was the most influential factor in their decision to make future purchases. By utilizing sales and transportation data from your fulfillment team, you can map your customers’ journeys and customize shipping pricing and delivery speed to meet their unique expectations. Selling through partners can be a huge asset, but it means there will always be an intermediary between you and your customer. If your sales channels include third-party retailers, make sure you’re all on the same page. Amazon can bolster brands in the short term, but to build a sustainable business, you must control how customers experience your brand, wherever they are. www.targetmarketingmag.com/post/why-pulling-out-of-amazon-isthe-smartest-decision-for-your-brand/#ne=4a21b9167bf65840819 1e7c49140a9aa&utm_source=today-%40-target-marketing&utm_ medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2019-12-13

55  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Customer Relations

How to Get Closer to Your Customers Without Creeping Them Out By eWeek Editors

ata is widely viewed as the most valuable commodity in the world, even surpassing oil. While this has created unprecedented opportunities for businesses to attract and retain customers through personalized experiences, recent data breaches demonstrate just how vulnerable this information can be to attacks. As such, consumer sensitivities around their data – where it lives and who has access to it – are at an all-time high. Customer qualms paired with a renewed focus on data privacy legislation has put a spotlight on today’s brands, calling their data collection and protection practices into question. Facing intense scrutiny, organizations today are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Customers want personalized offerings and experiences – they want to be known by the brands they deal with. But at the same time, consumers also want to feel safe, and far too often data sharing becomes a liability. New data from Acquia (www.acquia.com/about-us/ newsroom/press-releases/65-consumers-question-howbrands-are-using-their-data), polled from 1,000 U.S.-

based consumers, gets to the bottom of customer views on privacy. The findings reveal that despite the past year’s global focus on data privacy regulations designed to give consumers more power over their data, today’s customers still feel like they’re being kept in the dark on how it’s being used. Striking the right balance between privacy and personalization remains a top challenge for today’s businesses. Fortunately, it’s a line that can be successfully walked by brands that are honest and respectful of their customers’ information. In this eWeek Data Points article, Joseph Janik, VP, chief information security officer at Acquia, discusses five top takeaways from the company’s consumer research and what it means for brands looking to walk the line between privacy and personalization. Data Point No. 1: Consumers don’t know, or are not sure, how brands are using their data. Acquia’s research found that more than half – 55 percent – of respondents reported not knowing how

brands are using their data. This lack of transparency is driving consumers to worry about how their data is being used and, in turn, makes it difficult for them to feel comfortable trusting brands with sensitive information. Given this, brands must tread cautiously, proving to customers that they can be trusted with emaill addresses, for example, before they can hope to gain more personal information. Data Point No. 2: Most consumers would stop using a brand that was being dishonest about how it uses customer data. This means that any perceived dishonesty or secrecy on a brand’s part can be very damaging to their customer relationships – so, when in doubt, always come clean to keep consumers’ trust. Similarly, brands that abuse a customer’s data by inundating them with irrelevant offers will find themselves quickly receiving an ‘unsubscribe’ request. In addition to transparency and protection, customers have come to expect their data to be respected – which means using it to add value to their experience with a brand and make their interactions more enjoyable, not push a brand agenda. Data Point No. 3: Most consumers prefer to wait at least a month to share personal data with brands. Fifty-nine percent of consumers polled in Acquia’s study said they would prefer to wait at least a month before sharing personal data. This figure indicates that brands need to earn the trust of consumers before having all of their data, and therefore need to find ways to gradually tailor experiences to customers’ preferences over time. This also underscores consumers’ desire to build relationships, taking the time to get to know brands before trusting them. Consumers today are no longer taking a “share it and forget it” approach with their data or brand interactions. Rather, they are looking at data sharing as an investment in companies that they believe in and want to continue supporting. Data Point No. 4: Consumers are most motivated to share personal data with brands in return for

56  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

difficult to influence a consumer with a free or limited offer. Even so, if the offering aligns with the request, customers won’t withhold their data. That said, be mindful of how your ask and promotional combination will be received – don’t ask for anything too personal unless you are willing to compensate in kind! Data Point No. 5: Almost half of respondents are more comfortable giving personal information to brands with a physical store presence. Despite the ubiquity of the web and the surge in online retailers, there is still a fair measure of distrust associated with online transactions. This presents an added challenge for e-tailers, who must go the extra mile to overcome mistrust of the internet. Ultimately, gaining trust on any digital medium comes down to authentic interactions. In the synapseworldwide.com case of brands that operate solely online, personalized experiences and touchpoints can go a long way toward eradicating the feeling of promotional offers. While consumers can be swayed to exchange data anonymity inherent in web interactions.  for special offers, brands must make it worth the tradewww.eweek.com/cloud/how-to-get-closer-to-customersoff. Given the rising value of data and the looming risks without-creeping-them-out that come with sharing it, it’s likely to become more

57  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

58  February 2019  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - The Internet We Want

Tim Berners-Lee Marks Internet’s 50th with "Contract for the Web" By Stephen Graves

ovember 26, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first electronic message sent over ARPANET, the U.S. Defense Department computer network that served as the precursor to the Internet. To mark the occasion, the founder and inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim BernersLee, has renewed his call for a new Contract for the Web, a guiding set of principles intended to “protect the web as a force for good.” In a statement released by the Web Foundation, Berners-Lee notes that the web’s birthday “is not altogether a happy one,” adding that its power for good is being subverted by “scammers, people spreading hatred or vested interests threatening democracy.” The anniversary, he said, “must mark the moment we take on the fight for the web we want.” The Contract for the Web sets out principles for governments, companies and citizens to “protect

the open web as a public good and a basic right for everyone.” Governments and companies pledge to maintain connectivity and respect citizens’ privacy and personal data on the Internet, while citizens commit to being creators and collaborators and building strong communities where people “feel safe and welcome online.” A first draft of the principles was published in July this year; the full version is set to publish in a month’s time, according to Berners-Lee’s announcement.

Decentralizing data Berners-Lee isn’t limiting himself to proclamations; since 2015, he’s been working on an open-source decentralized web platform called Solid, which has the lofty mission “to reshape the web as we know it.” The Solid model sees users storing their personal data in a “personal online data store” (POD) on a Solid

60  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Culture Contest

Nominate Your Company TODAY! Call for Entries Inc.'s Best Workplaces recognizes and celebrates businesses, like yours, that value company culture, offer standout worker benefits, and prioritize employee well- being. Nominate your company today.

Why Apply? Gain national recognition, visibility, media exposure, and invaluable insights. Plus boost employee engagement and enthusiasm.

Why You?

workforce, and you ought to be recognized for Be proud of your workplace and get the recognition your company deserves. Apply for Inc.'s Best Workplaces. And let us tell the world about you. it.

Because you know you've gone through great lengths to attract, develop and maintain your

Application Information

server, providing permissioned access to companies and services, with the aim of “[restoring] rightful ownership of data back to every web user.” Together with cybersecurity entrepreneur John Bruce, BernersLee has founded Inrupt, a start-up to foster development on the Solid platform, initially by hosting PODs. Ultimately, the aim is to circumvent the data silos held by the likes of Google and Facebook in favor of PODs, with apps afforded different levels of permissioned access to personal data. This, Inrupt claims, would enable apps to “talk to each other” using “universal data.”

transmit the command “LOGIN” from a workstation in UCLA’s Boelter Hall to a terminal in Stanford Research Institute, the system crashed, with only the first two letters—”LO”— being sent. “It was inadvertent, but it turned out to be prophetic and powerful that the first message we delivered was ‘LO,’ as in ‘lo and behold,’” said UCLA computer science professor Leonard Kleinrock, whose team (eventually) managed to send the message. Tim Berners-Lee’s plan to create a new Contract for the Web—and a new decentralized infrastructure for it—is certainly bold. But with powerful entrenched interests

LO and behold That first message sent by researchers over ARPANET turned out to be unintentionally portentous; halfway through an attempt to

The appliction deadline is January 24, 2020. To review FAQs visit:

https://incmagazine.zendesk.com/hc/ en-us/sections/360000018103-IncBest-Workplaces-Awards. To Learn More visit: https://inc-bestworkplaces. secure-platform.com/a/organizations/ main/home. To Apply visit: https:// inc-bestworkplaces.secure-platform. com/a/solicitations/login/11?returnUrl= http%3A%2F%2Finc-bestworkplaces. secure-platform.com%2Fa%2Fsolicit ations%2Fhome%2F11. Email us at bestworkplaces@inc.com. 

opposing it, it may yet be similarly cut short.  https://decrypt.co/10857/tim-bernerslee-internet-50th-anniversary-contractfor-the-web?utm_medium=techboard. mon.20191125&utm_source=email&utm_ content=&utm_campaign=campaign Image credit: medium.com, Shacknews

61  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Technology / Take A Look! Technology:

Take A Look! Google Brings its ‘.new’ Domains to the Rest of the Web

year ago, Google rolled out “.new” links that worked like shortcuts to instantly create new Google documents. For example, you could type “doc.

for OVO Sound artist releases and more), and repo. new (GitHub.) And some are just odd land grabs. Like Ovo Sound, the record label founded by Drake, which snagged “music.new” — a domain that you would think would go to a larger streaming service. Google says any company can register these domains, all of which are secured over HTTPS connections like .app, .page., and .dev domains are. Through January 14, 2020, trademark owners can register their trademarked .new domains. Starting December 2, 2019, anyone can apply for a .new domain during the Limited Registration Period.  https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/29/google-brings-itsnew-domains-to-the-rest-of-the-web-including-to-spotifymicrosoft-others

Adobe’s Photoshop Camera is an AIpowered Photo Editor for Your Phone new” (without the quotes) to create a new Google Doc or “sheet.new” to create a new spreadsheet. Google just announced it’s bringing the .new shortcuts to the rest of the web. Now, any company or organization can register their own .new domain to generate a .new shortcut that works with their own web app. Several have already done so, including Microsoft, which now has “word.new” to start a new word document, or Spotify, who has “playlist.new” to start adding songs to a new playlist on its streaming app. The domains are designed to get users straight the action. That is, instead of having to visit a service, sign in, then find the right menu or function, they could just start creating. However, some of today’s new domains aren’t quite as seamless as Google’s own. Because most Google Docs users are already signed into to Google, it’s easy to jump right to creating a new online document. Other participants include sell.new (eBay), canva. new and design.new (Canva), reservation.new (OpenTable), webex.new and letsmeet.new (Cisco WebEx meeting room creation), link.new (Bit.ly), invoice.new (Stripe’s dashboard), api.new (launch new Node.js API endpoints from RunKit), Coda.new (Coda), music.new (create personalized song artwork

ecently Adobe announced Photoshop Camera, an AIdriven photoediting app for iOS and Android. Take a picture (or grab one from your camera roll), and Photoshop Camera will nearinstantly analyze it and oﬀer up a drawer full of potential enhancements, from basics like shadows/highlight tweaks, to more complicated things like swapping out the sky in a complicated cityscape. It recognizes what’s in the photo — be it food, people or distant mountains — and bubbles the most relevant “lenses” (think filters) up to the top. All lenses and eﬀects are non-destructive, so you can quickly roll back any changes it makes. Powering the AI is years and years of data. Adobe has hundreds of millions of photos in its stock photo collection, along with the data on which of these photos people tend to buy and use. Perhaps most importantly, they have the tooling data on how photo editors take a

62  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

picture and get it from point A to point B. Adobe tells me that it’s working with artists to create custom filters and lenses. Adobe CTO Abhay Parasnis also hinted to me at the possibility of limited-edition, region-locked lenses — like, say, those that only appear when you’re at a music festival or conference. One catch: If you want to use the app anytime in 2019, you’ll have to get Adobe’s thumbs-up. It’s going to be in private “preview” mode until sometime in 2020, when it rolls out to everybody. You can sign up for the preview here: www.adobe.com/products/photoshopcamera.html.  https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/04/adobes-photoshopcamera-is-an-ai-powered-photo-editor-for-your-phone/ Image credits: andro4all.com

https://travelnoire.com/african-emojis-created-21-year-old www.cnn.com/2019/12/18/africa/22-year-old-createsafrican-emojis/index.html

Tesla's Electric Cybertruck

Download "The New African Emojis"

in my room, first on paper and then on the Photoshop software.” The described shy Grebet says “The next step for me, after Zouzoukwa, is to learn about 3D and virtual reality, in order to create filters and find a new way to pay tribute to the African culture.” Since its release, Zouzoukwa has been downloaded more than 120,000 times on Google Play and the Apple app store. Search: Zouzoukwa Emojis. And in 2019, it was nominated for the best app of 2019 by the African Talents Awards (http://africantalentsawards. com/?page_id=2560), which celebrates young Africans in creative fields. 

’Plerou Grebet is a 21-year-old from the Ivory Coast who saw a huge problem with emojis and did something about it. Grebet noticed there were no emojis that Africans could specifically relate to, leading him to create Zouzoukwa African emojis. “Seeing all the smileys embedded in the application, I thought that was missing some to describe our Ivorian realities, to make our jokes.” Luckily, his parents are very supportive of his creative ventures and wanted him to “follow his passion.” He’s since created 350 downloadable emojis with cultural references to West Africa. When talking about his inspiration for the diﬀerent emojis he says, “Everything I see around me, on a daily basis, inspires me. I draw for a very long time, alone

esla's Cybertruck looks like no other pickup truck on Earth, with sharp edges, a retro-futuristic design, and body armor made from "ultra hard, cold-rolled stainless steel alloy" that Musk's SpaceX business is using for the giant Starship rocket. The Cybertruck will come with three ranges: 250 miles, 300 miles, and 500 miles. It will also feature 110V and 220V outlets, as well as an onboard air compressor, which relies on the vehicle's air suspension system. Musk announced a crowd-pleasing starting price of $39,900. While the Cybertruck doesn't appear to have a rear tray, the trunk can be opened and has a bed that is large enough to fit Tesla's new electric all-terrain see page 64

The Cybertruck's trunk has a bed that is large enough to fit Tesla's electric all-terrain vehicle (ATV)

63  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Technology / Take A Look! from page 63

vehicle (ATV), which can be plugged into the truck and charged. www.zdnet.com/article/elon-musk-revealsteslas-electric-cybertruck-and-smashesits-windows/?ftag=TRE6a12a91&bh id=22879832233920783794305160720838

Zuitte 50+ Tools for Entrepreneurs

uitte (https://zuitte.com) is a powerful suite of apps and tools that modern entrepreneurs actually need. Zuitte is purpose-built for the modern online entrepreneur. Zuitte was built from the ground

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Facebook and Messenger Bot Messenger Bot Builder Subscriber Tagging Promotional Campaigns Research and Analytics Website Statistics & Analytics SEO Tools Google Adwords Tools Social Media Management Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn Posters Facebook Auto Comments Social Media Post Scheduling & Auto Posting Email Marketing Email Auto Responder Interaction Analyzer Detailed Campaign Reports Project Management and CRM CRM Management • Online Email and SMS Invoicing • Leads Management • URL Shortener • Single/Bulk Link Shortener • Link Grouping • Link Click Counts • And a lot more!

System Requirements Any web browser.  Image credits: youtube.com Curatted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

up for Dropshippers, Amazon FBA Sellers, SMMA Owners, YouTubers, Social Influencers, Private Label Brand Owners, and more. With over 50 individual tools at your disposal, you can now use one app to do what used to take you more than 10 apps to do and you can do all that for just a small fraction of the cost of the standalone apps you're currently using. • Research your competitors, analyze customer behavior, explore keyword ideas, drive more sales & excel in your niche • Automate your social media platforms, schedule future posts, see customer interactions & grow your online presence • Set autoresponders, build & schedule marketing campaigns, analyze detailed customer campaign data, and even build your very own Messenger Bots • Manage leads, control finances, track inventory, export accounting documents, shorten URLs & stay on top of your daily business operations

Features

Happy New Year steppingoutwithgod.wordpress.com

64  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Technology Challenge

Masks and Photographs can Fool Facial Recognition Technology and That’s A Huge Problem By Parker Diakite

ccording to a new test from the artificial intelligence company Kneron, masks and photographs can easily fool facial recognition technology. The team traveled to various public locations to trick facial recognition terminals into allowing payments and gaining access inside diﬀerent transportation hubs. In one experiment in Asia, Kneron used high-quality 3-D masks to successfully make purchases on the payment systems AliPay and WeChat. But what’s more concerning among the analysts were the test results from transportation hubs. At the self-boarding terminal in Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands, the Kneron team managed to trick the sensor by using a photo on a phone screen. The team also confirmed that they were able to gain access inside rail stations in China where commuters use facial recognition to pay their fares and board trains, as reported in Fortune. The experiments done by Kneron raises concerns about terrorism at a time when airports across the country are starting to explore with facial recognition technology. “This shows the threat to the privacy of users with sub-par facial recognition that is masquerading as “AI”.” Kneron’s CEO Albert Liu said to Fortune. “The

technology is available to fix these issues but firms have not upgraded it. They are taking shortcuts at the expense of security.” In the case of the masks, the deceptions worked because the facial recognition system already contained an image of the person on whose face the mask was based. Kneron acknowledged that the deceptions were successful because the facial recognition systems already contained an image of the person on whose face the mask was based. The team added that such fraud is unlikely to be widespread because the masks used in the experiment were obtained from unique mask makers in Japan. However, the company notes the mask technique could be used to defraud famous or wealthy individuals.  https://travelnoire.com/photographs-can-fool-facialrecognition

65  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Jane e Reese-Wilkins s & Associates s e Black k Business s Association n Memberr off the Will assist you with your FREE Covered California Enrollment for No Cost! We assist with the quote, plan selection and enrollment. Depending on your situation, you may receive Premium Assistance. Dental and vision coverage is available at the time of enrollment. We represent the following plans:

Please call for your NO COST consultation, (626) 372-9097 janereesewilkins@yahoo.com www.coveredcaliforniamedicare.com #0C54211

67  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Souls to the Polls, Rides to the Polls, Get Out the Vote outreach on Election day, and even voter protection programs.

DEAR SUPPORTERS

ecently, we showed America that there is power in the Black vote. In the weeks leading up to the recent election, NAACP volunteers reached out to thousands of Black voters across Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia and empowered them with the tools they needed to mobilize infrequent voters in their own communities. With supporters like you reaching out to your own family, friends and neighbors, encouraging one another to vote because our lives depend on it, this is the impact we were able to make over the past four weeks: • We reached almost 300,000 people through direct mail across four states: Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia. • We texted close to 200,000 voters to remind them about the impact each one of their votes would have on their local elections. • Our youth and college members in Virginia at Hampton University, Norfolk State University, and Old Dominion University, made us all proud by organizing campus and community events to mobilize their peers and neighbors to go vote. • Our volunteer members across the states led a range of GOTV activities including

Every phone call, text message, and knock on the door concluded with historic election results and voter turnout across the country last night, and it wouldn’t have been possible without support from activists like you. Your participation in #40DaysOfGiving will help ensure that the NAACP and our volunteers can knock every door, make every call, and get every voter to the polls—voters we’ll need to move America closer to the more just and more equal nation it should be. Your generosity will also go toward our critical work to prepare communities of color for the 2020 Census count, the outcome of which will impact redistricting, enforcement of voting rights laws, and the distribution of federal funds. There’s a lot of work ahead of us in the weeks and months ahead, and if we’re going to defeat the forces against progress, we’re going to have to out-organize them at every turn. And our ability to out-organize depends on our side being well-resourced to fight in and for all of the neighborhoods we care about. Please make your donation at: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ naacp40days?refcode=email_fr_20191028_ VM_20191028-fr-VM-40days-actives_ actives_l3. Thank you. Fighting forward, Derrick Johnson @DerrickNAACP President & CEO NAACP

68  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Commentary

"Focusing on Freedom with Harriet Tubman: Enduring Advice on Relentless Resistance" By Dr. Maulana Karenga

his is a reminder, prelude and promise of a coming review on the movie “Harriet”. This is in joyful and grateful homage to our illustrious foremother, Harriet Tubman, the liberator. We offer sacred words and water to this leader and liberator, this all-seasons soldier, abolitionist, freedom fighter, strategist, teacher, nurse, advocate of human, civil and women’s rights, and this family woman: daughter of her parents and people, sister, wife, mother and aunt. At the heart, center and core of the life, work and struggle of Harriet Tubman is her focus on freedom. It is from the outset an inclusive and indivisible freedom: the collective practice of self-determination in and for community. Thus, it is not enough for her to free herself, for that to her was only an escape from the immediate bondage of the devilish enslaver and the radically evil system they built and maintained. And it was not enough to have crossed a line that in most minds meant leaving the land of bondage and entering the land of “freedom” and forgetting those left behind. Indeed, for her, freedom meant more than seeking and finding a comfortable place in oppression and letting those who would and could follow you. That is why, having escaped form enslavement, she could only feel free and happy for a brief while and was thus compelled to turn around and bring all she could out of bondage so that they could enjoy the collective and inclusive freedom both she and they needed. For she tells us that th t allll the th people l she loved and knew and who suffered and longed for freedom were back in the belly of the beast, fighting daily against the deadening, debilitating and acidicly corrosive and erosive effects of the Holocaust of enslavement, and she was determined and duty-bound to liberate them. Harriet Tubman had imagined and prepared for freedom

before she took that radical, irreversible and life-risking initiative to free herself, regardless of the costs and consequences. She had not simply hoped and prayed, but also hoped and practiced a freedom in the small and narrow space she carved out of the hard rock of the reality of enslavement which surrounded her. Dr. She began to think free, to study means to free herself and trained with her father and mother. She learned the lay of the land, the map of the night sky, the resources and pathways to freedom in the fields, forests, marshes and swamps. She memorized places of rest and renewal, of concealment and quiet, safehouses, allies and alternative routes and areas to avoid. And she studied and learned the ways and wisdom of her own people who also brought knowledge of various

and d useful f l kinds ki d about b t the th fields, fi ld forests, f t waterways, t plantations, pathways, enslaver patrols and persons helpful and harmful. And she counted on them to be courageous, strong and knowledgeable, and the historical records reveal she constantly cared for them and their children on the way, as well as for the weak, the ill and the aged, encouraging all and calling on all, even the fearful, to have faith, stay strong, act against

70  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Mau

ulana

their fears, apprehensions, doubts and “keep going” forward to freedom. She gave her life in love to her people. Given such love for her people and the meticulous, dangerous and demanding time she spent again and again reaching out for them, teaching them to believe in themselves and their capacity and right to be free, we know whether the words people tell us she said or acts she’s supposed to have committed, are true or not true. For example, she never said, “I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” This is something that Karenga comes from the pathological conception of Black people and easy to accept if you already have a tendency to let the oppressor be our teacher and tell us how to understand ourselves in the most self-doubting, self-denying, self-condemning and self-mutilating ways. The problem of liberating more enslaved Africans was not their lack of will, but her lack of more resources to achieve it, more allies to support it, and the numerous obstacles posed by the savage system and its supporters to save itself. The key lessons here of the awesome audacity, knowledge, skill, sacrifice, dedication, discipline and achievement of Harriet Tubman are lost, if we are deceptively diverted to indict our people instead of the oppressor. The problem of freeing more enslaved Africans couldn’t possibly have been that they didn’t know they were enslaved. For even the most chain-hugging persons among them knew they were enslaved, even if they lacked the will to be free. Again, Harriet Tubman loved her people, knew the depth of their suffering through the lived experience of her own life and all the other horrific evidence of the moral and social savagery of White supremacy, masquerading as God-given, manifest destiny and other holocaust-justifying lies and ways of life. And she was determined to free them regardless of the odds, obstacles, the cost, consequences and the sacrifice required. Thus, she says, “I have heard (my people’s) groans and sighs and seen their tears, and I would give every drop of blood in my veins to free them.” This is the meaning of her declaration of commitment and defiance: “We must go free or die and freedom is not bought with dust,” i.e., purchased cheaply. Therefore, her battle cry “Go free or die” is directed not against the fearful ones wanting to go back, which again is taught to indict the people and divert from the awesome work

she did, but to politically educate the people to the choice and practice of freedom. Likewise, her carrying a pistol, sword and rifle was not directed against the oppressed, but to protect them on the journey from the enemy oppressor. This is clear in her determination to have liberty, i.e., freedom or death and that no one would take her alive to torture, maim and kill her as they promised if they caught her. Note how she says, “I had reasoned in my mind there were one or two things I had the right to: liberty or death. If I couldn’t have one, I would have the other” (emphasis mine). Thus, she had thought this out, not against her people, but for herself and her people. And reaffirming this, she said she would fight for freedom “as long as (her) strength lasts.” And she “prayed to God to make (her) strong and able to fight. . .” to the end. And she did. And when the Civil War was won, she continued to fight for the poor, aged and ill, for the veterans, for African rights, women’s rights and human rights, leaving a legacy of lessons and good. And in this legacy no lesson is more important than the model and mirror and the enduring advice she gave in many ways about committing ourselves to righteous and relentless struggle for the shared good of a real and inclusive freedom. It is both a freedom from unjust and evil practices of domination, deprivation and degradation, and also freedom as the conditions and capacity to live good and meaningful lives and come into the fullness of ourselves. Again, however, she wants us to refuse to be deterred, diverted, dispirited or defeated and to wage the righteous and relentless struggle for a real and expansive freedom—not a fantasy freedom, a consumerist freedom, a machineaddicted and human-alienated freedom, but a freedom made real and enriched in and for community. Regardless of the social savagery and madness that surrounds us, we must hold on and keep going. Regardless of the hurricanes and vicissitudes of history, we must hold on and keep going. And regardless of battle fatigue, sagging courage, sacrifices required and temporary blurred vision concerning our ultimate goal, we must hold on and keep going. Indeed, in her own words, she advises us: “If you’re tired, keep going; if you’re scared, keep going; if you’re hungry, keep going; and if you want to taste (real) freedom, keep going.” Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of Kwanzaa; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis, www.AfricanAmericanCulturalCenter-LA.org; www. OﬃcialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org.

71  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Image credits: Pride

Commentary - Challenge of Violence

December 9, 2019

President Trump’s War on the Poor

onald Trump is famed for his head-snapping reversals. One day he’s taking troops out of the Middle East; the next he’s sending more in. One day he’s on the verge of an agreement with China on trade; the next he’s tweeting about holding oﬀ until after the election. On one thing, however, Trump and his administration have been clear, consistent, coordinated and relentless: waging a war on the poor. Not a war on poverty but a war on the most vulnerable themselves. Despite low unemployment, millions of Americans — the Brookings Institution estimates an astounding 44% of all workers in the prime working ages of 18-64 — struggle to get by on median wages of little over $10 an hour or $18,000 a year. The working poor face soaring costs of housing, health care, transportation, utilities and, of course, debt — all rising faster than their wages. The oﬃcial “poverty rate” is far lower than any accounting of the true needs of a family. The National Center for Children in Poverty estimates that the average family needs about twice as much income as the poverty level to meet basic needs. Cruelly, the Trump response to

this is to make it worse. The administration and Republicans in Congress oppose raising the minimum wage and won’t even allow a vote on it in the Senate. Now the administration proposes lowering the poverty line over time by pegging the inflation adjustments lower than the actual increase in costs. All programs that help low-wage workers would be aﬀected. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities projects that 250,000 seniors would get less help in purchasing prescription drugs, 300,000 children would lose health care under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This rule combined with others that the administration has imposed will cost literally millions of low-wage workers to face cutbacks in food assistance. Student loan debt is now $1.5 trillion, primarily loans taken out by the children of middle- or low-income families trying to better themselves through education. Bernie Sanders, running for president, has pledged to eliminate all student debt, paying for it with taxes on the wealthy, and to make all public colleges tuition free. Elizabeth Warren has joined in a plan to eliminate the debt for most students and make colleges tuition free. Trump is reportedly worried that these plans are very popular. His administration is scrambling to respond. One proposal, as the Washington Post reported, is to

cap the loans a student could get in relation to their projected income. That’s right, the Trump plan may call for reducing student debt by cutting the availability of loans to students — eﬀectively closing the doors to college to the children of middle- and low-income families. Add to this Trump’s most recent plan to take $2 billion out of the Pell Grant program — which supports college grants to children from families with less than $50,000 in income — to pay for sending NASA back to the moon. The maximum Pell Grant once covered nearly 80% of the cost of tuition, fees, room and board at public four-year college; now it covers less than 30%. This is a program that needs more funding, not less. Trump, of course, brags on his economy and the low unemployment. He argues — without evidence — that his tax cut is trickling down to workers. What he doesn’t realize is that this economy continues to generate jobs that won’t support a family. That’s why so-called poverty programs — from CHIP to food stamps to public housing to low income heating assistance to Medicaid — are so necessary. They give vital support to low-wage workers who do some of the hardest, most taxing jobs in our country. Cuts in student aid, cuts in Pell grants, cuts in food stamps, cuts in the poverty level — Trump is putting

74  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

low wage workers and their families in a box with no way out except

down. Our country is paying a very high price for this meanness. 

www.rainbowpush.org

75  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

FOR

Christmas, New Year and

Other Special Occasions Throughout 2020

Community/Public Interest - Voting

Michelle Obama Enlists Stars for 'Voting Squad' By Jessica Chasmar

ichelle Obama recently unveiled her starstudded “voting squad” as her nationwide getout-the-vote eﬀort ahead of the 2020 election. The former first lady posted a video from her When We All Vote campaign that features A-list celebrities such as Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Selena Gomez. “Last year, we went big,” Mrs. Obama says in the video. “Millions of new voters made their voices heard for the first time. Now, the stakes are even higher. “That’s why I’ve been reaching out to some friends to expand my voting squad for the year ahead,” she says in the video. Mrs. Obama serves as a co-chair on When We All Vote along with Mr. Hanks, Mr. Miranda and Ms. Gomez. Other celebrities who serve as co-chairs include Liza Koshy, Shonda Rhimes, Megan Rapinoe, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington, Faith Hill, Rita Wilson and Chris Paul. “It all starts with you,” the celebrities say in the video. “You’re the only person that can have that conversation with your family and your friends and your girlfriends and even with your community to get them registered and ready to vote. … When we all vote, we can change the

world.” Mr. Hanks said, ”Registering new voters is an act of hope and taking part in the American idea,” the Associated Press reported. He added that voting guarantees the blessings of ”liberty for the grandkids.” Join the campaign at http://whenweallvote.org and learn how you can get involved.  www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/nov/8/michelle-obamaenlists-tom-hanks-selena-gomez-for-/Image credit: blogspot.com Image credit: moosegazette.net, Twitter > When We All Vote,

81  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Health Issues

The Allstate Foundation and Serena Williams Shine a Spotlight on a Dangerous and Often Overlooked Form of Domestic Violence

he signs of financial abuse are often invisible, from extreme restrictions on spending to blocked access to bank accounts or ruined credit. Nearly 50% of Americans are unaware that financial abuse is a form of domestic violence, and nearly one-third find the topic of domestic violence taboo – up 10% since 2014 – according to a 2018 national survey[1] by The Allstate Foundation. To raise awareness of this often hidden form of domestic violence and open a national conversation on recognizing the signs of financial abuse, The Allstate Foundation recently debuted a public service announcement titled “Signs” that features tennis champion, philanthropist and Allstate Foundation Purple Purse ambassador Serena Williams. Domestic violence aﬀects one in four women in America, and even though financial abuse is present in 99% of domestic violence situations, it’s seldom discussed and commonly misunderstood. “Signs” is the first initiative under The Allstate Foundation’s new campaign platform – “Know Financial Abuse. No

Domestic Violence.” – aimed at spurring public action on this pervasive issue. “I am a longtime champion of standing up for what you believe in, and I am proud to use my voice for anyone who can’t use theirs,” said Williams. “I hope this piece helps put a spotlight on the hidden signs of financial abuse, sparks meaningful conversations with loved ones and creates an understanding that we need to be advocates and allies for those around us.” In the PSA, Williams navigates a maze-like setting riddled with some of the most common signs of financial abuse victims face in their daily lives. The film ends with a rallying cry, encouraging the public to recognize the signs of financial abuse and start a national dialogue to help the millions who are trapped in abusive relationships find freedom. “Not all abuse is visible. Unlike the marks and bruises of physical violence, the signs of financial abuse can be diﬃcult to see – even for victims experiencing it,” said Ellen Lisak, Allstate Foundation senior program oﬃcer. “With the help of Serena and our advocates

82  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

across the country, we hope to raise awareness of the issue of financial abuse, remove the stigma and begin a much-needed dialogue.” The Allstate Foundation and Williams urge everyone to do their part to empower victims to break free and remain free from abuse by learning the signs of financial abuse and having conversations around the topic if they suspect they know someone who needs help. Since 2005, The Allstate Foundation has invested more than $66 million to help empower more than 1.7 million survivors on the path to safety and security. If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 800-787-3224. Purple Purse (www.purplepurse.com) is a signature program of The Allstate Foundation, which is an independent charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation. The Allstate Foundation works to create more prosperous communities where people are inspired and empowered to fulfill their hopes and dreams by breaking the cycle

of domestic violence, inspiring the next generation of leaders, closing the nonprofit leadership gap and honoring Allstate volunteers. For updates on The Allstate Foundation’s initiatives, follow The Allstate Foundation on Facebook (www. facebook.com/AllstateFDN), Twitter (@AllstateFDN) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/AllstateFDN). More information on The Allstate Foundation is available at AllstateFoundation.org.  https://allstatefoundation.org/who-we-are-news-the-allstatefoundation-and-serena-williams-shine-a-spotlight-on-adangerous-and-often-overlooked-form-of-domestic-violence Image Credits: supportsofia.org [1] The Allstate Foundation Domestic Violence and Financial Abuse survey was conducted online February 9-17, 2018, by GfK among 1,840 American adults over age 18. It was a nationally representative sample of 1,052, with demographic oversamples (age 22-37), as well as residents of Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval. The survey was oﬀered in both English and Spanish..

Barack Obama’s Thanksgiving Message for 2019 Stresses Giving Back By Lee Moran, HuﬀPost

ormer President Barack Obama on Thursday morning, Nvember 28th tweeted a photo of his family volunteering at a food bank to wish Americans a Happy Thanksgiving. “Today, we give thanks for our blessings, give back to those around us, and enjoy some time ― and turkey, a maybe a little football ― with the ones we love,” Obama captioned the image of himself with former first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Sasha, 18, and Malia, 21. The Obamas volunteered at food banks on multiple occasions during his presidency. Obama last year

helped out ahead of Thanksgiving at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  www.huﬀpost.com/entry/barack-obama-thanksgiving-mess age_n_5ddfd299e4b0913e6f7a6065

83  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Suing Mother of Trayvon Martin

The Man Who Killed Trayvon Martin is Suing Trayvon's Mother for $100 Million By Leora Yashari Refinery29

eorge Zimmerman, who was charged with Trayvon Martin’s death, has now decided to sue Martin’s family, proving that he is truly the most despicable Florida man. Although a jury acquitted Zimmerman of all homicidal charges in 2013, he now seeks a sum of $100 million in civil damages, defamation, and conspiracy, according to an original report by the Miami Herald (www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article238030539. html) on recently. According to court papers, everyone

involved in charging Martin’s case is now responsible for damages to Zimmerman’s Floridian reputation: prosecutors, lawyers, and family members are all listed as defendants in his suit. Namely, Martin’s mother, Sabrina Fulton, is listed as lead defendant. The lawsuit also specifically sites the publishers of “Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People” (www.amazon.com/Open-Season-Legalized-

Genocide-People/dp/0062375091)for

wrongful defamation of Zimmerman’s character. Written by Benjamin Crump, who was one of Martin’s attorneys, the October-released book details Martin’s case as part of systematic racism in the U.S. Zimmerman’s lawsuit rests on “newly discovered” evidence from another entertainment outlet: A documentary titled The Trayvon Martin Hoax, which alleges that the Martin family engineered a fake witness during Zimmerman’s trial. The director of the documentary plans to address these claims in a press conference. But case defendants (and almost everyone on Twitter), don’t really believe Zimmerman has any footing with this lawsuit. “I have every confidence that this unfounded and reckless lawsuit will be revealed for what it is – another failed attempt to defend the indefensible and a shameless attempt to profit oﬀ the lives and grief of others,” Crump said in a statement on Wednesday in conjunction with Martin’s family. Zimmerman was arrested and charged for shooting an unarmed 17-year-old Martin, who was visiting his father, Tracy Martin, in a gated community in 2012. Martin was found dead shortly after Zimmerman called police that night to report him as a suspicious person. Ultimately, jurors acquitted Zimmerman of all charges on the basis of self defense. Since then, his business ventures have included tweeting about race, attempting to sell the weapon that caused Martin’s death online, and suing the grieving family who lost their teenage son. www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/man-killed-trayvonmartin-suing-203435345.html?.tsrc=daily_ mail&uh_test=1_04

Tracy Martin and Subrina Fulton, parents of Trayvon Martin

84  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Image Credit: Vibe

LOCATIONS 6321 West Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90043

323-295-8223

west@shopwordoflife.com

7223 S. Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90003

323-758-2733

main@shopwordoflife.com

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

John Conyers, Longest-serving Black Congressman, Dies at 90 By The Associated Press

President Barack Obama and

WordPress.co

disaster for the AfricanAmerican community" in 2004, and in 1979 called then-President Jimmy Carter "a hopeless, demented, honest, wellintentioned nerd who U.S. Rep. John Conyers speaks at a session during the Congressional Black Caucus will never get past his Foundation's 45th annual legislative conference on Sept. 18, 2015 in Washington. Alex first administration." Wong | Getty Images Throughout his career, Conyers used his influence to push civil rights. After a 15-year ormer U.S. Rep. John Known as the dean of the fight, he won passage of legislation Conyers, one of the Congressional Black Caucus, declaring the Rev. Martin Luther longest-serving members of which he helped found, Conyers King Jr.'s birthday a national Congress whose resolutely liberal became one of only six black holiday, first celebrated in 1986. He stance on civil rights made him a House members when he was won regularly introduced a bill starting political institution in Washington, his first election by just 108 votes in in 1989 to study the harm caused D.C. and back home in Detroit 1964. The race was the beginning by slavery and the possibility despite several scandals, has died. of more than 50 years of election of reparations for slaves' He was 90. dominance: Conyers regularly won descendants. That bill never got Conyers, among the high- elections with more than 80% of past a House subcommittee. profile politicians toppled by sex the vote, even after his wife went to His district oﬃce in Detroit harassment allegations in 2017, prison for taking a bribe. employed civil rights legend Rosa died at his home on Sunday, That voter loyalty helped Conyers Parks from 1965 until her retirement October 27th said Detroit police freely speak his mind. He took at both in 1988. In 2005, Conyers was spokesman Cpl. Dan Donakowski. Republicans and fellow Democrats; among 11 people inducted to the The death "looks like natural he said then-President George International Civil Rights Walk causes," Donakowski added. W. Bush "has been an absolute of Fame (www.georgiasentinelnews.

88  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

d Rep. John Conyers

Rep. John Conyers and Rosa Parks Pinterest

com/2019/05/13/international-civilrights-walk-of-fame-has-new-home).

But after a nearly 53-year career, he became the first Capitol Hill politician to lose his job in the torrent of sexual misconduct allegations sweeping through the nation's workplaces. A former staﬀer alleged she was fired because she rejected his sexual advances, and others said they'd witnessed Conyers inappropriately touching female staﬀers or requesting sexual favors. He denied the allegations but eventually stepped down, citing health reasons. "My legacy can't be compromised or diminished in any way by what we're going through now," Conyers told a Detroit radio station from a hospital where he'd been taken after complaining of lightheadedness in December 2017. "This, too, shall pass. My legacy will continue through my children."

Conyers was born and grew up in Detroit, where his father, John Conyers Sr., was a union organizer in the automotive industry and an international representative with the United Auto Workers union. He insisted that his son, a jazz aficionado from an early age, not become a musician. The younger Conyers heeded the advice, but jazz remained, he said, one of his "great pleasures." He sponsored legislation to forgive the $1.6 million tax debt of band leader Woody Herman's estate and once kept a standup bass in his Washington oﬃce. Before heading to Washington, Conyers served in the National Guard and with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean War, supervising repairs of military aircraft. He earned his bachelor's and law degrees from Wayne State University in the late

1950s. His political aspirations were honed while working as a legislative assistant from 1958 to 1961 to U.S. Rep. John Dingell, a fellow Michigan Democrat who, when he retired in 2014 at age 88, was Congress' longest-serving member. That mantle then was passed onto Conyers. Soon after being elected to Congress, Conyers' leadership at home — in the segregated streets of Detroit — would be tested. Parts of the city were burned during riots in July 1967 that were sparked by hostilities between black residents and Detroit's mostly white police force, and by the cramped living conditions in black neighborhoods. Conyers climbed onto a flatbed truck and appealed to black residents to return to their homes, but he was shouted down. His

89  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

see page 90

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial see page 90

district oﬃce was gutted by fire the next day. But the plight of the nation's inner cities would remain his cause. "In Detroit you've got high unemployment, a poverty rate of at least 30%, schools not in great shape, high illiteracy, poor families not safe from crime, without health insurance, problems with housing," he told The Associated Press in 2004. "You can't fix one problem by itself — they're all connected." He was fiercely opposed to Detroit's finances being taken over by a state-appointed emergency manager as the city declared bankruptcy in 2013. Conyers, whose

The Detroit News

district included much of Detroit, sought a federal investigation and congressional hearings, arguing it was "diﬃcult to identify a single instance" where such an arrangement, where local oﬃcials are stripped of most of their power, succeeds. Conyers was the only House Judiciary Committee

member to have sat in on two impeachment hearings: He supported a 1972 resolution recommending President Richard Nixon's impeachment for his conduct of the Vietnam War, but when the House clashed in 1998 over articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, Conyers said: "Impeachment was designed to

90  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

S Re C

rid this nation of traitors and tyrants, not attempts to cover up an extramarital aﬀair." Conyers also had scandals of his own. In 2009, his wife Monica Conyers, a Detroit city councilwoman largely elected on the strength of her husband's last name, pleaded guilty to bribery. The case was related to a sludge hauling contract voted on by the City Council, and she spent nearly two years in prison. Three years earlier, the House ethics committee closed a three-year investigation of allegations

that Conyers' staff worked on political campaigns and was ordered to baby-sit for his two children and run his personal errands. He admitted to a "lack of clarity" with staffers and promised changes. But he couldn't survive the last scandal. An ethics committee launched a review after a former longtime staffer said Conyers' office paid her more than $27,000 under a confidentiality agreement to settle a complaint in 2015. She alleged she was fired because she rejected his sexual advances, and other said they'd witnessed inappropriate behavior. Conyers initially said he looked forward vindicating himself and his family, but he announced his immediate retirement in December 2017 after fellow Democrats called for his resignation. The chorus included Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the House's top Democrat. Conyers became chairman of the House Judiciary Committee when Democrats regained the House majority in 2006. He oversaw 2007 hearings into the White House's role in the firings of eight federal prosecutors and 2009 hearings on how the NFL dealt with head injuries to players. Conyers frequently swam against the prevailing political currents during his time in Congress. He backed, for example, anti-terrorism legislation that was far less sweeping than a plan pushed by thenAttorney General John Ashcroft in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He was also an early supporter in 2007 of then-Sen. Barack Obama, who was expected by some in the Congressional Black Caucus to push public health insurance, sharp funding increases for urban development and other initiatives long blocked by Republicans. "We want him to stand strong," Conyers said in 2009. Conyers enjoyed his greatest support back home in Detroit — except when he tried to venture into local politics. Conyers took on 16-year incumbent Mayor Coleman A. Young in 1989, launching his bid with the statement: "Look out, Big Daddy, I'm home." But a poorly organized campaign helped him finish a mere third in the primary. He ran again for mayor when Young retired in 1993, and lost again. Founding Members of the Congressional Black Caucus Along with his wife, Conyers is survived Left to Right: (front row) Rep. Robert Nix Sr., Rep. Charles Diggs Jr., Rep. by two sons, John III and Carl.  Shirley Chisholm, Rep. Augustus Hawkins (second row) Rep. Parren Mitchell,

ep. Charles Rangel, Rep. William Clay Sr., Rep. Ronald Dellums, Rep. George Collins, Rep. Louis Stokes, Rep. Ralph Metcalfe, Rep. John Conyers Jr., Del. Walter Fauntroy Location: Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University

www.mprnews.org/story/2019/10/27/john-conyerslongest-serving-black-congressman-dies-at-90

91  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

The Rev. Clay Evans, Famed Church Pastor, Civil Rights Icon and Gospel Singer, Dies at 94 By William Lee

"Jubilee Showcase" DVD cover from 2014 features Rev. C Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. (ugo means being dedicated to freedom and equality,” Evans told a Tribune reporter in 1974. Evans died Wednesday at his home on the city’s South Side, a spokeswoman for the retired pastor said. He was 94. But The Tennessee-born cleric gained national notoriety for his rousing sermons, energetic storytelling style performed on television with his The Rev. Clay Evans at the Fellowship Missionary Baptist choirs, and for helping to introduce black gospel Church in Chicago in 2010. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune) music to the mainstream. Gifted with a recognizable husky baritone that could have just as easily fronted a big jazz band, he he Rev. Clay Evans, legendary gospel singer, choirmaster and celebrated Baptist minister who performed as a soloist on songs such as “I’m Going became a fast ally to the Rev. Martin Luther Through.” He also performed with his Fellowship King Jr. in his eﬀort to expose the slum conditions Missionary Baptist Church choir, known as The Ship, and later with the African American Religious black Chicago residents endured, has died. Evans linked King to other ministers interested in Connection Mass Choir. Evans produced dozens of gospel albums and his Operation Breadbasket program, which sought to improve conditions for blacks and open jobs at all- helped popularize broadcast ministry in the 1970s with white supermarket chains and bottling companies. “I try his “What a Fellowship” TV program. Evans’ music program began airing on Channel 38 to embody the principles of Christianity, and for me that

92  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

in 1977. “Music was a gift that he had, and he was committed to inspire ... and share the good news with people,” said the Rev. Charles Jenkins, current pastor of Evans’ Fellowship church, who plans to step down at the end of this year. But it was Evans’ role as a champion for civil rights and a mentor to other black clergy where he was most integral, his supporters said. Ordained a baptist minister in 1950, Evans was both a leader and behind-the-scenes player who helped launch the ministerial careers of many up-and-coming ministers who would make an impact, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Consuella York, the first African American woman to be ordained into the clergy in Chicago by her denomination. It was Evans’ work with Jackson and King that set the stage for his work that blended ministry with community activism, particularly aimed at Chicago’s political machine, which long excluded or ignored African American concerns. Some of the work done by Evans’ community action forced whiteowned companies to open jobs closed to African Americans. His work with Jackson, and later the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, was believed to have opened thousands of jobs for black workers, according to the Clay Evans, Dr. King Research and Education Institute at ospel.com) Stanford University. Evans’ support for King was integral in helping the famed Atlanta preacher get a foothold in Chicago, where he planned to launch his Chicago Freedom Movement to reveal the unfair conditions black residents suﬀered. But that early support for King, who famously launched the Montgomery bus boycott, came at a cost, as some bitterly opposed King for being an outsider or a threat to their white political support, according to Zach Mills’ 2018 book, “The Last Blues Preacher: Reverend Clay Evans, Black Lives, and the Faith That Woke the Nation.” In one tense encounter that became legend, according to the book, Evans was among several ministers present when an anti-King pastor pulled out a gun after Evans pressed for a vote on King’s Breadbasket initiative. More personally, Evans faced ridicule for supporting King and claimed that as payback, construction of a new church building was halted for seven years. Jenkins said the memories of that dark time survived in his mentor’s mind for years, though it strengthened his resolve. “He said it was very painful. At times, it was

very lonely,” Jenkins said. Evans even recalled his foes taunting him by pointing and laughing at his building’s shell. “You’ve got to be willing to stand for something. It may cause you some discomfort, but you have to be willing to stand by principles, by precept and example,” Jenkins said of Evans. “He would say be bold as a lion but as humble as a lamb, and know that at moments when you face adversity, be strong.” In his later years, Evans was an ally of Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel, while counseling Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and serving on numerous community boards. Born in Brownsville, Tennessee, in 1925 to a large churchgoing family, Evans moved with his family to Chicago in 1945 with designs to be an undertaker, according to Robert M. Marovich’s book, “A City Called Heaven: Chicago and the Birth of Gospel Music.” “That was the most successful thing in Brownsville. There were no professional folks, doctors and lawyers and so forth,” Evans said in an interview. After arriving, he joined the Tabernacle Baptist Church at 41st and Indiana and worked at the old Brass Rail cocktail lounge downtown. It was during these years, according to Marovich’s book, that he learned he could sing and found a home in the city’s dense gospel community. He sang with local groups such as the Soul Revivers and the Lux Singers until 1950, when he sought his ministerial ordination. In 1946, Evans married a fellow choir member, Lutha Mae Hollingshed, and they had six children during their 74-year marriage. Evans was the founding president of the Broadcast Ministers Alliance of Chicago and the African American Religious Connection. He was also a board member of the National Baptist Convention and an author of several books, including “A Chat with the Elder.” He retired from active ministry at the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in 2000. Following his retirement, he donated church papers, photos and music material to the Chicago Public Library for a special collection housed at the Harold Washington Library. In 2006, he released his last gospel album, titled “It’s Me Again.” In addition to his wife, Evans is survived by five children, several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. A daughter preceded him in death. His Fellowship church will host visitation and funeral services on Dec. 6 and 7.  www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-rev-clay-evansobituary-20191128-qxj3hirfhrgrzprxgygtnob4mm-story.htmll

93  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Bernard Tyson, CEO and Chairman of Kaiser Permanente, Dies at 60

r. Tyson was the first African American CEO of Kaiser when he took that position in 2013, after nearly three decades at the company. He had previously worked as a hospital administrator and chief operating officer, and was included on Time magazine’s 2017 list of the world’s most influential people. Under Mr. Tyson, Kaiser grew from 9.1 million members and 174,000 employees to 12.3 million members and 218,000 employees, increasing annual revenue from $53 billion to more than $82.8 billion, according to the company. His death occurred the day before a planned fiveday strike by 4,000 mental health professionals at 100 Kaiser clinics in California, amid a contract dispute over retirement and health benefits. Union officials voted Sunday to postpone the strike. Peter V. Lee, the head of Covered California, an independent state agency that focuses on health insurance, said Mr. Tyson’s “vision and laser focus on increasing access, quality and affordable health care coverage for all has helped transform Kaiser and had a positive impact on the entire health care system.” Mr. Tyson also was on the boards of the American Heart Association and Salesforce. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and deputy chairman of the Americas of the International Federation of Health Plans. Bernard James Tyson was born in Vallejo, Calif., on Jan. 20, 1959. His father was a carpenter and minister;

his mother had diabetes, leading Mr. Tyson to spend time in hospitals growing up. He eventually decided that he wanted to run one of his own. Mr. Tyson received a bachelor’s degree in health service management in 1982 and an MBA in 1984, with a focus in health service administration, from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He joined Kaiser three years later and worked as an assistant administrator for its San Francisco medical center and CEO of the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Santa Rosa, Calif. “I still do hospital visits, and I can tell how well it’s run in a couple minutes,” he told Bloomberg in 2015. “How clean are the floors? How does the staﬀ respond? What’s the vibe?” While at Kaiser, he was a member of the Bay Area Council, a business-led public policy organization advocating for a strong economy for area residents. He became Kaiser Permanente’s chairman in 2014, the year after he was named CEO. On Sunday, the company’s board of directors named Executive Vice President Gregory Adams as interim chairman and CEO. Mr. Tyson’s marriage to Carla Robinson ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife, Denise BradleyTyson, and three sons from his earlier marriage, Alexander, Charles and Bernard J. Tyson Jr. https://hagerstownairport.org/2019/11/11/bernardtyson-ceo-and-chairman-of-kaiser-permanente-diesat-60/

94  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Literary Scholars Laud the Life and Works of Ernest Gaines By Pearl Stewart

rnest J. Gaines, one of the most important literary figures in America, renowned and beloved for his transcendent works about the lives and struggles of African-Americans facing bigotry and racism in the South, died on Nov. 5 at his home in Oscar, Louisiana at 86. His novels and short stories are the subject of extensive scholarly research and critique. Many of his early papers and manuscripts are housed at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where Gaines spent more than two decades as writer-in-residence and where the Ernest J. Gaines Center was established in 2010 to provide a space for scholars and students to examine his materials. Born in 1933 on a plantation near New Roads, Louisiana, Gaines based his award-winning novels on the African-American experience in the rural South. Gaines’s most iconic novels, A Lesson Before Dying (1993), The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1971), and A Gathering of Old Men (1987) were made into award-winning television movies. Gaines authored a total of eight books and seven short stories. “Like many Southern writers, you can see in Gaines’s writing a complete love of the South and a complete concern that the South really has to change, So for him, the American South is a place of nurturance, it’s a place of family, it’s a place of community but it’s also a place of segregation, violence against Black bodies and his fiction beautifully navigates those contrasts,” Dr. Valerie Babb, the Andrew Mellon Professor of Humanities at Emory University, told Diverse in an interview. Another Gaines scholar, Dr. Lillie Anne Brown, an associate professor of English at Florida A&M University, published an essay in the September 2017 issue of Studies in Literary Imagination –an issue devoted entirely to Gaines. She told Diverse, that in Gaines’s most recent work, The Tragedy of Brady

Sims (2017), “the art of storytelling, the vernacular of the characters and the presence of multiple views of the novel’s central figures all contribute to the richness of voice as well as the diversity of people who make– and have made –the South their home.” Although Gaines had little opportunity to read books as a child because of segregation, which included libraries, when he moved to California at age 15 he entered a library for the first time. Gaines attended San Francisco State University where he began publishing his first stories and graduated in 1957. After living in San Francisco for many years, Gaines returned to Louisiana in 1984, where he and his wife, attorney Dianne Sauley Gaines, played an important role in the local community and at UL Lafayette. UL Lafayette president Dr. Joseph Savoie described Gaines as “a literary giant who found his muses among the sugar cane fields of his native Pointe Coupee Parish, and who shared those stories with readers around the globe.” Savoie added that Gaines “was a believer in the power of words to inspire unflinching, honest conversations about painful corners of our collective past. . . We are deeply humbled that he chose us as the stewards of his legacy.” Among his numerous awards and commendations, Gaines received the prestigious “genius grant” in 1993 from the MacArthur Foundation in the amount of $335,000. He also received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Rockefeller and Guggenheim Foundations. He held honorary doctorates from five colleges and universities. The Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, presented annually by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, will continue as his legacy. It will be presented Jan. 30 to an emerging African American author.  https://diverseeducation.com/article/159203/

95  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary

Richard Hatcher, Trailblazing Black Mayor Elected in 1960s, Dies at 86 By Tom Coyne and Rick Callahan, Associated Press

Gary Mayor Richard Hatcher addres by poet Amiri Baraka and Rev. Jess contributions to the cause of racial and economic justice and the more than 20 years of service he devoted to the city of Gary,” the family added. Hatcher had to overcome opposition from the local "Jubilee Showcase" DVD cover from 2014 features Rev. Clay Evans, Dr. Martin Democratic machine to Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. (ugospel.com) become mayor of what was then Indiana’s secondlargest city in a surprise ormer Gary, Indiana, Mayor Richard Hatcher, victory in 1967. He went on to serve five terms. who became one of the first black mayors of a Hatcher became the political face of Gary and a big U.S. city when he was elected in 1967, has political force for blacks after his ground-breaking died. He was 86. election. He organized the 1972 National Black In 1979, Mayor Richard Hatcher of Gary, Indiana, center, reads a telegram to the U.S. Senate that he Political Convention in Gary and served as chairman and seven other mayors sent regarding lifting of of Jesse Jackson’s Democratic presidential sanctions against Zimbabwe-Rhodesia during the U.S. campaign in 1984 and vice chairman four years Conference of Mayors in Pittsburgh. Coleman Young later. Jackson told The Associated Press on Saturday that of Detroit, left, and Maynard Jackson of Atlanta also Hatcher was a “transformational figure” who helped spoke. (Photo: AP) people see that African Americans could run for some Hatcher died Friday night at a Chicago hospital, said his daughter, Indiana state Rep. Ragen Hatcher, a of the highest oﬃces, and win. “Mayor Richard Hatcher was not just a historical Gary Democrat. She did not provide a cause of her fi gure, he was a transformational figure. We thank father’s death. The Hatcher family said in a statement that “in the him, and we miss him,” Jackson said, adding that he last days of his life, he was surrounded by his family has been asked to speak at services for Hatcher next Saturday. and loved ones.” Hatcher’s mayorship was marred by the steel city’s “While deeply saddened by his passing, his family deterioration. is very proud of the life he lived, including his many

96  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

The election of Hatcher, then a 34-year-old activist, lawyer and City Council president, sparked high emotions in Gary. He defeated incumbent A. Martin Katz in the primary by more than 2,300 votes, prompting a celebration that forced police to shut down a sixblock section of Broadway for four hours. sses press on March 10, 1972 flanked The celebration se Jackson, Sr. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) was short-lived. When Hatcher said he wasn’t going to allow Lake County Democratic leaders to pick the city’s police chief, city attorney and other major positions, the party refused to support him in the general election. It even went so far as to work for his Republican opponent, Joseph Radigan. Although Gary hadn’t had a Republican mayor since 1938, it was a challenge for a campaign that had spent most of its money on the primary. Hatcher managed to raise $8,000 to run ads in The New York Times and the Post-Tribune in Gary that read, “Richard Hatcher is battling bigotry and ignorance. And he needs your help.” Those ads brought in more than $250,000, drew invitations to appear on TV and radio shows, and attracted the attention of Sen. Robert Kennedy, Vice President Hubert Humphrey and others. “It was unbelievable,” Hatcher, who kept a framed copy of the ad on his oﬃce wall, said in a 2011 interview with The Associated Press. “We ended up having enough money to run a decent campaign.” He gave credit for his election to the city’s black residents, who made up slightly more than half of Gary’s population of about 175,000 residents in 1967 but trailed whites in the number of registered voters. “There was a tremendous spirit in the city and the black community was very united,” he said. “I think I received about 7% of the white vote. The other white candidates divided up the white vote, they really split it, which made it possible for me to win.” During his inauguration speech, Hatcher said his primary goal was to make the city a decent place to

live for his “brothers and sisters.” “Gary is a rising sun. Together, we shall beat a way; together, we shall turn darkness into light, despair into hope and promise into progress,” he said. Hatcher attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money to Gary in his 20 years in office, some of which was used to build low-cost housing and the first public housing units in the city in nearly two decades. He also got federal funds for jobs training; repaved deteriorating streets; and put many inner-city neighborhoods on regular garbage collection for the first time. The changes extended to City Hall. When he was elected, only two of the city’s department heads were black. A decade later, 25 of the city’s 40 department heads, including the police and fire chiefs, were black. Even before he became mayor, Hatcher was making changes. As a member of the City Council, he helped pass an open housing law to end restrictive property covenants that forced blacks to live primarily in Gary’s midtown section. But Hatcher couldn’t stop Gary’s decline, which coincided with that of the U.S. steel industry. The company town, founded in 1906 by U.S. Steel Chairman Elbert H. Gary, had flourished as the industry did. But U.S. Steel cut its workforce from 35,000 in the early 1970s to 25,000 by the early 1980s. Businesses were shuttered, banks and shops moved to the suburbs, and crime increased. In 1984, Gary had the nation’s highest per-capita homicide rate. By the time Hatcher left office in 1987, the city’s population had fallen to about 125,000. When Hatcher lost the primary, police again shut down Broadway so people could celebrate. The city’s population now is just 76,000. Despite the city’s struggles, Hatcher told the AP in 2011 that he was proud of his accomplishments in office. “Maybe for some people in Gary it may not be better. But for others it may seem very much better,” he said. Richard Gordon Hatcher was born July 10, 1933, in Michigan City, Indiana. He was one of 13 children whose father molded railroad car wheels and whose mother was a factory worker. He graduated from Indiana University, earned a law degree from Valparaiso University and moved to Gary after becoming a deputy prosecutor. He married his wife, Ruthellyn, in 1976. They had three daughters, Ragen, Rachelle and Renee.  www.freep.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/15/garymayor-richard-hatcher/2656349001/ Image credits: National Gallery

97  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Bogaletch Gebre, who Fought to End Female Genital Mutilation in Ethiopia, Dies in Los Angeles By Melissa Etehad, Staﬀ Writer

t was Bogaletch Gebre’s calming, reassuring aura coupled with her relentless energy and determination that helped her galvanize thousands of people in Ethiopia and the United States to champion women’s rights and fight against the practice of female genital mutilation in her homeland. Once crowned as “the woman who began the rebellion of Ethiopian women” by the British press, Gebre was born in 1953 in the remote Zata village of Ethiopia’s Kembatta district, about 255 miles southwest of the country’s capital, Addis Ababa, said her brother, Gebre Abera. She died Nov. 2 in a hotel room in Los Angeles shortly after arriving from Ethiopia, friends and family said. She was 66. The cause of death is unclear; however, in recent years, Gebre periodically came to Los Angeles to receive medical treatment after a car accident in the late 1980s left her with nerve damage. Gebre’s tenacious and humble nature became apparent at an early age. When she was 6, instead of fetching water like most girls were expected to do, Gebre would leave her house before 6 a.m., hide her water bucket in the bushes and run oﬀ to school. By the time her father caught on, Gebre had already learned to read. But like nearly every Ethiopian girl at the time, Gebre underwent genital mutilation. During one of several interviews she gave about her experience, Gebre said she had just reached puberty when a man grabbed and blindfolded her while two women sat on each side of her and held her legs as they performed the barbaric procedure. “I bled and bled and bled, and the blood wouldn’t stop,” she recalled in a 2013 interview. When she had healed two months later, she was viewed as being ready for marriage. “Women were not considered any better than the cows they milked,” Gebre said. But the experience didn’t discourage her from charging

forward and she eventually became the first girl from her village to be educated b e y o n d fourth grade, according to her longtime friend Gina Blumenfeld, a Los-Angelesbased film producer and labor activist. Gebre later received a scholarship to study epidemiology and parasitology in Israel and earned a masters degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst after she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship. She worked toward a doctorate in epidemiology at UCLA but returned to Ethiopia before completing her doctorate. When faced with adversity, Gebre’s friends and colleagues said she carried herself with poise and confidence. In 1987, when Gebre sustained serious injuries after a car accident, doctors told her that there was a chance she would never walk again. Gebre proved them wrong and later ran five marathons in Los Angeles. A natural leader, Gebre met influential people in Los Angeles who later encouraged her to jump-start an organization that became her passion and life’s work: addressing gender-based discrimination and stopping genital mutilation in her homeland. “Yes, I could have had a better house and gone jogging on the beach or gone to a spa every weekend.

98  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

▲ Photo of Bogaletch Gebre from Journalist Emma Batha with Thomson Reuters Foundation News reporting on refugees, women's rights, FGM & child marriage among many other things.

◄ Undated photo of Bogaletch Gebre, who fought to end female genital mutilation in Ethiopia and has died at the age of 66. (Courtesy of Gebre family)

But is that what life is all about?” Gebre said during an interview with the Independent in 2010. One person Gebre helped inspire was Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The pair became acquainted in the early 1990s and later developed a close friendship. Garcetti also served on the board of directors for Kembatti Mentti Gezzima-Toppe, or KMG Ethiopia, an organization Gebre founded to draw attention to the violence women endure in Ethiopia. “She is one of the people I learned the most from in my life and the first thing she taught me was how to engage a community,” Garcetti said. “She was one of the rocks in my life, giving me courage.” It was Gebre’s charisma and humble nature that helped build the framework of her organization. But it was her approach that ultimately made it successful. Gebre said that simply demanding people to live a certain lifestyle wouldn’t end discrimination against women. Instead, her philosophy was rooted in the belief that spearheading conversations with communities in

safe spaces that nurtured dialogue and debate was the best path forward. “I began KMG Ethiopia thinking that if I could save a single girl from a dreadful life, from practices that numb, crush the spirit and rob women of their dignity, I would have done my life’s mission,” Gebre said in a fundraiser letter she wrote in 2015. Gebre lived to see her work achieve much more. The rate of female genital mutilation in areas where her organization worked decreased from nearly 100% in 1999 to less than 3% by 2008, according to her organization’s website. By 2013, the organization employed 106 people and had 6,000 volunteers spread across 700 villages, serving about 2.5 million people. “To make people understand the harm that comes to their children, you can’t come in and tell them, ‘You are doing bad and must stop,’” Gebre said in the 2013 interview. “It has to come from inside the community. It has to be discussed over and over again, in the African tradition. That’s how change comes.”  www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2019-11-08/la-mebogaletch-gebre-dies-ethiopia-fgm

99  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

John Witherspoon, Comedian and Actor Dies at 77 By Abid Rahman

n a career that spanned five decades, he also starred on the popular TV series 'The Wayans Bros.' and 'The Boondocks' and movies such as 'Bulworth,' 'Vampire in Brooklyn' and 'Dr. Doolittle 2.' John Witherspoon, the prolific comic actor who starred in the cult Friday franchise as well as his long stint on The Wayans Bros. and The Tracy Morgan Show, has died. He was 77. A statement from Witherspoon's family posted on his oﬃcial Twitter account confirmed that the comedian had died. "It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband & father John Witherspoon has passed away. He was a Legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you “POPS” always & forever." In a long film and TV career that spanned five decades, Witherspoon also had major roles in cult animated show The Boondocks (voicing the role of Gramps) and parts in cult films such as House Party and Meteor Man as well as Hollywood movies like Vampire in Brooklyn, Bulworth and Dr. Doolittle 2. But on the big screen, Witherspoon is most

immediately associated with his hilarious role as Ice Cube's dog-catcher father in F. Gary Gray's Friday (1995) and its sequels Next Friday (2000) and Friday After Next (2002). Witherspoon was set to reprise his role in Last Friday, but the project was in preproduction and had yet to start filming. On TV, Witherspoon played the memorable role of John "Pops" Williams on The Wayans Bros. show that aired on The WB from 1995-99. Born in Detroit, Witherspoon first broke into stand-up comedy in the 1960s and '70s and was a contemporary of the likes of Robin Williams and Richard Pryor. He transitioned into TV roles with parts in the The Richard Pryor Show, The Incredible Hulk and Good Times. Witherspoon was a prolific worker and had major roles deep into his seventies. He recently starred in Adult Swim's Black Jesus and the Obama-inspired sitcom The First Family. He is survived by his wife, Angela, and his sons, JD and Alexander.  www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-witherspoon-deadfriday-actor-was-77-1251078

100  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

101  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International

For information: www.frasernet.com, gfraser@frasernet.com, mary@ctoinc.com

International

African Stock Exchanges • Bolsa de Valores of Cape Verde - www.bvc.cv (in Portuguese) • Bolsa Valores de Mocambique - www. bolsadevalores.co.mz • Bond Exchange of South Africa - www. bondexchange.co.za • Botswana Stock Exchange - www.bse.co.bw • Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres UEMOA (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) - www.brvm.org • Casablanca Stock Exchange (Morocco) - www. casablanca-bourse.com/bourseweb/index.aspx • Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (Tanzania) - www. dse.co.tz • Douala Stock Exchange (Cameroon) - www. douala-stock-exchange.com/index_us.php • The Egyptian Exchange - www.egx.com.eg/ English/homepage.aspx • Ethiopia Commodity Exchange - www.ecx.com.et • Ghana Stock Exchange - www.gse.com.gh • Johannesburg Stock Exchange (South Africa) www.jse.co.za/Home.aspx • Khartoum Stock Exchange (Sudan, in Arabic) -

•

• • • • • • • • • •

www.kse.com.sd Libyan Stock Market - www.lsm.ly/_layouts/ membership/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fEnglish%2fP ages%2fdefault.aspx Lusaka Stock Exchange (Zambia) - www.luse. co.zm Nairobi Stock Exchange (Kenya) - www.luse. co.zm Malawi Stock Exchange - www.mse.co.mw Namibian Stock Exchange - www.nsx.com.na Nigerian Stock Exchange - www.nse.com.ng/ Pages/default.aspx Rwanda Stock Exchange - www.rse.rw/ Stock Exchange of Mauritius - www. stockexchangeofmauritius.com Swaziland Stock Exchange - www.ssx.org.sz Tunisia Stock Exchange - www.bvmt.com.tn Uganda Securities Exchange - www.use.or.ug

Read the lastest issue of The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke/media-center/e-communique/exchangemagazine/category/50-free-version.html

105  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International - eCommerce

Jumia, the ‘Amazon of Africa,’ shutters in Cameroon – just before Black Friday By Danielle Paquette

he Black Friday ads were everywhere – on the roads, on television, on laptop screens. Then, in one commercially painful instant, the blowout sale was gone. Jumia, often described as the “Amazon of Africa,” had suddenly halted e-commerce operations in Cameroon. “It all just disappeared,” said Boris Bambo, a software engineer and frequent customer in the central African country’s economic capital, Douala. The nation’s biggest online retailer shuttered this week with no warning, after the director called an allstaﬀ meeting and told the about 100 workers that it wasn’t making money in Cameroon, a senior employee told The Washington Post. Shock filled the oﬃce, said the employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Full-timers could expect severance pay, the employee said. Contractors, the bulk of the workforce, apparently weren’t so lucky. The closure comes as Cameroon’s bustling tech scene fights to weather a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives over two years, rattled the nation’s economy and unleashed regular internet outages. Dreams of quick deliveries in one of the region’s biggest markets have tangled with a lack of street signs, a general preference for cash payments, worries about fake products and escalating security concerns. Jumia, the first tech start-up from Africa to list on Wall Street, was founded seven years ago by two French entrepreneurs in Nigeria and operates in 13 countries on the continent. It is the third e-commerce platform to fold in Cameroon since 2016. The business environment got tougher, analysts say, after simmering resentment toward authorities burst into a bloody uprising. Anglophone separatists fighting to establish their own country called Ambazonia routinely clash with French-speaking security forces in Cameroon’s border

regions. (About 80% of the country speaks French.) Both sides have been accused of indiscriminate killings, and U.S. oﬃcials have accused the Cameroonian military of extrajudicial killings and unlawful detentions. President Donald Trump recently announced that he would ax trade benefits granted to Cameroon under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which allows African countries to sell goods to the United States on a duty-free basis. “Cameroon has failed to address concerns regarding persistent human rights violations being committed by Cameroonian security forces,” Trump said in an October statement. Jumia, which also runs pickup centers, had to close some rural locations because of the violence. “Cameroon’s conflict made visits to brick-andmortar stores dangerous,” said Hendrik Laubscher, an e-commerce analyst at Blue Cape Ventures in South Africa. Earlier this month, Jumia posted third-quarter losses of $60 million. The Cameroon exit came eight days later. “Based on our review, we came to the conclusion that our transactional portal as it is run today is not suitable to the current operating environment in Cameroon,” the company said in a statement. “It is more important now than ever to put our focus and resources where they can bring the best value and help us thrive.” The company will maintain its classifieds platform in the country, which connects independent vendors to buyers. Orders placed before the shutdown will be fulfilled,

106  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

said Jumia spokesman Abdesslam Benzitouni, and the company will aim to place its Cameroon staﬀers in new roles. “We’re still having those discussions,” he said. For shoppers like Bambo, online retail options have with ered. “If I want to buy a speaker or something, I’ll contact a friend in another country – like the United States or China – and send them money,” he said. Joel Zangue, a web developer who lives in Buea, said he was sad to see a Jumia pickup center close last year in his southwestern city, where shootouts amid the Anglophone crisis have warped life. He prefers to work from home and order goods to his door.

“They’re afraid to deliver,” he said.  www.seattletimes.com/business/jumia-the-amazon-ofafrica-shutters-in-cameroon-just-before-black-friday Image credits: flipboard.com, BiztechAfrica

107  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International - Nobel Peace Prize

British University Appoints History Professor to Examine its Links to Transatlantic Slave Trade By Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN

Professor Olivette Otele will examine how the University of Bristol benefited from the proceeds of slavery.

A British university has appointed the country's first black female professor of history to lead research into the transatlantic slave trade.

livette Otele will take up her new role as the University of Bristol's first Professor of the History of Slavery on January 1, the institution said in a press release. Her first task will be a two-year research project on the university's and the city of Bristol's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Bristol's wealth in the 17th century was largely built on the slave trade, with more than 2,000 slaving vessels setting out from the city's port between 1698 and 1807, when Parliament abolished the slave trade, according to Bristol Museums. During that period, slave ships carried more than 500,000 people from Africa to the Americas. One slave trader, Edward Colston, transported about 80,000 men, women and children between 1672 and 1689 in his ships, according to the BBC.

In Bristol, a street and several buildings are named after Colston. Last year, the city council's plan to put a plaque on Colston's statue explaining his links to the slave trade led to a row over its wording. Professor Otele, who was born in Cameroon, said in a statement that she wants to "bring together Bristolians from all communities, and scholars, artists and educators who are willing to contribute to a stronger and fairer society." "I want students to see me as a facilitator of a dialogue that needs to take place and that is about the role of the University of Bristol in the transatlantic slave trade," she said. "I want to produce a rigorous and an extensive piece of research that will be relevant to the University, to the city and that will be a landmark in the way Britain examines, acknowledges and teaches the history of enslavement." Professor Judith Squires, the university's Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, said: "As an institution founded in 1909, we are not a direct beneficiary of the slave trade, but we fully acknowledge that we financially benefited indirectly via philanthropic support from families who had made money from businesses involved in the transatlantic slave trade. "This new role provides us with a unique and important opportunity to interrogate our history, working with staﬀ, students and local communities to explore the University's historical links to slavery and to debate how we should best respond to our past in order to shape our future as an inclusive University community." Earlier this year, another British institution, Cambridge University, launched an academic study into the ways in which it contributed to or benefited from the transatlantic slave trade.  https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/30/uk/britain-history-slaveryprofessor-intl-scli-gbr/index.html

108  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International - Coverage Restored

Temporary Protective Status Restored By Sherrilyn A. Ifill, President and Director-Counsel

n November 4th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is extending T e m p o r a r y Protection Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants, as well as immigrants from five other countries.

New Medical School to Open in 2021, South Africa By Lungile Pepeta, MD

hen I am standing in one of our medical school lecture halls at Nelson Mandela University’s Missionvale campus, I almost don’t believe that we have come this far. People have been waiting for a medical school in Port Elizabeth since 1946. It’s a giant boost for public health and the local economy. Launching a fully operational medical school has required prudent planning, as the total funding required from the department of higher education and training was not available. That’s when we came up with the idea to repurpose buildings on the Missionvale campus to meet our needs. These include lecture halls; a skills laboratory for second to final year medical students; basic science laboratories for physics, chemistry, physiology and anatomy; more than 60 oﬃces for medical staﬀ members; and new spaces for the medical school at the Dora Nginza hospital and the associated clinics. We deliberately chose the Missionvale campus for our medical school — the 10th in South Africa — because it is located in the township areas of Missionvale and

This is a big win for Immigrants of Color! Haitian immigrants first received TPS in 2010 after the country was struck by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake, one of the deadliest earthquakes in history. Haiti’s TPS designations have been extended multiple times due to many factors, including multiple hurricanes and a cholera outbreak. On November 20, 2017, the DHS announced its plans to terminate temporary protective status for Haiti, which would go into effect in July 2019, ignoring bipartisan pleas to extend TPS designation for Haitian immigrants. In 2018, LDF (NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.) filed a lawsuit against the DHS stating that the decision to rescind the TPS designation for Haitian immigrants was in violation of the Fifth Amendment and was racially motivated. Read more details here: www.naacpldf.org/pressrelease/maryland-district-court-hear-case-departmenthomeland-security-response-removal-temporary-protectivestatus-haitian-immigrants. 

www.naacpldf.org Zwide, populated by working class, unemployed and financially strapped communities. The Missionvale campus was originally part of the old Vista University, built for black people during the apartheid years. Situating the medical school here is about committing to proper healthcare for all our communities, and contributing to urban renewal and development. Staffing wise, we are receiving CVs from throughout South Africa and internationally: people at all levels want to be part of our new medical school. Our staffing needs are considerable. The basic sciences courses alone require more than 60 staff. From first year to final year, our students will train in communities in the urban and peri-urban environment in the metro, and in district hospitals in the Eastern Cape. To develop our model, we incorporated some of the best elements of the Cuban medical training model. I visited Cuba and experienced first-hand the quality and appropriateness of their medical training for our country’s needs. We have to start looking after the health of 84% of the population in far more comprehensive and holistic ways, and I believe that the Cuban four-pillar system is the best population-wide and budget-spend approach. There is so much more we can do to improve South Africans’ health, quality of life and lifespan and I am confident that our new medical school will help us achieve this.  https://mg.co.za/article/2019-10-18-00-new-medical-school-to-openin-2021

109  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International - Foreign Student Sting

ICE Creates A Fake University And Arrests More Than 250 Foreign Students By Parker Diakite

he U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is on the receiving end of backlash following a report that hundreds of foreign students have been arrested after being “lured” to apply for a fake university. According to a report from Detroit Free Press, 90 more students have been arrested in ICE’s controversial immigration bust, bringing the total number of detainees to approximately 250 foreign students. The majority of those arrested have been deported to India and others are contesting their removals. Located at 30500 Northwestern Hwy in Farmington Hills, Michigan, the University of Farmington campus was created by DHS as a sting operation to target foreign students (https://universityoffarmington. edu). Many of the students were believed to arrive legally in the United States on student visas, but once it was later revealed to be a creation of federal agents, the students lost their immigration status after the school was shut down in January. Out of the approximately 250 students arrested on administrative charges, “nearly 80% were granted voluntary departure and departed the United States,” ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) told the Detroit Free Press in a statement. At least 10% have received a final order of removal from an immigration judge and others were given an expedited removal by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The remaining 10% have filed “for some sort of relief or are contesting their removals,” HIS told the Detroit Free Press. Attorneys for the students said they were “unfairly trapped” by the U.S. government because the school was listed as legitimate with proper accreditation. More than 600 students were enrolled at the university, which was incorporated back in January 2016. Many of the students enrolled in the school’s Curricular Practical Training (CPT), allowing students to work in the U.S. through the F-1 visa program for foreign students. The school reportedly costs $12,000 in tuition and fees per year.  https://travelnoire.com/ice-arrests-students-at-fakeuniversity Image credits: Detroit Free Press, Matador Network

International - Rights Activists

Death-Defying South African Lauded for Defence of Land and Women By Kim Harrisberg

that a compulsory rent, rising 10% every year, had to be paid by community members who otherwise face eviction. Ngubane, along with rights groups, is challenging the Ingonyama Trust in Pietermaritzburg High Court in March 2020. The work of the Rural Women's Movement includes finding housing for evicted women and children, helping grow food on communal land for the hungry and sick, campaigning for better legal Sizani Ngubane, founder of the Rural Women's Movement protection of women's land rights and more. "We are like one big family," and is a hot topic in South Africa, where President Ngubane said. "We have now begun to spread our Cyril Ramaphosa last year launched a process wings into diﬀerent parts of the country." Launched in 1998, the Rural Women's Movement to change the constitution with a proposed redistribution of land aimed at addressing high levels has grown to 50,000 women, said Ngubane. Ngubane said there was retaliation and danger of inequality. involved in challenging the traditional authorities, citing But in KwaZulu-Natal province, Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini controls 2.8 million hectares burnings, kidnappings and beatings of outspoken of land, a fragmented sub-tropical area the size of women and men. "My dream is that one day KwaZulu-Natal will be like Belgium, under an entity called the Ingonyama Trust other provinces, where women's rights are seen as established in 1994. The Zulu monarch wants President Cyril Ramaphosa human rights and women are given the same power to sign an agreement promising to exclude territories over land that men are keeping for themselves," Ngubane said. that the king controls from land reform. The 2020 Martin Ennals Award will be presented to Land rights activists are challenging the control one of three finalists on 19 February in Geneva next wielded by such traditional authorities over rural year. communities, particularly on women who are often evicted once widowed. https://allafrica.com/stories/201911290043.html "The trust has turned communities into tenants by Image credit: NGO CS/NY/YouTube leasing ancestral land to them," said Ngubane, adding

111  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International - Investment Opportunities

5 Successful Startups Proving Africa is the Next Investors’ Hub By J. Frank Sigerson

nvesting in Africa (https://born2invest.com/articles/ state-africas-financial-markets) is no longer about big corporations mining or extracting the continent’s rich natural resources like diamonds and oil. Today, the continent is teeming with tech and innovation and is now home to many startups which help improve the way of living of the more than one billion Africans. In 2017, as many as 124 African startups raised a record of $560 million in equity through 128 rounds of funding. This was a 53% increase compared to the $366.8 million raised in the previous year. It was also 14 times more than the amount of investment raised in 2012. Of that amount, 30% or $168 million went to South African startups, representing more than 74% growth for the region. Kenya, which is dubbed as the leading tech startup nation in the continent, had lived up to its reputation. It had the most tech companies that received investments, amounting to $147 million or 26% of the whole funding raised. That represented year-over-year growth of 58% for the country. Nigeria, despite a slowdown that year, still raised $115 million, representing a five percent year-over-year growth. There was no sign of stopping for African startups in 2018 as they managed to increase the funding raised once again. The number of funding deals was more than twice the previous years and the amount raised averaged $5 million. They raised a total of $725.6 million from 458 deals. There were 30 startups that received more than $5 million in 32 deals valued at $626.9 million. That year, fintech startups received the most funds with 93 deals and 40% of total funding. Five of the top 10 largest investments also went to fintech startups that year. Observers expect that the trend will continue in the coming years. Several African organizations are also designing channels where startups can meet with potential investors or where entrepreneurs can be inspired to start their own companies. With a heightened interest from global investors, more startups will surely replicate what these five most successful African startups have accomplished.

Jumia Technologies

Founded in 2012, e-commerce website Jumia Technologies (www.jumia.com.ng) has just debuted on the New York Stock Exchange on April 11. Dubbed as the “Amazon” of Africa, traders rushed in to buy the company’s stocks on the very first day of its actual trading. Jumia’s shares soared immediately by 75%, rapidly placing the company to a $1.9 billion valuation by April 12. The “Amazon” of Africa operates across 14 countries and has more than 81,000 active sellers servicing the millions of Africans who are active in online shopping. It has also employed 5,000 people to date. Jumia’s debut on NYSE followed another milestone in March when American multinational financial services, Mastercard, agreed to be an investor. As part of the deal, Jumia and Mastercard will launch initiatives that will expand the reach of e-commerce and promote digitalization in Africa. The two will also work together to accelerate the adoption of electronic payments between consumers and businesses. In the same month, the company has also added a member to its board, the three-time reigning NBA Champion Golden State Warriors Andre Iguodala. “Because of my Nigerian heritage, Jumia’s use of technology to deliver innovative online services to consumers and improve the quality of everyday life in Africa is very important to me. I’m thrilled to be a part of this unique enterprise that is shaping the future of digital Africa,” Iguodala said when asked about his decision to join Jumia.

Branch International Founded in 2015, Branch International (www. branch.co) has just raised $170 million in Series C financing round this April. The round was led by Visa, Foundation Capital, and B Capital among others. The fintech startup had also entered into a partnership deal with Visa. The two will oﬀer customized loan terms

112  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

for Africans in locations where Visa is allowed on mobile p h o n e s . Those who borrow money from Branch International and those who can access Visa via their mobile phones will be able to withdraw funds from local ATMs even without having bank accounts or debit cards. Branch International is a lender that assess the creditworthiness of borrowers through data from their smartphones. The company specially caters to average middle-class borrowers who have no credit history or bank accounts. To date, it has issued money to more than three million customers. Fifteen million loans were issued in Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. It also has operations in Mexico and India.

Flutterwave Founded in 2014, Flutterwave (https://flutterwave.com) is a B2B payments solutions platform for companies operating in Africa that need to pay other companies located in other African countries and abroad. The platform allows companies to customize how their payments are managed. To date, Flutterwave clients include Uber, Facebook, Booking.com, and Jumia Technologies. In January, Flutterwave has also partnered with Visa in launching an app called GetBarter. The app caters to small merchants and traders in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa that pay and accept payment across Africa’s national borders. Those who already have Visa can send and receive funds at home once they log in on GetBarter. For those without Visa cards, they can create a virtual card to be used for the transaction.

Andela Founded in 2014, Andela (https://andela.com) develops skills of Africans who have special talents in software development. Through the years, Andela was able to deploy Africa’s most talented software engineers in both local and international companies experiencing a shortage of tech talents. Tennis Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams,

through her Serena Ventures, invested in Andela during the latter’s $100 million Series D round. To date, this remains to be one of the largest single rounds raised by an African-focused startup. Williams was not the only significant personality that invested in Andela. Former US vice president Al Gore, through his investment firm Generation Investment Management, had also invested in the startup. Others include Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Google Ventures, Spark Capital, and CRE Venture Capital.

MallforAfrica Founded in 2012, MallforAfrica (www.mallforafrica. com) is an e-commerce website where Africans can purchase items directly from international online retailers. These companies were inaccessible to the region until MallforAfrica’s launch in the continent. Aside from the app, MallforAfrica has its own payment system that allows customers to pay for their purchases coming from the United States and the United Kingdom. The website carries about 8.5 billion products. It has also several major partnerships with big companies such as DHL and eBay.

The Rise of Africa As more international investors turn their attention to Africa, more similar success stories are expected from the region. The continent also has the potential to fuel more growth into its business sector as its middle class continue to increase its buying power. According to the World Economic Forum, since 2000, nearly half of the world’s fastest-growing economies are in Africa. By 2030, Africa will be home to as many as 1.7 billion people. By that time, their combined consumer and business spending will grow to $6.7 billion. One report estimated that Africa is now home to 50 million middle-class households whose incomes are at least $20,000. Another report estimated that 1 in every 10 Africans belongs to a category called “solvent consumer” or those who can aﬀord to buy the latest gadgets and eat at classy restaurants.  https://born2invest.com/articles/successful-startups-africathe-next-investors-hub/ Image credits: Modernghana.com, ekopamga.com, This Day, coursereport.com, mallforafrica.com

113  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

konya

gi.co.t

Let Us Help You Grow Your Business to New Heights. To take your business to the next level, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essential that you choose the right financial partner. At East West Bank, we offer all the products and services you expect from a big bank with the high level of personal attention you expect from a local bank. Our bankers have over 40 years of experience helping minority businesses reach their financial goals. We look forward to working closely with you to customize a financial solution tailored to your unique situation. For more information about East West Bank and our solutions for businesses, please call: 1.626.768.6729 www.eastwestbank.com

Equal Housing Lender

Member FDIC

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

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

Shopping Gallery

Looking For Black Santa? There’s an App for That.

www.findblacksanta.com

29th Annual BZB Holiday GiŌ & Art Show 7 BIG Shopping Days BLACK FRIDAY & SATURDAY - Nov 29-30* Saturdays 'Ɵl Christmas - Dec 7**, 14 & 21 Monday & Tuesday - Dec 23 & 24 75+ POP-UP Shops * Fine Art Show, 3rd Floor **Doll Show, 3rd Floor ---------------------------------------

General Admission, A Smile! Shiloh Family Life Center 1510 9th Street NW WDC 20001 (9th & P) --------------------------------------Visit the 'BZB SHOP Til You SHOP' Website! hƩp://bzbinternaƟonal.com or e-mail: bzb25years@bzbinternaƟonal.com or call: 1-202.550.7060

Find Maisha, Mala, Malina & Mhina at: //malaville-toys.myshopify.com www.instagram.com/malavilledolls www.facebook.com/MalavilleMB

www.facebook.com/NaturalGirlsUnited/ @naturalgirlsunited https://oďŹ&#x192;cialblackwallstreet.com/biz/natural-girls-united/ www.naturalgirlsunited.com/

stephenburrows.com

Pazette

Nisha

Alazne

https://barbie.mattel.com/shop/en-us/ba/stephen-burrows-barbie-dolls

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

www.dreamkidz.com/collections/books

"Queens of Africa Dolls" These unique dolls represent diďŹ&#x20AC;erent ethnic groups in West Africa like the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa ethnic groups. Unlike other fashion dolls that merely darken the molds of Caucasian dolls, Queens of Africa dolls use specially designed molds with sub-Saharan facial features like high cheek bones, full lips and nose, curly hair and more. They come with a book series that features historic African queens and women leaders. Check out our gift sets at QueensOfAfricaDolls.com. sold and exclusively distributed by C.A.K.E (Culture of Africa for Kids Everywhere) Inc.

http://queensofafricadolls.com

ur Deluxe Boxed-Set Edition is a great gift! We’ve gone the extra mile to provide an embossed UV package with a magnetic hinged lid and a black satin puller ribbon. Inside you will find a Hardback version of “Hey A.J. It’s Bedtime” with a midnight blue glitter cloth and glossy blue foil blocking with debossing. With everything perfectly sealed in a dust jacket that has gloss lamination and aqueous varnishing, this is the perfect gift for any occasion – whether it’s bedtime or party time!  www.theimaginationagency.com/ shop-categories/books/hey-aj-itsbedtime/#

his is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another—from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo. This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation. We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.  www.amazon.com/I-Am-Enough-Grace-Byers/ dp/0062667122  www.amazon.com/I-Am-Enough-Grace-Byers/ dp/0062667122

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

www.robandrocky.com, www.youtube.com/watch? v=ot0ibLIXx9E&feature=youtu.be

A powerful, f l moving i picture i t b book k about b t colorism, self-esteem, and learning that true beauty comes from within.

It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.

earing the call of her ancestors, ten-year-old Ahmyah embarks on a voyage of self-discovery as she reconnects with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and a host of cousins and other family and friends from halfway around the world, in Ghana, West Africa. As Ahmyah travels and explores, she

ulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything. In this stunning debut picture book, actress Lupita Nyongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;o creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty. www.amazon.com/Sulwe-Lupita-Nyongo/ dp/1534425365

learns about her heritage and is filled with love from her family while finding joy in this new adventure. www.thesankofajourney.com/book/

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

blog.brainpads.com

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

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

Board Game Brothas www.boardgamebrothas.com www.facebook.com/BGBrothas/ So much of hip hop is about who we are and where we come from. We decided that had to be in this game. As part of the game’s design, we came up with close to 500 “life events” that could happen to an artist going through their career. We have cards like, “Winning a talent show,” “Selling 35 CDs out of your trunk,” or “West coast tour.” When the game ends you can see exactly how you went from nothing to something. That to us is what hip hop is all about. All the games we are working on are clearly related to hip hop culture and black culture.

netjerivisions.com

https://patternbeauty.com popsugar.com.au / zimbio

www.fentybeauty.com

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

www.mentedcosmetics.com

ur trial k

order yo

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

www.sheamoisture.com

hanahana beauty is a skincare brand committed to empowering women of color. handcrafting all products using 100% natural products and sourcing our shea butter directly from the Katariga Women's Cooperative in Tamale, Ghana. www.hanahana.com www.instagram.com/p/BkLkNuxH1LO/ coveteur.com

www.missjessies.com #missjessies @miss_jessies

available at Sephora www.sephora.com

at McGrath Labs, the makeup line created by legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath, is now being valued at $1 billion. As Women's Wear Daily reports, the brand received a $60 million minority investment from Eurazeo Brands. Pat McGrath Labs was launched three years ago and is growing quickly, with retail sales expected to reach more than $60 million for 2018. The line debuted in 2015 with a $40 product called Gold 001. The multipurpose gold pigment came in a bag full of sequins, and it sold out all 1,000 units in just six minutes. Other products included Skin Fetish 003, a three-piece highlighting kit, and Lust 004, a sparkly lip kit. A broader, permanent collection debuted in 2017 with lipsticks, lip liners, eyeliners, mascara, and an eyeshadow palette in three color-ways. Most recently, the brand released Lip Fetish Astrals, a sparkly update of the Lip Fetish Lip Balm from earlier in the year. The products from Pat McGrath Labs, which are available on her website and at Sephora and Sephora.com, are often inspired by

McGrath's work as a makeup artist for runway shows, including Ve r s a c e , Balenciaga, and Gucci. In an interview with InStyle, M c G r a t h explained how she created her line. "My intention when I created Labs was that the people that used our products would be empowered to explore a fearless, daring attitude towards makeupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that's why we always write 'Use Without Caution' on everything we make," she said. "I've always believed that the most extraordinary results occur only when one feels unbound by any notion of constraint or limitation." ď &#x192; www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/makeup/a22499334/patmcgrath-labs-worth-one-billion/

www.rocawear.com

Introducing Serena, my first independent clothing line for all the ladies out there being awesome. My designs are inspired by strong, sexy, sophisticated, sassy, sure, smart, stylish, silly, and spontaneous women who are living their best lives, or making it up as they goâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;kinda like me.

www.serenawilliams.com

Shop Plumetis: Refresh your lingerie drawer this fall with our Plumetis collection. While you're bringing out your heavy coats as the temperature drops, we've got you covered for what to wear underneath it all. â&#x2014;&#x201E;â&#x2014;&#x201E; A favourite from the collection - the Plumetis body suit hugs in all the right places with a cup size up to a UK G.

www.nubianskin.com

The Queen of Wearable Art

Queen Ahneva Ahneva now in Atlanta, GA USA

queen@classic97.net

HOUSE OF PRINTS

@HouseOfPrintsGh houseofprintsgh@gmail.com www.facebook.com/HouseOfPrintsGh Accra, Ghana

www.djennecollection.com

DigitalKente www.digitalkenteshop.com/

www.savagex.com dailymail.co.uk, manners.nl

Beyoncé's New Adidas Collection

f you're in need of cool workout gear or comfy athleisure to lounge around in, who better to design it for you than the Queen B herself? Beyoncé and Adidas have announced that they're teaming up on a signature collection that includes footwear and apparel. The best news? Beyoncé will also be relaunching her athleisure line, Ivy Park, with the brand. According to a press release from Adidas, she will be a creative partner for the brand and work with them to design performance and lifestyle products. "This is the partnership of a lifetime for me," Beyoncé said in the press release. "Adidas has had tremendous success in pushing creative boundaries. We share a philosophy that puts creativity, growth and social responsibility at the forefront of business. I look forward to relaunching and expanding Ivy Park on a truly global scale with a proven, dynamic leader." Ivy Park was first introduced in 2016 and was previously sold at Topshop, but after allegations of sexual harassment and bullying surfaced against Topshop chairman Sir Philip Green, Beyoncé ended her partnership with the businessman and bought back her athleisure line from the brand. It's unclear if she did so because of the allegations, but either way, we're about to see Ivy Park in stores again soon. "Beyoncé is an iconic creator but also a proven business leader, and together, we have the ability to inspire change and empower the next generation of creators," Eric Liedtke, executive board member at Adidas, said in a statement. No word yet on when the collection is due to drop, but we'll be anxiously awaiting the arrival of Beyoncé x Adidas.  www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/heres-whatwe-know-about-beyoncés-new-adidas-collection/arBVCQFl?ocid=spartandhp

IVY PARK WWW.IVYPARK.COM

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

theblondemisfit.com models.com

@EleVenbyVenus elevenbyvenus.com

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

TMBLR v1 a sneaker optimized for kids playtime

https://marcnolan.com/col

www.facebook.com/superheroic

www.pumafenty.com

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

www.solesavers.co

llections/the-chancellor-collection

scoopnest.com

Image Credits: smallstarter.com howafrica.com whereamiwearing.com designindaba.com nookmag.com

www.solerebels.com Addis Abba, Ethiopia Free Worldwide Shipping + Duty Free!

#chanelpharrell www.instagram.com/explore/tags/chanelpharrell/?hl=fr

Image Credits: poshmark.com Sneaker Freaker 1stdibs.com Entertainment Tonight designindaba.com spottedfashion.com upscalehype.com Rakuten.com

http://marvin-sin.squarespace.com

https://gregorysylvia.com

Gallery Guichard Art That Touches The Soul 3521 S. King Drive Chicago, IL. 60653 Hours of Operation: By Appointment Only Andre Guichard andreguichardgallery@gmail.com 773-791-7003

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

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

Youngblood Timepieces: Launched in 2006, this brand of high-end signature watches continues to be one of the most sought-after Black-owned watch brands. Its co-founders Paul Youngblood and Patrick Martin created the brand to oďŹ&#x20AC;er both accessory and apparel products for savvy shoppers who sought to maximize their value without compromising on quality. https://youngbloodworldwide.com/collections/menswristwatches

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

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

https://store.talleyandtwine.com/

Enbois by Maxim: Named after the French word which means "wooden," this brand's watches are designed with the finest sustainable materials. Also, an acronym for Each New Bead OďŹ&#x20AC;ers Its Support, its founder Maxim Thuriere sought a way to give back to his country of heritage, Haiti, where a portion of each transaction is donated to help improve educational opportunities as well as reforest Haiti. http://enbois-originals.com/

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

SUED Watches Nairobi, Kenya @suedwatched hĆŠps://sued.co.ke www.facebook.com/suedwatches

The Economic Turn Around in the USA is in "Our

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

Buy Black Save Black Invest Black 155  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Collection Bed, Bath & Beyond

http://bsmith.com/shop

Turn your photo memories into removable wallpaper.

www.wemontage.com

prweb.com

V Starr Interiors www.vstarrinteriors.com Image credits: holidayhousehamptons.com, floridadesign.com, architectualdigest. com, pinterest.com,

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

www.shaddpianos.com

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

Cultural Interiors West &

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

& Wall Paper

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

1-323-490-3774

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

A database so diners can better find restaurants owned by African Americans.

www.blackpeopleeats.com

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

Black Business. Black Culture. Black Thought. Black Love https://shoppeblack.us

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

Chef Erick Williams

Hospitality is a virtue! Kindness is a virtue! Service unlike servitude is a virtue!

American Southern Cuisine

Virtue has quickly become one of the best new restaurants in Chicago, earning a threestar review from this criƟc in January (www. chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-food-virtue-restaurant-review0109-story.html).

The accolades didn’t end there; in July 2019, Eater named Virtue one of the best new restaurants in the country, and the New York Times profiled Chef Williams in a story Ɵtled “16 Black Chefs Changing Food in America.” The Chicago Tribune’s Food & Dining Game Changer Award is presented annually to a chef, restaurateur or other industry figure whose work has brought significant, posiƟve change to the restaurant industry as a whole, and to the Chicago dining scene, in parƟcular. The 2019 awardee is Chef Eric Williams for Virtue Restaurant (www.chicagotribune.com/dining/phil-veƩel/

ct-food-game-changer-award-williams-0813-20190813oq6arm7hbbh2xfp23iyhjoorzi-story.html). Image: Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune

L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Boulevard, Suite A150, Los Angeles, CA www.shaquilles.com ï&#x201A;³ 213-746-7427(SHAQ)

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

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

www.rapsnacks.net

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

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

Parker House Sausage (www.parkerhousesausage.com) was started by Chicago entrepreneur, Judge H. Parker who came to Chicago from Montgomery County, Tennessee with little more than the conviction that there was a potential market for homemade sausage products prepared according to his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recipes. By 1919 Judge Parker began selling his unique blend of herbs and spices mixed with flavorful, savory sausage from a horse drawn cart on a retail basis. Recognized as one of the oldest family owned businesses in the U.S. In 2014 Parker House expanded its product line to include chicken products including breakfast sausage, hot links, and smoked sausage.

LOOK FOR US IN THE FROZEN FOODS SECTION!

SHOP ONLINE! //shop.parkerhousesausage. com

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

ince people from all walks of life really enjoy Down South cooking, NFL Pro Reggie Kelly thought, why not bring a piece of the South to their homes. Reggie and his wife founded KYVAN® FOODS.

KYVAN® Foods is a supplier to great customers like Kroger, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Firehouse Subs, Performance Foodservice, Hot Shots Distributing and more. As stated by Reggie, “It’s my goal to pass down to my kids (Kyla & Kavan) and to everyone the gift passed down to me… An Appreciation Of Good Food.” Thanks and God Bless!

Website: http://kyvan82.com Shop Online: http://kyvan82.com/store Store Locator: http://kyvan82.com/storelocator

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

Try our Recipes: //grandmamauds. com/recipes

You’ll find our Bean Meals, Southern Seasonings and Pie Fixin’s in supermarkets throughout the U.S.A. (Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s, Safeway and Kroger Stores) – and online at: (hƩps://eyelevellink.com/collecƟons/ vendors?q=Grandma%20Mauds) or call us at: 1-773-493-5353!

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. We can cater for any event or party.We offer custom packaging for all of our cookies and pies to suit any need. Corporate gifts, ccompany parties, restaurants looking to ooutsource pastries, we're here for you. www.notjustcookies.com for oonline shopping, store locations, shipping aand catering details. Talk to us by calling: 1-800-833-4541 or send NJC an inquiry aat: hi@notjustcookies.com.

hen our daughter began to exhibit food allergies naturally, I set out to find the healthy, allergy-friendly snacks we'd need to fuel our family's active lifestyle. I came away from the stores frustrated and mystified. Nothing on the shelves met our dietary needs and my healthy standards. So I set out to create my own. Making allergy-friendly, healthy snacks (from scratch) for my daughter was hard work, but I refused to give up or give in â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and Partake Foods was born. Our products are deliciously made for just about everyone from those with restrictions to those who simply want to eat more healthfully. Find out more about our family and our products at: https://partakefoods.com. Our products are also available via Amazon.com (www.amazon. com partake foods). Enjoy.

Denise,

Founder of Partake Foods

!" # $" $% & '

!3 5/- /6/ / - & 77 8

()$% #! "

( * + , - .- / / 01)$2 !00$ "0

- 34

Now available at Whole Foods!

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

Try all 3 flavors!

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

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

www.wosa.us www.winetalkwithmarcia.com

http://aaavintners.org

http://visioncellars.com

http://shallwewine.com

https://unclenearest.com h ttps://unclenearest.com

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

Coﬀees of Cameroon www.BamendaCoﬀee.com

https://kivunoir.coﬀee/pages/buy-online

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, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books, and games!

1-323-294-0324

www.esowonbookstore.com ď&#x192;&#x201D; //esowon.booksense.com for Calendar of Events

Books to Consider

Books to Consider... The Rihanna Book By Rihanna

ihanna invites you into her world with this stunning visual autobiography. From herr Barbados childhood to her worldwide tours, from iconic fashion moments to private time with friends and family, the book showcases intimate photographs of her life as an artist, performer, designer, and entrepreneur. Many of these images have neverr before been published. Rihanna (b. 1988, Barbados) is a nine-time Grammy y Award–winning recording artist, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. She has sold 60 million albums and 215 million digital tracks worldwide, making her the top-selling digital artist of all time. R i h a n n a launched her beauty line Fenty Beauty in 2017, her lingerie line Savage X Fenty in 2018, and most recently her luxury fashion line, FENTY in 2019. This large-format edition is 504 pages with 1,050 colour images and 11 special inserts. This hardcover book is 12-5/8 x 16-1/2 inches | 420 x 320 mm (portrait) and includes a custom-designed black carton with a carrying handle.  www.amazon.com/Rihanna-Book/dp/0714878014/ref=sr_ 1_2?crid=2A2JTPJSYRNF8&keywords=rihanna+book&qi d=1571575797&sprefix=rihanna+book%2Caps%2C199& sr=8-2

Felon By Reginald Dwayne Betts

elon tells the story of the effects of incarceration in fierce, dazzling poems―canvassing a wide range of emotions and experiences through homelessness, underemployment, love, drug abuse, domestic violence, fatherhood, and grace―and, in doing so, creates a travelogue for an imagined life. Reginald Dwayne Betts confronts the funk of postincarceration existence and examines prison not as a static space, but as a force that enacts pressure throughout a person’s life. The poems move between traditional and newfound forms with power and agility―from revolutionary found poems created by redacting court documents to the astonishing crown of sonnets that serves as the volume’s radiant conclusion. Drawing inspiration from lawsuits filed on behalf of the incarcerated, the redaction poems focus on the ways we exploit and erase the poor and imprisoned from Reginald Dwayne Betts Yale University public consciousness. Traditionally, redaction erases what is top secret; in Felon, Betts redacts what is superfluous, bringing into focus the profound failures of the criminal justice system and the inadequacy of the labels it generates. Challenging the complexities of language, Betts animates what it means to be a "felon."  www.amazon.com/Felon-Poems-Reginald-DwayneBetts/dp/0393652149

We Return Fighting: World War I and the Shaping of Modern Black Identity

180  November/December 2019  July 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Books to Consider by Kinshasha Holman Conwill (Editor)

his stunning book presents artifacts, medals, and photographs alongside powerful essays that together highlight the efforts of African Americans during World War I. As in many previous wars, black soldiers served the United States during the war, but they were assigned to segregated units and often relegated to labor and support duties rather than direct combat. Indeed this was the central paradox of the war: these ht abroad b d to t secure rights i ht they th men and women fought did not yet have at home in the States. Black veterans' work during the conflict--and the respect they received from French allies but not their own US military-empowered them to return home and continue the fight for those rights. The book also presents the work of black citizens on the home front. Together their efforts laid the groundwork for later advances in the civil rights movement. We Return Fighting reminds readers not only of the central role of African American soldiers in the war that first made their country a world power. It also reveals the way the conflict shaped African American identity and lent fuel to their longstanding efforts to demand full civil rights and to stake their place in the country's cultural and political landscape.  www.amazon.com/We-Return-Fighting-Shaping-Identity/ dp/1588346722

Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook by Toni Tipton-Martin

hroughout her career, Toni Tipton-Martin has shed new light on the history, breadth, and depth of African American cuisine. She’s introduced us

to black cooks, some long forgotten, who established much of what’s considered to be our national cuisine. After all, if Thomas Jefferson introduced French haute cuisine to this country, who do you think actually cooked it? In Jubilee, TiptonMartin brings these masters into our kitchens. Through recipes and stories, we cook along with these pioneering figures, from enslaved chefs to middleand upper-class writers and entrepreneurs. With more than 100 recipes, from classics such as Sweet Potato Biscuits, Seafood Gumbo, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Pecan Pie with Bourbon to lesserknown but even more decadent dishes like Bourbon & Apple Hot Toddies, Spoon Bread, Toni Tipton-Martin Indy Week and Baked Ham Glazed with Champagne, Jubilee presents techniques, ingredients, and dishes that show the roots of African American cooking— deeply beautiful, culturally diverse, fit for celebration.  www.amazon.com/Jubilee-Recipes-Centuries-AfricanAmerican-Cookbook/dp/1524761737/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3S3 ULC2W6C3F3&keywords=jubilee+recipes+from+two+cent uries+of+african-american+cooking&qid=1573430306&s=b ooks&sprefix=jubilee%2Caps%2C200&sr=1-1

Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America by Karine Jean-Pierre An inspiring political memoir from Karine JeanPierre, Chief Public Affairs Officer for MoveOn, chronicling her path from New York’s Haitian community to working in the Obama White House, and offering a blueprint for anyone who wants to

181  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

change the face of politics.

ost political origin stories have the same backbone. A bright young person starts reading the Washington Post in elementary school. She skips school to see a presidential candidate. In middle school she canvasses door-todoor. The story can be intimidating. It reinforces the feeling that politics is a closed system: if you weren’t participating in debate club, the Young Democrats and Model UN you have no chance. Karine JeanPierre’s story breaks the mold. In Moving Forward, she tells how she got involved, showing how politics can be accessible to anyone, no matter their background. In today’s political climate, the need for all of us to participate has never been more crucial. This book is her call to arms for those who know that now is the time for us to act.  www.amazon.com/Moving-Forward-Story-PromiseAmerica-ebook/dp/B07Q3GFMMB

The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our Enemies, Compromised Our Security, and How We Can Fix It by Malcolm W. Nance

hen former FBI Director Robert Mueller III was assigned to the Special Counsel investigation looking into the possibility of Russian interference in the 2016 US election, many Americans felt relieved. But when the report was delivered in April 2019, it was clear that the case was

far from closedand pinning Trump down on conspiracy charges was going to be a lot more difficult than it had first seemed. In The Plot to Betray America, Malcolm Nance, New York Times bestselling author and renowned intelligence expert, reveals exactly Malcolm W. Nance how Trump and PinqHudson Valley 360 his inner circle conspired, coordinated, communicated, and eventually strategized to commit the greatest act of treachery in the history of the United States: compromisingthe presidential oath of office in exchange for power and personal enrichment. Seduced by the promises of riches dangled in front of them by Vladimir Putin, the Trump administration eagerly decided to reap the rewards of the plan to put a Kremlin-friendly crony in the Oval Office. And instead of interfering, the Republican Party's faithful William Barr, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, Mitch McConnell, Roger Stone, George Papadopoulos, and Jeff Sessions among others did everything they could to facilitate Trump's damage to national security to fill his own pockets. Through in-depth research and interviews with intelligence experts and insiders, Nance charts Trump's deep financial ties to Russia through his family's investments, including those of Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner, and the corrupt behavior of his other double-crossing proMoscow associates. Only by untangling the spider web of personal and financial relationships linking the White House to

182  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Books to Consider the Kremlin can we start to free ourselves from the constricting clutches of our foreign adversaries and work to rebuild our fractured nation. In this geopolitical page-turner, The Plot to Betray America ultimately sketches the tracks and blueprint of the Trump administration's conspiracy against our country-and how we can still fight to defend democracy, protect our national security, and save the Constitution.  www.amazon.com/Plot-Betray-America-EmbracedCompromised-ebook/dp/B07PBVLN3H

Monetizing Gentrification by Thomas Loftin

s a long time real estate investor and business owner, Mr. Thomas "TJ" Loftin (known as "TJ") spent a lot of time observing business and real estate trends and watched some major disruptions in both areas. Therefore, TJ decided to travel the country to closely monitor them. He came to the realization that in less than a decade most people will not be able to afford real estate ownership or even be able to start a business and b i d own the th building b ildi that it's in or possibly afford to rent the building. "We are raising the first generation of non-homeowners, and that's dangerous." So, TJ decided to write his first book, "Monetizing Gentrification" and created a tour traveling around the country giving presentations, trainings and coaching to better help those who would like to create a legacy.  www.amazon.com/Monetizing-Gentrification-ThomasLoftin/dp/0578209330

Diversity, Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-

Dollar Business by Pamela Newkirk

iversity has become the new b u z z w o r d , championed by elite institutions from academia to Hollywood to corporate America. In an effort to ensure their organizations represent the racial and ethnic makeup of the country, industry and foundation leaders have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to commission studies, launch training sessions, and hire consultants and diversity czars. But is it working? In Diversity, Inc., award-winning journalist Pamela Newkirk shines a bright light on the diversity industry, asking the tough questions about what has been effective-and why progress has been so slow. Newkirk highlights the rare success stories, sharing valuable lessons about how other industries can match those gains. But as she argues, despite decades of handwringing, Pamela Newkirk CNN costly initiatives, and uncomfortable conversations, organizations have, apart from a few exceptions, fallen far short of their goals. Diversity, Inc. incisively shows the vast gap between the rhetoric of inclusivity and real achievements. If we are to deliver on the promise of true equality, we need to abandon ineffective, costly measures and commit ourselves to combatting enduring racial attitudes.  www.amazon.com/Diversity-Inc-Promise-Billion-DollarBusiness/dp/1568588224/ref=asc_df_1568588224/

183  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

The Little Bitcoin Book: Why Bitcoin Matters for Your Freedom, Finances, and Future by Mr. Timi Ajiboye, Bitcoin Collective

ou’ve probably heard about Bitcoin on the news or heard it being discussed by your friends or colleagues. How come the price keeps changing? Is Bitcoin a good investment? How does it even have value? Why do people keep talking about it like it’s going to change the world? The Little Bitcoin Book tells the story of what’s wrong with

money today, and why Bitcoin was invented to provide an alternative to the current system. It describes in simple terms what Bitcoin is, how it works, why it’s valuable, and how it affects individual freedom and opportunities of people everywhere - from Nigeria to the Philippines to Venezuela to the United States. This book also includes a Q Mr. Timi Ajiboye GitHub & A section with some of the most frequently asked questions about Bitcoin. If you want to learn more about this new form of money which continues to gain interest and adoption around the world, then this book is for you.  www.amazon.com/Mr-Timi-Ajiboye/e/B07WHZ2N13

Black Radical: The Life and Times of William Monroe Trotter by Kerri K. Greenidge This long-overdue biography reestablishes William Monroe Trotter’s essential place next to Douglass, Du Bois, and King in the pantheon of American civil rights heroes.

illiam Monroe Trotter (1872– 1934), though still virtually unknown to the wider public, was an unlikely American hero. With the stylistic verve of a newspaperman and the unwavering fearlessness of an emancipator, he galvanized black working-class citizens to wield their political power despite the violent racism of postReconstruction America. For F more than th thirty thi t years, the Harvard-educated Trotter edited and published the Guardian, a weekly Boston newspaper that was read across the nation. Defining himself against the gradualist politics of Booker T. Washington and the elitism of W. E. B. Du Bois, Trotter advocated for a radical vision of black liberation that prefigured leaders such as Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Kerri Greenidge Tufts University Jr. Synthesizing years of archival research, historian Kerri Greenidge renders the drama of turn-ofthe-century America and reclaims Trotter as a seminal figure, whose prophetic, yet ultimately tragic, life offers a link between the vision of Frederick Douglass and black radicalism in the modern era.  www.amazon.com/Black-Radical-William-Monroe-Trotter/ dp/1631495348

184  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

185  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

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

Resource Vault Information Africa is a Country -- www.africasacountry.com\ Africa World Press Books -www.africaworldpressbooks.com Because Of Them We Can -- www.becauseofthem wecan.com Black Children's Books and Authors -http://blackchildrensbooksandauthors.tumblr. com BlackPast.org -- www.blackpost.org Black Then -- https://blackthen.com Digital Assets Repository -http://dar.bibalex.org/webpages/dar.jsf Elders (The) -- https://theelders.org GhanaWeb -- www.ghanaweb.com iAfrica -- www.iafrica.com Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) -www.youtube.com/user/marquesbrownlee WikiHow -- www.wikihow.com World Library -- www.worldlibrary.org

Media APO (Africa Wire®/MENA Wire®) -www.apo-opa.com Africa Business Communities -https://africabusinesscommunities.com Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content \ Agency in Africa -www.africa-interactive.com Africa News & Stories -- http://africatodaytv.com Africa Newsroom -- www.africa-newsroom.com Africa World Now Project -www.africaworldnowproject.org Africanews. -- www.africanews.com The Africapitalist -www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/africapitalisminstitute/africapitalist-magazine AfricaFocus -- www.africafocus.org The African World -- www.theafricanworld.tv African American Reports -www.africanamericanreports.com Afrikdiasponews -- www.afridiasponews.com www.facebook.com/Afrik-DiaspoNews-690569017737725 Afritorial -- www.afritorial.com www.facebook.com/Afritorial AllAfrica (news) -- http://allafrica.com Bibi-Writes -- https://bibiwrites.com Black Business Directory & Blog -www.blackbusiness.org BlackNews.com -- www.blacknews.com

Black Press USA -- www.blackpressusa.com Blavity Inc. -- www.blavity.com The Chocolate Voice -www.thechocolatevoice.com Crisis Magazine (NAACP) -- www.thecrisismagazine.com Cybrary -- www.cybrary.it Dogon Village -- www.dogonvillage.com Expat Divas -- www.expatdivas.com Face2Face Africa -- https://face2faceafrica.com Informaza - www.infomaza.com Macauhub -- www.facebook.com/Macauhub ReachTV -- www.reachtv.com Red Media Africa -www.facebook.com/RedMedi aAfrica Rock Me Africa -- //rockmeafrica.com Roland Martin Unfiltered -#RolandMartinUnfiltered Second Opinion Publications Ltd (The) -- www. facebook.com/thesecondopinion TONL -- https://tonl.co/ United Nations -- http://webtv.un.org

Media/Podcasts, Streams 2 Dope Queens -- www.wnycstudios.org/shows/ dopequeens African Literary Podcast -- www.jamesmurua.com/ category/african-literary-podcas Africast TV -- www.africast.tv Cape Up with Jonathan Capehart -- https://itunes. apple.com/us/podcast/cape-up-with-jonathancapehart/id1143265842?mt=2 Demand Africa -- www.demandafrica.com DiasporaVoice -www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice Focus On Africa -- https://theafricachannel.com/ shows/bbc-focus-on-africa James Murua's Literary Blog -- www.jamesmurua. com KweliTV -- www.facebook.com/kwelitv Paychecks and Balances -- https://paychecksand balances.com Point Noir -- www.instagram.com/pointnoirshow Popcorn Finance Podcast -- https://popcornfinance. com/podcast Talking Africa -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/pod cast/talking-africa/id1232541405?mt=2 UN Video -- https://videos.un.org/en YouTube Educational Channels -- http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know

Media/Publications African Trade Magazine -www.africantrademagazine.com African Vibes Magazine -- www.africanvibes.com

188  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Black Business News Group -www.issuu.com/blackbusinessnews Black Wall Street Times -- http://bwstimes.com BridesNoir -- www.bridesnoir.com CuisineNoir -- www.cuisinenoirmag.com MahoganyBooks -http://blog.mahoganybooks.com/ New Black Magazine (The) -www.thenewblackmagazine.com Publish Africa -- http://wow.gm/publishafrica

Culture/Arts Asako Afrikan Combat Capoeira -www.abibifahodie.com Africa Center (The) -- www.theafricacenter.org African Networks -http://afn.bibalex.org/MainPart/About_.aspx African Origins -- www.african-origins.org Almasi Arts -- www.almasiarts.org Because of Them We Can -www.becauseofthemwecan.com Black Cultural Events -www.blackculturalevents.com Cultural Events/Content -- www.okayafrica.com Fashion For All -- www.fashionforallnyc.org Freedom Park -- www.freedompark.co.za Hungry Black Man -https://thehungryblackman.com Infocus247 -- https://infocus247.com Information for Africa -http://bibalex.org/baifa/en/home/index Library of Alexandria -www.bibalex.org/en/default NKA: Journal of Contemporary African Art -www.nkajournal.org Pan African Film Festival -- www.paﬀ.org Paradigm Grey -- www.paradigmgrey.com Shadow & Act -- //shadowandact.com/about-us Travel Noire -- https://travelnoire.com W.E.B. DuBois in Accra -https://webduboiscentreaccra.ghana-net.com

Commerce/Entrepreneurship #IAMWANDA -- www.facebook.com/IamWANDAorg African Success Stories -- www.risingafrica.org African Technology Foundation -www.thea25n.com Afrochampions Initiative -- http://afrochampions. com BBurb -- https://bburb.com Black CEO Tribe -- www.blackceotribe.com Black Female Founders -www.blackfemalefounders.org Black People Eats -- www.blackpeopleeats.com Black Wall Street -- www.blackwallstreet.org

Black Wealth 2020 -- www. blackwealth2020.com iBuyBlack.org -- www. ibuyblack.org Jumia -- https://group.jumia. com www.jumia.com.ng Nigeria (Africa) financial news -- //nairametrics.com She Leads Africa -- http:// sheleadsafrica.org Shoppe Black -- https:// shoppeblack.us

Organizations Africa's Brain Bank -- www.facebook.com/ AFRICASBRAINBANK / African Leadership Forum -- http://afrialeadership. org African Union -- www.au.int/en Africans in Boston (AiB) -- //africansinboston.org Black Business Association -- www.bbala.org Black Emergency Managers Association International -www.blackemergmanagersassociation.org CauseCast -- www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonprofits.com Color of Change -- www.colorofchange.org Colorintech -- www.colorintech.org Community Healing Network -www.communityhealingnet.org Love Our Girls -- http://logpledge.org/ StayWoke -- www.staywoke.org TimesUp -- www.timesupnow.com United African Organization -http://uniteafricans.org Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce -www.zambiausachamber.org

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

General Explore ideas -- https://ideas.ted.com

189  November/December 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Resource Vault The Undefeated -- https://theundefeated.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 Prosper Africa -- www.trade.gov/prosperafrica Small Business Administration -- www.sba.gov State Department -- www.dos.gov Trade Africa -- www.usaid.gov/tradeafrica White House -- www.whitehouse.gov

BBA 2019 Master Planner 2020 Black Business Association Events Annual Awards Dinner February

Salute to Black Women March

Salute to Black Music June

50th Anniversary Gala September

Veterans Procurement & Business Conference November

Black Business News Group Publications Black Business News Black Business News International Black Business News Travel Africa www.bbala.org for details

>WO %`DJ^ %vqYfOqq 7O|q 3" 5%8' 5OLZD -Zlc hR sWO CODm DfL =%" 2hvmfD_Yqs hR sWO CODm Zq j_ODqOL sh YfzZsO hv sh HO Df ZfsOTlD_ jDls hR hvm jvH`YJDsZhf %_DJ^ %vqZfOqq 7O|q Chvl 3Zf^ sh "RlZJDf "cOlYJDf HvqZfOqq h|fOlq sWlhvTWhvs sWO fDsYhf >WO %_DJ^ %vqZfOqq 7O|q Zq sWO zhZJO sWlhvTW |WZJW jvH`YJ DfL jlYzDsO OfsZsZOq DLzOlsZqO JhfslDJs hjjhlsvfZsYOq DzDY_DH_O sh H_DJ^ HvqYfOqq OfsOljmZqO .DZf DJJOqq sh D WZTW` DRR`vOfs sDlTOs cDlÔs zZD hvslODJW DfL DLzOmsYqYfT hjjhmsvfYsZOq 8vslODJW sh H`DJ^ HvqZfOqqOq "LzOlshlYD_ -ODsvlO qshm DLzOlsZqZfT :lhRZÒq DfL HvqYfOqq `YqsYfTq '_DqqZRYOL "Lq DfL HZL hjjhmsvfYsYOq 8vl lODLOlq DmO %`DJ^ %vqYfOqq "qqhJYDsYhf %%" cOcHOlq "RlYJDf "cOlZJDf 'WDcHOmq hR 'hccOmJO cOcHOlq DJmhqq sWO fDsYhf Zf DLLYsZhf sh H_DJ^ HvqYfOqq h|fOmq JhljhlDsO Hv Olq jmZcO JhfslDJshlq JhccvfYs hmTDfY DsZhfq DfL OÒJsOL hRRZJZD`q |Wh D_` svmf sh sWO %_DJ^ %vqZfOqq 7O|q Rhl HvqZfOqq LOzO_hjcOfs fO|q DfL ZfRhmcDsZhf sh sDÔ sWOZl HvqZfOqq DfL jlh]OJs ORRhmsq sh sWO fO}s _OzO_ hR jmhRYsDHY_Ys DfL qvJJOqq )ig t IP aPS iwt #M{Pnt[rP 0g tX[r Miin ikPg[gU kwIbbKEtbig

~ #M{Pp[r[gU 9kkipwg[t[Pr -v__ :DTO 'h_hl | -ODsvlO =shl -v__ :DTO 'h`hl @PIr\P #M{Pp[r[gU 9kkipwg[t[Pr AOHjDTO 4Yf^ 5DlÔsYfT 5OqqDTO , &aErt #M{Pp[r[gU 9kkintwg[t[Pr 1qqvO *OLZJDsOL 5DlÔsZfT 5OqqDTO (wrtid <Pkn[gt 1qqvO D qjOJYRZJ DmsZJÒ

$N ?kP -x`` :FVQ :FVQ :FVQ :FVQ ! :FVQ

6PGryoPePgur

" " " " " " " " " " !"