BBA News DEC '09a

December 2009

In This Issue‌ 6 Financial Regulatory Reform

14 Almost There on Health Care 16 6th Annual BBA Procurement Exchange Summit 34 African Union Addresses Climate Change 53 SBA Aids Disabled Vets/Women Entrepreneurs

Pres. Obama Has His... You Get Yours!

Black Business News SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE LIMITED EDITION

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A commemorative limited-edition magazine, unlike any other special tribute issued to recognize the election of Barack H. Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America, has been published by the Black Business Association.

To order your copy, call the BBA office at (323) 291-9334 or email to: mail@bbala.org

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President’s Message Earl “Skip” Cooper, II President/Chief Executive Officer

2009: A Time of Bittersweet Experiences

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s we prepare to enter our fifth decade of operation, Black Business Association (BBA) members have emerged as a Southern California viable supply chain resource for buying organizations seeking to do business with black-owned firms. The growth of our diverse membership is working well to assist corporate purchasing management personnel with their respective outsourcing operational requirements. In spite of our expanding accomplishments among BBA members, the twelve months of 2009 were undoubtedly the most bitter-sweet socioeconomic development year in modern history, with the sweetest part having been the new year’s domestic and international jubilation over the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama. Living in this time and experiencing the nation’s and the world’s hope for an era of genuine inclusion was the highlight of 2009.

Just when the world began its wonderment with the new residents in the White House, the BBA shared in the sensation by dedicating all its 2009 monthly newspapers to the first term President Barack Obama. Looking back, each Black Business News cover depicts a different photo and includes articles about Barack Obama’s work products. In the November Black Business News, contributing writer Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D. summarized some of the major advancements accomplished by the Obama Administration since taking office, including, but not limited to: • Slowing the economic collapse and revitalizing the economy.

• Restoring Wall Street with improved

rules of ethics.

Preserving an iconic domestic auto industry.

• Establishing a clearer perspective and timeline for withdrawal of U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Dismantling the unjust American prison detainment facility located in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

• Producing Recovery Act procedures for economic growth and domestic job opportunities for the record high number of unemployed workers.

• Exhorting action for greater access to comprehensive K-12 education, and • Leading action to greater access to high-quality healthcare for all Americans.

• Accepting the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”.

On another note, the BBA was duly impressed with the decision made by one of our original corporate members, Xerox Corporation, when they appointed Ursula M. Bank as Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Bank is the first African American woman executive to lead a Fortune 150 corporation. The BBA also tasted an especially sweet treat at its 35th Annual Awards Dinner in June during which we recognized the industry’s top business leaders in American Black Music.

In 2009, a bittersweet announcement was made regarding daytime’s long-running, top rated Oprah Winfrey Show, a black-owned and operated en•

tertainment business, confirming plans to end production in 2011. Oprah will begin a well deserved respite from the daily television routine while moving on to the next phase in her remarkable life. Shortly after Oprah’s announcement, emerging entertainment industry luminary Tyra Banks gave a farewell speech about folding her daytime talk show next season. Closing the doors on these television viewing experiences is particularly tough because replacements for such unique personalities, who happen to be African American women, will be hard pressed to replicate and replace in the business of entertainment.

The most bitter part of the year was, of course, unprecedented commercial demise in the multiple sectors of finance, transportation, government, and international trade and learning from corporate colleagues how the weakened economy had caused wideranging hardship and in some cases outright mayhem to their respective organizations. The economic fallout created charitable funding gaps so that the BBA was impacted in conducting its business as usual. In much the same way, many BBA members have been forced to reshape their business strategies due to the resultant limited access to capital, contracts and jobs.

In the face of this austere experience, the outlook for 2010 is already showing promise of commitments from corporate America on small business engagement. Legislation on small business that was introduced in March 2009 for the economic recovery is displaying

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see President’s Message on page 33

Over 39 years of service Founded 1970 Starlett Quarles, urban X marketing

CORPORATE PARTNERS

Black Business Association

AEG American Honda Motor Company AT&T Bank of America The Boeing Company California Lottery Citibank Coca-Cola Enterprises Comerica Bank Department of Water & Power Donald Sterling Corporation Fannie Mae IBM Kaiser Permanente LAEDC Los Angeles World Airports Northrop Grumman Corporation Raytheon Company S.C.R.P.C. Sempra Energy Southern California Edison Swinerton Builders Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. Turner Construction Company Union Bank of California USBank Verizon Walt Disney Company WellPoint Wells Fargo Bank Lyceum Management Services, Ex Officio Hollis Smith, Ex Officio Paulette Williams, Ex Officio

P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 323-291-9334 Fax: 323-291-9234 mail@bbala.org www.bbala.org

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS W. Gladney ▪ C. Collins

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx ▪ Sabir • N. Osei

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications Copyright © 2009 by Black Business Association.

All Rights Reserved.

BBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ted Davis, Chairman IsComp Systems, Inc. Nathan Freeman, Vice Chairman Figueroa Media Group, Inc. Eugene Jones, Secretary NVA Financial Group, Inc. Kevin M. Caliup, Treasurer AIA/E-World Strategy Narishimah Osei, Parliamentarian Osei & Associates Gwen Moore, Director GEM Communications Candida Mobely-Wright, Director Voices, Inc. Angela Walton, Director Melador Technologies, Inc. Angela Reddock, Esq., Legal Counsel

In This Issue…

3 President’s Message Title Here

5 Jobs & Economic Growth Forum 13 Educate to Innovate Program Launched 14 National HIV/AIDS Strategy 17 President Obama Receives Nobel Peace Prize 19 Climate Change Conference 23 CBC Takes a Stand 29 How to Save on Taxes 36 Africa Focus President Obama Meets with Presient of Botswana African Union Addresses Climate Change New U.S. Ambassador to the African Union

AFFILIATES

STAFF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II, President/CEO Kesha Vontreese, Administrative Consultant Brett Byers, Special Projects Consultant

COMMITTEE COORDINATOR

African American Unity Caucus Association of Black Women Entrepreneurs Black Women’s Network California Black Chamber of Commerce California Council of Black Chambers The Greenlining Institute Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense & Education Fund National Black Business Council The National Association of African American Chambers of Commerce The National Black Chamber of Commerce Pan African Film & Arts Festival Recycling Black Dollars

The Black Business Association Wishes You a

Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa,

41 Investment - Google Ventures 45 SBA News

Training Programs for Disabled Vets and Women Entrepreneurs

55 Calendar Columns

27 - Take A Look!

46 - Books to Consider...

BBA Action Alert

and a

Happy, Healthy, & Prosperous New Year 4 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

15 - Health Care Reform-Contact Your Senator Now

Cover image - White House Photo

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden speak to attendees of the “President’s Job Forum.” (White House Photo, Lawrence Jackson)

JOBS & ECONOMIC GROWTH FORUM: About 130 people representing a broad spectrum of our economic profile attended the initial forum Remarks: Vice President Joe Biden Thank you. Secretaries, members of the Cabinet, distinguished guests, I welcome you all here today. Your presence is welcomed, but quite frankly, it’s not nearly as important as your input.

We’re looking to you. We’re counting on you. We need help, for we realize that even after all we have done in these last 10 months that -- to revitalize American communities, our capacity, the government’s capacity, is still somewhat limited. We can help -- we can help create the conditions that make for a stronger economy, make a stronger

economy possible. But it’s you, all of you in this audience here, who are in the position to make it a reality. To put it another way, without you it will not become a reality.

Look, the Recovery Act -- much maligned, but worked -- has worked very well -- the Recovery Act has played a vital role in kick starting this process.

It has not only pulled us back from that abyss that we were looking at -- remember the -- remember your college days, having to study the essayist, Samuel Johnson? And one of the favorite quotes I remember, Mr. Secretary, was “There is nothing like a hanging to focus one’s attention.” (Laughter.) Well, let me tell you, your attention has been focused, our attention has been focused.

And we’ve been able to pull back from that dark abyss.

But all kidding aside, it’s amazing -amazing what we’ve forgotten already in 10 months just how dire and bleak things looked 10 months ago.

And so the Recovery Act has put us on the path to recovery, it pulled us back from the brink. Before the Presi-

dent and I dropped our right hand on January the 20th of this year, already that month 700,000 people had lost their jobs; 740,000 by the end of that month lost their job; another 640,000 in the short month of February. So the fact of the matter is the last job report was not good, but a lot better -190,000 jobs lost. Our economy was shrinking when we took office at a rate of 6 percent, actually above 6 percent.

And now it’s growing at a rate at about 3 percent the last quarter. And leading economists attribute a large portion of that GDP growth in the last quarter to the Recovery Act. And according to the most CBO report -- and if you’ve noticed, the one thing those of you who aren’t -- do not work here every day notice the only thing Democrats and Republicans agree on is the objectivity of CBO. We all quote their numbers, and we quote them even when they don’t agree with what we wanted to do, because they are bipartisan; they are responsible.

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see Jobs Forum on page 6

Jobs Forum from page 5

And the CBO report, the most recent report of several days ago, said the act is responsible for creating as many as 1.6 million jobs.

So there’s been progress. But you know it’s not enough. That laid-off teacher -- that laid off teacher, they don’t want to hear about the GDP. That out of work autoworker or that Teamster, they don’t want to hear about a CBO report. There used to be an expression, and I’m not joking, my grandfather always used it. He was from Scranton, Pennsylvania. He said, “When the guy from Throop is out of work, it’s an economic slowdown. When your brotherin-law is out of work, it’s a recession.

When you’re out of work, it’s a depression.” And it is a depression for over 10 million Americans, which is why I’m pleased that the next phase of this Recovery Act -- we are only about halfway through it -- we’re entering even at a more rapid rate, we’re distributing these dollars even quicker, projects are getting in the ground faster, and we’re spending -- and a particular focus on those aspects that have proven successful in creating jobs, putting real paychecks in the pockets of hardworking Americans.

And by design, the items in the act which have the biggest impact are yet to come. Within the next two weeks to a month, another roughly $13 billion is going to be announced rolling out in terms of both investments in broadband and high-speed rail, and competitive education and infrastructure. In fact, the money spent on clean water, renewable energy, superfund sites, and much more, is going to more than double -- it’s going to more than double in this quarter and will maintain a similar pace for the next two quarters.

Secretary LaHood -- who is here -- is going to be making an important announcement about the number of highspeed rail manufacturers who are looking to come to the United States, build facilities here, manufacture components here, manufacture train sets here based on our willingness to provide the

seed money to invest in high-speed rail. And many more announcements like that are coming in the months ahead. But we’re not just looking to bold new programs. Many of the upcoming investments are expansions of our most successful programs to date.

And that’s where you all come in.

At today’s job summit, we’re all hearing -- we’ll be hearing about ideas -- ideas that can do even more than we’ve done so far. Some of you will urge us to invest more in infrastructure -- roads, bridges, water projects. We’ve seen this investment succeed in creating jobs in the Recovery Act. And today, we’ll hear the case for doing more along those lines.

Others of you today are going to argue that we should invest in green jobs, retrofitting, weatherizing, making homes and offices more energy efficient. Again, we’ve seen that these investments can be successful in creating jobs. And today we’ll hear the case for doing more along those lines, I suspect as well.

And still others of you will talk about the need for more incentives for small businesses and our other ideas to help business through tax incentives. And again, similar investments in the Recovery Act are showing some real promise. So we should see if there’s more we can do in those areas.

Many different participants are going to -- are here, and many different offerings are going to be put forward, many different ideas. But in the end, the grist is the same: take the things that we know work, and make them work better and make them work faster. And all of this can’t be done -- I should put it another way: None of it can be done without your full buy-in and your leadership in the private sector.

President Obama has focused on this issue with an intensity that it demands, and with an intensity it deserves. With everything else he has on his plate --

and I’ve been here for eight Presidents -- I think I can say without fear of contradiction, no President has ever entered office with as many crises sitting on his desk the day he walked into office. And I’ve been here for eight Presidents as a United States senator.

But notwithstanding that, his laser focus has been -- and the economic team can tell you, every morning we have the meeting relating to the principles on the economy, the principals in the economic team coming in, it’s what we call the Presidential Daily Briefing, is jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs.

And so, folks, we not only want to create jobs, but good jobs, jobs you can raise a family on, jobs that will service a foundation for a new economic future in this country. And no man is more committed to making that happen than President Barack Obama.

So, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

(Applause.)

Today, our economy is growing again for the first time in a year and at the fastest pace that we’ve seen in two years. And productivity is surging. Companies are reporting profits.

The stock market is up.

-President Barack Obama

Remarks: President Barack Obama Thank you. Thank you, everybody.

Thank you very much. Please, have a seat. Good afternoon, everybody.

I’m glad you all could join us today for this job forum here at the White House.

We’ve got leaders from just about every sector of the economy -- government, labor, academia, non-profits, and businesses of all sizes. And I know

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Jobs Forum from page 6

venting financial meltdown and getting the economy growing again -- because we knew that without economic growth, there would be little to nothing we could do to stem job losses. And we knew that trying to create jobs in an econo-

that your unions or universities or cities or companies don’t run themselves, so I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to be here today. And I appreciate the unique perspective each of you brings to the great economic challenge before us: the continuing plight of millions of Americans who are still out of work.

Sometimes in this town, we talk about these things in clinical and academic ways. But this is not an academic debate.

With one in 10 Americans out of work, and millions more underemployed, not having enough hours to support themselves, this is a strugPresident Barack Obama answers questions at regional Jobs & gle that cuts deep, and it Economic Growth Forum. (White House Photo, Samantha touches people across this Appleton) nation. Every day I meet people or I hear from people who talk my based on inflated home prices and about sending out resume after resume, maxed-out credit cards and overlevand they’ve been on the job hunt for a eraged banks was akin to building a year or year and a half and still can’t house on sand. find anything and are desperate. They So we implemented plans to stabilize haven’t just lost the paycheck they need the financial system and revive lending to live; they’re losing the sense of dig- to families and businesses. We passed nity and identity that comes from hav- the Recovery Act, which stopped our ing a job. I hear from business owners freefall and help spur the growth that who face the heartbreak of having to we’ve seen. Today, our economy is lay off longtime employees, or shutting growing again for the first time in a year their doors altogether -- in some cases and at the fastest pace that we’ve seen businesses that they’ve taken years to in two years. And productivity is surgbuild; in some cases businesses that ing. Companies are reporting profits. they inherited from their parents or their The stock market is up. grandparents. And I see communities But despite the progress we’ve devastated by lost jobs and devastated made, many businesses are still skitby the fear that those jobs are never see Jobs Forum on page 10 coming back.

Now, as Joe mentioned, it’s true that we’ve seen a significant turnaround in the economy overall since the beginning of the year. Our economy was in a freefall; our financial system was on the verge of collapse; we were losing 700,000 jobs per month. And it was clear then that our first order of business was to keep a recession from slipping into a depression; from pre-

ECONOMIC RECOVERY & HEALTH CARE REFORM WEBSITES

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he websites shown on Page 20 of this issue provide links to inside information on both the Economic Recovery process and the Health Care Reform process.

Be an informed and involved citizen. Use the information in the Black Business News to make a difference in your life and in the welfare of our communities and our nation. &

2010 Events

February • Black Business Awards Dinner - 40th Anniversary of the BBA March • Salute to Black Women April • Trade Mission to Washington, DC May • World Trade Week Conference & Trade Expo June • Business of Black Music conference & Awards Dinner September • Black Busines Day November • Utilities Procurement Exchange Summit & Awards Luncheon • Call for information •

323-291-9334

OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN OERP

Do Business with BBA Member Businesses & Advertisers

7 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Commentary:

In Support of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ Office Renovation

by Earl “Skip” Cooper, II, President/CEO Black Business Association

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n behalf of the Black Business Association (BBA), I would like to salute Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas upon marking his one-year anniversary as Los Angeles County Supervisor for the Second District. The first African American male to serve on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Mr. Ridley-Thomas was overwhelmingly elected to the Board on November 4, 2008.

Regrettably, however, at this time when we should be heralding his freshman year accomplishments, Mark Ridley-Thomas finds himself fending off attacks from detractors and critics.

Over the past week an uproar was engineered relative to the estimated price tag for renovation of the Second Dis-

trict’s offices at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles. It would not be an exaggeration to say that most of the accusations were much ado about nothing.

I, for one, can personally attest that Supervisor Ridley-Thomas’ office has the same look that it had when I first visited the late Supervisor Kenneth Hahn there more than 35 years ago, and it seems reasonable that after all this time, the space indeed is in need of renovation.

The office, which houses the supervisor and his staff, is still outfitted with 1960’s era ceiling tiles, overhead fluorescent lighting, and electrical outlets

that are overloaded by the demands modern technology. The current office layout has not been changed in over 20 years, thereby making its functionality outdated and inefficient at best, given today’s wide use of technology.

Further, it should be noted that each County Supervisor is allocated a $1 million annual discretionary fund for such projects, with the proposed renovation project having been thoroughly vetted and deemed within the purview of the see Office Renovation on page 20

PERAB Launches a Website

Austan Goolsbee, Staff Director and Chief Economist, President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board

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he President;s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) has launched a new website - www. whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ perab.

Our hope is to keep visitors informed on the PERAB’s meetings and analysis as they advise the President. One of the major duties of the PERAB is to ensure the President has independent, nonpartisan information, analysis, and

advice. The PERAB will solicit information and ideas from all sectors to promote the growth of the economy, establish a stable and sound financial and banking system, and create jobs.

The site gives some insight into areas the PERAB is focusing on and provides opportunities for the public to give PERAB feedback and input on economic recovery ideas. You will also be able to find up-to-date news on PERAB

I created this Board to enlist voices that come from beyond the echo chamber of Washington, DC, and to ensure that no stone is unturned as we work to put people back to work and to get our economy moving.

-President Barack Obama meetings and announcements.

We hope that you will use this site and share it with others. We want you to come back and visit us often. &

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Jobs Forum from page 7

tish about hiring. Some are still digging themselves out of the losses they incurred over the past year. Many have figured out how to squeeze more productivity out of fewer workers, and that cost-cutting has become embedded in their operations and in their culture.

That may result in good profits, but it’s not translating into hiring. And so that’s the question that we have to ask ourselves today: How do we get businesses to start hiring again? How do we get ourselves to the point where more people are working, and more people are spending, and you start seeing a virtuous cycle and the recovery starts to feed on itself?

We knew from the outset of this recession, particularly a recession of this severity and a recession that is spurred on by financial crisis rather than as a consequence of the business cycle, that it would take time for job growth to catch up with economic growth. We all understood that. That’s always been the case with recessions. But we cannot hang back and hope for the best when we’ve seen the kinds of job losses that we’ve seen over the last year. I am not interested in taking a wait-andsee approach when it comes to creating jobs.

What I’m interested in is taking action right now to help businesses create jobs right now, in the near term. That’s why we made more credit available to small banks that provide loans to small businesses. That’s why we provided tax relief to help small businesses stay afloat and proposed raising SBA loan limits to help them expand. That’s why we created the Cash for Clunkers program, and made sure the Recovery Act included investments that would start saving and creating jobs this year -- as Joe mentioned, as many as 1.6 [million] so far is estimated, according to the most recent analysis. And that’s why I’ve been working continuously with my economic advisors, as well as congressional leaders and others, on new job creation ideas. And I’ll be speaking in greater detail about several

Taking the Jobs Forum on the Road, with Your Help (extended to January 7, 2010) President Obama announced, at the opening Jobs & Economic Growth Forum, that the White House is inviting citizens, community leaders, and local officials to hold their own Community Jobs Forums. Sign up and we’ll get you all the materials you need. To sign up go to: www.whitehouse.gov/webform/jobs-forum-form.

Many of you run businesses yourselves. Each of you is an expert on some aspect of job creation. Collectively, your views span the spectrum. I’m looking for fresh perspectives and new ideas.

I want to hear about what unions and universities can do to better support and prepare our workers -- not just for the jobs of today, but for the jobs five years from now and 10 years from now and 50 years from now. I want to hear about what mayors and community leaders can do to bring new investment to our cities and towns and help recovery dollars get to where they need to go as quickly as possible.

I want to hear from CEOs about what’s holding back our business investment and how we can increase confidence and spur hiring.

And if there are things that we’re doing here in Washington that are inhibiting you, then we want to know about it.

And I want to continue this conversation outside of Washington, which is why we’ve asked state and local officials and community organizations to hold their own jobs forums over the next week or so and to report back with the ideas and recommendations that result.

Get your family, friends, and neighbors together and help get America back on track. &

ideas that have already surfaced early next week.

But I want to be clear -- while I believe that government has a critical role in creating the conditions for economic growth, ultimately true economic recovery is only going to come from the private sector. We don’t have enough public dollars to fill the hole of private dollars that was created as a consequence of the crisis. It is only when the private sector starts to reinvest again, only when our businesses start hiring again and people start spending again and families start seeing improvement in their own lives again that we’re going to have the kind of economy that

we want. That’s the measure of a real economic recovery.

So that’s why I’ve invited all of you here today. Many of you run businesses yourselves. Each of you is an expert on some aspect of job creation. Collectively, your views span the spectrum.

That was deliberate. We’ve looking for fresh perspectives and new ideas.

I want to hear about what unions and universities can do to better support and prepare our workers -- not just for the jobs of today, but for the jobs five years from now and 10 years from now and 50 years from now. I want to hear about what mayors and community

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see Jobs Forum on page 11

Jobs Forum from page 10

leaders can do to bring new investment to our cities and towns and help recovery dollars get to where they need to go as quickly as possible. I want to hear from CEOs about what’s holding back our business investment and how we can increase confidence and spur hiring. And if there are things that we’re doing here in Washington that are inhibiting you, then we want to know about it.

And I want to continue this conversation outside of Washington, which is why I’ll be meeting with some of the small business owners that you saw in the video in Allentown, Pennsylvania, tomorrow, to get their ideas. It’s also why we’ve asked state and local officials and community organizations to hold their own jobs forums over the next week or so and to report back with the ideas and recommendations that result.

Now, let me be clear. I am open to every demonstrably good idea, and I want to take every responsible step to accelerate job creation. We also, though, have to face the fact that our resources are limited. When we walked in, there was an enormous fiscal gap between the money that is going out and the money coming in. The recession has made that worse because of fewer tax receipts and more demands made on government for things like unemployment insurance.

So we can’t make any ill-considered decisions right now, even with the best of intentions. We’re going to have to be surgical and we’re going to have to be creative. We’re going to have to be smart and strategic. We’ll need to look beyond the old standbys and fallbacks and come up with the best ideas that give us the biggest bang for the buck.

So I need everybody here to bring their A-game here today. I’m going to be asking some tough questions. I will be listening for some good answers.

And I don’t want to just brainstorm up at 30,000 feet. I want details in our discussion today. I’m looking for specific recommendations that can be imple-

mented that will spur on job growth as quickly as possible.

I want to be clear: We won’t overcome our unemployment challenge in just a few hours this afternoon. I assure you there is extraordinary skepticism that any discussions like this can actually produce results. I’m well aware of that. I don’t mind skepticism.

If I listened to the skeptics, I wouldn’t be here. (Laughter.)

But I am confident that we’ll make progress. I’m confident that people like you, who’ve built thriving businesses or revolutionized industries or brought cities and communities together and changed the way we look at the world and innovated and created new products, that you can come up with some additional good ideas on how to create jobs. And I’m confident that the spirit of “bold, persistent experimentation” that FDR talked about and that’s gotten this country through some of our darkest hours remains alive and well -- not just in this room, but all across the country.

We still have the best universities in the world. We’ve got some of the finest science and technology in the world, we’ve got the most entrepreneurial spirit in the world, and we’ve got some of the most productive workers in the world. And if we get serious, then the 21st century is going to be the American century, just like the 20th century was. But we’re going to have to approach this with a sense of seriousness and try to set the politics and the chatter aside for a while and actually get to work.

So, welcome. Thank you for participating. We are going to maximize the productivity of this effort over the next several hours. And I will be returning back with you so that I can get a report on what kinds of ideas seem to make the most sense. Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.) &

USTR & SBA Talk Exports & Job Creation

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eter Cowhey, Senior Counselor to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk, and Karen Mills, the Small Business Administrator, co-hosted a breakfast for a group of small business leaders attending the White House Jobs Conference.

Both Cowhey and Administrator Mills focused their remarks and attention on the critical role of small businesses in generating job growth and jump-starting economic recovery.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises are by far the majority of U.S. exporters. As a group these exporters grow faster, add jobs faster, and pay higher wages. As such, expanding trade by small- and medium-sized business can be a critical tool of economic recovery.

To that end, Cowhey pointed to USTR’s new efforts to bolster trade opportunities for small- and medium-sized businesses. Those efforts are aimed at empowering small- and medium-sized companies to sell more goods and services worldwide, ultimately creating more jobs here at home.

The new USTR initiative is: • Requesting an investigation by the International Trade Commission that will produce a clearer picture of America’s small- and mediumsized exporters, their role in generating employment and economic activity in the United States, and the potential for increased trading opportunities to benefit these businesses and their workers.

• Convening a USTR-wide working group to ensure that the agency’s policymaking and enforcement efforts immediately seek to better serve small- and medium-sized enterprises.

• Collaborating with federal trade promotion agencies like the U.S. Department of Commerce and the SBA that have complementary programs for export expansion among small- and medium-sized firms. &

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12 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

President Obama Launches “Educate to Innovate” Program

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resident Barack Obama has launched an “Educate to Innovate” campaign to improve the participation and performance of America’s students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This campaign will include efforts not only from the Federal Government but also from leading companies, foundations, non-profits, and science and engineering societies to work with young people across America to excel in science and math (view announcement video at www.whitehouse.gov).

As part of the campaign, this Administration hopes to do a series of events, announcements and other activities that build upon the President’s “call to action” and address the key components of national priority.

Why This is Important We have many great schools, excellent teachers, and successful students in America. But there are also troubling signs that, overall, our students should be doing better in math and science.

• In the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) comparison, American students ranked 21st out of 30 in science literacy among students from developed countries, and 25th out of 30 in math literacy.

• On the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math tests, 4th graders showed no signs of progress for the first time in many years, and 8th graders tallied only modest evidence of progress. We are not advancing as we must.

What We Must Do Through “Educate to Innovate” and other efforts, we must: • Increase STEM literacy so that all students can learn deeply and think critically in science, math, engineering, and technology.

• Move American students from the middle of the pack to top in the next

•

decade.

Expand STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and girls.

The First Steps America is already stepping forward to meet these challenges. As part of the “Educate to Innovate” effort, five major public-private partnerships are harnessing the power of media, interactive games, hands-on learning, and community volunteers to reach millions of students over the next four years, inspiring them to be the next generation of inventors and innovators.

• Time-Warner Cable, Discovery Communications, Sesame Street, and other partners will get the message to kids and students about the wonder of invention and discovery.

• National Lab Day (www.nationallabday.org) will help build communities of support around teachers across the country, culminating

•

•

in a day of civic participation.

National STEM design competitions (www.dmlcompetition.net) will develop game options to engage kids in scientific inquiry and challenging designs.

Five leading business and thought leaders (Sally Ride, Craig Barrett, Ursula Burns, Glen Britt, and Antonio Perez) will head an effort to increase private and philanthropic involvement in support of STEM teaching and learning. & www.whitehouse.gov www.nationallabday.org www.dmlcompetition.net

The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. has officially received the building permit and can begin construction.

The letters to President Obama, Speaker of the House Pelosi and Secretary of the Interior Salazar sent by the King Memorial supporters truly made a difference.

All of this would not have been possible without YOU - our dedicated and committed supporters!

Everyone at the Foundation appreciates you so much for all of your dedication and the tremendous support you’ve displayed. We cannot thank you enough for supporting us.

We are extremely excited about all of the wonderful news. Now it’s “Countdown to Completion.”

Contribute to the completion of the King Memorial at www. mlkmemorial.org.

13 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS)

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ne of the President’s top HIV/ AIDS policy priorities is the development and implementation of a National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). There are three primary goals for the NHAS: •

Reducing HIV incidence

•

Increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes

•

Reducing HIV-related health disparities

The Administration is committed to developing the NHAS through a process that is inclusive of a broad range of perspectives and stakeholders. To achieve this goal, the Office of National AIDS Policy will solicit public input via multiple channels: The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS: The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) provides advice to the President, transmitted through the Secretary of Health and Human Services. PACHA’s revised charter calls for the council to provide advice, information, and recommendations regarding programs and policies that address the three goals for the NHAS. In addition, PACHA will be in-

strumental in monitoring the implementation of the NHAS once the Strategy has been completed. Finally, PACHA will focus on the global HIV pandemic, including expanded access to treatment, care, and prevention for people infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is responsible for appointing individuals who serve on PACHA. PACHA membership has historically included prominent community leaders with particular expertise in, or knowledge of, matters concerning HIV and AIDS, public health, global health, philanthropy, marketing or business, as well as other national leaders held in high esteem from other sectors of society.

National HIV/AIDS Community Discussions: ONAP will hold a series of fourteen forums from late summer through the end of 2009 in various regions of the country with diverse communities impacted by HIV/AIDS. These forums will provide opportunities for individual citizens to provide White House staff and other policy makers with their recommendations for achieving the President’s three goals for the NHAS. Locations for the planned forums include (in alphabetical order): Albuquerque, NM; Atlanta, GA; Columbia, SC; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; Jackson, MS; Los Angeles,

The Health Care Reform Bill is now in conference between the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

CA; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; Oakland, CA; San Francisco, CA; San Juan, Puerto Rico; the Virgin Islands, and Washington, DC. Call to Action: America Speaks about HIV/AIDS: It is not possible to travel to every community in the country that would like to provide us with valuable input and recommendations to inform the NHAS. Further, some people may not find a community forum to be the best way to express their ideas. Therefore, on October 2nd, 2009 we launched a call to action to encourage community-based organizations, churches, schools, businesses, research institutions and other groups to hold their own discussions about the strategic steps we need to take as a nation to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Call to Action comment form closed on November 23, 2009. You can find more information on the Call to Action page and the report will be available on the ONAP web site within the first few months of 2010.

These and other mechanisms of public input will be fed into the process for developing the NHAS. ONAP’s Director, Jeffrey Crowley, will also convene a federal HIV/AIDS interagency working group that will be responsible for helping to develop the NHAS and ensuring coordination, accountability, and improved outcomes across the federal government. The interagency group will include representatives of other White House offices and agencies working on HIV/AIDS from across the federal government. &

Make Your Opinions Known to Your Congressional Representatives.

14 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

ACTION ALERT! Let Your U.S. Senators & Representatives Know How You Want Them To VOTE! Write, call or e-mail your federal representatives today! Give voice to your opinion.

The citizens of this nation need a comprehensive health care plan. Pass legislation that includes a Public Insurance Option and No Insurance Industry Buyout.

Find congressional contact information at: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

15 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Tavis Smiley to Broadcast on Primetime

T

avis Smiley and PBS will expand their relationship in 2010 with the January premiere of THE TAVIS SMILEY REPORT, a series of four hour-long primetime specials that will air throughout 2010.

Smiley will leave his studio chair in Los Angeles and go on the road to examine some of the country’s defining moments through those who have helped to shape history — from going behind the scenes with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the streets of New Orleans with director Jonathan Demme to mark Hurricane Katrina’s 5th anniversary.

“The REPORT(s) will take a look at the country’s most important people and recent events, from perspectives that are rarely portrayed,” says host Tavis Smiley. “I will be talking to the people and traveling to the places that have transformed us as a nation, often in ways we don’t even realize.”

“For years, Tavis Smiley has explored topics by engaging his guests in thoughtprovoking discussions, and we’re eager to see him take his awardwinning approach outside of the studio,” says John F. Wilson, PBS Senior Vice President and Chief TV Programming Executive. “These primetime specials allow Tavis to seek out the stories and individuals that are a driving force in today’s world.”

The first THE TAVIS SMILEY REPORT, premiering Wednesday, January 27, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on PBS, focuses on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she completes her first year as America’s chief diplomat and looks ahead to the challenges of the next three years. Smiley has been granted exceptional access to Secretary Clinton and will accompany her on

diplomatic missions abroad, to meetings on Capitol Hill and within the State Department itself to give the American public a candid and incisive view of the inner workings of U.S. diplomacy and international relations.

The second REPORT, premiering Wednesday, March 31, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on PBS, will delve into one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s greatest speeches, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” which Dr. King delivered on April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in New York City. The speech, delivered exactly one-year prior to the date of his assassination, is considered pivotal but often under-appreciated.

King challenged the morality of the Vietnam conflict and urged a national discussion about the role of America in the world. Smiley will examine the

context of Dr. King’s words on liberty, responsibility and freedom against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights and an increasingly unpopular war, and examine the implications of his words today, particularly in light of President Obama’s decision to increase U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

For the third THE TAVIS SMILEY REPORT, Smiley will team with Academy Award®-winning director Jonathan Demme to revisit New Orleans on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The REPORT will offer a uniquely personal look at the resilience of the citizens of the Ninth Ward through their efforts to rebuild their lives. Smiley will present a portrait of a city still reeling from the aftermath of the natural disaster and the political neglect that followed, and explore the lessons to be learned from post-Katrina New Orleans.

The topic of the fourth REPORT will be announced later in 2010.

THE TAVIS SMILEY REPORT is produced for PBS by The Smiley Group, Inc. /TS Media, Inc. and KCET Los Angeles. Executive producer is Jacoba Atlas. Funding provided by Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS and Public Television Viewers.

Smiley returns to his late-night PBS talk show, TAVIS SMILEY, on January 11, 2010, for a seventh season of insightful conversations with politicians, actors, artists, athletes and newsmakers. &

Quote of Note... “…we’ve reaffirmed America’s commitment to transform our energy economy at home. We’ve made historic investments in renewable energy that have already put people back to work. We’ve raised our fuel efficiency standards. And we have renewed American leadership in international climate negotiations.”

President Barack H. Obama

16 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

President Obama Accepts the Nobel Peace Prize Full-Text of Acceptance Speech Delivered at Oslo City Hall, Oslo, Norway

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our Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, citizens of America, and citizens of the world: I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility.

It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations -- that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.

And yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. (Laughter.) In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage.

Compared to some of the giants of history who’ve received this prize -- Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela -- my accomplishments are slight. And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened cynics. I cannot argue with those who find these men and women -- some known, some obscure to all but those they help -- to be far more deserving of this honor than I. But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-inChief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars.

One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by 42 other countries -- including Norway -- in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

Still, we are at war, and I’m responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill, and some will be killed. And so I come Photo Legend: Cover Photo: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama sign the guest book at the Slottet Royal Palace of Norway in Oslo.

Photo-This Page: President Barack Obama receives the Nobel Prize medal and diploma during a ceremony in Raadhuset Main Hall at Oslo City Hall. Photo-Next Page: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama depart Oslo City Hall following the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, Norway.

here with an acute sense of the costs of armed conflict -filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

Now these questions are not new. War, in one form or another, appeared with the first man. At the dawn of history, its morality was not questioned; it was simply a fact, like drought or disease -- the manner in which tribes and then civilizations sought power and settled their differences.

And over time, as codes of law sought to control violence within groups, so did philosophers and clerics and statesmen seek to regulate the destructive power of war. The concept of a “just war” emerged, suggesting that war is justified only when certain conditions were met: if it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the force used is proportional; and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence.

Of course, we know that for most of history, this concept of “just war” was rarely observed. The capacity of human beings to think up new ways to kill one another proved inexhaustible, as did our capacity to exempt from mercy those who look different or pray to a different God. Wars between armies gave way to wars between nations -- total wars in which the distinction between combatant and civilian became

(Official White House Photos by Pete Souza)

17 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

see Peace Prize on page 18

Peace Prize from page 17

blurred. In the span of 30 years, such carnage would twice engulf this continent. And while it’s hard to conceive of a cause more just than the defeat of the Third Reich and the Axis powers, World War II was a conflict in which the total number of civilians who died exceeded the number of soldiers who perished.

In the wake of such destruction, and with the advent of the nuclear age, it became clear to victor and vanquished alike that the world needed institutions to prevent another world war. And so, a quarter century after the United States Senate rejected the League of Nations -- an idea for which Woodrow Wilson received this prize -- America led the world in constructing an architecture to keep the peace: a Marshall Plan and a United Nations, mechanisms to govern the waging of war, treaties to protect human rights, prevent genocide, restrict the most dangerous weapons.

In many ways, these efforts succeeded. Yes, terrible wars have been fought, and atrocities committed. But there has been no Third World War. The Cold War ended with jubilant crowds dismantling a wall. Commerce has stitched much of the world together. Billions have been lifted from poverty. The ideals of liberty and selfdetermination, equality and the rule of law have haltingly advanced. We are the heirs of the fortitude and foresight of generations past, and it is a legacy for which my own country is rightfully proud.

And yet, a decade into a new century, this old architecture is buckling under the weight of new threats. The world may no longer shudder at the prospect of war between two nuclear superpowers, but proliferation may increase the risk of catastrophe. Terrorism has long been a tactic, but modern technology allows a few small men with outsized rage to murder innocents on a horrific scale.

Moreover, wars between nations have increasingly given way to wars within nations. The resurgence of ethnic or sectarian conflicts; the growth of

secessionist movements, insurgencies, and failed states -- all these things have increasingly trapped civilians in unending chaos. In today’s wars, many more civilians are killed than soldiers; the seeds of future conflict are sown, economies are wrecked, civil societies torn asunder, refugees amassed, children scarred.

I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war.

What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require the same vision, hard work, and persistence of those men and women who acted so boldly decades ago. And it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace.

We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth: We will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations -acting individually or in concert -- will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.

I make this statement mindful of what Martin Luther King Jr. said in this same ceremony years ago: “Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones.” As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King’s life work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence. I know there’s nothing weak -- nothing passive -- nothing naïve -- in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King.

But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hit-

ler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism -- it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.

I raise this point, I begin with this point because in many countries there is a deep ambivalence about military action today, no matter what the cause.

And at times, this is joined by a reflexive suspicion of America, the world’s

sole military superpower.

But the world must remember that it was not simply international institutions -- not just treaties and declarations -that brought stability to a post-World War II world. Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: The United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms.

The service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform has promoted peace and prosperity from Germany to Korea, and enabled democracy to take hold in places like the Balkans. We have borne this burden not because we seek to impose our will. We have done so out of enlightened self-interest

18 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

see Peace Prize on page 21

Breakthrough in Copenhagen United Nations Climate Change Conference talks successful Remarks by President Barack Obama during press availability in Copenhagen.

L

et me start with a statement and then I’ll take a couple of questions.

Today we’ve made meaningful and unprecedented -- made a meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough here in Copenhagen. For the first time in history all major economies have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to confront the threat of climate change.

Let me first recount what our approach was throughout the year and coming into this conference. To begin with, we’ve reaffirmed America’s commitment to transform our energy economy at home. We’ve made historic investments in renewable energy that have already put people back to work.

We’ve raised our fuel efficiency standards. And we have renewed American leadership in international climate negotiations.

Most importantly, we remain committed to comprehensive legislation that will create millions of new American jobs, power new industry, and enhance our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

That effort at home serves as a foundation for our leadership around the world. Because of the actions we’re taking we came here to Copenhagen with an ambitious target to reduce our emissions. We agreed to join an international effort to provide financing to help developing countries, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, adapt to climate change. And we reaffirmed the necessity of listing our national actions and commitments in a transparent way.

These three components -- transparency, mitigation and finance -- form the basis of the common approach that the United States and our partners embraced here in Copenhagen. Through-

out the day we worked with many countries to establish a new consensus around these three points, a consensus that will serve as a foundation for global action to confront the threat of climate change for years to come.

This success would have not been possible without the hard work of many countries and many leaders -- and I

Earlier this evening I had a meeting with the last four leaders I mentioned -from China, India, Brazil, and South Africa. And that’s where we agreed to list our national actions and commitments, to provide information on the implementation of these actions through national communications, with international consultations and analysis under clearly defined guidelines. We agreed to set a mitigation target to limit warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, and importantly, to take action to meet this objective consistent with science.

Taken together these actions will help

President Barack Obama briefs European leaders, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Union Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, and Danish Prime Minister Lars L. Rasmussen, following a multilateral meeting at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) have to add that because of weather constraints in Washington I am leaving before the final vote, but we feel confident that we are moving in the direction of a significant accord.

In addition to our close allies who did so much to advance this effort, I worked throughout the day with Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, who was representing Africa, as well as Premier Wen of China, Prime Minister Singh of India, President Lula of Brazil, and President Zuma of South Africa, to achieve what I believe will be an important milestone.

us begin to meet our responsibilities to leave our children and our grandchildren a cleaner and safer planet.

Now, this progress did not come easily, and we know that this progress alone is not enough. Going forward, we’re going to have to build on the momentum that we’ve established here in Copenhagen to ensure that international action to significantly reduce emissions is sustained and sufficient over time. We’ve come a long way, but we have much further to go.

19 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

see Climate Change on page 40

Office Renovation

able to Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, one of paramount importance in the minds of his Second District constituents is his creation of the pathway for re-opening of the Martin Luther King Hospital. Mark was singularly instrumental in negotiating the partnership with the University of California Board of Regents for the planned hospital reopening and new state-of-the-art Medical Center Campus. The project will revitalize the site of the existing hospital and bring sorely needed medical services to South Los Angeles and the healthcare system of all Los Angeles County.

Also on his 2009 list of laudable works, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas successfully championed the $1.7 billion, 8.5 square-mile Crenshaw to LAX Transit Corridor Light Rail System, unanimously adopted by the MTA Board.

The light rail will generate an estimated 7,800 jobs. This particular project had

from page 8

Supervisor’s authority to undertake.

Before his election to public office, Ridley-Thomas’ political career actually began as a grassroots community organizer - similar to that of President Barack Obama. Mark Ridley-Thomas served as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, following a successful five-year stint as a high school teacher. It would be difficult to imagine two less glamorous, more austere environments to work in, with meager resources and modest accommodations. However, because Mark was focused and serious about the work he had been charged to do, the trappings then as now were not all that important.

Among recent achievements attribut-

Economic Recovery & Health Care Reform Websites

T

he websites shown here provide information on the American Economic Recovery Process and on the national Health Care Reform Process.

Monitor the nation’s recovery and reform life cycle for yourself. Remember - to take an active part in your government; Let your representatives and government agency leaders know what you expect, what you thing, and how you will vote.

been placed on the drawing board and debated for more than a quarter of a century before Mark Ridley-Thomas even took office, all the way back to the early days of Tom Bradley’s mayoral administration. Through Mark’s skilled efforts and leadership, the rapid bus-light rail system project will finally become a reality at a time when mass transit options have become more important than ever.

Supervisor Ridley-Thomas’ other note-worthy accomplishments include implementation of substantive measures to help homeowners struggling with sub-prime loans, economic development legislation, transportation congestion relief, access to health care and consumer protection.

In summation, so that he doesn’t have to toot his own horn or brag about how diligently he is known to work, as Mark Ridley-Thomas embarks upon his second year in an elected office that is part of the largest and most complex county government in the entire United States, we applaud him for all that he has managed to do, while acknowledging that much work still lies ahead. And, not to be pushed aside, one key task on that list is the renovation of his office. &

The President of the United States • www.whitehouse.gov National Economic Recovery • www.recovery.gov Track Health Reform • www.healthreform.gov Middle Class Task Force • www.AStrongMiddleClass.gov Council of Economic Advisors • www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea U.S. Department of Education • www.ed.gov/index.jhtml U.S. Department of Energy • www.energy.gov U.S. Department of Commerce • www.commerce.gov U.S. Treasury • www.ustreas.gov Federal Communications Communications/ARRA • www.fcc.gov Grants.gov • www.grants.gov California’s Economic Recovery • www.recovery.ca.gov Caltrans • www.dot.ca.gov/Recovery

&

ww.bbala.org

•Contracting Information •Employment Opportunities •Links to Sponsor Websites •Event Announcements •Resources:

• President’s Message • Financial Management • Meeting Management • International News • BBA Publications • Other Information

20 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Peace Prize from page 18

-- because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if others’ children and grandchildren can live in freedom and prosperity.

So yes, the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace. And yet this truth must coexist with another -- that no matter how justified, war promises human tragedy.

The soldier’s courage and sacrifice

sary, and war at some level is an expression of human folly. Concretely, we must direct our effort to the task that President Kennedy called for long ago. “Let us focus,” he said, “on a more practical, more attainable peace, based not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions.” A gradual evolution of human institutions.

What might this evolution look like?

What might these practical steps be?

To begin with, I believe that all nations -- strong and weak alike -- must

and weakens those who don’t.

The world rallied around America after the 9/11 attacks, and continues to support our efforts in Afghanistan, because of the horror of those senseless attacks and the recognized principle of self-defense. Likewise, the world recognized the need to confront Saddam Hussein when he invaded Kuwait -- a consensus that sent a clear message to all about the cost of aggression.

Furthermore, America -- in fact, no nation -- can insist that others follow the rules of the road if we refuse to

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with 2009 Kennedy Center Honorees in the Blue Room of the White House.

From left; First Lady Michelle Obama, Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Robert DeNiro, Bruce Springsteen, and President Barack Obama. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) is full of glory, expressing devotion to country, to cause, to comrades in arms.

But war itself is never glorious, and we must never trumpet it as such.

So part of our challenge is reconciling these two seemingly inreconcilable truths -- that war is sometimes neces-

adhere to standards that govern the use of force. I -- like any head of state -- reserve the right to act unilaterally if necessary to defend my nation. Nevertheless, I am convinced that adhering to standards, international standards, strengthens those who do, and isolates

follow them ourselves. For when we don’t, our actions appear arbitrary and undercut the legitimacy of future interventions, no matter how justified.

And this becomes particularly important when the purpose of military

21 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

see Peace Prize on page 25

Procurement Trade Mission to Washington, D.C.

Black Business Association 6 National Black Business Council California Black Chamber of Commerce 6 National Black Business Association

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CBC Takes Firm Stand on Black Press, Jobs, Small Business

spending federal advertising dollars with Black newspapers.

“Like other businesses, access to capital has been a challenge for this industry as well. With declining ad revenues, newspapers everywhere are

by Hazel Trice Edney, Chicago Defender The 10 Black members of the powerful House Finance Committee are still being applauded this week by the Black Press and Black leaders nationally for boldly boycotting a committee meeting in order to force a $4 billion allocation to benefit the Black community.

They have told the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service that they plan to escalate protests if lawmakers continue to ignore the suffering of their constituents, including advertising discrimination against Black newspapers.

“We’re out of the box, we’re full speed ahead and we are not going to sit back and watch our communities suffer in silence,” says U. S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the ranking Congressional Black Caucus Member on the Committee, who led the Dec. 2 boycott.

“The 10 African American members of the Financial Services Committee have cooperated with the leadership, we have cooperated with the administration, we have supported the bail out and now we’re saying, what do we get for all of this cooperation? What are we delivering to our communities? And the answer is little or nothing,” Waters questioned.

Describing horrid conditions in their districts that clearly illustrate disparate suffering in the African American communities, members - in separate interviews -described what their constituents are dealing with and told why they must continue to act.

“Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are being bombarded with requests for assistance by minority businesses that have no capital,” Waters continued . “The banks won’t lend them any money. They’re either closing down or threatening to be closed down.

The joblessness is off the scale.”

Joblessness, frustration, hopelessness - the sentiments are synonymous

from state to state.

“They’re going through a tremendous, tremendous desperation effort,” said U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Ga.. “Even if you look at all of your own newspapers, advertising dollars are not there. We sit here as congresspeople with tremendous leverage and power. It was so important for us to use that leverage.”

U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., CBC chair, is supportive of the Financial Services Committee’s stance and said in a statement following remarks

by President Barack Obama on job creation and economic growth that, “President Obama’s speech was another sober reminder of the important work we must do to grow our economy and create jobs. While we agree with the president that support for small businesses, infrastructure investment and green jobs is essential, we also believe that much more needs to be done, particularly for those Americans who are hurting most.”

What the 10 Black members did was boycott the committee’s final vote on a broadsweeping financial overhaul bill.

Instead, they were over at the White House trying to obtain greater funding for economic advances in the Black community.

The vote passed narrowly, but the CBC’s action effectively forced $4 billion to the table to go directly toward helping people keep their homes after they’ve lost their jobs.

In addition to the needs of Black businesses, homeowners and the jobless, a news release describing the boycott specifically cited the importance of

struggling to survive,” the statement said.

Danny Bakewell, chairman of the 200- member NNPA, was credited by several members for helping to spark the protest by his firebrand lobbying around Capitol Hill.

Bakewell said he is delighted at the stance taken by the CBC, but much more must be done to recognize the power of the Black Press to the nation.

“We have been the backbone and the foundation on which America was built.

And in this case, what we are realizing is that we continue to be the foundation on which many of these corporations make their profits and develop their brands throughout the country and we’re not going to continue to sit idly by and let them do that while the very fabric of our community is crumbling from within. We’re serving notice on General Motors, Ford, Toyota, and other automotive companies and the automotive industry that there will be no more business as usual.”

Bakewell and NNPA Foundation Chair Dorothy R. Leavell, as well as Mollie Belt, 2nd vice chair of NNPA and Michael House, NNPA marketing chairperson, have begun a series of meetings with corporations and have already made inroads.

“We’ve met with AT&T. They have been very receptive. They represent what we believe at this point we can say

23 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

see CBC Firm Stand on page 51

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24 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Peace Prize from page 21

action extends beyond self-defense or the defense of one nation against an aggressor. More and more, we all confront difficult questions about how to prevent the slaughter of civilians by their own government, or to stop a civil war whose violence and suffering can engulf an entire region.

I believe that force can be justified on humanitarian grounds, as it was in the Balkans, or in other places that have been scarred by war. Inaction tears at our conscience and can lead to more costly intervention later. That’s why all responsible nations must embrace the role that militaries with a clear mandate can play to keep the peace.

America’s commitment to global security will never waver. But in a world in which threats are more diffuse, and missions more complex, America cannot act alone. America alone cannot secure the peace. This is true in Afghanistan. This is true in failed states like Somalia, where terrorism and piracy is joined by famine and human suffering. And sadly, it will continue to be true in unstable regions for years to come.

The leaders and soldiers of NATO countries, and other friends and allies, demonstrate this truth through the capacity and courage they’ve shown in Afghanistan. But in many countries, there is a disconnect between the efforts of those who serve and the ambivalence of the broader public. I understand why war is not popular, but I also know this: The belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it.

Peace requires responsibility. Peace entails sacrifice. That’s why NATO continues to be indispensable. That’s why we must strengthen U.N. and regional peacekeeping, and not leave the task to a few countries. That’s why we honor those who return home from peacekeeping and training abroad to Oslo and Rome; to Ottawa and Sydney; to Dhaka and Kigali -- we honor them not as makers of war, but of wagers -- but as wagers of peace.

Let me make one final point about the

use of force. Even as we make difficult decisions about going to war, we must also think clearly about how we fight it.

The Nobel Committee recognized this truth in awarding its first prize for peace to Henry Dunant -- the founder of the Red Cross, and a driving force behind the Geneva Conventions.

Where force is necessary, we have a moral and strategic interest in binding ourselves to certain rules of conduct.

And even as we confront a vicious adversary that abides by no rules, I believe the United States of America must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war. That is what makes us different from those whom we fight.

That is a source of our strength. That is why I prohibited torture. That is why I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed. And that is why I have reaffirmed America’s commitment to abide by the Geneva Conventions. We lose ourselves when we compromise the very ideals that we fight to defend.

(Applause.) And we honor -- we honor those ideals by upholding them not when it’s easy, but when it is hard.

I have spoken at some length to the question that must weigh on our minds and our hearts as we choose to wage war. But let me now turn to our effort to see Peace Prize on page 29

Caltrans Construction

Money for You Can

MEAN

El Camino College offers the training and advising you need to enhance your ability to bid for and WIN state highway construction contracts.

Now is the time to get bid ready with assistance in the areas of procurement, personnel, cash flow, marketing and more!

Appointments with a business advisor are available at the SBDC at no charge to you. For more information, call the SBDC at 310.973.3177.

Be sure to attend the free Economic Stimulus event on Thursday, November 19, 2009, in the City of Compton to learn more about stimulus opportunities available from Caltrans and other state and federal agencies. Visit californiasbdc.org for details.

Small Business Development Center Hosted by El Camino College 13430 Hawthorne Blvd.

Hawthorne, CA 90250 310.973.3177 southbaysbdc.org

25 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

End Of Year Tax Relief: Charitable Giving Time

A

reminder: It’s that time of year again.

Yes, It’s to give, it’s time to help.

What you say. The economy is down. I don’t have any spare change.

That may seem true today but when it’s time to pay taxes in April you will remember that you passed up the opportunity to reduce that tax bill even a little bit.

Over the past few years the Black Busness News has included references to non-profit organizations in both the monthly and the international editions. This article recaps some of those entries to give you a head start on your giving. In addition, we remind you that you may support the work of the Black Business Association by sending in a donation or by becoming a member.

Visit our website at www.bbala.org to donate and/or join. You may also use the membership form near the back of this publication to join the BBA. Mail your membership (or donation) to P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA.

Education Africa Visit the Education Africa website to review the wide range of education projects conducted throughout South Africa including the Walter Sisulu Scholarship Fund. There is also information on donating to Education Africa - www.educationafrica.com.

The Greening Soweto Legacy Project Johannesburg City Parks is seeking donors to enable the City of Johannesburg (South Africa) to achieve its target of planting 100,000 street trees by 2010 as part of making a New Soweto.

Donations should be sent to: Johannesburg City Parks, c/o Greening

Soweto 2010, P.O. Box 2824, Johannesburg 2000 South Africa - www.jhbcityparks.com.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Monument The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. has officially received the building permit and can begin con-

struction of the King Memorial on the Mall (see page 13). Your contributions will make this dream a reality. Visit the memorial website to take the virtual tour of the national monument and contribute as a Founding Sponsor online www.mlkmemorial.org.

Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention Lott Carey provides HIV/AIDS prevention education, care and support under their HIV/AIDS Initiative. Rev. Lott Carey rose from enslavement in Virginia to the leadership of a pioneering missionary team to Liberia in 1821. Learn about and then support the missions by visiting the website - www.lottcarey. org.

Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, Inc. The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation is dedicated to improving the health, education and quality of life for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The DMF foundation has established The Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center

in Dikembe’s hometown of Kinshasa to provide special care to the nation’s

poorest residents and train its health professionals with the latest innovations in health care. Learn about the work of the foundation and make a contribution at the website - www.dmf.org.

Save Africa’s Children Save Africa’s Children (SAC) is an African-American organization founded in 2001 by Bishop Charles E. Blake (CGIC), to provide direct support to children affected by HIV/AIDS, poverty and war throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. SAC has assisted over 400 orphan care programs in 21 African nations, reaching over 200,000 AIDS-affected children. Help them continue their good works - www.saveafricaschildren. org.

The Gondobay Manga Foundation The Gondobay Manga Foundation‘s “Reach One Million” campaign is committed to providing access to food, education, chemically-treated bed nets to fight against malaria, and clean drinking water to one million children in Sierra Leone, where 70 percent of the population lives in extreme poverty.

The foundation has completed the Chief Foday Golia Memorial School near the village of Njala Kendema in the Bagbwe Chiefdom the school services 300 children. Donate to this program through their websites www.reachonemillion.org and www. gondobaymanga.org.

Africare Africare helps Africa. A leader among private, charitable U.S. organizations assisting Africa, Africare is also the oldest and largest African-American led

27 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

see Charitable Giving on page 43

Peace Prize from page 25

avoid such tragic choices, and speak of three ways that we can build a just and lasting peace.

First, in dealing with those nations that break rules and laws, I believe that we must develop alternatives to violence that are tough enough to actually change behavior -- for if we want a lasting peace, then the words of the international community must mean something. Those regimes that break the rules must be held accountable.

Sanctions must exact a real price. In-

transigence must be met with increased pressure -- and such pressure exists only when the world stands together as one.

One urgent example is the effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, and to seek a world without them.

In the middle of the last century, nations agreed to be bound by a treaty whose bargain is clear: All will have access to peaceful nuclear power; those without nuclear weapons will forsake them; and those with nuclear weapons will work towards disarmament. I am committed to upholding this treaty. It is a centerpiece of my foreign policy. And

I’m working with President Medvedev to reduce America and Russia’s nuclear stockpiles.

But it is also incumbent upon all of us to insist that nations like Iran and North Korea do not game the system. Those who claim to respect international law cannot avert their eyes when those laws are flouted. Those who care for their own security cannot ignore the danger of an arms race in the Middle East or East Asia. Those who seek peace cannot stand idly by as nations arm themselves for nuclear war.

The same principle applies to those who violate international laws by brutalizing their own people. When there is genocide in Darfur, systematic rape in Congo, repression in Burma -- there must be consequences.

Yes, there will be engagement; yes, there will be diplomacy -- but there must be consequences when those things fail. And the closer we stand together, the less likely we will be faced with the choice between armed intervention and complicity in oppression.

This brings me to a second point -- the nature of the peace that we seek. For peace is not merely the absence of visible conflict. Only a just peace based on the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can truly be lasting.

It was this insight that drove drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after the Second World War. In the wake of devastation, they recognized that if human rights are not protected, peace is a hollow promise.

And yet too often, these words are ignored. For some countries, the failure to uphold human rights is excused by the false suggestion that these are somehow Western principles, foreign to local cultures or stages of a nation’s development. And within America, there has long been a tension between see Peace Prize on page 32

Technology:

Take a Look!

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

http://voicethread.com VoiceThread is an interesting and powerful new way to talk about and share images, documents, and videos. Groups may capture and hold group discussions while interacting during the discussions. Sessions may be saved and shared for replay and review. Useful for business, education, or family fun.

www.wbresearch.com/ecomxpo eComXpo is the leading virtual show for e-commerce and affiliate market-

ers that addresses the latest trends and issues in marketing for retailers, affiliates and networks. Benefit from expert insights on latest affiliate & eCommerce marketing tactics shared at the eComXpo Show happening on the Internet July 7-8, 2010.

www.blackatlas.com BlackAtlas.com is an American Airlines project featuring Nelson George, Travel Expert-at-Large. Nelson offers the inside scoop on travel from an African American perspective with reviews, videos and more. www.blackweb20.com Black Web 2.0’s mission is to bring to the forefront the wealth of exceptional innovation, talent, and ambition of Blacks in the technology and new media industries in an opinionated and authentic voice. Stay tuned in by checking it out. & Submitted by LaSandra Stratton BBA member, Chair of the BBA International Trade Committee.

29 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

welcome to

youbanking

SM

You

deserve every opportunity to succeed.

You are proud. You are committed. You are a leader. You are an ethnically diverse business owner, and you deserve a bank that can help you fulfill your dreams. Union Bank of California’s Business Diversity Lending program recognizes this and offers a variety of smart financing options and flexible, less restrictive lending requirements.Whether you need short-term financing to help run your day-to-day operations, or long-term financing for new equipment or building improvements, your dream of running a successful business is well within your reach.

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To see if you qualify, stop by your local branch, call 1-888-818-6060, or visit unionbank.com/diversebizloans Crenshaw Branch: Karen Smith, Branch Manager, 3501 W. Jefferson Boulevard, (323) 737-3483 Ladera Heights Branch: Renee Givhan, Branch Manager, 6719 La Tijera Boulevard, (310) 342-1779 This is not a commitment to lend. Financing subject to credit and any applicable collateral approval. Other restrictions may apply. Eligible borrowers must meet all criteria for the Business Diversity Lending program. Financing available to businesses located in California, Oregon or Washington.Terms and conditions subject to change. ©2008 Union Bank of California, N.A. Member FDIC

How to Save Taxes Before Year-End

by Bruce A. Willey, J.D., C.P.A, www.willeylaw.com

S

o you are reviewing your yearto-date profit and loss statement and realize your business has had a better year than you thought.

Suddenly your surprise turns to anguish when you realize the tax bill you may be facing. Where do you get the cash to pay the bill?

End of the year cash flow surprises related to taxes can be problematic, but there are things you can do this year to help reduce the amount of tax owed as a result of your business success.

By proactively managing your tax situation, an expense item that can easily exceed 35% of your net income, you can eliminate surprises and preserve cash.

Here are six things you can do now to reduce your tax bill and improve your business cash flow: 1. Section 179 Expensing For 2009, a business can write off up to $250,000 of the cost of business equipment purchases. You should evaluate what equipment needs your business has, acquire the needed equipment and place it into service before year end to qualify. Even used equipment obtained by the business is eligible for this deduction. Before maximizing this expense, you should evaluate your income projections for coming years to see if you may actually get a bigger overall tax reduction by foregoing the Section 179 deduction and using other forms of depreciation deductions available.

2. Bonus Depreciation Rather than expensing under Section 179, a business owner can simply take a larger depreciation deduction for new equipment placed in service in 2009.

This allows a 50 % larger deduction in 2009 than under normal depreciation methods, but also preserves more of the asset cost to deduct in later years.

3. Reduce Estimated Tax Payments The stimulus bill passed earlier this year allows a business which had income of $500,000 or less in 2008 to reduce the amount of their estimated tax payments in 2009 without incurring penalty. Typically you must have paid in 100% or 110% of your 2008 tax in order to avoid penalties in 2009. Qualifying businesses may now only pay in 90% of the tax to avoid the penalties. By reducing the amount of estimated taxes paid in you may improve cash flow in the short term. Remember however, that you still have to pay the taxes that are owed on your income.

4. Carryback Net Operating Losses If your qualifying business produces a net loss in 2009, you can elect to carry that loss back over a five year period instead of the normal two year period. By carrying back the loss, you are able to get a refund of taxes paid in prior years. This technique can improve cash flow significantly. For instance, if you lose $100,000 in 2009, but reported taxable income in prior years, that $100,000 is carried back to reduce the amount of income reported in that prior year, also reducing the tax related to that prior year. A refund is generated for the difference. Any losses not fully used are carried forward to reduce next year’s income.

5. Energy Related Credits If your business place generates energy from renewable resources, purchased fuel cells, solar or wind energy devices or was built using energy efficient construction techniques and parts, it may be eligible for tax credits. Tax credits have the advantage of reducing your tax bill dollar for dollar.

Be sure to tell your tax preparer about any energy technologies you employed during the year to capture the full credit for which you may be eligible.

6. Prepay Certain Expenses A cash-based business can prepay up to eleven months of bills such as rent, equipment leasing, consulting expense or other recurring known expenses and deduct them in the current year.

Taking advantage of these strategies can improve your cash flow and reduce your tax burden. To maximize your ability to reduce your overall tax burden you should manage the tax process like you do the other expenses of your business. Be Proactive. & Source: www.startupnation.com

Black Business News International Edition To be added to the International Edition mailing list or advertise in the publication send an e-mail request to:

mail@bbala.org View the International Edition at www.bbala.org and www.yudu.com/

31 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Peace Prize from page 29

those who describe themselves as realists or idealists -- a tension that suggests a stark choice between the narrow pursuit of interests or an endless campaign to impose our values around the world.

I reject these choices. I believe that peace is unstable where citizens are denied the right to speak freely or worship as they please; choose their own leaders or assemble without fear. Pent-up grievances fester, and the suppression of tribal and religious identity can lead to violence. We also know that the opposite is true. Only when Europe became free did it finally find peace. America has never fought a war against a democracy, and our closest friends are governments that protect the rights of their citizens. No matter how callously defined, neither America’s interests -- nor the world’s -- are served by the denial of human aspirations.

So even as we respect the unique culture and traditions of different countries, America will always be a voice for those aspirations that are universal.

We will bear witness to the quiet dignity of reformers like Aung Sang Suu Kyi; to the bravery of Zimbabweans who cast their ballots in the face of beatings; to the hundreds of thousands who have marched silently through the streets of Iran. It is telling that the leaders of these governments fear the aspirations of their own people more than the power of any other nation. And it is the responsibility of all free people and free

nations to make clear that these movements -- these movements of hope and history -- they have us on their side.

Let me also say this: The promotion of human rights cannot be about exhortation alone. At times, it must be coupled with painstaking diplomacy. I know that engagement with repressive regimes lacks the satisfying purity of indignation. But I also know that sanctions without outreach -- condemnation without discussion -- can carry forward only a crippling status quo. No repressive regime can move down a new path unless it has the choice of an open door.

In light of the Cultural Revolution’s horrors, Nixon’s meeting with Mao appeared inexcusable -- and yet it surely helped set China on a path where millions of its citizens have been lifted from poverty and connected to open societies. Pope John Paul’s engagement with Poland created space not just for the Catholic Church, but for labor leaders like Lech Walesa. Ronald Reagan’s efforts on arms control and embrace of perestroika not only improved relations with the Soviet Union, but empowered dissidents throughout Eastern Europe.

There’s no simple formula here. But we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement, pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time.

Third, a just peace includes not only civil and political rights -- it must encompass economic security and opportunity. For true peace is not just freedom from fear, but freedom from want.

It is undoubtedly true that development rarely takes root without security; it is also true that security does not ex-

ist where human beings do not have access to enough food, or clean water, or the medicine and shelter they need to survive. It does not exist where children can’t aspire to a decent education or a job that supports a family. The absence of hope can rot a society from within.

And that’s why helping farmers feed their own people -- or nations educate their children and care for the sick -is not mere charity. It’s also why the world must come together to confront climate change. There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, more famine, more mass displacement -- all of which will fuel more conflict for decades. For this reason, it is not merely scientists and environmental activists who call for swift and forceful action -- it’s military leaders in my own country and others who understand our common security hangs in the balance.

Agreements among nations. Strong institutions. Support for human rights.

Investments in development. All these are vital ingredients in bringing about the evolution that President Kennedy spoke about. And yet, I do not believe that we will have the will, the determination, the staying power, to complete this work without something more -and that’s the continued expansion of our moral imagination; an insistence that there’s something irreducible that we all share.

As the world grows smaller, you might think it would be easier for human beings to recognize how similar we are; to understand that we’re all basically seeking the same things; that

32 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

see Peace Prize on page 35

President’s Message from page 3

signs of life for our local economy. For its part, last April the BBA was invited to contribute our insights on the situation, when we traveled to Washington, DC to meet with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. It’s not surprising to me that Bernanke was selected as TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2009. During the meeting, Bernanke openly and thoughtfully received our input, engaged us in meaningful discussion, and gave feedback he was reminded how the economy needs to better develop strategies to include and involve small business concerns.

On a side note, I could not help but observe the calculated professionalism with which Bernanke performs, by not appearing to wield outward power yet creatively managing strategies that will strengthen the dollar and expand the job market over the long term. The country is indeed fortunate to have Ben Bernanke occupying his key position within the Obama Administration Another taste of promise this year has been the rising access to bid opportunities offered by prime contractors. The BBA office continuously receives quality bid invitations for African American owned companies to subcontract or joint bid on public construction and/ or service projects. The technology to upload these opportunities onto our website (www.bbala.org) has been improved to become a sweet delivery system of contracting opportunities.

In 2010 the BBA’s best practices for fostering economic growth will include activities that promote incorporating education and professional development, technology, labor management and green commerce for emerging enterprises. Workshops and conferences will maintain a common thread to introduce and fuse large and small businesses in tailoring their operations so that the reality of inclusion will come to pass over the next twelve months.

Be sure to join us for a prosperous new decade. &

Percy Sutton, Rights Trailblazer and Businessman, Dies at 89 Civil rights attorney Percy Sutton, who represented Malcolm X and became an influential New York politician and broadcaster, has died at age 89.

As a businessman, Sutton was credited with leading the revitalization of Harlem, including the restoration of the famous Apollo Theater. In a statement issued after Sutton’s death Saturday night, New York Gov. David Paterson called the former Manhattan borough president “a friend and mentor. Percy was fiercely loyal, compassionate and a truly kind soul,” Paterson said. “He will be missed, but his legacy lives on through the next generations of African-Americans he inspired to pursue and fulfill their own dreams and ambitions.”

And in a statement issued by the White House, President Obama called Sutton a “true hero to African-Americans in New York City and around the country. His life-long dedication to the fight for civil rights and his career as an entrepreneur and public servant made the rise of countless young African-Americans possible,” Obama said.

A native of Texas, Sutton served as an intelligence officer for the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II before becoming an attorney. He represented Malcolm X until the onetime Nation of Islam leader’s 1965 assassination, and continued to represent his widow, Betty Shabazz, until her death in a 1997 fire.

In the 1970s, Sutton was a member of the Harlem circle dubbed the “Gang of Four,” which included U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel; Paterson’s father Basil, who became New York’s Secretary of State; and future New York Mayor David Dinkins.

He served as Manhattan borough president from 1966 to 1977.

“It’s hard to capture in just a few words how important Percy’s contributions were -- and just how unique an individual he was. He helped move African-Americans and all of New York forward,” New York Mayor Bloomberg said.

After public office, Sutton became an African-American broadcasting pioneer by purchasing radio stations WLIB and WBLS, launching the first radio chain aimed at black listeners, civil rights leader Al Sharpton said Sunday.

“He was at the forefront of everything you can think of in black America,” Sharpton told CNN. “He was the quintessential black American. He pioneered black business, black media and black politics. He opened those doors and he kept them open.”

Sutton also reopened the Apollo, the Harlem landmark credited with launching the careers of performers from Ella Fitzgerald to Michael Jackson, “when it was boarded up -- when the only ones here were the rats and the roaches,” Sharpton told reporters Sunday.

“He was suave and eloquent and debonair,” Sharpton said. “He had a coolness about him that I think that we will never see the likes of. There was a grace about Percy Sutton that was hard to describe.” And Rangel said Sutton “never stopped fighting for our rights and building community, especially in his beloved Harlem.”

“Percy Sutton wrote his own story, and in doing so, he leaves behind a remarkable legacy of achievement and social justice that will serve as an example and inspiration for generations of leaders, now and forever,” the veteran congressman said in a written statement.

33 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Rainbow PUSH LA Trade Bureau

We are excited to inform you about the reestablishment of the Rainbow PUSH LA Trade Bureau with Mr. Mishael Israel as Executive Director of Rainbow Push/Citizenship Education Fund Los Angeles.

Mr. Israel’s responsibilities at Rainbow Push LA relate directly to the implementation of economic, social, and education initiatives, as well as growing the office to become a strong voice for our constituents and Trade Bureau Members. As an entrepreneur, Mr. Israel remains steadfast in spearheading supplier diversity, business education, and building solid relationships with trading partners.

Rainbow Push LA is implementing two important projects for our Trade Bureau Members and we need your updated contact information.

•An inaugural Trade Bureau meeting in mid-September •Connecting our Trade Bureau members with our Trading Partners for the purpose of doing business Rainbow Push LA is committed to connecting our members to new opportunities that will not only bring us through the recession, but beyond it. Our innovative ideas are expressed through powerful programmatic pieces that are designed with everyone in mind.

Please use the information below to contact the Los Angeles office to request a contact information form that may be completed then faxed or e-mailed to us. The information will reconnect us with you and will aid Mr. Israel in his upcoming meetings with corporate trading partners.

Regina Black, Office Manager Rainbow PUSH/CEF Los Angeles New Address: 1313 W. 8th Street, Suite 232 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Office Number: 213.483.3500 Fax Number: 213.483.3577 Email: rblack@rainbowpush.org Website: www.rainbowpushla.org

OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN OERP

Do Business with BBA Member Businesses & Advertisers 34 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Peace Prize from page 32

we all hope for the chance to live out our lives with some measure of happiness and fulfillment for ourselves and our families.

And yet somehow, given the dizzying pace of globalization, the cultural leveling of modernity, it perhaps comes as no surprise that people fear the loss of what they cherish in their particular identities -- their race, their tribe, and perhaps most powerfully their religion.

In some places, this fear has led to conflict. At times, it even feels like we’re moving backwards. We see it in the Middle East, as the conflict between Arabs and Jews seems to harden. We see it in nations that are torn asunder by tribal lines.

And most dangerously, we see it in the way that religion is used to justify the murder of innocents by those who have distorted and defiled the great religion of Islam, and who attacked my country from Afghanistan. These extremists are not the first to kill in the name of God; the cruelties of the Crusades are amply recorded. But they remind us that no Holy War can ever be a just war. For if you truly believe that you are carrying out divine will, then there is no need for restraint -- no need to spare the pregnant mother, or the medic, or the Red Cross worker, or even a person of one’s own faith. Such a warped view of religion is not just incompatible with the concept of peace, but I believe it’s incompatible with the very purpose of faith -- for the one rule that lies at the heart of every major religion is that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Adhering to this law of love has always been the core struggle of human nature. For we are fallible. We make mistakes, and fall victim to the temptations of pride, and power, and sometimes evil. Even those of us with the best of intentions will at times fail to right the wrongs before us.

But we do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected. We do not have to live in an

idealized world to still reach for those ideals that will make it a better place.

The non-violence practiced by men like Gandhi and King may not have been practical or possible in every circumstance, but the love that they preached -- their fundamental faith in human progress -- that must always be the North Star that guides us on our journey.

For if we lose that faith -- if we dismiss it as silly or naïve; if we divorce it from the decisions that we make on issues of war and peace -- then we lose what’s best about humanity. We lose our sense of possibility. We lose our moral compass.

Like generations have before us, we must reject that future. As Dr. King said at this occasion so many years ago, “I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘isness’ of man’s present condition makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘oughtness’ that forever confronts him.”

Let us reach for the world that ought to be -- that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls. (Applause.)

Somewhere today, in the here and now, in the world as it is, a soldier sees see Peace Prize on page 40

and

Comedy Night Join the Fun! Share the Laughs!

35 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

International:

H.E. Thabo Mbeki Reports to Security Council on Darfur Remarks of the Chairperson of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel for Sudan (AUHIP): United Nations Security Council, New York Mr President: Drawing on its collective experience, the AUPD understood that a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Darfur could only be achieved through a negotiated agreem e n t amongst the Sudanese t h e m selves.

In other words, we proceeded from the position H.E. Mr. Thabo Mbeki that it was neither possible nor desirable to impose a Darfur solution on the Sudanese people.

We mention this important point at this stage because it helped to inform both the modus operandi of the AUPD and the Report it ultimately submitted to the AU Peace and Security Council, the PSC. With regard to that modus operandi, the AUPD decided to engage the Sudanese stakeholders and especially the Darfurians, in an extensive process of consultations, essentially to understand what they themselves thought might be done to accelerate the process to-

wards peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur.

Further, to conclude this process of consultations, we also presented our Draft Recommendations to the same Darfur and Sudan constituencies to solicit their opinions on the Recommendations.

Arising out of all this, we are happy to inform the Security Council that in our view, the AUPD Report and Recommendations broadly reflect the views of the major stakeholders in Sudan and Darfur about what needs to be done speedily to achieve the objectives of peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur.

We believe that this is of major practical importance because it underlines the objective reality that a broad consensus exists in Darfur and Sudan as a whole which should facilitate the critically important negotiations to end the conflict in Darfur.

Just over a week ago, we visited Sudan as the AU High Level Implement Panel for Sudan, the AUHIP, and had occasion to meet, among others, with a broad spectrum of the leadership of Darfur civil society. These leaders emphasised exactly this point that, to use their words, the situation in Darfur was ripe effectively to accelerate the peace process.

We must also mention the fact that after interactions with other Sudanese stakeholders since the AUPD Report was published and endorsed by the AU PSC, we can say firmly that the major Sudanese constituencies broadly support the Report and its Recommenda-

ETI Gets US$100 Million Equity Investment

I

FC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has invested US$100 million in equity in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), parent company of the Ecobank Group.

The investment makes IFC one of the leading shareholders in ETI. This investment is part of ETI’s ongoing capital raising, continued from 2008 when the company raised US$550 million in equity from an IPO, and US$150 million in long-term capital from a number of development finance institutions, including IFC and FMO, the Netherlands Development Finance Company. see Investment on page 51

tions.

The members of the Security Council will also be aware that in our Report we insisted on everything being done to enable the people of Darfur to participate in both the 2010 General Elections and any national dialogue that might take place around the critical issue of the 2011 South Sudan Referendum. For this reason, we thought it was important that the Darfur negotiations should be concluded before the impending General Elections.

We attached a great deal of importance to this because we were concerned that should the people of Darfur feel excluded in any way from both the Elections and consideration of matters relating to the Referendum, this would serve to underline their marginalisation and disempowerment, which were a central cause of the armed uprising which started in 2003.

36 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

see Darfur Report on page 53

Toward a New U.S.-African Partnership on Trade and Development

I

n his address to the Ghanaian Parliament, President Obama laid out his vision for a new U.S.-African partnership, one that includes “supporting development that provides opportunity for more people.”

year’s AGOA Forum is “Realizing the Full Potential of AGOA through Expansion of Trade and Investment.”

This is a difficult time for exporters around the world, and Africa is no exception. I am committed to finding new solutions to the challenges facing African exporters and new ways to realize the potential of AGOA. This is the first AGOA Forum of the Obama Administration, and it is an opportune time to discuss new strategies that can build on AGOA’s achievements and set a new path for U.S.-Africa trade and investment.

Here are some key considerations that I think should be taken into account as we move forward: We need to find new and more effective ways to promote African competi-

tiveness. The experience of developing countries in Asia suggests that African countries need to expand and diversify their trade in order to generate and sustain economic growth. Africans can become more competitive internationally by improving the business environment in their countries and nurturing entrepreneurial initiative, including through simplification and modernization of border procedures. An ambitious and balanced outcome of the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round negotiations could also help Africa to reap more benefits from the global trading system.

The challenge in improving AGOA is utilization. AGOA has helped to grow and diversify U.S.-African trade. Afrisee U.S.-Africa Partnership on page 39

Free Trip to Egypt for 1000 Students and 500 Adults

T I will attend the 8th African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Nairobi, as will Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, senior U.S. and African officials, and representatives of the private sector and civil society. At the Forum, we will discuss ways to advance the U.S.-Africa partnership on trade and development.

AGOA, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 2000, eliminates duties on almost everything eligible African countries export to the United States.

It also provides a framework for U.S.African cooperation on economic issues.

The theme of this

he d’Zert Club and The African Genesis Institute are sponsoring a free, all expense paid, trip to Egypt, North Africa for 1000 students nationwide between the ages of 7 and 14 and 500 adult group leaders. These travelers will participate in the Annual Teen Summit 1000.

The d’Zert Club is a Philadelphiabased, non-profit travel organization founded in 1997 by the husband and wife team of Ali and Helen Salahuddin.

It specializes in coordinating national and international educational field trips for African Americans.

The African Genesis Institute is a proactive, 3 semester, educational and cultural program for African American youth between the ages of 7 and 14 focused on developing an understand-

ing and awareness of the African experience in America. Over this 27-month period students are exposed to their rich and extraordinary ancient African history through bi-monthly classes, seminars and field trips. At the end of the program the students and group leaders sojourn to Egypt for the Teen Summit 1000 where they examine the land of their ancestors and share their culture and lifestyle with African youth.

The trip to Egypt is sponsored by the d’Zert Club and is absolutely free to the students and adults serving as the graduation reward for those who complete the program.

All those interested in earning this free trip to the Motherland should call 1-888-257-5991, e-mail dzertclub@aol. com or visit www.africangenesis.org. &

37 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

What is “Pass It On!� ???

I

n a few weeks Africare will launch an exciting new campaign to connect you to people overcoming major challenges impacting the African continent-- issues like unsafe drinking water, food insecurity, and the growing

number of children orphaned by AIDS. Our new “Pass It On!� campaign will carry these messages around the world through a series of powerful testimonies and unique stories told directly by the individuals who see, work with, or benefit from Africare’s assistance on the ground. The stories come from more than 20 African nations, covering a variety of key issues. They all carry positive messages of growth and empowerment on the African continent!

Beginning September 1st, Africare will introduce you to a new story— once

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a month for 16 months— from a child, grandmother or Africare staff member who will “have something to tell you� about the important work Africare is implementing on the ground. Each will be packaged in a format that is ready to “pass on� to a friend or someone you know through video, social network, and even your phone! And if you live in Washington, DC, you’ll see our stories on buses and in Metro stations across the city.

Sign-up to receive the messages and support the “Pass It On!� campaign using this special link - www.africare.org/ news/enews_signup.php.

Learn more about Africare’s current projects, long history and esteemed leaders at their website - www.africare. org. &

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U.S.-African Partnership from page 37

can exports to the United States now include apparel, footwear, processed food products, and other value-added products. Still, we know that more can be done to expand AGOA trade across more countries and more product sectors. The answer is not expanding the list of AGOA products - almost everything is already covered - but in increasing the utilization of AGOA. We will do our part by providing trade-related technical assistance. African governments and businesses can help to make the most of AGOA by developing joint export development strategies in specific product sectors.

A healthy, sustainable U.S.-Africa relationship must be built on expanded trade in both directions. Thanks to AGOA, the U.S. market - the largest single-country market for African goods - is more open to African products than ever before. Africans can help to put our long-term trade and investment relationship on a stronger footing by intensifying efforts to address trade barriers affecting U.S. exporters in their countries. We will need to work together to find ways to level the playing field for U.S. exporters and increase twoway trade.

Regional economic integration is critical to Africa’s future. Last October, the leaders of more than two dozen African countries committed to work toward a regional free trade area stretching from the Mediterranean to the Cape of Good Hope. These and other efforts toward regional integration hold the promise of boosting intra-regional trade and improving investment prospects in Africa, as well as African competitiveness. The United States will work with African regional organizations and their member countries to support these initiatives.

Aid for Trade must be a priority for both donors and beneficiary countries.

The Obama Administration is committed to supporting trade capacity building assistance, also known as “Aid for

Trade,” to help African countries make the most of global trade opportunities.

Last year, the United States provided over a billion dollars in trade capacity building assistance to sub-Saharan Africa. African countries must also do their part by making trade a priority in their development programs and ensuring that funds are wisely targeted.

As President Obama said in Ghana, what we are trying to achieve with our African partners is “more than growth numbers on a balance sheet.” We are working to create opportunities, new jobs, and brighter futures for Africans and Americans alike.

Trade can be a powerful tool for realizing Africa’s economic development priorities. The United States is committed to working with our African partners to ensure that trade and development work hand-in-hand. & www.ustr.gov An op-ed by Ambassador Ron Kirk that appeared in several Kenyan newspapers

//twitter.com/trade.gov

U.S.-Angola

T

he United States and Angola have signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) that will provide a forum to address trade issues and help enhance trade and investment relations between the two countries.

A United StatesAngolan Council on Trade and Investment will be formed under the TIFA to address a

wide range of trade and investment issues that include, but are not limited to, trade capacity building, intellectual property, labor, environmental issues,

Amb. Kirk and Angolan Foreign Minister Dos Anjos sign U.S.-Angola TIFA and enhancing the participation of small- and medium-sized enterprises in trade and investment.

The TIFA Council will establish an ongoing dialogue which will help increase commercial and investment opportunities by identifying and removing impediments to trade flows.

Ambassador Ronald Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative in South Africa While leading the U.S. delegation to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma, Ambassador Kirk spoke with Mashudu Masutha of CNBC Africa about trade relations with Africa, and how the current administration hopes to strengthen these relationships. Watch the full interview on YouTube.com www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh2StrbNXY. &

OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN OERP

Do Business with BBA Member Businesses & Advertisers

39 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Peace Prize from page 35

he’s outgunned, but stands firm to keep the peace. Somewhere today, in this world, a young protestor awaits the brutality of her government, but has the courage to march on. Somewhere today, a mother facing punishing poverty still takes the time to teach her child, scrapes together what few coins she has to send that child to school -- because she believes that a cruel world still has a place for that child’s dreams.

Let us live by their example. We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity. Clear-eyed, we can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that -- for that is the story of human progress; that’s the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.

Thank you very much. (Applause.) & www.whitehouse.gov

Climate Change from page 19

To continue moving forward we must draw on the effort that allowed us to succeed here today -- engagement among nations that represent a baseline of mutual interest and mutual respect. Climate change threatens us all; therefore, we must bridge old divides and build new partnerships to meet this great challenge of our time. That’s what we’ve begun to do here today.

For energy holds out not just the perils of a warming climate, but also the promise of a more peaceful and prosperous tomorrow. If America leads in developing clean energy, we will lead in growing our economy, in putting our people back to work, and in leaving a stronger and more secure country to our children.

And around the world, energy is an issue that demands our leadership.

The time has come for us to get off the sidelines and to shape the future

that we seek. That’s why I came to Copenhagen today, and that’s why I’m committed to working in common effort with countries from around the globe.

That’s also why I believe what we have

achieved in Copenhagen will not be the end but rather the beginning, the beginning of a new era of international action.

Thanks. &

40 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Entrepreneurship:

Google Ventures

Discovering and Growing Great Companies - www.google.com/ventures

G

oogle Ventures seeks to discover and grow great companies - we believe in the power of entrepreneurs to do amazing things.

We’re studying a broad range of industries, including consumer Internet, software, hardware, clean-tech, bio-tech and health care. We invest anywhere from seed to mezzanine stage and embrace the challenge of helping young companies grow from the garage to global relevance.

Our team includes entrepreneurs, investors and innovators, along with some 20,000+ exceptional Googlers whose breadth of knowledge, experience and creativity constitute perhaps our own most valuable resource. You don’t have to be a potential Google acquisition for us to want to work with you; we’re out to build great companies, period.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) What is the focus of the fund?

Google Ventures is broadly interested in startups in industries including consumer Internet, software, hardware, clean-tech, bio-tech, health care and others. First and foremost, we’re looking for entrepreneurs who are tackling problems in creative and innovative ways. As a venture fund, however, we’re also looking for investments with the potential for significant financial return.

How much capital does Google

Ventures invest?

We’re able to invest amounts ranging from seed funding to tens of millions of dollars, depending on the stage of the opportunity and the company’s need for capital.

Does Google Ventures co-invest with other venture firms?

Yes, we welcome the opportunity to coinvest along with outstanding venture or strategic partners.

How involved is Google Ventures with its portfolio companies?

We believe that our active involvement will help to create value, so we look to work with management teams to maximize the impact of our investment and their technology or innovation.

Does Google Ventures require a commercial arrangement with Google in order to make an investment?

Not at all. We make our investment decisions independent of a company’s relationship (or lack thereof) with Google.

We don’t require our portfolio companies to work with Google in any special way, although we certainly think there is a lot to be gained by doing so. Our goal is to invest in the most promising and interesting entrepreneurial opportunities, and to build great companies, period.

Will other groups within Google still be making their own investments?

Google Ventures is Google’s primary vehicle for venture-style investments.

Is Google Ventures simply a strategic vehicle to make future

acquisitions easier?

No, it isn’t. Acquisitions by Google of portfolio companies are possible, but this is not the goal or focus of our investment activities. Our focus is building great companies and generating long term financial return.

Will you require your portfolio companies to use Google products?

No. We will, of course, provide whatever support is necessary to help our portfolio companies grow, but this support won’t necessarily involve any strategic placement of Google products or parallel commercial agreements.

Does Google Ventures have a geographical focus?

Google Ventures is limiting its investment activities to companies within North America at this time. While Google is a global company, and we realize innovation happens around the world, this is a new fund and a small team, so we had to impose some geographical focus in order to maximize our effectiveness.

Contact Google If you would like your venture to be considered for funding, email (ventures@google.com) is the best way to reach us. Please limit your presentation to no more than 20 slides or three typewritten pages. Unfortunately, due to the large volume of email we receive, we can not promise a response to all inquiries. We look forward to the opportunity to consider your venture. &

41 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

42 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Charitable Giving from page 27

organization in the field — and Africa is Africare’s specialty.

Africare works in partnership with African communities to promote health and productivity. Africare has worked in 36 African countries offering programs that address needs in: •Water resource development •Environmental management •Literacy and vocational training •Microenterprise development •Civil-society development and governance Support their work by donating at www.africare.org.

vanced education plays a major role in reducing poverty and expanding freedom in Africa. AAI alumni from across Africa—some 23,000 overall—are applying their knowledge and skills for the

What’s In It For Me? benefit of many within and beyond their home countries. They provide living proof of the value of AAI programs and our longstanding commitment to educating for a sustainable future. support the work of the institute at www.aaionline.org. &

Leon H. Sullivan Foundation The Foundation promotes the political, entrepreneurial and intellectual leadership of the African Diaspora and friends of Africa, and advocates on behalf of Africa and the world’s vulnerable people.

A key program of the foundation is the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH), started in 1981 by Rev. Leon H. Sullivan. IFESH is devoted to facilitating sustainable development to the nations of sub-Saharan Africa through economic development and education.

View the history and details of all of the programs of the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation and support their work at www. thesullivanfoundation.org.

•Local, National & International News

•Government & Corporate Contracting and Supplier Opportunity Information •Links to Corporate Partner, Organization Affiliates & Annual Event Sponsor Websites •BBA Annual & Special Event Announcements •Business Operation Education and Information &

Where Do I Find It? •BBA website

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•Black Business News/ International - quarterly publication

• Cakes & Catering for All Occasions • Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m - 6 p.m

•Black Business News Internet Edition

The Africa-America Institute AAI is proud to have continued our long tradition of providing education opportunities for succeeding generations in Africa. Even as we grapple with the effects of the global financial crisis, with the help and support of friends like you, AAI continues to build African human capacity through education programs that are well-run and that produce positive results.

Now more than ever, AAI’s education mission is critically relevant to ongoing needs and challenges on the African continent. Decades of AAI program results have proven that ad-

&

How Do I Participate & Benefit?

•Join the BBA at

www.bbala.org •Advertise in the BBA publications •Attend BBA Events Hosted to Benefit the African American Community of Businesses

43 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Government:

Additional Funding for SBA Recovery Lending Programs will Support $4.5 Billion in Small Business Lending SBA plans to restart Recovery loan approvals

P

resident Obama recently signed the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations bill which included $125 million to continue through Feb. 28, 2010, the enhancements made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to SBA’s two largest loan programs. The SBA estimates the additional funding will support $4.5 billion in small business lending.

New approvals of loans with the higher guarantee and reduced fees made possible by ARRA are expected to begin by Dec. 28. Loan applications from borrowers who chose to be placed in the SBA’s Recovery Loan Queue will be funded first, followed by new loan approvals beginning on or before Dec. 28.

“This Administration and Congress recognize that these key programs

were successful in helping jump-start the economic recovery for America’s small businesses,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “The increased guarantee and reduced fees on SBA loans helped put more than $16.5 billion in the hands of small business owners and brought more than 1,200 lenders back to SBA loan programs. The extension of these programs through February is important to continuing our path toward recovery and will mean thousands more small business owners have access to the credit they need.

“Just two weeks ago, President Obama laid out key aspects of his jobs plan, including significant ongoing support for small businesses. We will continue to work with Congress on moving those proposals forward, including extending these loan enhancements as the President called for, to ensure that small business owners have the tools they need to drive economic growth and create jobs in communities all across the country.”

As part of ARRA, SBA received $730

million, which included $375 million to increase the SBA guarantee on 7(a) loans to 90 percent and to waive borrower fees on most 7(a) and 504 loans.

More information about the waived fees can be found here. The funds for these programs were exhausted on Nov. 23.

SBA created the Recovery Loan Queue as part of its transition back to pre-ARRA lending on Nov. 23 because previously approved loans are sometimes canceled or never disbursed for a variety of reasons. Eligible small businesses, in consultation with their lender, could choose to be placed in the queue for possible approval of an ARRA loan if funding became available. Currently there are 1,069 loans totaling almost $530 million in the Recovery Loan Queue.

The extension included in the DOD bill authorizes the higher guarantee levels through Feb. 28, 2010. The fee relief is authorized until this additional funding is exhausted or the end of the fiscal year, whichever comes first. As see Small Business Lending page 51

IRS Reduces Mileage Rates for 2010

T Alberto G. Alvarado, Director Los Angeles SBA District Office

he Internal Revenue Service has reduced the optional standard mileage rate for 2010 to 50 cents, down from 55 cents in 2009. The rate is used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. It also is the standard used by the majority of organizations to determine the reimbursement rate for travelers who use their personal

vehicles for business travel. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2010, the standard mileage rates will be as follows: • 50 cents per mile for business miles driven • 16.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes • 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations The reduction reflects lower gas prices, among other factors. &

45 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Malik’s Books Online

M

alik’s Books has closed operations in the Baldwin Hills Mall.

Malik’s is now operating as an online bookstore. Malik’s is now available to serve our customer’s needs 24/7 via the world wide web with bigger deals and a larger selection. We will remain as active in the South Los Angeles community as we have always been.

Please visit us at www.Malikbooks.com and/or www.autographbooks. com. For other information give us a call at 818-564-5694.

If you want to coorespond with us, send letters to Malik’s Books, 3939 Crenshaw Boulevard, #324, Los Angeles, CA 90008.

Thank You again for all your support and patronage over the years and visit us on the Web. &

Malik’s Books

www.Malikbooks.com • www.autogrpahbooks.com malikbooks@att.net • 818-564-5694

Give the Gifts of Knowledge, Inspiration, Entertainment.

Shop the

Black Book Stores!

Eso Won Books

African American Books 4331 Degnan Ave., Leimert Park, Los Angeles

“Give Books as Gifts to Friends & Family” Check out our unsurpassed collection of books, music, video, children’s books, and games!

Holiday Gift Giving Time Christmas Graduation Kwanzaa 323-294-0324 • www.esowonbooks.com //esowon.booksense.com for Calendar of Events

Books to Consider...

As our nation and our communitites begin to rise up out of the economic recession, it may be an opportune time to look back at some of the basics for achieving lasting business success.

Here are some books to consider.

Success Runs In Our Race: The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the African American Community by George Fraser. Fraser shows how to network for information, for influence, and for resources. Readers will learn, among other things, how to cultivate valuable listening skills, which conferences blacks are most likely to attend when looking to build their business network, and how to effectively circulate a résumé.

This is an information-packed bible of networking that also seeks to inspire a social movement and a rebirth of the “Underground Railroad,” in which successful African Americans share the lessons of self-determination and empowerment with those still struggling to scale the ladder of success. Mr. Fraser is also the author of Race For Success: The Ten Best Business Opportunities for Blacks In America; and CLICK: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships.

Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?: How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire by Reginald F. Lewis and Blair S. Walker. This book is based on Reginald Lewis’s unfinished autobiography. It reveals a vivid portrayal of a proud, determined, intellectual business man who settled for nothing less than excellence from himself and those around him. Be re-educated in the art of negotiation, business strategy, and finesse. Be reinspired to dream big and work hard. &

46 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Her Excellency Jeanette Ndhlovu, Consul General, South Africa discusses her book “No Time To Mourn” with guests at the book signing. Attendees included (front row l-r) Amanda Wash and Professor Gwen Thomas. Photo right: Ja’Net DuBois, renowned actress and artist, congratulates H.E. Ndhlovu on her successful book signing.

“No Time To Mourn” Book Signing a Success

T

he dedication and commitment of the Barnes & Noble’s staff and BooksBySeth Publishing representatives tremendously helped the South African Consul General Jeanette Ndhlovu’s successful book signing in Woodland Hills. Their hard work also resulted in another successful book signing in Oakland, California.

In “No Time To Mourn” the Consul General takes us from the confines of her childhood home in Orlando West, South Africa thru the halls of the United Nations in New York to the proverbial red carpet of Hollywood’s Academy Awards. We learn that her brother, Hastings Ndhlovu, was the first to die in the youth uprising on June 16, 1976 and how she has worked to ensure that his death be not in vain.

In 2010, Hon. Ndhlovu will resume her book signing in Barnes & Noble stores, starting mid-January in Burbank, and then in northern California in Emeryville and Sacramento. Other book signings will also be held in New York, Washington, DC and Atlanta in the month of February.

For those who are interested in buying a copy of the book, please contact Barnes & Noble Woodland Hills by calling 1-818-794-3850. Your book order will be shipped to you free of charge.

For more information, please feel free to contact your local Barnes & Nobles or Moza Mjasiri Cooper at moza613@gmail. com. &

47 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

BBA - Assorted Cookies Gift Pack $200.00 Each Gift Pack contains: 50 - 2.oz Boxes per pack Cookie Flavors: Double Chocolate Chip, Key Lime Kreme, Oatmeal Raisin

BBA - Assorted Cheese Straws & Cookies Gift Pack - $200.00 Each Gift Pack contains: 50 - 1.5oz Boxes per pack Each Pack Contains: Original Cheese Straws, Keylime Cookies & Asiago Cheese Straws

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WWW.ALIZASCOOKIES.COM Place your order today and enjoy our delicious snacks during the holidays and don’t forget to send your family, friends, and associates one of our Aliza’s Cookies Holiday Gift Packs.

Zizini Safaris, Inc. Zizini Safaris provides the traveller with an unsurpassed and memorable experience of a lifetime in Tanzania.

We share with you the beauty of Tanzania; its rich natural resources, warm, friendly people, and a wealth of cultural experiences; offer the opportunity to gain an appreciation of the flora and fauna of these beautiful lands, which will evoke the need to protect and enhance these experiences for today and future generations.

Zizini Safaris, Inc. 466 Old Craigville Road Centerville,MA 02632 (866) 948 ZIZI (9494) info@zizinisafaris.com www.zizinisafaris.com

Tuesday, Jan. 8th “For everyone interested in doing business with Metro”

Listen to

KDEE 97.7FM Watch & Support the Africa Channel!

Time Warner • Channel 176 Don’t have the Africa Channel in your area? Call Time Warner at: 1-888-8922253 and ask that the Africa Channel be broadcast to ALL regions of California.

For information on the Africa Channel visit www.theafricachannel.com or send an e-mail inquiry to info@theafricachannel.com.

The California Black Chamber Foundation’s Radio Station

LIVE on Your Computer

www.kdeefm.org

49 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

VERACITY REALTY, INC. “Dedicated to Truthfulness” Let us see what we can do for you in both Commercial & Residential finance!

V

Jonathan Thompson, Commercial Broker Phone: 800-455-2142 Cell: 323-309-2885

Rhonda Thompson, Residential Loan Officer Phone 800-455-2142 Cell: 323-387-9439 CA Dept. of Real Estate, Real Estate Broker: 01781216 *APR: Includes appraisal, title insurance, escrow, points & other loan cost is 6.487%

Four Season’s Production Multi-Cultural H Multi-Purpose Multi-Functional H Multi-Faceted Manufacturing, Productivity, Growth & Expansion Economical H Globalization H Empowerment

“We’re Fired Up and Ready to Go”

Open Supplier Certification Process The Verizon Communications Corporation is seeking to identify a greater share of African American-owned and operated businesses to match to potential operating contracts.

The data base that Verizon procurement management personnel are instructed to review is the California Public Utilities Commission Clearinghouse.

Entrepreneurial Business Development Diversified H Subdivision H Product-Mix & Creating Jobs Across America City by City H State by State National and International Trade Exchange

“Yes We Can” “Something New and Excitingly Different on the Horizon” Commercial

Residential

Genell Brown, Artist Designer

Our Community Source Contact: Keasha L. Charles

888-988-8551 Phone & Fax

BBA members wanting to expand market opportunities with a telecommunication company should consider completing a supplier certification application. To obtain an application go to the Internet web address www.cpuc.gov and visit the supplier diversity page for an online application.

The BBA encourages all members to participate in this process that works to create greater opportunities for all African-American owned and operated firms. Last year the California Verizon Company reported an annual spend with African American owned suppliers in excess of $40 million.

50 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Equity Investment

CBC’s Firm Stand from page 36

from page 23

The investment stems from a US$100 million convertible loan that Ecobank secured from IFC in July 2008 to support its growth and diversification strategy in sub-Saharan Africa.

“This substantial injection of capital is a strong indication of continued investor confidence in ETI,” says Arnold Ekpe, Chief Executive of the Ecobank Group. &

is a good corporate citizen,” Bakewell said. “We’re not asking for a bail out or a hand out, we’re asking for reciprocity and respect.”

Bakewell explained that the Black community, Black newspapers included, are being shortchanged for the dollars they spend with businesses and corporations.

In order to avoid legal ramifications, the committee agreed to target the money toward communities with the highest socio-economic impact rather than by race. That includes most of the CBC districts.

“The traditional role of a member of Congress before the economic downturn was to basically intervene with the federal government agencies on behalf of constituents, people didn’t get their VA checks or social security checks or they were needing help getting their travel documents or visas or passport,” says Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C. “But, dis-

About Ecobank (www.ecobank.com) Incorporated in Lome, Togo, ETI is the parent company of the leading independent regional banking group in Africa. It currently has subsidiaries and offices in 31 countries, namely: Benin, Burkina-Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, GuineaBissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, Zambia as well as France and UAE (Dubai).

ETI is listed on the stock exchanges in Lagos, Accra and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) in Abidjan. The Group is owned by more than 180,000 local and international institutional and individual shareholders.

It has over 11,000 employees from 29 different countries in over 700 branches. Ecobank is a full-service bank providing wholesale, retail, investment and transaction banking services and products to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, international organizations, medium, small and micro businesses and individuals. & //af.reuters.com/

Small Business Lending

proportionately now, people are calling for grassroots, down in the community help. I need food, I need housing. I need to be protected from a foreclosure. I need assistance with mortgage modification, I need you to find me a job. Businesses are calling saying I can’t find any loans, I can’t get credit.”

They’re receiving the calls and emails everyday, says U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, DMinn.

“They say ‘when’s our turn?’” Ellison recounts. “‘We need real jobs programs.

We need something to help small, minority businesses. We need to know that there is a vibrant, historic and very strong African American business community here in the United States and in my state of Minnesota.’ It really struck me that every single industry is being severely impacted.”

In New York City, Congressman Gregory Meeks says his district has been hit especially hard in homeownership.

The issues are hot buttons and pervasive.

“We’re dealing with so many contentious issues in Congress, to see people who are bold and unapologetic, you can’t do anything but respect it whether you agree or disagree philosophically, the boldness that comes with that stand can’t be overlooked,” said U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind. & NNPA

from page 45

was the case in November, SBA will transition into a queue system as the funds start to wind down in order to ensure the maximum simulative effect of the programs and disbursement of funds.

For non-ARRA 7(a) or 504 loans funded during the transition period, this extension does not provide a retroactive guarantee or waived fees. Loans that were funded under non-ARRA terms cannot be canceled and resubmitted to take advantage of the ARRA extension provisions.

This extension does not affect other SBA ARRA programs, including the America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) loan program or the agency’s microloans.

ARRA funding still remains for both of those programs. &

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51 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

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52 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

Darfur Report from page 36

In this context, we would therefore like to reiterate our view that: (a) a broad consensus exists in Darfur and Sudan on the variouselements that would constitute what we described as a Global Political Agreement on Darfur; (b) the people of Darfur insist that a negotiated peace should be concluded as quickly as possible; and, (c) it is both possible and necessary that this objective is achieved without much delay.

Here I should also confirm that like the AUPD during its short lifespan, the AUHIP is ready to assist the Joint Chief Mediator to achieve this outcome. This means that among others, the Panel will engage the various parties in Darfur and Sudan to encourage them to respond positively and expeditiously to such initiatives as would be taken by the Joint Chief Mediator.

Yet another matter we would like to underline is the important reality that the three objectives of peace, justice and reconciliation are inter-connected and interdependent.

Thus we are convinced that the positive outcome we all seek with regard to Darfur will have to take the form of an integrated package that achieves the necessary balance among the objectives of peace, justice and reconciliation. We are convinced that any attempt to emphasise the importance of any of these three objectives at the expense of the others, would not bring about the just and stable peace we all desire for the people of Darfur, and which the Darfurians themselves seek.

This is one of the considerations which informed the manner in which we composed our Recommendations, and believe that these will help the Sudanese negotiators to arrive at the necessarily integrated package to which we

have referred.

In this context, we must mention the fact that Sudan is not the first African country to be faced with the challenge to find the necessary balance in addressing the inter-related issues of peace, justice and reconciliation. Therefore if necessary, beyond considering the decisions taken by the AU PSC in this regard, the negotiators of the Darfur Agreement could draw on this wider African experience.

The members of the Security Council will also have taken note of the fact that the AUPD underlined that the conflict in Darfur, as was the case with the

conflicts in South and Eastern Sudan, is a manifestation of a general Sudan crisis.

We explained that this Sudan crisis was of long-standing, encompassing both the colonial and post-colonial periods. It arose essentially from the concentration of power and wealth in an elite centred in Khartoum, resulting in the marginalisation, impoverishment and under-development of the so-called periphery, including Darfur.

Further, this unequal distribution of power and wealth made it imperative that the centre should, to the extent possible, deny the rest of the country the democratic right to elect a government of their choice, amongst others.

The Darfurians themselves insisted that this historical legacy was the root cause of the violent conflict in Darfur.

From this it follows that the solution of the conflict in Darfur should be located within the context of addressing this legacy.

It is therefore self-evident that the resolution of the conflict in Darfur, like those in South and Eastern Sudan, cannot but necessitate the restructuring of Sudan as a whole, to address the historical legacy whose consequence has been the various conflicts that have afflicted Sudan for many decades. Accordingly the AUHIP will work closely with the people of Sudan as they strive to give effect to a stated common resolve to build what has been described as “the New Sudan”.

As with any process that seeks to achieve the fundamental restructuring of any society, the creation of that “New Sudan” explained in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the CPA, as “making unity attractive”, is and has been difficult and challenging.

Because of this the Sudanese people need all the support they can get to help them achieve this objective. We therefore hope that the UN will also do what it can in this regard.

As the Security Council is aware, the CPA gives the opportunity for the people of South Sudan to opt for independence, which might suggest that once the South has seceded, if this is the outcome of the 2011 Referendum, the historical power relations in North Sudan could therefore remain unchanged.

In our interactions with the population in Darfur, there was no serious suggestion that this region of Sudan sought to follow South Sudan with regard to the issue of self-determination.

We make this point to emphasise that the implementation of a just Darfur Peace Agreement necessarily implies the transformation of Sudan in the manner we have indicated, including

53 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

see Darfur Report page 55

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Darfur Report from page 53

the democratisation of the country.

Because of the central importance of this process of democratisation to the resolution of the Sudan crisis, as indicated in the mandate of the AUHIP, we will act to encourage the Sudanese parties to create a climate conducive to free and fair elections and to conduct the 2010 General Elections in such a manner that all the people of Sudan can freely elect legislatures and governments of their choice.

It is common cause that this is vitally important both in the context of the fundamental restructuring of Sudan to which we have referred, and the need to ensure that the 2011 Referendum is handled by a democratically elected government.

Again it is a matter of common cause that the will of the people of South Sudan should be respected, whatever the outcome of the Referendum. In this context, the Sudanese parties have recognised the fact that they must engage one another about the vital matter of the consequences of the Referendum, regardless of its outcome.

Accordingly, again as the Security Council knows, the South Sudan Referendum Law requires that the Parties should engage in discussions to consider all the relevant post-Referendum issues.

Once again, the AUHIP will work with these Parties to contribute what it can to the consideration of these post-Referendum issues, in part to help ensure that Sudan sustains the peace which was brought about by the CPA, once more regardless of the outcome of the Referendum.

We share the belief that the people of Sudan, both in the North and the South, are very keen that they should live in conditions of peace, even if South Sudan elects to be an independent state.

The AUHIP will therefore do everything it can to focus on the issue of peace, among others by considering the situation along the North-Southborder and making the necessary and relevant recommendations to the Su-

danese Parties.

We should perhaps have mentioned earlier, the continuing challenge to implement all the outstanding agreements contained in the CPA. By agreement with the NCP and the SPLM, the Panel will interact with these two parties to the CPA to help accelerate the process towards the completion of the agenda detailed in this Agreement.

As indicated in the AUPD Report, we consider the normalisation of relations between Sudan and its neighbours to be of vital importance with regard to the achievement of the goal of a peaceful and stable Sudan.

Accordingly, we have been greatly encouraged by the steps taken by the Governments of Chad and Sudan to reduce and end the tensions between the two countries.

The AUPD did engage both Governments on this matter. The AUHIP will

“Women bear the heaviest burden during conflict situations. We not only lose our sons and husband in the fighting, but we also lose our dignity.”

Nyancuk Truk,

representative of the Dinka, Sudan follow up on this, as well as resume its interaction with the other neighbouring countries.

As we carry out this work, we will be very mindful of the critical importance of Sudan to its neighbours and the rest of our Continent. It is self evident that Sudan, which shares borders with nine other countries in a volatile part of Africa, should serve as a force for peace, stability and development both in this region and in Africa as a whole.

Earlier we mentioned the ground-

breaking partnership between the AU and the UN, which resulted in the establishment of UNAMID. As UNAMID approaches the second anniversary of its establishment at the end of this month, we would like to pay tribute to the extraordinary dedication and courage of the men and women who are serving in Darfur, under challenging conditions as well as commend the Mission.

It is obvious that in addition to the work it has done already, UNAMID will be required to take on additional tasks once the Darfur Global Political Agreement is concluded. We therefore hope that the necessary steps will be taken to ensure that it has the necessary capacity to carry out all its tasks.

In this context, we would like to congratulate Professor Ibrahim Gambari on his assumption of the high position of Joint Special Representative in Darfur, and look forward to working with him as closely as possible.

The AUPD was privileged to have regular interactions with both UNAMID and UNMIS, as well as the Special Envoys of member countries of the Security Council and the European Union.

The AUHIP will strive to sustain this interaction as we believe that concerted international action is required effectively to respond to the urgent challenges Sudan faces.

The Panel is conscious of the reality of the extensive nature of its mandate and therefore the work it must carry out.

It is similarly alert to the fact that it has to act within a very short time frame, given the fact of the impending General Elections and the South Sudan Referendum.

However, objective reality dictates that the matters we have mentioned – the resolution of the conflict in Darfur, the CPA and North-South relations, the democratisation of Sudan, and the normalisation of relations in the neighbourhood – should be addressed simultaneously and as a matter of urgency.

The AUHIP will do its best to respond to this challenge.

I thank you for your attention. &

55 T December 2009 T Black Business News T www.bbala.org

//allafrica.com www.un.org

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4th-6th TANCon 2009, Freetown, Sierra Leone TANCon is the world’s sole event of its kind for entrepreneurs of African descent. The target audience includes entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 business leaders, venture capitalists, investment bankers, government policy makers and other entrepreneurial ecosystem organizations.

Our theme this year is “Virgin Territories: A New Market for Innovative Investment” to reflect the growing number of African entrepreneurs in business today, and to showcase to the world Africa’s limitless intellectual and economic capital. Event details are at: www.tanconf.org/africa.

10th FDIC Contracting Information Seminar “Doing Business with the FDIC” Continuing challenges in the financial services industry have impacted the FDIC’s contracting opportunities and processes. Because of high public interest the Black Economic Council is

hosting a “Doing Business with the FDIC” seminar in Los Angeles on Dec 10th, 8:30 am-3:00 pm, at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel Los Angeles, 6101 W Century Blvd. For information contact 323-291-9334.

Exposition To educate our business community regarding opportunities in international trade through discussion, exhibits and networking sessions. For information call 323-291-9334.

10th

June…

13th Annual Holiday Dinner Young Black Contractor’s Association, Inc. Holiday Dinner will be held at the Carson Community Center, 801 E. Carson Street, Carson, CA On Thursday, Dec 10th, 5:30 pm-11:00 pm. For information contact 310.603.9222 or ybcainfo@ yahoo.com.

Business of Black Music Conference & Awards Dinner A celebration of culture of music and an examination of the business of culture. Includes recognition of pioneers and leaders in the world of music. For information call 323-291-9334.

2010

40th Anniversary Awards Dinner Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the Black Business Association 1970-2010.

February…

28th

36th Annual BBA Awards Dinner Held in recognition of “Black History Month” to honor African American businesses along with our corporate partners and other majority corporations, government agencies and individuals most supportive of the growth and development of the BBA and African American businesses.

For information call 323-291-9334.

March…

BBA Salute to Black Women: Women’s History Month Conference & Luncheon To honor Black Women who are making history through their struggles for equality, contributions to arts, sciences, education and humanistic causes, success in business.For information call 323-291-9334.

April…

August…

September…

BBA Black Business Day Recognition of the advancements made by the African American business community over the last 40 years. For information call 323-2919334.

November…

BBA 7th Annual Procument Exchange Summit The annual business development event includes One-on-One matchmaking sessions with utilities and corporate buyers, business development workshops and the Awards Luncheon. For information call 323-291-9334. &

For a complete listings of events around Southern California visit SAVETHEDATECENTRAL.com

BBA Procurement Trade Mission to Washington, DC This trade mission offers face-to-face contact by business owners and managers to learn from and market to federal government agency procurement officers. For information call 323291-9334.

Send your event notice to:

Calendar at mail@bbala.org.

May… World Trade Week Symposium and

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