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Publisher's Message It has been said that there are three certainties in life; birth, death and taxes. I would add that the continued discussion justifying the business case for inclusion and diversity be on this list of certainties, especially as it relates to black entrepreneurship. Whether it’s in the media, in halls of our universities, at trade conferences or the Supreme Court, you’ll encounter the same old argument on the business and moral case for inclusion of minorities and other under-represented groups. As editor of this online publication dedicated to the economic prosperity of not only African Americans, but all small and minority businesses through this country, I am often disappointed that we continue to have this discussion Pubisher/Chief Executive Officer on the importance of inclusion and diversity. We have a legion of good-intended, often extremely committed supplier diversity representatives from almost all major corporations in this country whom serve as the “gate-keepers” and their livelihood often is based the continued murkiness of a clear and concise commitment to diversity. While many small and minority business owners' livelihood are based on an undisputed fact: Inclusion and diversity makes economic sense! I personally take issue with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Scalia's remarks suggesting that African Americans belong at "less advanced schools ... slower track school". His insensitivity is matched only by his apparent ignorance of the thousands of Black educators, scientists, lawyers, teachers, doctors, business leaders and other successful professionals who excelled at elite institutions of higher learning. However, his remarks underscores the challenges many black businesses still have to face. This issue of the Black Business News will continue to highlight many of the achievements of African Americans, in spirit of some of these apparent challenges. We acknowledge the achievements of blacks in a various segments of our economy, including but not limited to entertainment, sports, law enforcement, hospitality, international trade and politics. As a master politician, U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters cast the deciding vote deciding vote to revive the federal Export-Import Bank, which helps U.S. companies sell their products abroad. The existence of the Export-Import Bank is a major resource for small and minority businesses to be competitive in this global economy. The BBN applauds those African American businesses which were honored and recognized at the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Conference in San Diego, Oct. 18–21, 2015. We acknowledge the work that is being done at the California Department of Insurance (CDI) with the initiative to increase diversity and inclusion with California's $260 billion annual insurance marketplace, as summarized at the CDI 4th Annual Diversity Summit held in Sacramento in October. Prior to this, the Black Business Association (BBA) had its 12th Annual Procurement Exchange Summit promoting the importance of business and procurement opportunities for African Americans. One major component to pursuing procurement opportunities is access to capital. On the 13th of November, the BBA held its Lending Financial Pavilion to address the capital needs of African American businesses not only to grow their businesses, but also to sustain them during these challenging economic times. On the 22nd of January, 2016 the BBA will be co-hosting the workshop with BBA member Barbara Sullivan of PEOple OneSource "HR Essentials: What You Need to Know About Being
Earl “Skip” Cooper, II
Black Business News Group P.O. Box 43159 Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA 323-291-7819 Fax: 323-298-5064
www.blackbusinessnews.net PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sarah Harris Dean L. Jones Steven Turner
ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR Kim Anthony
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Linda Ware
PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dean Jones Linda Ware Ralph D. Sutton Veronica Hendrix Giavanna Foster P. Yvette Thomas LaSandra Stratton
GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris Phallu Morgan
STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg Jennifer Marie Hamilton
PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx Sabir Narishima Osei
CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR La Sandra Stratton
LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications Copyright © 2015 by Black Business News All Rights Reserved. The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein.
see Publisher's Message on page 67 3 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
About
ABOUT THE BLACK BUSINESS NEWS GROUP… The mission of The Black Business News is to inspire and inform public and private sector industry representatives on the importance of smart small business growth. As a versatile source of socioeconomic development activity news, the publications of the Black Business News Group impart current local, national and international industry and social trends and news affecting small businesses across the United States of America (USA), providing guides to greater access to financial capital, management efficiencies, business education, mentorship opportunities and social media networks. The goals of the Black Business News Group include: •
promoting USA-based black-owned business enterprises to a world wide audience.
•
offering business growth enhancing information on education, exhibitioning, international trading, technology, industry trends, and more.
•
exploring major public and private sec-e tor contracting methods to educate black-owned and operated enterprises..
•
providing an affirmative influence forr emerging entrepreneurs by sharing innovative design and creative cultural content that exposes them to the history of black enterprises and urges them participate in the USA’s future.
•
advocating and promoting on behalf of black-owned businesses by promoting the need for expanding an economic foundation that supports an unfettered and self-sustained urban society with USA job creation and economic opportunibl business b i t i where blacks work, live and operate viable enterprises.
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2015-2016 Black Business Association Events
November
Financial Pavilion
February
Annual Awards Dinner
March
Salute to Black Women to
Black Business News Group Publications Black Business News Black Business News International
t y,
Black Business News Travel Africa
Contents
Black Business News…November/December 2015 3
Publisher's Message
Government 9 11 12 12 13 15 16
19
The 13th Amendment: 150 Years Later, President Obama's Reflections What a Potential Refugee goes Through to Resettle in the U.S. Presidents Obama and Putin Strike Chord on Syria G-20 leaders vow to quell terror Obama Vows Efforts to Eliminate Islamic State at G20 Summit USA Trade Online is Now FREE! President Obama, Bill Gates to Lead Major Effort to Spur Spending on Climate Research The Obamas Extend Kwanzaa Greetings
64
Spike Lee calls out Hollywood for Racism 65 First-Ever Smart Fabrics Summit 68 Pat Watts of FCI Honored as "Minority Energy Firm of the Year"
CommunityPublic Interest 80
8,000 Snowflakes Adorn the White House This Christmas 81 Thelma Golden on Presidential Library Board 83 Spotlight on African American Military Heroes in Honor of Veterans Day
Obituary/Memorials 85 86
Tech Entrepreneur, Diversity Advocate Hank Williams Mal Whitfield, Olympic Gold Medalist and Tuskegee Airman
Editorials/Perspectives
International
32 How to Win Elections Behind the Cotton Curtain
92
Entertainment
96
24
Columns
BBN Show Biz Buzz
Business 29 31 34 37 41 46 47 50 52
MBDA Business Centers Grant Opp Now Open Crowdfunding Rules Announced by SEC Super Soaker Hits Mark HOLIDAY RED ALERT! 12 Startup Pitfalls to Avoid Stay Safe and Secure While Using Hotspots Winery of the Month: eco. love Wines & Truvée Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pies Selling Out 56% of Americans will Lose their Jobs to Automation
72 104 129 130 133
In Kenya, a Digital Classroom in a Box Why I wrote "The Entrepreneur" Take a Look! Shopping Gallery Calendar Books to Consider... Resources
BUY BLACK!! THIS HOLIDAY SEASONPAGE 104 AND THROUGHOUT THE
PUBLICATION
5 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
BUY BLACK EVERYDAY!!
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON-PAGE 104 AND THROUGHOUT THE PUBLICATION
THE WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 13TH AMENDMENT
O
n December 6, 1865, a coalition comprising three-quarters of our Nation's States ratified the 13th Amendment to our Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States and affirming the truth that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. Bringing to a close one of the most painful chapters in our country's history, the Amendment ushered in a new birth of freedom. Today, we celebrate it for the protections it restored and the lives it liberated, and in honor of the millions of slaves who endured brutal violence and daily indignities, we rededicate ourselves to the proposition manifested in its ratification. This Amendment to the Constitution came not only at the culmination of years of Civil War, but also as a result of courageous individuals advocating and agitating for an America in which slavery was no longer an institution of society. President Lincoln gave his last full measure of devotion to the cause he would not live to see codified. He knew the basic rights he sought for slaves could only be secured by a whole and unified Government, and he pursued reconciliation while remaining fierce in his conviction. Volunteers along the Underground Railroad aided slaves seeking freedom, providing safety and comfort in the midst of deep anguish. And soldiers who fought, sometimes against their own sisters and brothers, did so for both the preservation of our Union and liberty itself. The 13th Amendment was the product of generations of men and women who, through centuries of bloodshed and systemic oppression, stayed true to their belief in what America could be and kept marching toward justice. The courage to change that sustained the abolitionist movement carried forth in a long line of heroes who followed -- individuals who loved our country profoundly and answered the patriotic call to push it to expand the boundaries of freedom. From ordinary women stepping into an extraordinary role, bravely fighting for their right to participate in our democracy, to a coalition of conscience that marched on our Nation's Capital and protested for equality, the last century and a half has been defined by those who stood resolute in keeping lit the flame that burned in the hearts of all those determined to secure what they knew to be their God-given rights. Today, we continue the long journey toward an America and a world where liberty and equality are not reserved for some, but extended to all. Across the globe, including right here at home, millions of men, women, and children are victims of human trafficking and modern-day slavery. We remain committed to abolishing slavery in all its forms and draw strength from the courage and resolve of generations past. One hundred and fifty years after the 13th Amendment's ratification, the United States endures, and though the scourge of slavery is a stain on our history, we remain a people not trapped by the mistakes of our past, but one that can look at our imperfections with humility and decide it is within our power to remake our Nation to more closely align with our highest ideals. On this historic occasion, let us pay tribute to those who suffered for too long and to those who risked everything to make this country better. With unyielding determination to stand on their shoulders and reach for an even freer and more equal tomorrow, we can honor them with the recognition and respect worthy of their extraordinary contributions to our country. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 6, 2015, as the 150th Anniversary of the 13th Amendment. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that celebrate the 13th Amendment. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA
President Barack Obama delivers remarks at an event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
The 13th Amendment: 150 Years Later, President Obama Reflects on the Abolition of Slavery
M
r. Speaker, leaders and members of both parties, distinguished guests: We gather here to commemorate a century and a half of freedom -- not simply for former slaves, but for all of us. Today, the issue of chattel slavery seems so simple, so obvious -- it is wrong in every sense. Stealing men, women, and children from their homelands. Tearing husband from wife, parent from child; stripped and sold to the highest bidder; shackled in chains and bloodied with the whip. It’s antithetical not only to our conception of human rights and dignity, but to our conception of ourselves -- a people founded on the premise that all are created equal. And, to many at the time, that
judgment was clear as well. Preachers, black and white, railed against this moral outrage from the pulpit. Former slaves rattled the conscience of Americans in books, in pamphlets, and speeches. Men and women organized anti-slavery conventions and fundraising drives. Farmers and shopkeepers opened their barns, their homes, their cellars as waystations on an Underground Railroad, where African Americans often risked their own freedom to ensure the freedom of others. And enslaved Americans, with no rights of their own, they ran north and kept the flame of freedom burning, passing it from one generation to the next, with their faith, and their dignity, and their song. The reformers’ passion only drove the protectors of the status quo
to dig in harder. And for decades, America wrestled with the issue of slavery in a way that we have with no other, before or since. It shaped our politics, and it nearly tore us asunder. Tensions ran so high, so personal, that at one point, a lawmaker was beaten unconscious on the Senate floor. Eventually, war broke out –- brother against brother, North against South. At its heart, the question of slavery was never simply about civil rights. It was about the meaning of America, the kind of country we wanted to be –- whether this nation might fulfill the call of its birth: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,” that among those are life and liberty and see page 10
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the pursuit of happiness. President Lincoln understood that if we were ever to fully realize that founding promise, it meant not just signing an Emancipation Proclamation, not just winning a war. It meant making the most powerful collective statement we can in our democracy: etching our values into our Constitution. He called it “a King’s cure for all the evils.” A hundred and fifty years proved the cure to be necessary but not sufficient. Progress proved halting, too often deferred. Newly freed slaves may have been liberated by the letter of the law, but their daily lives told another tale. They couldn’t vote. They couldn’t fill most occupations. They couldn’t protect themselves or their families from indignity or from violence. And so abolitionists and freedmen and women and radical Republicans kept cajoling and kept rabblerousing, and within a few years of the war’s end at Appomattox, we passed two more amendments guaranteeing voting rights, birthright citizenship, equal protection under the law. And still, it wasn’t enough. For another century, we saw segregation and Jim Crow make a mockery of these amendments. And we saw justice turn a blind eye to mobs with nooses slung over trees. We saw bullets and bombs
terrorize generations. And yet, through all this, the call to freedom survived. “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” And eventually, a new generation rose up to march and organize, and to stand up and to sit in with the moral force of nonviolence and the sweet sound of those same freedom songs that slaves had sung so long ago -– crying out not for special treatment, but for equal rights. Calling out for basic justice promised to them almost a century before. Like their abolitionist predecessors, they were plain, humble, ordinary people, armed with little but faith: Faith in the Almighty. Faith in each other. And faith in America.Hope in the face so often of all evidence to the contrary, that something better lay around the bend. Because of them -- maids and porters and students and farmers and priests and housewives -because of them, a Civil Rights law was passed, and the Voting Rights law was signed. And doors of opportunity swung open, not just for the black porter, but also for the white chambermaid, and the immigrant dishwasher, so that their daughters and their sons might finally imagine a life for themselves beyond washing somebody else’s laundry or shining somebody else’s shoes. Freedom for you and for me. Freedom for all of us. And that’s what we celebrate today. The long arc of progress. Progress that is never assured, never guaranteed, but always possible, always there to be earned -– no matter how stuck we might seem sometimes. No matter how divided or despairing we may appear. No matter what ugliness may bubble up. Progress, so long
as we’re willing to push for it; so long as we’re willing to reach for each other. We would do a disservice to those warriors of justice -- Tubman, and Douglass, and Lincoln, and King -- were we to deny that the scars of our nation’s original sin are still with us today. (Applause.) We condemn ourselves to shackles once more if we fail to answer those who wonder if they’re truly equals in their communities, or in their justice systems, or in a job interview. We betray the efforts of the past if we fail to push back against bigotry in all its forms. But we betray our most noble past as well if we were to deny the possibility of movement, the possibility of progress; if we were to let cynicism consume us and fear overwhelm us. If we lost hope. For however slow, however incomplete, however harshly, loudly, rudely challenged at each point along our journey, in America, we can create the change that we seek. All it requires is that our generation be willing to do what those who came before us have done: To rise above the cynicism and rise above the fear, to hold fast to our values, to see ourselves in each other, to cherish dignity and opportunity not just for our own children but for somebody else’s child. To remember that our freedom is bound up with the freedom of others -– regardless of what they look like or where they come from or what their last name is or what faith they practice. To be honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. To nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of Earth. To nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of Earth. That is our choice. Today, we affirm hope. Thank you. God bless you. May God bless the United States of America. www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2015/12/09/remarks-presidentcommemoration-150th-anniversary-13thamendment
10 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
What the Refugee Screening Process Looks Like By Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security
S
ince the attacks in Paris, many have asked about our process for admitting Syrian refugees into this country. I understand the anxiety that
It's important to remember, we're focused on admitting the most vulnerable Syrians -- this means mostly women, children and families. Second, anyone
Use the links below to watch the video narrated by Secretary Johnson to see exactly what a potential refugee goes through to resettle in the U.S. Use the link to the Infograph to share with others a visual representation of the rigorus process of vetting and resettling refugees. www.whitehouse.gov/ blog/2015/11/24/watch-hereswhat-refugee-screeningprocess-looks www.whitehouse.gov/ blog/2015/11/20/infographicscreening-process-refugeeentry-united-states
many Americans are feeling right now. And as Secretary of Homeland Security, I share with President Obama the top priority of keeping the American people safe. So let me be clear about what this process of vetting and resettling refugees looks like.
who applies for and is approved for refugee status in the United States, including Syrians, must first go through a rigorous security screening process. Taking in refugees at times of crisis is simply the right thing to do. It's who we are as a Nation.
And we can continue to ensure our own security, while doing our share to welcome refugees fleeing violence, looking to America as their beacon of hope and freedom. This is the United States of America. We can, we must, and we will do both these things. Thank you, Jeh Johnson Secretary of Homeland Security
Quote of Note “For seven years, I have confronted this evolving threat each morning in my intelligence briefing. And since the day I took this office, I have authorized U.S. forces to take out terrorists abroad precisely because I know how real the danger is. As Commander-in-Chief, I have no greater responsibility than the security of the American people.”
Barack Obama www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/12/05/presidentobama-addresses-nation-keeping-americanpeople-safe
Presidents Obama and Putin strike chord on Syria G-20 leaders vow to quell terror AFP U.S. President Barack Obama, left, speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, prior to the opening session of the G-20 summit in Antalya, Turkey. © RIA-Novosti, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
U
.S. President Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin of Russia agreed Sunday on the first steps towards peace in Syria, as the Paris attacks jolted world leaders into a crackdown on foreign fighters. The horror of the attacks in Paris shook leaders at a summit in Turkey, adding a new urgency to their search for a solution to the four-year war in Syria that has enabled the rise of Islamic State jihadists. Putting aside important differences, Obama and Putin met over a coffee table on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in the resort of Antalya to align their positions on Syria after the Paris assaults, which killed at least 129
people and were claimed by IS. "The conversation lasted approximately 35 minutes and centred around ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in Syria, an imperative made all the more urgent by the horrifying terrorist attacks in Paris," a US official said. Obama and Putin agreed on the need for United Nations talks, a ceasefire and a transition government in Syria, the US official said, echoing a plan for Syria already forged by diplomats at talks in Vienna the previous day. The Kremlin said "divergences" remained on tactics even if they shared the same goal against Islamic State. It was the two presidents' first meeting since Russia in September
launched an air campaign in Syria which the Kremlin insists is aimed against IS jihadists. The West however suspects Moscow's true aim is to target opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In images captured on Turkish public television, Putin and Obama were seen hunching towards each other as they held animated talks, in stark contrast to the frigid body language that marked previous meetings.
'Destroy death cult' The Paris attacks on Friday darkened the mood and injected urgency into anti-terrorism discussions at the G20 summit, which is also grappling with the spreading refugee crisis, climate change and tax avoidance by
12 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Government
Obama Vows Efforts To Eliminate Islamic State at G20 Summit By Matt Spetalnick, Dasha Afanasieva
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L), US President Barack Obama (C) and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are seen before the 'Welcoming Ceremony' prior to the G20 Turkey Leaders Summit on in Antalya, Turkey Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
U
.S. President Barack Obama vowed to step up efforts to eliminate Islamic State and prevent more attacks like those in Paris, while urging Russia's Vladimir Putin to focus on combating the jihadist group in Syria. A White House official said Obama and Putin agreed in a 35-minute meeting on the sidelines of a G20
summit in Turkey on the need for a political transition in Syria, saying events in Paris had made it all the more urgent. The two-day summit brings Obama and fellow world leaders just 500 km (310 miles) from Syria, whose 4-1/2-year conflict has transformed Islamic State into a global security threat and spawned Europe's largest migration flows
since World War Two. Obama described Friday's killing of more than 120 people in Paris, claimed by the radical Sunni militant group, as an attack on the civilized world and said the United States would work with France to hunt down those responsible. "The skies have been darkened
multinational corporations. Host President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a minute of silence for the Paris victims before the plenary session got under way. In a draft special statement obtained by AFP a day before its formal adoption, world leaders raised the alarm over an "acute and growing flow of foreign terrorist fighters". They vowed to share intelligence, track border crossings and
boost aviation security to halt the movement of jihadist fighters. British Prime Minister David Cameron said security in Europe depended on destroying the "death cult" of IS in its strongholds of northern Iraq and Syria. "We need to keep on making the case that we will be safer in the UK, in France and across Europe if we destroy this death cult once and for all," said Cameron. Chinese President Xi Jinping
said terrorism is a "common enemy" and called for "a joint front to fight against" the threat.
see G20 on page 14
'Turkey foils attack' Turkey also said it had foiled an Islamic State plot to launch a major attack in its biggest city Istanbul on Friday, the same day as the Paris attacks. An official told AFP that the security forces had arrested a see Obama/Putin on page 14
13 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
G20
from page 13
by the horrific attacks that took place in Paris just a day and a half ago," Obama said. "We will redouble our efforts, working with other members of the coalition, to bring about a peaceful transition in Syria and to eliminate Daesh as a force that can create so much pain and suffering for people in Paris, in Ankara, and in other parts of the globe," he said, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L), US President Barack Obama at the G20 Turkey Leaders Summit in Antalya, Turkey
Obama/Putin
from page 13
gang of five extremists, including an associate of the notorious British Islamic State executioner Mohammed Emwazi, widely known as "Jihadi John". The migrant crisis is a key topic at the G20 summit, with Turkey housing some 2.2 million Syrian refugees but the European Union is urging Ankara to do more to prevent migrants undertaking risky
U.S.-led efforts to combat Islamic State were complicated when Russia joined the conflict a month and a half ago, targeting what the West says are mainly areas where foreign-backed fighters are battling Assad, Moscow's ally, rather than Islamic State. The United States, Turkey and their allies want Assad out. Obama huddled with Putin during a working lunch and the two agreed on the need for a Syrian-led transition including U.N.-mediated talks, the White House official said. Putin and Obama talked "extensively," Russian news agencies cited top Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov as saying. "Strategic objectives relating to the fight against the Islamic State are, in principle, very similar, but there are differences on the tactics side," he said. Their meeting builds on progress in Vienna, where foreign ministers on Saturday outlined a plan for a political process in Syria leading to elections within two years, although differences over Assad's fate remain.
boat crossings to reach the EU. With some eastern European members expressing concern about accepting more refugees, European Commission head JeanClaude Juncker warned that the attacks in Paris should in no way poison the sensitive debate over refugees. "Those who organised, who perpetrated the attacks are the very same people who the refugees are fleeing and not the opposite," Juncker said. Discussions on climate change
RARE OPPORTUNITY The Paris attacks again demonstrated how Islamic State poses a threat far beyond its strongholds in Syria and Iraq. Washington already expects France to retaliate by taking on a larger role in the U.S.-led coalition's bombing campaign against Islamic State (ISIL). U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he welcomed the renewed sense of urgency to find a solution to the war in Syria after the Paris attacks, adding the world had a "rare moment" of diplomatic opportunity to end the violence. Obama wants to coax other European and Middle Eastern countries into more tangible steps to show their military commitment and was due to hold a bilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia's King Salman. Last month, the two leaders affirmed the need to cooperate against Islamic State. Obama said he also discussed in a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan coordinating efforts to fortify the border with Syria, which Islamic State has used to smuggle supplies and foreign fighters. www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ obama-g20-islamic-state-putinsyria_5648a154e4b08cda348934ed
will assume greater importance than usual coming ahead of a UN climate conference in Paris at the end of the month that aims to agree a global pact to curb warming of the planet. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged leaders to strengthen a planned G20 declaration on global warming, sources said. www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ obama-putin-strike-chord-on-syria-asleaders-vow-to-quell-terror/ar-BBn26C R?li=AA54ur&ocid=mailsignout
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Government
USA Trade Online is Now FREE! By Henock Kebede, International Trade Macro Analysis Branch Survey Statistician
B
eginning Oct. 15, the newly redesigned USA Trade Online (https://usatrade. census.gov) became free for all users to access. In addition, current users will find many new data fields and functions. The change will make this Census Bureau-provided data tool an even more powerful instrument for accessing and viewing U.S. international trade data. In honor of the second World Statistics Day, now is the time to explore the rich variety of statistics available in USA Trade Online and learn how they support this year’s World Statistics Day theme of “Better Data. Better Lives”.
How does this affect my existing account? If you currently have an active individual account that expires after Oct. 15, then the transition will be transparent to you and your access will continue uninterrupted. Any USA Trade Online account with an annual subscription expiring after Oct. 15 will receive a refund for any remaining balance. Because USA Trade Online will be free to access, multi-user site license holders will need to make the following changes: • Accounts: Create a single individual account to share among your users, or each person in your organization may create their own account. Stay tuned for further instructions by visiting the USA Trade Online website. • Saved reports: Any saved reports on a site license account will be transitioned to the new individual account.
We are excited about being able to provide all international trade data without cost. Please be sure to visit the USA Trade Online website frequently for updates and news about this transition. You
can also contact us at 1-800-5490595, option #4, if you have any questions. http://globalreach.blogs.census. gov/2015/10/20/usa-trade-onlineis-now-free
15 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
President Obama, Bill Gates to Lead Major Effort to Spur Spending on Climate Research By Joby Warrick
A
s world leaders converge on Paris for historic climate talks, a coalition of governments and private investors is preparing to launch major research initiatives that seek to pour billions of dollars into an urgent search for solutions to global warming. President Barack Obama and Microsoft founder Bill Gates are expected to stand with counterparts from more than 20 countries on Monday in announcing the unprecedented efforts, which are aimed at spurring rapid advances in research and development for clean energy, U.S. officials confirmed Sunday. Nineteen governments, including the United States, China and India, will join in a “Mission Innovation” initiative that commits governments to a doubling of public investments in basic energy research over the next five years, Obama administration officials said. In a separate program heavily backed by Gates, 28 of the world’s wealthiest investors will pool their money to provide early-stage capital for technologies that offer promise in bringing affordable clean energy to billions of people, especially in the developing world. “Given the scale of the challenge, we need to be exploring many different paths, and that means we also need to invent new approaches,” Gates explained in a statement on Monday’s launch of the private initiative, dubbed the “Breakthrough Energy Coalition.” Gates said he was
“optimistic that we can invent the tools we need” to battle climate change while providing energy to the world’s poor. The amount of investment planned by the group wasn’t announced. The programs will be formally unveiled in the opening hours of a 12-day climate conference attended by diplomats from more than 190 countries. Negotiators at the talks will seek to hammer out an accord on reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other heattrapping greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The U.S. State Department said in a statement early Monday that the United States was pledging $51 million to a $248 million effort involving 10 other nations to support the Least Developed Countries Fund to support climate change adaptation. In its statement, the State Department said the fund “plays a key role in addressing urgent and immediate adaptation needs of least developed countries.” In the run-up to the talks, more than 180 countries have already submitted pledges to cut or limit carbon pollution, with the aim of keeping global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial averages. But U.S. officials acknowledge that the pledges made so far are not enough to keep the planet from crossing a threshold that scientists say is likely to result in major ecological disruptions, including rising sea levels, mass extinctions
and extreme weather events such as mega-droughts and destructive storms. The United States and other industrialized countries have made major strides in deploying wind and solar energy over the past decade. But investment has lagged in the kinds of basic energy research needed to solve the climate challenge, U.S. officials have acknowledged. The Mission Innovation program will seek to close that
16 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Bill Gates and U.S. Pressident Barack Obama speak at the Climate Change Conference in Paris.
gap, administration officials said. Over the next five years, the 19 participating countries will increase their annual spending on basic research and development to $20 billion, up from current levels of about $10 billion. “It should send a strong signal to the markets . . . that these countries are committing to going all-in on clean energy,” said Brian Deese, an adviser to Obama on climate and energy issues. The 19 countries that signed up
for the initiative include the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases and collectively represent more than 80% of current global spending on energy research. In addition to the United States, China and India, the group includes Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The private initiative headed by
Gates consists of 28 investors from 10 countries, including two African nations that are not part of the 19-nation Mission Innovation bloc. The list of participants includes such U.S. heavyweights as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeffrey P. Bezos, as well as major international investors such as China’s Jack Ma, executive chairman of the Alibaba Group, and Britain’s Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. The group, with a collective net worth of more than $350 billion, will provide capital for early, high-risk research on the most promising technologies, participants said. “We are facing the rising danger of climate change, and it has become clear to me that the solution will require significant innovation,” said Marc Benioff, founder and chief executive of Salesforce.com. “We don’t know what our energy mix will look like years from now, but we have to start inventing it today.” The announcement of the initiatives came as Obama arrived in Paris to attend the opening of the climate summit. In a statement posted on his Facebook account, the president expressed optimism about the meeting’s outcome. “What we’re trying to do in Paris is put in place a long-term framework for further emissions reductions — targets set by each nation, but transparent enough to be verified by other nations,” Obama said. “And we’ll work to mobilize support to help the most vulnerable countries expand clean energy and adapt to the effects of climate change we can no longer avoid.” www.whitehouse.gov/ blog/2015/11/29/announcingmission-innovation http://mission-innovation.net/ http://mission-innovation.net/ statement/
17 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Government
Read the Complete Text of TPP Right Here https://medium.com/the-trans-pacific-partnership hen we have a level playing field, Americans out-compete anyone in the world. That’s a fundamental truth about our country. But right now, the rules of global trade put our workers, our businesses, and our values at a disadvantage.
medium.com/the-transpacificpartnership. The TPP is the highest standard trade agreement in history. It eliminates 18,000 taxes that various countries put on American goods. That will boost Made-in-America exports abroad while supporting higher-paying jobs right here at home. And that’s going to help our
If you’re an autoworker in Michigan, the cars you build face taxes as high as 70% in Vietnam. If you’re a worker in Oregon, you’re forced to compete against workers in other countries that set lower standards and pay lower wages just to cut their costs. If you’re a small business owner in Ohio, you might face customs rules that are confusing, costly, and an unnecessary barrier to selling abroad. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) change that -- and you can read the complete text at: https://
economy grow. I know that past trade agreements haven’t always lived up to the hype. So I want to tell you a little bit about what makes this trade agreement so different, and so important. The TPP includes the strongest labor standards in history, from requiring a minimum wage and worker safety regulations to prohibiting child labor and forced labor. It also includes the strongest environmental commitments in history, requiring countries in one of the most biologically diverse areas on Earth to crack down on illegal wildlife trafficking, illegal logging,
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and illegal fishing. These standards are at the core of the agreement and are fully enforceable -- which means we can bring trade sanctions against countries that don’t step up their game. And for the first time ever, we’ll have a multilateral trade agreement that reflects the reality of the digital economy by promoting a free and open Internet and by preventing unfair laws that restrict the free flow of data and information. In other words, the TPP means that America will write the rules of the road in the 21st century. When it comes to Asia, one of the world’s fastest-growing regions, the rulebook is up for grabs. And if we don’t pass this agreement -- if America doesn’t write those rules -- then countries like China will. And that would only threaten American jobs and workers and undermine American leadership around the world. That’s why I am posting the text of this agreement here for you to read and explore. There’s a lot in here, so we’ve put together summaries of each chapter to help you navigate what’s in the agreement and what these new standards will mean for you. Read it all in full at https://medium. com/the-transpacific-partnership. I know that if you take a look at what’s actually in the TPP, you will see that this is, in fact, a new type of trade deal that puts American workers first. Take a look. Then make up your mind. -- President Barack Obama
18 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Education Trade Mission to Africa March 7-10, 2016 Johannesburg, South Africa Accra, Ghana Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire This Trade.gov mission seeks to connect U.S. higher education institutions to potential students and university/institution partners in three African countries: South Africa, Ghana, and an optional stop in Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). The goals of the United States Education Mission to Africa are: • to help participants gain market exposure and to introduce them to the vibrant African market in the countries of South Africa, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire • to help participants assess current and future business prospects by establishing valuable contacts with prospective students and educational institutions/partners; and • to help participants develop market knowledge and relationships leading to student recruitment and potential partnerships. The trade mission will include student fairs organized by EducationUSA, embassy briefings, site visits, and networking events in our target cities of Johannesburg, Accra, and Abidjan. The African continent has a growing middle class, and presently spends up to $900 million on education annually. Participation will be limited to 25 institutions on a first come basis. For more information, contact: Jennifer Woods, jennifer.woods@trade.gov or Debra Rogers at debra.rogers@trade.gov.
The Obamas Extend Kwanzaa Greetings
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resident Obama’s “Happy Kwanzaa” wishes have sparked a social media firestorm of vitriol from those who feel the greeting is somehow inappropriate or anti-Christian, or that the well-wishes somehow overshadow Christmas. There are even accusations that the White House is showing unfair preference by expressing greetings for Kwanzaa while
failing to wish a Merry Christmas to celebrants of that holiday. Do the accusations hold up, though? Well, the answer is, No. See the full story in the Inquisitr using the link below or vist WhiteHouse.gov to enjoy the First Family Greetings. www.inquisitr.com/2660489/president-obamas-happykwanzaa-sparks-outrage-war-on-christmas 19 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Let Us Help You Grow Your Business to New Heights. To take your business to the next level, it’s essential that you choose the right financial partner. At East West Bank, we offer all the products and services you expect from a big bank with the high level of personal attention you expect from a local bank. Our bankers have over 40 years of experience helping minority businesses reach their financial goals. We look forward to working closely with you to customize a financial solution tailored to your unique situation. For more information about East West Bank and our solutions for businesses, please call: 1.626.768.6729 www.eastwestbank.com
Equal Housing Lender
Member FDIC
Use Your Senses to Spot a Gas Leak To help keep your community safe and secure, use your senses of sight, hearing or smell to alert you to any of the following signs of a natural gas leak. LOOK
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT A GAS LEAK • Remain calm • Don’t light a match, candle or cigarette • Don’t turn electrical appliances or lights on or off or use any device that could cause a spark • Natural gas leaking from a plastic pipe can create static electricity which can ignite the gas • Immediately evacuate the area, and from a safe location, call 800-427-2200, 24 hours a day, seven days a week; or call 911
© 2014 Southern California Gas Company. All rights reserved.
• A damaged connection to a gas appliance • Dirt or water being blown in the air • Dead or dying vegetation (in an otherwise moist area) over or near gas pipeline areas • A fire or explosion near a pipeline • Exposed pipeline after an earthquake, fire, flood or other disaster
LISTEN • An unusual sound, such as a hissing, whistling or roaring sound near a gas line or appliance
SMELL • The distinctive odor* of natural gas *Some people may not be able to smell the odor because they have a diminished sense of smell, olfactory fatigue (normal, temporary inability to distinguish an odor after prolonged exposure to it) or because the odor is being masked or hidden by other odors that are present, such as cooking, damp, musty or chemical odors. In addition, certain conditions in pipe and soil can cause odor fade – the loss of odorant so that it is not detectable by smell.
BBN Show Biz Buzz By Linda Ware
Shonda Rhimes Affirms Weight Loss and Announces New Book and TV Show
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honda Rhimes appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to discuss her new memoir, Year of Yes. During their talk Rhimes said that the guiding motivation behind her 127 pound weight loss was health -- not aesthetics. The queen of ABC has a new show on the horizon. The Catch, created by Rhimes and Betsy Beers, is an hour-long thriller whose protagonist, Alice Martin, investigates fraud — but becomes a victim herself at the hands of her boyfriend. Alice must hunt him down before Shonda Rhimes her ruins her career, while still maintaining her caseload. www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/shonda-rhimes-weight-loss-ellen_5 640f54ce4b0307f2cae6a73??te=TMZ www.refinery29.com/2015/05/87087/shonda-rhimes-new-showthe-catch-ab
Patti LaBelle's Place
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or the upcoming Cooking Channel special "Patti LaBelle's Place," Miss LaBelle is cooking up crab cakes and pan-seared branzino with sauteed kale for Whoopi Goldberg, roast lamb with sweet potatoes and rainbow mac and cheese for her Dancing with the Stars partner, Artem Chigvintsev, and quick and easy parfaits with Michelle Williams, before bringing the party to a close with some
singing! The special show will air in December 2015 on the 5th and the 27th. www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/patti-labelles-place/specials/ patti-labelles-place.htm
Denzell to Receive Another Golden Globe Award
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c t o r / Director Denzel Wa s h i n g t o n is making 60 one of his best years yet. He reunited Denzell Washington & with Training Daughter Day director Antoine Fuqua to film the Magnificent 7, announced there will be an Equalizer sequel, and he's set to direct the movie version of August Wilson’s Fences (he starred in the Broadway production in 2010!) for Paramount Pictures. It's about time the Academy Award & Golden Globe winner is recognized even more for his body of work, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) agrees. At the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards (airing January 10), Denzel will be honored with the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Award. HFPA President Lorenzo Soria r e v e a l e d : “Washington’s long and storied career is earmarked by his countless roles in front and behind the camera. It is the HFPA’s privilege to honor
24 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
his contributions to the entertainment industry with the Cecil B. DeMille Award.” Denzel follows George Clooney in receiving the Award. http://theybf.com/2015/11/17/winning-denzel-washingtonset-to-receive-cecil-b-demille-award-at-golden-globes
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Spike Lee's Chi-Raq Opens Dec. 4th
he movie opens in theaters Dec. 4th and is based on the ancient Greek play "Lysistrata," which centers on a female-led sex strike launched in the hope of putting an end to violence. Does the film find a balance between satire and seriousness in its depiction of a city battered by gun violence? Is Nick Cannon, long known as a comedic actor, believable as a hardened rapper? Get in line on Dec. 4th, you'll have a better idea. The cast includes: Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Nick Cannon in Chi-Raq
'Ayanda And The Mechanic', African Cinema
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or non-African audiences, Sara Belcher’s “Ayanda and the Mechanic” is an important and fascinating piece that is absolutely worth seeing for its representation of a modern A f r i c a n story, which is uniquely, distinctively African, but also urban, fresh, and contemporary in a way that is far too rare. Anchored by a standout performance by the magnetic Fulu Mugovahni, the vibe and milieu of “Ayanda and the Mechanic” is as refreshing as a light summer breeze. Ayanda is a creative jolt of energy, a designer repurposing old barrels and scrap metal into hip pieces of furniture in her dad’s automotive garage. He’s passed on, but she keeps his spirit in the space, working alongside the mechanics. see BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 26
25 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
BBN Show Biz Buzz http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/laff-reviewayanda-and-the-mechanic-is-a-fresh-modernexample-of-african-cinema-20150614
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CREED
he seventh installment of the famed Rocky franchise is a semi-spin-off called Creed. You can read the synopsis in its entirety here: "Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo
With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title…but can he develop." Fruitvale Station’s Ryan Coogler takes the helm of the project with The Fantastic Four’s Michael B. Jordan and Dear White People's Tessa Thompson are featured stars. The early Rocky films starred Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed. www.cinemablend.com/new/What-Rocky-MovieActually-About-70011.html
T Ryan Coogler, Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan Carl Creed, who died Weathers before he was born. as Apollo Still, there’s no denying Creed that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa. Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced Tessa Thompson in the ring.
The Movie Black Friday, Buy It Now!!!!
he documentary, Black Friday, takes an in depth look into the spending habits of AfricanAmericans in America. The documentory that asks the question "What will be your legacy, bills or benefits?" The film chronicles the financial miseducation of many African-Americans and explores the economic pitfalls that continue to derail the progress of the communityat-large. In an effort to heighten the economic a w a r e n e s s and financial responsibility in the African-American community, the film, Black Friday, presents solutions on how to better manage the 1.2 Trillion dollars that leaves AfricanAmerican communities annually. In addition, the film champions financial literacy and the importance of leaving a financial and ethical legacy for the next generation. Read all about the movie, view the trailer, hold a showing in your city, and/or order the film at http:// t h e f i l m b l a c k f r i d a y. com. Visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thefilmblackfriday and please email all inquiries, questions, and request to: TheFilmBlackFriday@gmail.com.
26 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Billy Dee Williams
Samuel L. Jackson
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The Hateful Eight
he epic western film, "The Hateful Eight" revolves around bounty hunters holed up during a blizzard in post-Civil War Wyoming. The cast of the film, features Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson and Tim Roth, among other director QuentinTarantino veterans. The film will be released in select theaters on Christmas Day and all theaters on January 8, 2016. www.mediaite.com/online/first-trailer-released-for-filmquentin-tarantino-vowed-he-wouldnt-make
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Casting Causing Stir
Samuel L. Jackson
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here has been a public backlash with troubling racial overtones since the first trailer for the new edition of the Star Wars sci-fi series debuted. The footage in all of the trailers prominently feature black British actor John Boyega, which has led to some hostile reactions. For his part, Boyega has taken the high road, telling prejudiced “Star Wars” fans to “get used to it.” Ironically, the original “Star John Boyega Wars” trilogy (1977-1983) was criticized for not being diverse enough. Actor Billy Dee Williams played the only lead character of color, Lando Calrissian, in two of the films. James Earl Jones did lend his iconic voice to the series’ most popular villain, Darth Vader. The prequels (19992005) featured Samuel L. Jackson in the role of Mace Windu, a purple lightsaber-wielding Jedi. By casting Boyega, Oscar Issac (who has Guatemalan and Cuban ancestry) and Lupita Nyong’o (who gives a motion captured performance), director J.J. Abrams is clearly trying to broaden the series’ diversity and
James Earl Jones
appeal. A confirmed release date of December 18, 2015, has been set for Lucasfilm's highly anticipated Star Wars: Episode VII.
Lupita Nyong'o
www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ new-star-wars-the-forceawakens-trailer-sparks-racialbacklash-0
27 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
MBDA Business Centers Grant Opp Now Open 29 new centers will be approved for 2016
GRANT OPPORTUNITY (www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=279485) MBDA-OBD-2016-2004577 MBDA Business Centers (29) Department of Commerce The synopsis for this grant opportunity is detailed below, following this paragraph. This synopsis contains all of the updates to this document that have been posted as of 10/5/2015. If updates have been made to the opportunity synopsis, update information is provided below the synopsis. If you would like to receive notifications of changes to the grant opportunity go to send me change notification emails (http://apply07.grants.gov/search/email.do?oppNumber=MBDA-OBD-20162004577&agencycode=DOC). The only thing you need to provide for this service is your email address. No other information is requested. Document Type: Funding Opportunity Number: Funding Opportunity Title: Opportunity Category: Funding Instrument Type: Category of Funding Activity:
Category Explanation: Expected Number of Awards: CFDA Number(s): Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:
Grants Notice MBDA-OBD-2016-2004577 MBDA Business Centers (29) Discretionary Cooperative Agreement Environment Natural Resources Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Posted: 10/5/2015 Created: 10/5/2015 Org Closing Date: 12/3/2015 Closing Date: 12/3/2015 Archive Date: 01/02/2016 Est. Funding: $10,227,450 Award Ceiling: $337,875 Award Floor: $285,400
29 11.805 -- MBDA Business Center Yes
For information on this and other grant opportunities visit: www.mbda.gov and www.grants.gov.
29 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
A
re you a Small Business interested in selling your product or services to Metro or to Prime Contractors that do business with Metro? Would you like to learn how to win contracts as a Prime Contractor through SB Prime, Metro's exciting set-aside initiative? If so, we invite you to come grow with us and learn about Metro Connect. Start now and register for a How to Do Business with Metro Workshop. Metro staff will show you how to take advantage of the vast array of products, services and transportation related opportunities projected over the coming weeks, months and year. As an added bonus, Metro's procurement staff will host informal interviews with firms before the workshop, starting at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 12, 2016 8:30 a.m.: Registration 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: One-on-One with Contract Administrators and Continental Breakfast 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Program
Metro Headquarters 3rd Floor, Board Room, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Topics: Highway Project Update, Procurement Update, Certification Update, Small Business Prime Update, LA SAFE/511 Next Generation Update To learn more about how Metro Connect's Small and Disadvantaged Business Certifications can help open the door to contracting opportunities with Metro visit Metro Vendor Portal. For further questions, please contact Marisela Villar at VillarM@metro.net or via phone at 213.922.2235.
30 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Crowdfunding Rules Announced by SEC By Jonathan Ortmans
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he U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently finalized the rules guiding how startups can sell equity. These new guidelines become active on Jan. 29, 2016? While the 2012 Jumpstart Our Businesses Act (JOBS) Act opened the doors for the public at-large to invest part of their income in tech startups, since then the nation has had to wait patiently for the SEC to define and approve the rules setting limitations on who could invest and how much. After healthy debate, the SEC has removed the provision that new businesses can only sell equity to “accredited investors” – individuals worth $1 million or earning more than $200,000 a year. The new rules on crowdfunding allow anyone with a net worth less than $100,000 to invest up to $2,000 (or 5% of their net worth, whichever is greater) over a 12-month period. If an investor has an income and net worth greater than $100,000, they can invest up to 10% of their net worth. The new rules will be effective Jan. 29, 2016. To date, willing crowdfunding investors have been lured as startup backers merely by the possibility of receiving a token item in return – such as a sample of the innovative product, or even just a T-shirt (think Indiegogo or Kickstarter campaigns seen until now). Now,
the chance for equity ownership expands the pool of potential investors in startup innovations to greater numbers, new geographies and from a variety of backgrounds. Soon after the SEC issued the new rules, the largest European crowdfunding company, Seedrs, announced that it will start a beta test of its platform in the U.S., with plans for a full launch in early 2016. By enabling all types of investors to purchase shares in small, growing companies, Seedrs claims to have funded more than 270 companies to date, and has raised an average of 5.38 million per month. Companies like Seedrs have been waiting for the U.S. to join the ranks of countries that have legalized and expanded equity crowdfunding, such as the United Kingdom. They are ready to abide by SEC rules mandating platform companies educate consumers about the process and risks involved in investing. While angels invest higher sums compared to individuals through crowdfunding campaigns – angels typically invest between $250,000 to $500,000, in exchange for equity – crowdfunding is a type of financing that comes with its own advantages for business owners. First, crowdfunding comes with a built-in, wide customer base that can provide feedback and publicity – which is important in an era when founder teams build companies like one would build an airplane in the air. Second, crowdfunding provides the entrepreneur with freedom from depending on closeknit investment “know-who” circles that have traditionally closed gates to outsiders or newcomers. Equity crowdfunding will not be
restriction-free, of course. During a 12-month period, a startup can only offer a maximum aggregate amount of $1 million. That any business looking to raise over that amount will need to explore traditional avenues for financing is not a negative factor. With a rapidly expanding number of angel investor organizations ready to take the baton, and increased awareness regarding the need of startups to focus more on product development and validation, the $1 million limit will appropriately discipline less capital intensive new firms that need to be able to afford to fail fast if necessary. As governments roll out more regulatory changes aimed at better enabling new firm formation, the challenge now turns to whether they have prepared adequately to measure the impact of their efforts. This will be a focus for the upcoming Startup Nations Summit for Policymakers in Mexico Nov. 21 – 22 this year. A new initiative called the Startup Nations Atlas of Policies (SNAP) will be announced, which documents such efforts and sheds light on whether governments are measuring effectiveness. The new equity crowdfunding regulations from the SEC are a real step forward for the U.S., after several years of deadlock while other nations rapidly moved ahead. Let’s hope the government’s cautious approach results in an equally rigorous outcome assessment both in terms of increased engagement by American citizens in their fellow risk taking entrepreneurs, and proper protection of our least experienced – even if enthusiastic – consumers. www.kauffman.org/blogs/policy-dialogue/2015/ november/crowdfunding-rules-announcedwhat-next?utm_source=newsletter&utm_ medium=email&utm_ campaign=pde2015-11-09&_cldee=bGlvbi5jb21t QGhvdG1haWwuY29t
31 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
November 10, 2015
How to Win Elections Behind the Cotton Curtain
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e won the Voting Rights Act of 1965 at Selma, combining the power of a principled mass movement led by Dr. King and a compassionate president who did the right thing despite the heavy political price. What was that cost? Well,
Rev. Ralph Abernathy President Lyndon Johnson said it best at the time, when he told his aides that we’d “just lost the South for a generation.” The civil rights movement made the moral move by marching across the bridge at Selma. LBJ did the right thing by signing the Voting Rights Act into law, knowing the price his party would pay. The Jefferson Davis Democrats in the South did the wrong thing by responding to the “Southern Strategy” of Richard Nixon and the racial dog whistles of Ronald Reagan. Due to race, the oncesolid Democratic South switched over to become today’s solid
Republican South. Now it’s been half a century. Not just a generation, as LBJ foretold, but two-and-a-half generations — and still the Republican Party dominates below the Mason-Dixon Line. As Rachel Maddow brought up in
could finally have professional sports teams. The civil rights movement forced the development of integrated football teams at Southern colleges that now dominate the sport. The Olympics could be held in Atlanta in 1996, with Muhammad Ali and Stevie Wonder at the closing ceremonies. Toyota and Mercedes Benz could locate plants in the South, providing better jobs than cotton ever had. Yet Southern politicians, stuck in the politics of fear, still poke at racial wounds for short-term success. In order to starve the government, Southern politicians still refuse to invest in infrastructure across the Rev. Martin L. John region. Rebuilding our ports King Lewis and harbors, investing in jobs last week’s presidential forum, the programs that would employ white Democratic Party in today’s South and African-American workers, has been “hollowed out,” with only preparing our coasts to survive a handful of successful statewide the future Katrina-like storms that Democratic candidates. climate change will bring, accepting As long as that situation exists, the Medicaid expansion that would the Democrats will be able to win provide needed health care for so the presidency, but what about the many families — these public policy Senate and House? initiatives would develop the region The sad irony is that the South even more, and open up the futures has benefited the most from the for so many young Southerners. civil rights movement, whites and Yet too many politicians and African-Americans together. voters continue to choose race The tearing down of the “Cotton over reason. White working-class Curtain” by the civil rights martyrs Southern voters continue to run and marchers meant that the South from race, choosing the party that could join our modern economy. backs both tax cuts and job cuts. Population jumped. The South This is a political odd couple that
32 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
President Barack Obama makes no sense. Half a century after the Voting Rights Act, too many Southern voters are still afraid of change, even when it would benefit them.
How do we break through? First of all, former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean was right — we need a 50-state strategy. We need to compete everywhere in the country, from the local level to the state level to the presidency. The Democratic Party in the South needs to rebuild, to move from the outhouse to the
courthouse to the statehouse to the White House. Second, candidate Barack Obama showed us how we win in the South — with a message of hope and change, combined with a massive voter registration effort and a huge voter turnout. In 2008, that combination carried Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. In 2012, Florida and Virginia again went blue, with North Carolina barely missing out. Third, we need to battle voter suppression. Sen. Bernie Sanders
was right when he pointed out that too many Republican leaders are “cowards” for repressing the African-American vote. Bernie also mentioned universal voter registration during Rachel Maddow’s forum, and right afterwards, in an interview with Chris Matthews, he raised an idea that I have been pushing for — a constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to vote to every American. And we must protect and restore the power of the Voting Rights Act. Fourth, we need to invest bottomup in the South, economically and politically. If we raise wages, provide health care for everyone and open up voter registration to all our people, hope will rise, the South will develop, and people’s lives will be better. If white working-class families choose hope over fear, their lives will improve — and so will those of Southern Latinos and AfricanAmericans. And Democrats will be able to win elections again. www.rainbowpush.org
www.facebook.com/pages/Los-Angeles-Worlds-Fair/543396465697684
www.laworldsfair.org
Editorial
SUPER SOAKER HITS MARK By Justin Wm. Moyer and Fred Barbash
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n 1989, years after coming up with a fancy water gun no one seemed to care about, Lonnie Johnson was at a crossroads. The inventor and Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer was awaiting an interview with a toy company that could make or break him. Johnson went in to sell Larami Ltd. on his strange-looking homemade water cannon. The executives’ question: “Does it work?” Sometimes, a powerful jet of water launched across an office is the best pitch. Johnson let fly, and water splashed against the conference room wall. “I knew I had captured their imagination,” said Johnson, who was responsible for power subsystems on the Galileo spacecraft at JPL in La Cañada-Flintridge. “They could see what I had seen in the water gun all along.” Though he’s already made millions, founded his own company and been lauded as a revolutionary toy maker, Johnson is now an official squirt-gun saint. The Super Soaker — which transformed water battles in the same way the Gatling gun revolutionized warfare — has been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. “Fun with Super Soakers yields several dividends: exercise in the chases and brain-training while calculating vectors to moving targets and improvising tactics on the fly,” said Chris Bensch, vice president of collections for the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., which runs the hall of fame. “Getting soaked in the process adds up to good, clean fun.” (The other inductees included the puppet, no particular brand — just
the simple puppet — and the game Twister.) For Johnson, it was just another honor in a career that began in the hardscrabble days of segregated post-World War II Alabama. He was the third child of six; in Mobile, his family struggled constantly to get by. His mother worked in a laundry and as a nurse’s aid; his father was a handyman and a civilian driver at an Air Force base. Both picked cotton on Johnson’s grandfather’s farm. There would be no fancy storebought toys, so Johnson’s father taught him to tinker. In Johnson’s all-black high school, the kid called “Professor” found no encouragement. Even when Johnson, part of the only African American team present, won a science competition with a robot powered by compressed air at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, he was shuffled out the door. “The only thing anybody from the university said to us during the entire competition,” Johnson said, “was ‘Goodbye’ and ‘Y’all drive safe, now.’” A degree at Tuskegee University, where Johnson sought to follow in the footsteps of famed inventor George Washington Carver, led to a career in the Air Force and a stint at NASA. But even while designing missions to Jupiter and Saturn, Johnson was tinkering at home with a way to make a heat pump that used water instead of Freon as a coolant. “I had hooked up the pump to the water faucet and shot a stream of water across the bathroom into
the tub,” Johnson told the Los Angeles Times in 1999. “The pressure was so great that the curtains were swaying. I told myself that it would be a great water gun.” It was seven years before anyone else saw that same potential. In 1989, Johnson came to a meeting with Larami engineers armed with a prototype he’d made from a soda bottle and PVC pipe. He left with a $30,000 check and has since made millions of dollars from royalties on every gun sold. Larami was later bought by Hasbro Corp., which continues to license the Super Soaker. Much of Johnson’s fortune has been invested back into his Atlanta company, Johnson Research & Development (www.johnsonrd. com). Johnson has worked with Nerf dart guns, but he’s also on the hunt for more efficient solar power and rechargeable batteries. Ac-
34 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Welcome to More.
Lonnie Johnson
cording to the company’s website, Johnson is “a technology company that has the creative culture and radically innovative atmosphere of a toy company.” In other words, inventors must keep chasing wild dreams and crazy notions. “Persevere,” Johnson advised inventors not long after the Super Soaker made its debut. “That’s what I always say to people. There’s no easy route. Nobody’s going to step in and dump a lot of money and make it easy.” Moyer and Barbash write for the Washington Post. www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/ viewer.aspx
Open the door to a hotel you don’t just visit. You own it. Choice Hotels® is committed to achieving more diversity in hospitality with exclusive incentive programs designed to reduce up front costs and provide more support to minority hotel developers. And our commitment doesn’t stop there. Choice Hotels promotes and pursues diversity at all levels, ranging from our workforce to our hotel guests, from our suppliers to entrepreneurs looking to create wealth. Like you. Open the door to hotel ownership opportunities with Choice Hotels. Because you’re not in business for less. You’re in it for more. www.choicehotelsdevelopment.com/#&panel1-2
35 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Regina L. Faison has been in the securities industry for 24 years.. She assists individuals, business Wealth Manager Manager owners and non-profit organizations in developing long-term financial solutions by providing services for Retirement, 401K, 403B, and 457 planning; implementing customized investment strategies and assistance on health, long term care and life insurance. Regina works with her clients’ attorneys and CPAs and has external partners in the areas of Medicare solutions, Real Estate, mortgage, and financing. Regina is series 7, 24, 31, 63, 65, and insurance licensed. She is active in her community and is President of the Derrick L. Faison Foundation, which she founded in July 2004 after losing a loved one to Faison Wealth and Retirement Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. 3070 Bristol Ave, Ste. 500 She gives back to the community by Costa Mesa, CA 92626 teaching and sponsoring life-saving Office: 949-200-8212 skills such as CPR certification and educating underserved youth about Mobile: 714-329-7184 career paths in business, the regina@faisonwealth.com importance of education, and www.faisonwealth.com developing their overall growth “HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR LIFE GOALS” potential.
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36 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
HOLIDAY RED ALERT!
Supercharge Your Email Marketing Strategy
Black Business Shopping Directory - Page 104 and througout the publiaation
Business
12 Startup Pitfalls to Avoid By Natasha Clark, Lioness Magazine
S
o you want to be an entrepreneur, eh? Get ready for the ride of your life. Following our passions gives us a feeling of vivacity that is infectious. We get tunnel vision as we hone in on our dreams. It’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we need tunnel vision to stay on task and to keep our dream alive on awful days. But other the other hand, we have to heed the signs that may be pointing for us to take a new route or reevaluate an idea. If you don’t pump your breaks every now and then to come up for air, you could find yourself tumbling down the rabbit hole of disaster. Here are 12 Startup Pitfalls to Avoid. 1. Going with no guidance. The task of writing a business plan can be daunting. In fact, many people with exciting business ideas often give up when it is time to get it down on paper or they fly without one and wonder why their plane crashes mid-way after takeoff. Your plan is your map and every now then you’re going to need to look back at it to make sure you’re on track (especially if you intend to seek financing). Whether it’s in an old shoe box, computer file or tattooed on the bottom of your foot, you should at least have the vision, its purpose, the mission and your target audience written down somewhere. 2. Spending cash unwisely. Think of your money as your lifeline. Even blood donors have to wait 56 days before they can donate again. You should be spending conservatively and only on necessities as a startup. Entrepreneurship brings a variety
of hidden costs. Mismanagement of funds and bankrolling poorly executed ideas is a surefire way to go broke fast. 3. Figuring it out on your own. No one is an expert in everything. If you don’t know the answer, find someone who does. There are a variety of programs to assist entrepreneurs, networking opportunities to meet other professionals and workshops to teach solutions to problems. You can’t be all things. Smart entrepreneurs surround themselves with smart people. 4. Fearing failure. You’re going to fail most of the time and get it right some of the time. You get more lessons and experience out of losses than wins. It’s scary. It sucks. It’s entrepreneurship. Think things through. Try your hardest. If you fail, reevaluate, get back up and repeat. 5. Not devising a marketing strategy. How can someone buy your product if they never heard of it? You’ll learn very quickly that it takes more than grandma bragging about you to her friends at church and a classified ad to build a brand. Find out where your target audience is going and be there when they arrive. You’re also going to have to leave your modesty at home and actually tell people what you do. If you’re not enthusiastic to sell what they will be buying, they won’t be enthusiastic about taking their hard-earned cash to buy it. 6. Growing too fast. Once you start meeting your financial goals, even exceeding them, this is the perfect time to reevaluate and pull out that old
business plan or vision statement we talked about in #1. Don’t just aimlessly decide to start hiring new employees, adding more products to your line, making large distribution deals or spending more on plush items. Growing requires preparation and a blueprint. Just remember that more employees, more office space, more products, more overhead costs means spending MORE money. 7. Not being on the same page as your partner. If you’re going into business with a partner, you guys not only need to be on the same page, but at the end of that page should be a line for you both to sign on and a notary
seal. Nothing can make a venture go sour like two people who begin to despise one another. Sure they’ll be days when you want deflate your partner’s car tires, but a good working relationship starts with a legally sound one. Your roles should be clearly defined, your strengths and weaknesses should be shared candidly behind closed doors and your decision-making process should be clear before the first decision is implemented. You both should be a unified front to your staff, investors and general public. There should be trust and room for respectful disagreement. Because there will be issues – oh yes – many issues. But who wants see Pitfalls on page 45
41 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
RIO 2016 OLYMPIC OPPORTUNITIES Stay Current through the Olympic Newsletter: http://www.export.gov/brazil/games/eg_ br_080260.asp Current tenders can be found at: http://portaldesuprimentos.rio2016.com/en/ status/of/the/bids For information on the Games visit http://export.gov/ brazil/games/index. asp www.export.gov/ brazil/games/eg_ br_080260.asp
Black Business Association is joining forces with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and a number of other businesses and community organizations to help promote safe driving through
Sell Your Products & Services on
It Can Wait. http://itcanwait.com 42 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Six Tips to Boost Customer Service During the Holidays By Karen E Kleinempty treats in the store for tired, hungry customers is a good idea, she says. Manage seasonal staff. If you’ve brought in temporary help or seasonal employees, make sure they’re scheduled alongside he holiday shopping season experienced staffers. “Putting two brings new people into or three new people on shift at the your small business. If you same time is a recipe for disaster” impress them, you have a shot at that could make customers turning them into loyal customers. question your quality commitment, Disappoint them, and you risk says Andrea Servadio, co-founder turning them off forever. of Fitdog Sports Club, a doggy day It’s not easy to keep service care in Santa Monica, Calif. But levels high when lines are long when new people can get quick and customers get cranky. A answers to questions and remedy recent survey showed that 69% mistakes, customers are far more of consumers reported worse forgiving. customer experiences during the Go beyond expectations. holiday months. Dan Graham, chief executive But customer service is one officer of BuildASign.com and area where small businesses EasyCanvasPrints.com, has can beat big-box competitors. a budget devoted to sending “The real differentiator for flowers or other unexpected gifts small business is providing the to customers. “This is the time of excellent, personalized customer year, more than any other, where service that has been lost in retail we come into contact with a lot of today,” says Ronald Goodstein, our customers. It’s imperative that associate professor of marketing at they have a good experience so it Georgetown University. will drive repeat business,” he says. At mobile accessories company Here are six tips for boosting Tech Armor, co-founder Eric Tong customer service this month: pumps up his customer service Set an example. Business team with stories from prior owners should be on the sales holidays. “One of our favorites floor greeting customers with the was a customer who purchased a kind of attitude they want their product for her son and was only employees to display. “The holiday going to see him on Christmas Eve,” rush is a good thing, not a burden. he says. “She couldn’t afford the Get into the shop early, greet your overnight shipping. We surprised staff members with a smile, and her by expediting the shipment have coffee and something easy so she was able to give the gift for them to munch on when they in person. She called us Santa’s arrive,” says small business coach elves.” Dawn Fotopulos. Having holiday
Customer service is one area where small businesses can beat bigbox competitors
T
Empower your employees. Graham’s employees have the decision-making power to do whatever it takes to make customers happy. “This eliminates the need for tedious processes and manager reviews that make customers—and customer service representatives—frustrated,” he says. When TechArmor’s customers are upset, Tong instructs employees not to focus on whether they are right or wrong, but to respond with compassion. “Most customers will appreciate honesty. Own up to mistakes and allow customers to provide input for how you might make amends,” he says. “Whenever a customer or potential customer reaches out, we don’t dismiss or neglect them.” Reward your staff. If your
44 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Pitfalls from page 41
employees are on commission, make sure they get appropriate credit for ringing up sales, Georgetown’s Goodstein says. Offer bonuses and sales rewards and spring for lunch, especially during the busy days when your employees may be missing out on time with family and friends. “Rewards for your employees should reflect the position you want to have in your customers’ minds,” he says. If your company is all about fun, throw a great holiday party. If you’re about service, have a contest that sends the winner to a high-end hotel for a weekend. Run the numbers. Analyze last year’s sale figures to determine when you’ll be busiest and staff up to meet the demand, so your employees won’t be overwhelmed.
From the Black Business Association November News Alert!. Pick out some metrics that help you measure excellent customer service: cash register or telephone call wait times, perhaps. Then monitor those metrics and go over them regularly with your employees so they’re clear what your expectations are for this holiday season. www.bloomberg.com/news/ articles/2014-12-12/small-business-howto-boost-customer-service-during-theholidays#r=hpt-ls
to deal with that on top of possible backstabbing? 8. Waiting. Successful entrepreneurs execute not procrastinate. You can have a billion-dollar idea, but if you never put it into action it is worthless. Entrepreneurs don’t have time to wait or waste. If you are not a self-motivator who can manage your own time, adhere to deadlines, occasionally beg and be willing to put in at least 12 hours of work most days – then you, my friend, should stick to your day job. 9. Not knowing your competition. If you don’t know what your competitors are doing, how will you know what sets you a part from them? Do the research. Get to know the leading people in your field. Join associations where your peers are having open conversations about your industry. Buy trade journals. Go to trade shows. Participate in Google+ groups and chime in on discussions on LinkedIn. Be in the know. Thinking two steps ahead keeps you on your toes and full of fresh ideas. Industries seldom die. They change. Make sure you’re at the front end of its revolution. 10. Believing if you ‘Build It, They Will Come.’ Ryan L. Mansell, author of Success In Online Business, encourages entrepreneurs to go beyond themselves. “An idea or service may look good to the entrepreneur but the most important question that should ring in one’s mind is whether customers would actually be willing to pay for it.” Case in point: after kicking butt in the dental industry, Colgate thought launching Colgate Dinner Entrees (microwaveable meals) was their next great idea. It wasn’t. Do your see Pitfalls on page 68
45 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Stay Safe and Secure While Using Hotspots There are Hidden Dangers in Public Wi-Fi
W
ith public Wi-Fi hotspots found everywhere now – in coffee shops, hotels and airports – you can find plenty of places to log onto the Internet with your mobile device. But this free access doesn’t necessarily come without a price. Along with convenience, public Wi-Fi hotspots can also provide an easy way for identity thieves and cybercriminals to track what you’re doing online, and steal your logins or personal information if you’re not careful. How so? Wi-Fi uses radio waves. The openness of these signals at public hotspots, combined with the right eavesdropping software, can allow others to take information without your knowledge – much like someone overhearing a private conversation in a crowded restaurant. Don’t assume that a public Wi-Fi network is safe and secure simply because it has a password. Remember, these passwords are shared, so anyone nearby can easily hop onto the network and see what you’re doing.
Tips to Use with Public Wi-Fi • Watch what sites you visit. Hold off on visiting any sites that require you to log in with a username and password, like your bank or other financial institutions, social networking sites or webmail. Why offer unscrupulous types information that could haunt you later? Play it safe. Save visiting such sites until you’re on a secure, private network. • Be aware of your surroundings. As you have your laptop open in a coffee shop, hotel lobby or airport,
someone may be secretly observing. Take a few moments to make sure no “shoulder surfers” are watching what you type. To help combat this, you might want to consider purchasing a privacy screen to take along with you, or at least sit with your laptop screen turned away from everyone else. • Use a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs (http:// whatismyipaddress.com/vpn) create a networkwithin-a-network solution to keep everything you do on public Wi-Fi private. Even on a passwordprotected network, people can still intercept the signal. VPNs can help make you invisible, allowing you to check sites without worry. It can be both fun and relaxing to sit back and surf the Web while you enjoy a latte at a coffee shop. And sometimes it’s important to check in on your bank account, webmail, or social sites while traveling. But keep in mind that connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots can pose a risk. Imagine what could happen if the wrong people had your bank login information. Be mindful of your surfing habits and use these tips to help stay safe and secure online while using public Wi-Fi. http://us.norton.com/dangersof-public-wifi?om_em_cid=hho_ email_US_TRIG_ACT_AR_LC_ N360MD_T-168_WIFI
46 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
eco. love Wines & Truvée From http://atlantablackstar. com/2015/05/29/9-amazing-blackowned-wineries-and-vineyards-youprobably-dont-know-about
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he dynamic sister duo, Robin and Andrea McBride, have been in the wine industry for more than a decade and are the first Black sisters to establish their own wine company, eco. love Wines (www.ecolovewine.com). After growing up in different countries and meeting each other for the first time in 1999, they embarked on a journey transcending beyond sisterhood, creating a staple within the new generation of wine makers. The company was built on the foundation of providing exquisite wines with minimal environmental impact at a price point everyone can enjoy. Truvée Wines (http://thewinebar.com/truvee) is the sisters’ latest venture, inspired by their personal story of discovery, friendship and sisterhood. Price Range: $15.00-$20.00 Purchase: Online
http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/05/29/9-amazingblack-owned-wineries-and-vineyards-you-probablydont-know-about
47 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Run. Hide. Fight. Surviving An Active Shooter Event RUN When an active shooter is in your vicinity: • If there is an escape path, attempt to evacuate. • Evacuate whether others agree to or not. • Leave your belongings behind. • Help others escape, if possible. • Prevent others from entering the area. • Call 911 when you are safe.
HIDE If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide: • Lock and/or blockade the door. • Silence your cell phone. • Hide behind large objects • Remain very quiet. Your hiding place should: • Be out of the shooter's view. • Provide protection if shots are fired. • Not trap or restrict your options for movement.
FIGHT As a last resort, and only if your life is in danger: • Attempt to incapacitate the shooter. • Act with physical aggression. • Improvise weapons. • Commit to your actions.
REMEMBER • • • •
Try to be aware of your environment. Always have an exit plan. Know that in an incident like this, the event is unpredictable and may evolve quickly. The first responders on the scene are not there to evacuate or to tend to the injured; they are well trained and are there to stop the shooter.
911 When Law Enforcement arrives: • Remain calm and follow instructions. • Keep your hands visible at all times. • Avoid pointing or yelling. • Know that help for the injured is on its way. Your actions can make a difference for your safety and survival
BE AWARE! BE PREPARED! From the video Surviving An Active Shooter Event prepared by Homeland Security www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcSwejU2D0 48 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pies Selling Out by Rachel Tepper Paley
N
ot long ago, no one had heard of golden-tongued YouTuber James Wright “Chanel,” who burst onto the scene last week with a musical review of Patti LaBelle’s sweet potato pie. To say he went viral is an understatement — to date, the video has been seen more than 1 million times. And ever since that video spread like wildfire, Walmart — which developed the pie with LaBelle and sells it exclusively — has been struggling to keep up with demand. Everyone wants a slice of Ms. LaBelle’s silky, autumnal pie. A Walmart in Valley Stream, N.Y., salesperson said. “The warehouse is also sold out. You can thank Mr. James for that." Halfway across the country, a Walmart store clerk in Kalamazoo, Mich., told Yahoo Food that the pies are selling so fast that she doesn’t have time to put dates and prices on them; she just hands them to waiting customers. According to the clerk, the store sold 120 cases of the sweet potato pie on Sunday — a sharp uptick since Wright posted his video. Apparently the pies were "not selling” before the clip went viral. “Check back Wednesday or Thursday,” the clerk suggested, adding with a note of caution, “call before you come.” Walmart representative John Forrest Ales confirmed to Yahoo Food that the sweet potato pies are selling like hot cakes (er, pies) at locations across the country. “For 72 hours, we were selling one per second,” he told us. Ales wouldn’t go into specifics about sales
figures, but at $3.48 a pie, that works out to just under $1 million in sales over the weekend. The pie’s product page is currently the most-visited food site on Walmart.com, Ales said. (For a Patti bit of context, Walmart might sell LaBelle two pumpkin pies every second in the month of November. But still, $1 million in sweet potato pie sales is a lot of pie.) Walmart was caught off-guard by the frenzy, Ales said. “Friday morning, the team was working with the [sweet potato pie] supplier to see how we can keep up with the demand,” Ales said. “The supplier… was having a hard time finding [enough] sweet potatoes. So we walked down the hall to the produce department [and said,] ‘We need about 2 million pounds of California sweet potatoes!’ So that’s what we’ve been working through.” Walmart followed suit, welcoming Ales added that Walmart is Wright to one of their stores over the working hard to replenish stocks weekend. Ales wouldn’t comment at sold-out locations. “We’re really on whether or not the chain might sorry about that,” he said. “We’re consider using the viral video star looking at where stores are out and in a commercial, saying only, “We how we can quickly move pies to definitely are thanking him … We that area.” love customers’ feedback. And such Meanwhile, Patti LaBelle has entertaining feedback is always already chatted personally with fun.” Wright (https://www.yahoo.com/food/ Patti LaBelle is staring in a special man-eats-patti-labelles-pie-goes-full- series on Cooking Channel (www. diva-193451755.html). The YouTuber cookingchanneltv.com/shows/pattirecounted the telephone call to labelles-place.html) this December BET over the weekend: “She kept 5th and 27th. Visit the show site to thanking me and she kept telling read the recipies. me how much she loved me. She www.yahoo.com/food/walmartkept telling me to be me,” Wright sold-an-insane-number-of-pattisaid. “She was like ‘Boy, you can labelles-224226644.htm sang!’“
50 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pie
This makes a light-textured pie, not too sweet and with a nice spice flavor, with a flaky and tender crust. You’ll need a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. The pie crust dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Any leftover pureed sweet potatoes can be frozen for up to 6 months. The pie can be baked and refrigerated a day in advance. Servings: 8 Ingredients For the crust •1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for the work surface •1/2 teaspoon salt •1/2 cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces •1/3 cup ice water •1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter •1/4 cup packed light brown sugar For the filling •Salt •3 large orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (about 2 3/4 pounds), scrubbed •7 tablespoons (most of 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted •1/2 cup packed light brown sugar •1/2 cup granulated sugar •2 large eggs, beaten •1/4 cup half-and-half •3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon •1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Directions •For the crust: Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the shortening. Use a fork or a pastry blender to cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-size bits. •Stirring with the fork, gradually add enough of the water until the mixture clumps together (you may need more or less water). Gather up the dough and press into a thick disk. If desired, wrap the dough in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days. •Lightly flour a work surface. Place the chilled dough on it; roll out to a round that’s 13 inches across. Fold the dough in half. •Transfer to the pie plate; gently unfold the dough to fit into it. Trim the dough as needed to leave a 1-inch overhang. (Bake or reserve the scraps for another use.) •Fold the dough under itself so the edge of the fold is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute the dough around the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you start the filling (and up to 1 hour). •For the filling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt, then the sweet potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium; cook until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 to 45 minutes. •Drain the sweet potatoes, letting them fall into a colander. Run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Discard the skins; transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl. Use a hand-held electric mixer to blend on medium speed until creamy and smooth. You’ll need 3 cups for the filling; scoop out the remainder and reserve for another use. •Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. •Uncover the pie shell; brush the interior with the melted butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the bottom of the pie shell. Par-bake until the crust is set and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. (If the pie shell puffs, do not prick it.) Let cool. •Meanwhile, add the melted butter and brown sugar, the granulated sugar, eggs, half-and-half, cinnamon and nutmeg to the pureed sweet potatoes. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated. •Pour into the par-baked pie shell, smoothing the surface. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake (middle rack) until a knife inserted in the center of the filling comes out clean yet the filling still jiggles a bit, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. •Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve. Original Source: Adapted from “LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About,” by Patti LaBelle (Clarkson Potter, 1999) Tested by: Joe Yonan.
Business
56% of Americans will Lose their Jobs to Automation Edited by J. Reeves and BBN
A
ccording to the Bank of England’s chief economist 80 million U.S. jobs are at risk of automation. He made the projection in a recent speech. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the U.S. now has about 143 million (non-farm) workers employed. That means 56% of the employed population stand to lose their jobs in the years ahead.
scale. Remember, this displacement won’t happen all at once. And new human jobs—ones we can’t yet imagine—will pop up to fill the void (for example, “social media managers” didn’t exist 10 years ago). Society grows wealthier overall as automation relieves humans of greater amounts of tedium. But prepare now. If your occupation lies
As you can see below, the jobs at greatest “automation risk” tend to lie on the low end of the wage
in the middle or right of the chart above, consider making a change... before automation forces a change
on you.
American Drivers May Soon Be Out of Work A $51 billion titan plans to slash 95% of its workforce. An estimated 500,000 American drivers may soon be out of work... Tech Crunch reports global ridesharing titan Uber plans to start utilizing driverless cars as soon as they’re available. Uber’s CEO, Travis Kalanick,
says: "When there’s no other dude in the car, the cost of Uber becomes
52 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
cheaper than owning a vehicle. This is the way the world is going." He’s right. More and more driverless cars continue to hit U.S. roads. Police in Mountain View, California, just pulled over one of Google’s driverless cars—for the first time—for going 24 mph in a 35 mph zone. It turns out its speed was legal... maintaining Google’s perfect ticketless record in over 1.2 million miles driven. Ford, General Motors, and electric carmaker Tesla are now testing their own driverless vehicles. And rumors swirl around Apple conducting secret driverless car tests, too. The days of driving as an occupation are numbered...
Automation, an unstoppable “mega trend” The Internet of Things (IoT) will connect the entire physical world— from driverless cars... to watches...
Google Driverless Car
Mercedes F 105 Driverless Car
to thermostats... to refrigerators—to the Internet. Within five years, your refrigerator may send your car out to the store to restock your groceries... all while you manage more important affairs (or watch the big game). A staggering $19 trillion will flow
into the IoT over the next four years. By 2020, the IoT will be larger than the global computer, smartphone, tablet, and connected car markets— combined.
New Business Opportunities Ahead
There’s zero doubt the IoT threatens multiple occupations. However, IoT opens the door to many new, yet "to be imagined" business opportunities. "Be there or Be Square." http://palmbeachgroup.com
53 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
growth.” Featured events in 2015 include: • Startup Open, a global competition to identify and recognize new and promising startups. It is open to any entrepreneur who has just started or is about to start a new venture. • Startup Nations Summit: Startupsavvy policymakers and program leaders gather in Monterrey, Mexico to explore policy ideas and programs to help accelerate new and young firm formation. • One in a Million: The Kauffman Foundation’s inaugural pitch competition, providing startup owners who have previously presented at a 1 Million Cups (www.1millioncups.com) program around the country, the chance to pitch their ideas to seasoned entrepreneurs. Five finalists will compete in a live-streamed event on Nov. 18 for a grand prize of $10,000.
2015 T
he Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation announces that the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) will be its largest celebration of entrepreneurship yet, with events in 160 countries. From November 16-22, roughly 10 million people will take part in the eighth annual celebration, recognizing and supporting entrepreneurs from around the world. This year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week features several themes meant to provide innovators the tools, resources and advice to launch new businesses. Throughout the week, GEW partners around the world will help entrepreneurs of all levels start and scale new ventures through events, activities and competitions that introduce participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors. While the activities will vary greatly in size and scope, many will touch on trends in the following areas: • Investors: On Nov. 17, GEW will highlight the role that early-stage investors play in developing robust entrepreneurial ecosystems through partner events that enhance the connections between business angels, venture capitalists and individual investors with entrepreneurs and policymakers.
• Youth: On Nov. 19, GEW will spotlight partner activities, such as the DECA Idea Challenge (www.gew.co/challenge), to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and help them acquire and sharpen the skills needed to launch and grow a startup. • Cities: On Nov. 20, GEW will explore the efforts by policymakers around the world to support the development of local entrepreneurs, ensuring they have access to the resources necessary to help them launch startups. The first-ever Startup Nations Awards will recognize local and national policymakers alike, as well as ground-breaking intellectual work in the field. "As more and more countries turn to their entrepreneurs to drive innovation and economic growth, they need to focus on developing their local and national startup ecosystems,” said Jonathan Ortmans, president of Global Entrepreneurship Week. “GEW provides a jolt of energy that strengthens those connections and helps foster an entrepreneurial culture necessary for sustained
Launched in 2008 by the Kauffman Foundation, Global Entrepreneurship Week has quickly grown to include more than 25,000 events, activities and competitions. To learn more about all of the Global Entrepreneurship Week events and see a list of participating countries and supporting organizations, visit www.gew.co. www.kauffman.org/newsroom/2015/10/ global-entrepreneurshipweek-2015-tops-160-countrymark?utm_source=newsletter&utm_ medium=email&utm_ campaign=ideasatwork10_22_15&_cld ee=bGlvbi5jb21tQGhvdG1haWwuY29t
54 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) Awards - APPAREL/TEXTILE Deadline to Apply: February 29, 2016
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oin the 40 trade associations and 73 other non-profit industry groups that have benefited from Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) funding. MDCP awards of up to $300,000 each are available for projects undertaken to develop foreign markets so that U.S. companies can increase exports. www. export.gov/MDCP Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) awards include financial and technical assistance from the International Trade Administration (ITA) to support projects that enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. industries. An MDCP award establishes a partnership between ITA and non-profit industry groups such as trade associations and chambers of commerce. Such groups are particularly effective in reaching small- and medium-size enterprises. The non-profit groups compete for a limited number of MDCP awards by proposing innovative projects that generate exports that create or sustain U.S. jobs. Industry groups pledge to pay a minimum of two-thirds of the project cost and to sustain the project after the MDCP award period ends. On average from 1997 through 2014, projects generated $335 in exports for every $1 of MDCP awards made. Funds may be expended over a minimum of three years at whatever rate makes sense for the project undertaken. The project period may not exceed five years. The principal measurement of performance is exports generated by MDCP project activity. The first MDCP awards, totaling over $2 million, were made in fiscal 1993. While MDCP financial assistance awards go to trade associations and other non-profit industry groups, the ultimate beneficiaries of MDCP-funded projects are individual U.S. businesses and the U.S. workers they employ. The average MDCP project lasts over three years and generates over $96 million in exports, or about $32 million per year (96/3=32). On average, one U.S. job is created or sustained for every $180,000 in exports. Accordingly, the average MDCP project creates or sustains 178 U.S. jobs per year ($32,000,000/$180,000=178).
Who is Eligible to Apply? An MDCP partnership with a group representing a U.S. industry is a great opportunity to help indirectly numerous private companies in an industry. So industry groups are generally eligible to apply for an MDCP award. Such groups by their very nature and composition allow an MDCP partnership with ITA to benefit an entire industry. By contrast, such a partnership with a private enterprise would not have the same industrywide benefit. So, although a private enterprise might be found to be eligible if it could prove that no industry group represented its interests, its MDCP proposal would probably be viewed to benefit one company, the MDCP applicant, first and foremost rather than having a more generalized benefit to the entire industry. Here is a list of some of the types of organizations most often found to be eligible to apply for an MDCP award. Trade associations, State departments of trade, Regional associations of trade and economic development, World Trade Centers, Chambers of commerce, Small business development centers, on-profit industry organizations Learn more about MDCP eligibility and the documentation required for an eligibility determination request at: www.export.gov/mdcp MDCP awards are not grants, but rather cooperative agreements. Like a grant, a cooperative agreement includes financial assistance for the recipient organization. But unlike a grant, the recipient or "cooperator" does not undertake its project alone. A team of ITA professionals assist.
Other Relevant Financial Assistance Programs • Small Business Administration's (SBA) State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Grant Initiative: SBA makes grants to state export agencies (STEP), however, SBA does not make grants to individuals, businesses, or industry groups. SBA does have some loan guarantee and other programs that you can explore at the SBA link above. • Sometimes state government agencies offer financial assistance to industry groups or individual companies for export promotion and other competitiveness enhancement undertakings. The State International Development Organizations maintains a list of state agencies, some of which may offer financial assistance. • USTDA grants are usually limited to market feasibility studies and only in developing markets. • U.S. Department of Agriculture: USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service runs programs that are similar to MDCP but which focus on agricultural products. The two most prominent and programs are the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development program. • Grants.gov Eligibility: Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for more than $400 billion in federal financial assistance. • Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: CFDA is supposed to be a comprehensive listing of all federal assistance available to the public. This includes financial assistance such as MDCP
Business
Serena Williams is SI "Sportsperson of the Year"? By Chris Chase
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hen it was all said and done, Novak Djokovic had a better tennis season than Serena Williams. Not even a fan with the biggest Serena blinders could say otherwise. He also won three Slams, but he dominated everywhere else — almost having double the rankings points of the second-best player. He didn’t bail on his sport after losing two matches shy of immortality. He didn’t stop talking to the press after those losses, initially refusing to answer questions about his desires to get that Grand Slam. He didn’t use some injury as an excuse to bail on his season after the U.S. Open, then go play for a reported seven-figure fee in an exhibition season in southeast Asia. But Novak Djokovic also didn’t get two matches short of the Grand Slam. He didn’t have to fight off multiple comers who got up double breaks or within service holds of stopping his mission. He didn’t get to that halfway point — after the French Open final — when the pressure really would have started. He didn’t show intense bravery, conviction and a sense of forgiveness with a return to a place of one of the sport’s greatest shames. He was the best tennis player, but not the best sportsman, or sportswoman. It could only be Serena. She spent an entire summer knowing her tennis destiny was going to come down to an 90-minute stretch in September at Arthur Ashe Stadium against an opponent she would beat nine times out of 10.
And, for a while during those three months, I don’t think she believed it would happen. Rather, I suspect she was forcing herself to believe it wouldn’t happen, operating under the idea that if you keep your goals low, you wouldn’t be as disappointed when you don’t reach them. But then she survived two wild matches at Wimbledon, two matches any other women in the world would have lost, and held up the Venus Rosewater trophy with only the U.S. Open in front of her, a tournament she’d won three times in a row. Her draw came out and initially looked tough, with a run of young up-andcomers, the kind of whom have stymied Serena before. Then, her possible semifinal opponent, Maria Sharapova, the world’s second-best player, dropped out. (Sure, Serena hadn’t lost to her in a decade, but still.) Then the carnage started, with all the top seeds falling out and none of her early tests even reaching their match. The path was wide open. She had to beat a young, big-serving American (Madison Keys) in the fourth round, then her sister in the quarters (Venus) and then that wide-open path just turned into a clearing. Serena Williams was down to a Final Four of Roberta Vinci, an unseeded Italian journeywoman ranked No. 43 in the world, whom
she’d play in the semifinals. On the other side was the world No. 2 Simona Halep who would play another Italian journeywoman in Flavia Pennetta, seeded No. 26. But Pennetta played first, beat Halep and there was Serena Williams’ road to the Grand Slam: No. 43 Roberta Vinci and No. 26 Flavia Pennetta. It was all but a formality from there, it was being said. Except that anyone who’d been watching Serena over the past two years would tell you that nothing was a certainty and playing top-10
opponents was far better than facing middling players who Serena, for whatever reason, can struggle with. And that she did, falling to Vinci in three sets, stunning the nation, who’d finally started to pay attention to tennis, but eliciting a knowing,
56 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
resigned head nod from tennis fans, who saw it coming all along. So, back to that Sportsman or Sportswoman thing. (Frankly, it’s an overwrought award anyway. It’s been shared by two people four times in the past 17 years. Teams have won the thing. In 1987, the award was presented to eight “Athletes Who Care.” So let’s not act like this thing is the end-all, be-all of sports awards. It has to be picked with sales and attention in mind and Serena Williams in a sexy pose is far better than another picture of American Pharoah trotting down an unknown track. Although, if SI really had wanted controversy, giving a sportsMAN/sportsWOMAN award to a horse would have been a pretty good troll move.) Still, people pay attention to it and get unjustifiably passionate about it. And if one of them was to say “Novak Djokovic or Steph Curry had better sports years than Serena Williams,” you could argue, but you’d be wrong. Curry won a title and then led a team on a start that’s never been equaled in NBA history. Novak Djokovic had one of the two or three best tennis seasons in the
history of the sport. (But foreigners don’t win much either. Since Roger Bannister won the first award in 1954, only two foreigners from a non-big four sport have won: Sweden’s Ingemar Johansson in 1959 for boxing and Norway’s Johann Olav Koss in 1994 for speed skating.) Serena Williams ended up having a really good tennis season with those three Slams, but it’s been done 21 other times in the Open era. It was actually nothing really special. Steffi Graf did that eight times. Serena was still the easy winner. She dominated the conversation even among people who don’t often converse over a sport that’s slipped in popularity in America. She captivated the sporting world every time she stepped out for a match. She made women’s tennis briefly more popular than men’s tennis at the U.S. Open (if ticket prices are an indication.) So, while there were dozens more sporting (Serena is the epitome of
a sore loser) and one or two who played better, no one epitomized the year of sports better than Serena Williams and her epic, but ultimately unfulfilled Grand Slam quest. She’d have been a no-brainer selection had she won the Slam. But, oddly, the fact that she didn’t almost makes her more of a no-brainer. In her 2015, Serena Williams showed both the domination and vulnerabilities that come with being one of the greatest athletes in the world and the greatest female athlete who ever lived. http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/12/ serena-williams-deservesportswoman-of-the-year-sportsmansports-illustrated-grand-slam-tennis http://time.com/4152274/serenawilliams-sportsperson-of-the-yearacceptance-speech/#4152274/ serena-williams-sportsperson-of-theyear-acceptance-speech
57 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
FOR
Christmas Day
SPECIAL OCCASION
OR ANY
Business
Spike Lee calls out Hollywood for Racism as he Accepts Oscar By Sandy Cohen
and support of France and the French people,” she said. “Our connection with the film-loving French is especially deep.” Lee offered “peace and love to people in France” as he received his award. Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes and Samuel L. Jackson brought the filmmaker onstage for John Singleton, left, and Spike Lee, honorary Oscar recipient, his Oscar. pose onstage at the Governors Awards at the Dolby Ballroom on “Spike Lee has Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in Los Angeles. Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP put more AfricanAmericans to work in this business than anyone else in The filmmaker praised Academy pike Lee told an audience this business,” Washington said in of entertainment luminaries of Motion Picture Arts and that it’s easier for a black Sciences President Cheryl Boone his introduction. Other famous faces at the starry person to become President of Isaacs for “trying to do something dinner included Johnny Depp the United States than head of a that needs to be done.” Earlier in and wife Amber Heard, Daniel Hollywood studio or network. the evening, Isaacs called on the Lee made the remarks Saturday industry powers in attendance to Craig and wife Rachel Weisz, Will as he accepted an Oscar statuette take action toward “recognizing and Smith, Ice Cube, Mark Ruffalo, at the film academy’s seventh embracing a broad cross-section Quentin Tarantino, Saoirse Ronan annual Governors Awards of talent.” She also announced and Michael Caine. Portions of dinner in Hollywood, where Gena the academy’s new five-year plan the untelevised ceremony may Rowlands and Debbie Reynolds to improve diversity in its staff and be included in the 2016 Academy Awards telecast. governance. were also honorees.
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“We need to have some serious discussions about diversity and get some flavour up in this,” Lee said. “This industry is so behind sports it’s ridiculous.”
Isaacs opened the Governors Awards ceremony with condolences for France in the wake of the terrorist attacks. “All of us here stand in solidarity
http://globalnews.ca/ news/2340134/so-behind-itsridiculous-spike-lee-calls-outhollywood-for-racism-as-heaccepts-oscar
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Business
he U.S. Department of Commerce announced it will partner with the Industrial
In the upcoming years, the smart fabrics industry will continue to make technological advances
industry including research and development funding, intellectual property rights, standards, classification, and health regulations. The Industrial Fabrics Association
Fabrics Association International (IFAI) (www.ifai.com) to host the first-ever Smart Fabrics Summit on April 4, 2016 in Washington, D.C. The Summit will provide a forum for public and private sector leaders in technology, apparel, and textiles to highlight recent developments in the smart fabrics industry, identify opportunities for collaboration, and discuss key industry challenges. Recent advances in technology have brought together the apparel, technology, and textile industries to develop new capabilities in fabrics with the potential to change how athletes, patients, soldiers, first responders, and everyday consumers interact with their clothes and other textile products. Known as ‘smart fabrics’, these new high-tech products have the capability to interact with their user or environment, including tracking and communicating data about their wearer or environment to other devices through embedded sensors and conductive yarns. The applications for this new technology are broad, with most smart fabric product development seen in the fields of defense, fitness, health, and public safety.
and expand into new, untapped markets. The world market for smart clothing is projected to grow
International (IFAI) is the leading trade organization representing the advanced textiles industry. Founded
First-Ever Smart Fabrics Summit
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from a base of $17.2 million in 2013 to approximately $600 million by 2020, according to research firm Tractica LLC. As “America’s Innovation Agency”, the Department of Commerce plays a unique role in facilitating greater collaboration between the public and private sector leaders to spur new advancements in the industry and encourage the creation of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. The Smart Fabrics Summit is an opportunity to discuss critical topics impacting the Smart Fabrics
in 1912, IFAI represents over 1500 member companies including manufacturers and suppliers of smart fabrics, shade fabrics and other specialty textiles. For more information about attending or sponsoring the Summit, please visit: http:// smartfabricssummit.com. www.commerce.gov/news/pressreleases/2015/11/us-departmentcommerce-and-industrial-fabricsassociation-international
65 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
control and flexibility in their lives. Therefore, ensuring that there is a ‘level playing field’ for them to access procurement opportunities is critical. The Government has a duty to ensure that its procurement practices are fair and open to diverse suppliers, and the current Equality duties mean that it is required to build race, gender and disability equality into its procurement processes. However, is enough being done to encourage participation? Research has shown that SMEs and minority owned businesses face a number of barriers accessing public, and for that matter, large private sector procurement opportunities. These include difficulties in obtaining information about supply opportunities, a lack of knowledge about how best to bid for contracts and the time taken to bid for, and the capacity required to deliver, large public sector contracts. However, underrepresented suppliers also
need to ensure that they are being proactive when searching for procurement opportunities. The Glover Review of small and medium sized enterprises’ (SMEs) access to public procurement opportunities sought to address these issues and made a number of recommendations to Government to try and enhance SMEs’ participation. These included the development of a single, free, easy to search online portal to search for procurement opportunities, simple tender documentation to be issued electronically, all previous relevant experience when bidding to be allowed (not just public sector experience), and for procurers to take a more flexible approach to pre-qualification or contract award. It will be interesting to see what becomes of supplier diversity, especially in light of the current economic climate. A call for quotas or positive discrimination is NOT the answer. Yet, organisations should review their processes to identify if any barriers exist which may prevent such businesses from being successful. By doing so and by supporting a diverse supplier base, organisations will be able to more effectively serve their (diverse) customer needs, achieve value for money and benefit from innovation and competitive costs.
ceremony held at the Downtown Los Angeles City Club. It was an honor to be acknowledged not only by many of my peers who are also working for economic equity and development for African Americans, but several community-based organizations and civic leaders that have worked with me in the struggle over the years. Starting next year, the Black Business News (BBN) will have a monthly editorial focus on Supplier Diversity and Procurement
Opportunities, highlighting each month a "Corporate Supplier". This new editorial content will also include procurement and bid opportunities, as well as a calendar of events. So for our corporate supplier diversity executives and decision-makers, don't be left out of our 2016 publication. In the meantime, on behalf of all at the BBN, we wish you and your love ones a Merry Christmas and a wonderful and prosperous New Year.
Promoting Sustainability, Supporting Supplier Diversity By Miana Capuano
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s organizations are increasingly called upon to demonstrate social and economic responsibility, supplier diversity is one area that is slowly gaining momentum. The Government spends £175 billion each year on goods and services and the case for public procurement to be used to develop the economy, especially in order to encourage and facilitate business diversification and growth, is evident. Supplier diversity is about ensuring that underrepresented organisations are offered the same opportunities to compete for the supply of goods and services as other qualified suppliers. Underrepresented organisations in most supply chains include small and local businesses, social enterprises, charities and those owned by women, ethnic minorities or disabled people. Research has shown that self-employment is a way for those who may experience discrimination in employment, such as the disabled, to gain greater
Publisher's Message from page 3
an Employer" at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Los Angeles District Office. For further information on BBA events, please visit their website at www.bbala.org or call their offices at 1-323-291-9334. I personally thank the Regional Black Chamber of Commerce (RBCC) for presenting me the 2015 President's Legacy Lifetime Achievement Award at their award
67 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Business
Pat Watts of Pitfalls FCI Honored research and host a few focus groups. Just because it seems like as "Minority a good idea doesn’t mean it is one. 11. Not packing a tissue box. Energy Firm Cry Me A River is not just a hot song by Justin Timberlake. It’s a of life at startups. Five doors of the Year" way may slam in your face before one from page 45
By Steven Turner, Black Business News
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he Black Business News (BBN), congratulates Patricia Watts, President/ CEO of FCI Management Consultants (FCI) for being honored as the "Minority Energy Firm of the Year" at the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Conference in San Diego, California in October. FCI is a full service energy/utility consulting company that offers expertise in utility engineering and design, fiber optic design, energy efficiency and water conservation programs. FCI is a certified, womanowned, minority, corporation with major contracts with the Southern California Edison, Southern California Public Power Association (in behalf of Los
N
atasha Clark Clark, founder of Lioness Magazine. At LionessMagazine.com our
Angeles Department of Water and Power, City of Riverside and other utility companies). Patricia developed her knowledge and skills during an expansive twenty-four year career with Southern California Edison. She held management and supervisory positions in customer service, energy services, marketing, public affairs and community relations. This experience allowed her to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the electric utility industry in both the regulated and deregulated environments. Again, on behalf of all at the BBN, we applaud Patricia Watts for being acknowledged by the National Minority Supplier Development Council.
mission is to elevate, educate, and support female entrepreneurs. We do this by publishing 12 Digital editions per year including daily editorial content on relevant topics such as marketing, money, leadership, technology and more. http://lionessmagazine.com
cracks open wide enough for you to jam your foot in. So bring your box of tissues, sister. It takes a lot of ugly, boring, tedious work to get your business off of the ground and sometimes you will be up to 2 a.m. getting it done. Your days will be demanding. Your mind will be all over the place and sometimes all it can take is dropping a splat of coffee on your blouse to make you completely lose it. So you may cry. Often. However, get your ass up the next morning and go back to work full throttle. This is your dream. Doing what you love makes the tears worth it. 12. Forgetting to establish your Avengers team. Successful entrepreneurs are rarely a one-woman show. They usually have a team of good mentors, advisors, friends, family and employees around them. Everyone needs a cheering section. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your company, who can offer words to build you up, not tear you down. Launching a startup is hard enough. You will wrestle with doubts and fears on your own. The last thing you need is negative comments from the peanut gallery. People who are not entrepreneurs will not always get it so make sure to find other women entrepreneurs you can have a glass of wine with and just vent. www.startupnation.com/articles/12startup-pitfalls-avoid http://lionessmagazine.com
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Business
LA Business & Civic Leader Renati Simril to Lead LA84 Foundation
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he LA84 Foundation, the leading funder of youth sports programs in Southern California, has named Renata Simril as its next president and chief executive officer. A seasoned executive, Ms. Simril brings more than two decades of leadership experience in government, professional sports, management, and civic engagement, as well as deep personal and professional ties to the Los Angeles region. She will assume the leadership role on January 4, 2016.
MOBILE BLACK BUSINESS DIRECTORY Download the App Add your Business Information Be found by new & old clients
DO IT TODAY! http://aroundthewayapp.com 69 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
LISTED LEFT TO RIGHT (1) Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, State Assemblymember 54 (2) Zeke Patten, Patten Energy & Chairman, Transportation Business Advisory Council (TBAC) (3) Rosalind Pennington, Debie Lumpkin (4) Emma Maxey, Golden State Water, Rodney Potts, So. CAL Gas Company (5) Pat Watts, President of FCI Management Consultants, Representative of the Small Business Administration (SBA) (6) Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (7)(8) Procurement Matchmaking Sessions
LISTED LEFT TO RIGHT: (1) Walter Stamps, Small Business Administration (SBA), Victor Parker, Small Business Administration Director, Steven Turner, President of Slaton Group (2) Congresswoman Maxine Waters (3) Sharon Evans, Business Resource Group, Victor Parker, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Darrell Brown, US Bank *Event Sponsor, Michael Banner, BBA Member (4) Daniels Leathers, US Bank, Lynn Nguyen, Pacific Premier Ban, Frank Robinson, Union Bank (5) Tia Robinson, BBA Administration Assistant, Chanan Bennett, BBA Volunteer (6) Rosalind Pennington, Mark Robertson, Pacific Coast Region, Darrell Brown, US Bank (7) Lunch Buffet (8) Sharon Evans, Business Resource Group (BRG), Deal-Making Session
Business Technology:
Take a Look! by LaSandra Stratton
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heck out what these firms and organizations have to offer for your personal interests, personal wealth building, and business expansion opportunities.
www.powhow.com
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owhow is the leading global platform for live webcam classes. Powhow's vStudio™ Platform enables fitness, dance, music, and arts professionals to connect with their students in multiple ways. Instructors can train and interact directly with students via webcam, broadcast and stream their in-studio classes live to a global audience, or upload recorded videos for their students to train on their own time.
videos within minutes. Powhow's vStudio™ platform enables Instructors and Experts to expand beyond their local market and immediately reach a global audience. Powhow allows instructors to focus on the content of their classes while providing the essential tech, marketing, and business tools and customer support to run their online studios.
Take a Class on Powhow.com As a paid subscriber to the Powhow’s vStudio™ service, instructors may list their classes on powhow.com, the world’s largest marketplace of live webcam classes with 3,700 classes available per month.
Get started instantly. Get a brand new online store to call your own. No setup time. No coding. Learn as you sell and take your online sales to the next level using our video how-to series. Sello is powered by Shopify.
https://music.youtube. com/
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ouTube is first and foremost a video portal, the world’s largest and most popular online collection of moving images.
https://getsello.com
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ownload the Sello free app and start selling in seconds. Sell through your social networks. Don’t wait for your customers to find you. Share your
Take Your Studio Online Powhow vStudio™ revolutionizes the training industry by eliminating the start-up costs of launching your own studio business. Powhow vStudio™ is available to fitness, dance, music, and arts professionals as a subscription
service with packages as affordable as $30 per month. Powhow manages all software, videos, and hosting allowing instructors to launch a professional home page to market their studio, classes, and
products on social media, or send by email, SMS, and more. It is FREE to list and sell. Your online store is always free, and there are no transaction or listing fees. You only pay processing fees from your payment provider.
But it’s also a search engine, the world’s second largest, trailing only its parent company, Google. And while the library on YouTube is made up of videos, in practice it has also become the world’s largest streaming music service, used by more people than well-known names like Spotify or Apple when it comes to consuming songs and albums. The video giant has rolled out a new app, YouTube Music, that attempts to capitalize on its dominance in this space. The app is free, and you can use it in free, ad-supported mode, but it becomes a lot more powerful and interesting if you pay for a YouTube Red subscription. You can use the app like a standard music service, searching
72 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
for artists and playing individual songs or albums. It has licensed the same pool of roughly 30 million audio tracks you would find on its competitors. But the service is also optimized to present a vast collection of additional options — from live concert footage to karaoke tracks with embedded lyrics to instructional videos on how to play that bass line — which don’t exist on any other music streaming service. When you search in the new music app, you’ll get only musicrelated results. Up top will be links to the official artist and a l b u m pages. B e l o w that will be official m u s i c videos, with the wealth of related content below that. YouTube music creates a daily playlist for you, "My Mix," which combines tracks you’ve listened to, tracks you’ve liked, and some new stuff it thinks you might like to discover. If you’re a YouTube Red subscriber, the ads go away and you get power features, for example that My Mix playlist is automatically saved for offline playback. Along with the personalized playlists, the app has a tab called trending that will show you the most popular songs on YouTube, the fast-rising stars, and the unknowns the curation team thinks will be big in the near future. The goal is to build playlists that help our users understand what is culturally relevant. With the launch of the dedicated music app, YouTube has
fundamentally changed the market for streaming music. For the last two years the value proposition was clear. Pay $9.99 a month for unlimited access to the same 30 million tracks, with a few exclusives or gaps here and there on certain services. Now you can pay $10 a month and get the world’s biggest video library, ad free and offline, a well-built streaming music service with that stock catalog music, and a hybrid music video experience that is unlike anything else out there.
http://uopeople.edu/ University of the People (UoPeople) is the world's first nonprofit, tuition- free, accredited online university dedicated to opening the gates to higher education for all individuals otherwise constrained. The University embraces the worldwide presence of the Internet and dropping technology costs to
bring tuition-free undergraduate degree programs to qualified high school graduates around the world. UoPeople offers Associates and Bachelors degree programs in Business Administration and Computer Science. With the support of academic leadership from top universities and having admitted more than 2,000 students from over 150 countries to date, UoPeople is well on its way to becoming a leader in global higher education. UoPeople is a private institution accredited by the accrediting commission of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, approved to operate by the Bureau for Private PostSecondary Education. Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.
73 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
www.nubianskin.com/us
Ade Hassan wins Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year! Recently Nubian Skin's Founder, Ade Hassan, was n named Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year at the Great B British Entrepreneur Awards in London! The evening saw a whole host of impressive entrepreneurial ventures, a and so it came as a brilliant surprise when Ade won!!! After only one year, Ade Hassan’s business has grown im impressively. Always having dreamt of being a fashion e entrepreneur, Ade realised that there was something m missing in the market – nude lingerie and hosiery for w women of colour – so she decided to create it! Since O October 2014 the brand has been increasing its retail ffootprint and is now stocked in Fenwick Bond Street, H House of Fraser, ASOS, and MyTights.com in the UK. Its in international footprint is growing with multiple stockists in the USA including Nordstrom and other boutique sstockists in Portugal, Nigeria and Canada with more to ccome in the Middle East and Scandinavia! Nubian Skin are incredibly grateful to have received ssuch a great response and amazing support!
74 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
8,000 Snowflakes Adorn the White House This Christmas
First Lady Michelle Obama greets guests at the Holiday White House
Community/Public Interest
Art World Star Thelma Golden on Presidential Library Board As Told To Vanessa K. De Luca
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his summer, iconic museum curator Thelma Golden, 50, was chosen by President Obama to help put together his presidential library in Chicago. Here, Golden talks to ESSENCE about her greatest triumphs and hardest lessons learned The moment I knew I'd made it was when… A question about me and my career appeared on a standardized test. The advice I'm glad I never took is… That as a young woman of color making her way in a field that was not very diverse, I would need to find ways to fit in so that I would not be perceived through my race and gender. This seemed not only impossible, but also ineffective and highly inauthentic. I needed to define success on my own terms, showing up fully as myself and seeing my difference as an advantage, not a disadvantage. I know now that what seem like your greatest challenges are actually your greatest gifts.
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he 2015 holiday theme is ‘A Timeless Tradition’. The decorations throughout the White House inspire visitors to celebrate long-held traditions while also creating new memories. Each year, guests from across our country and around the world travel to our nation's capital to rejoice in the holidays. This year’s White House decorations also pay tribute to our Armed Forces and their families. The East Wing of the White House features a Christmas tree adorned with gold star ornaments, honoring the heroes who have
The toughest decision I've ever had to make was… Leaving an amazing, exciting and fulfilling professional situation without knowing what I might do next. In retrospect, while it was the toughest decision, it was also the best! The key to happiness is… Matching one's passion with a purpose. The hardest lesson I've ever had to learn was… To be motivated by what I am drawn toward instead of what I am feeling pushed by. My greatest joy in life Thelma Golden Photo Credit: Neilson Barnard/GETTY Images right now is… Having the incredible opportunity to be director of The Studio Museum Harlem and around the world. A mantra I live by… "Start where in Harlem as we move toward our fiftieth anniversary and embark on you are. Use what you have. Do a major expansion that will allow us what you can." —Arthur Ashe. to continue to present art by artists www.essence.com/2015/10/16/ of African descent, better serve our art-world-star-thelma-golden-whatdiverse audiences and contribute to i-know-now a vibrant cultural community here in made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The East Landing is also on this landing where we honor the brave individuals currently serving; visitors are invited to pause and send a message of thanks to our troops serving overseas and stateside. You may view and print the White House Holiday Guide book at www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/ files/docs/wh_2015_holiday_ tourbook.pdf.
Send a digital message of gratitude to our active duty service men and women.
T h e USO will share your message with our h e r o e s through t h e i r centers around the world niformed where our uniformed men and women are currently deployed. Send a message at: http://thanks.uso.org. www.whitehouse.gov/about/insidewhite-house/holidays-2015
81 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest
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he Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Anybody can host an Hour of Code anytime, but the grassroots campaign goal is for tens of millions of students to try an Hour of Code during December 7-13, in celebration of Computer Science Education Week. Every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science. It helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity. By starting early, students will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path. See more stats on code.org. Is it one specific hour? No. You can do the Hour of Code anytime during this week. (And if you can't do it during that week, do it the week before or after). A n y o n e , anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event. One-hour tutorials are available in over 40 languages. No experience needed. Ages 4 to 104. Anyone can learn the basics, and have fun doing it! • Are you a teacher?Inspire students with an Hour of Code in the classroom. • Are you a parent?Ask your local school to host an Hour of Code • Just love computer science?Spread the word in your community or workplace Prizes for every educator • One public school in every US state (and Washington D.C.) will win $10,000 worth of technology • Every organizer will receive $10 to Amazon.com, iTunes or Windows Store as a thank-you gift! Organize an Hour of Code during December 7-13, and register it here: https://hourofcode.com/us. Start planning here (https://hourofcode.com/us/how-to) by reviewing our how-to guide. You can organize an Hour of Code event at your school or in your community — like in an extracurricular club, non-profit or at work. Or, just try it yourself when Dec. 7 arrives. The Hour of Code is organized by Code.org (https://code.org), a public 501c3 non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. An unprecedented coalition of partners have come together to support the Hour of Code, too — including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the College Board. 82 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Spotlight on African American Military Heroes in
Honor of Veterans Day
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s the National Museum of African American History and Culture celebrates Veterans Day on November 11th, we'll be focusing attention on the often forgotten sacrifices and contributions of African American patriots. These heroes include the men of the USS Mason, which made history during World War II
black men in the Navy had been limited to support roles such as cooks, stewards and laborers, and even had to wear different uniforms than those worn by other sailors. The commissioning of the Mason came about as a result of intense pressure from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and others to integrate the armed forces.
dangerous, with extraordinary bravery and dedication. Their exploits while escorting supply ships and intercepting German U-boat messages in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea were chronicled by African American journalist Thomas W. Young, who was commissioned by the Navy as a war correspondent
as our nation's first ship manned by a predominantly black crew. Launched on November 17, 1943, the Evarts-class destroyer escort carried an enlisted crew of 160 serving under Lt. Commander William M. Blackford and five other white officers. Prior to the Mason,
But the transition wasn't easy, with the Mason's crew forced to confront intense racism in the naval ranks and a widespread belief that the "social experiment" would fail. The men of the Mason responded to the hostility and doubts by performing their duty, which often times was
aboard the Mason. In October 1944, the Mason's crew distinguished itself during what is widely regarded as the worst North Atlantic storm of the 20th century, which caused the convoy that the Mason was guarding to see NMAAHC page 84
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Community/Public Interest
NMAAHC from page 83
break up. After the Mason's crew repaired severe structural damage inflicted by the storm, the ship stayed at sea for three additional days to help rescue ships from the convoy. Lt. Commander Blackford recommended his crew for individual commendations for their heroic performance, but the Navy failed to take action. After the war in Europe ended, the Mason briefly took on other duties before being decommissioned on October 12, 1945, and sold for scrap. The story of its groundbreaking African American crew then began quickly fading from public attention. The Mason's story might have remained lost to history if not for the efforts of a small but determined group that included the Destroyer Escort Sailors Association, the USS Mason Association, Congressman Charles Rangel and author Mary Pat Kelly, whose book "Proudly We Served" helped bring attention to the men of the Mason. In 2004, the book was made into the movie "Proud," starring renowned actor and activist Ossie Davis in his final film role as Signalman Second Class Lorenzo DuFau, the last surviving member of the Mason crew. The growing clamor to recognize the contributions of the men of the Mason resulted in the Navy finally awarding the long-delayed commendation to surviving crewmembers in 1995. And in 2003, the Navy commissioned a new ship in honor of the heroes of the Mason – the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason, the only U.S. Navy ship ever named for a crew, whose motto is "Proudly We Serve." The courage and commitment of the Mason's crew helped pave the way for the integration of the armed
forces by President Harry S. Truman in 1948. By countering the prevailing notions of black inferiority, the men of the Mason helped to win both the battle against the Axis powers and the battle at home against racism and discrimination.
This notion was enshrined in the Double V (for "Double Victory") Campaign, a national effort that called on African Americans to give their all to win http://go.si.edu/site/ PageServer?pagename=mm_stories
84 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest-Obituary
Tech Entrepreneur, Diversity Advocate Hank Williams Dies at 50 By Mike Snider, USA TODAY
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upporters of increasing diversity in the technology industry are mourning the loss of a veteran entrepreneur at the forefront of the issue. Hank Williams, 50, a resident of New York City, died at Newark (N.J.) Beth Israel Medical Center after a weeklong hospital stay. He was being treated for complications from pneumonia and myocarditis, which can be caused by a viral infection of the heart. He is survived by his wife and daughter. Williams founded Internet music company Clickradio in 1998 and cloud storage and data management platform Kloudco in 2008. In 2012, he founded Platform.org, a non-
profit group aimed at increasing the interest and participation of blacks, Latinos and women in the tech industry. Platform's annual event, first held at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Mass., has been hosted by Morehouse College in Atlanta over the past two years. "He was a really passionate person. He was always happy," said Angela Benton, founder of NewME, a tech accelerator platform based in San Francisco. "Not just about his work in the technology space but about diversifying technology and equality in the industry." Benton and Williams were among eight entrepreneurs who lived together in Silicon Valley
for nine weeks in 2011 as part of the first NewME accelerator program, founded by Benton and Wayne Sutton. CNN chronicled their experience the special Black In America: The New Promised Land -Silicon Valley four years ago. "A real leader and kind human being," was how Soledad O'Brien, who anchored the special, characterized Williams on Twitter Sunday. One of the few early AfricanAmerican tech executives, Williams encouraged tech companies to recognize the lack of diversity within their operations and to find ways to improve, not just because it was the right thing to do but also because it was good for business. "Diverse organizations make better decisions," he wrote in a USA TODAY guest column in October 2014. His company Platform partnered with Morehouse College and Level Playing Field Institute (LPFI) to help increase the number of minority high school students, and subsequent college students, interested in computer science. "The lack of diversity in the innovation economy is one of the most pressing issues of our time," Williams wrote in another USA TODAY guest column. www.usatoday.com/story/ tech/2015/11/15/techentrepreneur-diversity-advocatehank-williams-dies-50/75841942
85 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Community/Public Interest-Obituary
Mal Whitfield, Olympic Gold Medalist and Tuskegee Airman, Dies at 91 Lauren Hard contributed reporting.
East, both for the United States Information Agency (USIA) and through his own foundation. During World War II he was a member of the celebrated and racially segregated Tuskegee Airmen, part of the Army Air Forces. In Korea, he once trained for the Games between bombing missions, running on runways at night with a .45-caliber automatic strapped to his side. Whitfield was still a staff sergeant when he set an Olympic record in the 800-meter event at the 1948 London Games with a time of 1 minute 49.2 seconds. He won another gold medal in the same Olympics Mal Whitfield after winning the 800-meter event at anchoring the United States’ the 1948 London Games. Photo Credit: Central Press/ 4x400-meter relay team, and Hulton Archive, via Getty Images a bronze medal in the 400 al Whitfield, a sleek meters. Four years later, at the Helsinki middle-distance runner Olympics, he won the 800 again — who won three Olympic in the identical time — and added gold medals for the United States, at one point as a Tuskegee Airman, a silver medal in the relay. He just and later became an American missed making the Olympic team in good-will ambassador promoting 1956. Whitfield, who stood 6 feet 1 athletics abroad, died on Thursday inch and weighed 165 pounds in in Washington. He was 91. Orphaned as a child in the Watts his prime, set six world records, section of Los Angeles, Whitfield including 1:48.6 for 880 yards went on to set records and achieve outdoors and 1:09.6 for 600 yards celebrity while running for Ohio indoors. He won six United States State University. In 1954 he titles outdoors and two indoors. became the first African-American The sports pages called him to receive the coveted Sullivan “Marvelous Mal.” He was elected to Award as the nation’s outstanding the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1974 and the United amateur athlete. After his athletic career, Whitfield States Olympic Hall of Fame in spent almost 50 years promoting 1988. His work as a good-will sports and physical education in Europe, Africa and the Middle ambassador began in 1955 with
M
an appointment by the State Department. He served more than 30 years as a youth and sports affairs officer for the U.S.I.A., visiting by his count more than 130 countries. He also held sports and physical education advisory posts in the Liberian and Nigerian governments. He coached in 20 nations and lived in Kenya, Uganda and Egypt. He later established the Mal Whitfield Foundation to promote sports, academics and culture around the world, continuing the work he had started with the government. In 2002 the foundation published his autobiography, “Beyond the Finish Line.” Malvin Greston Whitfield was born on Oct. 11, 1924, in Bay City, Tex. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was 4. As a child, Whitfield lived four miles from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and when the 1932 Olympics were held there, he sneaked in to watch Eddie Tolan’s historic duel with Ralph Metcalfe in a thrilling 100-meter race that Tolan won by “a gnat’s eyelash,” as the sportswriter Grantland Rice put it. “From that moment on, I knew I wanted to run in the Olympic Games,” Whitfield told Sports Illustrated in 1991. “I have had a chance to see what the world is like,” he told Sports Illustrated in 1991. “I may have had to take a detour or two in my life, but I can honestly say that somehow I’ve achieved everything I started out to do.” www.nytimes.com/2015/11/20/sports/ mal-whitfield-olympic-gold-medalistand-tuskegee-airman-dies-at-91. html?_r=0
86 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
87 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
African Stock Exchanges • Bolsa de Valores of Cape Verde - www.bvc.cv (in Portuguese) • Bond Exchange of South Africa - www.bondexchange. co.za • Botswana Stock Exchange www.bse.co.bw • Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres - UEMOA (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) - www.brvm.org • Casablanca Stock Exchange (Morocco) - www.casablancabourse.com/bourseweb/index. aspx • Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (Tanzania) - www. dse.co.tz • Douala Stock Exchange (Cameroon) - www.douala-stockexchange.com/index_us.php • The Egyptian Exchange - www.
• • •
•
•
• • •
egx.com.eg/English/homepage. aspx Ethiopia Commodity Exchange - www.ecx.com.et Ghana Stock Exchange - www. gse.com.gh Johannesburg Stock Exchange (South Africa) - www. jse.co.za/Home.aspx Khartoum Stock Exchange (Sudan, in Arabic) - www.kse. com.sd Libyan Stock Market - www. lsm.ly/_layouts/membership/ login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fEnglis h%2fPages%2fdefault.aspx Lusaka Stock Exchange (Zambia) - www.luse.co.zm Nairobi Stock Exchange (Kenya) - www.luse.co.zm Malawi Stock Exchange - www. mse.co.mw
• Mozambique Stock Exchange (in Portuguese) - www. bolsadevalores.co.mz • Namibian Stock Exchange www.nsx.com.na • Nigerian Stock Exchange www.nse.com.ng/Pages/default. aspx • Stock Exchange of Mauritius www.stockexchangeofmauritius. com • Swaziland Stock Exchange www.ssx.org.sz • Tunisia Stock Exchange - www. bvmt.com.tn • Uganda Securities Exchange www.use.or.ug Read the lastest issue of The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke/media-center/ecommunique/exchange-magazine/ category/50-free-version.html
89 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
I
t is with great pleasure that African Diaspora Network in partnership with International diaspora Engagement Alliance (idEA), Homestrings, One World Children’s Fund and Global Fund for Women invite you to the 2016 Silicon Valley African Diaspora Investment Symposium, to be held on January 29th and 30th, 2016 at the Biltmore Hotel and Suites in Santa Clara, California. The symposium will highlight African diaspora’s current and potential future contribution to the continent through direct investment, small business development, philanthropy, and innovation. It will also provide a unique opportunity to engage key stakeholders from different sectors to discuss the needs of the continent as well as the existing business investment opportunities. The symposium will LQFOXGH DQQRXQFHPHQWV RI QHZ $IULFD VSHFLÀ F SURJUDPV WKDW ZLOO RIIHU JUHDWHU RSSRUWXQLWLHV IRU WKH GLDVSRUD WR HQJDJH PRUH VLJQLÀ FDQWO\ LQ economic growth across Africa. Participants will share insights from current diaspora initiatives and investment opportunities. The symposium will focus on: • Providing a platform to showcase investment opportunities in the continent • Bringing regional and national investors together with the existing Diaspora leaders to discuss and exchange ideas that will lead to increased private investment in the Continent • Building a database of existing business investment opportunities in the Continent • Providing an opportunity for the diaspora living in California and other parts of the country to learn about and engage with the work of African Diaspora Network, IdEA, Homestrings, and other diaspora organizations and business entities
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29TH 6:00 – 8:00 PM Welcome and Networking Reception Guests, hosts, invited businesses, venture capitalists, corporate leaders, local dignitaries, community leaders, invited RIÀ FLDOV IURP VHOHFWHG African countries, and Africa-based innovation experts will be invited to a networking reception at the Biltmore Hotel and Suites in Santa Clara, CA. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30TH 8:00 – 4:30 PM Morning and Afternoon Event (General Admission) The morning and afternoon session will gather change makers from the global Diaspora, private and public sectors, international development institutions, universities, civil society, DQG QRQ SURÀ W RUJDQL]DWLRQV to engage on how to leverage the tremendous potential of the Diaspora through investment and entrepreneurship. To register to attend Parts 1, 2 or all of the African Diaspora Investment Symposium, please email bstockert@ africandiasporanetwork.org
90 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
Somalia Re-Opens Embassy in Washington, DC
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he Federal Government of Somalia has reopened its embassy in United States after 24 years. US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda ThomasGreenfield represented the United States President at the historic reopening of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Somalia in Washington, D.C. on November 18. Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia Abdusalam Omer also attended the event hosted by new Somali Ambassador to the United States Ahmed IssaAwad.
In her remarks, US Assistant Secretary Thomas-Greenfield warmly welcomed Somalia's official return to Washington after a nearly twenty-four year absence. Assistant Secretary Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that this was yet another step towards normalizing the U.S.-Somali relationship, including official recognition of the Somali government in January 2013, welcoming the first Somali Ambassador to Washington in July 2014, and U.S. Secretary of State Kerry's historic visit to Mogadishu
in May 2015. Assistant Secretary Thomas-Greenfield affirmed the United States' commitment to work with Somali government officials to bring stability, security, and prosperity to all Somali people. Somalia which has currently over 40 diplomatic missions across the world has in recent years embarked on the improving of its international relations that was greatly damaged by the aftermath of the civil war that lasted for over two decades. http://allafrica.com/stories/201511191366. html
91 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
In Kenya, a Digital Classroom in a Box By Tristan McConnell
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t the Lighthouse Grace Academy in Nairobi's downmarket Kwangware suburb, yellow school t-shirts carry the slogan 'To Fear God is Wisdom', but in their hands pupils clutch a more worldly path to knowledge: tablet computers. The hand-sized tablets are part of the 'Kio Kit' (www.brck.com/ tag/kio-kit), a digital classroom in a suitcase designed by local technology company BRCK, which two years ago launched the hardwearing, brick-sized modem that works as a wifi hotspot. "The Kio Kit is a way to turn any classroom into a digital classroom," said Nivi Mukherjee of BRCK Education, the subsidiary that launched the product in September. "You open the box and there are 40 tablets inside, there is a BRCK
inside and on the BRCK there is a Linux [open-source] server -- so we can locally cache educational content, and serve it up to the tablets." In her crowded cement-floored, tin-walled classroom with a stopped clock on the wall, seven-year-old Blessing taps away on her new tablet, learning to spell. Unusually for a child in school, she's smiling. "It's fun," she said. Her teacher Josephine Boke, who has taught primary school for 12 years, says the kit "is nicely designed for the young hands, and it's easy to use and easy to adapt to the technology." "To the kids, they get excited when they are using it. It gives me an easy time as a teacher."
Kenyan problem, Kenyan solution
Kenya has a thriving tech startup scene, including the enormously successful M-Pesa mobile money transfer system which allows clients to send cash with their telephones. The tablets and the BRCK are symbiotic: the modem is fixed into a watertight, hardened-plastic wheeled suitcase which has slots for the tablets and acts as a wireless charging station for both. New digital learning materials are uploaded to the BRCK wirelessly during quiet times of the night when more bandwidth is available, and then shared with the tablets during classes. Thieves with an eye on the bright yellow, tough and dust-resistant tablets will be disappointed, as they cannot browse the internet nor be charged independently. Like the BRCK, the tablets are designed to solve Kenyan problems. "Intermittent power, intermittent internet connectivity, those are just the realities of our infrastructure, so we have to build solutions for those realities, rather than import solutions from other places," said
92 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Mukherjee. At $5,000 ( 4 , 5 0 0 euros) a piece the price of the kit seems h i g h , given the ambition to provide access to quality education to all in some of the world's poorest places. But with many schools lacking electricity, let alone facilities to teach computing, Mukherjee says it is not only intended for the private and donor-backed schools in which it is currently being used. "We see this kit being rolled around from one classroom to the
next throughout the day, throughout the week, children sharing it, having access to the kind of content and e-textbooks they wouldn't otherwise have access to," she said. "We don't think it's beyond the reach of public schools to spend $5,000 giving digital access to 400 children." Just five primary schools and libraries are currently using the Kio Kit, but BRCK Education already has 300 pre-orders and Mukherjee hopes to be producing "thousands each month by next year". In South Africa, the continent's most advanced country, Gauteng province which houses Johannesburg and Pretoria, started rolling out tablets to 375 high school pupils earlier this year. The plan is to hand out 17,000 tablets to pupils in their final year
of high school, and swap teachers' chalkboards with smart interactive boards targeting especially the poverty- s t r i c k e n township and rural schools. The tablets come with free data bundle which is active between 5:00am and 9:00 pm while access to social networks is blocked. The scheme was initially hit by theft in the crime-ridden country, forcing authorities to install tracking devices on them, officials said. And authorities came under fire for giving ICT a priority when some schools still lack basics such as flush toilets. http://news.yahoo.com/kenya-digitalclassroom-box-043342219.html www.brck.com/2015/09/kio-kio-kitlaunch
93 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Education Mission to
South Africa, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire (optional) Explore Growing Education Markets in Up to Three African Countries! Join the U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, on an official trade mission to South Africa, and Ghana, with an optional stop in Côte d’Ivoire - March 7-10, 2016. Meet Students, Potential Partners, and Attend Meetings Designed to Help you Penetrate the Markets The mission will include student fairs organized by Education USA, embassy briefings, site visits, and networking events in our target cities of Johannesburg, Accra, and Abidjan. Who Should Participate? Accredited U.S. higher education institutions including: undergraduate and graduate programs, community colleges, summer programs, etc. Why These Countries? Africa as a whole is one of the “youngest continents,” with ‘outwardly mobile’ students comprising 25% of all students on the African continent- the highest rate in the world- and globally. The United States already represents the single largest target destination for students seeking international educational experiences. The continent has a growing middle class, and presently spends up to $900 million on education annually. In addition, of all African students presently in the United States, Ghana and South Africa rank in the top five countries amongst all African countries of origin. Trade Mission Goals The goals of the United States Education Mission to Africa are: 1) to help participants gain market exposure and to introduce them to the vibrant African market in the countries of South Africa, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire 2) to help participants assess current and future business prospects by establishing valuable contacts with prospective students and educational institutions/partners; and 3) to help participants develop market knowledge and relationships leading to student recruitment and potential partnerships.
Apply Now, Space is Limited Date: March 7-11, 2016
Stops
Mon./Tues. - Johannesburg, SA Wed./Thurs. – Accra, Ghana Fri (optional). - Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Deadline to Apply January 15, 2016
Cost*
Ȉ ̈́ʹ800 per non-profit institution Ȉ ̈́͵͵ͲͲ per for-profit institution Ȉ ̈́00 for each additional representative Optional Côte d’Ivoire Stop Ȉ ̈́ͳͺͲͲ per non-profit institution Ȉ ̈́ͳͻͲͲ per for-profit institution *Expenses for travel, lodging, most meals, and incidentals will be the responsibility of each mission participant
For More Information: Jennifer Woods Senior International Trade Specialist U.S. Commercial Service Portland 503-326-5290 jennifer.woods@trade.gov Debra Rogers Senior International Trade Specialist Commercial Service Chicago 312-353-6988; debra.rogers@trade.gov
Download the Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce App from the
Apple App Store or
Google Play Store Search: "Zambia USA Chamber"
Find links to the chamber website and facebook page, and embassies; access business resources; receive breaking news; view relevant video presentations; communicate via Twitter, smartphone and e-mail.
www.zambiausachamber.org
95 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
Why I wrote "The Entrepreneur" By Nkem Mpamah
A
recent study b y Harvard Business S c h o o l shows that 75% of new businesses fail, and a great n u m b e r of new products are rejected. The biggest question in the minds of most people is: "Why do new businesses or products fail?" Truth is that new businesses fail, not because founders do not build exactly what they wanted, but because they waste too much time, money and effort in planning and building something that nobody wants to buy. When it comes to starting a business, everyone seems to follow one traditional pattern: find an idea; write a business plan, pitch to investors, build what you want, and sell to the market. For many years entrepreneurs and product developers have followed this same pattern to build what they thought customers
liked; only to realize after trying too hard to sell without success that nobody actually wanted what they built. What if entrepreneurs were smart enough to engage prospective customers early in the product design stage to discover what they want? What if they had gone out of the building to understand customer's pains and build sufficient features to resolve them instead of relying on untested business plan assumptions? The Entrepreneur provides a "Lean Culture" approach for startups and product developers to eliminate waste, turn ideas into reality, and launch products and services that solve customer's pains in the market. This book offers carefully selected concepts and tools which are guaranteed to raise the odds of success for startup founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs, small business owners, product developers, and programmers who are at various stages of starting and growing a business if applied. It is highly recommended for coaches, mentors, training and workshop facilitators who are passionate about startup business and product development. 'The Entrepreneur' references profound Lean Culture models such as Customer Development Model, Lean Business Canvas, Business Model Design, Minimum Viable Products, and Customer Validation process to demonstrate how you can create products or services that will win in the market. In this book you will learn how to: • Link idea to customer pains or needs • Develop hypotheses for business model • Create Minimum Viable Products (MVP) • Get out of the building to test, learn and validate hypotheses • •terate or pivot based on feedback • Find Product/Market Fit and launch This book provides a step-by-step guide that shows you how to eliminate waste and build products and services that customers will be willing to buy and pay for. https://publishizer.com/the-entrepreneur/ https://vimeo.com/businesscoaching
96 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
Returning to Africa?
African Repatriation is an invaluable online resource for any African national who is thinking about returning to Africa. Our industry articles and specialist editorials provide the latest sector information. Why not find out for yourself and become a part of our growing community today? www.africanrepatriation. com
Career Opportunities in Africa Search and apply online for the latest vacancies in Africa with African Talent. We provide candidates and employers with the tools and resources needed in today’s competitive job market. For employers, we offer numerous options to feature your jobs in Africa and for candidates, reviewing the most recent job vacancies in Africa is a fast, easy process. Uploading your CV is simple and takes just a few moments. www.africantalent.com
97 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Thursday Blues at Uncle Darrow‛s High Noon-2pm Every Thursday
Come by for lunch and relax to blues & jazz from our house band! 2560 S. Lincoln Blvd. Marina del Rey North East corner of Washington & Lincoln
“LA Times Magazine favorite cajun food”
310-306-4862
www.uncledarrows.com 98 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
International
GHANA—2016 CULTURAL HOME GOING & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY TOUR Come join me on a magnificent journey through the amazing lands of West Africa. Experience Ghana in all of its splendor - from the mélange of its traditional and modern history, to the diversity of its culture and languages, to the warmth and hospitality of the Ghanaian people.
$3,500* USD June 18—30, 2016 Dominique DePirma
13 Days and 9 Nights with Airfare *Double Occ.
x x x
x x x
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE AWAITS YOU Experience Accra’s colonial and contemporary architecture See the colorful harbor below the Cape Coast Castle Follow the path that the slaves took from the dungeons to the “door of no return” Participate in a African Naming Ceremony Learn about the mighty Ashanti Kingdom Shop for authentic arts and crafts
Host –Front Page 102.3 KJLH African Focus Cultural Ambassador
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES xSolar Energy xWaste management xAgriculture and farming xOil and gas xICT xFood production xTransport services xReal estate xTourism xParticipate in 2 Business
Opportunity Workshops Cape Coast Slave Castle
Relax at an ocean front resort
ORGANIZED BY
Phone: 310.676.7300
Visit www.africanfocus.org Email: afstours@africanfocus.org
cbcc@calbcc.org | 916-463-0178| www.calbcc.org
konya
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International
One Africa:
J
Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!
oin with and support the United Africa Organization’s campaign to petition the U.S. Department of State to include the whole African continent under its Bureau of African Affairs.
Why? The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, led by Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson, currently excludes Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara from its agenda. Instead, the aforementioned countries are grouped with the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, together with Iran, Iraq, Israel and others. This artificial distinction between North Africa and the rest of Africa
negatively impacts US foreign policy relations throughout the entire continent of Africa. We unequivocally reject the argument that North African countries are outside the scope of African affairs. North Africa is geographically and historically part of the African continent, and all fifty-three (53) independent African states, including North African countries, are represented in the African Union (AU). It would be far more productive for the State Department to engage with the entire continent of Africa, including North Africa, under its Bureau of African Affairs. We are one Africa, from the Cape to Cairo, indivisible and bound together! Therefore, no square inch of African
land should be excluded from African affairs.
Sign The Petition!!! Go to www.change.org/petitions/ one-africa-tell-us-state-departmentthat-north-africa-is-part-of-africa and sign the online petition to support this important proposition. Next tell everyone you know to sign.
www.uniteafricans.org
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This magnificent handcrafted concert grand is a "Best of" in terms of sound, new technology, beauty, and construction. Massively well-built to withstand the rigors of intense concert performances without compromise, the SHADD Concert Grand is a coveted treasure for pianists and collectors. With a rich voluminous sound that performs true to all genres of music, this phenomenal instrument has a rare diversified ability to play from the softest whisper with pure clear sound to a major roar with a bass section exuding an abundance of power and resounding singing sensations.
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30 Years of Experience in the Greater Los Angeles Area Specializing in Exterior and Interior Painting, Tiling, Linoleum Flooring,
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Experience our exciting array of products from Cards to Cupcakes, African Masks, Asian Teacups, Healthy Herbal Teas, Gourd Purses, Candles, to Furniture Hope to see you soon!!! In the meantime visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/CulturalInteriors-West/140688362658236
112 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
New Location Leimert Park Village 3347 W. 43rd Street Los Angeles, CA 90008 1-323-299-6383 www.zambezibazaar.com shop@ zambezibazaar.com
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Bernahu Asfaw & Getahun Asfaw
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Krispy Kruchy Chicken is in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Los Angeles. Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a cajun-style chicken (bone-in and tenders), served fresh, never frozen and fried in zero trans fat oil. Their menu also includes signature dishes of Traditional Wings; Krispy Wings; Cajun Sweet & Sour Wings; Cajun Tenders; Red Beans and Rice; Jambalaya; Boudin Bites (Cajun rice balls); Krispy Shrimp and Honey Butter Biscuits. For additional information, please call Krispy Kruchy at 1-323-293-3332 or visit www. krispykrunchy.com. 119 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Parker House Sausage (www.parkerhousesausage.
com) was started by Chicago entrepreneur, Judge H. Parker who came to Chicago from Montgomery County, Tennessee with little more than the conviction that there was a potential market for homemade sausage products prepared according to his mother’s recipes. By 1919 Judge Parker began selling his unique blend of herbs and spices mixed with flavorful, savory sausage from a horse drawn cart on a retail basis. Recognized as one of the oldest family owned businesses in the U.S. In 2014 Parker House expanded its product line to include chicken products including breakfast sausage, hot links, and smoked sausage.
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We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence. Need a dinner idea. Go to the Recipe Page on our website. Thanks for visiting!
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Ma's Best is a bakery specializing in the production of home-style yeast rolls and baked products. www.facebook.com/masbestrolls/#!/masbestrolls/?tab=page_info#!/masbestrolls/info
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MICHELE FOODS, INC. 1-708-331-7316 www.michelefoods.com
124 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
125 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Eso Won Books African American Books 4327 Degnan Boulevard Leimert Park, Los Angeles
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126 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
END OF THE YEAR SALE! 50% Off All floor items NEW and USED Ends December 31,2015
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129 ď‚ą November/December 2015 ď‚ą Black Business News ď‚ą www.blackbbusinessnews.net ď‚ą 1-323-291-7819
Books to Consider
Books to Consider... Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
I
n this poignant, hilarious, and deeply intimate call to arms, Hollywood’s most powerful woman, the mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder reveals how saying YES changed her life—and how it can change yours too. She’s the creator and producer of some of the most groundbreaking and audacious shows on television today: Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder. w Her iconic H characters— Meredith Grey, M Cristina Yang, C Olivia Pope, O A n n a l i s e Keating—live boldly and b their sspeak minds. So who m w would suspect Shonda tthat R Rhimes, the mega talent who m owns Thursday o night television (#TGIT), is an introvert? That she hired a publicist so she could avoid public appearances? That sh she hugged walls at splashy parties and suffered panic attacks before media interviews so severe she remembered nothing afterward? Before her Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes was an
Shonda Rhimes expert at declining invitations others would leap to accept. With three children at home and three hit television shows on TV, it was easy to say that she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. Afraid of cocktail party faux pas like chucking a chicken bone across a room; petrified of live television appearances where Shonda Rhimes could trip and fall and bleed out right there in front of a live studio audience; terrified of the difficult conversations that came so easily to her characters on-screen. In the before, Shonda’s introvert life revolved around burying herself in work, snuggling her children, and comforting herself with food. And then, on Thanksgiving 2013, Shonda’s sister muttered something that was both a wake up and a call to arms: You never say yes to anything. The comment sat like a grenade, until it detonated. Then Shonda, the youngest of six children from a supremely competitive family, knew she had to embrace the challenge: for one year, she would say YES to everything that scared her. This poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir explores Shonda’s life before her Year of Yes—from her nerdy, book-loving childhood creating imaginary friends to her devotion to creating television characters who reflected the world she saw around her (like Cristina Yang, whose ultimate goal wasn’t marriage, and Cyrus Beene, who is a Republican and gay). And it chronicles her life after her Year of Yes had begun— when Shonda forced herself out of the house and onto the stage, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and giving the Dartmouth Commencement speech; when she learned to say yes to her health, yes to play and she stepped out of the shadows and into the sun; when
130 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self. Yes. This wildly candid and compulsively readable book reveals how the mega talented Shonda Rhimes, an unexpected introvert, achieved badassery worthy of a Shondaland character. And how you can, too. http://books.simonandschuster.com/Year-of-Yes/ Shonda-Rhimes/9781476777092
The Emporer of Sound: A Memoir by Timbaland with Veronic Chambers
T
he long-anticipated inside look at the extraordinary career of the man who brought Sexy Back, the legendary producer in the pantheon of music greats as influential and groundbreaking as Motown’s Berry Gordy and a memoir of the creative process. Hailed by the New Yorker as “the eminence grise behind half of what is great in the Top Forty these days,” world-renowned producer Timbaland has been a fixture on the pop charts, with more top-ten hits than Elvis or the Beatles. An artist whose fans are multiracial and multigenerational, Timbaland works with the hottest artists, from Mariah Carey and Missy Elliott to Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Madonna, and his childhood friend, Pharrell Williams. Yet this celebrity is a uniquely private man who shuns parties, stays out of gossip columns, and rarely gives interviews. Deliberately choosing to tour by bus and conspicuously bling-free, he maintains a low-key lifestyle. If he’s not at the recording studio, he is at home with his family.
In The Emperor of Sound, Timbaland offers fans an unprecedented look into his life and work. Completely uncensored and totally honest, he reveals the magic behind the music, sharing the various creative impulses that arise while he’s producing, and the layering of sounds that have s Cinematically created dozens of number one hits. written, full of revealing anecdotes and reflections from today’s most popular music icons, The Emperor of Sound showcases this master’s artistry and offers an extraordinary glimpse inside this great musical mind. www.harpercollins.com/9780061936968/the-emperorof-sound
For Lovers Only: A Cookbook and More by Sherry Winston
S
herry Winston's new book is a how-to book on entertaining that specail someone from the moment they enter your home until the second they leave. With recipes, recommendations for great music and wine, Sherry advises singles and married couples to create the perfect ambience for love. Her romantic DC, For Lovers Only, is included. www.sherrywinston.com
131 NNovember/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819
Resources Media/Information Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content Agency in Africa www.africa-interactive.com Africa World Press Books www.africaworldpressbooks.com African Trade Magazine www.africantrademagazine.com African Vibes Magazine www.africanvibes.com The Africapitalist www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/ africapitalisminstitute/africapitalist-magazine The African World www.theafricanworld.tv Africast TV www.africast.tv Afritorial www.afritorial.com www.facebook.com/Afritorial AllAfrica http://allafrica.com Black Wall Street Times http://bwstimes.com Black Business News Group www.blackbusinessnews.net BlackPast.org www.blackpost.org Black Press USA www.blackpressusa.com BridesNoir www.bridesnoir.com The Chocolate Voice www.thechocolatevoice.com CuisineNoir www.cuisinenoirmag.com DiasporaVoice www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice Publish Africa http://wow.gm/publishafrica Rock Me Africa //rockmeafrica.com YouTube Educational Channels http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know World Library www.worldlibrary.org
http://africaleadership.org The African Union www.au.int/en Black Business Association www.bbala.org CauseCast www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonprofits.com Pan African Film Festival www.paff.org United African Organization http://uniteafricans.org Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce www.zambiausachamber.org
Investment/Development Africa Reports www.africareports.com African Development Bank www.afdb.org African Export-Import Bank //afreximbank.com/afrexim/en AfrigadgetTV www.afrigadget.com Disrupt Africa http://disrupt-africa.com/ The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke Silicon Harlem http://event.siliconharlem.net Ventures www.ventures-africa.com
U.S. Government Commerce Department www.doc.gov International Trade Administration http://trade.gov Minority Business Development Agency www.mbda.gov Power Africa www.usaid.gov/powerafrica Small Business Administration www.sba.gov State Department www.dos.gov Trade Africa www.usaid.gov/tradeafrica White House www.whitehouse.gov
Organizations Africa Leadership Forum 133 November/December 2015 Black Business News www.blackbbusinessnews.net 1-323-291-7819