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August 17-23, 2017
August 17-23, 2017
COVER STORY
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Black August Atlanta: A month of Remembrance, Resistance, Renewal By Kamille D. Whittaker Never mind Charlottesville; it’s Black August. On August 28, 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom galvanized thousands in the streets of the nation’s capital. On August 25,1925, A. Philip Randolph helped to establish the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in Harlem. It was in August 1791, the Haitian Revolution ridded the country of French colonialism and enslavement. Precursors to the Nat Turner Rebellion of August 1831 and Watts Uprising of 1965. It was on August 8, 1978, that the Philadelphia Police Department first raided the MOVE Organization, giving way to the MOVE 9. August also bears the births of Fred Hampton, Mutulu Shaku, Marcus Garvey – whose organization, the Universal Negro Improvement Association, formed in August 1914 as well. The month also marks the deaths of W.E.B. Du Bois and, much more recently, young Michael Brown of Ferguson, Mo., at the hands of the police state. August, Black August, has always been a month of struggle and resistance. A month long commemoration that marks the remembrance of the lives of freedom fighters, liberation seekers and political prisoners protesting the solution to the most egregious solution to state-driven economic anxiety: mass incarceration. “Whereas this summer has seen many celebrations of Freedom Summer’s influence on expanding black communities’ access to the institutions of U.S. democracy, Black August marks a less pleasant but no less dramatic reality of American politics. It points to the racialized exclusions that continue to haunt the American experience — especially in the form of the expansive prison industrial complex that makes the United States the world’s leader in incarceration. In remembering histories of black activism from the space of prison cells, Black August points to the ongoing failure to realize the promises of freedom and democracy that drove the civil rights activists of the 1960s,” writes Dan Berger, professor and author of “Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era.”
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The contemporary inception of Black August can be found in the actions of Jonathan Jackson who was gunned down outside the Marin County, Calif., courthouse on August 7, 1970, as he attempted to liberate three imprisoned Black Liberation Fighters: James McClain, William Christmas and Ruchell Magee. Angela Davis’ former co-defendant Magee (who is still imprisoned) is the sole survivor of the August 7 rebellion. He has been locked down for 40-plus years, most of it in solitary confinement in the SHU in Pelican Bay. Jonathan Jackson’s brother George Jackson, who had just completed “Soledad Brother,” was assassinated a year later on August 21, 1971, by San Quentin prison guards. “At the dawn of mass incarceration, the creators of Black August saw that racism itself was being reinvented or at least being updated through the criminal justice system. Black August commemorated histories of black radicalism and practiced ascetic personal discipline to call attention to the many ways that history continued to bloody the land — now in the form of prisons and ghettos. Racism was not bad people nurturing ancient prejudice; it was solitary confinement and unfunded schools. A state that thought itself unbloodied by history littered the land with prisons, giving us the greatest human rights crisis now facing our country,” Berger continues. Inmates today have continued to protest and press forward all over the United States. Hunger strikes have roused thousands in states such as Georgia, California, and North Carolina. Black August participants refused food and water before sundown, eschewed drugs and boastful behavior, boycotted radio and television, and engaged in rigorous physical exercise and political study. Through Black August, prisoners sought to demonstrate the personal power they maintained despite incarceration. Letter writing campaigns have served as vital lines of inspiration and direct communication and human rights activists such as Mumia Abu-Jamal have served as critical catalysts, tirelessly working to empower the voices of those who continue to be oppressed by the public and private prison industry. Black August has since spread beyond prison walls
to the Black community-at-large most tangibly, into the culture of the new generation in New York City, the Bay Area and Atlanta. In Oakland, the Black August Organizing Committee has held movie showings, organized summer programs for youth, and advocated for political prisoners. Other organizations, including the Eastside Arts Alliance and the Freedom Archives, have organized events showcasing the history of Black August in relation to contemporary racial justice organizing. The Black August Hip Hop Project organized annual events between 1998 and 2010, including international delegations of artists and activists to Cuba, South Africa, Tanzania, Brazil, and Venezuela. Black August concerts have included artists such as The Roots, Mos Def (now Yasiin Bey), and Erykah Badu and others. In Atlanta, where Garvey was once held as a political prisoner for mail fraud, to Freddie Hilton (Kamau Sadiki), Ramon Salazar to Verona Salazar as identified by the Collective Black People Movement, Black August commemorations center wellness, running parallel to All Natural ATL and in the past, Happily Natural Day – a powerful summer festival dedicated to holistic health, cultural awareness and social change. On August 20, 2017, All Natural ATL kicks off the Annual Black August 5K Run for Freedom, with the RBG Fit Club, HABESHA, FTP Movement, Community Movement Builders and Afrikan Martial Arts Institute to promote health and fitness with a cause. After the run there will be Kemetic Yoga, Martial Arts, Archery and Fitness Training along with a Black August Block Party gathering to culminate the weekend. In recent years, the Red Bike and Green ATLANTA offered a free family oriented ride geared towards increasing the wellness of African Americans – citing the prevalence of chronic diseases, largely due to lack of healthy foods and movement. So, never mind the recent displays of long-fomenting racial angst; or as George Jackson put it: “Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our situation, understand that people are dying who could be saved.”
Subscriptions: One Year: $52 Two Years: $85 Forms of Payment: Check, Money Order, VISA American Express, MasterCard MEMBER: Associated Press Atlanta Business League Central Atlanta Progress Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce National Newspaper Publishers Website: www.AtlantaDailyWorld.com Lorraine Cochran
By ADW Staff Spelman College has landed in the No. 2 spot on College Choice’s “50 Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities for 2017.” With many HBCU schools are celebrating over 100 years of existence, it still attention to community, spirituality, African-American studies, tradition, and social justice drive that distinguishes. Despite lower shares of blacks attending these institutions, HBCUs still account for a fair number of college degrees earned by black students: Around 27,000 bachelor’s degrees were awarded to black HBCU students in 2015, mak-
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ing up 15 percent of all bachelor’s degrees earned by blacks in that year, according to Pew Research. Traditionally black colleges have also been in the news over the past few months due to comments from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as well as a meeting between President Trump and a group of HBCU presidents. “There are over 100 HBCUs in the United States, and they have had an outsized influence on the entire country,” Christian Amondson, managing editor of College Choice, said of the ranking. “Luminaries like Ida B. Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Zora Neale Hurston, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. all attended HBCUs. But it’s not by sticking only to an elite group that HBCUs have produced such amazing thinkers and leaders. In fact, half of all HBCUs have a freshman class with three-quarters of their students from low-income backgrounds.” College Choice developed its list by looking at traditional metrics of institutional excellence such as student-to-faculty ratio, incoming student test scores, and regional accreditation according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. News & World Report. College Choice also incorporated data on return on investment, or the difference between tuition costs and expected early career salary, found on Payscale. The ranking for the 50 Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities finds Howard University in the top spot and Hampton University rounds out the top three.
Joseph and Evelyn Lowery Institute for Justice & Human Rights Statement on violence in Charlottesville
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Spelman College ranked among very best of the “50 Atlanta swells by nearly 10,000 residents in a single year Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities”
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NEWS
Joseph and Evelyn Lowery Institute for Justice & Human Rights issued the following statement on the violent attack by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va.: “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of brave foot soldier, Heather Heye, and all of the victims of the Charlottesville car attack as well as the state troopers who died as a result of the violence. The disgraceful hatred displayed by the KKK, Neo-Nazi and other white supremacist groups in Charlottesville is reminiscent of marches my mother, father and other civil rights leaders participated in during my childhood, says Cheryl Lowery, president and CEO, Lowery Institute. “I know first-hand how evil these hate groups can be. During their fight for civil and human rights my parents received constant bomb threats and were shot at by the KKK during a march in Alabama,” adds the daughter of Joseph and Evelyn Gibson Lowery. “Charlottesville and other similar Incidents underscores the need for the work of the Lowery Institute and other organizations teaching techniques of non-violent advocacy. As a result of the events in Charlottesville the Lowery Institute Change Agents decided today to put larger
emphasis on “It’s Time, A Social Justice Healing Retreat” in partnership with Agnes Scott College scheduled in October at the top of discussion. “This didn’t have to happen,” says Idil Hussein, Lowery Institute change agent coordinator. “We have been witnessing the rising level of hate daily but time and time again people in power give these white supremacists room to grow and organize. We see it from some college administrators to politicians; from the bottom to the top. It’s sad that it takes the violence peaking for people to actually see what we have been pointing out for years now,” adds the Agnes Scott College graduating senior. Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, chair of the Lowery Institute Trustee Board and confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., sums it up saying, “We’re called today, to rise above the littleness; to rise above pettiness; to rise above racism, hatred and vitriolic comments.” The Dean of the Civil Rights Movement continues, “We are also called to make strong comments when it is called to do so. I call upon my brothers and sisters to turn to each other and not on each other and let God use us to - in the words of Amos - let justice roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” The Joseph and Evelyn Lowery Institute for Justice & Human Rights is a non-profit organization established to ensure the continuity of the advocacy of Dr. Joseph E. Lowery and his late wife Evelyn Gibson Lowery’s lifelong commitment to non-violent advocacy, and the moral, ethical, and theological imperative of justice and human rights for all people. The Lowery Institute ‘Agents of Change’ Program connects high-achieving undergraduate and graduate students with elementary, middle and high school students. Change Agent’s focus on principles of non-violence of the Institute coupled with conflict management, social and self-awareness, conscious thought, alternative dispute resolution and peer mediation training. They encourage the younger students through daily interactions to de-escalate potential conflict teaching them how to solve disagreements without violence and to become servant leaders in their schools and community.
The Atlanta region’s core continues to see rapid growth behind a growing trend toward multi-family construction. According to the latest annual population estimates from the Atlanta Regional Commission, the City of Atlanta added 9,900 residents between April 2016 and April 2017. The city added 7,900 residents the year before. Those numbers show considerable increases in population growth over 2014-2015, when the city added 4,800 new residents, and over 2012 – 2013 when it added only 1,200. The 10-county Atlanta region’s population grew at a faster rate than at any time since the Great Recession, increasing by 1.8 percent, compared to 1.6 percent a year earlier. The Atlanta region is now home to 4,480,100 people, more than that of 24 states. The population increase is being fueled by strong employment growth. The 29-county Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) region added more than 87,000 jobs between May 2016 and May 2017, the second-highest total among the largest metros in the nation. “The Atlanta region was slow to emerge from the recession, but strong growth in the past few years shows that our recovery has taken hold,” said Mike Carnathan, manager of ARC’s Research & Analytics Group. “People are moving here because jobs are plentiful to a wide variety of job seekers.” Each of the region’s 10 core counties experienced population growth during the past year. Fulton County led the way, adding 17,100 residents. Gwinnett County added 16,900 people, while Cobb County grew by 12,800. DeKalb County added 8,900 people, Cherokee County 7,300, Henry County 5,400, Clayton County 4,700, Douglas County 1,900, Fayette County 1,700, and Rockdale County 1,600. “Metro Atlanta offers a world-class quality of life along with one of the nation’s best business environments,” said Kerry Armstrong, ARC board chair. “It’s a winning combination that has fueled tremendous growth in recent years.”
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NEWS
August 17-23, 2017
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Atlanta native, Spelman College alumna to open Chick-fil-A’s first downtown Los Angeles location
Atlanta native and Spelman College graduate Ashley Derby will open Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A Inc.’s first location in downtown Los Angeles.
Derby leaves her current post as the franchise owner of the University of Southern California Chick-fil-A restaurant to take the helm of the new location at 660 South Figueroa Street. Earlier this year, Chick-fil-A franchise owner Ashley Lamothe Derby, C’2006, was awarded the company’s Symbol of Success, an honor reserved for Chick-fil-A operators whose businesses experience particularly high sales growth. Derby is the owner and operator of a Chick-fil-A near the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She began her career with Chickfil-A at age 15, working at a restaurant in her hometown of Marietta, Georgia. After entering Spelman, she began working at a Chick-fil-A near campus. Noticing her work ethic, her restaurant operator pulled her aside and suggested that she consider a career in leadership with the company. She changed her major from theater to economics. After graduating from Spelman, she spent the next three years complet-
By Dr. Stanley Riggs Economic cycles were first recorded in 1349 in Florence, Italy. Sir Isaac Newton (as in “gravity”) lost his fortune when he failed to recognize the 1720 South Sea Company financial bubble. There have been over 300 asset bubbles since 1720. But you don’t need to be a genius to avoid getting caught up in an economic cycle. By always being aware of where you are in the economic cycle, you can both protect and grow your savings in the new year. Economic cycles, often referred to as “booms and busts,” are recurring macroeconomic events with high and low inflection points triggered by a change in macroeconomic, demographic or geopolitical events. The ever-changing cycles pres ent both crisis and opportunity. It is a predictable model based on the theory of “reversion to the mean.”
ing numerous Chick-fil-A management and development programs. In 2011, at age 26, she became the youngest African-American female franchise owner in the history of the company. Now, she encourages employees at her restaurant to never give up on their goals. “I want to help them get to where they want to go, whether it’s a career with Chick-fil-A, or studying law or medicine, or anything,” said Derby. “I want to help them make that next step, just like so many have done for me.”
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Reversion to the mean is a concept that when correctly applied to a cyclical situation, assumes that both the highs and the lows are only temporary, and values will always move back to the mean or average. A common mistake is to consider the values as reverting only back to the mean. In reality, the values revert back to the mean and continue to overshoot the mean before reaching their next high or low inflection point. It is the constant, symmetrical, bi-directional overshooting of the mean value that keeps the mean or average value relatively stable. Another common mistake, even the best economists make, is to apply linear thought to nonlinear, cyclical events. When the stock market was booming in 1999, the linear thinkers were talking about the “new metrics” and when the waitresses at the local IHOP were making money flipping houses in 2007, the mortgage brokers were talking about the “new paradigm” as they extrapolated the cyclical upward curve to an endless, linear, climbing forecast. Even at the bottom of the Great Recession in March 2009, Wall Street bond fund sages coined the phrase “the new normal,” implying the economic recovery was forever going to be linear and almost horizontal. Linear thought only leads people to believe that the good times will never stop and the bad times will never end. Hockey star Wayne Gretzky often said: “I skated to where the puck was going, not to where it was.” There are four reliable and readily accessible economic indicators that will help you to know where the economy is going.
1. The Yield Curve is the most accurate indicator. It is the plotted range of yields of U.S. treasuries from short-term to long-term maturities. There is a strong correlation between this interest rate spread and the future U.S. GDP six to twelve months ahead. A steeply climbing curve illustrates long-term U.S. treasury rates significantly higher than short-term rates and is a forecast for economic growth. An inverted or downward curve illustrates long-term rates lower than short-term rates and indicates the probability of an economic downturn. Since 1960, all seven U.S. recessions have been preceded by inverted yield curves months in advance. 2. The Institute of Supply Management (ISM) is a private institute founded in 1915. They release to the public monthly reports on the recent trends of purchasing and supply management professionals. 3. The Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators is data released by the U.S. Commerce Department. From 19592001 it correctly forecasted all seven recessions that did occur and five recessions that did not occur. 4. The Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index (VIX) has been used since 1986 as a measure of the implied volatility of the Standard and Poor 500 Index based on options and future trades. If your financial advisor thinks the “VIX” is a brand of cough drops, you might have a problem. Changing economic events should never be a surprise to the student of economic cycles. Whether you are investing in stocks, bonds or real estate, you can benefit from these cyclical changes by using your understanding of the economic cycle as a cornerstone in your investment decision-making process in 2015. By always knowing where you are in the cycle, you can anticipate and benefit from future economic, cyclical changes and build your wealth by skating to where the puck is going.
How To: Growing your local presence
Atlanta Black Crackers, Birmingham Black Barons, Raleigh
By Tasha S. Robinson
Tigers, New York Black Yankees, Kansas City Monarchs and the Indianapolis Black Clowns. The Negro League players will sign autographs for Braves fans in the SunTrust Park Plaza from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. The celebration is being presented by Delta Air Lines.
August 17-23, 2017
Benefiting from economic cycles: Four economic indicators
Atlanta Braves celebrate Hank Aaron Heritage Weekend August 16-19 The Atlanta Braves will celebrate Hank Aaron Heritage Weekend with a series of events that began Wednesday and will end on Saturday, August 19. For both Friday and Saturday night games, the Braves will wear the 1974 throwback home uniforms in honor of Hank Aaron. To begin the celebration, Atlanta Braves and Delta Air Lines employees partnered on a community service project at the Andrew & Walter Young YMCA. The staff, along with JLL Corporate Environments and A-R-T & Associates, refurbished an activity room (painting, replacing blinds, furniture) and upgraded software in the computer room. Volunteers also prepared meals for students, read to pre-K students and participated in activities with senior citizens. Today, there will be a private event featuring Hank Aaron and noted artist Joseph Norman, who’s Negro Leagues Baseball exhibit called America’s Pastime, is featured at Clark Atlanta University’s Museum of Art. Aaron and Norman will participate in a conversation moderated by Doug Shipman. On Friday, , the Hank Aaron Champion for Justice Award Ceremony presented by Delta Air Lines will take place at the Center for Civil and Human Rights and will be hosted by Mrs. Billye Aaron. The 2017 awards will be presented to four outstanding individuals who have made a lifelong commitment to overcoming industry obstacles and inspiring future generations. Award recipients include: America’s 23rd, and first African American, Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, former Major League Baseball outfielder and the first African American manager to win a World Series, Clarence “Cito” Gaston, American journalist and syndicated columnist Roland Martin and civil rights activist Hank Thomas, one of the original Freedom Riders. Saturday, a special conversation at 11 a.m. at the Center for Civil and Human Rights will feature former Negro League players, Ernest Fann and Jake Sanders, along with Dr. Leyton Revel, founder of the Center for Negro League Baseball Research, Braves outfield Matt Kemp and former Braves player Brian Jordan. The conversation is free and open to the public. Prior to the game, there will be a pregame tribute to the Negro Leagues, honoring former players from teams including:
BUSINESS
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Trust me, I love having customers all over the world buying digital products from my business. It’s a little confidence boost when I see orders from New Zealand, Toronto or even Paris. However, one thing that I constantly emphasize to clients is the importance of having a robust local presence before you even think about global domination. Currently, I reside in a smaller town that has a disposable income of around $1,000 a month per household. Take a moment to Google your town’s population, disposable income, and the particular population of your target audience. Now, for a moment, imagine that there are over 20,000 households that fit the specific target audience number, and their disposable income is $3,000 per household. That amounts to $60,000,000 annually poten-
tially spent with various companies in your local community or online. If your brand focused on obtaining .10 percent of this, you would be at the mid five-figure revenue mark. Marketing Made Easy The main advantage of marketing to one percent of your local audience is that you are a part of that demographic. You are shopping, eating, traveling, and staying at the same places as them. You have inside knowledge on this audience no matter the size of your town. Your goal should be focusing your efforts on reaching the percentage of your local audience that will connect with your business through your marketing tactics such as avenues like Facebook ads. Professional Visual Imagery Create visual imagery that stimulates a customer’s mindset when it comes to landing you the sales. It is important that you hire a graphic designer to create the visual call to action you will utilize through Facebook ads or first purchase cards. In addition to that, work with a copy writer to help you come up with tag lines and more. A/B testing different campaign ads and first purchase cards will provide better insight and data. Then fine tune the one that provides you more clicks and sales. First purchase cards can be passed out at high-traffic venues in your city during the week, and on weekends commit to passing them out for a minimum of one hour. All over the world there are small enterprise businesses whose annual sales exceed over a million dollars; though we don’t know them, the locals do. There are benefits to having a strong local support system backing your company.
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POLITICS
Ceasar Mitchell receives mayoral endorsement from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1996 Southeast’s largest private-sector union cites Mitchell’s record of being a strong voice for Atlanta’s working families By ADW Staff The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) formally endorsed Ceasar Mitchell for mayor of Atlanta this week. UFCW Local 1996 is the largest private-sector union in the southeastern United States, representing over 19,000 members in Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Alabama, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing, poultry and healthcare industries. “We are endorsing City Council President Ceasar Mitchell because he understands the concerns of Atlanta’s workers,” UFCW Local 1996 President Steve Lomax said. “During his
16 years on city council, he has consistently represented the interests of working families. President Mitchell led the charge to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour for city employees, setting a standard for the region. He has proven himself to possess the experience and leadership abilities to make real change and boldly represent our membership at City Hall.” To date, Mitchell has also received labor union endorsements from the Professional Association of City Employees (PACE), The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), and the American Federa-
City of Atlanta accepting application for 2018 Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative Applications are now being accepted for the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) 2018-19 business incubator program, the nation’s only city-funded incubator for women business owners. Building on the success of its first class, WEI will accept applications through September 15 from women entrepreneurs in the City of Atlanta for 15 promising participants. The 15-month program – running January 2018 through March 2019 – fosters growth and sustainability through business education, financial literacy, access to mentors and consultants, and peer-to-peer networking. “The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative is unique in the country, and is an incredible asset for women who have an interest in building or launching a business in the City of Atlanta,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “With the support of mentors like Founding Director Theia Smith, and access to technology and networking opportunities, this initiative offers extraordinary resources to women entrepreneurs to build their businesses. I congratulate the first class of WEI entrepreneurs on their success, and encourage every woman entrepreneur who meets the rigorous and competitive criteria to apply.” The vision for WEI was sparked by Mayor Reed during his first mayoral campaign. Launched in 2014, and guided by a seven-member advisory board chaired by Carol B. Tomé, chief financial officer of The Home Depot, WEI aims to align entrepreneurial opportunities for women in Atlanta with the City’s mission of elevating and strengthening its economic development efforts. Atlanta was recently ranked 18th out of 50 best global cities for women entrepreneurs in Dell’s 2017 Women Entrepreneur Index. “WEI’s first class of businesses demonstrates that women entrepreneurs are fearless, pioneering and worth championing,” said Theia Smith, the founding executive director of WEI. “Their passion and accomplishments are laying the foundation for the next wave of entrepreneurs seeking to accelerate their businesses, with support from WEI.”
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August 17-23, 2017
WEI participants are chosen by a selection committee in a competitive process, which evaluates applicants according to the following criteria:
tion of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). UFCW members include major employers such as Kroger, Kaiser Permanente and Hormel, among others. “Council President Mitchell has demonstrated his ability to bring labor and businesses together in the tough job of making Atlanta a city that works for all its people,” Lomax added. Mitchell, an Atlanta native, is president of the Atlanta City Council. After being elected to Council Post 1 in 2001, a citywide council seat and serving two terms, Mitchell ran for Council President, and won both the 2009 and 2013 elections. During his career, he’s started and supported initiatives targeting child safety, community policing, economic development, education, and more. While on Council he chaired the committees of Public Safety, Community Development and Human Resources, which oversees the City’s economic development activities; and City Utilities. “Bridging the gap between labor and businesses is a tall order, but one in which I am prepared to fill on day one as Mayor of this great city,” said Ceasar Mitchell, mayoral candidate and Atlanta City Council President.
“Receiving this full vote of confidence from UFCW Local 1996 comes with the expectation of accountability and responsibility. I am honored and fully committed to standing in solidarity with UFCW as a strong voice for all of Atlanta’s working families.”
First time flipper in Atlanta, GA? We want you! First time flipper in Atlanta, GA?
To be eligible you must: • Be looking for a home to flip in and around Atlanta, GA between August 2017 and April 2018 • The business must be 100 percent wom• ToHave never flipped a house before be eligible you must: an-owned and the owner must reside in and/or be licensed to do business within • Have financing in to place and ready to GA spend (and •Be looking for a home flip in and around Atlanta, the City of Atlanta. renovate!) between August 2017 and April 2018 • Valid, up-to-date business license must • Available 7 days filming, staggered over 7 be on file with the City of Atlanta. •Have neverfor flipped a houseof before • Proof of profit generated by the busiweeks (Renovations completed in about 30 days) •Have financing in place and ready to spend (and renovate!) ness’s operations. • 21 years of age or older • Three or fewer people (including the for 7 days of filming, staggered for over the 7 weeks If you •Available would like to be considered show, please founder) employed at the business. • A business model favorable to sharing aapply here: (Renovations completed in about 30 days) collaborative, shared workspace environment • Submission of completed application, per its requirements. • Willingness to participate in pitch interview(s), in-person, with the Selection Committee.
More than 100 applications were received for the first cohort of WEI.
We want you!
•21 years of age or older https://flippingvirgins.castingcrane.com/
If you would like to be considered for the show, please apply here: https://flippingvirgins.castingcrane.com/
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August 17-23, 2017
LIFESTYLE
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Bronner Bros International Beauty Show, the ultimate 70th anniversary experience By ADW Staff
and barbers to help make the world a more beautiful place.” The show’s diverse agenda offers knowledge, information, and inspiration to help licensed cosmetologists succeed. An expanded schedule of more than 100 hands-on workshops and master classes are curated to meet the needs of multicultural professionals at all levels. Educational tracks include barbering, business, color, cutting, extension & weaves, make-up, natural hair and braiding. Classes showcasing the industry’s up-and-coming beauty trends, skincare and makeup techniques will also take place; exhibits from manufacturers and retailers; business-focused workshops for stylists and salon owners; competitions featuring the nation’s most talented professionals and students, and networking and entertainment events as well as a Sunday service. Headquartered in Atlanta, Bronner Bros. Inc. is a privately held, family-owned company founded in 1947 by Dr. Nathaniel H. Bronner Sr. and his brother Arthur E. Bronner Sr. Today, the BB Enterprise consists of multicultural beauty products, UPSCALE Magazine and professional trade shows, which attract more than 60,000 salon and barber professionals annually.
This weekend, the Bronner Bros International Beauty Show will kick off in Atlanta, celebrating 70 years in the beauty industry with an unprecedented lineup of education, competitions, entertainment and networking opportunities. From Saturday, August 19 through Monday, August 21, BB expects more than 35,000 hairstylists, makeup artists, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and aspiring students to participate and attend its show at the Georgia World Congress Center. The three-day event will also feature more than 300 exhibitors ranging from fresh, innovative start-ups to marquee brands all under one roof. Since its inception in 1947, the BB show has been a mainstay for multicultural salon and barber professionals and is recognized as the world’s largest beauty show of its kind. “Because it’s our 70th Anniversary, we wanted to present the most exciting show ever,” said James Bronner, BB show director. “The Bronner Bros legacy is not simply about hair – it is grounded in faith, family, and business. Given all that’s going on in our communities today, my father, Nathaniel Bronner, Sr., would be proud to know we’re encouraging stylists
Business in the Black comes to Atlanta
The documentary “Business in the Black” will air at the Apex Museum August 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Chronicling the rise of black business in America from the 1800’s-1960’s, the documentary is broken into three segments; the first examining how blacks were educated enough to attend college, the qualifications African Americans needed to be accepted into schools and which colleges allowed blacks to attend. The second segment examines various business districts across the country and how they were affected by race riots, bombings, and government action; and the third names black millionaires in the 1800’s, the growth of black business districts, names of businesses and organizations who helped foster the business communities. The children of the founders of a black-owned hospital instituted in 1917 and others with knowledge of notable entities and happenings in black communities were interviewed for the 75-minute film which is traveling across the country. The event will conclude with a Q&A with Anthony Brogdon, the film’s producer. Next up: Toronto, Canada, on September 14, and Washington, D.C., on September 19.
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BronzeLens’ Sunday Brunch with the Brothers salutes men in film and television The BronzeLens Film Festival is taking a moment to salute men of color in film and television who are making waves – each in his own way. A celebration of their work is the theme of the Festival’s upcoming Sunday Brunch with the Brothers on Aug. 27. A distinguished cadre of black male actors including stage and screen actors Keith David (“Greenleaf ”) and E. Roger Mitchell (“The Quad”) will engage in insightful and revealing conversation during the brunch along with “Queen Sugar” actors Timon Kyle Durrett and Omar Dorsey. Actor Lamman Rucker will moderate the event as the panelists share important, inspirational lessons from their career journeys. Their paths to success have not been without challenges, some of them unique to them ethnically. The 8th Annual BronzeLens Film Festival begins Aug. 23 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel where over the course of eight days, beginning Aug. 20, film lovers, actors, and filmmakers will gather to share a creative platform of education, entertainment, empowerment related to film, television and the production of both. The BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta, Ga., is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 that is dedicated to bringing national and worldwide attention to Atlanta as a center for film and film production for people of color. Its mission is twofold: to promote Atlanta as the new film mecca for people of color; and to showcase films and provide networking opportunities that will develop the next generation of filmmakers. Each year, film lovers, actors, and film makers gather in culture-and-heritage-rich city to share a creative platform of education, entertainment and empowerment discussions related to film, as well as television, and the production of both.
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Broadway, film and television director Kenny Leon to teach master classes at Kennesaw State University Tony Award-winning Broadway, film and television director Kenny Leon will teach two master classes to students in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University, and will share his extensive professional experience with up-and-coming actors, designers, directors, writers and technicians. “Kenny approached us about how he could work with our students in meaningful and impactful ways,” said Patty Poulter, dean of the College of the Arts. “He is incredibly enthusiastic and eager to work with our students, and it is very exciting to have him at Kennesaw State University.” A sought-after motivational speaker, Leon has conducted acting and theater workshops at universities and corporations in this country and abroad. “I want to bridge that gap between the academic world and the professional world. There should be a healthy synergy between the academic world and the professional/artistic world. So, I am all for that,” said Leon. “When I have a master class with students who are serious about being in this business, it’s better to give than receive. I am rewarded by giving,” Leon said. “I have a chance to do that with some students who call Atlanta home and students who are making a commitment to the profession. You make the profession better by sharing with young folks what you know to be true. So, I am hoping that it can mean something to them.” Leon won a Tony for directing the 2014 revival of “A Raisin in the Sun” on Broadway, starring Denzel Washington. He is currently directing “Holler If Ya Hear Me.” The new musical, created using the music of Tupac Shakur, is a joint production of Spelman College and Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta. “I am going to use this time to be as honest as I can about the realities of the business and of the craft. Only two years ago I did the ‘Wiz Live’ and I have done the TV movie ‘Steel Magnolias.’ I’ve done a lot of things: regional theater, Broadway, television,” Leon said. “I want to share my experiences with these wonderful students to get them ready. They are sitting where I was sitting 25 to 35 years ago. I am hoping that I can bring something meaningful to their professional trajectory.” Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre, the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies offers a Bachelor of Arts with four concentrations: acting, per-
formance studies, musical theater and design/technology. Students perform in plays, musicals, poetry performances, adaptations of classic literature, storytelling, improvisational comedy and new works. Currently, 230 students are in the major. “We are so pleased to have an artist with the extraordinary achievements of Kenny Leon to work with our students,” said Rick Lombardo, chair of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. “Kenny is a remarkable teacher and director, and our students will have a very special experience working with him.”
August 17-23, 2017
Pioneer director Julie Dash joins Spelman College as a distinguished professor in the arts
Pioneer director Julie Dash is set to join Spelman University as a Distinguished Professor in the Arts this fall, positioned to leave a mark on the next generation of future filmmakers, artists, and creators. Twenty-six years ago, filmmaker Julie Dash broke through racial and gender boundaries with her Sundance award-winning film (Best Cinematography) “Daughters of the Dust.” With its release, she became the first African-American woman to have a wide theatrical release of a feature film. In 1999, the 25th Annual Newark Black Film Festival honored Dash and Daughters as being one of the most important cinematic achievements in Black Cinema in the 20th century. In 2004, the Library of Congress placed “Daughters of the Dust” in the National Film Registry where it joins a select group of American films preserved and protected as national treasures by the Librarian of Congress. Dash is the only African-American woman with a feature film that has been inducted into the National Film Registry. Recently, Dash was hand-picked by Ava DuVernay (13th, Selma) to join the all female directorial team of Queen Sugar. She is also in production on a feature length documentary about Vertamae Smart Grosvenor, a world-renowned author, performer, and chef from rural South Carolina who led a remarkably unique and complex life based upon Grosvenor’s bestselling work, Vibration Cooking: or the Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl.
Atlantan Kenya Freeman competes on the 16th season of “Project Runway” By Katrice L. Mines
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved BronzeLens as a qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards category. The short film that receives the BronzeLens Best Short Award may now be eligible to enter the Academy’s Short Subject competition for the concurrent season.
After enduring a rough upbringing, Kenya Freeman learned at a young age that she’d need to make it on her own in order to be successful. And starting design school enlivened her passion for fashion as her life mission; she hasn’t looked back ever since. The 37-year-old Atlanta transplant will be a contestant on the 16th season of Project Runway this fall. Episode one airs tonight at 8 p.m. For the first time in Project Runway history, season 16 breaks out of the conventional modeling mold and celebrates body diversity by incorporating size inclusive models on the catwalk. As a true reflection of all women across the country, models range from 0 to 22, and this season’s designers must show off their skills and ability to make stunning creations, for any size. Freeman, who says she’s been bouncing from to place to place – living on friends couches for months, said she decided to pur-
sue the competition simply because “it was time.” “My maturity level is in a place where I can handle it and my skill set is at a place where I’m comfortable showcasing my work,” she said. “It’s time for the world to know who I am!” Regardless of whatever struggles she has gone through, Freeman says she’s stayed positive and enchants everyone with her ability to live life to the fullest, and that she’s ready to put the work in and fulfill her dream of becoming the next top fashion designer. Expect from her: Clean silhouettes, tailored shapes, classic sexy yet trendy styles, and vibrant colors and prints. Her dream clients: Michelle Obama and Tracee Ellis Ross … and “really every woman who is confident in who she is and wants to stand out in a crowd.” Emmy® Award-winning hosts Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn return to the runway alongside fashion authorities, Nina Garcia, Marie Claire’s
creative director and Zac Posen, designer and creative director for Brooks Brother Women. Why she’ll win? Freeman says her innate ability to churn out spectacular work with little to no resources will give her an advantage in the competition. She believes ladies should look like ladies but with an edge, and with a strong design aesthetic, she is sure to win over the judges – sass and all. The winner of Project Runway will receive $100,000 to launch their line, and the opportunity to collaborate with JCPenney on a limited edition capsule collection as part of the Project Runway line sold at select JCPenney stores and online. In addition, they will receive a selection of Brother sewing and embroidery machines, with a retail value of $40,000; a lifetime supply of pens from the Pilot FriXion Erasable Pen; an all-expense paid luxury trip to Japan; the new 2018 Lexus NX; and a fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine.
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ANNOUNCEMENT C. W. Matthews Contracting Co., Inc will be accepting quotations from subcontractors, including City of Atlanta DBE certified subcontractors, for City of Atlanta Invitation To Bid Project FC-9932 Airfield Shoulder Replacement 2017 (CWM 709500) which is bidding on September 6, 2017 @ 2:00 P.M. Items of work include (but are not limited to): Hauling, Asphalt Paving, Asphalt Pavement Crack Repair, Airport Electrical, Erosion Control and Pavement Marking. Subcontractor quotations (including all REQUIRED City of Atlanta Forms will be accepted by C. W. Matthews’ Estimating Department in person, by e-mail: dustinj@cwmatthews.com and/or mikek@cwmatthews.com or Fax: #770-422-9361 until Noon on Friday, September 1, 2017. All bidding documentation will be available at the C. W. Matthews Contracting website (www.cwmatthews.com) as well as the City of Atlanta Website (http://procurement.atlantaga.gov/fc-9932-airfield-shoulder-replacement-2017/) If you have any questions regarding the project, please contact Dustin Johnson at (770) 422-7520 X1161. You must register a User ID and Password to access the CWM website. For additional website information, contact C. W. Matthews’ Estimating Department at 770-422-7520.
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August 17-23, 2017
GUEST COMMENTARY
GUEST COMMENTARY
by Charlene Crowell NNPA Newswire Columnist
by Julianne Malveaux
The Justice Department takes on affirmative action under Trump Justice Department resumes fight for white privilege As millions of students return to school, the nation’s Justice Department (DOJ) is beginning an investigation that could potentially sue universities over affirmative action admissions policies. As first reported by “The New York Times,” the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will carry out this effort to determine whether White applicants were discriminated against. For Black people and other ethnic and racial minorities, this investigation seems like window-dressing to deny millions of students a quality education in the name of injustice. Such actions also signal a subtler message is to roll back to the progress achieved in broadly affording students of all races and ethnicities the benefits that higher education derives. Among education and civil rights advocates a strong belief holds that everyone benefits when obstacles to educational opportunity are overcome. “The American Dream offers each new generation the opportunity to build on the successes of previous ones,” wrote Nikitra Bailey, an executive vice president with the Center for Responsible Lending, in a related op-ed. “However, if you are African-American, the nation’s history of enslavement and legal bigotry consistently requires each generation to start anew.” Bailey is correct. Despite the vigilance of civil rights heroes over multiple generations, the heralded 1954 Supreme Court ruling in “Brown v. Board of Education,” or a series of 1960s laws that were enacted to guarantee full and first-class citizenship to every Black American, even more work remains to be done before everyone is afforded the promises of America. It’s been several years since the anti-affirmation action crusade took its venomous campaign to states across the country. Beginning in California in 1996 and continuing through 2010, Ward Connerly, a former University of California Regent, led a series of statewide campaigns to constitutionally ban affirmative action in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Washington State. Regardless of the state, the goal was always the same: make it illegal for public colleges and universities to include consideration of race or ethnicity in college admissions. Only in Colorado was the effort turned back by voters. In all of the other locales, the measure passed with broad support, often despite many business and corporate leaders joining with civil rights advocates in opposition. For example, prior to the November 2006 “Proposal 2” ballot vote in Michigan, Paul Hillegonds, a White Republican and former Speaker of the State House, helped to lead a statewide coalition of more than 200 organizations pledged to defeat the measure. “If it passes, we are announcing to the world that women and minorities will not be given an equal opportunity to succeed in business in
our state,” said Hillegonds. “This is the wrong message to send at a time when we are trying to attract new businesses and develop a talented, multicultural workforce ready to meet the demands of the 21st century economy.” State-approved bans on affirmative action in higher education also led to fewer Black students in the University of California system as well as at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Today the real difference between then and now is that the U.S. Justice Department is resuming a fight for the preservation of White privilege that is armed with resources and personnel that taxpayers of all colors provide. “President Trump’s Justice Department has hardly been worthy of its name,” said Sherrilynn A. Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. “It has retreated from meaningful police reform, argued on behalf of state laws that suppress minority voting rights, directed prosecutors to seek harsh sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, and extended the federal government’s power to seize the property of innocent Americans.” Ifill continued: “Each of these steps disproportionately and systematically burdens people of color, denying them their constitutional rights and widening the racial divides that this country has struggled for so long to close.” The United States Supreme Court recently affirmed the use of affirmative action in admissions decisions in the “Fisher v. University of Texas” case. In that ruling, the importance of diversity as a compelling state interest was affirmed as settled law. The decision was also a victory for equal opportunity and recognized again that it is critical for schools to create diverse and inclusive student bodies. As the cost of higher education tends to increase every year, students of color are the ones most likely to go into debt in search of a degree that will deliver a middle class standard of living. Even four years after graduation, Black college graduates earning a bachelor’s degree owe almost double the debt of their White classmates, according to CRL research. “The U.S. Justice Department must enforce inclusive educational policies as they open the doors of opportunity for all,” said Bailey. Charlene Crowell is the communications deputy director for the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.
What must we do to help HBCUs? Will another HBCU “bite the dust?” Truly, it depends on us. Pennsylvania’s Cheyney University, the oldest HBCU in the nation (founded in 1837) has been on probation since November 2015. If the Middle States Commission on Higher Education does not accept a sustainability report that is due on September 1, the school may lose its accreditation. Without accreditation, Cheyney students cannot receive federal financial aid like Pell grants and federal loans. Many would be forced to leave school because they can’t afford to attend school without assistance. Cheyney is part of the Stop the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, an organization that took nearly 20 years to settle a lawsuit with the college because (PASSHE) funded predominately white institutions (PWIs) in Pennsylvania more favorably than Cheyney. While PASSHE provided Cheyney with some money to address the issues of inequality, most say the amount they provided was just a fraction of that due. At the same time, Cheyney has borrowed millions of dollars from PASSHE. Because of the borrowing, PASSHE has assembled a task force that would sell Cheyney’s land, slash its academic programs, reduce enrollment (which is already extremely low), eliminate NCAA sports and also cut staff. In other words, they would kill the college. Can we afford to lose another HBCU? Cheyney’s detractors say that the college is not necessary, and that PASSHE should merge it with another nearby college, either sister HBCU Lincoln University, or another PASSHE school, West Chester University. Some say it isn’t race, but mismanagement, that has plagued Cheyney. But too many HBCU leaders have been accused of mismanagement, when the real issue, especially for state-supported institutions, is a lack of resources and a history of underfunding Black colleges. And most face the challenge of underfunding with some innovation. For example, Cheyney has developed a new business model that includes creating an Institute for the Contemporary African American Experience. They envision this institute as a potential magnet for student enrollment, which will bring more revenue to the college. But with a September 1 deadline nipping at their heels, the survival of Cheyney is in the hands of the accrediting organization. An organization called Heeding Cheyney’s Call (HCC) has held events and urged people to support Cheyney. They say that Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) can intervene before Middle States makes an accreditation decision, and that he can also instruct PASSHE to back off from their plan to sell Cheyney’s land. An August 1 event attracted the support of both local and national leaders, including city council members, state legislators, members of Congress, clergy, and others. U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is among those supporting Cheyney. That support, commendable as it is, isn’t enough to save Cheyney. The college, like so many HBCUs, needs resources and the state can’t be
counted on to provide them. So will Cheyney be the next HBCU to bite the dust? Or is the African American community, and other concerned folks, prepared to step in the gap for the college? Cheyney has an abysmal alumni giving rate, at less than 10 percent (one report pegged it as low as 6 percent). It is unconscionable that alums would flock back to campus for social events or graduations, but not write checks to support their college. To be sure, some alums get tired appeals that highlight dire emergency situations. But HBCUs are in a state of emergency, when people constantly question their reason for being, and when federal and state dollars are scarcer than ever. Too many believed 45’s prevarication about supporting HBCUs. Too many presidents got a photo op, but no more money, when they met with 45. Those of us who wring our hands and decry the state of HBCUs can do more than we are doing now. Whether we attended HBCUs or not, we can support them. We can adopt one and become regular contributors to that university. We can encourage students to attend HBCUs. We can do fundraisers for HBCUs, even in places that don’t have HBCUs. In Las Vegas, Nevada, a city councilman stages a football game where an HBCU plays the University of Nevada Las Vegas’ football team. The event raises tens of thousands of dollars for the HBCU team that plays UNLV. In addition to fundraising, though, we must also think creatively about HBCU sustainability. If buildings are not fully utilized, why not create summer, evening, and weekend programs for the public? Is there revenue-generating distance learning? Have stakeholders taken time to generate new ideas for sustainability? With the 45 attack on affirmative action, HBCUs may be more important than ever for African American college attendance. When doors close at other institutions, HBCUs will be there if we support them. I’ve heard the argument that some HBCUs have challenges and may not provide a Harvard-quality education (few schools do). The quality of an HBCU education is at least partly a function of the resources available to that college. You can’t have state-of-the-art labs or media centers without money. Where are the resources? If we want strong, solid HBCUs, we need to support them. We can only blame ourselves if Cheyney, or other colleges close for lack of support. Federal and state funds can make a difference. But individual and foundation contributions are equally, if not more, important. As students head back to school this August, we have to ask if those headed to HBCUs will be able to enjoy their 10th, 25th, or 50th college reunion. They won’t unless we all step up. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and founder of Economic Education.
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August 17-23, 2017
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