Commemorative Issue: Black Business News by Black Business News Group

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E 

Publisher’s Message Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

uring this very special month, African American Music Appreciation June 2012, we take a few moments to reflect and celebrate the contributions of some outstanding legends in the world of Music and Entertainment. This month we salute the Icons of Music, the living legends whose original contributions through memorable music can best be described as timeless. From rhythm and blues, to R&B/Pop, to Jazz, to Neo Soul, to Southern Blues, we particularly salute the kings and queens of African American music.

We take their spirits and essence as our hope for the future and we carry on in our creative discovery with the faith of the spark of the new music to come forever holding dear the classic songs of our memories as well as our African American roots as originators and innovators of musical genres.

SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE LIMITED EDITION

YOUR LINK TO BLACK BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA The Official Business Journal of the Black Business Association

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U.S. Small Business Administration 2007 Award Winner “Journalist of the Year”

JANUARY 2009

PRESIDENT

BARACK H. SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE

3  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E  About the Black Business News… 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, the Black Business News imparts current local, national and international industry trends related to small businesses across the United States of America (USA), detailing greater access to financial capital, management efficiencies, business education, mentors and networks. The goals of the Black Business News include: •

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increasing the use of business enterprises owned by USA-based blacks, by advocating for greater access to leading finance lenders and successful business managers. working to merge resources, values, profits, technology throughout the public and private sectors.

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balancing major public and private sector contracting methods with positive outcomes of black-owned and operated enterprises.

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providing an affirmative influence for emergging entrepreneurs sharing innovative design n and creative cultural content that exposess them to the history of black enterprises and d excite them to participate in the USA’s future..

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advocating and promoting on behalf off black-owned businesses by promoting the need for expanding an economic foundation that supports an unfettered and selfsustained urban society with USA job creation and economic opportunity, where blacks work, live and operate viable business enterprises.

www.blackbusinessnews.net ws net

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

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

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Harris

ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR Kim Anthony

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Belinda Foster

PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LaSandra Stratton • Dean Jones • Linda Ware

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 © 2012 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.

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E  FEATURES… 3 Publisher’s Message REFLECTIONS…

January 2013

8 10 16 23 26 32 36 40 44 48 52

2012 Re-Election The Acceptance Speech 2009 Ceremony Domestic Issues International Issues Wold Leaders Military First Lady First Family The President Symbolism

56 58

The Campaign The Opposition

xx xx xx

Bush Visits Zambia

OPPOSITION… 16

XXX… President Urged to Increase Trade with Africa How Investors can Win in Africa

COLUMNS 65 - Books to Consider... 73 - Take A Look 76 - Calendar SPONSORS 06 - Black Business Association Cover image - Phallu Morgan

5  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E  •

Being a conduit for the merging of resources, values, profits, technology and people;

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Promoting development and support of minority business enterprises within the domestic and international economies by encouraging and generating greater access to market opportunities and capital;

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Providing training for entrepreneurial professional development;

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Supporting and contributing to the economic base and progress of the African-American community; and

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Developing coalitions that support our political endeavors to effectively achieve public recognition and political influence for African-American business owners.

Over 40 years of service Founded 1970

About the BBA…

Since 1970, the Black Business Association (BBA), a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, headquartered in Los Angeles, has been instrumental in the incubation and development of more than 15,000 African-American businesses. Nationally, we have access and influence with more than 85,000 African-American-owned and women/minority-owned firms via strategic alliances with more than 100 women/minority trade associations in more than 42 states nationwide.

___ Our Mission ___ The Black Business Association’s mission is to advocate and promote the development of African-American owned businesses with the goal of creating a firm economic base that support the self-determination and survival of the African-American and urban community by: •

Identifying and creating financial opportunities for the growth and stability of African-American owned businesses;

•

Being a community voice that advocates for the success of small businesses;

Black Business Association P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA Tel: 323-291-9334 Fax: 323-857-4610

___ Advocacy ___ The Black Business Association maintains very effective working relationships with elected and appointed officials for the support of African-American business development. Locally, statewide and in Washington, DC, we are constantly aware of pending legislation that might affect our member’s businesses, their growth and even their ability to conduct business. When legislation is being considered that affects our mission, the BBA quickly mobilizes to work with key policy makers to support, defeat or modify the bill and pursue the BBA position. As an organization, we are constantly at the helm, securing innovative means and policies that protect our constituency and their business interests. 

Coming Events 2013 February 39th Annual Awards Dinner March 30th Salute to Black Women • Call 323-291-9334 for information on sponsorship and participation •

mail@bbala.org www.bbala.org www.facebook.com 6  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E 

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / Re - E l e c t i o n 

ntroductory text here. Introductory text here. Introductory text here. Introductory text here. Introductory text here. Introductory text here. Introductory text here. Introductory text here. Introductory text here. Introductory text here. Introductory text here.

NEED A STORY HERE!. 

President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / Re - E l e c t i o n 

The First Family - Sasha, Barack, Malia and Michelle

President-elect Barack Obama wavs to election night crown of supporters and volunteers in McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / Re - E l e c t i o n 

President Obama Accepts the Task to Lead for Four More Years

ollowing are Presidentelect Barack Obama’s remarks early on Wednesday, November 6, 2012, to thousands of supporters at McCormick Place convention center in Chicago, the president’s hometown, after defeating Republican challenger Willard “Mitt” Romney. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own

destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that

while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come. I want to thank every American who participated in this election whether you voted for the very first time or waited in line for a very long time. Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference. I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, see Acceptance Speech on page 11

President-elect Barack Obama delivers his Acceptance Speech at election night rally in McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / Re - E l e c t i o n 

Supporters and volunteers cheer the re-election of President Barack Obama at rally in McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois

Acceptance Speech from page 10

the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service and that is the legacy that we honor and applaud tonight. In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward. I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America’s happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden. And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. Let me say this publicly: Michelle, I have never loved you more. I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you, too, as our nation’s First Lady. Sasha and Malia, before our very eyes you’re going up to become two strong, smart beautiful young women, just like your mom. And I’m so proud of you see Acceptance Speech on page 12

11  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / Re - E l e c t i o n  Acceptance Speech from page 11

guys. But I will say that for now one dog’s probably enough. To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics... The best. The best ever. Some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning. But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together and you will have the life-long appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way, through every hill, through every valley. You lifted me up the whole way and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work that you put in. I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics that tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym, or saw folks working late in a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else. You’ll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity. You’ll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who’s going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift. You’ll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse whose working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights

for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home. That’s why we do this. That’s what politics can be. That’s why elections matter. It’s not small, it’s big. It’s important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. That won’t change after tonight, and it shouldn’t. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty. We can never forget that as we speak people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter, the chance to cast their ballots like we did today. But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future. We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools

and the best teachers. A country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation, with all the good jobs and new businesses that follow. We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. We want to pass on a country that’s safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this - this world has ever known. But also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war, to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being. We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America, open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag. see Acceptance Speech on page 13

12  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / Re - E l e c t i o n  Acceptance Speech from page 12

To the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner. To the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president - that’s the future we hope for. That’s the vision we share. That’s where we need to go: forward. That’s where we need to go. Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path. By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock or solve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward. But that common bond is where we must

begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. A long campaign is now over. And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you, and you’ve made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together: reducing our deficit, reforming our tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do. But that doesn’t mean your work is done. The role of citizen in our democracy does not end with your vote. America’s never been about what can be done for us. It’s about

Televsion Press Corps, Election Night Rally

what can be done by us together through the hard and frustrating, but necessary work of selfgovernment. That’s the principle we were founded on. This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth. The belief that our destiny is shared, that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations. The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great. I am hopeful tonight because I’ve seen the spirit at work in America. see Acceptance Speech on page 14

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / Re - E l e c t i o n  Acceptance Speech from page 13

I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors, and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. I’ve seen it in the soldiers who reenlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back. I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. And I saw just the other day, in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter,

whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care. I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father, but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes, because we knew that little girl could be our own. And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That’s who we are. That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president. And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future. I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope. I’m not talking

Obama Election night rally in McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois

about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re see Acceptance Speech on page 15

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The President and First Lady disembark Air Force One at O’hare Airport in Chicago, IL to take part in Election Day activities.

Acceptance Speech from page 14

black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you’re willing to try. I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America. And together with your help and

Commermorative statement God’s grace we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on Earth. Thank you, America. God bless you. God bless these United States.” Editing by Will Dunham Photos: Chicago Tribune www.chicagotribune.com/ news/politics/localelections/ chi-obama-reelection-victoryspeech-20121107,0,6998142.story

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run. Obama's running so we all can fly.

15  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / 2009

Taking the Oath of Office

Leading the Parade

Inauguration

ď&#x201A;Ť S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / 2009

Inaugurationď&#x201A;Ť

Inauguration Speech

Watching the Parade

Greeting the Crowd

Inaugural Ball

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / 2 0 0 9 E l e c t i o n 

Promises Made, Promises Kept

Some of President Obama’s First Term Accomplishments 1. The first bill President Obama signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to help women fight back when they don’t get equal pay for equal work. 2. His Recovery Act supported millions of jobs and helped to stave off a second Great Depression. 3. He pushed for and won middleclass tax cuts that benefitted every American worker, and saved the typical family $3,600 in taxes over the last four years. 4. President Obama rescued the auto industry, and now GM and Chrysler are healthier than they’ve ever been. The American auto industry has added nearly a quarter of a million jobs since June 2009 -- and they most likely wouldn’t exist right now without President Obama’s leadership. 5. He doubled funding for Pell Grants, helping to make college more affordable for nearly 10 million families. 6. His student loan reform ended billions in subsidies to banks serving as middlemen and reinvested those savings directly into students. 7. The President established the American Opportunity Tax

President Barack Obama walks on the Colonnade with advisor David Axelrod and Personal Aide Reggie Love on his first day in office, Jan. 21, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Credit, worth up to $10,000 over four years of college. 8. His Race to the Top Initiative helped spur nearly every state to raise academic standards. 9. His tax cuts, social-welfare programs, and economic policies lifted nearly 7 million Americans above the federal poverty line in 2010. 10. President Obama has signed 18 tax cuts for small businesses since taking office. 11. We’ve seen 5.2 million new private-sector jobs over the last 31 months. 12. The unemployment rate is at the lowest level since

President Obama took office 13. Health care reform -passed after decades of failed attempts by every previous President -- provides affordable health coverage to every American and will lower premiums by an average of $2,000 per family by 2019. 14. Obamacare expanded access to lifesaving preventive care such as cancer screenings and immunizations with no outof-pocket costs for 54 million Americans. 15. Obamacare ends insurance discrimination against the 129 million Americans with see Promises Made-Kept on page 19

18  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / 2 0 0 9 E l e c t i o n  Promises Made-Kept from page 18

pre-existing conditions. 16. Because of Obamacare, over 3 million more young adults have health insurance today than would if the new law hadn’t passed. 17. The parents of over 17 million children with pre-existing conditions no longer have to worry that their children will be denied coverage. 18. President Obama has ordered the overhaul of federal government regulations to make them smarter, practical, and more efficient. Just a fraction of these commonsense initiatives will help save businesses $10 billion in the next five years alone.

reaching historic international agreements to curb carbon emissions, and taking action here at home to reduce carbon pollution from our vehicles and promote clean energy production.

shadowy corners of the financial industry. 25. As part of President Obama’s commitment to transparency, the White House has posted its visitor records online for the first time ever.

22. He has taken historic action to protect our environment -- signing one of the largest expansions of protected wilderness in a generation and putting in place standards to reduce toxic air pollution that will save thousands of lives.

26. President Obama’s all-of-theabove approach to energy has helped cut the United States’ dependence on foreign oil to its lowest level in 20 years.

23. President Obama fought for and won landmark Wall Street reform that reins in the abuses

28. He announced a plan to end the war in Afghanistan and transition security responsibility to the Afghan people.

27. President Obama responsibly ended the war in Iraq.

“I promised to be a president who would build a better future; who would move this nation forward; who would ensure that this generation - your generation - had the same chances and the same opportunities that our parents gave us. That’s what I’m here to do. That’s why I ran for president of the United States of America.”

19. His historic investments in clean energy have helped more than double the amount of electricity we obtain from wind and solar sources and helped increase biofuel production to its highest level in history.

20. President Obama is doubling fuel efficiency standards, which will save drivers more than $8,000 at the gas pump, not to mention lessen the impact of automobiles on our environment. 21. President Obama has taken unprecedented action to address climate change,

that led to the fifinancial nancial crisis and ends the era of taxpayer bailouts and “too big to fail.” 24. Wall Street reform created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the nation’s first federal agency focused solely on consumer financial protection -- and the Bureau is already protecting families from unfair and abusive financial practices from Wall Street banks and

29. President Obama sent the largest security assistance package to Israel in history and funded the Iron Dome system, which is protecting Israeli homes and schools from rocket attacks. 30. President Obama rallied the international community to implement the toughest sanctions on Iran in history.

31. 31. Through the President’s historic increases in Veterans Affairs funding, he has expanded and improved healthcare and job training access for our returning veterans. 32. President Obama negotiated the New START Treaty with Russia to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in both countries. At the same time, he also secured commitments see Promises Made-Kept on page 20

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 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / 1 s t E l e c t i o n  Promises Made-Kept from page 19

from dozens of other countries to lock down nuclear materials. 33. His administration naturalized 11,146 military service members as U.S. citizens in 2010; more than in any year since 1955. 34. President Obama set a bold new plan for the future of NASA space exploration, using the skill and ability of the private sector for short trips to the International Space Station, while building a new vehicle for exploration of distant space, and doing everything in his power to support the economy on Florida’s Space Coast. 35. President Obama recognizes that tourism is one of America’s largest economic engines; he constituted the National Travel and Tourism Strategy that has lead to massive increases in visitor

spending within the USA, maintaining our security while keeping millions of Americans in good, paying jobs. 36. He has affirmed his personal support of marriage equality, directed the Justice Department to stop defending DOMA in federal courts, and took the practical and compassionate step of extending hospital visitation rights to same-sex partners. 37. He fought for and won the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, allowing gay and lesbian members of the military to serve openly for the first time in history. 38. When Congress failed to fix our broken immigration system, his administration did everything in its power to improve it, streamlining the legal immigration process and announcing a policy that lifts the shadow of deportation from hard working young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

39. Oh, and he gave the order to send troops in after Osama Bin Laden -- and has decimated al-Qaeda’s senior leadership. 40. Overhauled the food safety system. 41. Stopped defending DOMA in court. 42. Passed the Hate Crimes bill. 43. Appointed two pro-choice women to the Supreme Court. 44. Expanded the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 45. Insituted the Small Business Hireing Tax Credit 46. He’s done a lot for veteransJoining Forces, Veteran Skills to Jobs Act 47. He got help for people whose health was injured during the clean-up after the 9/11 attacks 48. White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

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Reports to the Nation •Health Care Reform •Economic Recovery

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In This Issue…

3 President’s Message: Constructive Change 5 Feature Story: President Obama Addresses Business Council on the Economy 6 Rainbow/PUSH Challenges TARP 8 LAUL has new Leader 20 Ghana-based Malaria Clinic Gets Underway 34 Small Business Administration 30 Calendar

6 Health Care Reform 12 Economic Recovery Report 16 Credit Card Rule Changes 28 Africa Focus 43 SBA ARC Loan Program

In This Issue… 6 Financial Regulatory Reform

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

First Steps on the Road to Economic Recovery

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IN THIS ISSUE

5 African Americans May Retire in Poverty 5 CDFIs Have More Money to Lend 12 Economic Recovery: California 17 Highlights of the 35th Annual BBA Awards Dinner 38 Website as a Sales Tool 41 SBA News: SBIC Improvements

JANUARY 2009

PRESIDENT

BARACK H.

In This Issue…

On the

Road to Recovery

STRENGTHENING OUR BONDS TO

SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE

AFRICA

pg 26

September 2009

In This Issue… 6

Middle Class Task Force

National Broadband Plan

10 Health Care Reform 34 African & American Leaders Meet at UN 53 SBA ARRA Report

October 2009

In This Issue… 5

Consumer Financial

Federal Register 2.0

Protection Reform 13 Small Business Lending Initiatives 24 South Africa Ready for 2010 World Cup Games 19 MBDA Strategic Plan

President Barack Obama meets with, from left, U.S. Trade Representatvie Ron Kirk, former President George H. W. Bush, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, prior to the Points of Light forum at Texas A&M University, in College Station, Texas, Oct. 16, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

21  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

5 Cover Story: Roadmap to Recovery 7 Civil Rights History Project 15 BBA Awards Dinner Honoree Profiles 39 Do you have a Strong Business Home Page 29 SBA to Award Auto Business Loans

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / B u s i n e s s 

A Day with African-American Business Leaders Posted by Michael Blake on May 22, 2009 Van Jones of the the Council on Environmental Quality, right, sits in the audience before presenting at a briefing with AfricanAmerican business leaders on the White House campus, May 19, 2009. Photo credit: Karen Richardson

his week (May 2009) about 150 African-American business leaders attended a briefing on the White House campus concerning the Administration's policy agenda for 2009.

With Harvard Business School's African-American Alumni Association serving as the lead organizer, 24 business schools and the National Black MBA Association were represented. Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett brought greetings to the group sharing that the door will be open as we continue to assemble the best ideas to implement change in America. Her COS Mike Strautmanis conveyed that there are no excuses; this is our moment to work together to fulfill President Obama's agenda and vision. Office of Public Engagement Director Tina Tchen spoke of the need for more conversations where we learn from leaders who are out in the community and develop strategies for collaboration. The briefing featured thorough

and informative presentations on our three policy priorities: health care, education and energy. Congressman Danny Davis provided an overview and spoke of the need for healthy communities, how education is the passport to a successful life and how the need for clean energy is an issue for today not tomorrow. Dora Hughes of Health and Human Services, Van Jones from the Council on Environmental Quality, and Roberto Rodriguez who works on education on the Domestic Policy Council offered details on policies in their issue areas discussing why change is needed, the benefits that come from the President’s policy investments, what happens if we don't change and how we are going about actually implementing President Obama's vision. The attendees later engaged Commerce Department Deputy Chief of Staff Rick Wade and Domestic Policy Council Associate Director Derek Douglass in a town

hall discussion asking questions concerning Administration policies, and sharing best practices from their experiences as business leaders from across the country. The session ended with a presentation on the need for more Americans to consistently commit to service in their communities. Office of Public Engagement Deputy Director Buffy Wicks spoke about the President’s service initiative and how this movement for continual community service this summer is designed to spark a new era of giving back all across America. It was a remarkable, historic day where African-American business leaders from across the country met at the White House to learn, discuss and engage in a policy conversation. Now, the work continues with everyone taking the wisdom and message of change back to their respective homes.  www.whitehouse.gov/blog/A-Day-withAfrican-American-Business-Leaders

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 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / B u s i n e s s 

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Obama Administration Announces $40 Million Initiative to Challenge Businesses to Make it in America

he Obama administration has announced a $40 million multiagency competition, the Make it in America Challenge, to accelerate the trend of insourcing, where companies are bringing jobs back and making additional investments here in America. The competition, which is being funded by the U.S. Department

David Hinson, National Director, MBDA of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NISTMEP) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), will build upon the administration’s bottom-up approach to strengthening the economy and creating jobs by partnering with state, regional, and local economies.

“More and more businesses are choosing to invest, create jobs, and make things here in America, and this

new initiative represents the latest effort by the Obama Administration to build on that trend,” said Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank. “This administration’s top priority is creating American jobs, and through the Make it in America Challenge, we will be supporting business’ efforts to expand here at home. By making competitive investments, the Challenge will help communities across the U.S. accelerate economic growth, attract business investment, and create jobs.” “The modern global manufacturing landscape has changed the way companies do business, but it has also changed the way companies do training,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “This initiative will provide comprehensive assistance to those companies and those communities committed to make it in America through innovative training programs that lead to industry recognized credentials and arm our workforce with the skills employers want to see from day one.” Today’s announcement builds on the administration’s efforts to encourage companies—large and small, foreign and domestic, manufacturers and services firms—to increase investment in the United States. The president’s plan includes eliminating tax incentives for companies that ship

jobs overseas and providing tax credits for companies that bring jobs back, investing in American workers to ensure they have the skills they need, modernizing our infrastructure, and taking action to ensure that American businesses and workers are competing on a level playing field. The national competition will help provide the critical infrastructure, strategic planning, capacity building, technical assistance, and workforce skills training necessary for American communities to be the desired home for more businesses. The challenge is expected to give out approximately 15 awards, depending on the number of eligible applications. To be eligible for an award, projects must encourage insourcing, either through on-shoring of productive activity by U.S. firms, fostering increased foreign direct investment, or incentivizing U.S. companies to keep their businesses and jobs here at home, as well as train local workers to meet the needs of those businesses. A Federal Funding Opportunity will be published by early 2013 which will provide detailed guidelines for submitting an application, including the deadline for applications.  www.mbda.gov/pressroom/news-andannouncements/obama-administrationannounces-40-million-initiative-challengebusinesses-make-it-america

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President Barack Obama meets with Congressional Leadership in the Cabinet of the White House to discuss ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to the debt limit and deficit reduction, July 13, 2011. From left: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama tours SpaceX launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, April 15, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

President Obama, flanked by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and special adviser Elizabeth Warren at the announcement of Warren’s appointment.

President Barack Obama talks with LeBron James as First Lady Michelle Obama hugs Deron Williams during their greet with members of the U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team in Washington, D.C., July 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama views fire damage with firefighters and elected officials in Colorado Springs, CO, June 29, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / D o m e s t i c I s s u e s  President Barack Obama talks Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, center, at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency in Framingham, MA, April 1, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama talks with Paul Volcker, Chair of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, following the Economic Daily Briefing in the Oval Office, Jan. 28. 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama talks on the phone with NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover team aboard Air Force One during a flight to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, Aug. 13, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) President Barack Obama’s signature on the health insurance reform bill at the White House, March 23, 2010. The President signed the bill with 22 different pens. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

President Barack Obama practices his pitching form

President Barack Obama is briefed about the situation along the Gulf Coast following the BP oil spill, at the Coast Guard Venice Center, in Venice, LA,. Pictured, from left, are U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie with President Barack Obama and victims of Hurricane Sandy. President Obama discusses recovery issues with New York Mayor Bloomberg.

Text here. Text here. Text here. Introductory text here. Text here. Text here. Text here. 

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President Barack Obama visits with Evan McRae, a nine-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient from Brooklyn, NY, in the Oval Office, July 19, 2012. McRae’s mother, Gwendolyn McRae, and godmother, Darlene Harrison, accompanied him during the visit. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Commemorative statement

Denzel Washington: "Obama won Massachusetts the state where Romney was Governor. If they didn't vote for him, that should tell you something."

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Living With Jim Crow by Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. Even from an early age, growing up in segregated Atlanta, I knew a day of reconciliation would come.

oor most of the first half of my life, as I was growing up in segregated Atlanta, going to college at DePauw University in Indiana and law school at Howard University in Washington, DC, blacks were confined to a small, cramped corner of American life. Contrary to the democratic principles white Americans boasted they followed, black Americans’ status in their native land was defined by what they weren’t allowed to do. Could black Americans aspire to be a faculty member at a white college or university? A firefighter or a policeman in most of the country’s cities and towns? A doctor or nurse at a major hospital? A sales clerk at most white-owned department stores? A U.S. Senator or the governor of any state in the country? The president of the United States? Not possible. Not allowed. Not permissible. Not acceptable. Preposterous. Unbelievable. Those limitations on the aspirations of black Americans and the actions they could take were especially pervasive and rigid in the South. My father was a mail clerk at Fort McPherson, the U.S. Army base in Atlanta, and my mother had a thriving catering business. Then, often the best kind of behavior one could expect from whites, North

President Barack Obama drives golf cart during game with Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.

or South, was indifference. There were plenty of times during my childhood and adolescence when white Southerners displayed human behavior at its worst. In 1955, when on summer break from college, I worked as a chauffeur for Robert F. Maddox, a pillar of Atlanta’s white establishment. A man in his 80s, widowed and long retired, Maddox lived in a huge mansion, attended by a small group of black servants. Because he spent most afternoons napping, I spent most afternoons reading in his capacious library. One afternoon, as I sat reading, Maddox walked in. “What are you doing in the library, Vernon?” “I’m reading, Mr. Maddox.” “Reading?” he replied, visibly upset. “I’ve never had a n---r work for me who could read.” “Mr. Maddox,” I told him, “I can read. I go to college.” “You do what?” he said in disbelief. A moment latter,

he asked whether I was studying to be a preacher or a teacher. “Actually, I’m going to be a lawyer, Mr. Maddox.” His response was definitive: “N----rs aren’t supposed to be lawyers.” But, while I was aware at an early age of the injustices white America imposed upon black Americans, I never felt intimidated: I never felt the need to bow to white society’s insistence that I radically limit my aspirations. The reason is that I was reconciled with the future. That’s not how one usually considers the matter of reconciliation. It’s most often thought of as having to do with the past, with forgiving individuals for past transgressions or with accepting one’s own present situation. But for many black Southerners born in the time of Jim Crow, reconciliation was a much more complex matter. Their embrace of reconciliation with

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 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / 2 0 0 9 Re c a l l  Living With Jim Crow from page 28

the white South and with the whole of white America was grounded in their certainty of a future in which Black Americans would live as free men and women-a vision black

Americans had a spiritual as well as secular faith in America because they had a spiritual and secular faith in themselves. Part of that faith in the future was expressed in the nurturing of the talents of their young, even in the cities, towns and hamlets where

Vernon Jordan, former head of the National Urban League.

U.S. President Barack H. Obama

Americans have carried with them since we landed on the shores of America. We know, from the scholars of the colonial and ante-bellum periods, that black Americans, enslaved and free, continually, insistently expressed a belief in our own humanity, and that we believed our rights as human beings were no less inalienable than those of white Americans. That belief coexisted with the extraordinary commitment-I call it patriotism-to the American ideal, and with a remarkable hope that white Americans would come to practice the shining concept that was the guiding principle of the black freedom struggle: the self-evident truth that all human beings are created equal. No less important, some signifgicant part of black Americans’ vision and hope came from their adapting Christianity to affirm that they, too, were equal in the eyes of God and thus were equal on earth. Black

Truth rhetorically asking, "Ain't I a women?" And of the maid in Montgomery, Alabama, who during the landmark bus boycott walked miles to work rather than accept her employer's offer of a ride by saying "my feets is tired but my soul is rested." I thought of Fannie Lou

the restrictions against what blacks could aspire to-be it a community's head librarian or member of its town council-were codified in thousands of laws. I am a beneficiary of that nurturing from family, teachers, principals and social workers within the black community of Atlanta as much as anyone. I understood at an early age that I was in training and was preparing for leadership in the future. This, for me, is the individual and broad context that has made our present possible-our bearing witness to Barack Obama's taking the oath of office as the 44th president of the United States. This moment has happened because black Americans have always believed that this is our country, too-and because other Americans from different backgrounds and all walks of life believed that as well. But at 12:01 p.m. on January 20, 2009, when Barack Obama took the oath, I thought of Sojourner

Hamer, the great freedom fighter from Mississippi, boldly declaring in 1964 that she joined the movement because "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." And of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, speaking from the well of Congress in 1965 and proclaiming that "we shall overcome." At that singular moment when Barack Obama laid his hand upon the Bible Abraham Lincoln used at this first inaugural, I thought, with a profound amazement and pride, that, despite the bigotry and discrimination that still exists in American society, what was once unacceptable, preposterous and unbelievable has become the reality of our existence.  Vernon Jordan is a senior managing directory, Lazard, and senior counsel, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Field LLP. From Newsweek, Commerative Inauguration Edition, January 2009, www.newsweek.com

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ď&#x201A;Ť S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / I n t e r n a t i o n a l ď&#x201A;Ť

President Barack Obama confers with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner during the G-20 Summit April 2, 2009, in London, England. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama participates in a G8 Summit working session focused on global and economic issues, in the dining room of Laurel Cabin at Camp David, MD, May 19, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama signs the Manufacturing Enhancement Act of 2010 during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk stands with the President. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

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President Barack Obama is seen at a joint bilateral meeting with President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek at Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama greets Costa Rica President Oscar Arias during a reception at the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad, April 17, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend a State Banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London, England, May 24, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

President Obama with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, right, and the African Union’s Jean Ping, center, during a meeting at the G8 summit in Muskoka, Canada. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama speaks before the UN Generaly Assembly, 2009.

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President Barack Obama has dinner with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski and central and eastern European leaders at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, May 27, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama participates in the G20 Summit family photo at the Los Cabos Convention Center in Los Cabos, Mexico, June 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Commemorative statement

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 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / I n t e r n a t i o n a l  PAST EDITIONS BLACK BUSINESS NEWS INTERNATIONAL

International Edition

Black Business News Spring 2011 USD$5.00

Serving the Global African Economic Community

Zambia Hosts AGOA 10

President Barack Obama signs a condolence book in memory of Chris Stevens, U.S. Ambassador to Libya, after addressing State Department employees at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Sept. 12, 2012. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton stands at left. Amb. Stevens was killed along with three others at the consulate in Benghazi, Libya yesterday. Behind the President and Secretary Clinton is a memorial to foreign service officials who have lost their lives while serving abroad. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President and Ms. Obama with Z a m b i a ’s A m b a s s a d o r M a d a m Sheila Siwela

story begins on page 6

African Growth & Opportunity Act Forum Overview page 6

Contents

Impact Investmen Sustainable Energy Ms. Obama Tours South Africa The Wealth Report In The Spotlight 34 Trade Calendar 54 Trade Directory 60

LEVAR BURTON: If in my enthusiasm for the outcome, I have offended you, I apologize!!!

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page 30 page 36 page 40 page 46

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President Jakaya Kikwete, United Republic of Tanzania British Prime Minister David Cameron

India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait

President Vladimir Putin of Russia

Irish President Mary McAleese

Afghan President Hamid Karzai

King Abdullah II of Jordan

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany

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President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea

President John Mills of Ghana

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama

President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan

President Hu Jintao of China President René Préval, Republic of Haiti

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of Thailand

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak

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Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britan

Wax Museum statues of President Obama and the Queen of England

Queen Latifah: "Couldn't be more Proud of my Country... Congratulations Mr. President!!! Now let's get back to being 'These United States of America'!!!" Ernestina Mills, First Lady of Ghana

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Samuel L. Jackson: Congratulations are in order for all who went out & worked & kept the faith & WOULD NOT BE DENIED! 39  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

ď&#x201A;Ť S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / M i l i t a r y ď&#x201A;Ť

President Obama Meets with Combatant Commanders in the Cabinet Room of the White House, March 24, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) President Barack Obama has his picture taken with a member of the U.S. Navy on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson, docked at North Island Naval Station in San Diego, CA.

President Barack Obama addresses the nation from Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, May 1, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President & Ms. Obama honor fallen service people at Arlington Cemetary.

President Barack Obama greets U.S. troops following his remarks at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, May 1, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama autographs a banner while visiting a wounded service member at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, June 28, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / M i l i t a r y 

Laying a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

President Barack Obama greets veterans before the Carrier Classic basketball game between the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and Michigan State Spartans on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson, docked at North Island Naval Station in San Diego, CA, Nov. 11, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Monitoring in real time the mission against Osama bin Laden

Attending the annual Army vs. Navy football game at FedEx Field outside Washington

President Obama greets Tuskeegee Airmen in the East Garden Room of the White House prior to a screening of the film “Red Tails” in the Family Theater, Jan. 13, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama greets U.S. troops at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, March 28, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Barack Obama greets U.S. trooper prior to boarding Air Force One

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JANELLE MONAE: Barack Obama is my patronus.

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President Barack Obama greets U.S. troops at a mess hall at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, March 28, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Commemorative statement

LL COOL J: Don’t Call It A Comeback. He’s been here 4 years!

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Official portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama.

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First Lady Michelle Obama addresses the 2012 Democratic Convention in a dress designed by African American designer Tracy Reese.

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First Lady Michelle Obama talks with children attending Camp Noah as they make trail mix at the McAlpine Park Recreation Center in Birmingham, AL, July 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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South Africa

Russia

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France

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President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Malia, left, and Sasha walk through Lafayette Park from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Commemorative statement

President Barack Obama and his daughters, Malia, left, and Sasha, watch on television in the Treaty Room of the White House, as First Lady Michelle Obama takes the stage to deliver her speech at the Democratic National Convention, Tuesday night, Sept. 4, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) 50  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

ď&#x201A;Ť S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / F i r s t F a m i l y ď&#x201A;Ť

First Family leads 2012 National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony and program.

Known as "The Hug" this family photo is the most tweeted photo to date.

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Official portrait of President Barack Husein Obama.

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President Barack Obama receives the Nobel Prize medal and diploma during a ceremony in Raadhuset Main Hall at Oslo City Hall in 2009.

President and his then personal aide, Reggie Love, filled in as coaches for this game one Saturday. Here they along with Sasha’s teammates react during the game.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama looks at the King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit presented to him by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz at the start of their bilateral meeting at the King's Farm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The medal is Saudi Arabia's highest honor. President Barack Obama talks to kids from Lenora Academy in Snellville, Ga., during a stop at the Varsity restaurant in Atlanta, GA, June 26, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Barack Obama laughs during a meeting in the Oval Office, Jan. 24, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The First Lady reacts to something the President whispered to her at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in between events related to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Commemorative statement

LATOYA JACKSON: We all love and believe in you, Mr. President.

Commemorative statement

ď&#x201A;Ť S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / S y m b o l i s m ď&#x201A;Ť President Barack Obama listens to a question during a town hall-style meeting with young African leaders in the East Room of the White House. August 3, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama talks with participants from the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike, an iconic campaign in civil rights and labor rights history, during a meeting in the Map Room of the White House, April 29, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

President Barack Obama sits on the famed Rosa Parks bus at the Henry Ford Museum following an event in Dearborn, MI, April 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama tours the Great Sphinx of Giza (left) and the Pyramid of Khafre.

Health Care Advocate Senator Ted Kennedy

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President Barack Obama prays with Christian leaders in the Blue Room of the White House, prior to the Easter Prayer Breakfast, April 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama hugs Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient actor Sidney Poitier

The Obama family visit Cape Coast Castle in Elmina to learn more about the history of the African Slave Trade.

Visiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, DC.

When the Norman Rockwell Museum loaned the painting, “The Problem We All Live With,” which depicts Ruby as she is escorted to school on the court-ordered first day of integrated schools in New Orleans in 1960, to the White House for a short period of time, the President invited Ruby Bridges to view the painting while it was on display outside the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Commemorative statement

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President Barack Obama greets a young visitor in the Oval Office, Feb. 5, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Commemorative statement

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President Barack Obama makes a point during 2nd Presidential Debate.

President Barack Obama watches the Vice Presidential debate aboard Air Force One with staff, en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, from Florida, Oct. 11, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Obama and family wave to the crowd at the Democratic National Convention after he accepts the party’s nomination as 2012 presidential candidate.

Commemorative statement President Barack Obama jokes with host Jay Leno in-between segments of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in Burbank, Calif., Oct. 24, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) 63  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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Who are Romney’s 47% that Don’t Pay Tax?

Payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, state income taxes and tax credit schemes mean this headline figure is misleading by Haroon Siddique

n the leaked video published by Mother Jones, Mitt Romney claimed that 47% of Americans “pay

to housing, to you-name-it”. At a press conference designed to limit the damage to his election

no federal income tax. But his suggestion that such people do not “take personal responsibility and care for their lives” warrants further investigation. Firstly, some of those people who did not pay income tax still paid payroll taxes, for social security and Medicare, so that it was only 18.1% of households that did not pay any income or payroll taxes. Given that there are sales taxes, state property taxes and state income taxes these people are still paying some tax – at what point you are deemed to be taking personal responsibility is

Willard “Mitt” Romney no income tax”, people who he could “never convince … to take personal responsibility and care for their lives”.

He described such people as those “who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to healthcare, to food,

campaign, he did not disavow the claim but said Obama’s policies are “attractive to people who do not pay taxes”. Romney’s headline assertion that 47% of Americans pay no income tax is almost correct, assuming he was referring to federal income tax. The Tax Policy Centre said that in 2011 46.4% of people paid

subjective. Of the 18.1% paying no income or payroll taxes, more than half (10.3% of all households) were elderly, so retired people who may well have paid income and payroll taxes, as well as others, during their working lives. Of the remainder, 6.9% of all households see Romney’s 47% on page 65

64  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / O p p o s i t i o n  Romney’s 47% from page 64

did not pay income or payroll taxes, essentially because they were poor, leaving 1% of “others” who did not pay either of these two types of taxes. Presumably, within the “others” category would fall the likes of six of the 400 US tax filers in 2009 with the highest adjusted gross income (at least $77m), who, according to Internal Revenue Service studies, paid no US income tax, and the 19,551 US households with income above $200,000 who owed no US or foreign income tax. The percentage of people paying no federal income tax was even higher in 2008 and 2009 (50.8% in each of those years) but it is no coincidence that such figures have gone up during a recession (the figure was 39.9% in 2007). Howard Gleckman wrote for Tax Policy Centre about the situation in 2009: “You may have noticed that we’ve had a recession lately. And here is a powerful insight: When people’s incomes decline so too does their income tax (at least most of the time) ... there is,

however, another reason why some people don’t pay. For decades, both Democratic and Republican governments have made conscious policy decisions to remove lowincome working families from the income tax rolls. And, guess what, sometimes government policy works exactly as intended. That’s what happened this time.” Michael Cooper for the New York Times writes: “A major reason that many poor people no longer pay federal income taxes is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which has long been supported by Republicans. The credit was added to the tax code when Gerald Ford was president, and was expanded by President Reagan in 1986 and by George Bush, Sr.” So would Romney like to see higher taxes? Or perhaps just for the poor?  www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/ sep/18/romneys-47-percent-uselection http://swampland.time. com/2012/09/18/five-chartsillustrating-the-problem-withromneys-47-remarks Charts from CBPP, the Tax Policy Center and the Tax Foundation. www.cbpp.org www.taxpolicycenter.org http://taxfoundation.org

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“A Letter to Mrs. Romney” by Cathy Walker-Gilman

Dear Mrs. Romney: I work very hard in my daily life to assume the best about people. So the only thing I am going to assume about you is that you are probably a pretty nice person with a good heart. I like to make this global assumption without the taint of the opinions of others. And I would appreciate it if you would stop assuming things about me. I am not a part of the amorphous American f e m a l e collective you spoke of last night. In fact, I take great offense to being lumped together with the female stereotype you

presented. I am not the woman you described, nor are any of my female friends.I am much, much more. Allow me to introduce myself. I am a member of the middle class, but I haven’t always been. I have been teaching middle school since I graduated from college. My first job paid $1.300.00 a month. For seven years I supplemented my income by working evenings and weekends at a movie theater and a retail store.

After seventeen years as a teacher, I have earned a Master’s degree, an Education Specialist degree and an administrative license. I am happily married with two elementary-age kids. My husband and I are both educators, and there is still no money left at the end of the month. We continue to live paycheck to paycheck. That’s what two teachers with two kids do. We don’t have a housekeeper

Ann Romney speaking at the 2012 GOP National Convention. USA Today

This was to pay my rent and my car payment and buy a few groceries.

or a nanny. We don’t have personal assistants. All our limited see Letter to Ann Romney on page 67

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 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E / O p p o s i t i o n  Letter to Ann Romney from page 66

disposable funds go towards riding and violin lessons, karate class, field trips, and school clothes for the kids. If we need new clothes, we wait for clearance sales and shop at discount stores. If one of the kids wants to add an enrichment activity to their schedule, we juggle our finances to decide what we can give up. We have debt and student loans that impede our financial progress, both of which have accrued over the years as we have tried to live pretty average everyday lives. When it’s time for our kids to go to college, let’s hope they qualify for scholarships; “shopping around” for a more affordable option would mean no higher education for our kids. Period. Disposable income for this middle class family is a joke. But I digress. I am a woman, and you don’t know the first thing about me. When you suggest that it’s a “woman’s lot” to work all day then come home and cater to her husband and kids, and that you hear my voice, my blood boils. You may hear my voice and “love you women,” but you are certainly not listening. Your life does not resemble mine in any way. Yes, you have five children and a debilitating illness. But you also have the monetary resources to finance support systems. I believe wholeheartedly that being a stay-at-home mom is a full-time job, but you have no idea what it is like to be that parent and work a second, or even a third job at the same time to make ends meet. So please refrain from claiming allegiance with me, from suggesting that you are an example of “every woman.” That claim is a lie. Have you ever bounced a check

because you had to put gas in your car? Have you ever been forced to calculate the costt of your groceries as you u’re shop to be sure you’re not over-budget? Have you ever told ren one of your children ve that they can have … new shoes that fit… after payday? Welcome to is the reality of this woman. m And I am incredibly lucky. I have a job, ass does my extremelyy s u p p o r t i v e husband. We have two sets of grandparents a stone’s throw away who take care of our kids when they’re sick or they have days off of school so we don’t have to ave a roof over miss work. We have eat and we have our heads, food to eat, each other. I can’t imagine surviving under alternate conditions. What about the single woman who spends fully half of her paycheck on childcare? What about the woman who is struck with Cancer but ignores her medical needs in order to put food on the table for her family? What about the woman who forfeited higher education to raise a child and now has no skills to find a job? What about the woman who lives in a shelter with her children in order to escape an abusive partner or as a result of an eviction? Shopping at Costco does not level this playing field. So I take exception to your statement that all women share the

same lot in life. If you want to make this claim, if you want to try to convince me that we are more

“I love the fact tha t there are also wom en out there that don ’t have a choice and they must go to w ork and they still have to raise the kids. Tha nk goodness that we value those people too.” Ann Romney similar than different different, you’re going to have to spend a week or so walking in my $15 Payless clearance shoes. You are not every woman. You are an incredibly privileged, elite, distorted version of American womanhood, and you have no idea how the other 99% live. As your husband and his party try to control my body, my choices, my well-being, please remember that you and your party will never speak for me. How dare you even try.  http://thinkbannedthoughts. wordpress.com/2012/08/31/aletter-to-mrs-romney

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71  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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Books to Consider... Books By Barack Obama Dreams of My Father Compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American.

The Audacity of Hope “The Audacity of Hope” is Barack Obama’s call for a

different brand of politics--a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the “endless clash of armies” we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of “our improbable experiment in democracy.”

Our Enduring Spirit: President Barack Obama's First Words to America On January 20, 2009, millions of people gathered at the Capitol in Washington, DC, and around televisions across the country and throughout the world to watch a new president take the oath of office. Afterward, he delivered a speech, President Barack Obama's first words to America as her leader leader. T These are the words that make up Our Enduring Spirit. Inspirational and honest, mindful of the past while looking ahead to the future, President Obama's address conveyed a singular vision for a country united. Brought to life in stunning paintings by acclaimed artist Greg Ruth, Our Enduring Spirit is a record of this vision and a tribute to a people with the promise, the determination, and the hope to make it so.

Books About Barack Obama The American Journey of Barack Obama LIFE magazine’s “The American Journey of Barack Obama” covers the candidate from his childhood and adolescence to his time as editor of The Harvard Law Review” and his Chicago activist years, culminating with the excitement and fervor of the historic 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Barack Obama and the Future of American Politics The author looks at Obama in relation to contemporary issues of class, race, war, and empire. He considers Obama in the context of our nation’s political history, with comparisons to FDR, JFK, Bill Clinton, and other leaders.

The Preacher and the Politician: Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama, and Race in America Barack Obama’s inauguration as the first African American president of the United States has caused many commentators to conclude that America has entered a postracial age. “The Preacher and the Politician” see Books to Consider on page 73

72  January 2013  Black Business News Special Issue  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E  Books to Consider from page 72

argues otherwise, reminding us that, far from inevitable, Obama’s nomination was nearly derailed by his relationship with Jeremiah Wright, the outspoken former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ on the South Side of Chicago.

The Obama Hate Machine by Bill Press In The Obama Hate Machine, Press shows how the Right has taken rhetoric to slanderous new levels in attacking the nation’s forty-fourth president. But presidents have always been attacked like this, right? Wrong. As the author shows, while presidents and presidential candidates routinely have been subject to personal attacks, the outright disdain Obama’s fo the facts has inspired an extremist opponents have for insidious brand of character assassination unique in contemporary politics. Obama was born in Kenya . . . Obama sympathizes with Muslim terrorists . . . Obama is a communist who wants to institute death panels and touch off class warfare…The extent to which these unfounded assertions have taken hold in the American mindset shows just how ruthless, destructive, and all-powerful the right-wing machine—hijacked by extremists in the media and fueled by corporate coffers—has become. The author reveals how corporate interests such as the infamous Koch Brothers continue to steer political coverage away from fact-based dialogue into the realm of hysteria. Bill Press also observes this phenomenon is not limited to the airwaves and provides an “I Hate Obama Book Club” list, calling out the scores of antiObama tomes—and even some from the Left—that have helped drag politics even deeper into the mud. In his characteristic on-the-mark arguments sure to appeal to anyone on the Left or in the Center, Press shows how the peculiar nature of Obama-hating subverts issue-driven debate and threatens not only the outcome of the 2012 election but the future of the American democratic system.

The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama by Gwen Ifill

In "The Breakthrough," veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama's stunning presidential victory and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power. Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960s. She offers incisive, detailed profiles of such prominent leaders as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Gwen ifill Patrick, and U.S. Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama (all interviewed for this book), and also covers numerous up-andcoming figures from across the nation. Drawing on exclusive interviews with power brokers such as President Obama, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, his son Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., and many others, as well as her own razor-sharp observations and analysis of such issues as generational conflict, the race/ gender clash, and the "black enough" conundrum, Ifill shows why this is a pivotal moment in American history. "The Breakthrough "is a remarkable look at contemporary politics and an essential foundation for understanding the future of American democracy in the age of Obama.

Books by Michelle Obama American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America see Books to Consider on page 74

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 S P E C I A L C O M M E M O R AT I V E I S S U E  Books to Consider from page 73

In her first book, America’s First Lady, Michelle Obama, tells the story of the White House kitchen garden, inviting you to share its inspiring story from the first planting to the latest harvest. The book also includes practical ideas and resources for starting your own home garden, creating and supporting community gardens, sustaining local farmers’ markets and more, all with the aim to show how growing and eating fresh fruits and vegetables can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Filled with gorgeous color photographs of gardens throughout the seasons, the book features recipes from the White House chefs for using your seasonal bounty.

Books About Michelle Obama Michelle Style by Mandi Norwood The election of Barack Obama exhilarated the nation and brought the most stylish, sophisticated, and fashion-conscious First Lady since Jacqueline Kennedy into the White House. A beautiful, strong, and elegant career woman, wife, and mother, Michelle Obama appreciates the importance ce of image and not only recognizes the power of fashion...but truly enjoys it! Michelle Style celebrates the distinctive style of our incomparable First Lady, featuring color photographs, exclusive illustrations, and descriptions of her most iconic looks from the sleeveless Maria Pinto purple silk crepe sheath that Michelle dazzled in the evening Barack clinched the Democratic nomination, to the ivory fairy-tale gown by Jason Wu that she wore for the historic inauguration. Including quotes from worldfamous designers, stylists, and fashion insiders and inspired advice on everything from dressing to suit

your body type to shopping at Target, this one-of-a-kind volume spotlights and celebrates our remarkable 21st century fashion icon.

What Would Michelle Do? A ModernDay Guide to Living with Substance and Style by Allison Samuels Embodying style, class, and intelligence, Michelle Obama has quickly become an American icon. Rising from modest beginnings, she went on to etarn an Ivy League education, a position at a top law firm, and a pivotal role beside President Barack Obama. Yet Michelle still faces the same issues as most women today. Family: Tidbits large and small from the First Lady’s well-organized and thoughtfully planned life will offer innovative ways to create a fun and loving bond with your children and do the very same with your parents. Relationship: Michelle’s life also offers insight into obtaining those perfectly toned but feminine arms, that sinewy frame, and a partner who will still give us love-struck gazes w after many years of marriage, jjust like Barack. Details of the Obamas’ long love affair will provide commonsense pointers on how to secure a love of your own that will last a lifetime. Style: As vivid images of Michelle surface on television, on popular Web sites, and in Allison Samuels ffashion magazines, names like Grace, Audrey, and Jackie spring to mind. Michelle has jjoined the ranks of these fabulous women who all used their signature kitten-heel pumps to walk right into our hearts, leaving an indelible mark.

Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope by Elizabeth Lightfoot Michelle Obama played a large and influential role in her husband's campaign, and is certain to do the same thing during his presidency. Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope examines her astonishing career, from her undergraduate years at Princeton, where she majored in African Studies, to her continuing education at Harvard Law School, where she obtained a Juris Doctor degree. 

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Technology:

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

redesigned for each new president, and the site's structure and URLs are often inconsistent from one administration to the next. Content of website is in the public domain or licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license. www.microsoft.com The Microsoft Wedge is a wireless mouse. It was released just

www.whitehouse.gov Whitehouse.gov is the official website of the White House and is owned by the United States gov-

ernment. Launched in October 1994, it contains general American history information, as well as current news pertaining to the President, press briefings, proclamations, executive orders, and any speeches the president has made on the radio. Get up-to-date information directly from the Obama Administration right to your iPhone or Android mobile device. The Official White House app delivers the latest news from the blog and newsroom, featured videos and photos, and live video streaming of White House events with President Barack Obama. The White House Apps are available through the iTunes and Play stores. The website is the responsibility of the incumbent administration. As a result the site is completely

in time for Windows 8. Swipe your finger across it to navigate the screen or double-click it on Web links. Wireless BlueTrack technology means it works well on almost any flat surface—even on carpet. Great for working in tight spaces (no need to move the mouse around). www.ted.com/pages/tedbooks Shorter than a novel, but longer

Book is a great way to feed your craving for ideas anytime. TED Books are short original electronic books produced every two weeks by TED Conferences. Like the best TEDTalks, they’re personal and provocative, and designed to spread great ideas. TED Books are typically under 20,000 words — long enough to unleash a powerful narrative, but short enough to be read in a single sitting. Watch the TED Books video to learn more (www.ted.com/pages/tedbooks#video) Our TED Books App allows us to embed audio, video and social features into every book, broadening the depth and detail of each work. These additional multimedia features suit the wide-ranging creative palette of our authors to fully express their ideas. There are apps for the iPad, Kindle, Nook and iBooks (Android). www.sahistory.org.za/#4 South African History Online (SAHO) is a non-partisan people’s history project. It was established in June 2000 as a non-profit Section 21 organisation, aiming to address the biased w a y i n which t h e history and cultural heritage of South Africans was represented in our educational and cultural institutions. SAHO’s mission is to break the silence of our past and to create the most comprehensive online encyclopedia of South African history and culture. 

Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

than a magazine article -- a TED

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