October BBN "17

Publisher's Message

O Earl “Skip” Cooper, II Pubisher/Editor-In-Chief

ctober brings us the observance of National Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week). The original concept of Med Week was created in the early 80s as the result of the collaboration of four minority business organizations to recognize the accomplishments of minority business owners in Southern California. The groups were the Black Business Association (BBA), Latin Business Association (LBA), Asian Business Association (ABA) and the United Indian Development Association (UIDA). The concept, born in Southern California, became a national program that has benefited thousands of minority businesses over the years. Read the White House Proclamation designating this special recognition on page 9 then take advantage of the Med Week programs taking place in your area (https://

medweek.mbda.gov).

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

www.blackbusinessnews.net PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sarah Harris Dean L. Jones Phyllis Dixon

ENTREPRENEUR EDITOR Kim Anthony

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Linda Ware

PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

The Small Business Administration (SBA) also continues to make strides in working to get more doors of opportunity opened to our underserved business communities. The SBA will be celebrating National Veterans Small Business Week 2017. Visit the official website at www.military.com/benefits/2017/10/30/sbaveterans-small-business-week.html for details. SBA-Los Angeles is prepared to honor veterans with special small business resources as part of National Veteran’s Small Business Week. The SBA is ready to serve veterans all year around with counseling, contracting and capital opportunities. Please visit the SBA website (www.sba.gov) for additional details and to see their entire calendar of planned events nationwide.

The Black Business News Group continues the special recognition theme by noting that October 13, 2017 is the anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Navy in 1775. Black sailors have played an important role in shaping the history of our modern day Navy. We salute and thank all of the men and women who serve and have served in our Armed Forces protecting our freedoms.

The major holiday season is around the corner. This special season presents us with the annual opportunity to cycle more of our dollars through the African American community by purchasing gifts, foods, clothing, books, music and toys from African American-owned businesses. It can’t be restated enough about the importance of reinvesting our hard-earned dollars back into our businesses, using the services and goods offered by Black business owners. The Black Business News features a Shopping Gallery each month promoting just of few of the thousands of businesses owned and operated by African Americans across the nation. Please take the time this holiday to search out businesses to support in 2017. Almost all businesses offer

Dean Jones Linda Ware Ralph D. Sutton Timothy Lester, Jr. Veronica Hendrix Giavanna Foster P. Yvette Thomas Aman Williams LaSandra Stratton

GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris Tia Robinson

STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg Jennifer Marie Hamilton

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx Sabir Narishima Osei

CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR La Sandra Stratton

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications Copyright © 2017

by Black Business News All Rights Reserved.

The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein. 

see Publisher's Message on page 28 3  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

About

The mission of The Black Business News (BBN) is to inspire and inform public and private sector industry representatives on the importance of smart small business growth. As a versatile source of socioeconomic development activity news, the publications of the Black Business News Group (a division of the Black Business Association) impart current local, national and international industry and social trends and news affecting small businesses across the United States of America (USA), providing guides to greater access to financial capital, management efficiencies, business education, mentorship opportunities and social media networks. The goals of the Black Business News Group include: •

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

•

offering business growth enhancing information on education, exhibitioning, international trading, technology, industry trends, and more.

•

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

•

providing an affirmative influence for emerging entrepreneurs by sharing innovative design and creative cultural content that exposes them to the history of black enterprises and urges them to participate in the USA’s future.

•

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

View back issues at: https:// issuu.com/blackbusinessnews

2017 Black Business Association Upcoming Events

Octobe 201 7

Black Business Day Procurement & Awards Summit Black Business News Group Publications Black Business News Black Business News International Black Business News Travel Africa

Contents

Black Business News…

3

Publisher's Message

Government 6

5 Former Presidents Appear Together for Hurricane Relief 8 SBA’s Lender Match Upgrade Connects Small Businesses and Lenders 12 Reps. Lieu and Curbelo Lead Bipartisan Effort to Curb Costly and Unfair Bail Systems

59 Equifax Data Breach: 3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Thieves 64 Forbes Called This Startup Queen 'The Next Steve Jobs' 70 Hugh Hefner's Surprising Civil Rights Legacy 74 Top 10 Personal Technologies to Support Digital Business 80 William Burke, Ed.D. Makes History as SCAQMD Chairman 82 10 Advanced Email Copywriting Tips for Your Next Campaign 88 Spain Southern California Investment Summit

Community/Public Interest

14 Member Highlight: The Bella Network 16 Black Lawmakers Hold a Particular Grievance With Facebook: Racial Exploitation 18 Obama-Holder Announce National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) 20 Georgia NAACP Wins Voting Rights Victory

Entertainment 24 BBN Show Biz Buzz

Editorials/Perspectives

40 Trump Tries to Divide us, but we are a Better Nation Than That 42 Black Athletes and Social/Political Protest 44 ‘Proud to Take a Knee’: NBA Legend Bill Russell Kneels Wearing the Medal of Freedom

Business

32 Haki Madhubuti, the Book Publisher on the South Side 35 Meeting Your Customers' Mobile Needs 36 Emojis: A New Tool to Help Marketers Win the Inbox 39 Real ID Act: Do You Need a New Driver's License to Fly? Maybe.

49 A 12-Step Checklist to Optimize Your Content for a Google Search 50 4 Ways to Boost Traffic to a Small Website 56 Winning the Holiday "Paid" Search Race 58 The Memo: Five Rules for Your Economic Liberation

94 Three MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Fellows 95 NASA Dedicates Facility In Honor Of ‘Hidden Figures’ Heroine Katherine Johnson 96 Poachers Target Africa's Lions, Vultures with Poison 98 MLB Renames Award in Honor of ‘Willie Mays World Series MVP’ 99 McClymonds 1958 -1962 Teams Inducted into Hall of Fame October 11th

Obituary/Memorials

101 Connie Hawkins, NBA Hall of Famer, Dies 101 BBA Member Donnie Hawkins Dead at 68 102 Soul Singer Charles Bradley Dead at 68

International

106 Delayed Ethiopian Water Supply Project Finally Back on Track 107 USTDA in Egypt to Support Economic Development, U.S. Industry Engagement 108 Turkey Opens Military Base to Train Somali Solders 110 Empowering the Other Half of Africa’s Economy 112 Deadline Extended: USTDA Call for Energy Project Proposals in Africa

Columns

92 Take A Look!

113 African Stock Exchanges 118 Shopping Gallery 151 Books to Consider...

154 BBA Master Planner 155 Resource Vault

5  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

5 Former Presidents Appear Together for Hurricane Relief

By Associated Press

T

he five living former presidents appeared together for the first time since 2013 at a concert to raise money for victims of devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Democrats Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and Republicans George H.W. and George W. Bush gathered on stage in College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M University, putting aside politics to try to unite the country after the storms.

Texas A&M is home to the presidential library of the elder Bush. At 93, he has a form of Parkinson's disease and appeared in a wheelchair at the event.

His wife Barbara and George W. Bush's wife Laura Bush were in the audience.

The concert features the country music band Alabama, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer 'Soul Man' Sam Moore, gospel legend Yolanda Adams and Texas musicians Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen.

The appeal backed by the expresidents has raised $31 million

since it began on Sept. 7, said Jim McGrath, spokesman for George H.W. Bush.

Earlier on Saturday, President Donald Trump recorded a video greeting that avoids his past

The last time the five were together was in 2013, when Obama was still in office, at the dedication of George W. Bush's presidential library in Dallas.

There is precedent for former

criticism of the former presidents and called them "some of America's finest public servants."

"This wonderful effort reminds us that we truly are one nation under God, all unified by our values and devotion to one another," Trump said in the message.

presidents joining forces for postdisaster fundraising. George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton raised money together after the 2004 South Asia tsunami and Hurricane Katrina the next year. Clinton and George W. Bush combined to seek donations after Haiti's 2011 earthquake.

6  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

(L-R) Presidents Jimmy Carter, Herbert Walker Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. ©Associated Press

"It's certainly a triple, if not a home run, every time," said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. "Presidents have the most powerful and prolific fundraising base of any politician in the world.

When they send out a call for help, especially on something that's not political, they can rake in big money."

Amid criticism that his administration was initially slow to aid storm-ravaged Puerto Rico, Trump accused island leaders of "poor leadership," and later tweeted that, "Electric and all infrastructure was disaster before hurricanes" while saying that Federal Emergency Management Agency, first-responders and

military personnel wouldn't be able to stay there forever.

But Rottinghaus said those attending Saturday's concert were always going to be viewed more favorably since polling consistently shows that "any ex-president is seen as less polarizing than the current president."

"They can't get away from the politics of the moment," he said of current White House occupants.

"Ex-presidents are able to step back and be seen as the nation's grandfather."

Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas' Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 25, eventually unleashing historic flooding in Houston and killing more than 80 people. Shortly thereafter, all

five ex-presidents appeared in a commercial for a fundraising effort known as "One America Appeal."

In it, George W. Bush says, "People are hurting down here." His father, George H.W. Bush, then replies, "We love you, Texas."

A website accepting donations, OneAmericaAppeal.org, was created with 100% of proceeds pledged to hurricane relief.

Hurricane Irma subsequently hit Florida and Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico, while both affected the U.S. Virgin Islands.  www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/5former-presidents-appear-togetherfor-hurricane-relief/ar-AAtO2IN?li= AA4ZnC&ocid=spartandhp

7  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

SBA’s Lender Match Upgrade Connects Small Businesses and Lenders

By Bill Manger, SBA Official

T

here is little question that small businesses drive America’s economic growth, and capital is often key in providing the fuel for that growth. There is also little question that at some point in the life cycle of small businesses, they will search for loans, equipment financing, real estate loans, or lines of credit to help them build their businesses and create new jobs. But finding a business loan can be time consuming and even frustrating.

The SBA is making it easier for small businesses to find lenders through our upgraded online platform, Lender Match. Lender Match is a tool that small businesses can use to identify potential lenders in their communities, and serves as a matchmaker bringing together entrepreneurs and SBA lenders to help increase their access to capital.

Lender Match, originally launched as LINC (Leveraging Information and Networks to access Capital), is a free online referral tool that connects small business borrowers with participating SBA lenders. After a prospective borrower completes a short online form (no registration is required), those responses are forwarded to participating SBA lenders that operate within the small business’ local county. If lenders are interested in the referral, the lenders and prospective borrower’s contact information is exchanged within 48 hours.

Lender Match has improved the process to make it easier for small business owners, and provides better guidance on how to get prepared for the loan application process. It has been streamlined from start to finish

providing better access to on-screen information. For example, it lets you filter for things like the type of business or the amount of the desired loan. It’s also been improved for use on mobile devices.

Lender Match is available to all SBA 7(a) lenders nationwide, including nonprofit lenders that offer free financial advice and specialize in micro lending, loans in SBA’s Community Advantage program, and the SBA’s CDC/504 loan program. Lenders previously signed up for LINC will continue receiving referrals on the Lender Match platform.

Lender Match also contains a checklist for borrower to use before talking to lenders that includes a business

plan, credit history, collateral and financial projections that help to better understand the lending process.

If you are a prospective borrower and you’d like to learn more about Lender Match, visit www.sba.gov/ lendermatch to get matched with any number of lending institutions. We hope it will be a more effective way to match lenders with potential borrowers.  www.sba.gov/blogs/sbas-lender-match-upgradeconnects-small-businesses-and-lenders

8  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

THE WHITE HOUSE Minority Enterprise Development Week, 2017 -------

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION

S

ince our earliest days, hardworking entrepreneurs have driven our Nation's prosperity. During Minority Enterprise Development Week, we recognize the contributions that minority owned businesses make to our economy and our way of life, and we strive to ensure that small business owners have access to the resources they need to achieve the American Dream.

The United States is entering upon a new period of economic revival. Unemployment is at a 16-year low, businesses are expanding, and wages are rising. Ensuring that minority-owned businesses remain strong and vibrant is vital to the growth of our great Nation. Minority-owned firms employ eight million people and generate more than $1 trillion in annual economic output. They export their products at a greater rate than non minority businesses and provide a great boost to our global competitiveness.

My Administration is committed to creating a business climate in which minority business enterprises can thrive and expand. The Unified Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code, my Administration's basic plan for tax cuts and tax reform, calls for a steep reduction to the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent. This reform will lift up our entrepreneurs, our businesses, and our families. The Framework also caps the top tax rate for millions of family-owned and small- and mid sized businesses at 25 percent -- the lowest it has been in more than 80 years. We also want Americans to be able to invest in capital to build their businesses, so for 5 years, we will allow them to deduct 100 percent of their capital investments. By eliminating needless regulations, promoting fair and reciprocal trade relationships, lowering taxes, and increasing the flow of capital, the United States will further cement its status as a global economic powerhouse.

During Minority Enterprise Development Week, we recommit to empowering every hardworking American to write our next great chapter. Let us work together to ensure that every American citizen can flourish and give back to our country and our communities.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 22 through October 28, 2017, as National Minority Enterprise Development Week. I call upon all Americans to celebrate this week with programs, ceremonies, and activities to recognize the many contributions of American minority business enterprises.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second. 

9  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

EPA to Propose Repealing Obama's Climate Regulation

By Valerie Volcovici for Reuters

T

he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will propose repealing the Clean Power Plan - the Obama administration's centerpiece regulation to fight climate change and plans to solicit input on a rule to replace it, according to an EPA document seen by Reuters.

The decision marks the agency's first formal step to sweep away the rule intended to cut carbon emissions from power plants, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March launching the EPA's review.

The Republican president has expressed doubts about the science of climate change and has blamed former Democratic President Barack Obama's efforts to cut carbon emissions for hurting

the coal mining and oil drilling industries.

The Clean Power Plan, or CPP, was challenged in court by 27 states after Obama's administration launched it in 2015. It is currently suspended by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which set a deadline of October 6th for a status report from the EPA on how it plans to proceed.

The EPA document, distributed to members of the agency’s Regulatory Steering Committee, said the EPA “is issuing a proposal to repeal the rule.”

The agency now intends to issue what it calls an Advanced Notice of

10  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Proposed Rulemaking to solicit input as it considers “developing a rule similarly intended to reduce CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuel electric utility generating units.”

The document did not provide any details of the potential new rule.

EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said the agency does not "have any updates this time." The CPP was designed to lower carbon emissions from existing U.S. power plants by 2030 to 32% below 2005 levels, requiring each state to adopt its own plans to achieve individualized targets.

It was seen as the main tool for the United States to meet emissions cuts it promised in the Paris Climate Agreement, a global pact to fight climate change.

The Trump administration has announced it will withdraw the United States from the Paris deal - which it said would cost the U.S. economy trillions of dollars without tangible environmental benefits - in a process that could take years.

Industry sources following the

rulemaking process expect the proposal to repeal and replace the Clean Power Plan to be released as soon as the end of this week.

Janet McCabe, who headed the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation under Obama, said an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking could take years - meaning the replacement for CPP could be a long way off, or possibly never emerge.

"It certainly will draw the process out," she said.

Some industry groups want a replacement to give utilities regulatory certainty and avoid possible lawsuits by environmental groups. But conservative groups have urged the EPA to scrap the CPP without replacing it, effectively ending U.S. regulation of carbon emissions.

On Sept. 28, the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation met with EPA and White House officials to suggest the administration also review the science underpinning the CPP

and other U.S. greenhouse gas regulations, according to a document posted on the White House Office of Management and Budget website.

Obama's greenhouse gas regulations were based on the broad scientific consensus that carbon dioxide and other emissions from burning fossil fuels are driving global climate change, triggering flooding and droughts while making powerful storms more frequent.  www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ exclusive-epa-to-propose-repealingobamas-climate-regulation-document/arAAsSiK0?li=AA5a8k&ocid=spartanntp

11  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

REPS. LIEU AND CURBELO LEAD BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO CURB COSTLY AND UNFAIR BAIL SYSTEMS From lieu.house.gov

R

eps. Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) and Carlos Curbelo (R-Florida) were joined by Reps. Mia Love

Sens. Kamala Harris (D-California) and Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) in the Senate. The Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act encourages states to

(R-Utah) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) in introducing the Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act of 2017, a bipartisan bill that incentivizes moving away from a money bail system. Under money bail systems, the decision to detain a person prior to their trial is based on their ability to pay bail instead of their flight risk or danger to society. The system disproportionately affects the poor, is expensive, and does not make Americans safer.

This bill represents a bicameral effort to curb unjust bail practices and is the companion legislation to S.1593, which was introduced by

replace their existing bail systems with pretrial risk assessments—a more just system for evaluating the flight and safety risk of defendants facing trial. An individualized risk assessment considers factors such as a person’s past criminal history and the current charge. A handful of places throughout the United States, including Kentucky and the District of Columbia, have already implemented or are in the process of implementing such a system.

Background Information In February 2016, Congressman Lieu introduced another piece of legislation called the “No Money

Bail Act”, which aims to eliminate the money bail system altogether in the United States. Both bills encourage courts to move away from the money bail system because America should not be a country where freedom is based on income.

The full text of the bill can be found at: https://lieu.house.gov/sites/lieu. house.gov/files/LIEU_042_xml%20 -%20Pretrial%20Integrity%20and%20 Safety%20Act.pdf.

Upon introduction of this legislation, Ms. Jackson Lee issued the following statement: "I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of the ‘Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act of 2017’. Although our justice system is designed to treat all people equally, that is not always the case. Justice is supposed to be blind, which means that justice is impartial and objective.

Unfortunately, over 450,000 Americans sit in jail because they are unable to afford to pay for bails set, even when the bail amount is not excessively high.

Low-income communities are disproportionally affected by the cost of high bonds. The Supreme Court ruled in Bearden v. Georgia in 1983 that the Constitution prohibits “punishing a person for his poverty.”

Kalief Browder, a 16-year-old young man, was arrested on charges of stealing a backpack. The judge then set bail at $3,000, which his family unfortunately, could not afford. Mr. Browder was sent to jail on Rikers Island for three years while awaiting trial. The charges were dismissed, but the time in solitary confinement caused Mr. Bowder to hang himself in 2015. We can do better, and we should do better to prevent tragedies such as this and others from poisoning our criminal justice system. It is time for bail reform." 

12  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

lieu.house.gov

Business - Black Business Association

MEMBER HIGHLIGHT:

The Bella Network

A

lisha Madison, Senior Manager of Business Process Analysis and Proposal Management with Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Aerospace Systems Sector, was honored at the 22nd Annual Women of Color STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Conference in Detroit on October 7, 2017. The conference recognizes outstanding women in STEM fields, provides opportunities for professional development, networking, recruiting, and promotes the increased involvement of women and minority groups in STEM careers.

Ms. Madison received the Collegelevel Promotion of Education Award which “demonstrates an exemplary commitment to enhancing the opportunities for minorities in technology careers through promotion of scientific and technical education programs,” according to the conference organizers.

Alisha earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of California at Irvine and a Master of Business Administration degree from Howard University, Washington, D.C. She is a Six Sigma Black Belt and has more than 27 years of project/ program management, process improvement and operational management experience.

Alisha is very active in her community. She started The Bella Network in 2016 to give

underrepresented women, specifically, African American women access to corporate, professional and entrepreneurial women that can help them elevate their careers and businesses to the next level of success.

The Bella Network held its inaugural Women’s Leadership Conference in October 2016 at the Hotel Maya in Long Beach, CA. The 2017 Women’s Leadership Conference is scheduled for Friday, November 3rd thru Sunday, November 5th in El Segundo, CA at the Hilton Garden Inn.

If you are a woman who would like to collaborate, partner and build strong professional relationships with other corporate and entrepreneurial women with the goal of advocacy, you should join The Bella Network and attend the Women’s Leadership Conference.

You can learn more about The Bella Network at their website, www.TheBellaNetwork.com.  From the desk of: Earl 'Skip' Cooper, II President and CEO Black Business Association

2017 Women’s Leadership Conference “Creating Connections … Building Bridges”

T

Friday, November 3rd thru Sunday, November 5th Hilton Garden Inn, El Segundo, CA www.TheBellaNetwork.com

he Bella Network 2017 conference includes workshops led by over 20 accomplished corporate professionals, certified coaches and successful entrepreneurs who are fired up and ready to build a powerful network that includes top-level business women and entrepreneurs exchanging ideas and sharing experiences. Women who are invested in making the connections to support your efforts and are willing to advocate on your behalf.

The Bella Network wants successful people to learn more about what you are doing and how they can support and advocate to give you ACCESS. Access to resources — people, processes, tools and, yes, money — investors, loans, grants, and partners.

14  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Government

Black Lawmakers Hold a Particular Grievance With Facebook: Racial Exploitation

By Yamiche Alcindor

F

or more than an hour, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s highprofile chief operating officer, sheepishly pledged to “do better” — over and over — as stern-faced members of the Congressional Black Caucus grilled her about Russian ads aimed at exploiting racial divisions during last year’s election.

For black lawmakers, it was a chance to vent — at the outrage they felt toward Russian intelligence and its efforts to foment racial unrest in the country; at the frustration they felt toward three separate congressional investigations into Russian interference that have plodded on and yielded little; and at Facebook itself, which has been long on promises and short on action.

Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, after initially denying that Russians had exploited the

company’s system, has reversed course and admitted that groups backed by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia paid Facebook to influence voters last year with ads designed to inflame and exploit racial, political and economic rifts in the United States. Russianbacked Facebook pages promoted anti-immigrant rallies, targeted the Black Lives Matter movement and focused attentions on critical election swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan.

While Facebook has yet to release any of the ads, it has hired three crisis communications firms, bought digital and newspaper ads and sent Ms. Sandberg to Washington last week to charm Congress and the public.

But the grievance of black lawmakers is a particular one: As black activists tried last year to focus attention on police brutality,

unfair treatment before the law, inequality and white supremacy, social media giants like Facebook were being commandeered by Russian intelligence agents to turn white voters against them.

For Representative Barbara Lee, Democrat of California, the moment recalled the 1970s, when another government, this one in Washington, targeted black activists. She served as a community worker for the Black Panther Party as the F.B.I. used false information to go after its members.

“That actually got people killed and destroyed organizations,” Ms. Lee said. “Now look at Facebook allowing ads by the Russian government to create this kind of environment. That’s a problem. I don’t know if they’re even aware of the history and how dangerous allowing the promotion of division and racial animosity and racial hatred can be.”

And nearly a year after the election, black lawmakers say, little is being done to reverse the damage.

Russia studied and exploited the “fault lines of racial tension,” said Representative Yvette D. Clarke, Democrat of New York, and

http://wemeanbusinesschicago.com

multiple investigations into Russia’s actions and the Trump’s campaign possible involvement have thus far offered no safeguards to stop Moscow’s efforts.

But Ms. Sandberg answers fueled the anger of some black lawmakers who said for years that they have been pushing Facebook to add a black person to its all-white board of directors and to diversify its staff.

Several members have also written letters to Facebook and other companies demanding answers related to the presidential election.

On Thursday, the company’s chief diversity officer, Maxine Williams, said in the meeting that Facebook had recently hired a record number of minority employees, and Ms. Sandberg promised that the company planned to add a black person to its board.

The issue of Russia exploiting already charged race relations in the United States hits especially home for many members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Representative Emanuel Cleaver II, Democrat of Missouri, who explained to Ms. Sandberg on Thursday that a man had attempted to bomb his office in 2014 in Kansas City based on false information and conspiracy theories. Mr. Cleaver, a cousin of Eldridge Cleaver, an early leader of the Black Panthers, said after the meeting that he was constantly on guard because many detractors falsely believe that his family member killed police officers.

“People get all worked up on the internet and do crazy things, and some of us are the recipients of their insanity,” Mr. Cleaver said. “It feels like the whole country is changing, and we’re having a national nervous breakdown.”

For others, the anger is more with Moscow than Silicon Valley. Already, they say, the United States has to deal with the remnants of slavery, institutional racism in schools and

the criminal justice system, and now a foreign adversary is stirring a boiling pot.

Shortly after the meeting with Ms. Sandberg, Representative Cedric L. R i c h m o n d , Democrat of Louisiana and the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he was concerned that the F.B.I. may have bought into Russia’s exploitation of African-Americans Representative Cedric L. Richmond, Democrat with its new class of Louisiana and the chairman of the of threats called Congressional Black Caucus © Andrew Harnik/ “Black Identity Associated Press Extremists.”

Mr. Richmond said he feared that the “I don’t know the intelligence F.B.I. may now go after black people process, and I’m sure they want who protest unfair policing practices to be thorough and all of that,” she and discriminatory policies based said. But, she added, “people are on false information peddled on anxious.” social media.

At least some members of the “This is a very fragile moment in caucus have started thinking about time for African-Americans across what ways Congress may have to this country,” Mr. Richmond said. step in and shield Americans from “What we needed Facebook to Russia’s influence. understand is that they play a Representative Bonnie Watson role in the perception of African- Coleman, Democrat of New Americans.”

Jersey, said lawmakers may Representative Robin Kelly, need to come up with new ways to a Democrat of Illinois, said she combat false information and fight often hears from constituents who back against Russia. That might want to know why the investigations mean Facebook would face new have taken so long. Ms. Kelly is regulations. also the ranking Democrat on the “Our concerns will not get House Oversight Committee’s ignored,” Ms. Watson Coleman Subcommittee on Information said. “It’s either you clean up your Technology and sits on the act, or government will have to act Foreign Affairs Committee’s in that space.”  Subcommittee on Europe, www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/blackEurasia and Emerging Threats. lawmakers-hold-a-particular-grievanceNeither panel has had a hearing with-facebook-racial-exploitation/aron Russia’s role in the 2016 AAtqPt7?ocid=spartanntp presidential election, she said.

17  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Obama-Holder Announce National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC)

By Jeff Stein

R

ecently, Barack Obama attended his first political event since leaving the White House — a private fundraiser at a house in Washington, DC, to raise money for a redistricting project spearheaded by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Obama has teamed up with his former attorney general to take on gerrymandering. The redistricting group will aim to help states redraw congressional maps in 2021 so they don’t produce extraordinarily safe Republican seats, potentially

creating a more level playing field for Democrats to compete in the House of Representatives.

When Obama left office this January, he wanted to both cede the national stage to new progressive voices, while also using his unique position as a popular former president to quietly advance their causes.

“President Obama doesn't want to suck up all the oxygen in the room, so Democrats have the space to determine the best path forward,” an adviser close to the president told

me. “But he also wants to provide support and guidance behind the scenes to help that next generation of leadership."

Since leaving office, Obama has largely stayed out of the news, only occasionally issuing statements about Republicans’ attempts to dismantle his legacy. Privately, he’s been regularly providing guidance to Tom Perez, the new chair of the Democratic National Committee (www.democrats.org), according to an aide.

While relatively low-profile,

18  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

the redistricting fundraiser won’t look like the former president is launching a direct attack against Donald Trump. Still, to Obama, the redistricting effort is a crucial step toward unrigging the political system he found so difficult to work within during his presidency, according to sources close to the president.

“He cares deeply about this initiative and supports [Holder’s] efforts to create a fairer voting process, but it is in no one’s interest for him to be out front as the face of the Democratic Party,” an adviser close to the president said. “Participating in events like this is a way for President Obama to support efforts that are a priority to him without getting caught up in the political fray."

Why Holder’s Redistricting Project is a Perfect Fit for Obama’s Post-presidential Project The National Redistricting

Democratic Committee

(https://democraticredistricting. com), which now has several full-

time paid staffers, has four main operations devoted to combating gerrymandering. Some political scientists have argued that gerrymandering — the drawing of wildly unnatural congressional districts to maximize partisan gain — partially accounts for America’s political polarization and the rise of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.

“This is the first time in Democratic Party history we’ve had a comprehensive plan — especially this early — to tackle redistricting,” said Jared Leopold, a spokesperson for NDRC. The most important prong may be its legal work. A senior adviser to the group, Mark Elias, is involved in multiple ongoing lawsuits against states over their gerrymandered

districts. This work can yield real results: The Supreme Court recently struck down two congressional districts in North Carolina, citing racial bias, and moved similarly against other gerrymandering in Alabama and Virginia. It will soon hear another case in Wisconsin.

In addition to more money to launch lawsuits, the NDRC is also hoping to target the state legislatures and governor’s mansions that will draw the congressional district maps in 2020. Part of their mission ensures that Democrats are vying for little-noticed state seats, like a state auditor position in Ohio, that may prove crucial to drawing the congressional lines.

Beyond the legal and political work, the NDRC will also try to pass ballot initiatives where it may be possible for bipartisan or independent commissions — rather than partisan legislators — to draw the maps. Lastly, the group is seeking to set up a watchdog and tech arm to call attention to gerrymandering, like a recent plot

by Georgia Republicans to redraw several legislative districts to help sitting lawmakers.

“There’s been such a deep challenge we have here that we need a comprehensive approach. It can’t just be electoral; it can’t just be legal,” Leopold said. “We’ve needed a single strategic hub to be the nexus of redistricting strategy.

That’s what we’re building this organization to be.”

Beyond Redistricting, Obama will Continue to Lead from Behind The redistricting project is not the only Democratic initiative President Obama will be — to steal one of his choice phrases — choosing to lead from behind.

The biggest push of Obama’s post-presidency will almost certainly be through the Obama

Foundation (www.obama.org), which is also in charge of creating Obama’s presidential library. It fits the president’s model of being scrupulously apolitical — but would likely also have repercussions that quite clearly are.

“It will be a living, working center for citizenship,” said Amy Brundage, former White House deputy communications director and now an Obama Foundation official.

Added Mitch Stewart, the battleground states director for President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign and the first director of Organizing for America, about the foundation: “He wants to try to provide an environment similar to the one he had when he did community organizing, because it provided him the tools to be a success in public life.”

This move to “foster citizenship” and encourage progressive leaders may look, to Obama’s critics, inherently and inescapably political.

“Obama’s trying to have it both ways — to appear presidential and nonpartisan, and at the same time agitating the grassroots level,” says Roger Stone, a former adviser to Trump, in an interview.

But the reality is that Obama views this strategy as the best way for him to solve America’s longterm political crisis. Obama isn’t out there parrying every Trump tweet or demanding that current Democratic leaders embrace his preferred policy ideas. Instead, the president will be giving behind-the-scenes support to efforts devoted to ending America’s extreme polarization — with the hope that this will in turn allow progressive leaders to rise, long after he’s exited stage left.  www.vox.com/policy-andpolitics/2017/7/13/15959074/ barack-obama-gerrymanderingfundraiser

19  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Edited by BBN

Civil Rights

Georgia NAACP Wins Voting Rights Victory

T

he NAACP Georgia State Conference recently claimed a victory for voters in the State of Georgia. In the case GA NAACP, et al v. State of Georgia and Brian Kemp, the Court entered a Consent Order on Tuesday, October 17th, 2017, that the State will no longer be able to cut off voter registration beyond 30 days of any federal elections, including in federal runoff elections. Also, the State must use a shorter registration deadline if a shorter deadline is provided under state law.

In April, the Georgia State Conference originally sued to correct a State Law that required persons to register three months prior to a federal runoff election in order to vote– in violation of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

“This Consent Order is the latest in a string of victories the NAACP has achieved in securing the rights of voters,” said NAACP interim President and CEO, Derrick Johnson. “We have succeeded in reversing what was obviously a blatant attempt to curb thousands of votes by disregarding national law.”

Georgia has a population that is roughly 30 percent African American, and with the recent Consent Order, the NAACP has ensured that black voters in Georgia are now afforded the rights guaranteed by the NVRA. “The NAACP is ecstatic over the court order granting full relief in the Voter registration runoff case,” said Phyllis Blake, the NAACP’s Georgia State Conference President. “We will continue to remind citizens of their rights to register and vote in runoff Elections. Kudos to the Lawyers Committee, our partner for their successful litigation.”

The Consent Order continues a winning streak for the NAACP in its fight for voting rights during the Trump administration.

Since summer, the NAACP has filed similar lawsuits in Indiana (www.naacp.org/latest/ naacp-files-laws uit-state-indianavoting-rights-violation), Texas (www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-winscrucial-step-protecting-texas-voters),

and Louisiana

(www.naacp.org/ latest/%EF%BB%BFnaacp-wins-twocritical-cases-voting-rights-louisianatexas).

20  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBN Show Biz Buzz

By Linda Ware

2018 Winter Olympics Team in Assembly

T

here are only few months left before the 2018 Winter Olympics kick off in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Competition is set to begin on February 9, but

Aja Evans (Photo/Team USA)

Kehri Jones (Photo/ Team USA)

at-whos-on-team-usa-for-the-2018-winter-olympics/ssAAsv36t?ocid=spartandhp#image=1

I

You Can't Hear Me!

n the midst of our current troubling political times -- activism is never far from the mind of Malcom Jamal Warner. He has used art to speak out time and time again. Earlier this year, Warner released a powerful, spoken word short film entitled You Can’t Hear Me. Directed by Chris Folkens and co-starring spoken word artists David Bianchi and Chris Wood, You Can’t Hear Me highlights some of the most prominent social horrors of our time including mass incarceration and oppression. “I knew Chris Folkens, the director.

I knew David Bianchi, the producer and poet, and then Chris,“ Warner reflected on his involvement. “I was Malcom Jamal Warner, committed to the work that JSquared Photography they were doing. So, when I got the call to join them to do You Can't Hear Me, I jumped at the opportunity because one of the things I love about spoken word is it gives me a different avenue of expression. It allows me to express myself in a way that I can't as an actor or as a director. That piece is a sociopolitical outcry. ” View and share You Can't Hear Me at: https://shadowandact.com/malcolm-jamalwarner-ten-days-in-the-valley-interview.

Warner's latest role is in the new ABC drama series, Ten Days in the Valley.  https://shadowandact.com/

in the meantime, Team USA is starting to build its roster of nearly 250 Jordan Greenway world-class athletes.

(Photo/Team USA) On Tuesday, Reuters released a series of portraits showing 19 of the men and women who already have confirmed spots on the team. Here's a quick look at two of the members of Team USA: Aja Evans, a bobsled athlete, will make her second Olympic appearance at PyeongChang. She was part of the team that won bronze in Sochi. Kehri Jones also made the switch from college track to bobsled. Kehri Jones will make her Olympic debut in PyeongChang.

Jordan Greenway is just one member of the US Olympic hockey team. He's played hockey for Boston University for the past two years.  www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/heres-a-first-look-

You May Hear Me - Vin Diesel & Ludacris to Make Music Together

V

in Diesel and Ludacris are back together making sweet, sweet music. The Fast & Furious co-stars and long-time pals posted a video from the music studio on Instagram on October 3, teasing a "positive" collaboration.

"As you know, we always get together and pow wow.

Tonight was a little different, we got inspired by our angels to go to the music side of our brain" said Diesel.

Ludacris added: "Absolutely, man. Creative minds come together, always thinking about how to make the world a better place.

24  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Ludacris and Vin Diesel © Getty Prince Williams / Contributor

"Always inspired by our children, the next generation.

What we can leave them, how we can make positive change and impact. We have the power to move mountains."

"You inspire me, we inspire each other," Ludacris told Diesel.

"Let's make a change, man, each and every person.

Let's stop talking about it and make it happen."

While Ludacris has been in the music business for a while, the collaboration continues a more recent interest in music-making for Diesel.  www.digitalspy.com/music/fast-and-furious/news/a839769/fastand-furious-vin-diesel-ludacris-music/

"AM to DM" (@AM2DM) offers a possible answer — and it’s a fun one. The show’s hosts are, Saeed Jones and Isaac Fitzgerald, who were previously editors at BuzzFeed and are also real life friends. The key to the AM to DM format is the engagement with viewers through Twitter and the personalities of its two host. It airs from 10am to 11am Eastern each morning (with a repeat broadcast at noon).

After the show premiered. AM to DM (https://twitter. com/AM2DM) was trending on Twitter, reaching #1 in the U.S. and #4 globally. In fact, BuzzFeed says that the show averaged about 1 million unique viewers each day, with clips from the show being viewed a total of 10 million times. And it’s a young audience, with 78% of daily live viewers under 35.  https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/-buzzfeed-says-its-morningnews-show-am-/f-73192eada3%2Ftechcrunch.com

"Menace" Video Series to Debut on Instagram

T

he new short form video series is about sisterhood.

It's about the struggles and the failures and the successes brought out of necessity and growing bonds and becoming close through process. Sisterhood is huge both in real life in what really happened, and also in what we wrote.

And the whole story will be told in 13 one-minute episodes on Instagram.

The collaboration team of Devon Carson, Sarah Alò and Flavia Borges spent the last year exploring different feminist Flavia Borges perspectives, challenging themselves with a constrained format, and imagining the worst-case scenario of a present-day attack on women's rights. The result of that process is Menace, premiering on Instagram at @MenaceSeries on Thursday, November 9. 

Hosts Saeed Jones and Isaac Fitzgerald

BuzzFeed Offers Morning News Show "AM to DM"

T

witter’s making a big push into live video with a morning news show. What does a real newscast look like if you rethink it for Twitter? BuzzFeed’s

www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/menace-instagramseries-devon-carson-flavia-borges-sarah-alo/ Content?oid=31759232

"Rush Hour 4" A Real Possibility

25  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

see page 26

BBN Show Biz Buzz

from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 25

N

o problem…just “Rush Hour 4.” 10 years after the buddy-cop franchise directed by Brett Ratner became a trilogy, Jackie Chan says that a

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker

At its debut, “The Rundown With Robin Thede” will also have one element that the category has lacked for several years: a black female host.

To the extent that her weekly 11 p.m. show is aimed at black viewers, Ms. Thede said, “I’m speaking to stories that matter to us.”

What will ultimately bring an audience to “The Rundown,” Ms. Thede said, is the opportunity to laugh and “to get an authentic opinion about stories they’re not

show ran in syndication from 1992 to 1993).

At its outset “The Rundown” will not feature any comic correspondents or celebrity guest interviews, just Ms. Thede’s satirical takes as well as skits and documentary segments that will feature her. (There will also be occasional pop-up concerts by surprise musicians.)

By her own estimate, Ms. Thede said that on a staff of about 40, 75% are women and/or people of color, and she said several departments are headed by women.  By: NATALIA V. OSIPOVA BBN Editing www.theworldnews.net/us-news/on-therundown-robin-thede-is-filling-a-void-inlate-night-talk.html

fourth installment is indeed in the works — but what happens next depends on Chris Tucker.

“For the last seven years, we’ve been turning down the script, turning down the script. Yesterday, we just agreed.” All doesn’t appear to be finalized, however: The script probably at the end of this month will have a second draft, and next year, probably [we will] start. I hope — if Chris Tucker agrees.”  Reporter: Michael Nordine www.indiewire. com/2017/10/rush-hour-4-jackie-chanchris-tucker-1201884819

‘The Rundown’ with Robin Thede Is Here

W

hen her new BET latenight talk show has its premiere on Thursday, October 12th, Robin Thede said it will have many components that are staples of the format, including topical jokes about politics and popular culture, comedy sketches and musical performances.

Robin Thede going to hear anywhere else.”

Ms. Thede was most recently the head writer and an occasional performer on Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore.”

“The Rundown” is BET’s first late-night talk show since “The Mo’Nique Show,” which ran from 2009 to 2011. Other black women who have hosted such a program, includes Wanda Sykes (whose Fox show ran one season in 2009-2010) and Whoopi Goldberg (whose

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween

M

adea, Bam, and Hattie venture to a haunted campground and the group must run for their lives when monsters, goblins, and the boogeyman are unleashed. Look for them starting October 20th.

This is the second film in Tyler Perry's Madea franchise to take place on Halloween and the third

26 October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

winner will be announced on Friday at 3 pm eastern time on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

TV APPS kweliTV now has a Roku and Apple TV app. kweliTV also supports Chromecast and Apple Airplay integration. When you login for the first time and select your subscription plan, you will be redirected to a page that will give you instructions on how to use the TV apps.

OTHER LAUNCH FEATURES

film in the franchise to revolve around a holiday, In addition, this is the tenth installment of the "Madea" film franchise.

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween" opened in first place this weekend with $21.2 million from North American theaters. 

• Live TV - Watch a 24-hour stream of some of kweliTV’s greatest shows and awardwinning films right within our app!

• Member discount perks Monthly and annual subscribers to kweliTV receive discounts to

www.imdb.com/title/tt6217804/

S

KweliTv Has Launched

ince launching our beta two years ago, we have been on a mission to provide a quality video streaming platform that is innovative and entertaining without showing negative and stereotypical imagery of the global black community that we may sometimes see in mainstream media.

We're so excited to show you what we've been working on!

•

•

WIN A FREE SUBSCRIPTION! Everyone who subscribes (monthly or annual) to kweliTV between August 30-October 31 2017, will be entered into a weekly drawing for a free 12-month subscription to kweliTV. The drawing will take place every Friday beginning September 1. The weekly

•

•

goods and services from our partner companies from books, hair care, children’s products, magazines, and more. "kweliOriginals" - We're launching 4 original shows from news to comedy this coming Fall.

New Content - More than 50 films and shows will be released on kweliTV between September 1-December 31, with 3-5 new titles added every Wednesday.

Favorites & Watch Later Save your favorite films/shows or set a program to watch later and access it right from your account.

Speak Your Truth - Create “Watch Parties” by having

discussions with other active subscribers who are on the platform at the same time—— whether you’re watching our Live TV Channel or a film/show from our extensive on-demand library.  https://www.facebook.com/kwelitv

American Music Awards to Honor Diana Ross

D

iana Ross will receive a Lifetime Aachievement honor at next month's American Music Awards and will celebrate with a performance on the broadcast next month.

The award was given out for the first time since 2008 last year, when it was presented to Sting.

Previous winners include Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Michael Jackson.

The 73-year-old Ross tells The Associated Press of the honor: "It took a lifetime to get here, I'm not going anywhere ... It's been a wonderful journey for me of joy and see page 28

Miss Diana Ross (blackhistory.com)

27  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBN Show Biz Buzz much appreciation."

The Motown legend and former Supremes singer has performed at the AMAs several times and hosted the show twice.

The AMAs will air live on ABC from Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 19.  www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/dianaross-to-perform-be-honored-at-americanmusic-awards/ar-AAtFRNg?li=AA2qN5v&o cid=spartanntp

Service cashews, it will be shooting in Chicago. South Side centers around two longtime friends trying to better their lives despite the numerous socioeconomic and political obstacles they face on a daily basis, authentically exploring the ups and downs of the ensemble of characters.

At the heart of the workplace comedy are brothers Bashir

Comedy Central's Chi-Based Series

T

he south side of Chicago sure is getting some love from TV these days. There is Showtime’s hit series, Shameless, Emmy winner Lena Waithe’s The Chi has wrapped production and now Comedy Central has greenlit a new series called South Side.

And yes, hold onto your Craft

Diallo Riddle & Bashir Salahuddin and Sultan Salahuddin, who were raised on the South Side of Chicago. South Side was one of

registration contacts. Seating is limited. The annual “Procurement from page 3 Summit” includes workshops to enlighten attendees on online shopping. Many even have issues related to contracting their products available through and business management Amazon. Seek and ye shall find. and one-on-one matchmaking The Black Business Association opportunities with corporations will be hosting their annual and local and state government “Procurement Summit” on agency representatives. Contact November 14th at Los Angeles Southwest College. The cohosts, corporate sponsors and include: Southern California Gas Company, Southern California Edison, California America Water, and the San the BBA today and reserve your Gabriel Valley Water Company. matchmaking opportunity (www.

The Summit is also supported bbala.org).

by Frontier Communications.

On page 99 we highlight the This Procurement Summit accomplishments of the Oakland, series is focused on contracting California based McClymonds opportunities for African Americans. High School Basketball Teams See the event flyer on page 15 of 1958-1962. The “Mack Warriors” for detailed information and for were mythical national champions

Publisher's Message

nine pilots ordered this past April and is one of only two to receive that coveted series order to date.

Written by the Salahuddin brothers and Diallo Riddle (Late Night With Jimmy Fallon), South Side will be executive produced by Riddle, Bashir and Michael Blieden (also a Fallon alum). Blieden directed the pilot and is expected to direct episodes for the series. Riddle & Bashir Salahuddin also wrote Comedy Central’s Chocolate News with David Alan Grier.  www.reelchicago.com for those 3 years with a record of 84 and 1. The team manager for those years is now the Editor-inChief of the Black Business News Group, Earl “Skip” Cooper, II. McClymonds alumni include Bill Russell, the NBA Hall of Fame player for the Boston Celtics. Bill was also the first African American coach in the NBA.

Bill Russell (page 44) has joined with many sports heroes and civic leaders to “Take a Knee” in support of the NFL’s professional athletes that chose to take a knee before the playing of the National Anthem in response to President

28  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

continued on page 58

United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will lead a Trade Mission to China - mid-November 2017

This multi-sector mission will promote U.S. exports to China by supporting U.S. companies in launching or increasing their business in the marketplace, as well as address trade policy issues with high-level Chinese officials. Key elements will include business-to-government and business-to-industry meetings, market briefings, networking events and opportunities to promote new deals and agreements between mission participants and Chinese entities through signing ceremonies.

Addressing the imbalance in U.S.-China trade has been a central focus of discussions between President Trump and President Xi, and this trade mission will advance the bilateral commercial relationship by promoting business deals between U.S. and Chinese firms, as well as addressing market access barriers faced by U.S. companies. President Xi and other senior Chinese officials have signaled their interest in improving the U.S.-China President Xi relationship through increased exports of U.S. goods and services to China.

If you’re interested in participating in the upcoming mission, we encourage you to submit and complete an application at: https://www.commerce.gov/ChinaMission2017Application.

Why participate in the Mission?

Business Development Missions organized by the U.S. Government provide a unique opportunity for businesses interested in exploring export opportunities overseas. This mission will advance the Administration’s goal of reducing the U.S.-China trade deficit by promoting U.S. exports.

The schedule will primarily consist of briefings from U.S. government officials and outside experts on the business environment in China, engagements with Chinese officials and senior Chinese business leaders, networking opportunities, and opportunities to promote agreements between mission participants and Chinese entities at signing ceremonies. Mission participants will also be presented with the opportunity to engage with Secretary Ross and other senior U.S. and Chinese government officials as events unfold around President Trump’s first visit to China.

The mission may also present opportunities to engage with high level Chinese officials.

Additional Information?

For more information, visit the mission’s website at www.Export.gov/Chinamission2017 Direct questions to the Department of Commerce Office of Business Liaison at: BusinessLiaison@ doc.gov or 1-202-482-1360.

The application deadline for this mission will be Friday, September 29, 2017.

After a company has been selected to participate on the mission, a payment to the Department of Commerce in the form of a participation fee is required. The fee schedule for the mission is below: $10,000 for large firms or trade associations $9,500 for a small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) $1,500 each additional firm representative (large firm, SME, or trade association – limit one additional representative per company) Expenses for air travel, lodging, most meals, and incidentals will be the responsibility of each mission participant.

Bobby Hines, International Trade Specialist - Textile/Apparel/Food/Agriculture/Publishing DownTown LA Export Office: U.S.D.O.C.|International Trade Administration 213-894-4231/C 213-276-3675 Email: bobby.hines@trade.gov Apparel/Textile: Register for Made In The U.S.A: http://otexa.trade.gov/scripts/MadeInUSAPost.exe Food & Toy Catalog Events in the Czech Republic FOR GASTRO - https://build.export.gov/czechrepublic/tradeevents/eg_cz_113201 FOR TOYS - https://build.export.gov/czechrepublic/tradeevents/eg_cz_113202 Report A Trade Barrier: http://tcc.export.gov/report_a_barrier/index.asp www.export.gov or http://www.trade.gov/

www.automotiveproject.org #RPCGAS2017

Business - Activision

Business - Success Story

By Julie Bosman

I

n 1956, when Haki R. Madhubuti was 14 years old and living in Detroit, his mother gave him a firm order: Go down to the public library and check out “Black Boy”

by Richard Wright, the seminal memoir on growing up AfricanAmerican in the segregated South.

“I refused at first because I hated myself,” Dr. Madhubuti, a poet and book publisher who is now 75, said in an interview this week at his office on the South Side of Chicago.

“I didn’t want to go to a white library and ask for that book. But she persisted.”

So he did what he was told, found the book on a shelf and was immediately rapt, reading nearly half of it in one sitting. After finishing the rest at home, he came back the next day and checked out everything Wright had ever written.

It was an intellectual awakening, Dr. Madhubuti said, the first leap on a path that took him from reading in the library to writing his own poetry to founding Third World Press, one of the oldest and most prestigious black presses in the country.

“All these ideas” were “jamming my head at such a young age,” he said, sitting in the art-filled converted rectory that he uses as an office. “For the first time in my life,” he recalled thinking, “there’s something positive: Now I’m a reader, I’m a thinker at another level.”

Third World Press has just turned 50, an anniversary that will be celebrated with a week of festivities in Chicago, beginning on Saturday with an appearance

by the author TaNehisi Coates and his father, W. Paul Coates, a publisher of Afrocentric books in Baltimore.

That half-century has been spent at the heart of black intellectual life in Chicago, far away from mainstream, and mostly white, publishing circles in Manhattan. Third World Press has released hundreds of books of poetry, nonfiction and memoir reflecting on the black experience in America, many written by people whose work would Dr. Haki Madhubuti | Sun-Times files not have been seen each other, what expectations accepted by bigger, corporate- blacks have of other blacks, whether owned publishers. those are positive and uplifting or Third World Press published much disparaging expectations.” of Gwendolyn Brooks’s later work; It was a teenage interaction in a best-selling guidebook of sorts 1960 with an African-American for African-Americans called “The stranger that helped lead Dr. Covenant With Black America,” Madhubuti to his own education

by Tavis Smiley, the columnist and and career as a poet, publisher and commentator; and more than 20 of academic.

Dr. Madhubuti’s own books.

Going door to door selling “He has told the hard truths,” said magazines, Dr. Madhubuti — then Nora Brooks Blakely, Ms. Brooks’s known as Don L. Lee, his birth daughter. “He has addressed not name — knocked at a home in only the relationships between Springfield, Ill. blacks and other cultures here in A very sophisticated Africanthis country and beyond, but he has American man answered the door, also dealt with some of the more he recalled, and invited him inside, uneasy-making interrelationships offering him a sandwich and advice. between blacks: How blacks have “He said, ‘Young man, the

32  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

one thing no one can take away from you is an education,’” Dr. Madhubuti said. He urged him to enroll in community college. Then he gave him $20, which would be about $160 today, and sent him on his way.

“Tears came to my eyes,” he said.

“That was the first time a black man had done anything for me.”

Dr. Madhubuti returned to Chicago determined to build something of his own.

He changed his name in 1974 to one that he felt better reflected his identity, then started Third World Press out of his basement apartment in Englewood, a neighborhood on the South Side, printing chapbooks with a mimeograph machine and selling them on the street. Working from Chicago, rather than New York, was an ingredient to his early success, he said.

remember taking books out to the West Coast in a van and selling them. I would just travel with our inventory.”

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Sean Carter/Flickr CC

Gwendolyn Brooks

http://imgarcade.com/ gwendolyn-brooks.html

“Being in the middle of the continent was critical because we had access to both sides of the nation,” Dr. Madhubuti said. “I

These days, he publishes about two dozen books each year. After the recession in 2008, the press’s financial situation faltered, so Dr.

Madhubuti converted it to a nonprofit, Third World Press Foundation (http://thirdworldpressfoundation.com), and now he is breaking even. He has tried to seize on the cultural moment in 2017, planning to release an anthology on the Trump era this fall.

The 50th anniversary has pushed Dr. Madhubuti to think about what will come next for Third World Press, which is a beloved cultural institution in Chicago but is not widely known elsewhere, even among publishing insiders.

Getting the word out about the books he publishes has become more difficult. A bookstore he used to operate in the South Side’s Chatham neighborhood has long closed, pushed out by a nearby Borders store, which didn’t last either. He has spent little time on self-promotion and has no team of marketers and publicists that other publishers consider essential.

“Publishing independently in America is very difficult,” said Chris Calhoun, a literary agent who recently sold Dr. Madhubuti’s and the press’s archive to the University of Illinois. “There aren’t many left. For a black independent to have survived, to have contributed to the culture as he has for 50 years now, is just a remarkable achievement.”

Dr. Madhubuti’s own plan is to begin another memoir, picking up after his first one, “YellowBlack: The First Twenty-One Years of a Poet’s Life.” The weeklong festival will draw Cornel West, Father Michael Pfleger and others.

“I’m going to use that time to reflect and put it out there that it may be time for me to move on,” Dr. Madhubuti said. “My problem now is that I need to write.”  www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/ books/haki-madhubuti-third-worldpress-turns-50.html

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Business - Marketing

Meeting Your Customers' Mobile Needs

By Sue Yasav

A

s modern marketers, we put a lot of thought and effort into our digital marketing programs. The goals are to promote engagement with our brands, drive traffic to our website or encourage customers to walk into a store. Many times, the goal is all three.

Most of the U.S. population — 61% — say they use mobile phones for shopping activities, according to the 2017 Synchrony Financial Digital Study (http:// newsroom.synchronyfinancial.com/document-library/ driving-shopper-engagement-through-digital-technology-0)

recently completed. But, what would resonate with them in terms of digital marketing and more importantly, what would drive their behavior? Based on the referenced survey, there are specific elements of mobile marketing that consumers say they are interested in.

Significantly, 50% of consumers said if their favorite retailer sent offers to their mobile devices, they would shop there more often. Mobile marketing can include in-app messages, push notifications, beacon / location based offers, SMS messages and voice recognition.

Given this consumer interest, how many companies are investing in mobile technology? The answer is, it depends. According to "The State Of Digital: A Mobile Commerce Perspective: Forrester’s H2 2016 Global Mobile Executive Online Survey" by Forrester (www. forrester.com/report/The+State+Of+Digital+A+Mobile+C ommerce+Perspective/-/E-RES137186), nearly 70% of

marketers say they are regularly using responsive Web design and mobile optimized websites. It seems that most companies have the basics of mobile user experience down pat. But fewer companies are actively marketing via mobile. Only about 40% regularly use SMS messaging or push notifications, and only one in three use in-app messages.

Another element of mobile marketing that consumers express interest in is location-based marketing.

Almost half (46%) of all consumers said they would like to get relevant offers based on their location. This is overwhelmingly driven by millennials. For instance, 61% of those ages 18 to 25 would like location-based offers, steadily declining for each age group (only about

a quarter of those 66 or over said this is the case).

But only 37% of marketers are using push notifications and an even smaller percentage (only 12%) are regularly using beacon/location support on mobile phones, according to the same Forrester study referenced above. There are certainly restrictions on SMS marketing (consult your legal advisor as to the permissions required), but some companies are still planning to implement these programs — about a quarter are planning to pilot/test SMS messaging, and 35% are planning to pilot/test push notifications in the future.

Mobile marketing is clearly an imperative for companies with large numbers of millennials in their current or target consumer base. And remember, Gen Z’s, the true mobile natives, are fast approaching behind the millennial population. They may be even more comfortable with mobile marketing than their millennial older siblings. Investments in mobile technology will certainly be crucial for many more marketers as these populations expect more from their favorite brands.

With the constantly evolving field of smartphone technology, people become more and more enamored of using their phone for anything and everything.

Digital marketers are challenged to provide “delighters” to attract and engage the population that is most interested in using this technology. Successful digital marketing programs listen to the customer and proactively engage them, whenever and wherever they happen to be.  www.targetmarketingmag.com/post/are-you-meeting-yourcustomers-mobile-needs/#ne=4a21b9167bf658408191e7 c49140a9aautm_source=today-%40-target-marketingutm_ medium=newsletterutm_campaign=2017-10-03&utm_content=are +you+meeting+your+customers%27+mobile+needs%3F-6 www.greenbookblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/marketing1. jpg Note: The views expressed in this blog are those of the blogger and not necessarily of Synchrony Financial. All references to consumers and population refer to the survey respondents from the Synchrony Financial 2017 Digital Study unless otherwise noted.

35  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Marketing

Emojis: A New Tool to Help Marketers Win the Inbox

By Bonnie Malone

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t last count, there are 2,666 emojis, and billions of them are sent every day — including 5 billion on Facebook Messenger alone! These modern day hieroglyphs pepper text messages, tweets, photo captions, status updates, and even a series of operas and ballets at London’s Royal Opera House. The meteoric rise of emojis has been so extreme that they were actually featured in their own animated movie earlier this summer. Yes, we love emojis, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be going away anytime soon.

Should email marketers embrace emojis the same way that pop culture has?

The bigger question, perhaps, isn’t whether email marketers should use emojis, but whether they will be effective. We’ve all seen emojis pop up in our inbox, featured cleverly in an email subject line.

However, just because one brand has taken the leap doesn’t mean we should all follow. Does having an emoji in the subject line achieve the goal of engaging subscribers and compelling them to open?

Yes, they do … at least sometimes.

Interestingly, there are some differences between what resonates in social media and email. The “tears of joy” emoji has ruled social

posts for some time, but not email. A recent emoji study by Return Path (https://returnpath.com) noted that email subscribers respond most favorably to an entirely different emoji: poop. One in three people will engage with a subject line that features the poop emoji. At that rate, the poop emoji performed 18% better than the next best performing emoji, and a whopping 57% better than the average subject line.

While it may be a stretch to incorporate the poop emoji into your next subject line, new data points to certain seasonal emojis which may help to capture subscriber attention better than the average promotional email, which has a 21% read rate: • February: lipstick kiss (24%

read rate) • March: Ireland flag (27% read rate) • April: white bunny (24% read rate) • July: hamburger (25% read rate) • October: spider (23% read rate) • December: family (28% read rate).

Keep in mind, however, that not every emoji provides a boost to email read rates.

For every successful “lipstick kiss,” there’s an unsuccessful emoji counterpart: • January: clinking champagne glasses (9% read rate) • March: beer mug (17% read

36  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

rate) April: globe (15% read rate) June: hammer (16% read rate) October: skull (14% read rate) November: corn (18% read rate).

As you think about your upcoming email campaigns, you might consider adding a fresh approach by incorporating an emoji. However, before you hit “send,” heed these words of caution: Test first. Every audience is different. Test emojis with small groups of subscribers to measure how your audience will respond before sending out to your full list.

Consider your brand. Emojis simply aren’t appropriate for every brand. Think carefully about your • • • •

brand identity and voice, as well as your customers’ expectations.

Don’t overdo it. It’s easy to get carried away with the use of emojis.

Hold back just a bit, and add emojis like you would a fashion accessory or special ingredient — sparingly!

Have fun! Unleash your creativity in ways that makes sense for your brand and sample a variety of emojis.

After all, there are more than 2,500 to choose from!

Emojis can be a great way to sprinkle some new life into your email subject lines. Embrace them wisely, test and measure like you would any new email feature, and optimize the approach based on the

results you achieve.  www.targetmarketingmag. com/article/emojis-new-toolhelp-marketers-win-inbox/#ne =4a21b9167bf658408191e7c 49140a9aautm_source=today%40-target-marketingutm_ medium=newsletterutm_ campaign=2017-09-25&utm_conte nt=emojis%3A+a+new+tool+to+hel p+marketers+win+the+inbox-4

Black Emoji Resources: https://emojipedia.org/emojimodifier-fitzpatrick-type-6 http://getemoji.com www.ojuafrica.com http://ebrojiapp.com

37  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Technology

Real ID Act: Do You Need a New Driver's License to Fly? Maybe. uniglobegravelpartners.com

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n Oct. 13, 2016 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (www.dhs. gov) announced updates for the 32 states and territories that are not currently in compliance with REAL ID (DHS has determined that 23 states and the District of Columbia are fully compliant). Of the 32 noncompliant states and territories, 17 were granted one-year extensions, through October 10, 2017, while four states were granted extensions through June 6, 2017. An additional state and two territories remain under review for a possible extension into 2017. Minnesota, Missouri and Washington, which did not receive an extension in 2016, were also not granted an extension for any part of 2017.

Most importantly, DHS announced that Kentucky, Maine, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Carolina would not be receiving a renewed extension, which will result in residents in these five states not being able to use their driver’s licenses to access secure federal buildings, nuclear power plants, or military bases after January 30, 2017. Additionally, residents from these states will not be able to use their driver’s license to get through airport security starting Jan. 22, 2018, unless DHS provides an additional extension or announces

that they are in compliance.

Starting on Oct. 1, 2020, every air traveler will need a REAL IDcompliant license, or another acceptable form of identification, for domestic air travel.

It is important to note that individuals do not need to adjust any immediate travel plans as the earliest that a resident from a noncompliant state would be impacted is Jan. 22, 2018. Furthermore, passengers can continue to use any of the various other forms of identification accepted by TSA (such as a Passport or Passport Card, Global Entry card, U.S. military ID, airline or airport-issued ID, federally recognized tribal-issued photo ID). See TSA’s website for a list of all other acceptable forms of identification (www.tsa.gov/travel/ security-screening/identification).

DHS will be conducting outreach to educate the traveling public about the timeline, and continuing engagement with states regarding REAL ID standards (www.dhs.gov/ news/2016/01/08/statement-secretaryjeh-c-johnson-final-phase-real-idact-implementation). These are the

timelines for that final phase: • Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security will conduct outreach to educate the traveling public about the timeline below, and

•

•

•

•

continue engagements with states to encourage compliance with REAL ID standards.

Starting July 15, 2016, TSA, in coordination with airlines and airport stakeholders, will begin to issue web-based advisories and notifications to the traveling public.

Starting December 15, 2016, TSA will expand outreach at its airport checkpoints through signage, handouts, and other methods.

Starting January 22, 2018, passengers with a driver’s license issued by a state that is still not compliant with the REAL ID Act (and has not been granted an extension) will need to show an alternative form of acceptable identification for domestic air travel to board their flight. To check whether your state is compliant or has an extension, click here. Passengers with driver’s licenses issued by a state that is compliant with REAL ID (or a state that has been issued an extension) will still be able to use their driver’s licenses or identification cards.

Starting October 1, 2020, every air traveler will need a REAL ID-compliant license, or another acceptable form of identification, for domestic air travel.  www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/ count-down-to-real-id.aspx

39  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Editorial

Trump Tries to Divide us, but we are a Better Nation Than That

By Jesse Jackson

W

hen Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the national anthem last year, he acted alone, a silent protest against a society that repeatedly fails to hold police accountable for the killing of unarmed African Americans. Kaepernick was condemned and now essentially has been banned from the NFL, with the owners surely colluding to ensure that a quarterback of immense talent would not find a place among the dozens of teams desperately in need of one.

Kaepernick is alone no longer. After Donald Trump’s ugly outbursts and tweets — he called Kaepernick and other protestors a “son of a b—-,” urged the NFL owners to kick out any player with the courage to protest and, bizarrely, condemned rule changes designed to provide some protection against concussions — players and even owners across the NFL reacted. Teams linked arms on the sidelines during the anthem, some kneeling and others not, unified in protest of Trump’s divisive rants and tweets. The Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and all but one of the Pittsburgh Steelers chose to stay in their locker rooms when the anthem was played.

They stood together to defend the right of their teammates to express themselves, whether they agreed with those views or not. They stood together to show that they are citizens, not chattel. They are skilled athletes practicing their profession, not chained slave gladiators forced to entertain the mob.

Every athlete knows that expressing controversial views publicly is a harsh risk. Their careers are short; their contracts are not guaranteed. The owners are billionaires, dependent on public subsidy, fearful of any controversy. They are clearly prepared, as they did

with Kaepernick, to punish independence. Yet dozens of athletes responded to Trump’s jibes by joining the protest, and their teammates stood arm-in-arm defending their right to do so. Trump thinks the NFL is a plantation. The players showed the real patriotism that the flag truly represents.

For Trump, the assault on protesting black athletes — he also tweeted his withdrawal of an invitation to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors to visit the White House after Curry expressed reservations about the president — is a classic diversion. He has terrified the country with his blustery, schoolyard insults to a North Korean leader armed with nuclear weapons.

His efforts to dismember basic health care are failing despite lies and bribes. Hurricanes and wildfires are mocking his inane denial of climate change. His embrace of the “fine people” in the neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville, Va., alarmed decent people across the country. After eight months in office, he has the lowest approval ratings of any president since polls were invented.

Black athletes — many of them millionaires — make a perfect foil. How dare they protest when they have been “given” so much? Much of Trump’s base already thinks minorities enjoy special privileges. Going after black athletes simply stokes their anger and resentment, while masking Trump’s myriad failures and betrayals.

Kaepernick took his knee to protest the criminal police killing of African Americans. This year to date, the Washington Post reports that 10 unarmed African Americans, and 32 unarmed people in total, have been fatally shot by the police in the United States. St. Louis has been shaken by days of protests after the acquittal of a police officer who shot an 24-year-old African-

40  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

↑New England Patriots in protest ←Miami Dolphins in protest ↓Pharrell Williams and Stevie Wonder support NFL players

dailymail.co.uk American after a car chase.

Trump has fueled this conflagration. Police chiefs rebuked him when he urged police to feel free to rough up suspects. His Department of Justice has told prosecutors to seek maximum sentences, adding to mass incarceration that shames this nation. His DOJ has also scorned the consent agreements that Obama’s Justice Department forged to reform racially biased police departments. Kaepernick and the players taking a knee have ever more reasons to do so.

The stern visage of Dr. Martin Luther King now graces the national mall. America has come a long way since he left us. We are a more diverse nation.

Segregation is no more. We still need leaders and citizens who will work to bring us together, to reform biased institutional practices, to rededicate ourselves to fulfilling Dr. King’s dream. Sadly, in the White House, this president has chosen, purposefully and with malice, to drive us apart to serve his own political ends. The protests of the NFL players this weekend show that we are a better nation than that.  www.rainbowpush.org

41  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Noam Galai/Getty

Editorial

Black Athletes and Social/Political Protest

By Miranda Before Colin Kaepernick, another professional athlete made headlines by protesting the national anthem 20 years ago.

M

ahmoud AbdulRauf (born Chris Wayne Jackson on March 9, 1969) is a former American professional basketball player.

His nine-year NBA career, spent with the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Grizzlies, was marked by an appearance in the Slam Dunk Contest as well as by one of the most accurate

free-throw shooting records ever.

Considered one of the greatest free-throw shooters in the history of the game, Abdul-Rauf missed the all time free-throw shooting NBA season record by only a single miss in the 1995–96 season. He sparked controversy for refusing to stand for the national anthem, and calling the flag of the United States a symbol of oppression.

Abdul-Rauf is perhaps best known for the controversy created when during the 1995-96 season, he refused to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” before games, stating that the flag was a symbol of oppression and that the

United States had a long history of tyranny. He said that standing to the national anthem would, therefore, conflict with his Islamic beliefs. On March 12, 1996, the NBA suspended Abdul-Rauf for his refusal to stand, costing Abdul-Rauf $31,707 per missed game. Two days later, he worked out a compromise with the league, whereby he would stand during the playing of the national anthem but could close his eyes and look downward. He usually silently recited Islamic prayer during this time for those who are suffering from all works of life and ethnic backgrounds.

His playing time dropped. He lost his starting spot. After his contract expired in 1998, Abdul-Rauf couldn’t get so much as a tryout with any NBA team. He was just 29 years old.

“It’s a process of just trying to weed you out. This is what I feel is going to happen to [Kaepernick],” Abdul-Rauf said. “They begin to try

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 42  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

to put you in vulnerable positions.

They play with your minutes, trying to mess up your rhythm. Then they sit you more. Then what it looks like is, well, the guy just doesn’t have it anymore, so we trade him.”

“It’s kind of like a setup,” he said.

“You know, trying to set you up to fail and so when they get rid of you, they can blame it on that as opposed to, it was really because he took these positions. They don’t want these type of examples to spread, so they’ve got to make an

example of individuals like this.”

After the NBA shunned him, he played a season in Turkey, making about half of the $3.3 million he earned in the last year of his NBA contract. Abdul-Rauf caught on with the NBA’s Vancouver Grizzlies in 2000-2001, but played only 12 minutes per game. He never got another NBA opportunity, playing another six seasons in Russia, Italy, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Japan before retiring in 2011.

No Regrets Twenty years later, despite losing prime years of NBA stardom, enduring death threats and having his home burned to the ground, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf still does not stand for the national anthem.

The quicksilver guard who foreshadowed NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest is now living in Atlanta, taking care of his five teenage children along with his ex-wife, training NBA players, and giving occasional speeches

to groups in black or Muslim communities. At age 47, he has no regrets about choosing the difficult journey that Kaepernick is just starting.

“It’s priceless to know that I can go to sleep knowing that I stood to my principles,” Abdul-Rauf told The Undefeated. “Whether I go broke, whether they take my life, whatever it is, I stood on principles. To me, that is worth more than wealth and fame.”

Abdul-Rauf has never spoken to Kaepernick, and isn’t a football fan.

But he supports the quarterback’s protest and message “1,000 percent,” saying that it created a valuable debate.

“It’s good to continue to draw people’s attention to what’s going on whether you’re an athlete, a politician, or a garbage man. These discussions are necessary,” he said.

“Sometimes it takes people of that stature, athletes and entertainers, because the youth are drawn to them, [more than] teachers and professors, unfortunately.”

It all brings up strong memories of his own protest experience.

That includes death threats by mail and telephone, and the letters “KKK” being spray-painted on a sign near the construction of his new house, five miles outside his hometown of Gulfport, Mississippi.

His then-wife did not want to move into the 2,800-square-foot residence, and in 2001, while it was vacant and for sale, it was destroyed by fire.

“I want to live and die with a free conscience and a free soul when it’s all said and done. That’s the journey I’m on,” Abdul-Rauf said.

“I had to make that decision for myself and I found that after I did that, it took off a huge weight. Do you get ridiculed? Do you hear the nonsense? Do people try to assassinate your character? Yes, but when it’s all said and done, you’re like, man, I feel good because I know that I’m standing on something that I believe in.”

In the 1990s, few athletes took stands on social issues, which made Abdul-Rauf an outlier. Today, Kaepernick’s protest is the latest move – and one of the boldest – in a resurgence of athlete activism.

“It is beautiful to see,” Abdul-Rauf said of the growing movement, “and it’s going to be hard to stop.”  http://pragmaticobotsunite.com/ friday-open-thread-black-athletes-andsocialpolitical-protest-2/

43  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Editorial

‘Proud to Take a Knee’: NBA Legend Bill Russell Kneels Wearing the Medal of Freedom

By Mark Judge

B

oston Celtics legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell posted a picture on Twitter of himself kneeling while wearing his Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The tweet, posted Monday afternoon, shows Russell throwing his support behind professional athletes that chose to take a knee before the playing of the National Anthem in response to President Donald Trump criticizing players who did not stand for the song.

The picture's caption reads: "Proud to take a knee, and to stand tall against social injustice," and includes the hashtags #takeaknee, #medaloffreedom, #NFL, #BillRussell, and #MSNBC. In the post, Russell is wearing the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award presented in the United States. Russell received the award in 2011.

At the time he said, “To be a true influence of positive change in the world often means that you have

to stand up against injustice and fight through adversity," adding, "I am honored to be recognized alongside some of the great cultural icons of our time who have used their platforms to fight for civil rights and social justice, regardless of the risk, including my good friend Muhammad Ali to whom the award

is dedicated. Our work has just begun.”

As a former player with the Celtics, Russell, now 83, was an 11–time World Champion and five–time NBA MVP.  www.mrctv.org/blog/proud-takeknee-nba-legend-bill-russellkneels-wearing-medal-freedom

44  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

‘Proud to Take a Knee’

© benjamingregory.com

From: NAACP

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ne of the most troubling prospects for 2017 is the nomination of Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions for Attorney General.

Senator Sessions stands against everything that you and I fight for: He's spoken out against the Voting Rights Act, and has described the work that the NAACP and ACLU do to protect civil rights as "un-American."

We must do all we can to prevent him from rolling back the rights and protections our parents and grandparents worked so hard to gain, and we've worked so hard to preserve. Please make a donation today — even $4 can make a real difference — to help us fight back in 2017.

The Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States. And our president-elect has appointed Jeff Sessions, a man who's actively threatened to strip us of our rights throughout his career.

Can we trust someone with our rights — and our lives — with a track record like this?

• Sessions was denied appointment as a federal judge because of racist comments he made to a colleague.

• He opposed and criticized the removal of the Confederate flag from public spaces.

• He once joked that he approved of the Ku Klux Klan until he learned its members smoked marijuana.

Too many of our brothers and sisters have sacrificed for the rights we have today. We're ready to battle for our rights in 2017 — and we need your support.

Please contribute what you can right now and help us resist: http:// action.naacp.org/StopSessions

46  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Dear Friends, It is my honor to write to you as your newly elected President and CEO. In the face of a brutal and near-daily national assault on civil rights and progressive issues, the NAACP has recognized the immediate need for a leader to guide the organization during its strategic re-envisioning process.

The NAACP has a long legacy of activism and civil rights leadership, but I am committed to retooling and refreshing the Association to best confront 21-century challenges. As president, I seek to shepherd the Association into a period of growth and strength: building our field, our funds, and our force as a champion of civic engagement. I will use every tactic in our playbook to ensure that African Americans can achieve equality in the United States.

Will you join me (www.naacp.org)?

Looking forward,

Derrick Johnson NAACP President and CEO © 2017 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

47  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

A

re you a Small Business interested in selling your product or services to Metro or to Prime Contractors that do business with Metro? Would you like to learn how to win contracts as a Prime Contractor through SB Prime, Metro's exciting set-aside initiative? If so, we invite you to come grow with us and learn about Metro Connect.

Start now and register for a How to Do Business with Metro Workshop. Metro staff will show you how to take advantage of the vast array of products, services and transportation related opportunities projected over the coming weeks, months and year. As an added bonus, Metro's procurement staff will host informal interviews with firms before the workshop, starting at 9:00 a.m.

Tuesday, November 10, 2017 8:30 a.m.: Registration 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: One-on-One with Contract Administrators and Continental Breakfast 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Program

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

Topics: Highway Project Update, Procurement Update, Certification Update, Small Business Prime Update, LA SAFE/511 Next Generation Update To learn more about how Metro Connect's Small and Disadvantaged Business Certifications can help open the door to contracting opportunities with Metro visit Metro Vendor Portal.

For further questions, please contact Marisela Villar at VillarM@metro.net or via phone at 213.922.2235.

48  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Marketing

A 12-Step Checklist to Optimize Your Content for a Google Search

By Samantha Wood

2. Use keywords that are similar to the most popular keywords in your industry.

3. Supply the transition from the first part of the article to the second part of the article with a catchy phrase.

“Look here for more lucrative news about Brand B!” 4. Italicize or bold the most important content.

5. Augment your stories with photos.

6. Rely on bullets to make reading easier.

I

f you want to optimize a web page to be front and center on a Google search, there’s so much more to it than just using a couple of keywords in the title.

While a title or headline that effectively showcases your message is important, that's just the literal tip of the SEO iceberg. From the time of day your page is posted, to making sure you always follow the 3/100 rule, there are plenty of other tactics for optimizing a page to make it dance with Google's algorithm.

In the PR News Guidebook: Google for Communicators (www.prnewsonline.com/products/ google-for-communicators-guidebook), Dr. Olesya Venger, a journalism professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, emphasizes some under-the-radar tactics, such as using italics and bullet points, the importance of including visual elements like photos and treating the title and subtitle of a piece as your best friends.

Excerpted below are Venger’s 12 essential steps to follow for optimizing your website or blog posts: 1. Follow the 3/100 rule. Make sure that everything you write contains at least three keywords associated with your product per 100 words of text.

7. Make sure that your content is posted at noon, and take note of what time zone your audience resides in.

8. Avoid generalizations when describing your product or service.

9. Follow the 300 rule when writing posts for your blog or placing content on your site. If the article contains 600 words, split it in half, so that its second part is hidden and its first part serves as a stimulus to open the second part of the article.

10. Use tags and categories to sort your content on the site in a logical and easy-to-find and understandable manner.

11. Create titles and subtitles to make sure that search engines (or online crawlers) will find your content easier.

12. Provide a short (up to 50 words) description of your product. Write a byline for your article and/or an abstract.  www.prnewsonline.com/a-12-step-checklist-tooptimize-your-content-for-a-google-search/

49  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Marketing clearly haven't built up a significant flow of online traffic (or else you wouldn't be reading this), you can learn quite a bit from the small number of visitors you have. Assuming you're using Google Analytics, check out the Audience feature. Use this to learn broad-but-useful information about your visitors including breakdowns of their ages, genders and interests.

• Check out the competition. The free way to do this is to search for your most relevant keywords on Google, then click the top organic search results.

How does the content on each landing page add to the website's value? How is it useful, relevant or entertaining for visitors? You can also use online tools such as SpyFu and Ahrefs to gain vital insights on competitors' content schemes, but using these tools often costs money. It's money well spent, if you can afford it.

• Understand your audience's needs.

What, exactly, is your audience searching for? If you own a shoe store, it's not enough to say your audience is searching for shoes. Rather, why does your audience need shoes? Are people looking for shoes that are good for marathons, or shoes that are good for businesscasual office wear? Do your customers want to know when it's time to replace their shoes? Do they want shoes made in America? Do they want sandals made locally?

• What does your business offer? It's a simple question, and one you must answer with complete honesty in order to fully connect with your audience.

4 Ways to Boost Traffic to a Small Website

By Phil Frost

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stablishing an online presence doesn't happen overnight. The smaller your business, the steeper the challenge might seem. Small businesses with bare-bones websites aren't as easy to find in search engines. Few people, if any, check these websites on a regular basis. They don't attract much organic traffic. It takes time, effort and patience to build and develop your website to the point it ascends in the rankings.

It also takes strategy. You must strengthen your content, be active on social media and improve your link profile. None of these should be done on the fly crafting an optimization plan makes everything easier.

You can also turn to Pay-Per-Click advertising to drive traffic to your website while working to optimize it.

Read on for four important ways to boost traffic on a very small website.

Strengthening Content Quality content is the foundation of your website. If you can't offer something that visitors want or need, then you can't expect to establish a flow of persistent organic traffic. This is common sense.

That said, your online offerings aren't limited to the goods and services offered by your business. A properly optimized website also offers helpful guides, insightful blog posts, engaging videos, informative graphics and more. That's why having high-end content is so vital - it gives people a reason to come back.

So, how should you go about strengthening your

content? Start by following these steps: • Study the demographics of visitors. You can't make content that's targeted for an audience until you know who is visiting your website. Although you

Once you've taken these preliminary steps, it's time to get to work. Start by listing all of your content ideas, and add to this list whenever possible. Next, set the pace for creating new content by making an editorial

calendar. Don't be too ambitious - start out slow with manageable deadlines. Releasing new content at a consistent pace is more important than ratcheting volume.

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When writing, always aim for at least 800 words.

Don't try to stuff your content with keywords; stick with natural, well-written posts and articles. If possible, pay for professional, high-quality images. Add pictures, graphics and videos to your content whenever possible.

Focus on writing insightful, remarkable content that will leave a lasting impression.

Social Media Marketing Social media is important for small businesses. There is no better way to connect online with consumers in your area. A stronger social media presence will bolster your website traffic and your link profile, both of which will ultimately improve your website's SEO and conversions.

Here's how you can start building your social media presence: • Start off slow. Don't try to be active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and all the other social media platforms. Instead, focus on just one platform. For most small businesses, Facebook is the logical choice for its audience and versatility.

However, businesses that sell highly photogenic products might try Instagram or Pinterest.

• Develop your voice. Your goal is to establish your website (and, by extension, your business) as an authority in your field. This is why creating highquality content is so vital. Only share informative, engaging content. Share stories that will connect with customers. Most importantly, be useful, educational or entertaining. All of these things will make your voice credible.

• Boost your Facebook posts. Yes, this costs money. But this is a great way to put your most compelling posts in front of people who aren't yet aware of you. Eventually you can work on other social media platforms, but for now, stick with one platform to maximize your results.

Build Your Link Profile Inbound links will likely always have value in SEO. The more quality websites link to your business, the more Google will evaluate your business as deserving a higher page rank.

There's no shortcut to building a quality link profile.

In the olden days of SEO, marketers would spam their links in forums and article comment sections, but nowadays Google views such spamming as low-quality linking and punishes offenders accordingly. The key to improving your link profile is by connecting with other reputable websites that are relevant to your business.

Here are a few tips: • Get listed on Angie's List, Yelp and other business directory website.

• Write guest posts and articles for journalistic and trade publications, requesting a link with your byline.

• Connect with influencers and bloggers via social media.

Link building is a slow and steady process. You'll make progress here simply by improving your approaches to content generation and social media marketing.

Pay for Clicks Even a top spot in Google's organic search rankings isn't as powerful as it used to be. That's because Google shows paid search results, knowledge graphs, locator maps, business listings, AMP carousels and more above those coveted organic listings. There's even less top-tier real estate on smaller smartphone screens.

If you can afford it, then launching a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaign is a great way to bring instant visibility to your website. Advertise on either Google AdWords or Facebook Ads and you'll get as many visitors as you can pay for.

That said, PPC advertising is a great way to waste money if you're not careful. Here are some tips for firsttime PPC advertisers: • Start with a very focused keyword list.

• Don't use broad-match keywords.

• Include a "call to action" in each of your ads.

• Each ad should go to the most appropriate page within your site.

• Use negative keywords to filter out visitors who probably won't convert.

There's so much more to pay-per-click advertising, but the above tips will get things moving in the right direction

Conclusion Watching your website climb in the search rankings is a thrilling experience. If you execute a strategy like we've reviewed above - leveraging the power of strong content, social media marketing and quality link building - then you can make it happen, even if you're starting out with a bare-bones site. Don't bite off more than you can chew, and don't act without first getting to know your audience. Do these things, and even your small business website can score big SEO victories.  www.targetmarketingmag.com/post/4-ways-boosttraffic-small-website

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Business - Marketing

Winning the Holiday "Paid" Search Race

By Jeff Dahlby

F

or most brands planning their holiday paid search campaigns, the first thing that comes to mind is Google.

And for good reason. More than 80% of the world’s searches happen on Google, according to NetMarketShare. Between Gmail, Google Maps, Google Apps for Business and more, the search giant is indispensable for many, so it’s critical to be there with your search dollars. However, Google’s not the only game in town. Companies that rely solely on Google AdWords this holiday season are going to fall behind their increasingly savvy competition. Here are some ways to optimize your paid search spend, and places to look outside the (giftwrapped) box this holiday season.

Google? Great. But Make Use of Other Search Engines, Too Bing is the world’s secondlargest search engine with nearly 7% of the market share, and Yahoo commands nearly 5% of the global search market. Bing and Yahoo can be good search engines to reach an older audience more likely to use a legacy or pre-installed search engine. Ask, AOL and Excite each garner a tiny percentage of searches, but if your audience gravitates toward those search engines, you should be there, too.

Because there is less competition on these non-Google search engines, advertisers get more bang for their buck with cheaper cost-perclick rates and better positioning.

Go Local (Search) When You Go Global If you have global reach, Google may not be the only answer. China has the world’s second-largest

economy and is a newly open country. To reach consumers in mainland China, pass on Google and instead turn to its native search engine, Baidu. Whether you stick with Google or venture onto native platforms like Baidu, it’s critical to hire local marketers to ensure your message comes across as you intend it. Don’t commit embarrassing international marketing fails due to cultural misunderstanding — think Mercedes-Benz marketing in China as Bensi, which translates to “rush to die.”

Make Your Google Spend Count Google’s latest paid search update — expanded text ads — offers some new features you should take advantage of. You can use two headlines instead of one, and they can be slightly longer — 30 characters each instead of 25.

They’ve also combined the two description lines into one and made it slightly longer — 80 characters instead of two lines of 35 characters each. Your text ads are now also automatically mobile-optimized.

Speaking of Google’s Automatic Optimization, Don’t Overlook Mobile Elsewhere No matter what search engine you market on, brands must optimize mobile purchasing on your websites.

Thanks to Amazon’s one-click ordering, the mobile-purchasing era is here. Make it easy and seamless for consumers to purchase on their devices from your website. Don’t make people pinch in and squint to shop, because they won’t. Instead they’ll go to your competition’s mobile optimized website.

Create Seasonal Keyword Lists — Early

H o l i d a y s e a s o n paid search planning should start months ahead of Black Friday, with a foundation of keyword lists that include highly segmented search terms. Map out user journeys that result in highly granular search terms. Then keep your promise by returning search results that precisely match the terms people are searching for.

Someone searching for “waterproof earbuds” shouldn’t land on a page with “noise-canceling, onear headphones.” And while you shouldn’t be afraid to A/B test different ads during the holiday season, you should get your ads approved weeks before your campaign starts.

Work Hard on Your Landing Page Content The holiday season is the perfect time to build urgency into your website content. Provide discounts for a limited number of products each day and show a countdown of the remaining quantity. Use social proof techniques to show how everyone uses your product, and how shoppers can, as well.

With a willingness to embrace these paid search techniques, brands can succeed this holiday season in garnering record-setting sales.  www.targetmarketingmag.com/article/ winning-holiday-paid-search-race/#n e=4a21b9167bf658408191e7c49140 a9aautm_source=today-%40-targetmarketingutm_medium=newsletterutm_ campaign=2017-10-04&utm_content=wi nning+the+holiday+paid+search+race-7

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Business - Finance

The Memo: Five Rules for Your Economic Liberation www.amazon.com/Memo-Five-Rules-EconomicLiberation/dp/1523084561

T

rue power in this world comes from economic independence, but too many people have too much month left at the end of their money. John Hope Bryant, founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, illuminates the path toward liberation that is hiding in plain sight. His message is simple: the supermajority of people who live in poverty, whom Bryant calls the invisible class, as

well as millions in the struggling middle class, haven't gotten “the memo”—until now.

Building on his personal experience of rising up from economically disadvantaged circumstances and his work with Operation HOPE, Bryant teaches readers five rules that lay the foundation for achieving financial freedom. He emphasizes the inseparable connection between “inner capital” (mindset, relationships, knowledge, and spirit) and “outer capital” (financial wealth and property). “If you have inner capital,” Bryant writes, “you can never be truly poor. If you lack inner capital, all the money in the world cannot set you free.”

Bryant gives readers tools for empowerment by covering everything from achieving basic

Publisher's Message

www.facebook.com/ johnhopebryantlive/

German soccer team Hertha BSC. The story is profiled in a series of articles and illustrations on pages 40 to 45.

from page 28

Donald Trump criticizing players who did not stand for the song. The protest started in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick gained nationwide attention when he began protesting what he viewed as the oppression of people of color in the United States by not standing while the United States national anthem was being played before the start of games. His actions prompted a wide variety of responses mostly focused on a national scale but

financial literacy to investing in positive relationships and approaching wealth with a completely new attitude. He makes this bold and controversial claim: “Once you have satisfied your basic sustenance needs—food, water, health, and a roof over your head— poverty has more to do with your head than your wallet.”

Bryant wants to restore readers' “silver rights,” giving them the ability to succeed and prosper no matter what very real roadblocks society puts in their way. We have more power than we realize, if only we can recognize and claim it. “We are our first capital,” Bryant writes.

“We are the CEOs of our own lives.” 

Colin Kaepernick on an international scale as well, examples of sports players, teams, and leagues taking part in Kaepernick's movement include additional athletes in the NFL, other American sports leagues, and

Even though the turmoil in our country and others seems almost overwhelming at times, there’s opportunity behind every door or turmoil if we’re willing to think outside of the box and create opportunities for ourselves and others. Remember, as African Americans, no one truly cares about us, more than we do. So let’s take care of ourselves and each other.

The ”Struggle Continues”. 

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www.bbala.org

Business - Finance

Equifax Data Breach: 3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Thieves

By Mark Brunelli, Senior Writer, Carbonite

M

illions of U.S. citizens are scrambling to protect themselves from identity theft in the wake of the massive data breach scandal at credit reporting agency Equifax Inc. In what's being called one of the biggest data breaches in history, Equifax disclosed that malicious hackers broke through its network security and gained access to private personal and financial information on an estimated 143 million U.S. citizens. That’s about 44% of the U.S. population.

The stolen data includes social security, credit card and driver's license numbers as well as names, birth dates and home addresses.

It's all information cybercriminals need to take your identity and open fraudulent accounts and lines of credit, or steal your tax refund and social security checks.

There are, however, some simple steps you can take to significantly reduce the chances that you'll become a victim of identity theft.

Here are a few:

1. Freeze your credit reports One way to protect your identity until more information about the data breach is known is to freeze your credit reports. Credit card firms, mortgage companies and other businesses need to access your credit before they can approve a new line of credit. By placing a temporary freeze on the report, you'll prevent cybercriminals from

3. Sign up for identity theft protection Another way to protect yourself is to sign up for identity theft protection. Companies that offer identity theft protection typically monitor your credit and notify you of any suspicious activities.

Equifax is currently offering free identity theft protection. But if you are (understandably) looking for

opening fraudulent accounts in your name.

The cost to freeze your credit is between $5 and $10 for each credit bureau. You can begin the process by visiting the websites of Experian (www.experian.com/freeze/center. html), TransUnion (www.transunion. com/credit-freeze/place-credit-freeze) and EquiFax (www.freeze.equifax. com/Freeze/jsp/SFF_PersonalIDInfo. jsp).

2. Remain vigilant Another way to protect your identity is to closely monitor your financial accounts—credit cards, banking, utilities, etc.—for any signs of fraudulent activity, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC www.idtheftcenter. org), a non-profit organization established by the financial industry to raise awareness and support victims of identity theft.

The ITRC adds that consumers should be on the lookout for new notifications about the Equifax data breach. But it's also important to watch out for email phishing scams designed to exploit the data breach and get victims to click on a malicious link in an email, open a dangerous attachment or share personal information.

If you believe your driver’s license has been compromised, contact the department of motor vehicles in your state to notify them that your information may have been exposed.

another company to monitor your identity, here are a few choices: LifeLock: One of the most wellknown identity theft protection agencies, thanks to an aggressive advertising campaign, LifeLock offers data breach notifications as well as credit, checking and savings account activity alerts.

IdentityGuard: IdentityGuard offers social security monitoring, identity theft victim assistance, ID verification alerts and much more.

The more expensive plans also offer credit reporting and public record monitoring in addition to other services.

PrivacyGuard: PrivacyGuard provides access to all three of your credit reports and daily credit monitoring among other services.  www.carbonite.com/en/cloud-backup/ business/resources/carbonite-blog/ equifax-data-breach-3-ways-toprotect-yourself-from-identity-thieve s/?c3ch=Responsys&c3nid=Respo nsys&utm_source=carbonite&utm_ medium=owned-email&utm_ campaign=10079&utm_ content=3657&launch_ date=100917&c3placement=3657

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Business - Marketing

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Business - Profile

Forbes Called This Startup Queen 'The Next Steve Jobs'

By Brittney Oliver

T

he Greater Washington, D.C. region has sprouted a bustling community of startups that have helped make our nation’s capital become “home of the ed-tech revolution.” Within this emerging center of successful ed-tech startups is The Wealth Factory Inc. (www.getwealthylife. com) founded by Angel Rich, a woman who Forbes has slated to be the next Steve Jobs. Angel’s company designs financial literacy and workforce development education technology games, with her app Credit Stacker receiving 200,000 downloads within just two weeks of its launch. Supported by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 28 cities, the National Baptist Convention, the HBCU network and other government agencies, The Wealth Factory’s mission is to reduce global poverty and create generational wealth through their games.

The D.C. native always had an entrepreneurial spirit and started reading business books at the age of 10. She started The Wealth Factory while she was a senior at Hampton University after winning the Goldman Sachs Stock Portfolio Challenge case competition. “Our team won with the algorithm I developed, that resulted in a net portfolio gain of 2% when the market tanked in 2008. I then

asked myself, ‘how would anyone figure this out?’ It occurred to me that there needed to be some type of way where people can live out their financial life without the risk of losing their money,” she shared.

After she graduated, The Wealth Factory became Angel’s side hustle as she juggled her post-graduate job as a Global Market Research Analyst at Prudential and her budding business. Although her work at Prudential received many accolades, like being featured in Obama’s Veterans Initiative Research Study where her results were announced in the State of the Union, she continued to plan and prepare for her exit out of Corporate America. A mission trip to Salawa, Kenya inspired her to finally take the leap and give The Wealth Factory company 100-percent of her time.

“While on the trip I met a little boy whose only piece of clothing was a t-shirt from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton Business School, while he was drinking from a dirty stream. The experience rocked me; I realized no matter how smart he became, he’d never really have the opportunity to attend that school,” she explained. “No one's financial future should be limited just because of where they are born.”

To help urban communities gain financial literacy skills, Angel chose gaming as the best technique to

help advance those skills to create generational wealth through her apps like Credit Stacker. Although Angel’s company and app have received several accolades including Best financial literacy product in the country - Office of Michelle Obama, The White House; Best Learning Game in the country by the Department of Education; Ninth-best ed-tech company of 2015, by the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools, she still experiences the struggles of being a black woman founder of a startup and all that comes with it. “A Black female founder—has enough hardships of its own, from being overlooked, underrepresented, and underestimated. Raising capital, in general, is quite challenging; as an African American woman, it’s magnified,” she shared.

Black women founders are receiving less than 1% of VC funding, according to Fast Company and yet Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, but it’s one of the many challenges Angel faces while growing The Wealth Factory. Nicknamed the “queen bootstrapper”, Angel is turning the lack of funding around by being savvy and resourceful with running her company. “These challenges have enabled me to build a lean company on limited resources; which makes us more sustainable for the future, and

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Angel Rich, gigionthat.com

a great investment. We work harder and smarter,” Angel stated.

However, she’s hopeful that the industry will start to open their eyes to all the #BlackGirlMagic that is happening around them. Some of the Black women she admires who are on the rise and making headway in the startup space include: Jessica Matthews (Unchartered Play), Dawn Dickson (Vending Solutions), Stephanie Lampkin (Blendoor), Maude Okrah (Bonnti), Erin Horne McKinney (KissIntel) and Esosa Ighodaro (CoSign).

While the media attention on Black

women founders increases and helps peak the interest of venture capitalists (VCs), one thing Angel believes more VCs should develop when looking for their next investment is taking the opportunity to get to know founders on a personal level. “It would also be great if VCs could be more like Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz.

When he finds entrepreneurs that he is strongly considering or simply wants to help— he befriends them and invites them to places they wouldn’t normally have access to. He literally brings people to a lake and teaches them how to fish— even if he never actually hands them a fish. That in itself is priceless. If more VCs would adopt that mentality, the entire world would change,” Angel said.

Angel is not only creating greater equal access to financial literacy for the Black community with her games, but she has also used her company to hire Black women

and use her growing notoriety to create community and industry programs for Black women in the tech industry. The Wealth Factory is full of Black Girl Magic. Her c-suite and managing staff include several HBCU graduates and other Black women who help grow the company. “It's amazing being able to be surrounded by such talented and intelligent women, who frankly just get the job done. We are lean, clean, and efficient - that's how I like to operate,” she proudly states.

Outside of the office, Angel is very active in her industry and has helped start meetups and communities like ‘Chocolate Innovators’, which aims to help Black entrepreneurs climb the startup pipeline; EdTech DC, which is the largest education meetup in DC; and Black Female Founders (#BFF), which works with Black women entrepreneurs and offers support and upliftment while starting a company.

Rich's busy schedule starts at 8 a.m. and sometimes ends at 2 a.m., but her passion for creating access and helping people gain financial knowledge to build generational wealth makes it all worth it. Since starting her entrepreneurial journey in 2009, Angel’s learned many valuable life lessons that have helped her raise funds, launch Credit Stacker and grow her company. “It is a lot of work, and I've learned over time just how resilient I can really be. I’ve also learned how important humility is; how to be vulnerable with those you can rely on; how to be aggressive when necessary; and most importantly, how to just ‘shut up and listen.’"

Angel Rich is one of the many Black women whose grind is helping to make headway for other startups founded by Black women and for that, we salute her.  www.essence.com/lifestyle/ money-career/forbes-startup-blackwoman-next-steve-jobs-angel-rich

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Tribute

Hugh Hefner's Surprising Civil Rights Legacy

By Keli Goff

Herbie Hancock with Hugh Hefner

T

he death of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is sure to draw strong reactions. Hefner’s most vocal critics have included high profile feminists who despised how his Playboy empire, celebrated women as sex objects.

But Hugh Hefner also played a far less known but still integral role in the quest for equality, using Playboy as a powerful weapon in our nation’s culture wars.

At a time when debate rages regarding the role celebrities— particularly white ones—should play in bridging our nation’s racial divide, Hefner’s surprising civil rights legacy looms large.

Hefner opened his far-reaching media platform to black activists and entertainers long before other mainstream outlets did. He also opened his wallet to fund civil rights

causes.

Comedian Dick Gregory revealed in an interview that Hefner provided $25,000 towards a reward which Gregory later credited with helping break one of the civil rights movement’s most notorious cases, involving the murder of three young civil rights workers in Meridian, Mississippi.

Hefner was also an avid supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King, and would go on to serve as a significant funder of the Rainbow PUSH coalition helmed by King acolyte, Jesse Jackson, Jr. (Hefner donated to a number of progressive and legal causes throughout his life, including funding America’s very first rape kit through his foundation.)

Hefner’s representation of black Americans in popular culture was just as significant, if not more, so

than his philanthropic contributions.

Though many may hear the name Playboy and think of centerfolds, (or let’s be honest, breasts), those of us who are writers, particularly writers of color, think of names like Alex Haley. Long before Roots made Haley a literary superstar, he conducted the very first interview for Playboy magazine with musician Miles Davis.

In the interview, Davis discussed his thoughts on inequality, setting the tone for what would become a staple of the magazine: Serious people giving serious interviews, on serious subjects, including many prominent people of color. Those people included everyone from athlete and activist Muhammad Ali, to Sammy Davis, Jr., to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who granted the longest print interview of his career to Haley for Playboy. (The final piece published by King before his death also appeared in the publication.)

Haley also interviewed Malcolm X for Playboy in 1963, a precursor to ultimately ghostwriting the groundbreaking, bestselling, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The platform Hefner provided black writers, leaders and entertainers in print was indicative of his understanding that you can reach more people, and transform more minds through culture than just about any other vehicle. There were plenty of white American males in the 1960’s who might not pick up The Autobiography of Malcolm X, but who would pick up an issue of Playboy and open it, because they wanted to see what Miss January was (or rather was not), wearing.

Hefner capitalized on this idea as his empire expanded. He put black artists front and center on his television programs, first Playboy’s Penthouse in 1959 which would feature the likes of Ella Fitzgerald

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as well as black male entertainers like Nat King Cole, in a party setting with Hefner and his white, often female friends. This fact would scandalize the program and its host in the eyes of certain white viewers and the show was short-lived.

By 1969 the kids of some of those parents who may have been scandalized at the sight of Nat King Cole serenading a room full of white women, had grown up.

Emboldened by the free love message of the era, which was embodied by Playboy, they could now watch Sammy Davis, Jr. serenade a room filled with white women on Hefner’s next show Playboy After Dark, and not see it as threatening or scandalous.

After all, Sammy Davis, Jr., Tina Turner and other Playboy After Dark guests, were simply cool and in the world of Playboy cool had no color. (Keep in mind Hefner was featuring black guests in the sixties, while MTV had to be pressured to air videos featuring black artists in the 1980’s.)

Hefner strived to keep his real life clubs as diverse as the parties on his show. He bought back some of his Playboy Clubs upon discovering they were attempting to discriminate against black Americans.

Many feminists fundamentally take issue with the fact that Hefner created an empire predicated on the idea that women should embody some feminine ideal defined by men. There is no disputing that this is the essence of Playboy. But there is also no disputing the fact that protecting a very narrow definition of American womanhood has been at the root of some of America’s most barbaric racism.

To be more specific, plenty of black men have been victimized throughout history because of a fear that they pose a threat to the girl next door. Specifically, the white girl next door. But plenty of

black women have been victimized throughout h i s t o r y because we weren’t seen as worth protecting.

After all, we were never seen as the girl next door (when we were seen at all.)

H e f n e r upended this cultural motif altogether.

He showed that a white woman could be the girl next door, and could still enjoy sex, and that who she enjoyed that sex with was really no one’s business. But he also showed that the girl next door could be black and beautiful. Jennifer Jackson became the first black Playmate of the Month in 1965 and in what has since become an iconic image, in 1971, Darine Stern became the first black woman to appear on the cover of Playboy solo, sporting an afro and little else.

I’m certainly not saying that taking your clothes off makes you a feminist (regardless of what any Kardashian might say), or that taking naked photos of someone else makes you an activist. I am saying that Hefner deftly used culture and his pocketbook to help transform the way underrepresented groups are viewed and as we are seeing right now culture is often the battlefield on which America’s ideological wars are fought. Hugh Hefner deserves credit for fighting the good fight, long before it was popular to do so. 

Ella Fitzgerald

Darine Stern

www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hughhefners-surprising-civil-rights-legacy/ar-AA syVZQ?li=AA4ZnC&ocid=spartandhp

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Business - Technology

Top 10 Personal Technologies to Support Digital Business

By Kasey Panetta

W

ith all the personal technology currently available, it can be difficult for businesses to decipher which represent an opportunity for end customers and which are too immature to warrant any attention. But when used correctly, these technologies can have big business impact. For example, Mastercard recently revealed card with fingerprint authentication embedded in an actual card, eliminating the need for a separate fingerprint scanner.

Other banks are looking to use finger vein technologies for large transactions.

“There is a lot of innovation happening in the personal technology space, and many companies have a variety of digital initiatives linked with personal performance and behavior. This will enable personal technologies to play an immense role in driving and supporting digital business,” says Annette Jump, research director.

“These personal technologies should be used to support the end customer’s digital-businessoutcome-driven use cases.”

Gartner (www.gartner.com) selected 10 technologies that technology leaders should begin to incorporate into their roadmaps and strategies.

Machine Learning/ Arti cial Intelligence Machine learning (ML) — a subset of artificial intelligence — extracts knowledge and patterns

from a series of observations.

This technology is also utilized in industrial and commercial industries to automate processes and identify patterns. It’s a rapidly evolving technology with digital business opportunities ranging from digitization — improving efficiency by automating tasks — and business function optimization, including fraud detection and spotting customer behavior patterns. However, success or

failure is tied to the quality of the data and continuous maintenance of the system.

Virtual Personal Assistant (VPA) Awareness of VPAs, such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon Alexa, Microsoft Cortana, and others continues to grow, with 35% of respondents to the Gartner 2016 Mobile Apps survey reporting using one on smartphones in the past three months. Some VPAs, such as Microsoft Cortana, are expanding into the business world, and other companies are creating enterprise-specific VPAs. For

businesses, opportunities include instant responses and access to information that will increase productivity and improve client interactions. However, very real technical and security concerns surround VPAs, so companies should tread cautiously.

Immersive Technology (AR/VR) Immersive technology has the potential to change how users and employees interact with physical

and digital environments and their devices. This technology mixes the real and digital worlds, but is very early in the development phase. Potential business uses include training for employees and maintenance and repair across a variety of industries, such as design and healthcare. However, businesses should ensure they aren’t swayed by the hype surrounding the technology, which is still new and emerging.

3D Printing 3D printing offers the ability to create a nearly infinite array of

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objects in a variety of materials.

The technology is mainstream and will continue rapid growth and evolution. It will enable organizations to reduce product cycle times and create one-off products, such as medical implants.

It will also offer unique opportunities in aerospace to create components that are more lightweight. Concerns exist about trade secrets and intellectual properties in this field, but new printers and materials are constantly emerging.

Location Sensing/Tracking (of Things and People) Location sensing/tracking technologies offer an ability to track the position of people or things creating business applications that link digital objects to the physical world. About 25 of these technologies exist currently, with varying degrees of accuracy and price point. Enterprises have a wide range of options to consider.

These technologies offer a variety of business opportunities ranging from location-aware car insurance to real-time usage and tracking for medical machinery in a hospital.

Customer consent and privacy are the main concerns and hold the potential for significant brand damage.

3D Cameras This technology enables depth in images, allowing businesses to measure objects and use 3D content for logistical planning and gesture and facial recognition.

The technology has a potential for streamlining business processes, but is also surrounded by hype.

Additionally, enterprisel e v e l solutions

can be prohibitively expensive.

Biometrics Authentication Biometrics authentication uses inherent biological features unique to each user and include technologies such as facial or iris recognition. Microsoft has Windows Hello, which requires a 3D camera and recognizes faces and fingerprints. They are more secure than passwords or PINs. Some biometrics technologies are still in the early adoption phase, but others, such as fingerprint and voice authentication, are quite mature. Biometrics technology could enable more streamlined mobile purchasing and better building security. Essentially, any application that could employ faster, easier authentication would benefit.

Wearables Wearables span a wide variety of technologies, from mature wristbands to first-generation VR headsets.

As a result, wearables offer potential business opportunities in many industries — from medical smart patches to mobile payments to industrial repairs.

Device selection is only one part of the wearables process, and businesses should consider how they fit into the digital business first.

Chatbots Chatbots are conversation interface and automation tools, available in a wide range of maturity.

Enterprises will have no difficulty finding a platform, but there is little standardization across products.

Chatbots can be used to replace

human service assistants in call centers and can be used internally for scheduling and simple tasks. The fragmented and immature market for chatbots mean businesses should view selection as a tactical decision that may change in the future.

Wireless Power Wireless power, which enables electronic devices to be charged without using connecting cables, is available two ways: Power harvesting, which gathers power from environmental sources such as light or heat, and wireless charging, which enables electronics users to avoid carrying chargers or remembering to charge their phones. Most consumer electronic devices don’t support wireless charging, and it is seldom

Flickr/glassguy12345 an essential part of a digital business offering. However, it can make processes more convenient and effective by increasing battery life and, in a few specialized verticals, such as electric car charging, change the industry.  www.gartner.com/ smarterwithgartner/top-10personal-technologies-to-supportdigital-business

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Business

www.ustda.gov

Business - Profile

William Burke, Ed.D. Makes History as SCAQMD Chairman

By Danny J. Bakewell, Jr., Executive Editor

F

or nearly a quarter of a century, William Burke has been at the helm of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Governing Board (SCAQMD), the local government agency responsible for monitoring and reporting air pollution levels as well as adopting and enforcing regulations to improve air quality for nearly 17 million residents in all of Orange County and the most populated portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Burke has been a leader in air quality and environmental justice, business, healthcare, politics, international affairs, and education in the Southland since the 1970s – He has recently been reappointed to an unprecedented eighth term on the SCAQMD Board.

Burke was re-appointed last week

by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. His new term begins on Jan. 15, 2018, and ends on Jan. 15, 2022. With his re-appointment to a new four-year term, Burke will be the longest tenured member and the longest-serving chairman of the SCAQMD Governing Board. He has served since he was first appointed to the post in September, 1993, by then-Speaker of the Assembly Willie L. Brown Jr. All of Burke’s appointments have been for four years, except his first term in which he filled an unexpired term. He is the longest

continuously serving appointee of former Speaker Brown and the only Brown appointee to any board still serving today. In addition to holding this prestigious honor, Burke has the distinction of serving longer than any other previous Assembly Speaker appointee to any board in the State of California, and is one of the longest serving commissioners in the nation.

“I am looking forward with great enthusiasm to serving another four years on the SCAQMD Board,” Burke said. “We have accomplished a great deal, but we also have an enormous challenge ahead of us if we are to succeed in cleaning up the Southland’s smog. I am honored and appreciate the confidence placed in me by Speaker Rendon and the many other Speakers of the Assembly who have appointed me.”

Burke noted that when he first began serving on the SCAQMD Board, “on many days you could not see the San Gabriel Mountains.

Today, we have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful landscape and [mountain] views that make Southern California so beautiful.”

He says that the SCAQMD has an ongoing battle to fight emissions, a task that he takes very seriously to improve the quality of life for all of California’s residence.

Communities of Color don’t always understand the importance of the work SCAQMD does in order to improve the quality of life

for this community. Dr. Burke, who has been a longtime advocate for improving the quality of life for those less fortunate and under served says that “communities of color are the most vulnerable,” stated Burke. “The very nature of the things SCAQMD advocates and supervises affects our community the most and I see it as my responsibility to insure that those less fortunate are provided the best resources to improve their overall quality of life.” Stated Chairman Burke.

During his tenure as SCAQMD’s chairman, Burke has made environmental justice a centerpiece. He has initiated numerous environmental justice programs and events to ensure that SCAQMD works toward solutions for underrepresented communities most impacted by air pollution.

And he has worked to empower residents of those communities to advise and assist SCAQMD in protecting and improving public health.

Through these efforts, he has exemplified that civil rights does not dead-end at environmental justice, but that it is a continuation of the same struggle.

Two of his signature programs are an annual environmental justice conference at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and the Environmental Justice Community Partnership, a

80  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Dr. William Burke (courtesy photo) grassroots group that meets regularly to advise SCAQMD staff on key issues affecting their communities.

This week, Burke kicked off SCAQMD’s conference titled, “Making Sense of Sensors”, to help ensure that organization has an enhanced air monitoring presence in impacted communities.

In June, Burke hosted a town hall meeting in Compton to announce the initiation of the SCAQMD’s Community Air Toxics Initiative, to address concerns raised by residents about hexavalent chromium emissions from metal processing facilities in Compton and nearby Paramount.

In April, he chaired two town hall meetings to hear concerns from residents about the PBF refinery in Torrance. Under previous ownership by ExxonMobil, the refinery was cited for numerous air

quality violations following a large explosion in 2015.

In January, Burke hosted a luncheon on Martin L. King Jr. Day, titled “Lifting as We Climb,” to honor Dr. King and also show the distinct intersection of civil rights with environmental justice.

Social worker and author Maryum “May May” Ali, the daughter of his late, close friend and boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, delivered the keynote address.

Drawing on the same theme, in March, Burke hosted The Cesar Chavez Day of Remembrance – An Inspirational Day on the Environment and Air Quality luncheon in conjunction with the California Latino Legislative Caucus and the Cesar Chavez Foundation.

In addition to his major contributions to environmental justice, Burke introduced and

SCAQMD carried out landmark programs for children and senior citizens, as well as research on the health effects of air pollution.

“During my upcoming four-year term, I want to continue to keep SCAQMD focused on environmental justice in all communities of color across the Southland,” Burke said. “We must continue the fight of reducing pollution from all sources until we no longer have disproportionately impacted communities and everyone can breathe healthful air. ” https://lasentinel.net/william-burkeed-d-makes-history-as-scaqmdchairman.html

81  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Marketing courses for kids on topics like cooking, building with LEGOs and drawing, knew that last-minute Christmas shoppers would be looking for gifts that could still be delivered on time. The company sent out an email focused solely on gift certificates available for online courses for kids, offering a printable certificate so that the gift-giver could have a physical item to present on Christmas.

If JAM had crowded the email with other promotions or information, the idea of a printable gift might have gotten lost; leading recipients to believe it was just another solicitation for an e-gift certificate.

10 Advanced Email Copywriting Tips for Your Next Campaign

By Lisa Furgison McEwen

W

riting a few sentences for an email campaign might not seem challenging, but there's an art to crafting effective copy.

When your email message is well written, it can draw up to 7.8 times more traffic to your website. That's nothing to scoff at, and yet, many marketers are in such a hurry to get emails out that they spend little time thinking about word choice, placement or their audience.

To help time-strapped marketers create emails that are effective, here are ten advanced email copywriting tips to follow: 1. Solve a problem People buy solutions, not products. No one wants a plunger—they want a way to fix their toilet when it gets stopped up. Write your copy to help the reader understand how your product or service will save them time or money, or generally make their life easier.

Solving a problem also requires your recipient to trust you, that is, believe that you’re an expert on the subject.

The Black Tux (https://theblacktux.com), an online suit rental company that partners with Nordstrom’s, does a great job of solving several problems in its e-newsletter, “Well Suited.” Using a mix of short, punchy copy, images and video, they provide expert tips on: • What to Wear When There’s No Dress Code • How to Talk to a Tailor • Why You Shouldn’t Wear a Matching Bright Tie and Vest When in doubt, talk about the benefits of your product or service, not the features. It’s great that your vacuum is bagless, but it’s better to point out that bagless vacuums don't lose suction.

2. Focus on one point Don’t try to cram your new product announcement, free shipping promotion, and upcoming webinar into one email. Choose a topic and stick to it. It's better to send multiple emails than to try to squeeze everything into one, which not only overwhelms subscribers but also dilutes your messaging.

JAM (https://jam.com), a business that offers online

3. Set a deadline Email copy should compel subscribers to act instantly. Once they've read your message, you need them to click and convert. To do that, give subscribers a deadline.

Every sale should have an end date and every coupon should have a quick expiration date. The idea is to get subscribers to act fast so they don't miss the deal. Mention the deadline in your subject line and again in the copy.

You could even send a second email as a "last chance" to take advantage of the sale or coupon.

Here's a great example from Bath and Body Works (www.bathandbodyworks.com). This is the second email

sent about this deal and the deadline is clear at the top of the email.

4. Talk to the reader Just as you don’t want to get stuck in the corner at the dinner party with the guy who only talks about himself, no one wants to read copy that’s full of “me,” “we” or “I.” Instead, use “you” to make the reader feel engaged in the copy. Think of it as a respectful conversation in which it’s your turn to talk about something that (hopefully) interests you both.

Using "you" in the copy also forces you to think about the customer as you write, which will make your messages stronger and more relevant.

5. Stop pushing your brand When Saturn (www.saturncorporation.org) first starting

82  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

selling cars, it touted “no-haggle” pricing. The novel approach was welcome to many because it removed the “hard sell” of the stereotypical used car salesman from the picture.

The same approach should be taken with your email copy. Skip the hard sell, create great copy and simply add your logo.

Shaving company Harry’s (www.harrys.com) successfully pulled off this approach in a St. Patrick’s Day email. The copy that accompanied the video only mentioned Harry’s by name once, and that was simply to say, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day from all of us at Harry’s.”

Don’t worry that subscribers might not know who or what you are if you don’t hit them over the head with your brand. Curiosity will give them a reason to click and learn more.

6. Don't overpromise In an effort to sell products, brands sometimes overpromise. They exaggerate a product's features or use phrases like, “Guaranteed not to break.”

If you make a promise that you can't keep, customer retention will suffer and word of mouth could negatively affect sales. Dishonesty will be a disaster for your company; no one does business with someone they don’t trust.

Be honest and realistic with your subscribers. Period.

7. Format for scanners Assume that everyone reading your email is incredibly busy and won’t read every word of the text.

Use headlines, subheads and very short blocks of text, or better yet, bullet points, to get your point across to skimmers. Put your most important message first and use boldface to draw attention to other important messages.

Remember, your copy can always include links to longer pieces, which gives the email a cleaner look and the reader the option to click to read more.

Paul Boag writes copy using short paragraphs, colorful headlines and linked text for recipients who want to read more on a topic. In this end-of-year email, he immediately gives readers an option to skip something that might be irrelevant to them by addressing the target readership in the headlines: • If you work in-house • If you run your own digital services business • It's a great way to format an email with the subscriber in mind.

8. Kill your adjectives There’s a reason Mark Twain advised writers to “kill your adjectives.” They make content fluffy and tend to slow things down for the reader.

Instead of clogging your copy with descriptive overkill, offer the basics and then provide links for readers to further explore the products or services.

Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO www.vrbo.com) has had success using a simple headline, two lines of copy and then category choice—rather than lots of description—over clickable images. For example: HEADLINE: Find the best retreat for your besties COPY: Summertime means time off for grand adventures with great buddies! Be your pack’s leader and plan the perfect group getaway now.

CATEGORIES: Fewer than 10 people; 11-15 people; 16-20 people; More than 20 people Here’s another example of this style form VRBO in which they use pricing limits to invite click-throughs on the images.

Even if the recipient wasn’t planning a vacation, who wouldn’t at least be curious to see what you could get for under $100?

9. Avoid clichés Clichés are overused. They're typically vague phrases that don't add any value to your copy, so it's best to avoid them altogether. Phrases like those below are all too common. Make sure you leave these out of your next email: "Are you sick and tired of …"

"Play your cards right …"

"Grass is always greener …"

“Every cloud has a silver lining …”

“Good things come to those who wait …”

“Think outside the box …”

“Better safe than sorry …”

“Stop and smell the roses …”

“Take the bull by the horns …”

“When the going gets tough …”

10. Avoid the exclamation point Marketers tend to believe that everything they say is exciting, which is probably why they overuse the exclamation point. Used sparingly, the exclamation point can show enthusiasm, but most of the time it's just unnecessary.

Your email copy should mimic a conversation, so unless you're the type that runs around yelling all the time, you should stick with normal, conversational punctuation like a period.

With these ten email copywriting tips, you can create compelling emails that subscribers will love. Remember, sending a quality email with a great message is more effective than creating sloppy copy in an effort to get an email out quickly.  www.pinpointe.com/blog/10-advanced-emailcopywriting-tips-next-campaign

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The holiday season is quickly approaching. Both customers and prospects are on the lookout for great deals during the holidays. So now is the time to get started planning yours. Staying ahead of your competition is important this time of the year. Are you ready to get started?

How to Create Great Holiday Direct Mail: Target — Make sure that you are targeting the right holiday messages to the right people. Yes, your offers need to be targeted. But if you send a Christmas greeting to a Jewish family, you are missing out on a great opportunity to connect with them on a more personal level. The better you target and personalize, the better response you will get. So really look at your data to make sure you have enough information to target correctly.

Fun — Have fun with your mail pieces! This time of year is full of fun, so join in and create a mail piece that is not just an offer, but a really fun experience. Think outside of the box about what you can do differently to have more fun with your prospects and customers. It does not have to be super expensive. Think about adding some texture as a way to make your piece feel different or fun folds that keep on going.

Savings — Make sure you are offering great savings to your prospects and customers. This time of year, they expect it. Remember, it’s all in the wording of the offer. Interpretation is the key, so a higher percentage off a lower-cost item is seen as a better deal than a lower percentage off a high-price item. Target the discounts based on things they are interested in. You can use variable data to make a highly targeted coupon.

Sharing — Offer a way for people to share the savings with friends and family for the holidays. This time of the year, people love to share. So you can have your message expand well beyond your list when they do. This can really help to increase your ROI and make customers and prospects happy they can share.

Great holiday mail incorporates all four of the items above. It is a special time of year that is also reflected in the special types of mailings that get sent out. Don’t just send a postcard — be extra creative for the holidays to not only stand out in the mail box, but to get people to respond. Also, don’t wait for December. Send something for Halloween and Thanksgiving, too. Really get into the holiday spirit and have fun. Customers will appreciate it.

If you have a little extra funds for the holiday campaigns, consider using video or fun cut-outs. Anything you can do to make your mail more interactive and staying on message will help increase your ROI. Make sure that as you are brainstorming ideas, you continue to look at it from the customer’s perspective. You need to focus on what they will respond to and enjoy. If possible, get some customer feedback on your ideas before you launch — just to make sure you are on the right road.

Are you ready to get started on a fun holiday campaign? www.targetmarketingmag.com/post/4-great-holiday-mail-tips/#ne=4a21b9167bf658408191e7c49140a9aautm_source=today%40-target-marketingutm_medium=newsletterutm_campaign=2017-10-12&utm_content=4+great+holiday+mail+tips-4

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86  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

SPAIN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INVESTMENT SUMMIT Omni Los Angeles Hotel  October 24, 2017

The U.S. Commercial Service in Southern California is highlighting this important partner event.

The Trade Commission of Spain in Los Angeles - ICEX Spain Trade and Investment has the pleasure of inviting you to The Spain Southern California Investment Summit that will take place in Los Angeles on October 24th at The Omni Los Angeles Hotel, organized in collaboration with the Office of Governor Brown - Go-Biz, the Office of Mayor Garcetti – International Affairs, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the World Trade Center- LAEDC. The Secretary of Commerce from Spain, Ms. María Luisa Poncela, is leading a delegation of more than 30 companies from the Renewable Energy, Transport Infrastructure, Waste and Water and Smart Cities sectors.

The Spain Southern California Investment Summit provides American companies with a great opportunity to do business with companies from Spain that are deeply interested in the Southern California market. You can also benefit from the four specialized industry panels that are being organized with top-notch experts in these sectors from California.

For more information and to register for the event visit: https://www.

eventbrite.com/e/spain-southern-california-investmentsummit-tickets-37253446060?utm_campaig n=order_ confirmation_email&utm_medium=email&ref=eemailordconf &utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventname.

US Commercial Service 2302 Martin Court, Suite 315 Irvine, CA 92612 1-949-660-1688 Export.gov/California

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F

Champagne Day OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

Business Technology:

Take A Look!

by LaSandra Stratton

C

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

Streamline Client Scheduling with Software

A

It’s easy to implement. We'll give you a code snippet to copy and paste into your website’s HTML code. When you do this, a “Book Now” button will display on your site. If you use a free website builder, you can do it yourself. If your site is run by a webmaster, simply email them the code snippet, and they’ll insert it for you.

Promote it to your customers.

After the “Book Now” button has been added to your website and/ or Facebook page, send a blast email to your customers, or just add a voice message for callers routing them to your web site to book.  www.appointment-plus.com

ppointmentsPlus

(www. appointment-plus.com) is an

online scheduling solution that helps thousands upon thousands of businesses in 16 countries operate more efficiently and effectively. In short, we completely automate the scheduling process for businesses and organizations that depend on accurate appointment scheduling by letting their customers book appointments and reservations online.

Online appointment scheduling saves you time by allowing your customers to book themselves, helps generate revenue by increasing bookings and lowers costs by transferring the booking process to your customers.

The booking system has an interface that internal staff use to schedule, change and cancel appointments. It's also where you run reports, access customer history and configure your account.

F

the USA on the West Coast and will soon be available nationwide.

This service is currently available in major cities in Europe.  https://us.free2move.com

Allo Web Chat

W

hen Google brought its Allo chat app to the web, it only supported Chrome.

That partly defeats the point of an app-independent client, doesn't it?

Thankfully, Google agrees. It just expanded Allo's web support to get it running on Firefox, Opera and iOS devices (including Chrome and Safari). You do have to start by scanning a QR code on the desktop

Free2Move ree2Move

(https:// us.free2move.com) makes it

easy for you to book ridesharing vehicles that best fit your needs. Never worry about switching back and forth between carsharing applications.

How our app helps Find all our providers on one map and filter the ones you want to see. Select a vehicle and compare walking distance, vehicle types, fuel types, prices and interior. Make your commute one less thing to worry about. Set an alert at any location and get notified when a vehicle is available in that area. The billing is made directly through the provider. Our service is free.

Download the Free2Move app at: https://us.free2move.com/app.

The service is being introduced to

using your phone, which is more than a little unwieldy, but this does mean you don't have to live within Google's software ecosystem just to avoid a native app.

Google Allo is a smart messaging app that helps you say more and do more. Express yourself better with stickers, doodles, and HUGE emojis & text. Allo also brings you the Google Assistant.

Smart Reply lets you keep the conversation moving with a single tap by suggesting text and emoji responses based on your personality. Get creative with the photos you send by doodling on them or adding text. Stickers

92  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

in Google Allo are designed by independent artists and studios from around the world.  www.msn.com/en-us/news/ technology/allo-web-chat-now-worksin-browsers-other-than-chrome/arAAsSqLZ?ocid=spartanntp https://allo.google.com/

Hotel Booking App

U

sing the Hotel Tonight app (www.hoteltonight.com) you may reserve a room on short notice - that night. Or you may now book rooms up to a week in advance. This mobile only service offers killer deals, exclusively on your mobile device. The more you book, the better the deals get.

Hotel Tonight only works with places where we’d stay, too.  www.hoteltonight.com

TEP Mobile Wireless for Rent

T

he "Teppy" (www.tepwireless. com) is a pocked-sized personal WiFi hotspot. It can keep your smartphones, laptops and tablets connected in over 100 countries, with unlimited internet.

It's one of the best travel companions you'll ever have.

Teppy is your very own portable and secure wireless hotspot; provides unlimited internet on up to five devices at a time; offers seamless connectivity while in over 100 countries around the world.

New features include: Call & Text: The Tep+ Call & Messaging app is the best way to get in touch with anyone while abroad, thanks to rock-bottom international rates as well as bestin-class call quality & reliability.

TEP Guru: Enhance your trip with unique local insights & get personal assistance from your very own local concierge, always just a tap away.

Kitestring: Whether backpacking through Europe or just going back to your hotel, Kitestring will automatically alert your contacts if you don't check in. Build your personal contact list and stay safe.

The "Teppy" rents for $8.95 a day.

The Tep+ app is available via the App Store and Google Play.  www.tepwireless.com/

New System for Managing Monthly Payments

A

ffirm (www.affirm.com/buywith-affirm) is rolling out an app to make it easier to pay for large purchases in monthly payments. The concept has been

in beta testing and it is now being made available widely.

The company was started

by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin. He believes that his business promotes better fiscal responsibility than traditional credit cards.

Affirm’s business is different because it doesn’t have hidden fees or compounding interest.

There are no gimmicks like deferred interest or hidden fees, so the total you see at checkout is always what you’ll actually pay. The Affirm system only extends credit to people who can afford to make the purchases and they are set to be paid off over a given period of time.

• Checkout is simple at any store that accepts Affirm. Just enter a few pieces of information for a real-time decision.

• Affirm connects directly to online stores. There’s no card number to steal, so your account stays secure.

• Select a loan that fits your budget.

You’ll make real progress every month, and at the end of your loan, you’re free and clear.

After checkout, stores can process and ship your order immediately.

We'll keep in touch and remind you of any upcoming payments. Pay however you'd like – debit card, bank transfer or personal check.  www.affirm.com/buy-with-affirm

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

93  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

Three MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Fellows

By Libby Kane

T

he MacArthur 'Genius Grant' is an annual grant of $625,000 given with no strings attached, paid over five years.

It's not just for anyone - the MacArthur fellows are people the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation determines "have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for selfdirection."

The grant winners range from landscape architects reviving cities, to community leaders taking on poverty in urban communities, to conceptual artists revealing the extent of modern day surveillance.

Jesmyn Ward details the African American experience in the rural South.

City: New Orleans, Louisiana The MacArthur Foundation says: "Jesmyn Ward is a fiction writer exploring the bonds of community and familial love among poor African Americans in the rural South. She is the author of three

novels and a memoir, all set in the Gulf Coast region of her native Mississippi and centered on marginalized black communities.

In prose that is simultaneously luminous and achingly honest, Ward captures moments of beauty, tenderness, and resilience against a bleak landscape of crushing poverty, racism, addiction, and incarceration."

museum-based projects-Bey is making institutional spaces more accessible to the communities in which they are situated." www.macfound.org/fellows/984/

www.macfound.org/fellows/1002/

Dawoud Bey's entwines institutional spaces with the surrounding communities through photography.

City: Chicago, Illinois The MacArthur Foundation says: "Dawoud Bey is a photographer and educator whose portraits of people, many from marginalized communities, compel viewers to consider the reality of the subjects' own social presence and histories.

Through his expansive approach to photography-which includes deep engagement with his subjects and

Nikole Hannah-Jones chronicles the persistence of racial segregation in American society and education.

City: New York, New York The MacArthur Foundation says: "Nikole Hannah-Jones is an investigative journalist chronicling the demise of racial integration efforts and persistence of segregation in American society, particularly in education. She combines analyses of historical, academic, and policy research with moving personal narratives to bring into sharp relief a problem that many are unwilling to acknowledge still exists and its tragic consequences for African American individuals, families, and communities."  www.macfound.org/fellows/988/

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Community/Public Interest

NASA Dedicates Facility In Honor Of ‘Hidden Figures’ Heroine Katherine Johnson

By Doha Madani

JePhoto: NASA

K

atherine G. Johnson, the human computer behind some of NASA’s biggest advancements, attended the ribbon cutting of the research facility named in her honor on Friday.

The 99-year-old mathematician was thrust into the spotlight last year when the Oscar-nominated film “Hidden Figures” told the story of three black women who broke barriers at NASA. Johnson, along with Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, shattered the segregational norms within the agency in the 1960s to push forward some of the country’s greatest aerospace advancements.

The Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility is a state-of-the-art facility run by NASA’s Langley Research Center. The building, which cost $23 million, will consolidate four of the organization’s data centers as a part of Langley’s 20year revitalization plan.

“We’re here to honor the legacy of one of the most admired and inspirational people ever associated with NASA,” said Langley Director David Bowles in a press release. “I can’t imagine a better tribute to Mrs. Johnson’s character and accomplishments than this

building that will bear her name.”

Johnson helped to calculate the coordinates for NASA’s first human spaceflight and was the first woman in the organization to receive authorial credit on a research paper. Johnson calculated life-and-death analytical geometry equations to earn the respect of the white men who dominated the industry at the time.

John Glenn, the first astronaut to orbit the Earth, personally asked that Johnson check the mission landing calculations before his launch into space.

Glenn didn’t trust the organization’s new computers and asked engineers to “get the girl.”

“If she says they’re good,” Johnson remembers Glenn saying, “then I’m ready to go.”

And yet, Johnson still maintains modesty.

“You want my honest answer?” Johnson said about her reaction to having the building named for her. “I think they’re crazy.”  www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nasahidden-figures-katherine-johnson-honors_ us_59c834a2e4b01cc57ff2fa2e https://youtu.be/smTcsodvEqM

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Community/Public Interest

Poachers Target Africa's Lions, Vultures with Poison

By Daniella Masterson

H

rangers. Previously, poisons such as strychnine were primarily used by farmers to kill jackals, wild dogs and other predators that attack livestock, though some landowners and communities have responded positively to anti-poison campaigns.

In 2013, between 400 and 600 vultures died after feeding on the poisoned carcass of an elephant that was killed for its ivory in Namibia's Zambezi area, said Andre Botha, a poisoning database manager and special projects manager at the Endangered Wildlife Trust, a South African group.

"This is the highest number of

undreds of vultures in leopards, hyenas, impalas, cranes Namibia died after feeding and storks. on an elephant carcass that "It's still a big work in progress," poachers had poisoned. Poachers said Darcy Ogada, a Kenya-based in Zimbabwe used cyanide to kill database coordinator and assistant dozens of elephants for their ivory director of Africa programs at The tusks. In Mozambique three lions Peregrine Fund, a conservation died after eating bait infused with a group. The goal, Ogada said, is crop pesticide.

Poisoning Africa's wildlife is an old practice, but conservationists fear such incidents are escalating in some areas, saying relatively easy access to agricultural chemicals and the surging illegal market for animal parts are increasing pressure on a number of already beleaguered species. The threat is compounded by the indiscriminate nature of killing with poison, in which a single contaminated carcass can take down a range of animals, particularly scavengers such as vultures.

The killing of lions by poison appears to reflect growing demand for lion claws, bones This month, a continentand other parts used in traditional medicine, says an official at the Endangered Wildlife wide database was launched Trust of South Africa © FETHI BELAID, AFP, Getty Images to gather data on wildlife poisoning and better understand a to get governments to pay more vultures killed in a single poisoning phenomenon that has been widely attention to the "underground incident that we have on the documented in southern Africa, world" of wildlife poisoning that also database to date," Botha said. where a reported 70 lions have threatens livestock, water sources Some of Africa's species of been fatally poisoned in the last 18 and people who eat meat from birds vulture, whose body parts are also months, according to managers. and other poisoned animals. precious in traditional medicine in While the African Wildlife Poachers with guns have killed parts of the continent, are listed Poisoning Database lacks hundreds of thousands of elephants as critically endangered. South records from underreported areas and thousands of rhinos in Africa in Asian vulture populations are a including Central Africa, it dates to past years, but wildlife traffickers fraction of what they were, largely 1961 and lists nearly 300 poisoning have increasingly laced carcasses because of feeding on carcasses incidents in 15 African countries with poison to target vultures that of livestock treated with diclofenac, that killed more than 8,000 animals circle overhead and can draw see page 97 from dozens of species, including the attention of anti-poaching 96  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

S

ydni Dion Bennett recently made history as the first African-American to be crowned Miss Illinois Teen USA in the pageant's 34-year existence.

After a walk up and down the stage, donning her shining crown, silky sash and bouquet of roses, another black contestant ran up to be the first to hug and congratulate Bennett. The exchange was an act of pure bliss and sisterhood.

Before the pageant weekend, Bennett wasn't aware that a black girl had never won. Yet, she remained undeterred in her pursuit.

"I found out the night before the final show, actually. It made me want to fight harder and to win for all the black girls around, not just for myself," she said. "I didn't feel less about my ability to win because no black girl had done it; it put a drive in me rather than a doubt. " www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/16year-old-first-african-american-to-win-missillinois-teen-usa-in-34-year-history/ar-AAt9dry? li=AAk6ORB&ocid=spartandhp

Poachers Using Poison from page 96

a veterinary drug that is toxic to vultures. Government bans on the drug, however, helped level those declines.

African lions are in peril partly because of human encroachment on habitats and the poaching of animals for food, which deprives lions of prey. The killing of lions by poison, once largely a result of livestock owners trying to protect their herds, appears to reflect growing local and Asian demand for lion claws, bones and other parts used in traditional medicine, according to Botha.

"What we see now is people purposely going out and targeting lions," he said. Some 70 were poisoned in southern Africa since

last year, Botha said. The database reports a total of 51 lion poisonings between 1980 and 2015.

In July, officials in Mozambique's Limpopo National Park on the border with South Africa found poacher tracks, bait laced with poison, and the carcasses of three lions and a hyena, according to the Peace Parks Foundation, which develops cross-border conservation areas. It said authorities believe poachers used a substance containing the pesticide aldicarb, which South Africa banned because of its environmental threat.

Another pesticide, carbofuran, is the "abused product of choice" in countries including Botswana, Tanzania and Kenya, said Tim Snow, a South African conservationist who helps train southern African rangers in how to deal with poisoning sites by wearing surgical gloves for their own safety

and collecting samples for study in a laboratory.

He said poachers in Zimbabwe have killed more than 90 elephants since 2015 by poisoning water sources with cyanide, a chemical used to extract gold from ore.

Authorities have seized cyanide stashes from vehicles at police roadblocks and a warehouse in Bulawayo city, Snow said.

Educating communities about the environmental fallout from poisoning wildlife is key, said Mark Anderson, CEO of BirdLife South Africa.

Banning poisons, he said, has a limited impact because "there's an unlimited supply and variety of poisons that can be used."  www.msn.com/en-us/news/ world/poachers-target-africaslions-vultures-with-poison/arAAswb5c?ocid=spartandhp

97  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

MLB Renames Award in Honor of ‘Willie Mays World Series MVP’

By John Shea

I

n 1954, the year Willie Mays made his epic Game 1 catch at the Polo Grounds in New York, the most replayed highlight in World Series history, there was no World Series most valuable player award.

The first World Series MVP was awarded in 1955 to the Dodgers’ Johnny Podres.

Now, the award will be named after the great Mays, starting this season — the Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player award.

“I think that’s a great honor,” Mays said in a phone interview. “It’s an ongoing thing. You never know who’s going to win the World Series or the World Series MVP. ... This is a wonderful honor.”

Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement on the 63rd anniversary of Mays’ overthe-shoulder catch (and whirling throw to the infield) that robbed Vic Wertz and created momentum for a four-game sweep of the favored

Cleveland Indians.

“Major League Baseball is thrilled to honor Willie Mays on our game’s biggest stage and in a manner that befits his many contributions to the sport,” Manfred said in a statement.

“Since making ‘The Catch’ on Sept.

29, 1954 (www.bing.com/videos/searc h?q=willie+mays+the+catch+video&d ocid=608040098122498166&mid=0C 9ABA3EFED3787C70250C9ABA3EF ED3787C7025&view=detail&mmscn= vidans&FORM=VIREHT), Willie has

been a part of World Series history.

This annual recognition will forever celebrate the life and career of a legend of the national pastime.”

The Giants have had three World Series MVPs: Edgar Renteria in 2010, Pablo Sandoval in 2012 and Madison Bumgarner in 2014. Last year’s MVP was the Cubs’ Ben

Zobrist.

Mays, 86, played in three World Series with the Giants (1951, 1954, 1962) and one with the Mets (1973).

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979, voted by fans as one of the four greatest living players in a 2015 promotion and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama.  www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ mlb/%e2%80%98willie-maysworld-series-mvp%e2%80%99mlb-renames-award-honors-sayhey-kid/ar-AAsCwcx?ocid=spartan dhp#image=AAsCwcx_1|1

98  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

McClymonds 1958-1962 Teams Inducted into Hall of Fame October 11th Greatest High School Basketball Teams in US History

By Joe Ellis and Ed Thomas

O.A.L.T.O.C. CHAMPS (L to R): Top Row: Assistant Coach Harold Treadwell, Albert Stewart, Jesse Fields, Joe Benton, Glen Beamon, Alton Steele, Kenneth Scott, Coach Paul V. Harless, Mid-Row: Bennie White, John Aikens, Joe Johnson, Mike Bell, Fritz Pointer, Charles Luster, Joe Ellis, Jim Brown, Charles Gary, Front Row: Manager Albert Porter, Equipment Chief Al Berg, Manager Earl Cooper

J

oe Ellis and Ed Thomas, two of the Mack Warriors greatest players on those historic teams that won 110 games and lost only once during that historic fouryear run of greatness, visited the Post to impart lessons and plans to continue to support the School of Champions by encouraging the students to study and work hard.

“We knew we were good because we worked hard almost daily at the boys club or at Defremery Park, with or without the supervision of Marion Sims or Coach Paul Harless,” said Ed Thomas. “We

were a family, a brotherhood that knew and protected each other with a goal of winning”.

Joe Ellis said “We knew our had something unique because we practiced hard together and had so much confidence in the ability of our full court press to create havoc to feed our offense.

And those same lessons have stayed with our teammates throughout life.’

Joe and Ed have teamed up with the Post to feature player of those great Mack teams.”

Even though I was a Mack Warrior

and ultimately a professional Golden State Warrior player, I only represent a small part of those great teams. Ed and I want all Mackites, whether they are athletes, scholars, professionals, employees, businesspersons and family makers to contact the Post with their biographical information so we can inspire the next generation to also become high achievers,” said Joe Ellis. “We must give something back to Mack.”  www.oaklandpost.org/2017/09/15/ mcclymonds-historic-high-schoolbasketball-team-inducted/

99  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest

McClymonds (Oakland, California), 1960 Record: 22-0 • Star power: The Warriors featured future NBA great Paul Silas along with NBA player Joe Ellis. Aaron Pointer also played on the team. The older brother of the musical Pointer Sisters, Aaron went on to a baseball career and was an NFL referee.

• Schedule: Bay Area basketball, particularly San Francisco, was much more competitive in the 1950s and early 1960s. McClymonds played many of the top teams in the area and also won the Northern California Tournament of Champions six straight seasons.

• Staying power: The Warriors went 65-0 between 1958 and 1960 and were ranked No. 1 in the nation by the National Sports News Service for each of those three seasons.

• McClymonds was loaded with D1-level talent and two of its players from that era — Paul Silas (Creighton) and Joe Ellis (USF) — went on to long NBA careers while center Jim Hadnot (Providence), who starred on the 1958 team with Silas, played for a brief time in the ABA. Guard Aaron Pointer played basketball at USF, then went on to play MLB baseball, while reserve guard Wendell Hayeswent on to play running back in the NFL. • Not only was McClymonds mythical national champions those three seasons, the Warriors went 84-1 between 1958-61 and an incredible 107-1 between 1958-62.

100  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Connie Hawkins, NBA Hall of Famer, Dies

By Rosemary Rossi

professional sports star,” the Suns’ tribute continued.

“Rightfully, he became the first Suns player inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and his No. 42 hangs in the rafters at Talking Stick Resort Arena as part of our Ring of Honor.

“Connie’s passion for the game was only watched by his desire to give back to the Phoenix community, a role which he played proudly as a Suns community ambassador, spreading warmth and kindness to everyone he encountered. We will miss Hawk dearly.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends as we mourn the passing of a true Suns Legend.”  www.thewrap.com/connie-hawkins-nba-phoenix-sunsdies-at-75/

N

BA legend Connie “The Hawk” Hawkins died October 6th, according to the Phoenix Suns, who posted a tribute to the power forward known for his massive hands, scoop shots and football-like passes. Hawkins was 75. “‘The Hawk’ revolutionized the game and remains to this day an icon of the sport and one of basketball’s great innovators,” the Suns tweeted. “His unique combination of size, grace and athleticism was well ahead of its time and his signature style of play is now a hallmark of the modern game.”

Born Cornelius Lance Hawkins in the BedfordStuyvesant section of Brooklyn, he played for the Pittsburgh Rens of the American Basketball League and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1962.

After spending a season with the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association, he moved to Minnesota for the 1968-69 season. Hawkins joined the Phoenix Suns in 1969, where he played 81 games and averaged 24.6 points and 10.4 rebounds his rookie season.

He remained with the Suns until 1973, then moved to the Los Angeles Lakers for two seasons and finally settled with, ironically, the Atlanta Hawks.

“A flip of the coin changed the Suns’ fortunes and he helped put Phoenix on the map as the city’s first

BBA Member Donnie Hawkins Dead at 68

You Will Be Missed Dearly Donnie Hawkins It's with regret that we announce the passing of our dear friend and long time BBA member Donnie Hawkins.

101  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Soul Singer Charles Bradley Dead at 68

C

harles Bradley, known as the "Screaming Eagle of Soul" for a powerful, raspy style that evoked one of his musical heroes, James Brown, has died at age 68.

Bradley, who achieved success later in life with his 2011 debut album No Time for Dreaming, was diagnosed with stomach cancer last year and underwent treatment, according to a statement from his publicist. He headed out to tour earlier this year after receiving a clean bill of health, but the cancer returned recently, spreading to his liver, the statement on Saturday said.

Recording on the Daptone label, Bradley was a fiery live performer.

He followed up his first album with

Victim of Love in 2013. His third album, Changes, was released last year.

Among his TV appearances was a stop last year on CBS This Morning: Saturday, which earned him an Emmy nomination.

Born in Gainesville, Florida, Bradley found himself living in New York at age eight. He left home as a teenager and lived as an itinerant until he settled in Brooklyn 20 years ago.

Bradley idolised Brown, working as a Brown impersonator known as Black Velvet before he was discovered by Gabriel Roth, a Daptone co-founder. He later became known for closing shows under his own name with hugs for his audiences.

"The world lost a ton of heart today," Roth said.  www.smh.com.au/entertainment/ music/soul-singer-charles-bradleydead-at-68-20170923-gynk12.htm

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103  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

WEST AFRICA

HOSTED BUYER EVENT: MICE WEST AFRICA – WELCOME TO THE EMERGING WEST AFRICAN REGION 23-25 November 2017, Accra, Ghana I am very happy to inform you that MICE West Africa celebrates its inaugural event November 23 to 25 in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.

The organizing Street of Gold Foundation (SOG), founded by Mr. Royal Panford who acts as its CEO, cooperates closely with the nation's Ghana Tourism Authority to develop the common understanding of the importance of the meetings industry inside the country, and offers the platform for the nations – but also for the regions’ providers to connect with the international buyers.

But the SOG is working far beyond the normal organizational efforts to create the muchneeded platform for exhibitors and buyers. SOG also assists the visitor through connecting them to the appropriate organizations and associations to ensure that groups to Ghana experience the country at its best and enjoy incredible value for money.

Oh – and one word about Ghana: Should you think about the Ebola disease outbreak. Ghana did not have a single case. This information has been published by the WHO and the US CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Interested? Let’s meet in Accra!

Apply to the MICE West Africa hosted buyer programme to connect with local suppliers and to site-inspect the destination during the post-event Site Inspection Programme.

Find details on www.micewestafrica. com. 

105  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

Delayed Ethiopian Water Supply Project Finally Back on Track From Construction Review Online

T

he water supply project which has delayed for over 8 years finally becomes operational in Arsi Zone. The project cost approximately US $ 1.9m. It is designed to provide potable water to 70,000 people who live in Kore and Aradyita Weredas. It also includes installing pumps, generators and other pipe fitting accessories.

The water project is a part of the regional state’s Water, Mineral & Energy Bureau (OWMEB) project. OWMEB is looking to construct 52 water projects with a cost of close to US $129m. 34 of these projects are currently under construction. Starting from Kore, the project passes through 48Km of transmission and distribution pipes, having four ponds. It provides water for four cattle troughs and 17 water points.

The financial year that just ended has seen the Bureau complete 72 water supply projects in various parts of the region. This is while providing

pure water to half a million people. Currently, more than 207 water supply projects are undergoing at zonal levels since 2014.  https://constructionreviewonline.com/2017/09/ delayed-ethiopian-water-supply-project-finally-backon-track/

106  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

USTDA in Egypt to Support Economic Development, U.S. Industry Engagement

Left to right: Wael Hamdy, Vice President, Elsewedy; Abdel Rahman El Sewedy, Business Development Manager and Board Member of Elsewedy; Thomas R. Hardy, Acting Director, USTDA; Thomas Goldberger, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy

A

cting Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, Thomas R. Hardy, has signed a grant with Egyptian energy and electric cable corporation, ElSewedy Electric S.A.E., to evaluate the technical, regulatory and financial viability of a waste lube oil collection and rerefining network in Egypt.

Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo Thomas Goldberger said, "This USTDA visit helps to meet one of our most important objectives at the U.S. Mission to Egypt, to support Egyptian businesses in identifying and using the best of U.S. technology, in order to strengthen economic development and environmental protection."

El Sewedy will competitively select a U.S. firm to complete the feasibility study. Businesses

interested in submitting proposals for this USTDAfunded technical assistance should visit the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website at www.fbo.gov. A link to the FBO announcement will be posted to USTDA's website at www.ustda.gov/businessopportunities.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies export U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies.

USTDA's past successes in Egypt include a vessel traffic management system in the Suez Canal and various petrochemicals plants.

USTDA has also supported events aimed at promoting new U.S. commercial opportunities in Egypt, including the 2011 Egypt: Forward conference in Washington,

D.C., which highlighted energy, transportation, IT and agribusiness projects, as well as the MENA Power 2010 conference in Cairo, which showcased projects from around the region. Overall, USTDA has supported more than 50 public and private sector projects in Egypt across a range of sectors, particularly energy, transportation and IT. 

107  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

www.ustda.gov

By Abdirahman Hussein, Orhan Coskun

T

urkey has opened its biggest overseas military base in Somalia’s capital, cementing its ties with the volatile but strategic Muslim nation and building a presence in East Africa.

More than 10,000 Somali soldiers will be trained by Turkish officers at the base, a senior Turkish official said ahead of a ceremony in Mogadishu attended by Turkish military chief of staff Hulusi Akar.

The opening of the $50 million base signals evercloser ties between Turkey and Somalia. Turkey’s relations with the Horn of Africa date back to the Ottoman Empire, but President Tayyip Erdogan’s government has become a close ally of the Somali government in recent years.

At the opening ceremony, Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire thanked the Turkish government for opening the training school and said it would help the government “reconstruct” its national force -- “not based on clan...not from a particular place, but welltrained forces that represent the Somali people.”

He noted that the military school was Turkey’s biggest overseas. The facility can train and house 1,000 soldiers at a time and also has sports courts and a running track.

Erdogan, whose roots are in political Islam, is an outspoken defender of Muslims, particularly those in need of humanitarian aid, such as Syrian refugees and Myanmar’s Rohingya.

Analysts say that, in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, as Turkey’s foreign policy forays close to home have floundered, Ankara has found a willing partner in Somalia.

“It’s a country where Turkey could make a difference without necessarily having to compete with regional or global powers,” said Sinan Ulgen, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Ankara’s initial focus on aid, as opposed to security assistance or overt backing of political parties, helped build trust, he added.

WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS Turkey’s vast aid effort at the height of the 2011

famine endeared it to many Somali people, and it has continued to pour in aid, much of it from private companies.

It has built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and provided scholarships for Somalis to study in Turkey.

Erdogan has visited Mogadishu twice, and when he made his first trip there in 2011 he became the first non-African leader to visit the war-ravaged nation in 20 years.

Rapidly growing trade between the two nations has followed. In 2010, Turkish exports to Somalia totaled just $5.1 million. By last year, they had ballooned to $123 million. In the space of six years Turkey has gone from Somalia’s 20th-largest source of imports to its fifth-largest.

“Turkey really has won the hearts and minds of Somali people,” Information Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman told Reuters this month.

Somalia’s government has also been a vocal backer of the Erdogan government in its bid to quash Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen’s influence abroad. The Somali cabinet immediately ordered schools and a hospital in Mogadishu linked to Gulen to be shut in the aftermath of last year’s failed coup, which Erdogan has repeatedly blamed on the cleric. Gulen denies involvement.

SECURITY SUPPORT WELCOMED Somalia’s government has a number of foreign backers, including the United Nations, the African Union, and the United States, who are assisting it in building a functional national army capable of taking on the fight against the militant al-Shabaab group.

The militants were driven out of Mogadishu in 2010, but their deadly attacks remain one of the main obstacles to stability in the chaotic Horn of Africa country, which lies along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

The Somali government has praised Turkish investment for improving infrastructure in the country, and the information minister singled out Turkey’s new move into security support.

108  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

soomaalikabe.net “We are very happy they are giving us modern facilities for our security forces,” he said.

“This is something that Somalia has never seen even though countries like the U.S. and UK are giving us millions.

The difference is the camp Turkey built is an institution that will remain for the next 50 or 100 years.”

The Turkish official garoweonline.com who spoke to Reuters before the opening said the base was in line with Ankara’s priority of expanding its weapons sales “to new markets”.  Additional reporting by Abdi Sheikh in Mogadishu, Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara and Maggie Fick in

Nairobi; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Hugh Lawson www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-turkey-military/ turkey-opens-military-base-in-mogadishu-to-trainsomali-soldiers-idUSKCN1C50JH

109  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International - Editorial

Empowering the Other Half of Africa’s Economy

By Graça Machel Graça Machel, the founder of the Graça Machel Trust, is a member of the Africa Progress Panel and The Elders.

J

ulius Nyerere, the founding president of Tanzania, once said that “unity” will not make Africa rich, but “it can make it difficult for Africa and the African peoples to be disregarded and humiliated.”

that by 2040, Africa will have the world’s largest labor force, with more than 1.1 billion people of working age, more than 60% of Africa’s current population still survive on less than $2 a day. It is

key industries and executive roles, owing to workplace discrimination and patriarchal expectations at home. Unless barriers to entering the formal economy are removed and women are presented with

obvious that while many Africans have benefited from political emancipation – the legacy of Nyerere’s generation – poverty remains a significant obstacle.

Unleashing the employment potential of African women is the best way to overcome it.

As it stands, Africa’s women continue to be underrepresented in

options that enable them to realize their full potential, Africa’s socioeconomic development will continue to be impeded. But while women are essential to the continent’s progress, they are still too often regarded as being secondary. Women must therefore claim their right to sit where

Graça Machel But, two decades later, Africa remains divided along a key fault line: gender. To realize Nyerere’s vision of a strong, dignified continent, Africa needs a new era of liberation, one that is fueled by the economic empowerment of the continent’s women.

Although projections by the consultancy McKinsey anticipate

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see page 111

International

decisions are made, and to shape the policies, plans, and strategies

of wealth, it becomes impossible for us to go unrecognized for our economic contributions and marginalized in our entrepreneurial endeavours.

that will affect their lives and the lives of Africans for generations to come.

Studies have shown that if more women had access to maledominated occupations in Africa, worker productivity would rise by as much as 25%. That would be good for the overall economy, but also for women in general, as it would open up new avenues for social empowerment. When women participate in the job market and engage actively in business or political decision-making, patriarchal power dynamics shift, elevating the social status of women. Economic equality also challenges accepted beliefs, and dispels harmful myths that perpetuate narrow definitions of gender norms. In other words, bringing more women into the workplace leads to an emancipation of mindset – in men and women alike.

What Nyerere so eloquently said of Africa as a whole is no less true for its women: unity is the key to realizing our potential. When we come together as generators

At the Graça Machel Trust, we are joining t o g e t h e r with civilsociety actors, the private sector, and governments across the continent to lead a new economic liberation movement for women. Divided, we are weak, but together, Africa’s women have the ability to confront and overcome the barriers that have kept us from full participation in our respective economies.

There is power in networks.

My organization’s approach to economic advancement is to establish and strengthen informal and official networks, through which women can, in time, increase their participation and visibility in key sectors. That is why we are launching the “Women Advancing Africa” initiative, which is part of our ongoing effort to amplify the voices

from page 110

of Africa’s underrepresented and to establish a pan-African women’s movement, in which women can come together to transform the continent.

The inaugural Women Advancing Africa Forum will take place this week in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and will convene more than 250 women leaders from across the continent. Under the overarching theme of “Driving Social and Economic Transformation,” the Forum will focus on three strategic goals: promoting financial inclusion, increasing market access, and driving social change. We aim to emerge from the Forum with a common agenda for our participation as full economic actors.

It has been just over 20 years since Nyerere encouraged us to work toward African unity. Today, Africa’s women are helping to shape the policies and practices that will bring about economic and social liberation in their respective countries. We have some way to go before African unity is fully realized.

But enabling women to become full partners in Africa’s economic future, is among the best ways to ensure that we succeed  www.project-syndicate.org/ commentary/african-growth-economicopportunities-women-by-gracamachel-2017-08

111  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

International

Deadline Extended: USTDA Call for Energy Project Proposals in Africa

I

n July, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced a call for initial proposals from project sponsors in sub-Saharan Africa or U.S. companies working with African project sponsors. Given the volume of demand, USTDA is extending the deadline for submissions to Friday, October 20, 2017 at 5:00pm EST. USTDA will begin evaluations of initial proposals already received and will be in touch with those who submitted them.

Interested entities that have not already submitted an initial proposal on energyrelated projects are invited to do so (not to exceed five pages). The proposal should include a brief description of the project's size and status, including project location, economic fundamentals, equipment and technology requirements, legal and regulatory considerations, and the purpose and amount of USTDA funding requested.

The proposal should also outline the sponsor's experience, potential options for financing the project, risks that the project faces, and estimated potential for electrical power and support private sector investments U.S. content in the project's implementation. USTDA in African clean energy infrastructure.USTDA's projects are assessed for viability, including proven investments under these programs provide critical technologies, as well as their social and environmental early-stage support to advance new power generation, impact. USTDA funding is available to private and public transmission and distribution infrastructure.

To get further information and to submit your proposal, beneficiaries on a 100% grant basis. Interested entities are welcome to use USTDA's General Funding please email PowerAfrica@ustda.gov.  Request Guidelines (www.ustda.gov/sites/default/files/ www.ustda.gov Proposal%20Guidelines%20FINAL%20(2017).pdf).

USTDA is an implementing agency of both the Power Africa and U.S.Africa Clean E n e r g y Fi na n c e programs, which seek to increase access to www.energynet.co.uk/event/international-gas-co-operation-summit 112  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

African Stock Exchanges • Bolsa de Valores of Cape Verde - www.bvc.cv (in Portuguese) • Bond Exchange of South Africa - www.bondexchange. co.za • Botswana Stock Exchange www.bse.co.bw • Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres - UEMOA (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) - www.brvm.org • Casablanca Stock Exchange (Morocco) - www.casablancabourse.com/bourseweb/index. aspx • Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (Tanzania) - www. dse.co.tz • Douala Stock Exchange (Cameroon) - www.douala-stockexchange.com/index_us.php • The Egyptian Exchange - www.

• • • • •

• • •

egx.com.eg/English/homepage. aspx Ethiopia Commodity Exchange - www.ecx.com.et Ghana Stock Exchange - www. gse.com.gh Johannesburg Stock Exchange (South Africa) - www. jse.co.za/Home.aspx Khartoum Stock Exchange (Sudan, in Arabic) - www.kse. com.sd Libyan Stock Market - www. lsm.ly/_layouts/membership/ login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fEnglis h%2fPages%2fdefault.aspx Lusaka Stock Exchange (Zambia) - www.luse.co.zm Nairobi Stock Exchange (Kenya) - www.luse.co.zm Malawi Stock Exchange - www. mse.co.mw

• Mozambique Stock Exchange (in Portuguese) - www. bolsadevalores.co.mz • Namibian Stock Exchange www.nsx.com.na • Nigerian Stock Exchange www.nse.com.ng/Pages/default. aspx • Stock Exchange of Mauritius www.stockexchangeofmauritius. com • Swaziland Stock Exchange www.ssx.org.sz • Tunisia Stock Exchange - www. bvmt.com.tn • Uganda Securities Exchange www.use.or.ug Read the lastest issue of The Exchange Magazine www.nse.co.ke/media-center/ecommunique/exchange-magazine/ category/50-free-version.html

113  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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

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

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International

One Africa:

J

Tell the US Government that North Africa is Africa Too!

oin with and support the United Africa Organization’s campaign to petition the U.S. Department of State to include the whole African continent under its Bureau of African Affairs.

Why? The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, led by Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson, currently excludes Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara from its agenda.

Instead, the aforementioned countries are grouped with the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, together with Iran, Iraq, Israel and others.

This artificial distinction between North Africa and the rest of Africa

negatively impacts US foreign policy relations throughout the entire continent of Africa.

We unequivocally reject the argument that North African countries are outside the scope of African affairs.

North Africa is geographically and historically part of the African continent, and all fifty-three (53) independent African states, including North African countries, are represented in the African Union (AU).

It would be far more productive for the State Department to engage with the entire continent of Africa, including North Africa, under its Bureau of African Affairs.

We are one Africa, from the Cape to Cairo, indivisible and bound together!

Therefore, no square inch of African

land should be excluded from African affairs.

Sign The Petition!!!

Go to www.change.org/petitions/ one-africa-tell-us-state-departmentthat-north-africa-is-part-of-africa and sign the online petition to support this important proposition. Next tell everyone you know to sign. 

www.uniteafricans.org

Shopping Gallery

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Find Maisha, Mala, Malina & Mhina at:

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Zumo Learning System with Tablet e Zumo Learning System provides an accessible learning environment for children of all abilities. Zumo helps children fall in love with STEM.

www.zyrobotics.com info@zyrobotics.com

120  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

SUPER SOAKER

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

121  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

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

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www.sheamoisture.com

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Artwear Handpainted Handbags, Skirts, Tees, Accessories, Calendars, Wall Hangings & More! http://gbabysworld.blogspot.com Gbabyartwear@hotmail.com or Gbabyart345@gmail.com Find Gbaby Products at the “Collective� http://www.atthecollective.com 280 Elizabeth Street, Atlanta, GA

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TMBLR v1

a sneaker optimized for kids playtime

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"Sole Savers" Rollable Flat Shoes

The perfect companion for any avenue, just throw them in your bag and go.

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125  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Nubian Skin pop-up!

We're coming to ATL!! We'll be tting, colour matching, and generally having an amazing time! î‚ťe cost of all tickets are redeemable against purchase.

www.nubianskin.com

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

Buy Black  Save Black  Invest Black 129  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Collection Bed, Bath & Beyond http://bsmith.com/shop

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This magnificent handcrafted concert grand is a "Best of" in terms of sound, new technology, beauty, and construction.

Massively well-built to withstand the rigors of intense concert performances without compromise, the SHADD Concert Grand is a coveted treasure for pianists and collectors.

With a rich voluminous sound that performs true to all genres of music, this phenomenal instrument has a rare diversified ability to play from the softest whisper with pure clear sound to a major roar with a bass section exuding an abundance of power and resounding singing sensations.

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Cultural Interiors West &

Cordially Invited Cultural Interiors West 5573 West Pico Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90019

Experience our exciting array of products from Cards to Cupcakes, African Masks, Asian Teacups, Healthy Herbal Teas, Gourd Purses, Candles, to Furniture Hope to see you soon!!!

In the meantime visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/CulturalInteriors-West/140688362658236

132  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

New Location Leimert Park Village 3347 W. 43rd Street Los Angeles, CA 90008 1-323-299-6383 www.zambezibazaar.com shop@ zambezibazaar.com

133  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Z

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1-484-459-6625 zimbabwegallery@yahoo.com www.shonasculpture.com @ZimbabweGallery www.facebook.com/Zimbabwe Gallery P P 3500 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30326 G M 2841 Greenbriar Pkwy SW, Atlanta, GA 30331

Downtown Culver City: 9537 Culver Blvd.

310-202-5453 Open Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm www.honeyskettle.com 134  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Buy Black!

Bank Black!

Educate Black!

Invest Black!

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

Bernahu Asfaw & Getahun Asfaw

1041 S. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90019 323-938-8827 or 323-938-8806 • Fax: 323-932-6047 messob@gmail.com • www.messob.com

Open 7 days a week • 11am - 11pm

Krispy Kruchy Chicken is in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Los Angeles.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a cajun-style chicken (bone-in and tenders), served fresh, never frozen and fried in zero trans fat oil. Their menu also includes signature dishes of Traditional Wings; Krispy Wings; Cajun Sweet & Sour Wings; Cajun Tenders; Red Beans and Rice; Jambalaya; Boudin Bites (Cajun rice balls); Krispy Shrimp and Honey Butter Biscuits.

For additional information, please call Krispy Kruchy at 1-323-293-3332 or visit www. krispykrunchy.com.

138  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Parker House Sausage (www.

parkerhousesausage.com) was started by Chicago entrepreneur, Judge H. Parker who came to Chicago from Montgomery County, Tennessee with little more than the conviction that there was a potential market for homemade sausage products prepared according to his mother’s recipes. By 1919 Judge Parker began selling his unique blend of herbs and spices mixed with flavorful, savory sausage from a horse drawn cart on a retail basis.

Recognized as one of the oldest family owned businesses in the U.S. In 2014 Parker House expanded its product line to include chicken products including breakfast sausage, hot links, and smoked sausage.

SHOP ONLINE! //shop.parkerhousesausage. com

We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence.

Need a dinner idea. Go to the Recipe Page on our website. Thanks for visiting!

S

ince people from all walks of life really enjoy Down South cooking, NFL Pro Reggie Kelly thought, why not bring a piece of the South to their homes. Reggie and his wife founded KYVAN® FOODS. KYVAN® Foods is a supplier to great customers like Kroger, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Firehouse Subs, Performance Foodservice, Hot Shots Distributing and more. As stated by Reggie, “It’s my goal to pass down to my kids (Kyla & Kavan) and to everyone the gift passed down to me… An Appreciation Of Good Food.”

Thanks and God Bless!

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

Delicious Southern Flavors At Home!

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

Try our Recipes:

//grandmamauds. com/recipes

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

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

Try all 3 flavors!

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

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

146  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

www.wosa.us www.winetalkwithmarcia.com

http://aaavintners.org

http://shallwewine.com

https://unclenearest.com

Eso Won Books

African American Books 4327 Degnan Boulevard, Leimert Park, Los Angeles

Give the Gift of Books and Music Come see our unsurpassed collection of books, music, videos, children’s books, and games!

1-323-294-0324

www.esowonbookstore.com  //esowon.booksense.com for Calendar of Events

149  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Books to Consider

Books to Consider...

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane

career highs and lows—the making of a trap god. It is one of the greatest comeback stories in the history of music.

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane is a blunt and candid account—an instant classic.  www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Gucci-Mane/ dp/1501165321

Dance of the Jakaranda

by Gucci Mane, Neil Martinez-Belkin

F

or the first time Gucci Mane tells his story in his own words. It is the captivating life of an artist who forged an unlikely path to stardom and personal rebirth. Gucci Mane began writing his memoir in a maximum-security federal prison. Released in 2016, he emerged radically transformed.

He was sober, smiling, focused, and positive—a far cry from the Gucci Mane of years past.

Born in rural Bessemer, Alabama, Radric Delantic Davis became Gucci Mane in East Atlanta, where the rap scene is as vibrant as the dope game. His name was made as a drug dealer first, rapper second. His influential mixtapes and street anthems pioneered the sound of trap music. He inspired and mentored a new generation of artists and producers: Migos, Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, Zaytoven, Mike Will Made-It, Metro Boomin.

Yet every success was followed by setback. Too often, his erratic behavior Gucci Mane threatened to end it all.

Incarceration, violence, rap beefs, drug addiction. But Gucci Mane has changed, and he’s decided to tell his story.

In his extraordinary autobiography, the legend takes us to his roots in Alabama, the streets of East Atlanta, the trap house, and the studio where he found his voice as a peerless rapper. He reflects on his inimitable career and in the process confronts his dark past— years behind bars, the murder charge, drug addiction,

S

by Peter Kimani

et in the shadow of Kenya’s independence from Great Britain, Dance of the Jakaranda reimagines the special circumstances that brought black, brown, and white men together to lay the railroad that heralded the birth of the nation.

The novel traces the lives and loves of three men—preacher Richard Turnbull, the colonial administrator Ian McDonald, and Indian technician Babu Salim— whose lives intersect when they are implicated in the controversial birth of a child. Years later, when Babu’s grandson, Rajan—who ekes out a living by singing Babu’s epic tales of the railway’s construction—accidentally kisses a mysterious stranger in a dark nightclub, the encounter provides the spark to illuminate the three men’s shared, murky past.

With its riveting multiracial, multicultural cast and diverse literary allusions, Dance of the Jakaranda could well be a Peter Kimani story of globalization. Yet the novel is firmly anchored in the African oral storytelling tradition, its language a dreamy, exalted, and earthy mix that creates new thresholds of identity, providing a fresh metaphor for race in contemporary Africa.  www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/dance-of-the-jakaranda/

151  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Books to Consider

White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide

F

by Carol Anderson

rom the Civil War to our combustible present, acclaimed historian Carol Anderson reframes our continuing conversation about race, chronicling the powerful forces opposed to black progress in America.

As Ferguson, Missouri, erupted in August 2014, and media commentators across the ideological spectrum referred to the angry response of African Americans as “black rage,” historian Carol Anderson wrote a remarkable op-ed in The Washington Post suggesting that this was, instead, "white rage at work.

With so much attention on the flames," she argued, "everyone had ignored the kindling."

Since 1865 and the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, every time African Americans have made advances towards full participation in our democracy, white reaction has fueled a deliberate and relentless rollback of their gains. The end of the Civil War and Reconstruction was greeted with the Black Codes and Jim Crow; the Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 Brown v.

Board of Education decision was met with the shutting down of public schools throughout the South while taxpayer dollars Carol Anderson

financed segregated white private schools; the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 triggered a coded but powerful response, the so-called Southern Strategy and the War on Drugs that disenfranchised millions of African Americans while propelling presidents Nixon and Reagan into the White House, and then the election of America’s first black President, led to the expression of white rage that has been as relentless as it has been brutal.

Carefully linking these and other historical flashpoints when social progress for African Americans was countered by deliberate and cleverly crafted opposition, Anderson pulls back the veil that has long covered actions made in the name of protecting democracy, fiscal responsibility, or protection against fraud, rendering visible the long lineage of white rage. Compelling and dramatic in the unimpeachable history it relates, White Rage will add an important new dimension to the national conversation about race in America.  www.amazon.com/White-Rage-Unspoken-RacialDivide/dp/1632864126

The Third Reconstruction:

Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement

by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

O

ver the summer of 2013, the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II led more than a hundred thousand people at rallies across North Carolina to protest restrictions to voting access and an extreme makeover of state government.

These protests— the largest state government–focused civil disobedience campaign in American history—came to Rev. William J. Barber II

152  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

be known as Moral Mondays and have since blossomed in states as diverse as Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New York.

At a time when divideand-conquer politics are exacerbating racial strife and economic inequality, Rev. Barber offers an impassioned, historically grounded argument that Moral Mondays are hard evidence of an embryonic Third Reconstruction in America.

The first Reconstruction briefly flourished after Emancipation, and the second Reconstruction ushered in meaningful progress in the civil rights era. But both were met by ferocious reactionary measures that severely curtailed, and in many cases rolled back, racial and economic progress. This Third Reconstruction is a profoundly moral awakening of justice-loving people united in a fusion coalition powerful enough to reclaim the possibility of democracy—even in the face of corporate-financed extremism.

In this memoir of how Rev. Barber and allies as diverse as progressive Christians, union mem https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1735/2433/products/ ILoveNumbers-Front_600x600.jpg?v=1507062288 bers, and immigration-rights activists came together to build a coalition, he offers a trenchant analysis of racebased inequality and a hopeful message for a nation grappling with persistent racial and economic injustice.

Rev. Barber writes movingly—and pragmatically— about how he laid the groundwork for a state-bystate movement that unites black, white, and brown, rich and poor, employed and unemployed, gay and straight, documented and undocumented, religious and secular. Only such a diverse fusion movement, Rev. Barber argues, can heal our nation’s wounds and produce public policy that is morally defensible, constitutionally consistent, and economically sane. The Third Reconstruction is both a blueprint for movement building and an inspiring call to action from the twentyfirst century’s most effective grassroots organizer.  www.amazon.com/Third-Reconstruction-MondaysPolitics-Movement/dp/0807083607

by Israel Idonije

I

s rae l Idonije has a “Dream B i g ” approach to life. A successful 11 - y e a r career in the NFL is just a small part of his life story. Israel is a creator at heart, so it’s no surprise he started ATHLiTACOMiCS (http://athlitacomics.com) as a platform to develop and share incredible stories.

In The Protectors, his first epic superhero adventure, the lives of a handful of professional athletes are turned upside down when they learn their true purpose.

The Protectors’ first story arc is available in print on Amazon and digitally on comiXology (www.facebook. com/comixology) and Madefire (www.madefire.com).

Working in youth programing since he was in high school, Israel has seen first hand the importance of helping children see their potential. He created the DreamKidz Love (www. dreamkidz.

series as a way to infuse young readers with self-worth and selfconfidence.

S p o r t s Heroes, his other creatoro w n e d proj ect, shares the motivational Israel Idonije stories of the larger-than-life athletes we all know and love. It’s important to Israel to be a positive influence in the world by lifting and building others. One of the many ways he does this is to offer inspiring, uniting and entertaining stories.  com)

www.amazon.com/Israel-Idonije/e/B06WLLYKV9/

I Love Series 153  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

BBA Master Planner November, 2017 Black Business Day Procurement and Award Summit

awards dinner highlights the achievements of African American entrepreneurs and the government agencies and corporate entities that provide support for African American businesses. For particiation and sponsorship information visit www.bbala. org and call 1-323-291-9334. 

Government and Corporate Contracting Procurement Summit in recognition of the MBDAs Minority Enterpriise Development (MED) week (https:// medweek.mbda.gov/) Nov 14th at L.A. Southwest College. Interface with contractors from the pub- Annual Salute to Black Women lic and private sectors. Event includes one-on-one Business Conference, Vendor matchmaking sessions, exhibits, workshops, net- Faire & Awards Luncheon working opportunities and an awards luncheon.

In recognition of National Women’s History For general particiation and matchmaking inforMonth, this conference highlights the achievemation visit www.bbala.org and call 1-323-291ments of African American women entrepreneurs, 9334.  along with workshop, including a workshop designed especially for young ladies between 13 and Financial Workshop 18 years of age, entitled “Role Models for SucConducted in collaboration with financial corporate cess.” This conference also provides the opporpartners of the BBA to identify loan opportunities tunity for vendors to promote and sell their goods for African American-owned business enterprises. and services in the Vendor Faire. A favorite feaFor general particiation and information visit www. ture of the annual Salute is the African American bbala.org and call 1-323-291-9334.  Dessert Buffet. For particiation and sponsorship information visit www.bbala.org and call 1-323291-9334. 

March 2018

2017-2018

Financial Literacy Training & Workshops

April 2018

Local banking and financial institutions in col- All About Supplier Diversity laboration with the BBA provide financial literacy Certification training for its members and aspiring Youth Entre- Business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs learn preneurs. For general particiation and information about supplier diversity certifications, which certifivisit www.bbala.org and call 1-323-291-9334.  cations they are eligible for, how to apply; and how to leverage certifications for contracting opportunities. This workshop is conducted in collaboration with Thomas & Webster. For particiation and sponsorship information visit www.bbala.org and Black History Month Annual call 1-323-291-9334. 

February 2018

Awards Dinner & Celebration In recognition of Black History Month, the annual 154  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Resource Vault Media/Information Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content Agency in Africa -- www.africa-interactive.com Africa is a Country -- www.africasacountry.com Africa News & Stories -- http://africatodaytv.com Africa Newsroom -- www.africa-newsroom.com Africa World Now Project -- www.africaworldnowproject.org Africa World Press Books -- www.africaworldpressbooks.com African Trade Magazine -- www.africantrademagazine. com African Vibes Magazine -- www.africanvibes.com The Africapitalist -- www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/ africapitalisminstitute/africapitalist-magazine AfricaFocus -- www.africafocus.org Africast TV -- www.africast.tv The African World -- www.theafricanworld.tv Afritorial -- www.afritorial.com www.facebook.com/Afritorial AllAfrica (news) -- http://allafrica.com Black Wall Street Times -- http://bwstimes.com Black Business News Group -- www.blackbusinessnews.net Black Children's Books and Authors -- http://blackchildrensbooksandauthors.tumblr.com BlackPast.org -- www.blackpost.org Black Press USA -- www.blackpressusa.com Black Then -- https://blackthen.com Blavity Inc. -- www.blavity.com BridesNoir -- www.bridesnoir.com The Chocolate Voice -- www.thechocolatevoice.com CuisineNoir -- www.cuisinenoirmag.com DiasporaVoice -- www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice How Africa, The Rise of Africa -- http://howafrica.com KweliTV -- www.facebook.com/kwelitv Macauhub -- www.facebook.com/Macauhub Publish Africa -- http://wow.gm/publishafrica Rock Me Africa -- //rockmeafrica.com YouTube Educational Channels -- http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know United Nations -- http://webtv.un.org World Library -- www.worldlibrary.org

Organizations African Leadership Forum -- http://afrialeadership.org African Union -- www.au.int/en Black Business Association -- www.bbala.org Black Emergency Managers Association International -- www.blackemergmanagersassociation.org CauseCast -- www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonprofits.com Community Healing Network -- www. communityhealingnet.org Pan African Film Festival -- www.paff.org United African Organization -- http://uniteafricans.org Zambia-USA Chamber of Commerce -- www.zambiausachamber.org

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

U.S. Government Commerce Department -- www.doc.gov International Trade Administration -- http://trade.gov Minority Business Development Agency -- www.mbda. gov Power Africa -- www.usaid.gov/powerafrica Small Business Administration -- www.sba.gov State Department -- www.dos.gov Trade Africa -- www.usaid.gov/tradeafrica White House -- www.whitehouse.gov

Culture/Arts Cultural Events/Content -- www.okayafrica.com Hungry Black Man -- https://thehungryblackman.com Shadow & Act -- //shadowandact.com/about-us

Commerce/Entrepreneurship African Success Stories -- www.risingafrica.org #IAMWANDA -- www.facebook.com/IamWANDAorg Nigeria (Africa) financial news -- //nairametrics.com She Leads Africa -- http://sheleadsafrica.org

155  October 2017  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819