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Black Business Month Final Edition

Publisher's Message “NATIONAL BLACK BUSINESS MONTH”

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ugust is National Black Business Month.

Although we should support black businesses all year, the month of August has been set aside to lift up the men and women that have successfully created and sustained black owned Pubisher/Editor-In-Chief businesses. The National Black Business Month concept was created by Frederick E. Jordan and William Templeton (https://blackbusinessmonth.com).

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

for contracts successfully and to service contracts successfully when they win. We judge ourselves to have been successful since our founding over 40 years ago.

While the economic structure of our national economy is continuing to shift from factories to fractals, as an organization we are still offering information and assistance to keep our business community knowledgeable and flexible in the e-commerce universe.

Let us all continue to make good use of the special months that focus on aspects of the black-community in the USA: Black History Month (February), Black Music Month (June) and Black Business Month (August). The BBA celebrates Black Women with our "Salute to Black Women" during Women's History Month in March of each year.

The Afrochampions Initiative

I h i ti th t have h b ti in There are organizations that been operating the USA since the early days of Africans in America.

All have promoted and worked on the concept of cooperative support of our interests as a people. The economic aspect of our communities is represented by consumers, employees and business owners.

With contributions from all of the civic, social, political and economic organizations that strive on our behalf we have grown into a $trillion economy, an effective voting bloc, and a people providing thought leaders and activists moving this nation closer and closer to the ideal of a "perfect union."

The Black Business Association and its communication organ, the Black Business News, focus on the workings of our community from the economic perspective. We have campaigned for opportunities for our business owners to compete more equitably for corporate and government contracts, worked to open doors to commercial and government financing for black-owned businesses, and offer training to business owners and their staffs to apply

n keeping with the economic themes of this message, I must call your attention to the special report on the developing economic endeavor on the African continent (see page 100). This initiative also opens opportunities for businesses of the African Diaspora to be part of the newest (and the largest) trade zone in the world.

The AfroChampions Initiative is a set of innovative public-private partnerships and flagship programs designed to galvanize African resources and institutions to support the emergence and success of African private sector multinational champions in the regional and global spheres.

The AfroChampions Initiative has formally launched a private sector investment framework to secure financing for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The objective is to mobilize the private

sector, in Africa and beyond, through a dedicated blended-finance vehicle to accelerate the continent’s economic integration, by rapidly deploying those

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infrastructure projects which are critical to successfully delivering the AfCFTA (https://au.int/en/cfta) and making it a positive transformation for Africans.

Watch developments within the AfCFTA and the Afrochampions Initiative to find your business growth opportunity.

When Culture and Business Collide

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

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he Black Business Association and the Black Business News teams extend our congratulations and appreciation to the culture/business team that founded and maintained the Motown company. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of Motown and the culture-changing force of the "Motown Sound."

Look for the documentary on Motown (Hitsville: The Making of Motown) available on Showtime and the soundtrack album that will be coming out soon. There will be more public celebrations of the Motown legacy throughout September across the nation. Join in wherever you can and support the celebration of African American business acumen and cultural genius. Read about the Hitsville documentary on page 79.

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 Bene Uche Linda Ware Ralph D. Sutton Daniella Materson Giavanna Foster P. Yvette Thomas Aman Williams LaSandra Stratton

GRAPHIC DESIGN

New Business Opportunity on the Horizon

Sarah Harris Tia RobinsonGRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Harris Tia Robinson

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ll of the business owners reading this issue of the Black Business News engaged in conducting a "serious" e-commerce business should take the time to review the article on page 49. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, the leading platform for global wholesale trade, will now allow small businesses in the United States to sell on Alibaba.com. Previously, U.S.-based businesses were only able to buy items on Alibaba. com. This plan will open up markets to U.S. merchants in countries including India, Brazil and Canada. U.S. merchants will also be able to sell to other U.S.-based businesses.

U.S. sellers will have to pay a membership fee of roughly $2,000 to get their online stores on Alibaba.com up and running, in addition to any marketing and advertising costs. “You get to compete and act like a multinational company in a way you’ve never had the tools or technology to be able to do so,” John Caplan, head of North America B2B at Alibaba Group. Check out the opportunity. Another barrier to 'ecommerce' success is coming down.

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he BBN team invites you to peruse this issue and hopes that we have included some news and information that will be of benefit to your business development and life enjoyment. We welcome your comments and look forward to hearing from you. 

STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg Jennifer Marie Hamilton

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx Sabir Narishima Osei

CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR La Sandra Stratton

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications Copyright © 2019

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. 

www.bbala.org 3  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Cover image: urbanviewsweekly.com

About

ABOUT THE BLACK BUSINESS NEWS GROUP‌ 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 aecting small businesses across the United States of America (USA), providing guides to greater access to ďŹ nancial capital, management eďŹƒciencies, 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.

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

•

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

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or providing an aďŹƒrmative inuence for nemerging entrepreneurs by sharing inal novative design and creative cultural content that exposes them to the his-tory of black enterprises and urgess them to participate in the USA’s fu-ture.

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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.

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Contents

Black Business News…August 2019 2

Publisher's Message

Government 6 7 8 10

22 24

25

The Trump Administration Is Moving to End Food Stamps for 3 Million People University of Glasgow Agrees to Pay £20 Million in Reparations to the University of the West Indies Presidential Candidates Court Black Voters at NAACP Convention Black Ex-Obama Administration Officials Decry Trump’s ‘Go Back’ Remark In Op-Ed The Racist History of Tipping The Pentagon is Testing Powerful Mass-Surveillance Balloons above Six US States 35 Black News Channel

Entertainment 28

BBN Show Biz Buzz

Editorials/Perspectives 14 70 74

Statement of Barack Obama in the Wake of Recent Shootings Embracing the Courageous Four; Radically Reconceiving and Reconstructing America America’s Democracy Facing Multiple Threats

Business 33 34 36 38 41 42 44 46

Jay-Z and Will Smith Invest In Airbnb-Like Camping App How To Brainstorm Like A Googler Lynnwood Bibbens’ Plans to Take Reach TV to New Heights The Best Algorithms Still Struggle to Recognize Black Faces 6 Steps to a Greener Office Basic Structure of a Business Plan Can You Build a Million-Dollar Business Starting With Just $100 on Fiverr? Here's a Plan to Do Just That.

How to Turn a Negative into a Thriving

49 50 52 54 56 58 62

Business Alibaba Opens to Sellers in the U.S. '5G' Will Unleash the Next Communications Generation Empower the Human+ Worker Meet The Founder of The World’s First Black-Owned Cruise Experience The Black Billionaires 2019 Will Libra be the Killer App of Digital Money?

Major Universities are Offering Cannabis Degree Programs

Community/Public Interest 79 80 83 84

'Hitsville' Documentary Premieres on Showtime HRH The Duchess of Sussex Interviews Michelle Obama for British Vogue Dr. Jane C. Wright, Pioneer Foundation Consortium Acquires Historic African American Photographic Archive

Obituary/Memorials 87 88 89

Mogadishu Mayor Dies of Wounds Following al-Shabaab Attack Art Neville, member of Neville Brothers, Meters, dies at 81 Toni Morrison, ‘Beloved’ Author and Nobel Laureate, Dies at 88

International 95

Ethiopia Breaks World Record by Planting 350 Million Trees in One Day 98 Mozambique Leader to Ink Formal Peace Deal with Renamo 100 The Afrochampions Initiative 104 KFC's Secret Recipe for Africa 105 African Leaders at G7

Columns 64 97

113 171 176 178

Take A Look!

African Stock Exchanges Shopping Gallery Books to Consider...

BBA 2019 Master Planner Resource Vault

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36

Government - Food Stamp Cutback

The Trump Administration Is Moving to End Food Stamps for 3 Million People By editors@time.com

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he Trump administration is moving to end food stamp benefits for 3 million people with proposed new regulations curtailing the leeway of states to automatically enroll residents who receive welfare benefits.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said state governments “have misused this flexibility.”

“We are changing the rules, preventing abuse of a critical safety net system, so those who need food assistance the most are the only ones who receive it,” he added.

Conservatives have long sought cuts in the federal food assistance program for the poor and disabled.

House Republicans tried to impose similar restrictions on the food stamp program last year when Congress renewed it but were rebuffed in the Senate.

The proposed change in rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — often called by its former name, food stamps — would deliver on the goal as the administration has agreed to a deal to lift caps on federal spending.

Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the Agriculture Department’s action “is yet another attempt by this administration to circumvent Congress and make harmful changes to nutrition assistance that have been repeatedly rejected on a bipartisan basis.”

“This rule would take food away from families, prevent children from getting school meals, and make it harder for states to administer food assistance,” the Michigan senator added.

Income Cap The Trump administration rule would rein in states’ ability to enroll recipients earning more than 130% of the federal poverty guidelines — in most cases capping eligibility to an annual income of $32,640 for a family of four.

Forty states and the District of Columbia currently use alternative eligibility c r i t e r i a that allow participants in some federally funded welfare programs to automatically receive food stamps as long as their income is less than double the poverty level.

Brandon Lipps, an acting deputy undersecretary in the Agriculture Department, told reporters in a conference call previewing the regulatory changes that in some cases states enroll residents for food stamps even though they are receiving federal welfare benefits of minimal value — including brochures.

The proposed regulations, to be released Tuesday (August 24, 2-19), would only allow automatic enrollment of people who receive welfare benefits worth at least $50 a month on an ongoing basis for at least six months. Other than cash, the only welfare benefits that would qualify are subsidized employment, work supports such as transportation, and child care, Lipps said.

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University of Glasgow Agrees to Pay £20 Million in Reparations to the University of the West Indies

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he University of Glasgow (www.gla.ac.uk)

in Scotland has agreed to pay £20 million in reparations to the University of the West Indies (www.uwi.edu).

Glasgow University received millions of pounds in grants from Sir Hilary Beckles British slave owners throughout the 19th century. The sum of £20 million was the amount paid to slave owners as reparations by the British government when it abolished slavery in 1834. Sir Hilary Beckles, UWI’s vice chancellor, said in a press release that Glasgow University recognized that it can not be excellent if it isn’t ethical. The agreement marks the first time a slavery-enriched European institution has apologized for its part in slavery and committed to reparation funds.

The money will be used to establish a jointly-owned and managed research institution, the GlasgowThe proposed restrictions would eliminate food stamps for 3 million people at an average annual savings of $2.5 billion, Lipps said. A final regulation will be issued after a 60-day public comment period.

As of April, 36 million Americans received food stamps, with an average monthly benefit of $121 per person, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Enrollment has declined as the economy has improved and was down 2.5 million from a year earlier.

The federal government pays the cost of food stamp benefits. But states administer the program and determine eligibility of applicants, with the state and federal government splitting administrative costs.

Cutting back automatic enrollment would have a substantial effect, mostly hitting recipients who receive

University of the West Indies Caribbean Centre for Development Research. The two institutions plan to find solutions to Caribbean development problems in areas such as medicine and public health, economics, and economic growth, cultural identity and cultural industries, and other 21st century orientations in Caribbean transformation.

The center will conduct policy research in science, technology, society and economy, and education and advocacy that seek to repair what Beckles said was the “debilitating consequences of slavery and colonization that continue to hold back Caribbean development” The new center will be formally established on both campuses in September.  www.jbhe.com/2019/08/university-of-glasgow-agrees-to-pay-20million-in-reparations-to-the-university-of-the-west-indies Image credits: panoramio.com

lower monthly benefits and disproportionately effecting working families with children trying to climb out of poverty, Elaine Waxman, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute said in testimony last month to a House Agriculture subcommittee.

“We particularly worry about food-insecure households with kids and adolescents,” Waxman said. “Food insecure children have higher rates of fair and poor health, have higher rates of hospitalization, increased risk of asthma, and delays in cognitive developments.  https://time.com/5632313/trump-food-stamps-newregulations/ Image credits: health.wusf.usf.edu, wtax.com

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Government - Presidential Campaign

Presidential Candidates Court Black Voters at NAACP Convention

By Kathleen Gray

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s 10 presidential candidates took to the stage at the annual NAACP convention in Detroit on Wednesday, July xxth, a different version of the organization's mantra — "When we Fight, We Win" — seemed especially relevant.

"Our mission: We cannot have a black person sit at home on election day because we know that we fight with our vote," U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, told the thousands of people gathered at the convention. "When we vote, we win."

The 10 candidates appearing Wednesday all spoke of issues important to the African-American crowd, repeatedly saying that complacency in 2020 is not an option.

They spoke of topics ranging from reparations for descendants of slaves to housing and income inequality, criminal justice reform and civil rights.

The Democrats who appeared: U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kamala Harris of California; former Vice President Joe Biden; former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas; Julian Castro, former Secretary of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Also appearing: Republican Bill Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts.

The African American vote remains critical in 2020.

And that's certainly true in Detroit, where African Americans represent 82% of the city's population and voter turnout can make or break a candidate.

Consider the drop-off from the 2012 election, when President Barack Obama easily won Detroit with 97% of the vote over Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. By 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton also easily beat Republican Donald Trump in the Motor City with 95% of the vote, but 42,598 fewer Detroit voters cast ballots for president than in 2012.

Trump's margin of victory in Michigan was a mere 10,704 votes.

"There was just apathy and distrust in the system in 2016," said Detroit political consultant Steve Hood.

"I remember election day in 2016. I was talking to a young woman at the gas station, who said she wasn’t

going to vote because she said it wouldn't count and the Electoral College was going to decide everything anyway."

While Detroiters could connect with and turn out for candidates like Bill Clinton and Obama, the 2016 race was lackluster, said Detroit political consultant Mario Morrow.

"We went from a very motivated electorate with an African American running for the highest seat in the land and then Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were battling out and people got bored," he said. "Folks said, 'Let’s just go back to the normal process and not vote.'"

So the message from speaker after speaker during the 110th NAACP convention this week was the need for voter enthusiasm, engagement and most importantly, a promise to vote in 2020 in order to avoid a repeat of the 2016 election when Trump scored a surprise victory fueled by three Midwest states — Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — narrowly flipping from blue to red.

"The way we get counted is we show up at the polls next November," said U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township. "The same forces that don't want us to get counted for the Census don’t want us to get counted on election day. But when we turn out in numbers that no one has seen before, we will prove loud and clear that the forces of righteousness will prevail."

It was a point that the current day candidates tried to drive home during the presidential forum Wednesday.

They talked of plans to revitalize urban communities, reform the criminal justice system and invest in education and support increased opportunities for black business owners.

• U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, talked about her plan to build 3.2 million units of affordable housing and set aside some of those homes for communities that had been disproportionately affected by redlining. "And we'll provide first-time buyer assistance and get more African Americans into home ownership."

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• South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has been plagued by problems between police and the black community in Indiana, said he would ensure that the U.S. Department of Justice would support and assist communities with police accountability. "We have learned the hard way that if you take a racist policy and replace it with a neutral one, it’s not enough."

• U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, said that candidates can't just come to urban communities and think they can get the black vote. "We’ve got to have leaders who don’t just come and ask for our vote, but know our comm unities."

• Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas said he was committed to addressing the disparity in funding for education in urban communities, "and invest in minority serving institutions, to train the next generation of teachers."

• Julian Castro, the former secretary of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, talked about police reforms, like stopping the federal practice of giving excess military equipment to police departments, ending stop and frisk policies and police enforcing discipline in schools. "If you’re a young black man you’re treated differently by police."

• Asked whether they support reparations for slavery, both U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, said they support a plan put forth by U.S. Sen. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina to put significant investments in impoverished communities. "I worry that they'll write a $20,000 check and then not have to worry about anything anymore," Sanders said.

• Former Vice President Joe Biden, who got some of the most sustained applause from the audience,

said his record on civil rights is strong and should be a given since his friend President Barack Obama chose him as his vice president. "They did a significant background check on me — he wouldn’t have picked me if I was wrong on civil rights."

• U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California talked about marijuana legislation she has proposed that would help African Americans who have been charged with low-level marijuana crimes, saying, "Those young men and women who were selling on the street are being excluded from this industry. They should be first in line to get those jobs."

And while virtually all the candidates decried the rhetoric coming out of the White House, Bill Weld, the former Massachusetts governor who is running as a Republican, was perhaps the hardest on Trump.

"Donald Trump is a raging racist and he made that choice a long time ago ... He is the most vivid example of a scofflaw and one man crime wave," he said. "We can send a two word message to Donald Trump as he packs his golf clubs: You’re fired."

The candidates came on the NAACP stage one-by-one and were questioned by TV reporter April Ryan. So they didn't have a chance to take shots at each other.

Watch NAACP Event Again Presidential Candidates Forum: https:// livestream.com/digitalconventions/events/8736778/ videos/194136011 110th NAACP Convention Recap: www.youtube. com/watch?v=qtoiAizlKIg&feature=youtu.be  www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/when-we-vote-we-winpresidential-candidates-court-black-voters-at-naacp-convention/ ar-AAEO4Gz?ocid=spartanntp Image credits: newpittsburghcourieronline.com, flipboard.com, detroitnews.com, vox.com, flipboard.com, woodtv.com, mediaite. com, naacp.org

9  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Government - Protest Statements

149 Black Ex-Obama Administration Officials Decry Trump’s ‘Go Back’ Remark In Op-Ed

By Kimberley Richards

Barack Obama, Former President

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early 150 black former staffers from the Obama administration signed a letter condemning President Donald Trump’s recent racist “go back” remark aimed at four congresswomen of color ― and got a word of support from the former president himself.

The op-ed, published in The Washington Post on Friday, July 26th (www.washingtonpost.com), was cosigned by 149 people who served in a wide range of White House and agency roles in President Barack Obama’s administration and authored by Clarence J. Fluker, Charmion N. Kinder, Jesse Moore and Khalilah M. Harris.

The letter addresses Trump’s rant on Twitter earlier this month in which he directed Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of

Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

Although the president didn’t name his targets in the tweet, he was widely condemned for reinforcing a common racist and xenophobic trope used against people of color.

Days later, his supporters chanted “Send her back!” at a North Carolina rally after Trump ramped up attacks on Omar, a black Muslim American congresswoman originally from Somalia who came to the U.S. as a child.

“We’ve heard this before. Go back where you came from. Go back to Africa. And now, ‘send her back,’” the op-ed read, continuing: “Black and brown people in America don’t hear these chants in a vacuum; for many of us, we’ve felt their full force being shouted in our faces, whispered behind our backs, scrawled across lockers, or hurled at us online.

They are part of a pattern in our country designed to denigrate us as well as keep us separate and afraid.”

Obama tweeted out the op-ed on Saturday afternoon in a show of support for his staffers, saying that he’s “proud of how they’re continuing to fight for an America that’s better.”

The letter continued, “As 149 African Americans who served in the last administration, we witnessed firsthand the relentless attacks on the legitimacy of President Barack Obama and his family from our frontrow seats to America’s first black presidency.”

Among the letter’s co-signers is Valerie Jarrett, Obama’s former senior adviser. Jarrett was notably the subject of a racist and Islamophobic tweet by disgraced comedian Roseanne Barr comparing Jarrett to the “Planet of the Apes.”

During a town hall discussion in May of last year, Jarrett addressed the comments by Barr, a vocal Trump supporter, by noting “tone does start at the top.”

“We like to look up to our president, and feel as though he reflects the values of our country,” she said at the time. “But I also think every individual citizen has see page 12

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e’ve heard this before. Go back where you came from. Go back to Africa. And now, “send her back.” Black and brown people in America don’t hear these chants in a vacuum; for many of us, we’ve felt their full force being shouted in our faces, whispered behind our backs, scrawled across lockers, or hurled at us online. They are part of a pattern in our country designed to denigrate us as well as keep us separate and afraid.

As 149 African Americans who served in the last administration, we witnessed firsthand the relentless attacks on the legitimacy of President Barack Obama and his family from our frontrow seats to America’s first black presidency. Witnessing racism surge in our country, both during and after Obama’s service and ours, has been a shattering reality, to say the least. But it has also provided jet-fuel for our activism, especially in moments such as these.

We stand with congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, as well as all those currently under attack by President Trump, along with his supporters and his enablers, who feel deputized to decide who belongs here — and who does not. There is truly nothing more un-American than calling on fellow citizens to leave our country — by citing their immigrant roots, or ancestry, or their unwillingness to sit in quiet obedience while democracy is being undermined.

We are proud descendants of immigrants, refugees and the enslaved Africans who built this country while enduring the horrors of its original sin. We stand on the soil they tilled, and march in the streets they helped to pave. We are red-blooded Americans, we are patriots, and we have plenty to say about the direction this country is headed. We decry voter suppression. We demand equitable access to health care, housing, quality schools and employment. We welcome new Americans with dignity and open arms. And we will never stop fighting for the overhaul of a criminaljustice system with racist foundations.

We come from Minnesota and Michigan. The Bronx and Baton Rouge. Florida and Philadelphia.

Cleveland and the Carolinas. Atlanta and Nevada. Oak-town and the Chi. We understand our role in this democracy, and respect the promise of a nation built by, for and of immigrants. We are part of that tradition, and have the strength to both respect our ancestors from faraway lands and the country we all call home.

Our love of country lives in these demands, and our commitment to use our voices and our energy to build a more perfect union. We refuse to sit idly by as racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia are wielded by the president and any elected official complicit in the poisoning of our democracy. We call on local, state and congressional officials, as well as presidential candidates to articulate their policies and strategies for moving us forward as a strong democracy, through a racial-equity lens that prioritizes people over profit. We will continue to support candidates for local, state and federal office who add more diverse representation to the dialogue and those who understand the importance of such diversity when policymaking here in our country and around the world. We ask all Americans to be a good neighbor by demonstrating anti-racist, environmentally friendly, and inclusive behavior toward everyone in your everyday interactions.

The statesman Frederick Douglass warned, “The life of a nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous.” This nation has neither grappled with nor healed from the horrors of its origins. It is time to advance that healing process now through our justice, economic, health and political systems.

Expect to hear more from us. We plan to leave this country better than we found it. This is our home.  www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-we-are-african-americans-we-are-patriots-and-we-refuse-to-sit-idly-by/ ar-AAEVYu9

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Government - Protest Statements

U.S. Reps Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) hold a news conference after Democrats in the U.S. Congress moved to formally condemn President Donald Trump's attacks on the four minority congresswomen on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S.. REUTERS/Erin Scott

from page 10 a responsibility too.”

The co-signers of the letter noted their support for the four freshman congresswoman often referred to as “the Squad.”

“We stand with congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, as well as all those currently under attack by President Trump, along with his supporters and his enablers, who feel deputized to decide who belongs here — and who does not,” the letter read.

It continued, “There is truly nothing more unAmerican than calling on fellow citizens to leave our country — by citing their immigrant roots, or ancestry, or their unwillingness to sit in quiet obedience while democracy is being undermined.”  www.huffpost.com/entry/obama-staffers-op-ed-go-backdonald-trump_n_5d3c8abde4b0ef792e0cf8d9

THE SIGNERS

Saba Abebe, former special assistant, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, Energy Department Tsehaynesh Abebe, former adviser, U.S. Agency for International Development

David Adeleye, former policy specialist, White House Bunmi Akinnusotu, former special assistant, Office of Land and Emergency Management, Environmental Protection Agency Trista Allen, former senior adviser to the regional administrator, General Services Administration Maria Anderson, former operations assistant, White House Karen Andre, former White House liaison, Department of Housing and Urban Development Caya Lewis Atkins, former counselor for science and public health, Department of Health and Human Services Roy L. Austin Jr., former deputy assistant to the president, White House Domestic Policy Council Kevin Bailey, former special assistant, White House; senior policy adviser, Treasury Department Jumoke Balogun, former adviser to the secretary, Labor Department Diana Banks, former deputy assistant secretary, Defense Department Desiree N. Barnes, former adviser to the press secretary, White House Kevin F. Beckford, former special adviser, Department of Housing and Urban Development Alaina Beverly, former associate director, Office of Urban Affairs, White House Saba Bireda, former senior counsel, Office for Civil Rights, Education Department Vincent H. Bish Jr., former special assistant to the assistant secretary of strategic program management, Department of Health and Human Services Michael Blake, former director for African American, minority and

12  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

women business enterprises and county and statewide elected officials, White House Tenicka Boyd, former special assistant, Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Education Department Tanya Bradsher, former assistant secretary for public affairs, Department of Homeland Security Stacey Brayboy, former chief of staff, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Agriculture Department Allyn Brooks-LaSure, former deputy associate administrator for external affairs, Environmental Protection Agency Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, former director of coverage policy, Office of Health Reform, Department of Health and Human Services Quincy K. Brown, former senior policy adviser, Office of Science and Technology Policy, White House Taylor Campbell, former director of correspondence systems innovation, White House Crystal Carson, former chief of staff to the director of communications, White House Genger Charles, former general deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Housing, Federal Housing Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development Glorie Chiza, former associate director, Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, White House Sarah Haile Coombs, special assistant, Department of Health and Human Services Michael Cox, former special assistant to the assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs, Commerce Department Adria Crutchfield, former director of external affairs, Federal Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, Department of Housing and Urban Development Joiselle Cunningham, former special adviser, Office of the Secretary, Education Department Charlotte Flemmings Curtis, former special adviser for White House initiatives, Corporation for National and Community Service Kareem Dale, former special assistant to the president for disability policy, White House Ashlee Davis, former White House liaison, Agriculture Department Marco A. Davis, former deputy director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics Russella L. Davis-Rogers, former chief of staff, Office of Strategic Partnerships, Department of Education Tequia Hicks Delgado, former senior adviser for congressional engagement and legislative relations, Office of Legislative Affairs, White House Kalisha Dessources Figures, former policy adviser, White House Council on Women and Girls Leek Deng, former special assistant, Bureau for Global Health, U.S. Agency for International Development Tene Dolphin, former chief of staff, Economic Development Administration, Commerce Department Monique Dorsainvil, former deputy chief of staff, Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, White House Joshua DuBois, former executive director, Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships; former special assistant to the president, White House Dru Ealons, former director, Office of Public Engagement, Environmental Protection Agency Rosemary Enobakhare, former deputy associate administrator for public engagement and environmental education, Environmental Protection Agency Karen Evans, former assistant director and policy adviser, Office of Cabinet Affairs, White House Clarence J. Fluker, former deputy associate director for national parks and youth engagement, White House Council on Environmental Quality

Heather Foster, former public engagement adviser and director of African American affairs, White House Kalina Francis, former special adviser, Office of Public Affairs, Treasury Department Matthew “Van” Buren Freeman, former senior adviser, Minority Business Development Agency, Commerce Department Cameron French, former deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development Jocelyn Frye, former deputy assistant to the president and director of policy and special projects for the first lady, White House Bernard Fulton, former deputy assistant secretary for congressional relations, Department of Housing and Urban Development Stephanie Gaither, former confidential assistant to the deputy director, Office of Management and Budget, White House Demetria A. Gallagher, former senior adviser for policy and inclusive innovation, Commerce Department Lateisha Garrett, former White House liaison, National Endowment for the Humanities W. Cyrus Garrett, former special adviser to the director of counternarcotics enforcement, Department of Homeland Security Bishop M. Garrison, former science and technology directorate adviser, Department of Homeland Security Lisa Gelobter, former chief digital service officer, Education Department A’shanti F. Gholar, former special assistant to the secretary, Labor Department Jay R. Gilliam, former special assistant, U.S. Agency for International Development Artealia Gilliard, former deputy assistant secretary for transportation policy, Transportation Department Brenda Girton-Mitchell, former director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Education Department Jason Green, former associate counsel and special assistant to the president, White House Corey Arnez Griffin, former associate director, Peace Corps Kyla F. Griffith, former special adviser to the secretary, Commerce Department Simone L. Hardeman-Jones, former deputy assistant secretary, Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs, Education Department Thamar Harrigan, former senior intergovernmental relations adviser, Department of Housing and Urban Development Dalen Harris, former director, Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison, Office of National Drug Control Policy, White House Khalilah M. Harris, former deputy director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans; former senior adviser, Office of Personnel Management Adam Hodge, former deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, Treasury Department Valerie Jarrett, former senior adviser, White House Will Yemi Jawando, former associate director, Office of Public Engagement, White House Karine Jean-Pierre, former northeast political director, Office of Political Affairs, White House A. Jenkins, former director, Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Commerce Department Adora Jenkins, former press secretary, Justice Department; former deputy associate administrator for external affairs, Environmental Protection Agency W. Nate Jenkins, former chief of staff and senior adviser to the budget director, Office of Management and Budget, White House David J. Johns, former executive director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans

13  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

see page 14

Government - Protest Statements

Statement of Barack Obama in the Wake of Recent Shootings

M

Barack Obama (@BarackObama) | Twitter

ichelle and I grieve with all the families in El Paso and Dayton who endured these latest mass shootings. Even if details are still emerging, there are a few things we already know to be true.

First, no other nation on Earth comes close to experiencing the frequency of mass shootings that we see in the United States. No other developed nation tolerates the levels of gun violence that we do. Every time this happens, we're told that tougher gun laws won't stop all murders; that they won't stop every deranged individual from getting a weapon and shooting innocent people in public places. But the evidence shows that they can stop some killings. They can save some families from heartbreak. We are not helpless here. And until all of us stand up and insist on holding public officials accountable for changing our gun laws, these tragedies will keep happening.

Second, while the motivations behind these shootings may not yet be fully known, there are indications that the El Paso shooting follows a dangerous trend: troubled individuals who embrace racist ideologies and see themselves obligated to act violently to preserve white supremacy. Like the followers of ISIS and other foreign terrorist organizations, these individuals may act alone, but they've been radicalized by white nationalist websites that proliferate on the internet. That means that both law enforcement agencies and internet platforms need to come up with better strategies to reduce the influence of these hate groups.

But just as important, all of us have to send a clarion call and behave with the values of tolerance and diversity that should be the hallmark of our democracy. We should soundly reject language coming out of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racist sentiments; leaders who demonize those who don't look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as sub-human, or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people. Such language isn't new - it's been at the root of most human tragedy throughout history, here in America and around the world. It is at the root of slavery and Jim Crow, the Holocaust, the genocide in Rwanda and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. It has no place in our politics and our public life. And it's time for the overwhelming majority of Americans of goodwill, of every race and faith and political party, to say as much - clearly and unequivocally.  from page 13 Brent Johnson, former special adviser to the secretary, Commerce Department Broderick Johnson, former White House assistant to the president and Cabinet secretary for My Brother’s Keeper Task Force Carmen Daniels Jones, former director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Agriculture Department Gregory K. Joseph II, former special assistant, Office of the Executive Secretariat, Energy Department Jamia Jowers, former special assistant, National Security Council Charmion N. Kinder, former associate, Press Office of the First Lady, White House; former assistant press secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development Elise Nelson Leary, former international affairs adviser, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Kimberlyn Leary, former adviser, White House Council on Women and Girls

Daniella Gibbs Léger, former special assistant to the president and director of message events, White House Georgette Lewis, former policy adviser, Department of Health and Human Services Kevin Lewis, former director of African American media, White House; former principal deputy director of public affairs, Justice Department Catherine E. Lhamon, former assistant secretary for civil rights, Education Department Tiffani Long, former special adviser, Economic Development Administration Latifa Lyles, former director, Women’s Bureau, Labor Department Brenda Mallory, former general counsel, White House Council on Environmental Quality Dominique Mann, former media affairs manager, White House Shelly Marc, former policy adviser, Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, White House

14  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

see page 15

White House Alexander Sewell, former special assistant, Export-Import Bank Michael Smith, former special assistant to the president and senior director of Cabinet affairs for My Brother’s Keeper, White House Russell F. Smith, former deputy assistant secretary for international fisheries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce Department Jackeline Stewart, former press secretary, General Services Administration Angela Tennison, former leadership Michelle and Barack Obama, Former First Laday and Former President development director, Education Department Tyra A. Mariani, former chief of staff to the deputy secretary, Kenny Thompson Jr., former special assistant to the president and director of message events to the vice president, White House Education Department Lawrence Mason III, former domestic policy analyst, Office of Ivory A. Toldson, former executive director, White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities Presidential Correspondence, White House Dexter L. McCoy, former special assistant, Office of the Secretary, Fred Tombar, former senior adviser to the secretary for disaster recovery, Department of Housing and Urban Development Education Department Matthew McGuire, former U.S. executive director, The World Bank Christopher R. Upperman, former assistant administrator for public engagement, Small Business Administration Group Malik Walker, former senior adviser for congressional and Tyrik McKeiver, former senior adviser, State Department Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, former assistant to the administrator, legislative affairs, Office of Personnel Management Jason R.L. Wallace, former director of scheduling and advance, U.S. Agency for International Development Solianna Meaza, former special assistant to associate Department of Housing and Urban Development Myesha Ward, former assistant U.S. trade representative for administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development Mahlet Mesfin, former assistant director for international science intergovernmental affairs and public engagement and technology, Office of Science and Technology Policy, White Clarence Wardell III, former presidential innovation fellow Benjamin E. Webb, former executive director of policy and planning, House Ricardo Michel, former director, Center for Transformational Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security Partnerships, U.S. Agency for International Development Global C’Reda J. Weeden, former executive secretary, Department of Health and Human Services Development Lab Paul Monteiro, former associate director, Office of Public Tonia Wellons, former associate director, Office of Strategic Partnerships, Peace Corps Engagement, White House Jesse Moore, former associate director, Office of Public Antonio White, former senior adviser, Treasury Department Monae White, former special projects manager, Education Engagement, White House Shannon Myricks, former specialist, Office of Management and Department Aketa Marie Williams, former director of strategic communications, Administration Information Services, White House Melanie Newman, former director of public affairs, Justice Office of the Undersecretary, Education Department Jonta Williams, former adviser to the assistant administrator for Department Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development Fatima Noor, former policy assistant, Domestic Policy Council Bianca Oden, former deputy chief of staff, Agriculture Department Jessica Wilson, former special assistant, Office of Policy, Funmi Olorunnipa, former ethics counsel, White House Counsel’s Department of Homeland Security Taj Wilson, former deputy associate counsel, White House Office Candace Wint, former director of advance, Department of Housing Elizabeth Ogunwo, former White House liaison, Peace Corps Stephanie Sprow Owens, former deputy director, Reach Higher, and Urban Development Brent C. Woolfork, former managing director, Overseas Private Education Department Denise L. Pease, former regional administrator of the northeast Investment Corporation Tarrah Cooper Wright, former special assistant to the secretary, and Caribbean region, General Services Administration Danielle Perry, former special adviser to the assistant secretary, Department of Homeland Security Ursula Wright, former associate assistant deputy secretary, Agriculture Department Allison C. Pulliam, former special assistant, Office of Presidential Education Department Carl Young, former adviser and assistant, Office of Management Personnel, White House Colby Redmond, former advance specialist, Office of the and Budget, White House Stephanie Young, former senior adviser, Office of Public Secretary, Commerce Department Derrick Robinson, former researcher, Office of Communications, Engagement, White House David N. Zikusoka, former senior adviser for weapons of mass White House Lynn M. Ross, former deputy assistant secretary for policy destruction and nonproliferation, Office of the Vice President, White development, Department of Housing and Urban Development House  Sarah Rutherford, former press and media operations assistant, 15  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Government - International Trade

MCC Part 2 - Strategies for Success with Millennium Challenge Corp: The Procurement Process Knowing and understanding the procurement process is vitally important to your success in working with the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Working with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) can reduce your risk if your company wants to work on a project in one of their partner countries. Successful bidders on MCC-funded projects are paid directly from the U.S. Treasury (in U.S. dollars in a timely manner). The MCC procurement process also emphasizes “best value” taking into account references, technical quality and past performance – which means that the lowest cost bidder does not automatically win. MCC partners with countries that are poor but well-governed and seeks to work with more quality companies that have a track record of achieving success at a similar scale.

Join us for the next session in our virtual MCC bootcamp highlighting strategies for success with MCC. Part 2 of this series will focus on program procurement. Participants will learn about the life-cycle of a compact, what to do AND what not to do when bidding along with notices of how to set up a one-one-one meetings with MCC at the upcoming Discover Global Market event.

Part 2 of 3 Strategies for Success with Millennium Challenge Corp: The Procurement Process Date: August 13, 2019 11:00am ET Cost: $40 Register: https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/event/editWebReg.do?SmartCode=9QJ9 Questions? Matt.baker@trade.gov Missed our first session? Register here to get the materials for Part 1 https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/event/editWebReg.do?SmartCode=9QHP or Register for the full 3-part series $100 https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/event/editWebReg.do?SmartCode=9QHN Bobby Hines, International Trade Specialist 1-213-894-4231 or bobby.hines@trade.gov Los Angeles DownTown | U.S.D.O.C. | International Trade Administration www.trade.gov or www.export.gov Virtually Trade Show: Apparel/Textile/SportingGoods https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/newRegistration.jsp?SmartCode=8Z0C Register with the Office of Textile & Apparel - Made In The USA Database https://otexa.trade.gov/growamerica/madeinusa.htm Czech Republic World of Beauty & Spa Catalogue Show – Sept 26 – 28 Contact: Veronika.novakova@trade.gov Tell Us About You at: https://2016.export.gov/california/losangelesdowntown/

Government - International Trade

USDA is Accepting Applications for a Trade Mission to West Africa October 28-31, 2019

T

he U.S. Department of Agriculture will lead a trade mission to Accra, Ghana, October 2831, seeking to unlock new export opportunities in several West African countries where strong economic growth is driving demand for imported food and farm products.

The mission supports the Administration’s Prosper Africa initiative (www.trade.gov/prosperafrica), which seeks to strengthen the United States’ commercial ties and foster fair and reciprocal trade with countries in Africa.

Local staff from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service will arrange meetings between trade mission delegates and potential customers from Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal, helping lay the foundation for long-lasting business relationships. In addition, in-depth economic and policy briefings and local site visits will help participants better understand the opportunities and challenges of exporting to West African countries.

Application deadline is: August 2, 2019 Please click here for more information: www.fas.usda.gov/topics/west-africa-october-2019 Bobby Hines, International Trade Specialist 1-213-894-4231 or bobby.hines@trade.gov Los Angeles DownTown | U.S.D.O.C. | International Trade Administration www.trade.gov or www.export.gov Target Country

2018 U.S. Agricultural Exports

2018 U.S. Market Share

Top Prospects for U.S. Exporters

Côte d’Ivoire

$24.3 million

1%

Beef, condiments and sauces, distilled spirits, fresh and processed produce, soybean meal, seafood, wheat, wine

Ghana

$82.6 million

4%

Beef, dairy products, distilled spirits, forest products, prepared food, poultry, rice, seafood, wheat

Nigeria

$308.1 million

11%

Condiments and sauces, corn, prepared foods, soybeans, wheat, wine and beer

Senegal

$11.4 million

<1%

Feeds and fodders, planting seeds, prepared foods, soybean oil, sweeteners and beverage bases

17  A August 20 2019 19  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Join the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Houston District Export Council for D iscoverr Globall Markets:: Poweringg & Buildingg thee Middlee Eastt & Africa.. Seize the opportunity to network with interna onal execu ves, business development and marke ng professionals, engineers, project owners, developers, and government officials. Walk away with the knowledge it takes to compete globally and transform market poten al to market success.

Meet One-on-One with U.S. Commercial Diplomats, Foreign Buyer, and U.S. Project Owners Whether you’re looking for your next interna onal deal, finding a new partner, seeking advice in overcoming challenges, or want the latest market intelligence, this conference provides the unique opportunity to self-schedule mee ngs with representa ves from key markets including: Algeria, Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and the West Bank.

Explore Opportuni es in the Middle East & Africa Learn about the importance of expanding and growing your business throughout the Middle East and Africa, how to build the right partnerships needed to win business, and hear about regional trends and market demand across various sub-sectors such as oil & gas, renewable energy, electricity infrastructure, engineering, construc on and transporta on.

Register Now! h p:// ny.cc/DGMMEA

Date: Sept. 30—Oct. 2, 2019

Loca on: Hya Regency Houston 1200 Louisiana Street Houston, Texas 77002

Cost: $495 through August 2 $645 a er August 2 (funding for small businesses may be available through your state)

For more informa on, please contact: ZĂĐŚŝĚ ^ĂLJŽƵƚLJ ƌĂĐŚŝĚ͘ƐĂLJŽƵƚLJ@trade.gov (ϮϭϯͿϴϵϰͲϰϬϮϮ

What to Expect x x x x x

Discuss procurement needs directly with foreign buyers and government decision makers Gain insight on geopoli cal and economic issues in the region Hear from experts on how cri cal issues including standards, project financing, and intellectual property rights impact your business Receive guidance on trade barriers and market access issues Leverage U.S. Government trade contacts to support your global sales

In partnership with

Join the Conversa on! #DiscoverGlobalMarkets

Visit Our Website: h ps://live.even a.com/en/middleeastafrica/Home

18  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

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In collaboration with Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, the Small Business Administration (SBA); Southern California Gas Company, Southern California Edison, and the California Council for Veteran Affairs, Inc.; the Black Business Association (BBA) will present its 2019 Veterans Procurement & Business Conference.

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Thursday, November 7, 2019 8:00 am –3:00 pm Bob Hope Patriotic Hall – 1816 S. Figueroa – Los Angeles, California 90015

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The Veterans Procurement & Business Conference is designed to provide Veteran business owners with contracting and procurement opportunities with private and public sector companies, as well as major Government agencies.

Contract procurement matchmaking opportunities that enable business owners to present their capabilities; their financial literacy sessions; resources for access to capital; and business service resources, specifically for Veterans, will be available. This business conference is FREE to all Veterans. For more information, contact the BBA office at (323) 291-9334 or email: mail@bbala.org.

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PLATINUM EVENT CHAIR: $5,000

Company name & logo prominently featured as a Platinum Event Chair on all event signage, promotional and press materials Logo and links to your Company’s website(s) on the BBA’s website providing branding exposure to each of their vast and strong networks, which is also linked to Veterans Procurement & Business Conference Public acknowledgment of Corporate Sponsorship throughout the Conference Full-Page Color Ad (premium placement) in the event Souvenir Journal Announcements in October and November 2019 Press Releases sent to national media outlets and their accompanying network of members Major coverage in The Black Business News, the official online publication of the Black Business Association and other minority, small business media outlets Certificate of Recognition Prime exhibitor space location to display your products and/or services Provided complimentary private area for contracting/procurement matchmaking vendor interviews

GOLD SPONSOR: $2,500

Company name & logo featured as a Gold Sponsor on all event signage, promotional and press materials Logo and links to your Company’s website(s) on the BBA’s website providing branding exposure each of their vast and strong networks, which is also linked to Veterans Procurement & Business Conference Public acknowledgment of Corporate Sponsorship during the event conference One Full-Page Color Ad in the event Souvenir Journal Certificate of Recognition

SILVER SPONSOR: $1,750

Company name & logo featured as a Silver Sponsor on event signage Logo and links to your Company’s website(s) on the BBA’s website providing branding exposure to each of their vast and strong networks, which is also linked to Veterans Procurement & Business Conference Public acknowledge of sponsorship during the Business Conference Full-Page B&W or Half-Page Color Ad in event Souvenir Journal

EXHIBITOR SPONSOR: $750

Company name & logo featured as Exhibitor on event signage Logo and links to your Company’s website(s) on all event partner event partner websites providing branding exposure to each of their vast and strong networks, which is also linked to Veterans Procurement & Business Conference Public acknowledge of sponsorship during the Business Conference

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Book Size: 8.5” x 11” (1/8” Bleeds allowed on full page ads) File Format: JPEG or PDF @ 300 dpi | Email to: mail@bbala.org Full Page - Color @ $2,000 (7.5” x 10”) Half Page - Color @ $1,250 (7.5” x 5”) Full Page - B/W @ $1,000 ,ĂůĨ WĂŐĞ Ͳ ͬt Λ ΨϲϱϬ

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Government - History of Tipping

The Racist History of Tipping

By Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II

T

his week (July 17, 2019), the House of Representatives will have a chance Bishop Dr. William J. Barber II to end a pernicious legacy of slavery.

Lawmakers will vote on the Raise the Wage Act, which would boost the minimum wage across the country to $15 an hour by 2024. This would be a crucial step toward the first federal minimum wage increase in more than a decade.

A just-released Congressional Budget Office report finds that a $15 minimum wage would have tremendous benefits for low-wage workers of all races and ethnicities. Yet the stakes are particularly high for black workers. The share who would benefit from the Raise the Wage Act is far larger than the share of white workers who would benefit—38% compared with 23%.

There’s another provision in the legislation— eliminating the subminimum tipped wage—that corrects a wrong that goes much further back than the previous federal minimum wage increase. For workers regularly making more than $30 a month in tips, employers can currently pay as little as $2.13 an hour. That subminimum wage has been frozen at this level for decades. Should the Raise the Wage Act pass the House, it will mark the first time that either chamber of Congress has moved to eliminate the subminimum wage, which not only deepens economic inequalities but also happens to be a relic of slavery.

You might not think of tipping as a legacy of slavery, but it has a far more racialized history than most Americans realize. Tipping originated in feudal Europe and was imported back to the United States by American travelers eager to seem sophisticated. The practice spread throughout the country after the Civil War as U.S. employers, largely in the hospitality sector, looked for ways to avoid paying formerly enslaved workers.

One of the most notorious examples comes from the Pullman Company, which hired newly freed African American men as porters. Rather than paying them a real wage, Pullman provided the black porters with just

a meager pittance, forcing them to rely on tips from their white clientele for most of their pay.

Tipping further entrenched a unique and often racialized class structure in service jobs, in which workers must please both customer and employer to earn anything at all. A journalist quoted in Kerry Segrave’s 2009 book, Tipping: An American Social History of Gratuities, wrote in 1902 that he was embarrassed to offer a tip to a white man. “Negroes take tips, of course; one expects that of them—it is a token of their inferiority,” he wrote. “Tips go with servility, and no man who is a voter in this country is in the least justified in being in service.”

The immorality of paying an insufficient wage to workers, who then were forced to rely on tips, was acknowledged at the time. In his popular 1916 antitipping study, The Itching Palm, writer William Scott described tipping as an aristocratic custom that went against American ideals. “The relation of a man giving a tip and a man accepting it is as undemocratic as the relation of master and slave,” Scott wrote. “A citizen in a republic ought to stand shoulder to shoulder with every other citizen, with no thought of cringing, without an assumption of superiority or an acknowledgment of inferiority.”

Several states sought to end the practice in the early 1900s, often in recognition of its racist roots. But the restaurant industry fought back and was powerful enough to roll back local bans on tipping. And tipped workers—along with most others, as the act applied to industries that together made up only one-fifth of the labor force—were excluded from the first, limited federal minimum wage law passed in 1938.

It took until 1966 for advocates to win a base wage for tipped workers, and that amounted to only 50% of the minimum wage already guaranteed to other workers.

Congress continued to raise the subminimum tipped wage until 1996, when Herman Cain, who headed the National Restaurant Association at the time, offered legislators a bargain: The industry would accept a small increase in the minimum wage as long as the tipped wage was frozen at $2.13 an hour.

Congress agreed to the deal, and the tipped minimum

22  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

An illustration of the interior of a Pullman dining car. | Library of Congress wage remains just $2.13 to this day. Employers are supposed to pay the difference if tips don’t bring workers to the full regular minimum wage. But too often that law is not enforced. When the Department of Labor conducted an unusual compliance sweep of 9,000 full-service restaurants between 2010 and 2012, they found that 84% had violated the subminimum wage system.

A century later, the industry lobby continues its fight to uphold this two-tiered pay system. Where social movements have gotten cities to pass minimum wage hikes, the lobby has pressured state legislatures to ban local wage increases altogether. The industry also fought to overturn voter-approved initiatives in Maine and Washington, D.C., that would have ended the subminimum tipped wage, while they lobbied legislators in Michigan to keep the issue from reaching the ballot in the first place.

That’s why national action to finally reverse this particular vestige of slavery is so vital. No one can live on $2.13 an hour—a poverty wage.

We may live in a very different society from 150 years ago, but the subminimum tipped wage still exacerbates the inequalities passed down from that time. Workers in the restaurant industry are far more likely to be poor or near-poor than the general population. Sure, upscale restaurants where wealthy patrons offer servers good tips on expensive menu items can provide a good

living, but those jobs are few and far between—and dominated by white men.

Research also shows that tipping itself has a racial component: Customers generally give white workers bigger tips than black workers, regardless of service quality. Thanks in part to segregation within the industry and discrimination from patrons, restaurant worker poverty rates are highest for women and people of color.

Ending the subminimum wage would right one of the historical wrongs keeping certain groups of workers from receiving the full protections they are due, but ultimately, low wages driven by racism hurt workers of all races. Three times as many white workers as black workers stand to get a raise if the federal minimum wage hike passes. Undoing systemic racism opens up opportunities for all people.

With a Republican Senate and president, the Raise the Wage Act might not become national law in the immediate future. But a vote by the House to end the subminimum tipped wage would send an unmistakable signal to the several states considering similar legislation: The days of these racist tiered wage systems are coming to an end.  www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/07/17/williambarber-tipping-racist-past-227361?utm_medium=10today. ad3li.20190802.421.2&utm_source=email&utm_ content=article&utm_campaign=10-for-today---4.0-styling

23  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Government - Surveillance Balloons

The Pentagon is Testing Powerful Mass-Surveillance Balloons above Six US States

By Lila MacLellan

A

mericans are still coming to terms with all the ways they’re being watched by phones and smart home devices with a front seat to their daily lives.

But there’s an incoming threat to privacy that looms high above: Camera-outfitted mass-surveillance balloons that can capture every moving vehicle across a wide area, from the stratosphere.

Such experimental devices are already being tested above six Midwest states as part of a Pentagon program, the Guardian reported yesterday, citing information found in Federal Communications Commission documents.

The project involves as many as 25 of the solarpowered balloons being launched from rural South Dakota, from where they eventually drift 250 miles (402 km) to central Illinois, in the meanwhile roaming above parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri. The balloons can reach altitudes of 65,000 ft (19,812 m).

The FCC authorized the Sierra Nevada Corporation, an aerospace and defense company, to test the balloons from mid-July through Sept. 1. The technology is meant to “provide a persistent surveillance system to locate and deter narcotic trafficking and homeland security threats,” according to the filing.

But experts caution that all kinds of data is likely being collected. Jay Stanley, an analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told the Guardian that even in tests, “they’re still collecting a lot of data on Americans: who’s driving to the union house, the church, the mosque, the Alzheimer’s clinic.”

A US military group called the US Southern Command (Southcom) commissioned the test, though details about its end goal are unclear. Southcom, which is headquartered in Florida, includes resources from

informationliberation.com

the army, navy, air force, marines, and other agencies.

It operates in the Caribbean and Central and South America, where its major responsibilities include tracking and blocking drug shipments heading to the US, responding to disasters, securing US military assets in the area, and protecting the Panama Canal.

Southcom has been using light aircraft to conduct surveillance, the Guardian writes, but the balloons would provide a cheaper alternative: They can typically hover for weeks or months, and, unlike the planes used now, do not require a crew. Researchers have learned to harness stratospheric winds to help keep the balloons afloat.

(Quartz contacted Southcom and Sierra Nevada for comments and will update this post with any response.)

The unmanned balloons already flying over the Midwest appear to carry “satellite-like vehicles housing sophisticated sensors and communication gear,” the Guardian reported, making them able to share data amongst themselves and with ground receivers. One of the sensors “is a synthetic aperture radar intended to detect every car or boat in motion on a 25-mile swath beneath the balloon.”

“What this new technology proposes is to watch

24  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Black News Channel Truth Illuminated

Get ready for our big launch!

November 15th, 2019 @ 12:00PM http://blacknewschannel.com Programs - Unique Content BNC will air more than 12 hours daily of original programming during weekdays and more than five hours daily of original programming during weekends. Original programming will cover international, national, state, and local news that impacts black communities across America. Original programming will include traditional anchored newscasts about events, sports, and weather; a variety of topic-related daily and weekly studio shows; daily vignettes of encouragement and inspiration; hosted talk shows; engaging docu-series; and breaking news when it happens. All of our original programming is created by people of color for people of color.

Sports  Being a Woman  My America  Today's Teen Talk  Living Social at HBCUs Play of the Day  Black America This Week  My Money  Total Combat  FIBA World Basketball

Careers We're always looking for talented individuals to join our team. Feel free to apply to us if you think you would be a good fit. Email your resume and cover letter to jobs@btnc.tv. 

m everything at once,” Arthur Holland Michel, codirector of the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College in New York, told the Guardian. Not only that, but because it’s recording, it allows users to travel back in time to rewatch an event, see exactly what happened, who was involved, and where they came from. That ability gave it the nickname “combat TiVo,” he said.

The FCC filing also mentions video technology, which may mean the balloons have a aerial camera system called Gorgon Stare, made by Sierra Nevada and owned by the US Air Force, onboard. Its invention was literally inspired by the 1998 sci-fi film Enemy of the State.

In an interview with Long Form, Holland Michel, who also authored the book Eyes in the Sky: The Secret Rise of Gorgon Stare and How It Will Watch Us All, explained the difference between a standard drone camera, which surveils from 25,000 ft, and the Gorgon Stare’s Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI) technology: Think of a traditional camera on a drone as a high powered telescope. What it’s really good for is zooming in on things on the ground very closely. The downside is that you can really only watch one person or vehicle

at a time. Maybe something important is happening a few blocks away or on the other side of the city. If you focus on just one target you are going to miss all the other important things that happened around it, you are going to lose all the context.

What Wide Area Motion Imagery does is expand the aperture. You can watch an entire city at once and zoom in on any one part of the imagery with a decent amount of detail, while still recording everything else.

To do that is a tremendous technological leap, because you need an incredibly powerful camera.

The Gorgon Stare, named for the Greek figures whose gaze could turn a person to stone, is already in use by the Air Force, he also said, though exactly where or how is classified information.

It’s unclear in this case where the data is being stored or even where it’s going. The ACLU’s Stanley believes it’s time to be cautious: “We should not go down the road of allowing this to be used in the United States,” he said, adding, “and it’s disturbing to hear that these tests are being carried out, by the military no less.” https://qz.com/1680964/pentagon-testing-masssurveillance-balloons-over-midwest/?utm_ source=email&utm_medium=daily-brief

FOR

Friendship Day

OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION

BBN Show Biz Buzz

at the gala set to support the Clara Lionel Foundation (https://claralionelfoundation.org) on Sept. 12th in New York City.

By Linda Ware

A

Obamas in 2019 "Most Admired" Poll

ccording to a recent YouGov.com poll, which surveyed 42,000 people in 41 countries, former US First Lady Michelle Obama tops the list as the “Most Admired Woman in the World.” Second on the list of women is Oprah Winfrey and third is actress and human rights activist Angelina Jolie.

“It’s “It’t’s a bi “I big g deal deall to de to have have everybody ha eve very ryb ry body bod bo dy come com ome e out out and and every ever ev eryy er year, it’s more people and more people call and ask to buy a table or a ticket,” Rihanna told PEOPLE at last year’s event. “It means a lot and it feels good to have a foundation and a ball like this that is respected and that people want to come back over and over again and donate every single year.”

Rihanna founded the Clara Lionel Foundation in honor of her two grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite.

The organization supports and funds global education, health and emergency response programs and also engages in advocacy to improve the quality of life of children around the world.  Barack and Michelle Obama blackfilm.com The poll also asked participants to rate their "Most Admired Man" with these results: Bill Gates, tech billionaire and philanthropist, in the number one position followed by 44th President of the USA Barack Obama in the number two position and Jackie Chan, international film star, in the number 3 position.  https://thegrio.com/2019/07/19/international-poll-crownsmichelle-obama-the-most-admired-woman-in-the-world/

Rihanna's "Diamond Ball" Back for the 5th Time

R

ihanna announced recentlyy that Late Night star Seth Meyers will host the event, while Pharrell Williams and DJ Khaled will perform

www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/rihannas-diamond-ballreturns-seth-meyers-to-host-and-pharrell-to-perform-at2019-gala/ar-AAEHJlg?ocid=spartandhp

“Homecoming” to Star Janelle Monáe

J

anelle Monáe has been tapped to star in the second season of Amazon's “Homecoming.”

Monáe’s character is described as a tenacious woman who finds herself floating in a canoe, with no memory of how she got Janelle Monae tvline.com

28  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

there or who she is.

Monáe first became known to the world through her music, for which she has received widespread acclaim and been nominated for eight Grammys. She has branched out into acting in recent years, starring in critically-acclaimed films like “Moonlight” and “Hidden Figures.” She will also lend her voice to the upcoming “Lady and the Tramp” remake and will next be seen in the Harriet Tubman biopic “Harriet.”  https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/janelle-monaehomecoming-season-2-amazon-1203276893

"Harriet" the Movie Opens in November 2019

T

ony Award winner Cynthia Erivo is taking on the role of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who freed slaves along the Underground Railroad.

In the upcoming biopic Harriet, Erivo, 32, stars as Tubman in the story of her early years of abolitionist work. The film shows her initial escape from slavery, and her decision to help members of her family to freedom, which started her involvement with the Underground Railroad. Tubman eventually freed 70 slaves over 11 years.

“I don’t think she set out to be a superhero,” Broadway star Erivo told PEOPLE of Tubman in February.

“I think she just set out to do the right thing.”

The film features Hamilton Tony Award winner Leslie Odom Jr. as William Still, another black abolitionist known as the “Father of the Underground Railroad,” musician and movie star Janelle Monáe, The Favourite‘s Joe Alwyn and Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles.

Eve’s Bayou director Kasi Lemmons helmed the movie, which she cowrote with Remember the Titans writer Gregory Allen Howard. Erivo also sings “Farewell Oh Farewell,” a new song from the film.  https://people.com/movies/cynthia-erivo-harriet-tubmanleslie-odom-jr-janelle-monae Image crdit: madamenoire.com/

Neil deGrasse Tyson Will Keep His Job and Shows

N

eil deGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist who leads the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, will keep his job, the institution said on July 25th. The museum has closed an investigation into sexual misconduct accusations against him.

“The museum’s Neil deGrasse Tyson © Noam Galai/Getty Images investigation into allegations concerning Neil deGrasse Tyson is complete,” a museum spokeswoman said in a brief statement. “Based on the results of the investigation, Dr. Tyson remains an employee and director of the Hayden Planetarium.

Because this is a confidential personnel matter, there will be no further statements by the museum.”

Dr. Tyson was also investigated by Fox Broadcasting and National Geographic, which broadcast his television series, “StarTalk” and “Cosmos.” Those companies announced in March that their investigations were complete and that his shows would return to the air.  www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/after-investigation-neil-degrassetyson-will-keep-his-job/ar-AAEUrTd?ocid=spartandhp

Simone Manuel Wins Gold in 100-meter Freestyle

D

efending world and Olympic champion Simone Manuel pulled off a rare feat Friday, July 26th at the World Swimming Championships, winning another 100-meter freestyle title from all the way out in Lane 1, setting a new American record time of 52.04 seconds.  https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/07/26/simone-manuel-wins-gold-in100-meter-freestyle

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see page 30

BBN Show Biz Buzz from BBN Show Biz Buzz on page 29

Simone Biles Wins Record 6th All-around Title

W

hile adding another first of its kind maneuver to her repertoire Sunday night, August 11th, Simone Biles proved she can make history, retweet video of herself making history and then proceed to make a little more history before calling it a night.

Biles, 22, the four-time Olympic gold medalist from Spring, won her record sixth all-around national championship at the Sprint Center as she continues her inexorable run toward a shot at a fifth world title and a return to the Olympic Games next year in Tokyo.

Biles capped her night by becoming the first female gymnast to land a triple-twisting double somersault on floor exercise, completing a maneuver on which she flubbed the landing Friday while staying on her feet.  https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Simone-Biles-wins-record6th-all-around-title-14297110.php Image credit: Charlie Riedel, Associated Press

Idris Elba 2018-2019 Sexiest Man Alive - People Mag

E

lba, 46, is the 33rd hunk to receive the People magazine honor. In reaction to the recognition, the "Thor" star said he's "really happy with that one. My mum is going to be very, very proud." The recognition was announced in November 2018 and is in effect through 2019.

Elba used his time in the spotlight to encourage fans to tend to their civic duty Tuesday, tweeting: "I'm honoured & thankful. What’s even more important

is your vote in the midterm elections. Your vote can make a difference!"

Elba, who found his breakthrough role as drug kingpin Russell "Stringer" Bell on HBO's "The Wire," has starred in dozens of TV series and films throughout his career, including his portrayal of Heimdall in Marvel's "Thor" franchise.

The U.K. native is one of a small handful of people of color to receive the accolade since the inaugural "Sexiest Man Alive" spread in 1985, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (2016) and Denzel Washington (1996).  www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/11/06/idris-elba-namedpeoples-sexiest-man-alive-2018/1893872002/Image credit: eonline.com

Angela Bassett Stars in Netflix Film "Otherhood"

O

therhood explores motherhood and the universal experience that many moms can relate to and struggle with — mastering the art of letting their children grow up, and ultimately letting them be adults. To cope with the harsh reality of your grown sons “divorcing” you and being demoted from "Mother to Other" status in your sons’ lives, you and your girlfriends, played

by Felicity Huffman and Patricia Arquette, come together in support of one another.

In the Netflix original movie which is out August 2nd, Bassett stars as Carol Walker, the mother of Matt Walker, played by Sinqua Walls (Power, BET's American Soul). Matt has grown up and is living his life in New York City, and like most mothers of oftentimes neglectful and selfcentered 20-something-year-olds, Bassett’s character struggles with

30  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Sinqua Walls imdb.com

letting go and longs to find herself again.

Bassett serves as executive producer of the Netflix project, Otherhood.  www.bet.com/celebrities/exclusives/angela-bassett-otherhoodinterview.html Image credit: netflixcenter.com

Lupita Nyong'o Narrates Serengeti Series

D

iscovery Channel travels to the vast, nearly untouched plains of Tanzania in Serengeti, a new, six-part series debuting August 4th that will highlight the majestic animals and their day-today lives there.

Created and produced by Emmy winner Simon Fuller (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance) and directed and produced by Emmywinning wildlife filmmaker John Downer (Penguin: Spy in The Huddle), the Lupita Nyong'o Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty six-part series will provide Images for SXSW

unrivaled access to one of the most pristine and unspoiled corners of Africa.

It will feature a lush, original score and narration by Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, and follow a cast of African wildlife, including lions, zebras, baboons and cheetahs, over the course of a year, showcasing the dramatic moments that make each day of survival on the Serengeti a feat.

In Serengeti, the world’s most captivating animals try to survive in the demanding lands of Northern Africa, stopping at nothing to protect their offspring and prove their worthiness to their tribe.

From Kali the lioness and Shani the zebra, to Zalika the hyena and many others, each species has its own unique story, whether dealing with enemies or desperately searching for prey.  www.forbes.com/sites/janelevere/2019/07/31/new-discoverychannel-series-explores-serengeti-plain-of-tanzania-narrated-bylupita-nyongo/#133dd43e77fe

Brian Banks, in Theatres Now

T

he inspirational true story of Brian Banks (Aldis Hodge), an All-American high school football star committed to USC who finds his life upended when he is wrongly convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

Despite lack of evidence, Banks is railroaded through a broken justice system and sentenced to a decade of prison and probation.

Years later, with the support of Justin Brooks (Greg Kinnear) and the California Innocence Project, Banks fights to reclaim his life and fulfill his dreams of playing g in the NFL. Aldis Hodge pinterest.com

His is a story that he is quick to point out is not uncommon, but is one that was so rousing, it has inspired a movie.

“I never thought that I’d be in this position, but I am, and I’m thankful,” Banks said.  www.insideedition.com/ man-behind-movie-brianbanks-reflects-his-lifestory-inspired-featurefilm-55289 31  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

400th Commemoration Year of Enslavement 1619-2019 ALL ANCESTRY TEST KITS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL Don't be fooled by other ancestry test kits pushing highly discounted prices this holiday season. Over the years, countless people have called us disappointed with the lack of specificity from other ancestry test kits.

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Sincerely, Gina Paige President, African Ancestry Maternal Country of Ancestry: Nigeria Maternal Tribe of Ancestry: Fulani

www.africanancestry.com

Business - Investing

Jay-Z And Will Smith Invest In Airbnb-Like Camping App

By DeAnna Taylor

W

e all know that Jay-Z is about making his next power move, and although Will Smith is out here living his best Instagram life, he’s making power moves just the same. Both men recently decided to put some of their funds behind an all new app.

Hipcamp (www.hipcamp.com), which is said to be the ‘Airbnb of camping,’ is an online marketplace that allows travelers to book tents and other unique camping experiences in over 300,000 places.

While many would say that camping isn’t something that people do anymore, that’s actually not true. Now, with the options of camping becoming more luxurious (i.e.: glamping) people are seeking out the experiences more and more.

The platform allows you to search in a number of ways for camping options suitable for any taste. You can select glamping options near you, pet-friendly campsites, and even the best options for lake camping.

It allows for people to rent out their tents or campsites in the same way that Airbnb allows people to rent out their homes.

Hipcamp recently raised over 25 million dollars from its

latest fundraiser. Jay-Z invested through his company Marcy Venture Partners while Smith invested through his Dreamers venture capital fund.

It will be interesting to see how the two stars’ return on invest plays out. Since everything is about convenience these days, the app is a great idea for those looking for that perfect weekend getaway.

Jay-Z has been on an investment spree over the last year or so. The hip hop legend was recently welcomed into the billionaires club, largely in part to his investment ventures through his company Marcy Venture Partners.

He recently put up money in Blackowned vegan cookie company, Partake Foods (https:// partakefoods.com). The company was started by Denise Woodard after her young daughter was diagnosed with several food allergies. She wanted her to still enjoy cookies, like most other children. .  http://legacy.travelnoire.com/jay-z-will-smith-invest-camping-app/ Image Credits: earhustle411.com

NATIONAL BLACK BUSINESS MONTH https://blackbusinessmonth.com

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33  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

huffingtonpost.com

Buiness - Brainstorm for Business Admancement

How To Brainstorm Like A Googler

By Veronique Lafargue, Global Head of Content Strategy at Google Apps for Work

H

ere at Google, we don’t have a secret formula for innovation. But that doesn’t mean Googlers’ best ideas are ineffable mysteries. On the contrary, we’ve found they can be systematically coaxed into being and steadily improved upon. And so can yours.

Building A Better Brainstorm Just about everyone can learn to brainstorm better. After all, it’s a process like any other. And the beauty of a process is that it can be taught, learned, and shared. We’ve distilled our own approach into a set of three basic principles–ideas we believe can be adapted and applied at pretty much any organization, regardless of size or industry.

The way many of us brainstorm often gives the whole experience a bad rap: We typically envision a brainstorming session as an unstructured scene where wild ideas are thrown around in an ad hoc way–where anything goes. But at Google, while we’ve learned that freestyle brainstorming is the basis of innovation, it doesn’t turn into substantive action without some structure.

That’s why we’ve created a linear process for brainstorming new ideas and turning them into actual products: • Know the user • Think 10x • Prototype If that looks simple, it is–but you have to execute each step the right way.

1. Get To Know The User To solve a big question, you first

have to focus on the user you’re solving it for–then everything else will follow. So we go out in the field and talk to people. We collect users’ stories, emotions, and ideas. We learn to get comfortable with silence.

We watch, listen, and empathize.

You can’t just understand your users’ needs–you need to actually relate to them.

For example, I recently visited our customers in Canada, Brazil, and India. By observing and talking with them, I realized that what we generically call “mobility” means very different things depending on where you are. In Canada, mobility means instant collaboration from your desk, the coffee shop, or your kitchen table. In Brazil, where users spend a lot of time in commute, a great interface and voice control underpin the concept of mobility. In India, where connectivity may be a challenge in some areas, a critical aspect of mobility is working offline.

Obviously, there’s no way we could’ve learned that without making the effort to find it out.

And that’s something many brainstorming sessions get wrong

right off the bat–they get everyone but the user into a room together to start throwing ideas around. But that’s actually Step 2, not Step 1.

2. Think 10x Now that you’re armed with information to base your brainstorm around, you can get down to thinking–but not just any thinking.

The notion of “10x thinking” is pretty familiar in the business world by now, and it’s at the heart of how we innovate at Google. It’s about trying to improve something by 10 times rather than by 10%.

One example is Project Loon, our initiative for providing internet access to everyone: An incremental solution would be to just install more fibers, whereas a “10x” idea is Project Loon–a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas and help fill the hardest-to-reach gaps in coverage.

The next step is to have all participants write down their ideas individually before getting back together as a group and deciding which ones to pursue. Here’s the thing to understand before you do

34  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

that, though: 10x thinking sounds great in theory, but not everyone quite knows how to put it into action.

So when team members reconvene with their sticky notes and the most productive part of the brainstorming process kicks into gear, make sure to follow these six guidelines: • Build on each others’ ideas.

It’s easy to kill an idea, so especially in the early stages, systematically follow up ideas with, “yes, and” instead of shooting them down with “no, but” comments.

• Generate lots of ideas. At this point quantity is more important than quality, so really let loose.

Time to grab a pile of sticky notes or your favorite note-taking app. The best way to have a great idea is to have many ideas.

• Write headlines. Being able to describe an idea in less than six words helps you clarify it.

Imagine your favorite media outlet or magazine covers your great idea: What would you want the headline to read?

• Illustrate. Pictures are usually louder than words and harder to

misinterpret.

• Think big. Invite bold, intrepid ideas–yes, this is the “10x” part– not incremental solutions. As Frederik Pferdt, Google’s head of innovation and creativity, likes to say, “Just beyond crazy is fabulous!”

• Defer judgment. Don’t judge ideas in the midst of brainstorming (remember Rule #1) but let them grow so you can build on them and iterate.

3. Prototype Then it’s time to take action. Most brainstorming sessions end with an agreement to have another meeting later, to take those ideas and work them up further. It’s a common mistake. You want to strike when the iron is hot–you don’t want to walk away or agree to follow talk with more talk.

Here at Google, we like to build a quick prototype pretty much right away. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just a physical manifestation of an idea that’s designed strictly to answer the most immediate questions and test our first assumptions about an idea that

seems promising.

When it comes to details, we’ve found we can always fake it, so as much as possible, we like to actually make it. When you can hold your ideas in your hands, you can start to test and learn from them.

Now Watch These Googlers Brainstorm At the Googleplex in Mountain View, California, the Google Garage is a shared space where people can go and experiment, using anything from scrap materials to 3-D printers. We also host some of our Creative Skills for Innovation Labs in this space.

So we decided to offer a virtualreality glimpse inside our creative process (www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7EwIMczr-6M).

All you need is your phone and Google Cardboard–or any other VR gear– for this immersive experience. But if you don’t have access to those devices, your desktop and a mouse with YouTube 360 will do just fine. www.fastcompany.com/3061059/howto-brainstorm-like-a-googler Image credit: dominiosperu.com.pe, rawpixel.com

35  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Communications

Lynnwood Bibbens’ Plans to Take Reach TV to New Heights

By Sergie Willoughby

I

n a sea of television networks launched in recent years that have looked to create unique viewer experiences, Reach TV is one that’s giving audiences a range of sports, TV, movies and entertainment in easily-digestible, shortened formats, says network executive Lynnwood Bibbens who currently serves as CEO. According to The Wrap, Reach TV recently partnered with Overtime, a digital startup that focuses on high school sports. Launched in 2016, it has gone from 1 million monthly video views to currently bringing in more than 550 million views.

“We’re excited to bring Overtime content to even more fans through our partnership with Reach TV,” Zack Weiner, Overtime’s president and co-founder, said in the article. “This only adds to the tens of millions of people that already view our content each month, and provides Reach TV with what the data shows is the most engaging content in sports.”

Here, we caught up with Bibbens to learn more about what the network has in store for its audience.

TNJ.com: What sets Reach TV apart from other networks?

Lynnwood Bibbens: We are the first short-form linear entertainment television network. Short form meaning we are able to program 6 shows per hour, with no show lasting more than 10 minutes, and linear, meaning we’re just like any other TV network!

Leading up to our launch, we were able to partner with great companies who were making great content, but needed help with distribution – that’s where we came in! On top of it, we built our own studio in the heart of Hollywood, which gave us the ability to create our own daily content as well, allowing us to launch without acquiring a library. Our biggest challenge was building our technology (it took over 6 months!), and we’re still constantly updating and making changes to make our platform the best it can be. We’re probably on version 200 now, as it’s extremely dynamic and highly scalable.

TNJ.com: What was your goal in launching it? Did you see a void in the market?

Lynnwood Bibbens: We saw an opportunity in the marketplace. As we traveled, networks didn’t know they were being played in the airport. Because of that, they had no ability to program based on customer viewing habits. Our goal was to be the first TV network for people on the go! We program 6 shows per hour, totaling to over 108 shows per day.

TNJ.com: You’ve embarked on some amazing partnerships throughout your career with top companies such as the NFL, NBA, Bloomberg, Hearst and more. What is the best approach to take when it comes to securing productive partnerships?

Lynnwood Bibbens: The key is to focus on what they need first. Then, think about how their needs fit into your business model. Win/Win has and will always be a top focus, in addition to delivering results.

This means doing research, making calls and what I affectionately like to call “Doing the work!” By doing the work, you’re able to come up with a plan that works for all parties involved.

TNJ.com: When you think about leadership, what must high-ranking leaders of top companies do to remain innovative and relevant?

Lynnwood Bibbens: Hire a great team, constantly research and stay humble! I subscribe to innovative newsletters to stay on top of the trends – Jason Hirschhorn’s REDEF, Kara Swisher’s ReCode, and Dan Primack’s newsletter via Axios are all great. Also, it never hurts to have great friends like Kareem “Biggs” Burke who really keep me tied into the culture!

TNJ.com: In what way did your work with AOL, Yahoo, Google, Roku, CBS, Amazon, and Verizon lead to your current success as CEO of Reach TV? What lessons did you learn in those positions that have been helpful in your current role at Reach?

Lynnwood Bibbens: My partnership with those companies ranged from platform building to creating

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Rea

ach TV CEO Lynnwood Bibbens

synergetic partnerships that led to acquisitions, global expansion, and a knowledge of how big companies work. This is important when you’re always the smallest company in a partnership. As CEO of Reach TV, our ability to have scaled to a national network in less than 3 years is mind boggling to these big companies because they’re not as nimble. Our ability to program on a national basis, airport basis, and terminal basis through our proprietary platform (patent pending) allows us to bring something unique to the table.

TNJ.com: What is your best advice on branding?

Lynnwood Bibbens: Be authentic and the “branding” will happen! Also, be careful on who you align your brand with – this is important because partnerships with people and companies should be built with a long-term outlook in mind, meaning you must really understand their principles and objectives to ensure you’re properly aligned. In an age where social media is everything, we don’t care about a person’s followers as much as their

character. For example, we co-produced a show with Dwayne Frampton called “Framp Camp”, because we saw how much he cared for the kids he trained, his community and his family, and that perfectly aligns with our core beliefs at ReachTV. TNJ.com: Any short to long term goals for Reach TV? Lynwood Bibbens: We plan on expanding into the UK in the 3rd or 4th quarter. We’re going to announce some amazing series that will launch on our network.

The end goal is for ReachTV to own the travel media space and be a must have for viewers on the go around the world. We currently have 27M monthly viewers and we want to double that in the next 12 months!  https://tnj.com/lynnwood-bibbens-plans-to-take-reachtv-to-new-heights Image credit: scoopnest.com

37  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Facial Recognition

The Best Algorithms Still Struggle to Recognize Black Faces

By Hollywood Adviser

F

rench company Idemia’s algorithms scan faces by the million. The company’s facial recognition software serves police in the US, Australia, and France. Idemia software checks the faces of some cruise ship passengers landing in the US against Customs and Border Protection records. In 2017, a top FBI official told Congress that a facial recognition system that scours 30 million mugshots using Idemia technology helps “safeguard the American people.”

But Idemia’s algorithms don’t always see all faces equally clearly. July test results from the National Institute of Standards and Technology indicated that two of Idemia’s latest algorithms were significantly more likely to mix up black women’s faces than those of white women, or black or white men.

The NIST test challenged algorithms to verify that two photos showed the same face, similar to how a border agent would check passports. At sensitivity settings where Idemia’s algorithms falsely matched different white women’s faces at a rate of one in 10,000, it falsely matched black women’s faces about once in 1,000—10 times more frequently. A one in 10,000 false match rate is often used to evaluate facial recognition systems.

Donnie Scott, who leads the US public security division at Idemia, previously known as Morpho, says the algorithms tested by NIST have not been released commercially, and that the company checks for demographic differences during product development.

He says the differing results likely came from engineers pushing their technology to get the best overall accuracy on NIST’s closely watched tests. “There are physical differences in people and the algorithms are going to improve on different people at different rates,” he says.

Computer vision algorithms have never been so good at distinguishing human faces. NIST said last year that the best algorithms got 25 times better at finding a person in a large database between 2010 and 2018, and miss a true match just 0.2 percent of the time.

That’s helped drive widespread use in government,

commerce, and gadgets like the iPhone.

But NIST’s tests and other studies repeatedly have found that the algorithms have a harder time recognizing people with darker skin. The agency’s July report covered tests on code from more than 50 companies.

Many top performers in that report show similar performance gaps to Idemia’s 10-fold difference in error rate for black and white women. NIST has published results of demographic tests of facial recognition algorithms since early 2017. It also has consistently found that they perform less well for women than men, an effect believed to be driven at least in part by the use of makeup.

“White males … is the demographic that usually gives the lowest FMR,” or false match rate, the report states. “Black females … is the demographic that usually gives the highest FMR.” NIST plans a detailed report this fall on how the technology works on different demographic groups.

NIST’s studies are considered the gold standard for evaluating facial recognition algorithms. Companies that do well use the results for marketing. Chinese and Russian companies have tended to dominate the rankings for overall accuracy, and tout their NIST results to win business at home. Idemia issued a press release in March boasting that it performed better than competitors for US federal contracts.

Many facial recognition algorithms are more likely to mix up black faces than white faces. Each chart represents a different algorithm tested by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Those with a solid red line uppermost incorrectly match black women’s faces more than other groups.

NIST The Department of Homeland Security has also found that darker skin challenges commercial facial recognition. In February, DHS staff published results

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from testing 11 commercial systems designed to check a person’s identity, as at an airport security checkpoint.

Test subjects had their skin pigment measured.

The systems that were tested generally took longer to process people with darker skin and were less accurate at identifying them—although some vendors performed better than others. The agency’s internal privacy watchdog has said DHS should publicly report the performance of its deployed facial recognition systems, like those in trials at airports, on different racial and ethnic groups.

The government reports echo critical 2018 studies from ACLU and MIT researchers openly wary of the technology. They reported algorithms from Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM were less accurate on darker skin.

Those findings have stoked a growing national debate about the proper, and improper, uses of facial recognition. Some civil liberties advocates, lawmakers, and policy experts want government use of the technology to be restricted or banned, as it was recently in San Francisco and two other cities. Their concerns include privacy risks, the balance of power between citizens and the state—and racial disparities in results. Even if facial recognition worked equally well for all faces, there would still be reasons to restrict the technology, some critics say.

Despite the swelling debate, facial recognition is already embedded in many federal, state, and local government agencies, and it’s spreading. The US government uses facial recognition for tasks like border checks and finding undocumented immigrants.

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a home invasion that escalated into a fatal shooting. One suspect was arrested but another escaped. Detectives identified the fugitive by using

an online photo to search through a mugshot facial recognition system maintained by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.

Lieutenant Derek Sabatini of the Sheriff’s Office says the case shows the value of the system, which is used by more than 50 county agencies and searches a database of more than 12 million mugshots. Detectives might not have found the suspect as quickly without facial recognition, Sabatini says. “Who knows how long it would have taken, and maybe that guy would not have been there to scoop up,” he says.

“Having these systems work equally well for different demographics or even understanding whether or why this might be possible is really a long term goal.” Michael King, Florida Institute of Technology The LA County system was built around a facematching algorithm from Cognitec, a German company that, like Idemia, supplies facial recognition to governments around the world. As with Idemia, NIST testing of Cognitec’s algorithms’ shows they can be less accurate for women and people of color.

At sensitivity thresholds that resulted in white women being falsely matched once in 10,000, two Cognitec algorithms NIST tested were about five times as likely to misidentify black women.

Thorsten Thies, Cognitec’s director of algorithm development, acknowledged the difference but says it is hard to explain. One factor could be that it is “harder to take a good picture of a person with dark skin than it is for a white person,” he says.

Sabatini dismisses concerns that—whatever the underlying cause—skewed algorithms could lead to racial disparities in policing. Officers check suggested matches carefully and seek corroborating evidence before taking action, he says. “We’ve been using it here since 2009 and haven’t had any issues: no lawsuits, no cases, no complaints,” he says.

Concerns about the intersection of facial recognition and race are not new. In 2012, the FBI’s top facial recognition expert coauthored a research paper that found commercial facial recognition systems were less accurate for black people and women. Georgetown researchers warned of the problem in an influential 2016 report that said the FBI can search the faces of roughly half the US population.

The issue has gained a fresh audience as facial recognition has become more common, and policy experts and makers more interested in the limitations of technology. The work of MIT researcher and activist Joy Buolamwini has been particularly influential.

Early in 2018 Buolamwini and fellow AI researcher

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see page 40

Business - Facial Recognition see page 39

Timnit Gebru showed that Microsoft and IBM services that try to detect the gender of faces in photos were near perfect for men with pale skin but failed more than 20% of the time on women with dark skin; a subsequent study found similar patterns for an Amazon service. The studies didn’t test algorithms that attempt to identify people— something Amazon called “misleading” in an aggressive blog post.

Buolamwini was a star witness at a May hearing of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, where lawmakers showed bipartisan interest in regulating facial recognition. Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland) said racial disparities in test results heightened his concern at how police had used facial recognition during 2015 protests in Baltimore over the death in police custody of Freddie Gray, a black man.

Later, Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) declared that Congress needs to “do something” about government use of the technology. “[If] a facial recognition system makes mistakes and those mistakes disproportionately affect African Americans and persons of color, [it] appears to me to be a direct violation of Americans’ First Amendment and Fourth Amendment liberties,” he said.

Why facial recognition systems perform differently for darker skin tones is unclear.

Buolamwini told Congress that many datasets used by companies to test or train facial analysis systems are not properly representative. The easiest place to gather huge collections of faces is from the web, where content skews white, male, and western. Three faceimage collections most widely cited in academic studies are 81% or more people with lighter skin, according to an IBM review.

Patrick Grother, a widely respected figure in facial recognition who leads NIST’s testing, says there may be other causes for lower accuracy on darker skin.

One is photo quality. Photographic technology and techniques have been optimized for lighter skin from the beginnings of color film into the digital era. He also posed a more provocative hypothesis at a conference in November: that black faces are statistically more similar to one another than white faces are. “You might conjecture that human nature has got something to do with it,” he says.

“Different demographic groups might have differences in the phenotypic expression of our genes.”

Michael King, an associate professor at Florida Institute of Technology who previously managed research programs for US intelligence agencies that included facial recognition, is less sure. “That’s one

that I am not prepared to discuss at this point. We have just not got far enough in our research,” he says.

King’s latest results, with colleagues from FIT and University of Notre Dame, illustrate the challenge of explaining demographic inconsistency in facial recognition algorithms and what to do about it.

Their study tested four facial recognition algorithms— two commercial and two open source—on 53,000 mugshots. Mistakes that incorrectly matched two different people were more common for black faces, but errors in which matching faces went undetected were more common for white faces. A greater proportion of the mugshots of black people didn’t meet standards for ID photos, but that alone could not explain the skewed performance.

The researchers did find they could get the algorithms to perform equally for blacks and whites—but only by using different sensitivity settings for the two groups. That’s unlikely to be practical outside the lab because asking detectives or border agents to choose a different setting for different groups of people would create its own discrimination risks, and could draw lawsuits alleging racial profiling.

While King and others carefully probe algorithms in the lab, political fights over facial recognition are moving fast. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have promised action to rein in the technology, citing worries about accuracy for minorities. Tuesday, Oakland became the third US city to ban its agencies from using the technology since May, following Somerville, Massachusetts, and San Francisco.

King says that the science of figuring out how to make algorithms work the same on all faces will continue at its own pace. “Having these systems work equally well for different demographics or even understanding whether or why this might be possible is really a long term goal,” he says.  http://hollywoodadviser.com/the-best-algorithms-stillstruggle-to-recognize-black-faces/

40  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Getting Greener

6 Steps to a Greener Office

By Joan Tharp for TechSoup

S

mall changes at work add up to big impacts.

So, in honor of Earth Day April 22, 2019, we've gathered some tips to make your workplace more eco-friendly, one small step at a time.

1. Form a "Green Team"

Take advantage of free recycling-bin stickers and posters that explain how to recycle materials. Many cities and counties offer them.

4. Turn Off or Unplug Electronics Computers and office equipment are big energy eaters - amount of electricity used by idle electronics every year equals the output of 12 power plants.

Set your computer to power off automatically after a certain amount of time idling. Turn off your monitor at night. Even better, turn off and unplug all electronic equipment at the end of the day. You'll slay "vampire" power — electricity that's drained away even when the equipment isn't on or in use but is still plugged in.

Turn off the lights, too. Make a habit of hitting the light switch when you leave a room or the office. And, switching from incandescent lightbulbs to more energyefficient LED and compact fluorescent bulbs is a great way to save tons on your energy bill while helping the environment.

Forming a "green team" of employees can really boost your efforts. These are people designated to advocate for changes, develop and lead organizationwide projects, and generally push for a culture of environmental friendliness year-round.

Get management buy-in, then recruit team members who care passionately about environmental issues.

Choose representatives from all operations and departments. It's a good idea to have someone from 5. Print Prudently Discarded paper and paperboard make up the executive staff, too. approximately 25% of solid waste in U.S. municipal 2. Encourage the Use of Refurbished landfills. Before you print anything, ask yourself if you Technology really need to do so. Can some notes or reports be The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent electronically instead? Why not collaborate on reports that it's roughly 25 times more helpful to the documents or sign them online, using technology from planet to reuse computers than to recycle them every DocuSign, Adobe, and Box? three to five years.

If printing is a must, you can always make greener Extending the life of hardware is one of the most decisions. Here's a handy tool for comparing the environmentally beneficial things you can do. environmental impacts of different paper choices TechSoup has offered refurbished desktops, (https://calculator.environmentalpaper.org/home). laptops, and other hardware since 2006 through its 6. Consider Telecommuting Refurbished Hardware Program (www.techsoup.org/ Modes of transportation are the largest source of support/articles-and-how-tos/about-refurbished-computersgreenhouse gas pollution in the United States. Make from-techsoup). Since its inception, this program has smarter, greener choices about how you get to and distributed 92,125 refurbished devices! And you can from work and participate in meetings. dispose of them in an environmentally sound way Can you telecommute from home one or two days a through our free refurbished computers end-of-life week?

It's easy to hold meetings online. Can you walk, takeback program (www.techsoup.org/support/articlesbike, carpool, or take public transportation? Some and-how-tos/free-end-of-life-recycling-for-refurbishedcompanies offer "eco-passes" that give employees computers). discounted fares for public transportation.

3. Choose Greener Office Supplies Here are two resources for learning how to plan There is a greener option for pretty much everything greener meetings and conferences (www.epa.gov/ you use at work. Why not bring a coffee or tea mug greenerproducts/identifying-greener-meetings-andfrom home, instead of using a plastic or Styrofoam cup conferences and www.epa.gov/p2/green-meetings). every time?

Be sure to put recycling containers in the office Every Step Matters Every step you take toward creating a greener office and break room. Place them next to printers for easy matters.

From toting a mug from home to paying closer recycling of paper and printer ink cartridges. Tuck them attention to the recycling bin, you can help the earth into corners of the break room for holding glass bottles and metal cans and keeping trash separate from the breathe easier, every day of the year.  https://blog.techsoup.org/posts/6-steps-to-a-greener-office recyclables.

Image credit: healthylivingmagazine.ca

41  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Start-Up Tools

Basic Structure of a Business Plan for Beginners

By Paloma Cantero-Gomez

A

ccording to Small Business Trends (https://smallbiztrends.

com/2019/01/startup-fundingstatistics.html), a third of small

businesses get started with less than $5,000, and 58% got started with less than $25,000. 26% of business owners started because they were willing to be their own boss; 23% because they wanted to pursue their passion and 19% because the opportunity presented itself. Other reasons to start varied from being not ready to retire to dramatic life events such as divorce or death.

Out of all small businesses started in 2014, 80% made it to the second year (2015). 70% made it to the third year (2016). 62% made it to the fourth year (2017), and 56% made it to the fifth year (2018). A bit more than half of all startups actually survive to their fourth year.

As of then, the startup failure rate is about 44%.

When it comes to the main reasons for failure, 42% of them fail because of a lack of market needs; 29% due to lack of cash and 23% because they hire the wrong team. 19% get outcompeted or face pricing/cost issues and 17% because of un-friendly product or lack of a business model. Poor marketing and relationship with

costumers also have an impact on 14% of unsuccessful ventures.

If we read between the statistics, there is room for hope. Almost 5 new businesses make it through.

And 82% of successful business owners didn't doubt they had the right qualifications and proper experience to run a company.

Statistics indicate that experience plays a role in the success of a business enterprise. Founders of previously successful business have a 30% chance of success with their next venture. Founders who have failed at a prior business have a 20% chance of succeeding versus an 18% chance of success for first-time entrepreneurs.

However, successful entrepreneurs are increasingly encouraging new generations to start a business as soon as possible.

"Start as soon as you can: you can learn as you go and you have nothing to lose," says Filipa Neto, managing director of Chic by Choice. "I have a three-skill motto: preparation, persistence, and no fear of failure. And preparation can come from everywhere."

All experienced entrepreneurs had to start from somewhere. One place where to start from is the

beginning: the business plan. This is the basic structure you can follow when you do not know how to go about it.

1. Cover page Small but important, it should include the name of the business and your name and contact information.

2. Table of Contents It should allow readers to quickly skim or flip through to get to the included topic they are most interested in.

3. Executive Summary Brief and formal explanation of what yo ur company is, how far is going to reach, and why it is going to be successful. In no more than one page, it should include the mission statement, the description of the industry and the market environment, an explanation of its uniqueness as well as competitive advantages. The financial potential and anticipation of risks, the core team and the stage of the business, especially for those ones that are not starting from scratch, are also vital. Finally, the capital that is requested should be concise and clear.

4. Business Description

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An in-deep overview of the proposed venture. The final aim is to make potential investors quickly grasp the concept of the business and its value proposition.

5. Industry Background Provide past and current data about the shape, size, trends, and critical features of the industry you are trying to get in. What is the industry? What is the industry outlook? Who is competing in this industry? What are the industry's barriers to entry?

6. Competitive Analysis Look at current and prospective rivals and competitors. Who are your competitors? Which are your competitors' strengths and weaknesses? What distinguishes your business from theirs? What is the competitive outlook for the industry?

is a risk, especially when there are no precedents to evaluate. This is why the knowledge, skills, and ability of the team to work together as a capable unit, is one of the first elements that would be evaluated by possible investors. Friends and family, despite their love and trust in us, are not always the wisest choice.

9. Operations Plan Focus on the daily business activities and the strategies that will support them. With the use of charts, graphs, or tables, you can show complex information such us your breakeven point, your sources of supplies or your manufacturing and distribution process.

10. Marketing plan

Focus on your customers, their likes, needs, and demographics.

The aim is to demonstrate that there is really an opportunity for your venture in the market.

Or the detailed strategy of how are you going to sell your product or service. Focus on the opportunity that your business is bringing, and the costumer's buying behavior are primary considerations of a successful marketing strategy.

Closely followed by spotting the value that each customer is bringing to your business.

8. Management Summary

11. Financial Plan

7. Market Analysis

Introduce your team and the description of how are they going to rock it together. Every business

The current and future projections of your business financial

performance. In short, every financial plan should focus on the following key components. The capital requirements should reflect on how much money you need to raise, how are you going to use the money or how much you need from investors. Assumptions in terms of growth or internal components of your business should always be backed with strong evidence and experts opinions. The income statement as the forecast of your business for the coming three to five years and the balance sheet generally prepared by your accountant. And finally, the cash flow statement showing weather your company is successfully turning its profits into cash.

12. Attachments and milestones And all those additional documents that can provide valuable, additional information to the business plan.  www.forbes.com/sites/ palomacanterogomez/2019/07/24/ basic-structure-of-a-businessplan-for-beginners/?utm_ medium=40digest.7days3.20190724. carousel&utm_source=email&utm_ content=&utm_ campaign=campaign#f5d3ec12ad3b Image credits: rockvilleredi.org, africajumpstart. com, businessmalawi.com

43  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Gig Economy

Can You Build a Million-Dollar Business Starting With Just $100 on Fiverr?

Here's a Plan to Do Just That.

by Andrew Medal

I

f you’re building or starting a business, then Fiverr (www.fiverr. com) is an excellent resource to get some of the time-consuming work done. For those unfamiliar with the website, it is a marketplace where people can buy and sell services. What makes it different from its competitors is that gigs can start as low as $5. From there, price points go up based on experience, value and any additional extras the seller may offer.

I’m a big fan of Fiverr, so much so that we’ve partnered with them on my Entrepreneur-hosted podcast that can be found here (www.

build a business with Fiverr The most useful gigs on Fiverr offer a wide range of sellers who can provide you with the price point and experience level that you’re looking for. The following services are some of the best to buy if you’re looking to build your business: 1.

look at reviews, because a lot rests on your business plan and how it’s presented to investors. You want to choose a seller offering a plan that includes: • A market analysis summary • A comprehensive executive summary • What makes you competitive

entrepreneur.com/listen/action-andambition). And, as partners, they’re

providing all of my readers and listeners 10% off with our promo code AA. Fiverr’s platform revolves primarily around “gigs,” meaning that the services sold are typically a one-time job; however, the website also offers the opportunity to create “milestone” deliveries, meaning that you could retain a Fiverr seller for multiple projects or steps of a larger project.

I’m in the process of documenting how I’ve been building six and seven-figure businesses with Fiverr and am going to release a book by end of the year with all of the data, cheat codes and tricks. (Signup to be notified here - http://andrewmedal. com.) In the meantime, here is a breakdown of some of the important things I've learned.

The most valuable gigs to

Market research If you’re making your way into a new market, it’s smart to know what that market holds, including competitor research, trends and customer segmentation.

2. Business plans While you may not be able to buy a comprehensive business plan for $5, you can still get an affordable one written for you by an experienced seller. Be sure to

3. Logo design You can get a logo designed specifically for your business for a very low cost.

4. Business cards Business cards are all about making a good first impression. You can get high-quality, customized cards built for your business.

5. Web content and design A website is necessary for the success of every business. You

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can find content creators who can describe your business and services well and with a wordcount or page-based cost that won’t break the bank. You can also find someone who does affordable web design if you don’t want to rely on ready-made templates.

6. Virtual assistants If you have an entire range of tasks that need to be done, you can go ahead and hire your online assistant through Fiverr. You can find an hourly or task-based rate that will cover those tedious tasks you don’t want to do, or can’t do, yourself.

If you’re unsure of what gigs you want to buy to optimize your business, consider outsourcing tasks that are both time-consuming and low-value to you, meaning work that keeps you busy but that you aren’t able to prioritize yourself.

How to make your first purchase on Fiverr a successful one 1. Communicate well with the seller.

While some buyers place an order without first discussing the gig with the seller, it’s better to message the provider first. This is particularly true if your order is unique.

2. Answer all questions in the order requirements.

Even if you’ve already talked with the seller, placing the information within the order requirements makes it easier for the seller to reference your needs while working on the order.

3. Provide resources, websites or examples of what you want your project to look like.

You can provide links to competitors or samples of successful projects that you or someone else completed in the past.

4. Allow the seller to ask questions.

Sellers only have the information that you provided. While to you it may seem like enough, it might not be for them. Make sure they’re comfortable clarifying any necessary information.

5. Be safe.

If you need to give sellers any confidential or sensitive information, be sure that you have a safety plan in place. You can use an app like LastPass (www.lastpass.com) to manage access to your information and remove them as needed.

Use this 5-step formula to find the best talent • Search for your gig.

• Sort by the bestselling service providers for that gig.

• Find the top 5 service providers that have the most ratings.

• Sort by the providers that are online.

• Reach out.

For entrepreneurs, time is your most valuable resource. I believe this makes Fiverr an invaluable tool for new and emerging entrepreneurs.

Again, get an additional 10% off using my podcast promo code AA. Get you some!  www.entrepreneur.com/ article/336914 Image Credits: techworm.net

45  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Teenpreneur

How to Turn a Negative into a Thriving Business

By Daniella Masterson

D

espite being bullied, ostracized and displaced for her darkbrown skin by classmates, then 10-year-old Kheris Rogers found a way to be the heroine in her life instead of the victim.

She started a line of apparel titled, “Flexin’ in My Complexion,” to empower people of color to feel confident with their ethnicity. What happened next would surprise anybody. When she posted a picture of her wearing the conscious clothing, her social media literally blew up. Nearly 100,000 people retweeted it and twice as many “Liked” it.

Whoever came up with the line “Success is the best revenge” had Rogers in mind.

In addition, her innocent stand against bullying and racism picked up support from such mega-stars as Alicia Keys, Lupita Nyong’o, Whoopi and more. To add to her success, she was featured in Teen Vogue’s “21 Under 21 Class of 2018” (www.teenvogue. com/gallery/21-under-21-2018) which spotlights extraordinary young women and girls making waves in their industries and passion of choice.

She was one of 16 girls chosen

by LeBron James to be part of his Nike campaign, and she was on “America’s Next Top Super Model” with Tyra Banks.

It’s hard to imagine an adult accomplishing these distinguished achievements in their 20s, but Rogers did it by age 12.

Ironically, she wasn’t seeking fame when she created the line.

At the time, she was only one of a

handful of students of color at her school. No one would play with her because they didn’t like her dark skin. Instead of fighting hate with violence, she fought back with selflove and a relatable affirmation to encourage others.

“I was getting bullied for my skin color, my skin complexion, and want other people to know that they’re not alone,” Rogers was quoted saying in Teen Vogue.

“It doesn’t matter what other people think of you,” she added in the article. “It only matters what you think of yourself.”

Only more success has been coming Rogers’ way. She was invited by SoulPancake (https://

soulpancake.com),

a digital entertainment company with millions of viewers, to host her own show on overcoming bullying to encourage others who have been targeted to stay strong.

One’s skin complexion has been emblematic of beauty, status, and acceptance in America and other countries. But Rogers is changing the definition of beauty inside and out with her courage to face generational racism. As far as her future plans, let’s just say, “Girl Boss!” because little girls with a dream become women with a vision.  Image credit: Artwork: Jessica Holmes @ ampmdesigns

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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, September 9, 2019 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.

(323) 868-2621

Business - eCommeerce

Alibaba Opens to Sellers in the U.S.

By Melissa Fares; Editing by Leslie Adler

C

hinese e-commerce giant Alibaba will now allow small businesses in the United States to sell on Alibaba.com, the company said recently, an effort to tap into the business-to-business e-commerce market and fend off fierce competition from rivals like Amazon.com.

Previously, U.S.-based businesses were only able to buy items on Alibaba. com.

Roughly one-third of buyers on Alibaba.com are U.S.-based. More than 95% of sellers come from China.

This plan will open up markets to U.S. merchants in countries including India, Brazil and Canada. U.S. merchants will also be able to sell to other U.S.-based businesses.

Alibaba’s pitch to U.S. small businesses comes as the company faces lean e-commerce revenue growth, which has been further threatened by the U.S.-China trade spat and increased competition from rivals such as recently listed Pinduoduo.

Alibaba, which does not sell inventory of its own, hopes to win over local U.S. businesses as their marketplace platform of choice by offering small- and medium-sized businesses global selling power. Alibaba highlighted its interest in winning over manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors.

Last month, the company launched an Englishlanguage website for its Tmall Global marketplace aimed at merchants, in an attempt to double the number of international brands on the platform to 40,000 in the next three years.

Rival Amazon, in addition to selling its own inventory, allows third-party vendors to list products for sale on its website. Those vendors may store their products in Amazon’s warehouses or ship directly to customers.

The business-to-business e-commerce market (B2B) is valued at $23.9 trillion, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. The business-to-consumer e-commerce market is valued at $3.8 trillion.

Alibaba said U.S. sellers will have to pay a membership fee of roughly $2,000 to get their online stores on Alibaba.com up and running, in addition to any marketing and advertising costs. Amazon charges third-party sellers by the month or per item.

“You get to compete and act like a multinational company in a way you’ve never had the tools or technology to be able to do so,” John Caplan, head of North America B2B at Alibaba Group, told Reuters.

The United States is the first market where the company is focusing on globalizing supply, Caplan said, but Alibaba has a “very clear approach to other markets.”  https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/23/alibaba-opens-tosellers-in-the-u-s/Image credit: blackenterprise.com Image credits: wealthdaily.com, news.gtp.gr

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Business - Communications Tech

'5G' Will Unleash the Next Communications Generation

By Matt McCall, Early Stage Investor

T

echnology – with its ability to create smartphones, software, time-saving apps, social media platforms, online shopping experiences, and the like – is now the most dominant, most valued part of our economy.

If Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are the tallest skyscrapers – the commanding heights of our "economic city" – it's no exaggeration to say their foundations rest on the bedrock of our communications grid... also known as the Internet.

Without this bedrock, those skyscrapers would crash to the ground.

Think of the Internet buildout of the 1990s as the construction of a vast network of toll roads...

These toll roads linked friend to friend... family member to family member... and, most important from a capitalist's point of view, business to consumer. Millions upon millions of people wanted to send their messages, data, and advertisements over the Internet's toll roads.

It was a communications revolution.

As incredible as the Internet's first toll roads were, their size and capacity pale in comparison to the next generation of toll roads... which will lead to your doorstep soon. They go by the name of "5G." The path to the 5G wireless communications network began 46 years ago. The first cellphone call in history happened on Tuesday, April 3, 1973, as a test from Motorola. By the 1980s, cellphones were creeping into the cars of wealthier individuals...

The first devices weighed a couple of pounds and were bigger than your head but they did what had never been done before. The first generation of mobile technology kicked off the trend toward an increasingly connected world.

The second generation of networks (2G and 2.5G) began in the 1990s. They gave us the ability to text.

We now take texting for granted, and indeed, a lot of people text more than they make actual phone calls.

The move into the new millennium was accompanied

by the move to 3G. With the third generation, devices could access broadband technology, which made it possible to enjoy entertainment, browse the web, and shop on a mobile device.

The fourth generation of wireless connectivity gave us the ability to stream videos without waiting for buffering. This opened up business opportunities for content companies like Netflix (NFLX). Still, the biggest advancement was real-time information, which led to the "sharing economy."

Mobile devices could talk to other devices in realtime, connecting p e o p l e instantaneously.

Without real-time data transfer, Uber Technologies (UBER), Grubhub (GRUB), or any other company whose app relies on a fast connection wouldn't exist today.

But the most advanced breakthrough of all is right around the corner...I think of it as the next-generation toll road. The road to the future passes through 5G. The current 4G network clocks in at around 100 "megabits" per second, which is extremely fast compared to 3G. (A megabit is a unit of measurement for data size.) But once 5G rolls out, that number will jump to 10,000 megabits per second – or 100 times faster than the current speed. Phones and mobile devices are about to become mobile supercomputers.

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itself, but it will also use it to talk to the sensors in other vehicles, the roads, cell towers, satellites, and even smart cities.

Things like vehicle-tovehicle (V2V) and vehicle-toinfrastructure (V2I) technology are impossible without widespread 5G. You can see how 5G networks will pave the way for so many breakthrough innovations -- selfdriving cars, smart homes and cities, VR, health care, and so much more.

When exactly does all of this excitement happen? It's already The big breakthrough will be the ability to connect a lot more devices that share large amounts of data in real-time.

So if you think we live in a connected world already, just wait.

One breakthrough industry in particular cannot exist without 5G...Autonomous vehicles ("AVs").

The full rollout of the 5G network will provide the muchneeded communications infrastructure for automakers to introduce AVs to the masses. Once again, reliability and real-time data sharing make this possible...

Imagine a self-driving car going down the highway at 75 miles per hour and the network suddenly experiences a 100-millisecond delay.

In any other circumstance, you would never notice such a small delay. But it could be devastating in an AV. It could result in the braking system stopping the vehicle 10 feet beyond where it would have otherwise.

That extra 10 feet could lead to a major accident.

Future AVs will essentially be data centers on wheels. The amount of data stored in the brain of the vehicle will be beyond what we can imagine.

This is crucial because AVs will need to make decisions constantly. The AV will have to take in data from sensors surrounding the vehicle and instantaneously decide when to accelerate, brake, turn, and more.

Not only will the vehicle need 5G for computing within

starting.

You may have seen advertising for 5G home Internet service in limited cities. Smartphone makers are already rolling out the first 5G-enabled phones (see page XX).

So we're already seeing the first stages, and the pace will only pick up from here. Consider this short list a jumping-off point for 5G ideas, but by no means a complete or static guide.

Let's do business on the 5G tollway.  This article " Why '5G' Will Unleash the Market's Next TrillionDollar Winners" was edited by the BBN. Read the full text at: www. stansberryresearch.com.

Image credits: onedio.co, dreamstime.com, colourbox.com, phys. org, transportfutures.co

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Business - Human Resources

Empower the Human+ Worker Technology Vision 2019 View the full report at: www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/pdf-94/accenture-techvision-2019-tech-trendsreport.pdf#zoom=50

In brief

We call this the "human+" workforce."

• Workers are becoming “human+”—empowered by a new set of technological capabilities integrated alongside their own skills and expertise.

• Human+ workers possess tremendous capabilities, but companies still recruit, hire and manage for the workforce of years past.

• To thrive in the post-digital era, organizations must leverage technology in the workplace to close that workforce gap, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

T

he digital transformation is underway in all aspects of business, and the workforce is no exception.

Technology in the workplace affects workers on every level. Today’s employees can leverage the latest technologies to reinvent existing roles and find new, innovative ways to adapt and thrive in the postdigital era.

Innovative technologies are making workers human+: each person brings a constantly growing set of technological capabilities to the job alongside their own individual knowledge, experience and skillset.

"Today's workers are empowered not just by skills and knowledge, but also tech-driven capabilities.

– Michael Biltz, Managing Director – Accenture Technology Vision. #TechVision2019

Adapting to Human+ needs As companies continue to innovate and integrate technology in the workplace, they create more jobs and roles that are immersed in technology. Every job today is becoming a human+ role. Every new role created in the future will be human+ from the start.

This growing collaboration between humans and technology creates new opportunities, but also presents new challenges. Today’s enterprises are still optimized for the workforce of the past, leaving a disconnect that stretches across the organization.

Companies have inadvertently created a new digital divide between themselves and their human+ workforces. To lead, businesses must close the gap, adapting the technology strategies that successfully created this next-generation workforce to meet their new needs.

Enabling Fluid Movement of People— and Knowledge Companies’ talent-finding strategies are out of sync with human+ capabilities. Human+ workers move

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rapidly between roles and organizations, outpacing the speed of traditional talent-finding. What’s more, investments in learning and reskilling are falling short of where they need to be to address increasing employee velocity.

To thrive, leaders must rethink the way they hire and train, adopting approaches that are better suited to the adaptability of the human+ workforce. That includes seeking out the untapped talent within their existing workforces, and better matching current employees with new roles and opportunities.

Human+ workers are willing and able to learn, and they adopt new tools quickly. To open the floor for

new opportunities and foster a culture of continuous learning, leaders are investing in learning platforms and strategies that better prepare workers—and the company—for tomorrow. They’re also recognizing that increasing employee velocity means increasingly distributed knowledge, and adapting technology strategies to bring knowledge management into the human+ era.

In the war for talent, leaders are recognizing that the most important thing about employees is not where they come from, but how far they can go.

Becoming human+ has expanded the capabilities of the workforce beyond what companies could have imagined just a few decades ago.

It is one of the biggest wins from the era of digital transformation.

Organizations can draw on a workforce with a constantly evolving set of capabilities to achieve innovation on a grand scale. What’s needed now is a commitment to invest in these human+ workers, enabling the new future of work.  www.accenture.com/gb-en/ insights/technology/future-ofwork?c=acn_glb_technology visioquartz_10865991&n=b ac_0119 Image credits: airbus.com, tibco.com, venturesafrica.com

53  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Tourism

Meet The Founder of The World’s First Black-Owned Cruise Experience

By Parker Diakite

Photo courtesy of Festival At Sea

I

t was 14 years after Patricia Nicholson Yarbrough launched Blue World Travel Corp in 1978 that she realized African-American travelers on cruises needed an experience tailored around their own culture.

Yarbrough created the award-winning Festival at Sea: Cruising With An African- American Twist in 1992 with just 250 passengers. With its 28th sail on the horizon for 2019, there’s often a waitlist for the Festival At Sea experience. Yarbrough talked to Travel Noire to reflect on the last nearly three decades: Travel Noire: What led to Festival At Sea Cruising with an African-American Twist?

Yarbrough: Just from booking for African-Americans through that period, the idea came from putting on these groups and primarily finding that people were enjoying it. Culturally speaking however, they just wanted things

that they were participating in to the fullest.

For example, you’re going to the clubs and you’re dancing to a few songs and then it’s like Achy Breaky Heart comes on, and people are sitting for an hour waiting for songs they want to dance to.

TN: What activities can people expect on this cruise?

Yarbrough: It’s not really entertainment-based but a cultural experience, so the activities that take place on board makes people feel like they’re not just on a cruise but a part of the cruise.

Festival at Sea cruises are full ship charters that offer top name entertainment, old and new school line dancing, Zumba, speed dating, worship services, golf tournaments, family feud and more.

TN: Let’s talk about the future. What’s your vision over the next 100 years?

Yarbrough: We have young people who have grown

54  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

November 7 - 10, 2019 Oakland, California AfroTech: https://experience.afrotech.com Register: https://e.sparxo.com/Afrotech19 Partner: https://experience.afrotech.com/partner Tracks: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Engineering & Design The groundbreaking, revolutionary experience for Black techies, startups and entrepreneurs returns! Come join 6000+ of your fellow founders, entrepreneurs and engineers for a 360-degree look at how culture, innovation and tech run the world. Collectively, we can scale our collective power in culture, innovation and tech. Buy your tickets today!

Together we have the power to drive innovation, redefine how we do business, and create our own future. up on Festival At Sea, we’re talking in their 30s and 40s, that are still coming back. We want to make sure that it continues to evolve and make it a place where people want to keep coming back.

TN: In addition to a travel company you also give back to the community. Tell us about your giving back efforts.

Yarbrough: Each year Festival At Sea holds a raffle, and a bachelor auction to raise money for AfricanAmerican college students. Blue World estimates that over the past 27 years, $400,000 has been donated to either the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund or the United Negro College Fund.

Also, Festival At Sea has a Children’s Book Donation program where each passenger is asked to bring at least one new children’s book. The books are donated to the schools, libraries or charitable organizations such as the Red Cross. Over the past

27 years, book donations totaling over 50,000 new children’s books have been donated to almost every island in the Caribbean and South Africa.

TN: How would you articulate the significance of Festival At Sea to the African-American community?

Yarbrough: Culturally speaking, when you’re on vacation, there are just things that people tend to enjoy.

We’re just trying to bring the elements of an AfricanAmerican community altogether. Not just AfricanAmericans because we get people from all over, including Great Britain and the Caribbean.

Overall, it’s a cultural atmosphere that’s like a family reunion where you can enjoy your vacation while developing community on board.

More information about Festival At Sea can be found on the company’s website (www.festivalatsea.com/about) or Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/festivalatsea).  https://legacy.travelnoire.com/meet-the-founder-of-the-firstblack-owned-themed-cruise

55  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

The Black Billionaires 2019 By Mfonobong Nsehe

in England. Upon her return, she founded a Nigerian fashion label that catered to upscale clientele, including Maryam Babangida, wife to Nigeria’s former military president Ibrahim Babangida.

O

Nigerian, Cement, Sugar Abdulsamad Rabiu is the founder of BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate with interests in sugar refining, cement production, real estate, steel, port concessions, manufacturing, oil gas, and shipping. BUA Group’s annual revenues are estimated at over $2 billion.

Abdulsamad got his start in business working for his father, Isyaku Rabiu, a successful businessman from Nigeria’s Northern region. He struck out on his own in 1988, importing rice, sugar, edible oils as well as steel and iron rods.

f the 2,153 people who made it to the 2019 FORBES List of the World’s Billionaires, 14 of them are black, up from 11 a year ago.

These are the 14 Richest Black People on Earth:

11. Abdulsamad Rabiu, $1.6 billion

10. Michael Lee-Chin, $1.9 billion

14. Jay-Z, $1 billion American, Artist Though he’s hip-hop’s first billionaire, Jay-Z’s lead on the rest of the pack is even larger if his entire family fortune is taken into consideration: He and wife Beyoncé are now worth a combined $1.4 billion. So much for the notion that music is a dying business.

“To convince artists that you can’t be an artist and make money … was the greatest trick in music that people ever pulled off,” Jay-Z told Forbes in 2010. “I think the people that were making the millions said that.”

13. Mohammed Ibrahim, $1.1 billion British, Mobile Telecoms, Investments Sudanese-born Mohammed “Mo” Ibrahim founded Celtel International in 1998, one of the first mobile phone companies serving Africa and the Middle East.

He sold it to Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Company for $3.4 billion in 2005 and pocketed $1.4 billion. In 2006 he founded the Mo Ibrahim Foundation which promotes good governance in Africa.

12. Folorunsho Alakija, $1.1 billion Nigerian, Oil Nigeria’s first female billionaire is the founder of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian company that owns a substantial participating interest in OML 127, a lucrative oil block on the Agbami deep-water oilfield in Nigeria. Alakija started off as a secretary in a Nigerian merchant bank in the 1970s, then quit her job to study fashion design

Canadian, Investments Lee-Chin, a Canadian of Jamaican origin, made a fortune investing in financial companies. He owns a 65% stake in National Commercial Bank Jamaica, which makes up the bulk of his fortune. Under Lee-Chin, the Canada-based wealth management and mutual fund business managed more than $10 billion in assets by 2002. But the firm was hit hard by the 2008 recession, and Lee-Chin sold AIC to Canadian financial services group Manulife in 2009 for an undisclosed price.

9. Michael Jordan, $1.9 billion American, Basketball Basketball’s greatest player is the majority shareholder of Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) and enjoys lucrative deals with the likes of Gatorade, Hanes and Upper Deck. His biggest pile comes from Brand Jordan, a $1 billion (sales) sportswear partnership with Nike. Regarded by most as the NBA’s greatest all-time player, Michael Jordan won six titles with the Chicago Bulls. The Hornets are now worth $1.05 billion with Jordan owning 90% of the team.

8. Patrice Motsepe, $2.3 billion South African, Mining South Africa’s first and only black billionaire is the founder of African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), a Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed mining company that has platinum, nickel, chrome, iron, manganese, coal, copper and gold. He also owns a large stake in African Rainbow Capital, a private equity firm focusing on investments in the financial services sector.

In 1994, he became the first black partner at law firm Bowman Gilfillan in Johannesburg and then started a contracting business doing mine scut work.

7. Isabel Dos Santos, $2.3 billion

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A n g o l a n , Investments The oldest daughter of Angola’s former president, Isabel dos Santos has built an impressive investment portfolio that includes a 25% stake in Angolan mobile phone company Unitel and a 25% stake in Angolan bank Banco BIC SA. Other holdings include a substantial stake in Nos SGPS, a Portuguese cable TV company and just under 20% of Banco BPI, one of Portugal’s largest publicly traded banks.

6. Strive Masiyiwa, $2.4 billion Zimbabwean, Telecoms Masiyiwa, who is worth $2.4 billion, is the founder of Econet, one of the leading mobile telecoms companies in Africa. It has more than 10 million subscribers spread across Zimbabwe, Botswana, Burundi, and Lesotho. In February, he pledged the sum of $100 million to establish a fund to invest in rural entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe. Strive Masiyiwa overcame protracted government opposition to launch mobile phone network Econet Wireless Zimbabwe in his country of birth in 1998.

5. Oprah Winfrey, $2.5 billion American, Television Oprah is still the richest African-American woman in the world thanks largely to the 25 years of her profitable daytime TV show and earnings from her Harpo production company. Her cable channel, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) is also cash flow positive for the first time and is enjoying favorable ratings as a result of securing exclusive TV interviews with headlinegrabbers like disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, Beyoncé and gay NBA player Jason Collins. One of America’s most generous philanthropists, Oprah continues to give to education causes and has spent about $100 million on the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

4. David Steward, $ 3 billion American, Tech David Steward is the co-founder and chairman of IT provider World Wide Technology, an $11.2 billion (sales) IT provider, whose customers include Citi, Verizon, and the federal government. In 1990, he put up $250,000 he earned from two previous auditing ventures to start the St. Louis-based business. In the early days, Steward sometimes went without a

paycheck and once watched his car get repossessed from the office parking lot.

3. Robert F. Smith, $5 billion American, Private Equity Robert F. Smith, a former Goldman Sachs executive, is the founder of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners that focuses exclusively on investing in software companies. The firm has more than $46 billion in assets and is one of the best-performing private equity firms, posting annualized returns of 22% since inception. Smith founded private equity firm Vista Equity Partners in 2000.

2. Mike Adenuga, $9.1 billion Nigerian, Oil, Telecoms Nigerian-born Mike Adenuga, the world’s second richest black person, built his fortune in oil and mobile telecoms. His Conoil Producing Company was one of the first indigenous Nigerian companies to be granted an oil exploration license in the early 90s. The company is the operator of six blocks in the Niger Delta and also owns a 25% stake in the Joint Development Zone (JDZ) Block 4. He is also the founder and sole owner of Globacom, a Nigerian mobile phone network that has more than 40 million subscribers in Nigeria and neighboring African countries. His property company, Cobblestone Properties, owns hundreds of prime residential and commercial property all over Nigeria.

1. Aliko Dangote, $10.9 billion Nigerian, Sugar, Cement, Flour The Cement and commodities tycoon retains his title as the world’s richest black man this year. After building his fortune in sugar, flour and cement, the Nigerian tycoon is embarking on his most ambitious project to date - a private oil refinery in Nigeria which will have a refining capacity of 6,500,000 barrels a day and is expected to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on oil imports. Dangote started out in business more than 3 decades ago by trading in commodities like cement, flour and sugar with a loan he received from his maternal uncle and went on to build the Dangote Group, the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa. 

57  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

www3.forbes.com/ business/the-blackbillionaires-2019 Image credits: pius utomi ekpei/aft/getty images, forbes.com

Business - The Future of Money

Will Libra be the Killer App of Digital Money?

By Christoffer Hernæs, hernaes.com

F

acebook’s venture into the payments space has been a long time coming for many of us.

Ever since Facebook filed for a Money transfer License in 2014, the hiring of former Paypal president David Marcus as head of Facebook Messenger the same year as well as the following launch of Facebook Pay (https://hernaes.com/2015/03/18/what-are-theimplications-of-facebook-pay), it has been a slow buildup towards the payment space. Recently Facebook finally unveiled the details surrounding the rumored cryptocurrency, Libra that is set to launch sometime 2020. What is it, who will benefit from it, and who will be potential victims of Facebook’s potential success?

According to Facebook (https://libra.org/en-US), Libra is going to be a simple global currency and financial infrastructure that empowers millions of people.

If that were not ambitious enough, the tagline reads; Reinvent money Transform the global economy. So people everywhere can live better lives.

In order to keep it independent from Facebook, a corresponding organization, Calibra (https://newsroom. fb.com/news/2019/06/coming-in-2020-calibra) with a digital wallet of the same name has been formed together with some other big names such as Visa, Mastercard, Spotify, Uber, Vodaphone, and Paypal just to name a few. The initial members have all contributed with an entry ticket of minimum 10 MUSD. According to The Block (www.theblockcrypto. com/2019/06/14/facebooks-cryptocurrency-partnersrevealed-we-obtained-the-entire-list-of-inaugural-backers),

Facebook initially had ambitions to get some of the big banks involved but found a lack of interest among institutional giants like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan.

Even though the inaugural members are limited to 28, The Block reports that the goal is to get 100 members in the consortium. With a 10 MUSD minimum per member, capital should not be an issue for Calibra if it manages to reach the desired membership amount.

To encourage adoption, The Libra Association wants to encourage more developers and merchants by issuing various incentives, possibly Libra coins, to

validator node operators who can get people signed up for and using Libra. With global giants like eBay, Uber, and Spotify already on board, it is easy to imagine how these would again create some kind of incentives for consumers to chose Libra as their preferred payment option, thus achieving consumer adoption through network effects created by having wide-reaching digital services as a part of the Libra Association.

Libra differs from most known cryptocurrencies by being a Stablecoin (www.forbes.com/sites/ shermanlee/2018/03/12/explaining-stable-coins-the-holygrail-of-crytpocurrency/#f1f04f54fc64), where the value

of the Libra is pegged to not only one fiat currency, but a basket of currencies such as dollar, pound, euro, swiss franc, and yen. This to ensure a stable currency rate, as opposed to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies known for at times wild price fluctuations.

In addition to offsetting potential volatility of the currency itself, Coindesk (www.coindesk.com/librawhite-paper-shows-how-facebook-borrowed-from-bitcoinand-ethereum) reports that Facebook has created a

best of breed where they have cherrypicked what they consider the best features from existing blockchains for the underlying protocol. Here some examples of how Libra borrows some of the features that have gained popularity among known blockchains: • Like bitcoin, there’s no real identity on the blockchain.

• Like Hyperledger, it’s permissioned • Like ethereum, it makes currency programmable • Like coda, users don’t need to hold onto the whole transaction history See the full list and explanations at Coindesk.

For more details on what Libra is, TechCrunch (https:// techcrunch.com/2019/06/18/facebook-libra) has compiled an extensive article covering what you need to know for now. For those who really wish to know more of the technical specs on the Libra blockchain, please refer to the white paper published today by Facebook. There is also a developer portal where any developer can build their own apps up and running.

58  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

received a somewhat mixed response given the complexity regarding the tethering to multiple currencies. In France and Germany, central banks and parliament members are worried that a something of this magnitude will instantly become systemic, and call out for regulators to be on high alert. Not long after the reveal of Libra , G7 announced that they will set up a high-level forum to examine the risks of such currencies to the financial system with regards to financial stability as well as money laundering (www.ft.com/content/5535fb3a-91ea11e9-b7ea-60e35ef678d2).

In the official press release, Facebook state that the goal of Libra is to contribute to financial inclusion for those unable to access basic financial services, which is the case for almost half of the adults in the world don’t have an active bank account and those numbers are worse in developing countries and even worse for women (https://globalfindex.worldbank. org/#data_sec_focus). Libra will also be available as a currency in Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp, giving an indication that Facebook is looking beyond financial inclusion for potential use.

With an installed base of 2.4 billion users worldwide, Facebook has the potential to transform the way we pay as well as money itself. This will undoubtedly be the cause of worry for both financial institutions, payment processors as well as central banks.

As a Stablecoin, Libra will hold a reserve in fiat currencies equivalent to the value of the digital currency itself. That means there’s always 100% of the value of the Libra in circulation collateralized with realworld assets in the Libra Reserve. This undoubtedly raises some questions among regulators on how such a reserve should be governed. IMF on their side suggests that one option is to place these reserves with central banks, a suggestion that unsurprisingly

Even though the initial target demographic of Libra is the unbanked, banks should pay close attention to how this plays out. The future of banking is predicted to be everywhere, never at a bank if we are to believe the words of Brett king. Meaning that banking functions become embedded within other experiences, Facebook as a proved platform player and digital ecosystem has a significant lead on incumbent banks in the platform economy. According to the head of the Libra Association, their mission is to build more services through Calibra and start providing customers with more financial services. Although this surely won’t happen overnight, it is worth the while to stay vigilant.

Challenger banks such as Revolut and Monese should perhaps be most worried by this announcement.

If everyone with a Facebook or WhatsApp account will be able to use low-cost mobile and online banking, the need for mobile-only challenger banks will diminish.

While some suggest that Facebook will be a catalyst for mainstream bitcoin and cryptocurrency adoption around the world, Libra could just as easily disrupt existing cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrency firms have been trying to build cross-border, digital currencies on the blockchain to disrupt traditional banking and

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see page 60

Business - The Future of Money from page 59

payments for a decade, but nothing has caught on at the scale of traditional money yet. With Facebook’s ambitions, they surely are setting up a winner takes it all game for borderless payments.

But not everyone is convinced that this will work.

The Financial Times Alphaville (https://ftalphaville. ft.com/2019/06/18/1560848403000/Zuckerberg--Theman-who-would-be-monetary-king) has through a series

of posts raised doubts of the true motivation of the currency as well as its right to live. Arguing that Libra is nothing more than a brazen attempt to override national monetary sovereignty by creating a globalscale Federal Reserve equivalent — within which Facebook’s dominance is veiled by the cunning use of buzzwords like blockchain, DLT, decentralization, and cryptocurrency.

They receive support from several sources in the Cryptocurrency community, stating that Libra is still a centralized platform and is still subject to censorship,

monitoring, and control and that adding a consortium of global companies as validators does nothing to decentralize the system. Whether or not it matters or not that Libra is not a cryptocurrency by definition, I’ll let the jury decide at a later stage.

Even though Libra promises to maintain privacy for its users, not everyone is convinced. Given Facebook’s history of exploiting user data for monetization, it is safe to say that Facebook has some trust issues. Facebook is currently facing a potential $5bn (£4bn) fine from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which opened an investigation in response to the Cambridge Analytica revelations.

Another critic points out that given the alleged initial failure of Facebook Pay (that recently was discontinued in Europe), Facebook is taking a business area they’ve already failed at and adding complexity.

Personally, I find this immensely exciting. I’ve been following Facebooks positioning towards payments for years, and now a substantial move has been made.

This will undoubtedly create a lot of interest and has enormous potential. If anybody is well positioned to become the borderless bank that is the holy grail for many fintechs and challenger banks out there, it is Facebook.  https://hernaes.com/2019/06/18/will-libra-be-the-killerapp-of-digital-money Image credits: voice-online.co.uk

61  February 2019  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net  1-323-291-7819

Business - Growing Industry

Major Universities are Offering Cannabis Degree Programs

By Michelle Cheng

A

big challenge for employers in the nearly $14 billion global market for legal marijuana is not a shortage of applicants but the shortage of qualified applicants.

“We have one of the biggest industries Cannabis Plants REUTERS/Chris Wattie developing without any trained professionals,” says Jamie Warm, co-founder and CEO of Henry’s Original, a Mendocino County, California-based cannabis cultivator and distributor. He’s pulling professionals from packaged goods industries from liquor and fashion, where the “particular business feels like their experience translates,” he says, but there’s still a “learning curve.”

Can the Ivy League help?

This autumn, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, will offer the undergraduate course “Cannabis: Biology, Society and Industry,” which will focus on exploring the history, culture, pharmacology, horticulture and legal challenges associated with cannabis. The following year, it plans on launching a master’s degree, with an emphasis on oral and written communication skills with media and industry stakeholders.

Cornell is hardly the only school to take notice of the burgeoning field. In June, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy announced the launch of a master’s degree in medical cannabis science and therapeutics. The two-year program starts in late August, which also is when the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia will offer the first of four courses in a new MBA option for students interested in studying the cannabis industry. And in Canada, which last year became the second country in the world to legalize weed nationwide, McGill University plans to offer a graduate degree in cannabis production starting in 2020.

The growing number of colleges adding degrees and courses in cannabis (there are also online cannabis

certificate programs out there) reflects a hot industry with needs for both high-level and broad-based skills, whether in horticulture, chemistry, entrepreneurship, pharmacology, policy and regulation, communication, or the law. A similar story is taking shape right now in eSports; Ohio State University, for example, is preparing students interested in competitive gaming with an interdisciplinary education ranging from business management to coaching to gaming development.

Must be comfortable with startup environments The legal marijuana market was valued at $13.8 billion last year and is expected to be worth $66.3 billion by 2025, according to research firm Grand View Research. Data from jobs site Indeed shows that postings for cannabis jobs have more than quadrupled since 2016, from about 300 posts per million to about a thousand posts per million in 2019.

“If you’re going to go into the industry, you really need to know all aspects of the industry,” says Carlyn S. Buckler, an associate professor at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, who designed the school’s new undergraduate cannabis course. “In other words, you need to understand the plant itself.”

The range of academic offerings also reflects the broadening use of marijuana, which has been legalized for medical purposes in 33 US states. For instance, the University of California, Davis offers a course for medical students to teach them about the physiology of the plants and how it interacts with the human body.

Doctors and pharmacists need a good understanding of the effects of marijuana, as well as how it can be used for medical purposes, says Yu-Fung Lin, a professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

Warm, who has interviewed ex-employees of Nike and Tesla for jobs at Henry’s, says his company has just over 100 employees now and expects to double its headcount by next year. He says that in addition to management skills and agricultural know-how, there’s a need for people with startup experience who are comfortable with “tackling things at more of a grassroots level.”

There’s also the obvious challenge of attracting professionals to an industry that is not completely legal in most countries, including the United States.

While marijuana legalization in the US continues to grow state by state (33 US states have approved it for medical use, and 11 allow it recreationally) the drug is still not legal at the federal level.  https://qz.com/work/1679162/cornell-university-of-maryland-andmcgill-university-are-launching-cannabis-degrees-and-courses/ amp

62  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Business - Technology / Take A Look!

Technology:

Take A Look!

StockX-Market for Sneakers & Streetwear:

S

Get in the Market

tockX (https://stockx.com) operates a live bid/ ask marketplace (stock market) for buying and selling limited edition and high demand sneakers (and streetwear). Its marketplace enables users to anonymously buy and sell limited edition consumer products (such as sneakers) with stock market-like visibility.

StockX’s platform allows users to create their own personalized sneaker portfolio by uploading their current collection, and compare and contrast their sneaker collection to other users on the platform.

Daniel Gilbert and Joshua Luber founded it in March 2015, with its headquarters in Detroit in Michigan.  www.crunchbase.com/organization/stockx#sectionoverview

Black Girl MATHgic

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he Black Girl MATHgic Box is the only subscription box ($39.95) designed to increase math confidence and decrease math anxiety in girls on a 3rd-8th grade math level. Each month,

your girl will receive a box containing real-world math lessons and activities, fun educational items, a math affirmation, profile of a black woman mathematician + more!

• Math Activity Booklet containing foundational, real-world math lessons and activities created by our in-house math experts (each box will have a different theme) • 3-5 items to help bring the math lessons and activities to life (e.g. stickers, notebooks, learning aids) • A Caring Adult Guide to help you help her maximize her box experience • Bond with your girl while helping her strengthen the math skills she needs to succeed in today and tomorrow's society • High-quality math education experience that makes math relatable and relevant.  https://www.cratejoy.com/subscription-box/black-girlmathgic/

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oseph Danso started the DanaBen Financial Group, LLC with the vision to become the backbone of the people through valuable financial education. His mission is to build and protect our legacy while providing a road map to success through financial solutions that give you peace of mind. He is making wealth accessible through his facebook and youtube channel (www.youtube.com/ channel/UCbQ0bPJSsVV-d0QquDkgFhw).  www.facebook.com/DanaBen-Financial-GroupLLC-204944223434459 /

The Apple Credit Card

I

rrationally loyal Apple fans and credit card points obsessives, rejoice: Cupertino's first ever credit card has (sort of) landed. The Apple credit card, announced in March, was finally rolled out this week to a select number of iPhone users. During the announcement event, Apple promised the card would be simple to use and apply for, include no fees, offer low interest rates, and come with better rewards than comparable cards. Apple says the card will be available to everyone later this month.

64  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Let's start with that promised easy application process. To apply, as long as your software is up to date, you just go into the Wallet app of your phone and hit the plus button in the top corner. After hitting “Apple Card,” you’ll enter in all your information, much of it is auto-generated from your Apple account, and submit your application to Goldman Sachs (who are issuing the card). My application was approved in under a minute and the card was immediately added to my Apple wallet.

The physical card, which runs on Mastercard’s network, arrived in the mail a few days later. It’s a weighty titanium number with minimal detailing— basically just the Apple logo and my name in San Francisco font on the front. There’s no CVV number and no signature required. To activate it, you bring your phone next to it, just like you would connect AirPods or the PowerBeats Pro. I suppose this it meant to make me feel like what I assume other people feel when they

put in AirPods, which is to say better than anyone who isn’t using an Apple product.

But Apple doesn’t want you to use this physical card.

It wants you to use the card with Apple Pay. And if you use Apple pay with the card at any participating merchant, you’ll get 2% cash back. You get 3% on purchases made directly with Apple (like in an Apple store or iTunes). But only 1% if you use the physical card. Apple wouldn’t tell us how many iPhone users actually use Apple Pay currently, (they pointed us to a venture capital firm that estimates 43% of iPhone users had enabled Apple Pay by the end of last year). But Apple did confirm that “more than 70% of merchants accept Apple Pay in the US.” These kickbacks are, as some have pointed out, not all that impressive. The card doesn’t offer any sign-up bonuses or truly game-changing rewards (unless you’re the kind of person who spends a considerable amount of money on games in the App Store). Considering that we have no idea whether people will actually benefit from the card’s budgeting features and nudges to get you to pay off more of your balance, the Apple Card is basically the Citi Double Cash card with a lot more restrictions.

What you get for these limitations is simplicity and speed. Rather than to go into an app and run through a whole slew of menus to access your rewards, Apple deposits any cash back you earn into your Apple cash automatically at the end of each day. You can use that money to pay off your balance, send it to a friend with Apple Pay, or just deposit into your bank.

This is actually valuable as credit card companies are making it harder and harder to discern microscopic differences between an infinite number cards with inscrutable names. The Apple Card caters to a wide audience by offering something that is certainly not the best card in every situation, but is a lot better than most cards in many situations. For people that already have one card specifically for dining or travel or business or groceries and don’t really want to get another card with rewards limitations or things to keep track of, the Apple Card could be their catch all, no-brainer solution for all their other spending. So in that sense the Apple Card’s lack of ambition is actually…a little ambitious. www.gq.com/story/the-apple-credit-card-is-here?utm_ source=nl&utm_brand=biz&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_ mailing=Thematic_Business_08122019&utm_medium=em ail&bxid=5caac6883f92a405d5b6cb15&cndid=38890654&u tm_content=Final&utm_term=Thematic_Business Curatted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

65  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Jane e Reese-Wilkins s & Associates s e Black k Business s Association n Memberr off the Will assist you with your FREE Covered California Enrollment for No Cost! We assist with the quote, plan selection and enrollment. Depending on your situation, you may receive Premium Assistance. Dental and vision coverage is available at the time of enrollment. We represent the following plans:

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67  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Fight for Freedom

T

he NAACP extends our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends who lost loved ones in the tragic shootings in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton.

These victims did not deserve to have their lives stolen from them at the hands of gunmen filled with hate.

These tragic shootings are stark reminders of the dangers that plague our communities under the resurgence of white nationalism, domestic terrorism, intolerance, and racial hatred germinating from the White House.

This has to stop.

The NAACP is calling on the Trump administration to cease its use of divisive and discriminatory rhetoric which fuel these unconscionable attacks and allot resources to combat the rise of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.

We’re also keeping up our call for practical gun control and urging our supporters to reach out to their elected officials to push them to make good on their promise to protect the American people and keep us safe.

If you stand with us in holding our elected officials accountable, please sign up to take action now (https://support.naacp.org/onlineactions/ DQ_wq_GXqk-wOis2nlenyA2) - contact your elected representatives and demand action.

It’s critical that all of us emerge from our grief—and just anger—not weakened or desensitized, but as fighters who rallied to make our communities safe from guns and our nation free from hate.

In solidarity, Derrick Johnson @DerrickNAACP President & CEO NAACP

68  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Commentary

Embracing the Courageous Four; Radically Reconceiving and Reconstructing America

By Dr. Maulana Karenga

I

n spite of the forked-tongue talk, doublespeak and patently racist ranting of the pretending President Trump and the White supremacist mob-like cheerleaders chanting hatred at his rallies, we must not miss the fresh, air-clearing and uplifting wind that is steadily rising and blowing our way. It is the transforming force of the voice, views Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA R and defiant struggles of the courageous four Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY); and R O “freshmen” congresswomen: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA); Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY); and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). They come to Dr. Maulana Karenga their position anxious and impressively able to serve the people, their constituency, the vulnerable, nerable and the larger interests of the country with rightful havoc it is wreaking concern for the well-being of the world. And they will and under focusing not be bullied or silenced by Trump and company, nor on the response and accept a party discipline that calls for a compromise of responders needed to their principles or taking a position that diminishes and control and extinguish undermines their capacity to serve the people as best it.

Fannie Lou Hamer history.co Audacious and they can and see it.

Trump’s attacks on these four courageous, committed, defiant, these four knowledgeable and defiant congresswomen of color, progressive congresswomen resist and reject Trump’s not only reflect his commitment to views, policies attempt to impose his deformed and dishonest and practices that are racist, anti-people of color; reactionary conception of patriotism and politics. xenophobic, anti-immigrant and those different; Indeed, they cannot morally and will not politically sexist, anti-women; and opportunistic, ever self- accept Trump’s packaged and constantly peddled promoting and peacocking. These attacks also reflect racist patriotic politics of vicious and varied forms of his reactionary politics and conception of America. It oppression: apartheid walls here and abroad; corruption is a politics of White supremacy; predatory capitalism and coercion; the savaging of immigrants and the abuse at home and abroad; warmongering; privatization of and separation of children from their families; anti-labor public wealth and space; and peddling a personalized and anti-union policies; preference for the rich at the patriotism based on his astonishing ignorance, multiple expense and injury of the poor; racial and religious restrictions and preferences; denial of climate change; insecurities and vulgar interests.

We must constantly expose, criticize and condemn and his obsessive and infantile attempt to rival and the monster side of America we call Trump and his erase everything considered an Obama achievement.

Trump and his allied haters, enviers and detractors supporters and enablers, but we must not over focus on him and under focus on the rising movement to can call them names and attribute to them all kinds actively resist him in Congress, as represented by the of social sins, but these courageous, competent and initiatives of the courageous four and also in our various committed women of color congresswomen stand on communities across the country. To make this mistake solid moral and political ground. They are right to criticize would be like over focusing on a devasting fire and the and condemn the inhumane detention, conditions and 70  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

A); Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Alexandria

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)

m

treatment of the refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants at the border as a concentration camp, a site of mass detention, oppression, labor and sexual abuse and exploitation, degradation and death. And such camps were put in place first, not by the Nazis, but by Euro-Americans against Native Americans, whether in missions or so-called “reservations.”

Regardless of the Barnum and Bailey big top circus of smoke and mirrors, dog whistles, and lying as public policy and a way of life from the Trump camp of circled covered wagons, the real issue is what kind of America we want and are willing to struggle, strive and sacrifice for to bring into being at this critical juncture in the history of our people and this country. The struggle is over two concepts of America: whether it is a finished White product or an ongoing multicultural project. In the first version, we are to accept White dominance, defer to policies and practices negative to human life, dignity and development and be grateful to live in the house Jack, the enslaver, segregationist, capitalist and colonizer claims he built, but without rightful acknowledgement that it was built with the enslaved and exploited labor and social and political exclusion of oppressed people. The second concept of America sees it as an unfinished ongoing multicultural project in which each people and person has both the right and responsibility to speak their own special cultural truth and make their own unique contribution to how this society is radically reconceived and reconstructed in the most just and human way.

This conversation that these courageous four are compelling the country to have is a necessary one, and one that builds on and moves forward a tradition of struggle defined by our foremother, Fannie Lou Hamer, as rooted in the a moral imperative to righteously and continuously question America in thought and practice. It is a moral imperative deeply embedded in the Black Liberation tradition and other radical and progressive traditions of this country. It calls for us to question the quality, content and course of American thought and practice, and to measure it by its highest ideals and engage in corrective action where America finds itself in contradiction to these ideals. And it calls on us to even go beyond its best ideals when they are found to be in contradiction with the best of our moral sensitivities, moral reasoning, lived experience, and knowledge-producing practice.

It is right, good and necessary to raise questions about and reject a racial, religious or political protocol that demands agreement with immoral, irrational and unjust policies and practices. We are right to question corporate and big money negative influence on domestic and foreign policy and on democratic governance. It is not our obligation to demonstrate allegiance to or support of a foreign state as part of participating in American government. Nor is it wrong to question and reject any pressure to do so.

It is right to reject the claim of any country, people or person of a right to immunity from criticism and it is right to raise questions concerning the violation of human rights and international law by any country, people or person. And that includes, not only Israeli occupation of Palestine and the oppression of Palestinians; but also American, Canadian and French occupation of Haiti and oppression of the Haitian people; the Chinese oppression of the Uighurs; the Burmese oppression of the Rohingya; and the Saudi and Emirates’ criminal and indiscriminate bombing of the Yemeni people.

Other questions heretofore pushed to the side, buried in conservative, reactionary and even liberal graves of indifference, dismissal and amnesia, must be resurrected, revived and put at the center of national discourse policy and action. And we are not to be grateful or express gratitude for being conceded human rights we had at birth and just by being human.

Nor are we to be grateful to self-seeking others for civil rights, freedom and justice which we won in the fire and furnace of righteous and relentless struggle.  www.blackpressusa.com/embracing-the-courageous-fourradically-reconceiving-and-reconstructing-america/ Image credits: newbostonpost.com.

71  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Commentary - Equal Pay

America’s Democracy Facing Multiple Threats

O

ur democracy is in peril, but we the people can preserve it.

The Senate Intelligence Committee recently startled the nation with a democracy shaking report entitled “Russian Efforts Against Election Infrastructure.”

The independent Mueller Report had previously indicated, “The Russian government interfered in the 2016 election in sweeping and systematic fashion,” and Robert Mueller testified before the House Judiciary Committee that Russia was continuing to intervene in our voting infrastructure.

Americans had already been made aware of Russian efforts in Illinois, Arizona and certain counties in Florida in 2016. The Senate report was shocking because it documented that Russia’s efforts had actually targeted all 50 states.

The U.S. has a “states’ rights and local control” voting system. Voting is a state right, not a citizenship right, with no real enforceable national standards.

We’ve ended up with multiple and varied election systems in the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), 3,143 counties, 13,000 local voting jurisdictions that administer approximately 186,000 precincts, all organized in what amounts to a “separate and

unequal” voting system, mostly controlled and managed by partisan local election officials.

Some argue that such decentralization protects against a systematic corruption of our election system, until you look at the reality.

With no federally mandated rules, national canons or even voluntary national standards, the reality is states, counties and certainly most local voting jurisdictions are left unprotected and are no match for a sophisticated cyber-actor performing on behalf of a foreign government determined to alter an election outcome, actions by an institution with private interests or even a talented individual with a personal grievance or political agenda.

Interfering in all 50 states is not required.

The strategic interference in a limited number of key states, counties, local jurisdictions and in some instances even precincts, could swing an entire state and alter a national election in favor of a desired winner.

The Mueller Report said the Trump campaign shared detailed polling information with the Russians and highlighted Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota as their key states for

victory. Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin favored President Donald Trump by only 77,000 votes totally and swung the election to him in 2016.

Immediately following Mueller’s

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s

testimony, Sen. Mark Warner (DVA) attempted to pass the FIRE Act asking for unanimous consent.

The Fire Act was a simple, narrowly targeted bill. All it did was make sure that foreign attempts to interfere in future presidential elections are promptly reported to the FBI and the FEC. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) instantly killed it, claiming it was a partisan effort to defeat Trump. McConnell’s maneuver amounts to an open invitation for outsiders to again meddle in our presidential election.

The Senate Intelligence Committee then released its report about the Russians targeting all 50 states. The first House Bill passed in the 116th Congress was a comprehensive voting bill (H.R. 1) that would have increased voter security, made voting easier for all eligible voters, established a national holiday for voting and much more, but McConnell, the self-declared grim reaper, said this bipartisan legislation was dead on arrival.

McConnell and Senate Republicans have adopted

Republican strategist Paul Weyrich’s maxim: “I don’t want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people.

“They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”

I’ve advocated adding a right to vote amendment before, basically in the name of democracy and good citizenship. Now, however, it’s becoming clear that it’s also a national security issue. Our representative democracy, our Republic, is threatened and being undermined by Russia and possibly other countries.

Americans should be able to elect the people they want to govern them without external interference. And yes, we’ve done it to others in the past and it was wrong.

While allowing for local administration of elections, adding a right to vote amendment would mandate Congress to pass legislation and provide the money to set minimum common sense national standards, such as requiring modern secure voting machines, secure voter registration files, a backup paper record of your vote from voting machines, risklimiting post-election audits, automatic voter registration at age 18, same-day onsite voter registration and more.

That is what democracy looks like.  www.rainbowpush.org Image credits: rare.us

75  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Music History

'Hitsville' Documentary Premieres on Showtime

By Gary Graff

B

ack in the mid-'60s, Berry Gordy Jr. commissioned Smokey Robinson to pen the "Motown Company Song," which declared the iconic record label "a very swinging company."

Motown has indeed been swinging through its 60th anniversary celebration this year, which has already included a Grammy Salute special on CBS. The party moved to Showtime with Hitsville: The Making of Motown, a documentary debut Aug. 24 on Showtime. Premieres were held earlier this month in Los Angeles and on Aug. 23 when Motown alumni and guests gathered for an invitation-only screening hosted by the Motown Museum in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak. "There's a good vibe to the film," Funk Brothers guitarist Dennis Coffey, whose guitar licks for the Temptations "Cloud Nine" and "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" were heard during the film, told Billboard afterwards.

Claudette Robinson of the Miracles -- known as the First Lady of Motown -- said, "It caught the spirit, and there were times it was also emotional," she said.

"We were teenagers when this all happened; Now I'm a grandmother."

Hitsville was directed by Ben and Gabe Turner, British-born brothers whose Fulwell 73 company produces CBS' The Late Late Show among other projects.

The fast-paced and richly detailed Hitsville covers plenty of ground during its nearly two hours, from Gordy's pre-Motown work as a boxer, record store owner

and songwriter through the e company's move to Loss Angeles during the earlyy '70s and Marvin Gaye's landmark album What's Going On. The Turners focus particularly on Gordy's methodology, operating a record label like the assembly line he worked on for the Ford Motor Company, creating a full-service operation that made, promoted and sold records and also groomed its artists with lessons in etiquette and stage technique. The Turners even came up with a kind of Venn diagram of the Motown structure that serves as a kind of index throughout the film.

"Berry told us how he had a few businesses that had failed and ended up on the Ford production line, thinking 'I could do this for artists and musicians -- bring in the raw materials, send them to different stations where they can learn to sing and dance, and come out the other side a star," Ben Turner says. "We thought that was so fascinating, and unique. And we also tapped into the social scope of it; A lot of these kids came from the projects nearby, and (Motown) taught them how to act and carry themselves in order to project as stars."

The film features a treasure trove of archival footage and images along with interviews with Gordy and the Robinsons (Smokey and Claudette) as well as artists, songwriters, producers and company executives and staffers.

Dr. Dre, John Legend, Jamie Foxx, Little Richard, Sam Smith and former Billboard editor and Motown

biographer Adam White offer their perspectives and commentary.

Both Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin are included via archival interviews, along with deceased figures such as Marvin Gaye and Norman Whitfield. Highlights from Hitsville include extensive segments about the Temptations' iconic "My Girl," What's Going On and the Motortown Revue's encounters with racism in the deep South.

The heart of Hitsville, however, comes from extensive scenes with Gordy and Robinson -- still each other’s best friend -- together, cruising through Detroit in a vintage Cadillac and cutting up in the "snakepit" at Studio A in Motown's original Hitsville USA headquarters (now the Motown Museum).

"That relationship was key to us," Ben Turner says. "To see how they interact... There is a magic when they're together that you can't get in a book. That magic infused the company and informed their songs, and we were keen to find a way of capturing that on camera. In a way that's what's the most unique thing about this film in terms of how the Motown story had been told before."

In addition to the Showtime run, Hitsville is accompanied by a soundtrack album, while a home video release is planned for the future. Details can be found at motownmuseum.org.  www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/hitsvilledocumentary-premieres-on-showtime-whilemotown-parties-at-home-with-beloved-stars/ ar-AAGgKMD

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Community/Public Interest - Interview

HRH The Duchess of Sussex Interviews Michelle Obama for BritishVogue

By HRH The Duchess of Sussex As First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama forged a path as the nation’s mother-in-chief – and became a style icon in the process. Now, freed from White House protocol, she’s loosening up, but still dispensing immaculate advice. In a rare interview, she talks motherhood and maturity with Vogue’s guest editor HRH The Duchess of Sussex.

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n formulating the content of the Forces for Change issue, I knew that I wanted to create a magazine that would speak not just to where we are, but to where we hope to be. In doing so, I knew we needed to both open and close strong. Like a beautiful meal: the first bite sets the tone and the final spoonful leaves you satiated, smiling, and sometimes (if you’re dining under the direction of a forward-thinking chef) even inspired.

So how could I bring this issue to its logical conclusion?

How could I meet that very lofty self-imposed goal?

Turns out British Vogue famously has a back page Q&A feature that is equal parts informative and whimsical, with a special guest each month. My first thought was that it needed to be someone kind, inspirational, motivating, funny, with gravitas and as much depth as levity. My second thought: it needed to be Michelle Obama.

So, over a casual lunch of chicken tacos and my ever-burgeoning bump, I asked Michelle if she would help me with this secret project.

It wasn’t a huge ask, so to speak, because the back page of Vogue comprises a few simple questions to garner a few simple answers – tidbits that would leave you, the reader, feeling all of the aforementioned sensations of this analogous culinary experience.

She graciously said yes (because she’s Michelle, she’s gracious), and then very promptly sent answers (because she’s Michelle, she’s prompt).

What was sent back to me, however, left me somewhat speechless. A few “simple questions” (which she could have answered with a sentence or two) were returned to me as a thoughtful, reflective and beautifully curated narrative – a gentle reminder not of how but of why she has become such a globally respected public figure.

Whatever your background, it’s easy to feel connected to Mrs Obama. There’s something magical

about the way in which she draws you in with her endearingly frank, down-to-earth personality. When I heard her speak at London’s Royal Festival Hall last December, I found that I could personally relate to what she was sharing – and that the young British woman sitting a few seats away from me, laughing heartily and nodding in agreement, must have felt the same way.

I share all this with you as a disclaimer of sorts: had I known Michelle would be so generous in making this a comprehensive interview my questions would have been lengthier, more probing, more engaging. I would have called her and included the banter on these pages – the laughs and sighs and ping-pong of dialogue as I chimed in. But to re-engineer that now would rob Michelle’s words of their authenticity, which, for me, is at the crux of what makes this piece special.

That authenticity came out of her innate goodwill to support another woman, to give more than what’s asked for, to be generous, to be kind – all of these attributes make her the ultimate force for change. To my former First Lady, and now friend, Michelle – thank you.

The Duchess of Sussex: You sent me the kindest message on Mother’s Day this year. What has motherhood taught you?

Michelle Obama: Being a mother has been a masterclass in letting go. Try as we might, there’s only so much we can control. And, boy, have I tried – especially at first. As mothers, we just don’t want anything or anyone to hurt our babies. But life has other plans. Bruised knees, bumpy roads and broken hearts are part of the deal. What’s both humbled and heartened me is seeing the resiliency of my daughters.

In some ways, Malia and Sasha couldn’t be more different. One speaks freely and often, one opens up on her own terms. One shares her innermost feelings, the other is content to let you figure it out. Neither approach is better or worse, because they’ve both grown into smart, compassionate and independent young women, fully capable of paving their own paths.

Motherhood has taught me that, most of the time, my job is to give them the space to explore and develop into the people they want to be. Not who I want them to be or who I wish I was at that age, but who they are, deep inside. Motherhood has also taught me that my

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Discussing the Let Girls Learn initiative and support for veterans on a visit to the UK in 2015. job is not to bulldoze a path for them in an effort to eliminate all possible adversity. But instead, I need to be a safe and consistent place for them to land when they inevitably fail; and to show them, again and again, how to get up on their own.

The Duchess of Sussex: What advice do you give your daughters?

Michelle Obama: Don’t just check the boxes you think you’re supposed to check, like I did when I was their age. I tell them that I hope they’ll keep trying on new experiences until they find what feels right. And what felt right yesterday might not necessarily feel right today. That’s OK – it’s good, even. When I was in college, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer because it sounded like a job for good, respectable people. It took me a few years to listen to my intuition and find a path that fit better for who I was, inside and out.

Becoming who we are is an ongoing process, and thank God – because where’s the fun in waking up one day and deciding there’s nowhere left to go? That’s something I wish I’d recognised a little earlier. As a younger woman, I spent too much time worrying that I wasn’t achieving enough, or I was straying too far from

what I thought was the prescribed path. What I hope my daughters will realise a little earlier is that there is no prescribed path, that it’s OK to swerve, and that the confidence they need to recognise that will come with time.

The Duchess of Sussex: How would that advice be different if you were offering it to sons? Or would it be the same?

Michelle Obama: It would be exactly the same. My parents, particularly my father, taught my brother and me at an early age to treat boys and girls exactly the same. When I was still in elementary school, my dad bought my brother a pair of boxing gloves. But when he came home from the store, he was carrying not one, but two pairs of gloves. He wasn’t going to teach his son to punch without making sure his daughter could throw a left hook, too. Now, I was a little younger and a little smaller than my brother, but I kept up with him.

I could dodge a jab just like he could, and I could hit just as hard as him, too. My father saw that. I think he wanted to make sure that my brother saw that as well.

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The Duchess of Sussex: What inspired you to start the Girls Opportunity Alliance [a programme of the Obama Foundation that seeks to empower adolescent girls through education], and what is your goal?

Michelle Obama: Today, nearly 98 million adolescent girls around the world are not in school. That’s a tragedy – for the girls, of course, but also for all of us. Think of everything we’re missing out on. We know that when we educate girls, when we truly invest in their potential, there is no limit to the good it can do. Girls who attend school have healthier families, they earn higher wages, and the world gets to experience the full expression of their gifts. I formed the Girls Opportunity Alliance because I’ve seen the power of education in my own life. And I believe that every little girl, no matter her circumstances, deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and act on her knowledge. So, we’re connecting grass-roots leaders already working on the ground in countries all over the world, helping them to learn from each other and get the resources, support and platform they need to lift up girls in communities that can use a boost. And we are grateful to all the people around the world who have supported this programme and are interested in taking action to help.

The Duchess of Sussex: If you were sitting down with your 15-year-old self, what do you think she would tell you, seeing who you have become today?

HRH The Duchess of Sussex stylebistro.com Michelle Obama: I love this question. I had a lot of fun when I was 15, but when it came right down to it, teenage-me was pretty by the book – straight As, through-the-roof standards them sleep. We loved to listen to the little sounds they’d for herself. So I imagine that she’d be proud of how make – especially the way they cooed when they far I’ve come – but she wouldn’t let me off the hook, were deep into dreaming. Don’t get me wrong, early either. I feel like she’d give me one of those silent nods parenthood is exhausting. I’m sure you know a thing of recognition, you know? She’d remind me there are or two about that these days. But there is something still too many girls on the South Side of Chicago who so magical about having a baby in the house. Time are being shushed, cast aside or told they’re dreaming expands and contracts; each moment holds its own little too big. She’d tell me to keep fighting for them. If I’m eternity. I’m so excited for you and Harry to experience being honest, she’d probably smile about how cute my that, Meghan. Savour it all.  husband is, too.

The September issue of British Vogue, guest-edited by The The Duchess of Sussex: And now to shift gears for Duchess of Sussex, is available on newsstands and digital a moment, and end with a wild-card question... What is download on Friday, August 2. the most beautiful sound that you’ve ever heard? www.vogue.co.uk/article/michelle-obama-duchess-ofMichelle Obama: When Malia and Sasha were sussex-interview-2019 newborns, Barack and I could lose hours just watching 82  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Community/Public Interest - Preserving History

Dr. Jane C. Wright, Pioneer

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major breakthrough in cancer treatment was the development of chemotherapy in the 1940s. The first chemical noted for its anticancer effects were nitrogen mustards. Dr. Jane Cooke Wright played a fundamental role in this story. During her career she would break multiple race and gender barriers and become one of the most distinguished physicianscientists in modern medicine. In fact, her work revolutionized cancer research and how physicians treat cancer.

Born in New York City in 1919,

Jane Cooke Wright was the first of two daughters born to Corrine (Cooke) and Louis Tompkins Wright. Her father was one of the first African American graduates of Harvard Medical School, and he set a high standard for his daughters.

Jane Wright graduated with honors from New York Medical College in 1945. She interned at Bellevue Hospital serving as an assistant resident in internal medicine. In 1949 she joined her father, director of the Cancer Research Foundation at Harlem Hospital.

Chemotherapy was still mostly experimental at that time. At Harlem Hospital her father had already redirected the focus of foundation research to investigating anti-cancer chemicals. Dr. Louis Wright worked in the lab and Dr. Jane Wright would perform the patient trials. In 1949, the two began testing a new chemical on human leukemias and cancers of the lymphatic system.

Several patients who participated in the trials had remission and they knew they were on to something.

In 1952, following her father’s death, Dr. Jane Wright was appointed the director of the Cancer Research Foundation at Harlem Hospital. In 1955 she became an associate professor of surgical research and director of cancer chemotherapy research at New York University Medical Center, and she turned her research program towards personalized medicine. Wright pioneered efforts in utilizing patient tumor biopsies for drug testing, to help select drugs that may work specifically against a particular tumor. In these experiments, a small piece of the tumor was excised surgically and cultured in the laboratory. Once these cells were coaxed to grow, an arduous process in the 1950s, tumor cells were treated with different drugs in culture to help predict which drugs may produce the most robust effect in the actual patient.

This is another revolutionary idea from Dr. Wright, which underlies the contemporary concept of precision medicine.  https://blackdoctor.org/519113/ dr-jane-c-wright-a-revolutionary-inchemotherapy-cancer-treatment/

Community/Public Interest - Preserving History

Foundation Consortium Acquires Historic African American Photographic Archive

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consortium of foundations – the Ford Foundation, The J. Paul Getty Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation – today acquired the archive of Johnson Publishing Company (JPC), publisher of the iconic Ebony and Jet magazines. The acquisition is pending court approval and the closing of the sale.

The archive includes more than 4 million prints and negatives comprising the most significant collection of photographs cataloguing African American life in the 20th century.

The archive was acquired for $30 million as part of an auction of the assets of JPC in connection with its Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing.

The foundation consortium will donate the archives to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Getty Research Institute, and other leading cultural institutions for the public benefit to ensure the broadest access for the general public and use by scholars, researchers, journalists, and other interested parties.

Speaking after the sale, Ford Foundation president Darren Walker said, “We’re thrilled with the outcome. This archive is a national treasure and one of tremendous

importance to the telling of black history in America. We felt it was imperative to preserve these images, to give them the exposure they deserve and make them readily available to the public.”

James Cuno, president of The J. Paul Getty Trust noted, “There is no greater repository of the history of the modern African-American experience than this archive.

remarkable photographic archive exemplifies Mellon’s values and is of immeasurable service to picturing the vast and varied range of African American life,” said Alexander.

“This iconic and unique collection will stand the test of time, documenting an essential part of American history over an extraordinary period. We are pleased to collaborate to acquire

Saving it and making it available to the public is a great honor and a grave responsibility.”

The sale of the archive is a coda to the story of a company of great significance to the African American community. Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation, added that the partnership to preserve and make publicly available this profound collection of African American history and culture represented a tremendous opportunity. “The preservation and accessibility of this singular and

the archive and to preserve it for the benefit of scholars, the public, and future generations forever,” said MacArthur president Julia Stasch.

“The MacArthur Foundation and JPC share a common home town in Chicago and a commitment to preserving and sharing the rich breadth and complete history of the African American narrative,” said John Palfrey, MacArthur’s incoming president.

The archive offers a remarkable insight into everyday of life in Black America – up-close and personal

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pictures of artists, celebrities and leaders which provided much needed representation in the media. The historic images also capture moments of grief and horror like the mutilated body of Emmett Till in his coffin and Coretta Scott King at her husband’s funeral.

The consortium will transfer the archive to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Getty Research Institute, pending final disposition.

“The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is proud to collaborate with the consortium and the Getty Research Institute on this important endeavor to preserve and share the richness of these iconic publications,” said Lonnie Bunch, the founding director of the museum and Secretary of the Smithsonian.

“Ebony and Jet magazine helped shape our nation’s history, allowing

Americans -- of all colors -- to see the full panorama of the African American experience.

Together, our organizations will ensure these images, stories and the history of these publications are

well-preserved and available to the public and future generations.”

In Los Angeles, Mary Miller, director of the Getty Research Institute, which houses one of the largest public libraries of art archives in the world, said, “It’s a privilege for the Getty Research Institute to participate in making the archive accessible to scholars everywhere, and to have the opportunity to work with other institutions, particularly the Smithsonian National Museum

of African American History and Culture, to secure and share this central American narrative.

Perhaps the greatest archive of

African American life and culture, the Johnson Publishing archive is a unique resource for the interdisciplinary work that grows from visual inquiry at the heart of research at GRI.”  www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/foundationconsortium-acquires-historic-african-americanphotographic-archive

Image credit: graduate.music.unt.edu, smithsonianofi.com, theradiotwins.blogspot.com, madnewsuk.com, uproxx.com

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LOCATIONS 6321 West Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90043

323-295-8223

west@shopwordoflife.com

7223 S. Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90003

323-758-2733

main@shopwordoflife.com

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Mogadishu Mayor Dies of Wounds Following al-Shabaab Attack

By Omar Nor, CNN

Mogadishu Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman, third from left, during a ceremony in 2018 © Abdi Hussein Farah/AFP/Getty Images

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bdirahman Omar Osman, the mayor of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, succumbed to wounds sustained in a suicide bombing in the city, the government said on Thursday.

Osman died at a hospital in Qatar where he had been undergoing treatment since July 25 following the bomb attack on a government building in the city.

More than 10 people including district commissioners and other regional officials were killed in the blast.

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo declared three days of mourning and ordered the country's flag to be flown at half-staff in honor of Osman, the presidency said in a statement.

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire also sent condolences in a Twitter post on Thursday.

The mayor was Somali-British and had been in office since early last year. He had previously held several posts in the current and former Somali governments, including minister of information.

Al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda-affiliated terror group,

claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it aimed for the UN envoy for Somalia, James Swan, who visited the office and met with the mayor and other district commissioners on the day of the bombing.

Al-Shabaab has launched many deadly attacks in Somalia targeting public places, including hotels and an airport.

Nearly 20 people died when a bomb went off near Mogadishu's international airport in July. Gunmen also laid siege on a hotel in Kismayo in Somali's Jubaland killing 26 people in the same month.

Prominent journalist and Youtube star Hodan Nalayeh and her husband and other top government officials were among those who died in the Kismayo attack.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for both attacks.

CNN has not been able to independently confirm these claims.  www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/mogadishu-mayordies-of-wounds-following-al-shabaab-attack/arAAFbXkK?ocid=spartandhp/

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Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial

Art Neville, member of Neville Brothers, Meters, dies at 81

By Rebecca Santana and Kevin McGill, Associated Press

like many New Orleanians — were scattered This Sept. 20, 2005 file photo shows singer Art Neville performing across the country while the city struggled to during the "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy" benefit concert in New recover. They returned to anchor the festival in York. Neville, a member of one of New Orleans' storied musical families, 2007. the Neville Brothers, and a founding member of the groundbreaking "This is how it should be," Art Neville funk band The Meters, has died at age 81 on Monday, July 22, 2019. said during a news conference with festival (Photo: Jeff Christensen, AP organizers announcing their return to the annual event. "We're a part of Jazz Fest."

In 1954 Neville was in high school when he sang the rt Neville, a member of one of New Orleans' lead on the Hawketts' remake of a country song called storied musical families, the Neville Brothers, "Mardi Gras Mambo." and a founding member of the groundbreaking He told the public radio show "American Routes" funk band The Meters, has died at age 81. that he was recruited by the Hawketts. "I don't know "Art 'Poppa Funk' Neville passed away peacefully how they found out where I lived," he said in the this morning at home with his adoring wife, Lorraine, by interview. "But they needed a piano player. And they his side," Sorrell said in an email. came up to the house and they asked my mother and The cause of death was not immediately available but father could I go."

Neville had battled a number of health issues including More than 60 years later, the song is still a staple of complications from back surgery. the Carnival season, but that longevity never translated The Neville brothers spent some of their childhood in into financial success for Art Neville who received no the now demolished Calliope housing project in New money for it.

Orleans and some at a family home in uptown New "It made me a big shot around school," Art said with Orleans. They started singing as kids but then went a laugh during a 1993 interview with The Associated their separate ways in the 1950s and 1960s. It wasn't Press. until 1977, that the brothers finally got together again In 1968, Art, Aaron and Cyril joined four New Orleans and in 1978 they recorded their first Neville Brothers musicians to form The Meters, an American funk band album. often cited by other bands as a musical influence.

The other members of the Neville Brothers included Neville announced his retirement in December.  Charles, Cyril, and Aaron. Charles died in 2018. www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/ For years, the Neville Brothers were the closing act music/2019/07/22/art-neville-neville-brothers-metersat the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. dies-81/1798782001/ After 2005's Hurricane Katrina, the four brothers —

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Toni Morrison, ‘Beloved’ Author and Nobel Laureate, Dies at 88

By Margalit Fox, New York Times

Ms. Morrison receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2012. The medal was among the many laurels she received in her writing career. © Luke Sharrett for The New York Times

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oni Morrison, the 1993 Nobel laureate in literature, whose work explored black identity in America and in particular the experience of black women, died on Monday at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, said in a statement. She was 88.

The first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Ms. Morrison was the author of 11 novels as well as children’s books and essay collections.

Among them were celebrated works like “Song of Solomon,” which received the National Book

Critics Circle Award in 1977, and “Beloved,” which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988.

Ms. Morrison was one of the rare American authors whose books were both critical and commercial successes. Her novels appeared regularly on The New York Times best-seller list, were featured multiple times on Oprah Winfrey’s television book club and were the subject of myriad critical studies.

A longtime faculty member at Princeton, Ms. Morrison lectured widely and was seen often on television.

In awarding her the Nobel, the

Swedish Academy cited her “novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import,” through which she “gives life to an essential aspect of American reality.”

Ms. Morrison animated that reality in a style resembling that of no other writer in English. Her prose, often luminous and incantatory, rings with the cadences of black oral tradition. Her plots are dreamlike and nonlinear, spooling backward and forward in time as though characters bring the entire weight of history to bear on their every act.

Her narratives mingle the voices of men, women, children and even ghosts in layered polyphony.

Myth, magic and superstition are inextricably intertwined with everyday verities, a technique that caused Ms. Morrison’s novels to be likened often to those of Latin American magic realist writers like Gabriel García Márquez.

In “Sula,” a woman blithely lets a train run over her leg for the insurance money it will give her family. In “Song of Solomon,” a baby girl is named Pilate by her father, who “had thumbed through the Bible, and since he could not read a word, chose a group of letters that seemed to him strong and

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Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial from page 89

handsome.” In “Beloved,” the specter of a murdered child takes up residence in the house of her murderer.

Throughout Ms. Morrison’s work, elements like these coalesce around her abiding concern with slavery and its legacy. In her fiction, the past is often manifest in a harrowing present — a world of alcoholism, rape, incest and murder, recounted in unflinching detail.

It is a world, Ms. Morrison writes in “Beloved” (the

novel is set in the 19th century but stands as a metaphor for the 20th), in which “anybody white could take your whole self for anything that came to mind.”

“Not just work, kill or maim you, but dirty you,” she goes on. “Dirty you so bad you couldn’t like yourself anymore. Dirty you so bad you forgot who you were and couldn’t think it up.”

But as Ms. Morrison’s writing also makes clear, the past is just as strongly manifest in the bonds of family, community and race — bonds that let culture, identity and a sense of belonging be transmitted from parents to children to grandchildren. These generational links, her work unfailingly suggests, form the only salutary chains in human experience.

“She is a friend of my mind,” a character in “Beloved,” a former slave, thinks about the woman he loves. “She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It’s good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.”

Ms. Morrison’s first novel, “The Bluest Eye,”

published in 1970, was written in stolen moments between her day job as a book editor and her life as the single mother of two young sons.

Reviewing the novel in The New York Times, John Leonard commended Ms. Morrison for telling the story “with a prose so precise, so faithful to speech and so charged with pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry.”

He continued: “The novel prefigures much of Ms. Morrison’s later work in its preoccupation with history — often painful — as seen through lens of an individual life; with characters’ quests, tragic or successful, for their place in the world; with the redemptive power of community; and with the role women play in the survival of such communities.”

Ms. Morrison ex plor l ed d these these themes themes even more overtly in her explored second novel, “Sula” (1973), about the return of a young woman, now a scandalous temptress, to her Midwestern hometown and the ostracism she confronts there, and in her third, “Song of Solomon” (1977), the book that cemented her reputation.

That book, Ms. Morrison’s first to feature a male protagonist, centers on the journey, literal and spiritual, of a young Michigan man, Macon Dead III. “Song of Solomon” was chosen as a main selection by the Book-of-the Month Club, the first novel by a black author to be so honored since Richard Wright’s “Native Son” in 1940.

Ms. Morrison published “Beloved,” widely considered masterwork, in 1987. The first of her novels to have an overtly historical setting, the book — rooted in a real 19th-century tragedy — unfolds about a decade after the end of the Civil War. Widely acclaimed by book critics, “Beloved” was made into a 1998 feature film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Ms. Winfrey.

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For mid-20th-century readers, one of the most striking things about Ms. Morrison’s work was that it delineates a world in which white people are largely absent, a relatively rare thing in fiction of the period.

What was more, the milieu of her books, typically small-town and Midwestern, “offers an escape from stereotyped black settings,” as she said in an interview in “Conversations With Toni Morrison” (1994; edited by Danielle Taylor-Guthrie), adding, “It is neither plantation nor ghetto.”

Ohio-Born It was in just such a setting that Ms. Morrison herself was reared. The daughter of George Wofford and the former Ella Ramah Willis, she was born Chloe Ardelia Wofford on Feb. 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, an integrated working-class community about 30 miles west of Cleveland.

George Wofford was a shipyard welder who took such pride in his work that, according to many accounts of Ms. Morrison’s life, when he finished a perfect seam he would write his initials on it , where they endured, unseen, in the skeleton of the ship.

Young Chloe grew up in a house suffused with narrative and superstition. She adored listening to ghost stories; her grandmother ritually consulted a book on dream interpretation, from which she divined the day’s selections when she played the numbers.

At 12, Chloe joined the Roman Catholic Church. She took the baptismal name Anthony, becoming known as Chloe Anthony Wofford.

That name would be the seed from which her nickname would spring a few years later, when she was an undergraduate at Howard University in Washington. She began calling herself Toni then, she said, because her classmates found the name Chloe bewildering.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Howard with a major in English and a minor in classics in 1953, she earned a master’s in English from Cornell in 1955.

She taught English for two years at Texas Southern University, a historically black institution in Houston, before returning to Howard as a faculty member.

There, she joined a fiction workshop and began writing in earnest. Required to bring a sample to a workshop meeting, she began work on a story about a black girl who craves blue eyes — the kernel of her first novel.

In 1958, she married Harold Morrison, an architect from Jamaica; they were divorced in 1964. In interviews, Ms. Morrison rarely spoke of the marriage, though she intimated that her husband had wanted a traditional 1950s wife — and that, she could never be.

After her divorce, Ms. Morrison moved with her sons

to Syracuse, where she took a job as an editor with a textbook division of Random House. A stranger in the city, she found herself achingly lonely. In the interstices between work and motherhood, she began turning her short story into “The Bluest Eye.” In the late 1960s, Ms. Morrison moved to New York City and took an editorial position with Random House’s trade-book division. Over the nearly two decades she held the post, her authors included Angela Davis, Gayl Jones, Toni Cade Bambara and Muhammad Ali. “I look very hard for black fiction because I want to participate in developing a canon of black work,” Ms. Morrison said in an interview quoted in The Dictionary of Literary Biography. “We’ve had the first rush of black entertainment, where blacks were writing for whites, and whites were encouraging this kind of selfflagellation. Now we can get down to the craft of writing, where black people are talking to black people.”

One of the nonfiction projects on which she worked at Random House was “The Black Book,” published in 1974. Compiled by Ms. Morrison, the volume is a lavishly illustrated scrapbook spanning three centuries of African-American history, reproducing newspaper clippings, photographs, advertisements, handbills and the like.

Researching the book, Ms. Morrison came across a 19th-century article about a fugitive slave named Margaret Garner who, on the point of recapture near Cincinnati, killed her infant daughter. More than a decade after “The Black Book” appeared, the story would become the armature of “Beloved.”

In January 1988, in the wake of the novel’s publication, The Times Book Review published an open letter signed by two dozen black writers, among them Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, Arnold Rampersad and Alice Walker, lauding Ms. Morrison and protesting the fact that she had “yet to receive the keystone honors of the National Book Award or the Pulitzer Prize.”

“Beloved” won the Pulitzer Prize that April. In 2006, after polling hundreds of writers, editors and critics, The Book Review named the novel the best American work of fiction of the previous quarter-century.

Ms. Morrison’s other books include her fourth novel, “Tar Baby” (1981), which deals explicitly with issues of racial and class prejudice among black people. Set on a Caribbean island, it chronicles the love affair of a cosmopolitan, European-educated black woman with a rough-and-tumble local man.

Her other novels include “Jazz” (1992), set in 1920s New York; “A Mercy” (2008), which divorces the institution of slavery from ideas of race by setting the narrative in the 17th century, where servitude, black or

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see page 92

Community/Public Interest - Obituary/Memorial mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves in the title role.

Ms. Morrison lived in Grand View-on-Hudson, N.Y. A white, was apt to be determined by class; and “Home” son, Slade, with whom she collaborated on the texts of (2012), about a black Korean War veteran’s struggles many books for children, died in 2010. Information on her survivors was not immediately available. on returning to the Jim Crow South.

Her other laurels include the National Humanities Medal in 2000 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented in 2012 by President Barack Obama. The Toni Morrison Society, devoted to the study of her life and work, was founded in 1993.

If there is a unifying thread running through Ms. Morrison’s writing, it is perhaps nowhere more vivid than in “Song of Solomon.” At novel’s end, after his odyssey through his ancestral past, Milkman has attained the knowledge that lets him situate himself within his family, the larger community and black America.

And with that, on the book’s Oprah Winfrey and Toni Morrison attending The final page, he leaps into the Beloved Movie Premiere at the Ziegfield Theatre, New air, taking symbolic flight over a York City. October 8, 1998 Walter McBride/MediaPunch/IPx world in which he has found his place at last.  Ms. Morrison’s volumes of nonfiction include from page 91

“Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination” (1992) and “What Moves at the Margin: Selected Nonfiction” (2008, edited by Carolyn C. Denard).

She wrote the libretto for “Margaret Garner,” an opera by Richard Danielpour that received its world premiere at the Detroit Opera House in 2005 with the

Edited by BBN www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/newsfeature/toni-morrisonbeloved-author-and-nobel-laureate-dies-at-88/arAAFqusc?ocid=spartanntp Image credits: Pinterest, npr.org, readersareleaders2014. wordpress.com, goodreads.com, booksamillion.com, kalamu.com, mutterschwester.wordpress.com

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93  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International - Climate Change

Ethiopia Breaks World Record

by Planting 350 Million Trees in One Day

By Maeve Campbell

I

n a historic move for the east African nation, Ethiopia has this week announced a tree-planting initiative, via UN Environment, to outdo virtually any other country in the world. Based initially at the Gulele Botanical Garden in the capital of Addis Ababa, volunteers began planting 350 million trees spanning right across the country. In just 12 hours, the world record was broken, in an admirable attempt to combat the effects of deforestation and climate change. By fulfilling the tree-planting record, the country is surpassing its Green Legacy goal, conceived by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, of planting 200 million trees in a day at over 1,000 sites.

The last country to attempt such a feat was India, who have been reigning champions since 2016 when they planted 49.3 million trees in just one day, involving 800,000 volunteers.

The United Nations Environment, along with other international organisations, all backed the initiative, believing firmly in the power of tree restoration in helping to absorb carbon dioxide, a major propeller of global heating.

What is Afforestation and why does it help the planet?

Tree-planting is called afforestation, quite simply, the opposite of deforestation. Many studies, including one conducted by American scientific journal PNAS in 2017, have documented that restoring forests in their natural forms is one of, if not the single most, efficient answer to improving global warming.

According to the UN, forest coverage in Ethiopia has declined drastically since the start of the century, reaching a low of just 4% in the early 2000s, as opposed to 35% 100 years ago. So, action had to be taken to improve the level of emissions in the atmosphere, in

the form of this ambitious task.

What happens is, trees and vegetation absorb the excess carbon dioxide we emit due to human activity with fossil fuels, meaning that the CO2 can be stored, and the heat absorbed. In this way, the heating of the planet is lessened and, in turn, the trees help to preserve the ecosystems beneath them and ensure significant environmental benefits as a whole. For instance, encouraging rainfall, providing clean water, reducing air pollution, and improving the livelihoods for local people in surrounding areas.

Nature Valley, Africa Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo, Director of UN Environment’s Africa Office explains in an official statement: “Afforestation is the most effective climate change solution to date and with the new record set by Ethiopia, other African nations should move with speed and challenge the status quo.”

“Africa has what it takes to spearhead this global push and as the most affected and vulnerable continent, climate change mitigation must be the topmost priority in the coming days. We at UN Environment are taking the lead in helping to build capacity for nations and people to apply themselves to afforestation and climate change mitigation strategies.”

Ultimately, the goal is for 4 billion indigenous trees to be planted across the drought-prone nation, reports the BBC, which will make an enormous difference to the stability of the climate.  www.euronews.com/living/2019/08/02/ethiopia-breaksworld-record-by-planting-350-million-trees-in-one-day?utm_ medium=10today.ad3li.20190812.421.1&utm_source=email&utm_ content=article&utm_campaign=10-for-today---4.0-styling

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African Global Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) Illinois Chamber of Commerce (International Business Council) Turkish Airlines Objective of the Trade Mission: Meet with South African Public Agencies and Private entrepreneurs for investment opportunities through Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings, workshops, field visits, and cultural tours.

Trade Mission Highlights: • Meetings with the Government High-level officials; • Secured appointments with potential distributors, customers and partners targeted specifically to meet your business objectives; • Networking receptions with US and South African Government Officials, companies and independent investors; • Consulting on how to successfully operate in the region • Culture tours and excursions

3 Package Options: • Option A – Oct. 6-18th, 3 Cities: Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, *Cost- $6,399 • Option B – Oct 6-15th, 2 Cities: Johannesburg and Durban *Cost- $5,199 • Option C – Oct 6-11st, One City: Johannesburg, *Cost: $4,099 * Cost includes airfare, lodging, workshops

Registration End Date: July 31, 2019 For more Information: Chassidy Keys: 1-312-498-6455, ckeys@africangcc.org Amber Johns: 1-510-507-2130, Ajohns@jacksoncorporatelaw.com Laura Ortega: lortega@ilchamber.org Sal Tauhidi: 1-571-424-6603, stauhidi@africangcc.org

International

African Stock Exchanges • Bolsa de Valores of Cape Verde - www.bvc.cv (in Portuguese) • Bolsa Valores de Mocambique - www. bolsadevalores.co.mz • 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. casablanca-bourse.com/bourseweb/index.aspx • Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (Tanzania) - www. dse.co.tz • Douala Stock Exchange (Cameroon) - www. douala-stock-exchange.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=%2fEnglish%2fP ages%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 Namibian Stock Exchange - www.nsx.com.na Nigerian Stock Exchange - www.nse.com.ng/ Pages/default.aspx Rwanda Stock Exchange - www.rse.rw/ 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/e-communique/exchangemagazine/category/50-free-version.html

97  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International - New Peace Initiative

Mozambique Leader to Ink Formal Peace Deal with Renamo August 1st

President Filipe Nyusi commons.wikimedia.org

M

ozambique's President Filipe Nyusi has said he will sign a peace deal on Thursday, August 1st with Renamo leader Ossufo Momade that will definitively end armed hostilities with the former rebel movement-turned-opposition party.

Nyusi made the announcement during an address to parliament on Wednesday, adding that the formal signing will take place at Renamo's remote military base in the Gorongosa mountains in the central region of the southern African country.

"Tomorrow I will sign a definitive peace agreement with the Renamo President Ossufo Momade in the Gorongosa Mountain," the president said.

"The agreement that we will sign marks the official end of the conflict between Renamo armed men and the defence and security forces, and allow for the longlasting peace that all Mozambicans have so longed for."

The signing would bring an end to a long peace negotiation process initiated by Renamo's historic leader, Alfonso Dhlakama, who died in May last year.

In the mid-1970s, Renamo fought a brutal 16-year civil war against the Frelimo government that left one million people dead before the fighting stopped in 1992.

Despite the end of the civil war and the group transforming into a political party, it retained an armed wing.

Fresh clashes then erupted again between government forces and Renamo soldiers from 2013 to 2016.

Since 2016, the government and Renamo have been in talks, which continued after Dhlakama died from a

suspected heart attack.

Momade, who took over from Dhlakama, is expected to fly from Gorongosa to Maputo after the signing ceremony, the first time he visits the capital in many years.

According to Renamo spokesman, Gilberto Chiridza, Momade is due to land at Maputo International Airport at 2:30 pm (12:30 GMT) on Thursday.

Momade was elected lawmaker for the northern Nampula province in the 2015 general elections, but only attended a few parliamentary sessions in the early months.

'End of the conflict' On Monday parliament approved a new amnesty law for all crimes committed during the conflict between government and Renamo since 2014.

The law offers clemency to Renamo fighters who attacked civilians and government facilities. It also paves the way for Momade to leave his mountain hideout.

Justice Minister Joaquim Verissimo on Monday told parliament that the law was aimed at "political stability and to guarantee an effective and long-lasting peace", as well as ensure "mutual trust" and help with "national reconciliation".

On Tuesday Renamo began disarming its armed members as part of the peace deal that will see the fighters re-integrated into the country's army and police.

More than 5,200 Renamo fighters are to expected to surrender their weapons to the government, a condition for the peace deal to be signed on August 1.

The announcement of the formal signing of the peace deal comes just two-and-half months before general elections scheduled for October 15 in the former Portuguese colony in southeastern Africa.  www.france24.com/en/20190731-mozambiqueleader-says-will-ink-formal-peace-deal-with-renamothursday

98  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

US AFRICA SISTER CITIES FOUNDATION, INC. DC-Dakar Capital Cities Friendship Council, Inc. WELCOME TO DAKAR, SENEGAL!!

The US Africa Sister Ci es Founda on, Inc. and the DC-Dakar Capital Ci es Friendship Council, Inc. invite you to join the exci ng trip to Dakar, Senegal during Black History in 2020. We have selected February 7 – 14, 2020 as the date of travel to allow ample planning me.

For more informa on and to request an applica on, please contact: Shirley Rivens Smith 2000 Upshur Street, NE Washington, DC 20018 Phone: 1-202-635-3138 Text: 1-202-321-3582 Email: srs-usasc@rcn.com Blaise Diagne Interna onal Airport, Dakar, Senegal DC-DAKAR SISTER CITIES TOUR COSTS February 7-14, 2020 8 Days & 7 Nights I. DAKAR BASE ONLY PER PERSON TOUR COST: $2,959 ** Single Supplement - $675

II. DAKAR + THE GAMBIA PER PERSON TOUR COST (5 Ocean Bay Hotel): $2,999** Single Supplement - $570 ** Prices Subject to Change

Please note with your deposit: Op on (1) Dakar Only or Op on (2) Dakar + Gambia.

A $300 non-refundable deposit by August 25, 2019 payable to DC-Dakar.

Mail to: Shirley Rivens Smith, 2000 Upshur St., NE, Washington, DC 20018 INCLUDED IN BASE TOUR: • • • • • • • •

Roundtrip Interna onal Airfare from IAD to Dakar via South African Airways Hotel Accommoda ons in 4 Hotel All Ground Transporta on in vehicles with AC Breakfast Daily and All meals as noted in the i nerary All entrance fees Private English speaking tour guide All transfers with assistance Mineral water available in your motor coach during transfers and tours.

NOT INCLUDED IN TOUR: • • • •

Drinks, ps and personal expenses Gratui es for drivers and guides Any items of a personal nature Passports and visas if required

International - Afrochampions Initiative

The Afrochampions Initiative http://afrochampions.com

T

he AfroChampions Initiative is a set of innovative public-private partnerships and flagship programs designed to galvanize African resources and institutions to support the emergence and success of African private sector multinational champions in the regional and global spheres.

The Initiative is driven by prominent private and public sector Africans in recognition of the fact that the emergence of homegrown pan-African companies represents something very special in the history and struggle of Africa. And that we must act together to promote and harness their success for the continent’s transformation.

Our Mission To forge innovative partnerships between the private and President Thabo Mbeki public sector that facilitate the birth of a critical mass of African multinational companies and their graduation into African global giants; To guide this ecosystem of emerging multinationals to accelerate Mr. Aliko Dangote local and regional economic clusters that drive Africa’s integration, transformation and its global economic leadership.

The Initiative, driven by the AfroChampions Organization, was founded by the advisory firm Konfidants; and is Co-Chaired by President Thabo Mbeki and Mr. Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Group.

• We are ambitious. The Initiative is a big challenge but we feel that it is now or never. We have to think bold to achieve impact.

• We have a pan African approach and we want to

help create synergies between African economies so that each of them finds a purpose and plays unique role in the continent – as a regional hub, as a center of expertise for some key sectors, as a gateway for international investments, as an industrial center of excellence.

• We want to enable transmission between older and younger generations of entrepreneurs, in order for the AfroChampions of today to inspire the AfroChampions of tomorrow.

• We are outcome-driven. What matters is our progress towards the ultimate goal of a united Africa, recognised as a land of opportunities as a driver of global economic growth.

The Club The AfroChampions Club is a prestigious grouping of leading home-grown African multinational companies and CEOs who have come together to provide private sector leadership for Africa’s integration and transformation. The AfroChampions Club is chaired by Mr. Aliko Dangote, Founder and CEO of the Dangote Group, and its inaugural meeting took place in Lagos in October 2017.

Through public-private dialogues and partnerships, the Club seeks to work with African governments to support policies and public-sector innovations that drive African economic integration, regional economic clusters and regional value chains. The Club will also pioneer the AfroChampions Charter, a set of corporate and investment best practice principles to benchmark and guide how African multinationals and companies can champion African transformation and integration in ways that positively impact communities and people.

Following the Club Council’s Inaugural Meeting on January 29 2018, key recognized business figures from all over the continent have been appointed as Vice-Chairs of the Club: 1. Mr Jean-Louis Billon, Ivory Coast, Chairman of SICFA (Western Africa) 2. Dr Paul Fokam, Cameroon, Chairman and CEO, Afriland First Group (Central Africa)

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3.

Mr Ali Mufuruki, Tanzania, Chairman and CEO, Infotech Investments (Eastern Africa) 4.

Mr Naguib Sawiris, Egypt, Chairman of ORASCOM (North Africa) 5.

Mrs Nonkululeko Nyembezi-eita, South Africa CEO of the Dutch mining group, IchorCoal N.V. and chair of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (Southern Africa) The AfroChampions 2030 Road Map This is the Initiative’s strategic plan for how African multinationals and a homegrown multinational business ecosystem can help transform, integrate and make Africa a global leader by 2030.

The AfroChampions Awards These awards will be an annual recognition for companies, managers, investors, policy leaders, and thinkers leading the cause as innovators, groundbreakers, and role models. They will be organized during the AfroChampions Summit.

The AfroChampions Club These awards will be an annual recognition for companies, managers, investors, policy leaders, and thinkers leading the cause as innovators, groundbreakers, and role models. They will be organized during the AfroChampions Summit.

The AfroChampion Research Program This program, coordinated in partnership with several African and global academic and think tank partners is crucial to our efforts. We know very little about what it has taken to build the current AfroChampions. There is a huge knowledge gap about their impacts; their current positioning in global competition; how policies affect them and how they in turn affect policy. Knowledge about how to nurture more AfroChampions. How they should be venturing into the future and leading African transformation. The program comprises a series of sponsored case studies and the AfroChampions Blog co-authored by AfroChampions executives and thinkers.

The AfroChampions Hub Project What governments must do. One major problem with the emergence of AfroChampions is that they are concentrated in just a handful of countries. South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt and Kenya. The

AfroChampions hub initiative seeks to help cure this AfroChampion inequality. If we are to increase the numbers of AfroChampions and their regional diversity, more governments must create the conducive environments for multinationals to emerge and thrive.

The Hubs are innovative platforms initiated by African governments to transform their countries to such AfroChampion growth clusters.

The AfroChampion Summit The AfroChampions Summit is designed as an annual gathering to take stock of the AfroChampions agenda, to celebrate milestones; to brainstorm together on emerging issues and solutions to cross-border business in Africa; and provide avenue for thought-leadership, advocacy, networking and partnership building.

HUBS PROJECT The emergence of homegrown African multinationals over the past decade is one of the great African success stories of the 21st century.

Companies like MTN, UBA, Shoprite, Oando, Ecobank, Dangote, Equity Bank, to name a few, have been shining examples of pan-African success; homegrown brands that are re-writing the African story, and helping transform and integrate the continent through their cross-border investments. Because of these companies, intra-Africa FDI – ‘Africans investing in Africa’ – has seen a spectacular growth, never before seen in the continent’s history. Without a doubt, these companies are champions of Africa’s emergence.

The AfroChampions Initiative wishes to support African emerging multinationals by advocating a set of game-change policy initiatives to encourage intra-African FDI in the next 5 years. One of the big proposed ideas is to create ‘african hubs’ that attract and enable African multinational companies and investors to flourish. This is the ‘Hub project’ that we are developing and that we are putting forward in our

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see page 102

International - Afrochampions Initiative from page 101

discussions with the committees in charge of defining the legal framework of the future African Continental Free Trade Area.

The key reforms needed for the AfroChampions Hub project, are focusing on visa free access for African investors, creation of special work permits for Africans operating around ‘African Reference Projects’ (ARPs) fiscal incentives to encourage intraAfrican investments from individuals and companies, facilitation of company setup and JV setup. We are also considering promoting on a regular basis a database of identified ARPs. Following the official announcement on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in January 2017, the AfroChampions team has been reaching out to all relevant stakeholders, with a specific focus on African companies and African institutions and officials. It is indeed our view that only a stronger, more frequent and constructive dialogue between private and public decision-makers will allow for this ambitious project to become a reality. The Hub project requires commitment, expertise and ideas from both sides.

Pan-African Fashion Initiative During the launch of the Fashion Initiative as a component of the Afrochampions program many terms were debated and proposed. Some of those terms were: • How to take advantage of traditional know-how to create a new storytelling around made-in-Africa clothing?

• What priority actions should be launched to allow African designers to export better, more widely and quickly?

• How to protect African creations, and what are the challenges in terms of intellectual and industrial property?

• Energy, textile industrial parks, export routes, logistics systems – which infrastructure projects should be given priority to advance the textile industry?

• Should we develop African certification systems in addition to helping producers of raw materials, clothing, cosmetics and accessories to meet international standards?

• How to protect the African textile industry and help it to structure itself?

• What initiatives, like the African Mosaique incubator (www.facebook.

com/AfricanMosaique) launched by former model

Anna Getaneh in Ethiopia which offers young designers free trainings to help them produce better, deserve to be replicated elsewhere on the continent?

AfroChampions Fund to Finance the AfCFTA On the occasion of a high-level meeting convened in partnership with His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, and bringing together investors, financing institutions and sovereign and private funds, the AfroChampions Initiative has formally launched a private sector investment framework to secure financing for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The objective is to mobilize the private sector, in Africa and beyond, through a dedicated blended-finance vehicle to accelerate the continent’s economic integration, by rapidly deploying those infrastructure projects which are critical to successfully delivering the AfCFTA and making it a positive transformation for Africans.

The proposed framework is forward-looking and includes many proposals from the AfroChampions Boma on Infrastructure Financing and Delivery organized last April in Nairobi with the African Union’s High Representative for Infrastructure His Excellency Mr. Raila Odinga. Considering that key enablers of the AfCFTA are the removal of non-tariff barriers, the deployment of transport and connectivity networks, access to cheap energy, and African economies’ upscaling towards more value-added products, the framework defines a range of priority opportunities

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as well as structuring projects to be financed, under certain conditions, by the fund set up for that purpose.

Most importantly, the AfroChampions Initiative also provides for an annual benchmarking process to follow up on this program as well as on national reforms transcribing the AfCFTA to improve African states’ cross-border business-readiness.

“With the AfroChampions Initiative, we have found partners committed to our vision of a prosperous and integrated Africa and working to implement practical solutions. The AfCFTA Private Sector Investment and Financing Framework is a very thorough approach: monitoring the AfCFTA agreement’s legal implementation, defining certification criteria qualifying projects eligible for funding, mobilizing the private sector in Africa, and a process to coordinate with the Ali Mufuruki, Vice-President of the AfroChampions Club for the East Africa Region. “We need to work better together across borders and focus on highimpact regional or pan-African projects – because they are the most likely to attract the volume of funds that we need. This is our main challenge today”.

The participants in the Accra session defined at the end of their workshop a detailed roadmap, including various milestones over the next 18 months (http:// afrochampions.com/timeline). Among the key dates are the presentation of the dedicated fund, scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2019 for the next AfroChampions Boma, the first benchmark and follow-up report on the AfCFTA implementation and the organization of an exhibition on ‘made in africa’ early 2020.  www.voanews.com/africa/us-congress-delegationcalls-talks-rebels-cameroon Image credits afrochampions.com

public authorities” said H.E.M. Albert Muchanga, African Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Industry. “The African Union’s Summit in Niamey gave us a great opportunity to raise awareness among Heads of State and we hope to be able to move quickly on this ambitious roadmap.“ “To address reluctance and concerns about the AfCFTA, we must demonstrate that it is a major and tangible opportunity for all stakeholders, whether states or companies regardless of size, civil society or individual citizens of the African continent. And this AfCFTA Private Sector Investment and Financing Framework is the best tool for realising that goal,” said 103  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

International - Education

KFC's Secret Recipe for Africa

By Earl Nurse, CNN

W

ith over 1,000 restaurants in the continent, KFC is the leading fast food chain in Africa.

But its dominance is limited to South Africa, home to about 80% of them.

Despite its success, the company faces many challenges as they try to establish the brand in other regions, for example by making sure its food is relevant and recognizable to Africans.

Serving jollof rice, a spicy dish native to West Africa, is one way in which KFC is improvising to win over palates in Africa's largest economy, Nigeria.

Doug Smart, Managing Director, KFC Africa, says: "Every Nigerian will tell you that their mother or wife makes the best jollof rice -- and KFC is now making it."

KFC pays a premium to operate in the oil-rich nation and the company runs a large import bill, paying a 20% tariff on potatoes for its fries bought in all the way from Holland.

Despite sourcing poultry from local producers, KFC has yet to find a local potato supplier.

Its CEO, Roger Eaton, told CNN: "In Africa, in virtually every country in which we operate, the chicken is locally sourced. But that can actually take 18 months, not only to get the supply, but to bring the supply to the standards at which we want to operate."

But in a tougher economic climate, the food chain has seen sales go down by 14% in Nigeria's 27 restaurants in 2015.

From the palate to the pocket

Opportunity trumps challenges

In Nigeria, an average KFC meal costs four times more than in other developed markets.

In a continent where people live on $2 a day, a meal that costs more than that is considered to be a luxury.

Despite these challenges, KFC is expanding its stores in the country, with 7 new restaurants to open this year.

Thebe Ikafaleng, Founder, CEO, Brand Africa (www.

104  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

brandafrica.net/Home.aspx), says: "Big brands require a country to be economically viable. They want to be within a stomach's reach of a hungry person."

Eaton remains optimistic about the future: "I think we've done a great job of finding great partners, building fantastic looking stores, and having great team

members. All of those come together to build a great business.

"We'll continue to grow at about 50 stores a year." ď &#x192; www.cnn.com/2016/01/15/africa/kfc-africa-expansion-mpa/ index.html Image credits: afkinsider.com, cnn.com

E

gyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (current chair of the African Union) hosted his fellow African leaders for lunch in Paris, where they are attending the 2019 G7 Summit as invited guests. The lunch included South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (incoming chair of the African Union), Rwandan President Paul Kagame (former chair of the African Union), Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian KaborĂŠ (chair of the G5 Sahel), Senegalese President Macky Sall (leader of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD)) and Africa Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. https://africa.cgtn.com/2019/08/25/egyptian-president-hosts-fellow-invited-african-leaders-on-the-sidelines-of-g7-summit/

MATE 2019 GUEST/SPEAKERS CONFIRMED • H.E. Roch Kabore, President of Burkina Faso • H.E. Felix Tsisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo* • H.E. Issoufou Mahamadou, President of the Republic of Niger* • H.E. Moussa Faki Mahama, Chairperson, The African Union Commission • Son Excellence Adjoavi Sika Kaboré, First Lady, Burkina Faso • H.E. Albert M. Muchanga, African Union Commissionner of Trade and Industry • H.E. Lesego Makgothi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Kingdom of Lesotho • H.E. Kerfalla Yansana, Ambassador of Guinea to the U.S. • H.E. Fitsum Arega, Ambassador of Ethiopia to the U.S. • The Honorable Mamane Chouda, MP, Niger • Rahama Wright, Shea Yeleen, Member U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on Africa • H.E. Aisha Babaginda, Chairperson, Better Life for Rural Women • Kimberly Brown, Ph.D., CEO, Amethyst Technologies, LLC • Dr Menna Menessi, Vice President of Policy Analysis and Research, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Secretary Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund

• • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ambassador Robin Sanders, FEEDS, former Ambassador to Congo, Nigeria and Ecowas Dr. Albert Zeufack, VP, World Bank Prof. Landry Signe, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program at the Brookings Institution Dr. Mima Nedelcovych, CEO, Africa Global Shaffer Leila Ndiaye, President & CEO, Initiative on Global Development Ed Thurlow, Bitnation Jegga Mohamed, CEO, Vogue Pay Alex de Bryn, Founder and CEO Doshex Dr. Aunkh Chabalala, Director, Department of Science and Technology, Republic of South Africa Asheigh Hall, Asheigh Hall and Associates Adrian Gore, Founder CEO, Discovery Medical Aid Tumelo Ramaphosa, StudcCoin Andrew Berkowitz, Crypto Media Company Maureen Umeh, Fox 5 Carol Pineau, Africa-USA-Now Tony Dara, News Central Dr. Sharon T. Freeman, Founder & CEO GWCi Sarada Nya, Esq, Partner, Chazai & Partners Law Firm

107  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

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At East West Bank, we offer all the products and services you expect from a big bank with the high level of personal attention you expect from a local bank. Our bankers have over 40 years of experience helping minority businesses reach their financial goals. We look forward to working closely with you to customize a financial solution tailored to your unique situation.

For more information about East West Bank and our solutions for businesses, please call: 1.626.768.6729 www.eastwestbank.com

Equal Housing Lender

Member FDIC

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

Shopping Gallery

Find Maisha, Mala, Malina & Mhina at:

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Ice Cream Toys & Books is a small independent Black-owned online retailer that specialises in an everexpanding range of globally sourced Afrocentric products for children everywhere.

We started this company after becoming increasingly frustrated with the very limited & poorly represented range of Afrocentric products that the major high street & online stores were carrying at the time.

www.dreamkidz.com/collections/books

"Queens of Africa Dolls"

These unique dolls represent diďŹ&#x20AC;erent ethnic groups in West Africa like the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa ethnic groups. Unlike other fashion dolls that merely darken the molds of Caucasian dolls, Queens of Africa dolls use specially designed molds with sub-Saharan facial features like high cheek bones, full lips and nose, curly hair and more.

They come with a book series that features historic African queens and women leaders.

Check out our gift sets at QueensOfAfricaDolls.com.

http://queensofafricadolls.com

sold and exclusively distributed by C.A.K.E (Culture of Africa for Kids Everywhere) Inc.

O

ur Deluxe Boxed-Set Edition is a great gift! We’ve gone the extra mile to provide an embossed UV package with a magnetic hinged lid and a black satin puller ribbon. Inside you will find a Hardback version of “Hey A.J. It’s Bedtime” with a midnight blue glitter cloth and glossy blue foil blocking with debossing. With everything perfectly sealed in a dust jacket that has gloss lamination and aqueous varnishing, this is the perfect gift for any occasion – whether it’s bedtime or party time!  www.theimaginationagency.com/ shop-categories/books/hey-aj-itsbedtime/#

T

his is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another—from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo.

This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation.

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.  www.amazon.com/I-Am-Enough-Grace-Byers/ dp/0062667122  www.amazon.com/I-Am-Enough-Grace-Byers/ dp/0062667122

F

eaturing forty trailblazing black women in American history, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of breaking boundaries and achieving beyond expectations. Illuminating text paired with irresistible illustrations bring to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash.

Among these biographies, readers will find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things - bold women whose actions and beliefs contributed to making the world better for generations of girls and women to come. Whether they were putting pen to paper, soaring through the air or speaking up for the rights of others, the women profiled in these pages were all taking a stand against a world that didn't always accept them.

The leaders in this book may be little, but they all did something big and amazing, inspiring generations to come. www.amazon.com/dp/B072V4QDCF/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_ encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

psypost.org

www.robandrocky.com, www.youtube.com/watch? v=ot0ibLIXx9E&feature=youtu.be

It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.

Hearing the call of her ancestors, tenyear-old Ahmyah embarks on a voyage of self-discovery as she reconnects with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and a host of cousins and other family and friends from halfway around the world, in Ghana, West Africa.

As Ahmyah travels and explores, she learns about her heritage and is ďŹ lled with love from her family while ďŹ nding joy in this new adventure. www.thesankofajourney.com/book/

Board Game Brothas www.boardgamebrothas.com www.facebook.com/BGBrothas/

So much of hip hop is about who we are and where we come from. We decided that had to be in this game. As part of the game’s design, we came up with close to 500 “life events” that could happen to an artist going through their career.

We have cards like, “Winning a talent show,” “Selling 35 CDs out of your trunk,” or “West coast tour.” When the game ends you can see exactly how you went from nothing to something.

That to us is what hip hop is all about.

All the games we are working on are clearly related to hip hop culture and black culture.

... and Remember: We Play with our MINDS - NOT WITH OUR HEADS! www.gtscience.com www.trainemupacademy.org

blog.brainpads.com

SUPER SOAKER Toys R Us Amazon Wal-Mart Target and more...

Zumo Learning System with Tablet The Zumo Learning System provides an accessible learning environment for children of all abilities. Zumo helps children fall in love with STEM. • Includes a 7 Tablet, Math Games and a Wireless Smart Toy, named Zumo • Unique technology maps physical movements to touch screen gestures • A suite of apps are included that are specially designed to enable tactile-based learning • Designed for K-3rd graders for learning in the home or classroom • Apps are customizable to the special needs of each child • Zumo offers many different play experiences through apps already available on iTunes www.zyrobotics.com info@zyrobotics.com

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hanahana beauty is a skincare brand committed to empowering women

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available at Sephora www.sephora.com

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at McGrath Labs, the makeup line created by legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath, is now being valued at $1 billion. As Women's Wear Daily reports, the brand received a $60 million minority investment from Eurazeo Brands.

Pat McGrath Labs was launched three years ago and is growing quickly, with retail sales expected to reach more than $60 million for 2018. The line debuted in 2015 with a $40 product called Gold 001. The multipurpose gold pigment came in a bag full of sequins, and it sold out all 1,000 units in just six minutes.

Other products included Skin Fetish 003, a three-piece highlighting kit, and Lust 004, a sparkly lip kit. A broader, permanent collection debuted in 2017 with lipsticks, lip liners, eyeliners, mascara, and an eyeshadow palette in three color-ways. Most recently, the brand released Lip Fetish Astrals, a sparkly update of the Lip Fetish Lip Balm from earlier in the year.

The products from Pat McGrath Labs, which are available on her website and at Sephora and Sephora.com, are often inspired by

McGrath's work as a makeup artist for runway shows, including Ve r s a c e , Balenciaga, and Gucci.

In an interview with InStyle, M c G r a t h explained how she created her line. "My intention when I created Labs was that the people that used our products would be empowered to explore a fearless, daring attitude towards makeupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that's why we always write 'Use Without Caution' on everything we make," she said. "I've always believed that the most extraordinary results occur only when one feels unbound by any notion of constraint or limitation." ď &#x192; www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/makeup/a22499334/patmcgrath-labs-worth-one-billion/

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Introducing Serena, my ďŹ rst independent clothing line for all the ladies out there being awesome.

My designs are inspired by strong, sexy, sophisticated, sassy, sure, smart, stylish, silly, and spontaneous women who are living their best lives, or making it up as they goâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;kinda like me.

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BRAVISSIMO! SHOP IN STORES AND ONLINE...

We are excited to announce that you can now shop select Nubian Skin lingerie in store for the first time ever in the UK, and online at Bravissimo! The Fuller Bust Bras and Briefs can now be found in Oxford Circus, Manchester, Leeds, and Glasgow. So pop into a store and show some love!

Shop Now at our our USA site: www.bravissimo.com/us/products/naked-bra-cinnamonnu102cin/?goal=0_a8f0a62688-bc6913bd83-225252453&mc_ cid=bc6913bd83&mc_eid=a8a3b81440

The Queen of Wearable Art

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STAY READY for Summer in a suit that suits your figure Available in sizes XS-3XL Figure flattering design Double lined for comfort

Celebrate Summer with our beautiful new Beach Towel

by French Artist AurĂŠlia Durand (@4ur3lia) Visit us at: www.digitalenteshop.com

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Beyoncé's New Adidas Collection

I

f you're in need of cool workout gear or comfy athleisure to lounge around in, who better to design it for you than the Queen B herself?

Beyoncé and Adidas have announced that they're teaming up on a signature collection that includes footwear and apparel.

The best news? Beyoncé will also be relaunching her athleisure line, Ivy Park, with the brand.

According to a press release from Adidas, she will be a creative partner for the brand and work with them to design performance and lifestyle products.

"This is the partnership of a lifetime for me," Beyoncé said in the press release. "Adidas has had tremendous success in pushing creative boundaries. We share a philosophy that puts creativity, growth and social responsibility at the forefront of business. I look forward to relaunching and expanding Ivy Park on a truly global scale with a proven, dynamic leader."

Ivy Park was first introduced in 2016 and was previously sold at Topshop, but after allegations of sexual harassment and bullying surfaced against Topshop chairman Sir Philip Green, Beyoncé ended her partnership with the businessman and bought back her athleisure line from the brand. It's unclear if she did so because of the allegations, but either way, we're about to see Ivy Park in stores again soon.

"Beyoncé is an iconic creator but also a proven business leader, and together, we have the ability to inspire change and empower the next generation of creators," Eric Liedtke, executive board member at Adidas, said in a statement.

No word yet on when the collection is due to drop, but we'll be anxiously awaiting the arrival of Beyoncé x Adidas.  www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/heres-whatwe-know-about-beyoncés-new-adidas-collection/arBVCQFl?ocid=spartandhp

IVY PARK WWW.IVYPARK.COM

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Black-Owned Watch Brands You Should Make Your Brands MG Media, TBTNEWS

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hile timepieces or watches are usually a luxury for most, there are several Blackowned brands that create and market high-quality watches that won't break the bank... and they are definitely worth taking time to look at! Here are seven Black-owned watch brands that you should support:

Youngblood Timepieces: Launched in 2006, this brand of high-end signature watches continues to be one of the most sought-after Black-owned watch brands. Its co-founders Paul Youngblood and Patrick Martin created the brand to offer both accessory and apparel products for savvy shoppers who sought to maximize their value without compromising on quality. https://youngbloodworldwide.com/collections/menswristwatches

Talley & Twine: Started with just a few sketches and no previous knowledge of the watch industry, Robert Williams designed his first watch that eventually became a successful luxury watch brand. Since then, they aimed to create quality, detailed, attention-grabbing timepieces that are reasonably priced and resist the status quo.

Seventeenth Watches: Owned and operated by an army veteran, Chris Johnson, who is also Black, this brand creates watches that are a perfect union between simplicity and class. Their styles are usually unisex and minimalist that makes it a timeless piece that would seem to still be in trend even in the next decades. www.seventeenth-watches.com/ Benson Watch: Established on the principle that "time should be spent doing what you love," its founder, Marcel Benson, wanted to encourage people to take charge of their time and live life on their terms. Additionally, this brand produces exclusive collection watches that are available for limited time only and will not be replicated anymore. https://www.bensonwatch.com/ SPGBK Watches: Founded by two African-American fraternity brothers from Fayetteville, North Carolina, this brand aims to create original culturally-inspired watches that are inspired by diversity and inclusion.

The name is an abbreviation of "Springbreak" as the two founders, who were both HBCU graduates, wanted the company to be collegethemed. www.springbreakwatches.com/

https://store.talleyandtwine.com/

Enbois by Maxim: Named after the French word which means "wooden," this brand's watches are designed with the finest sustainable materials. Also, an acronym for Each New Bead Offers Its Support, its founder Maxim Thuriere sought a way to give back to his country of heritage, Haiti, where a portion of each transaction is donated to help improve educational opportunities as well as reforest Haiti. http://enbois-originals.com/

Vitae London: Based in London, England, this brand features watches that are made of either a high-quality genuine leather band or a stainless steel mesh band with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass that are stylish, elegant, and built to last.

What's more, for every watch sold, the company supports an underprivileged child in South Africa through education. https://vitaelondon.com/

SUED Watches Nairobi, Kenya @suedwatched h ps://sued.co.ke www.facebook.com/suedwatches

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 146  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

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This magniďŹ cent 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 diversiďŹ ed 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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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

A database so diners can better ďŹ nd restaurants owned by African Americans.

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Downtown Culver City: 9537 Culver Blvd.

310-202-5453 Open Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm www.honeyskettle.com

Black Business. Black Culture. Black Thought. Black Love https://shoppeblack.us

Shaquille O’Neal Has a Big Comfort Food Restaurant in l.A. Live Los Angeles

S

haquille’s is an upscale casual restaurant specializing in Southern cuisine and service with personality.

The menu focuses on farm fresh produce and features his signature fried chicken.

Shaquille’s c u r a t e d b e v e r a g e p r o g r a m includes a wine vault, local draft beers, and hand-crafted cocktails with an emphasis on bourbons and whiskeys. Situated in the heart of L.A. LIVE, the space features an enclosed private patio surrounding the main entrance with a modern, upbeat vibe that transforms guests’ experiences from day to night. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner with extended lounge hours.

Southern hospitality with modern flair Genuine warmth and hospitality, modern décor, great music, as well as amazing food and drink think fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, corn pudding, mac and cheese and banana pudding.

Guests will always be welcomed by

a friendly and courteous staff whose goal is to create unique familystyle dining experiences in a contemporary setting.

Ambience No detail has been overlooked. Shaquille’s is proud to offer exclusive al fresco dining on our patio as well as swanky interior seating. Dynamic music and subdued lighting, paired with an open layout welcome all to be a part of the Shaquille’s experience.

Shaquille’s namesake Like the man himself, Shaquille’s is larger-than-life. Our goal is to offer the best in food, drink, and service to everyone who enters our Shaq-sized doors, while never forgetting to have fun!  www.shaquilles.com/

L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Boulevard, Suite A150, Los Angeles, CA www.shaquilles.com ï&#x201A;³ 213-746-7427(SHAQ)

CHEF MARCUS SAMUELSSOM'S Black Panther Breakfast Recipe Makes 2-3 servings.

Ingredients Gnocchi ( buy from your local grocery store) Hominy (canned ) Béchamel ¼ cup of unsalted butter ¼ cup of flour 1 qt of milk 1 tsp of salt Cheddar Cheese (shredded) Parmesan Cheese (shredded) Diced pork belly Minced habanero peppers Eggs Directions Cheese Sauce • Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, once butter is melted stir in flour until it is smooth; continuing stirring until flour is light brown then lower the heat and continue to cook for five minutes.

• In a separate pot bring milk to a simmer then add the hot milk to the roux while continuously stirring.

• Allow to cook on low heat for about 15 mins or until you no longer taste flour • Then add your shredded cheese and stir until well blended Making the breakfast • In boiling salted water blanch off your gnocchi, for 30 secs or until they float • In a medium sauté pan, make sure your pan is hot, add a tsp of olive oil then render down your pork belly. Drain excess fat but leave some in the pan for flavor.

• Next add in the diced habanero and the blanched gnocchi. Cook until the gnocchi is golden brown on each side.

• Then add in your cheese sauce; add in veg stock if the consistency is too thick .

• In a separate small frying pan, cook your eggs sunny side up • Assemble https://marcussamuelsson. n. com/recipe/black-panther-breakfast-recipe https://marcussamuelsson. n. com/

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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.

LOOK FOR US IN THE FROZEN FOODS SECTION!

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!

Not Just Cookies

NJC is a cookie company providing, natural desserts superior in quality and taste. Our cookies and pies are made with the finest ingredients.We offer select gluten free and vegan desserts that are rich in taste. Not Just Cookies is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) founded by Johnathon Bush.

We can cater for any event or party.We offer custom packaging for all of our cookies and pies to suit any need. Corporate ggifts, company parties, restaurants looking to ooutsource pastries, we're here for you. es.com for online shopping, store locations, sshipping and catering details. Talk to us by ccalling: 1-800-833-4541 or send NJC an inquiry aat: info@notjustcookies.net.

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hen our daughter began to exhibit food allergies naturally, I set out to find the healthy, allergy-friendly snacks we'd need to fuel our family's active lifestyle. I came away from the stores frustrated and mystified. Nothing on the shelves met our dietary needs and my healthy standards. So I set out to create my own. Making allergy-friendly, healthy snacks (from scratch) for my daughter was hard work, but I refused to give up or give in â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and Partake Foods was born. Our products are deliciously made for just about everyone from those with restrictions to those who simply want to eat more healthfully. Find out more about our family and our products at: https://partakefoods.com. Our products are also available via Amazon.com (www.amazon. com partake foods).

Enjoy.

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Now available at Whole Foods!

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Books to Consider

Books to Consider...

The Burden: African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery

T

By Rochelle Riley

he Burden: African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery is a plea to America to understand what life post-slavery remains like for many African Americans, who are descended from people whose unpaid labor built this land, but have had to spend the last century and a half carrying the dual burden of fighting racial injustice and rising above the lowered expectations and hateful bigotry that attempt to keep them shackled to that past.

The Burden, edited by award-winning Detroit newspaper columnist Rochelle Riley, is a powerful collection of essays that create a chorus of evidence that the burden is real. As Nikole Hannah-Jones states in the book’s foreword, "despite the fact that black Americans remain at the bottom of every indicator of well-being in this country—from wealth, to poverty, to health, to infantt mortality, to graduation n rates, to incarceration— — we want to pretend thatt this current reality hass nothing to do with the e racial caste system that was legally enforced for mostt of the time the United States of America has existed.""

The Burden expresses the voices of other well-known Americans, such as actor/director Tim Reid d who compares slavery to a cancer diagnosis, formerr Detroit News columnist Betty DeRamus who recountss the discrimination she encountered as a young blackk o Detroiter in the south, and the actress Aisha Hinds who d explains how slavery robbed an entire race of value and e self-worth. This collection of essays is a response to the e false idea that slavery wasn’t so bad and something we should all just "get over." The descendants of slaves have spent over 150 years seeking permission to put

this burden down.

As Riley writes in her opening essay, "slavery is not a relic to be buried, but a wound that has not been allowed to heal. You cannot heal what you do not treat. You cannot treat what you do not see as a problem.

And America continues to look the other way, to ask African Americans to turn the other cheek, Rochelle Riley bookstockmi.org to suppress our joy, to accept that we are supposed to go only as far as we are allowed." The Burden aims to address this problem. It is a must-read for every American.  www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385537077/ref=dbs_a_def_ rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

JAY-Z: Made in America

J

By Michael Eric Dyson

AY-Z: Made in America is the fruit of Michael Eric Dyson’s decade of teaching the work of one of the greatest poets this nation has produced, as gifted a wordsmith as Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and Rita Dove.

But as a rapper, he’s sometimes not given the credit he deserves for just how great an artist he’s been for so long.

This book wrestles with the biggest themes of JAY-Z's career, including hustling, and it recognizes the way that he’s always weaved politics into his music, making important statements about race, criminal justice, just ju stitice ice black bla lackk wealth wea ealltlth lth and and social soc injustice. As he enters so his fifties, and to mark his thirty years as a recording artist, this is the perfect time to take a look at JAY-Z’s

171  August 2019  July 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

execution-style killings were commonplace. Still, in the midst of the chaos and danger that surrounded him, Ross flourished, first as a standout high school football player and then as a dope boy in Carol City’s notorious Matchbox housing projects. All the while he honed his musical talent, overcoming setback after setback until a song called “Hustlin’” changed his life forever.

From the making of “Hustlin’” to his first major label deal with Def Jam, to the controversy surrounding his past as a correctional officer and the numerous health scares, arrests and feuds he had to transcend along the way, Hurricanes is a revealing portrait of one of the biggest stars in the rap game, and an intimate look at the birth of an artist.  www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PBXRNJK/ ref=pe_375220_421466760_em_1p_2_lm

Color Him Father

Michael Eric Dyson and Jay-Z flipboard.com career and his role in making this nation what it is today.

In many ways, this is JAY-Z’s America as much as it’s Pelosi’s America, or Trump’s America, or Martin Luther King’s America. JAY-Z has given this country a language to think with and words to live by..  www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TTZ8QPJ/ ref=pe_375220_421466760_em_1p_1_lm

Hurricanes: A Memoir

by Rick Ross, Neil Martinez-Belkin

R

ick Ross is an indomitable presence in the music industry, but few people know his full story. Now, for the first time, Ross offers a vivid, dramatic and unexpectedly candid account of his early childhood, his tumultuous adolescence and his dramatic ascendancy in the world of hip-hop.

Born William Leonard Roberts II, Ross grew up “across the bridge,” in a Miami at odds with the glitzy beaches, nightclubs and yachts of South Beach. In the aftermath of the 1980 race riots and the Mariel boatlift, Ross came of age at the height of the city’s crack epidemic, when home invasions and

I

by Lawrence M. Drake II,

t’s a brotherhood no man wants to join the group of men who share the pain of losing a child. Whether that child is an infant, teenager, young or full grown adult, grieving the loss of a child is a heartache that can break the strongest of men.

Now, seven men who hold membership in that fraternity of fatherhood have come together to share the sorrow of their suffering. In their own unique voices, these men tackle perspectives of being a Black father that are rarely discussed. In Color Him Father, you will step inside these very personal and intense stories of love and loss, tragedies and triumphs….But these stories will take you beyond the pain as they share their deep commitment to fatherhood.

Whether you’re a man traveling a similar path, supporting someone who Lawrence M. Drake, II has made that journey, or just nbmbaa.org want to gain insight, these

172  August 2019  Black Business News  www.bbala.org  1-323-291-7819

Books to Consider touching testimonies will enlighten and educate people from all walks of life. Color Him Father will encourage all fathers to renew their promises to their children, while motivating young Black men to become even more committed to the brotherhood of fatherhood.  www.amazon.com/Color-Him-Father-LawrenceDrake/dp/1944359826/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=color+hi m+father&qid=1564794254&s=books&sr=1-1

Money Talks:

The Ultimate Couple's Guide to Communicating about Money

M

by Talaat and Tai McNeely

oney Talks: The Ultimate Couple's Guide to Communicating about Money, opens the lines of communication between spouses, and reveals how to align themselves together financially.

• If you are tired of always fighting about money in your marriage...

• If you are weary from the massive amount of financial stress you are under...

• If you are longing to experience unity with your spouse in your finances...

• It's time for you to take a step toward getting on one accord with your spouse financially.

Each chapter ends with specific talking points for you to discuss with your spouse. www.amazon.com/Money-Talks-Ultimate-CouplesCommunicating-ebook/dp/B018ND2UBW

American Spy: A Novel

by Lauren Wilkinson It’s 1986, the heart of the Cold War, and Marie Mitchell is an intelligence officer with the FBI. She’s brilliant, but she’s also a young black woman working in an old boys’ club. Her career has stalled out, she’s overlooked for every high-profile squad, and her days are filled with monotonous paperwork.

So when she’s given the opportunity to join a shadowy task force aimed at undermining Thomas Sankara, the charismatic revolutionary president of Burkina Faso whose Communist ideology has made him a target for American intervention, she says yes. Yes, even though she secretly admires the work Sankara is doing for his country. Yes, even though she is still grieving the mysterious death of her sister, whose example led Marie to this career path in the first place.

Yes, even though a furious part of her suspects she’s being offered the job because of her appearance and not her talent.

Lauren Wilkinson believermag.com In the year that follows, Marie will observe Sankara, seduce him, and ultimately have a hand in the coup that will bring him down. But doing so will change everything she believes about what it means to be a spy, a lover, a sister, and a good American.

Inspired by true events—Thomas Sankara is known as “Africa’s Che Guevara”—American Spy knits together a gripping spy thriller, a heartbreaking family drama, and a passionate romance. This is a face of the Cold War you’ve never seen before, and it introduces a powerful new literary voice. www.amazon.com/American-Spy-Novel-LaurenWilkinson/dp/0812998952

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BBA 2019 Master Planner

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Resource Vault Information

Africa is a Country -- www.africasacountry.com\ Africa World Press Books -www.africaworldpressbooks.com Because Of Them We Can -- www.becauseofthem wecan.com Black Children's Books and Authors -http://blackchildrensbooksandauthors.tumblr. com BlackPast.org -- www.blackpost.org Black Then -- https://blackthen.com Digital Assets Repository -http://dar.bibalex.org/webpages/dar.jsf Elders (The) -- https://theelders.org GhanaWeb -- www.ghanaweb.com iAfrica -- www.iafrica.com Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) -www.youtube.com/user/marquesbrownlee WikiHow -- www.wikihow.com World Library -- www.worldlibrary.org

Media

APO (Africa Wire®/MENA Wire®) -www.apo-opa.com Africa Business Communities -https://africabusinesscommunities.com Africa Interactive Multimedia Press/Content \ Agency in Africa -www.africa-interactive.com Africa News & Stories -- http://africatodaytv.com Africa Newsroom -- www.africa-newsroom.com Africa World Now Project -www.africaworldnowproject.org Africanews. -- www.africanews.com The Africapitalist -www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/africapitalisminstitute/africapitalist-magazine AfricaFocus -- www.africafocus.org The African World -- www.theafricanworld.tv African American Reports -www.africanamericanreports.com Afritorial -- www.afritorial.com www.facebook.com/Afritorial AllAfrica (news) -- http://allafrica.com Bibi-Writes -- https://bibiwrites.com Black Business Directory & Blog -www.blackbusiness.org BlackNews.com -- www.blacknews.com Black Press USA -- www.blackpressusa.com Blavity Inc. -- www.blavity.com The Chocolate Voice -www.thechocolatevoice.com Cybrary -- www.cybrary.it

Dogon Village -- www.dogonvillage.com Face2Face Africa -- https://face2faceafrica.com Informaza - www.infomaza.com Macauhub -- www.facebook.com/Macauhub ReachTV -- www.reachtv.com Red Media Africa -www.facebook.com/RedMedi aAfrica Rock Me Africa -- //rockmeafrica.com Roland Martin Unfiltered -#RolandMartinUnfiltered Second Opinion Publications Ltd (The) -- www. facebook.com/thesecondopinion TONL -- https://tonl.co/ United Nations -- http://webtv.un.org

Media/Podcasts, Streams

2 Dope Queens -- www.wnycstudios.org/shows/ dopequeens African Literary Podcast -- www.jamesmurua.com/ category/african-literary-podcas Africast TV -- www.africast.tv Cape Up with Jonathan Capehart -- https://itunes. apple.com/us/podcast/cape-up-with-jonathancapehart/id1143265842?mt=2 Demand Africa -- www.demandafrica.com DiasporaVoice -www.blogtalkradio.com/diasporavoice Focus On Africa -- https://theafricachannel.com/ shows/bbc-focus-on-africa James Murua's Literary Blog -- www.jamesmurua. com KweliTV -- www.facebook.com/kwelitv Paychecks and Balances -- https://paychecksand balances.com Point Noir -- www.instagram.com/pointnoirshow @pointnoireshow Popcorn Finance Podcast -- https://popcornfinance. com/podcast UN Video -- https://videos.un.org/en YouTube Educational Channels -- http://teacherswithapps.com/197-educational-youtube-channels-know

Media/Publications

African Trade Magazine -www.africantrademagazine.com African Vibes Magazine -- www.africanvibes.com Black Business News Group -www.issuu.com/blackbusinessnews Black Wall Street Times -- http://bwstimes. com BridesNoir -- www.bridesnoir.com CuisineNoir -- www.cuisinenoirmag.com MahoganyBooks -http://blog.mahoganybooks.com/ New Black Magazine (The) -www.thenewblackmagazine.com

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Publish Africa -- http://wow.gm/publishafrica

Culture/Arts Asako Afrikan Combat Capoeira -www.abibifahodie.com Africa Center (The) -- www.theafricacenter.org African Networks -http://afn.bibalex.org/MainPart/About_.aspx African Origins -- www.african-origins.org Almasi Arts -- www.almasiarts.org Because of Them We Can -www.becauseofthemwecan.com Black Cultural Events -www.blackculturalevents.com Cultural Events/Content -- www.okayafrica.com Fashion For All -- www.fashionforallnyc.org Freedom Park -- www.freedompark.co.za Hungry Black Man -https://thehungryblackman.com Infocus247 -- https://infocus247.com Information for Africa -http://bibalex.org/baifa/en/home/index Library of Alexandria -www.bibalex.org/en/default NKA: Journal of Contemporary African Art -www.nkajournal.org Pan African Film Festival -- www.paff.org Paradigm Grey -- www.paradigmgrey.com Shadow & Act -- //shadowandact.com/about-us Travel Noire -- https://travelnoire.com W.E.B. DuBois in Accra -https://webduboiscentreaccra.ghana-net.com

Commerce/Entrepreneurship

#IAMWANDA -- www.facebook.com/IamWANDAorg African Success Stories -- www.risingafrica.org African Technology Foundation -www.thea25n.com BBurb -- https://bburb.com Black CEO Tribe -- www.blackceotribe.com Black Female Founders -www.blackfemalefounders.org Black People Eats -- www.blackpeopleeats.com Black Wall Street -- www.blackwallstreet.org iBuyBlack.org -- www.ibuyblack.org Jumia -- https://group.jumia.com www.jumia.com.ng Nigeria (Africa) financial news -- //nairametrics.com She Leads Africa -- http://sheleadsafrica.org Shoppe Black -- https://shoppeblack.us

Organizations Africa's Brain Bank -- www.facebook.com/ AFRICASBRAINBANK / African Leadership Forum -http://afrialeadership.org

African Union -- www.au.int/en Africans in Boston (AiB) -- // africansinboston.org Black Business Association -www.bbala.org Black Emergency Managers Association International -www. blackemergmanagersassociation.org CauseCast -www.causecast.com www.causecastfornonprofits.com Color of Change -- www.colorofchange.org Colorintech -- www.colorintech.org Community Healing Network -www.communityhealingnet.org Love Our Girls -- http://logpledge.org/ StayWoke -- www.staywoke.org TimesUp -- www.timesupnow.com 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 Breaux Capital -- www.breauxcapital.com Disrupt Africa -- http://disrupt-africa.com/ Exchange Magazine (The) -- www.nse.co.ke Harlem Capital -- http://harlem.capital Silicon Harlem -- http://event.siliconharlem.net Ventures -- www.ventures-africa.com

General Explore ideas -- https://ideas.ted.com Quora -- www.quora.com The Undefeated -- https://theundefeated.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

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NYSE trader/broker Lauren Simmons © CNBC Make It