BLACK ECONOMICS AND FAITH MAGAZINE PROTOTYPE

AUGUST 2018

Education:

A Life Long Journey 24 Millennials and Woman 30 Entrepreneurs

The Power In 16 Understanding Economics

AUGUST 2018 US $2.00

Learning Wisdom 10 From The Ants

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Black Economics & Faith

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Black Economics & Faith

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS

AUGUST 2017

24

Education: A Lifelong Journey FAITH 8 Faith & Finances By the “Wealth Builder” Kinji R.W. Ridley, MBA

10 Learning Wisdom from the Ants

By Bishop C. Milton Grannum Ed.D., D. Min., Ph.D.

12 Faith and Economics

By Reverend Riley Roberts

14 In God We Trust

By Rev. Aaron Gray, Sr.

EDUCATION 24 Education: A Lifelong Journey

By Arrastene (EJ) Henry

26 Education as a Strategic Tool for Empowerment

By Diana Dunham

28 Education as a Key Influence on Economics and Faith

By Nadia Bennett, M.Ed.

29 The Journey Begins with Finding our way Back Home

By Erica Wyatt PhD

ECONOMICS 16 The Power of Economics. What we should know

By Rev. Maurice I. Butler

18 Economics Withing a Global Community

By Austin Dulen

19 Act Today. Avoid Financial Regrets Tomorrow

By Monaye Nelson

20 Marriage & Money

By Nicolas T. Abrams, CFP

22 The Key to Unlocking Wealth for Generations to Come

By Vera Staley

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Black Economics & Faith

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Learning Wisdom From The Ants

ENTREPRENEURSHIP 30 An Entrepreneurial Survival Guide for Black Women

By Camille Bell

32 Good Management for Better Wealth Creation

By Anwuacha Dandy Samuel

34 2017 Prosperous Year for African-American Entrepreneurship

By Martina Arroyo-Burton

35 Impact Of African-American Entrepreneurs On Economy

By Karen Wilz

SOCIAL JUSTICE 40 Economic Impact on African-American Lives

By Margaret Kabogo

41 We Are All Our Brothers’ Keepers

By Charles L. Chatmon

HEALTH

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The Power of Economics

42 Three Ways to Deal with the Stress of Receiving Bad News

By By Debra Williams, Ed.D. - ACSM-CPT & Sole Proprietor of SMART Fitness

45 Cost Effective Health & Dental Insurance For The Entrepreneur

By Black Economics & Faith

46 The Economics of Exercise

By Bentley Ritter, founder and CEO of Bentley Personal Training

WORK 36 Igniting Your Power and your Voice

By Allison Frances Barksdale

COMMUNITY 48 The Southern Workplace in the 21st Century

12 Faith and Economics

By Amber Noel

50 The Economic Impact of Gentrification

By Stephanie A. James

52 Invest trends around the World: Tapping into the African Market

By Anwuacha Dandy Samuel

CHURCH DIRECTORY 57 Church Directory

Community Resource Directory 60 Resource Directories

40 Economic Impact On African American Lives Black Economics & Faith

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Publisher’s Note

elcome to Black Economics and Faith Magazine.

Thank you for taking a time to preview the first issue of our new publication. This magazine is designed to be a platform for a host of diverse voices predominantly from the African American Community. The unique feature of this publication is that it is a platform for articles capturing the thoughts of persons representing many segments of our society who have stories to tell and a desire to enter into a conversation with multi-generational audiences about the things many of us don’t talk enough about in the African American Community; the subject of Economics in the context of Faith.

As a Church and Community leader serving persons in the African American community, it troubles me that the subject of Economics in the context of Faith takes back seat to other more mundane and traditional subjects that focus on issues and matters that although important, too often dominate our thoughts preventing many from accomplishing the success God desires for us to benefit ourselves, family and all of humankind. In my own personal economic struggles and brokenness the question for me has been for a long while; how do we in the Black Community gain the necessary knowledge collectively to ensure more persons achieve economic success in a way that truly transform lives, prosper communities and allow our people to become more productive contributors to the society at large for the greater good?

In an effort to answer this question, the idea to publish this magazine titled “Black Economics and Faith” was born. Prior to entering ministry my vocational training was in the areas of business and technology. Merging these two disciplines in my ministry and community work has taught me that we have the tools to accomplish so much applying knowledge and the right skills. God has not only gifted me in these areas, there are so many others that are more knowledgeable and have greater skills in these disciplines than I could ever take credit. Therefore, I am inviting friends (old and new), colleagues, family members and a host of prospective collaborators to join with me to develop, launch and support this new publication that is specifically designed to reach, speak to and empower members of the African American community and persons of color to bring about positive change and transformation in our communities and the neighborhoods where most live, work and or play.

We need writers and editors who have subject expertise in a broad number of categories including, business, finance, economics, faith, education, psychology, health, fitness, work, labor, human resources, community and economic development and the list goes on and on. The magazine will be a monthly publication distributed in print to thousands of adults between the ages of 25-56+, first regionally (Mid-Atlantic Cities and surrounding areas) as well as through online digital formats with the goal of reaching national audiences.

Each issue will contain articles segmented in important categories as features, editorials and simply great stories. Writers will be invited to submit topics for articles based on the magazine’ monthly theme calendar. This will be a collaborative effort involving professional freelance writers, those who are subject experts, as well as others who may not be published writers or authors, but have something to say on the matter. We intend to provide audiences (readers) with a rich and informative body of content that will be useful in their every day lives. Our goal is to offer a number of subscription options that will give subscribers access to the publication, invitations to attend scheduled webinars, podcast, conferences and workshops as part of the subscription price or for a set program fee.

To prospective advertisers and sponsors thank you for your interest in this publication, it is my prayer that you will support this publication through paid advertisements and sponsorships. We hope you will see this as a medium whose time has come and consider partnering with us to make it a great success! Again, many thanks to all, Enjoy!

Kind regards,

Reverend Maurice L. Butler Founder and Publisher

Black Economics & Faith

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FAITH

Faith & W Finances By the “Wealth Builder” Kinji R.W. Ridley, MBA

hat are the 1st images that pop into your mind when you hear the word “Wealth”? A big house?

Fancy Clothes? A new car? Lavish jewelry? For most people, including believers and followers of the Christ, this would be the images conjured upon hearing that word if they were being truly honest. What’s amazing though is many people are ashamed and embarrassed to admit they “DESIRE” the wealth associated with these items. But why are they ashamed? Why have we been conditioned to not only believe that we don’t deserve wealth but that it is somehow “EVIL” and is not God intended for us?

A great place to begin is with this statement: WEALTH IS NOT EVIL NOR WRONG! Now before we go any further, let’s examine and dissect one of the most misinterpreted scriptures in the Bible that is possibly the foundation for many people’s negative association with wealth: 1 Timothy 6:10-“For the LOVE of money is the root of ALL EVIL”. Many times when I hear people quote this scripture as a justification for their financial condition, I hear them paraphrase the scripture. Here’s what they say: “Money is the root of all evil”. If this is what you learned, hear constantly and most importantly BELIEVE, of course you will have a negative impression of money and wealth. But this WAS NOT what the scripture said.

If you add back “For the LOVE of” to the scripture (as it was written), the scripture takes on a whole new perspective. When you LOVE something, it is usually a very important if not THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to you. The love of something can make a person do great and extraordinary things, but it can also make them do sick, vile and EVIL things. When you LOVE something, you can become preoccupied with not only protecting and hoarding it, but also you never seem to have enough of it. This feeling can be applied to money and wealth thus why the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.

We must understand that money is a TOOL that allows you to BUILD WEALTH. To be WEALTHY means to have an AMBUNDANCE of the necessary resources to live as you DESIRE. The question is beloved, how do YOU desire to live and what are the resources necessary for you to accomplish this (no need to lie about it; remember, God knows the secret desires of your heart). Do you desire the big house, new car, fancy clothes and lavish jewelry? If so, IT’S OKAY!!! The question truly is, is your LOVE and DESIRE to possess these items so great you are willing to compromise your ethics and moral? Are you willing to do EVIL to acquire and possess these items, turning your back on the promises of God, his love and salvation? It may be okay to desire these items, to desire money and wealth but it shouldn’t be greater than your DESIRE and LOVE for God.

May the blessings of Peace, Wealth & Prosperity be upon you, all the days of your life!

“Money IS NOT the root of all evil” 8

Black Economics & Faith

Kinji Ridley MBA, a licensed financial & investment advisor is the CEO of Community Solutions Financial and is rated by LinkedIn as one of Philadelphia’s Top Financial Advisors. He can be heard Friday’s on “Talking Dollars & Sense with the Wealth Builder on Nuff Said Global Radio on LiveandDirectRadio.com

www.aecst.org

The

African Episcopal Church of Celebrating

St. Thomas

Welcome to the historic African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, founded in 1792 as the first black Episcopal Church in the USA. Our parish boldly proclaims the reconciling Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are an active, mission-minded and growing church family. Whoever you are and wherever you may find yourself on your spiritual journey of faith, you are always welcome at St. Thomas’ Church, where we are joyfully and enthusiastically committed to Jesus’ message of love, hope, prayer and faith.

225 Years of Legacy, Faith and Hope

The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas • 6361 Lancaster Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19151 Phone: (215) 473-3065 • Fax: (215) 473-3529 • Emergency: (215) 627-1606 or (215) 910-1240 9

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FAITH

LEARNING WISDOM FROM THE ANTS

By Bishop C. Milton Grannum Ed.D., D. Min., Ph.D.

The Bible book of Proverbs is filled with sayings, quotations and words of wisdom and is therefore known as the book of wisdom.

Here is what it says about the ants.

“Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8 NKJV) Do you want to be different and to make a difference? Then pay attention to the wisdom of ants. It’s amazing that one of the smallest of God’s creatures can become one of life’s greatest teachers.

Can you believe that there are more than 12,000 species of ants all over the world? Argentine Ants, Carpenter Ants, Odorous House Ants, Pavement Ants, and Red Imported Fire Ants are just a few of the many An ant can lift 20 times its own body weight. Ants have no ears. They “hear” by feeling vibrations in the ground through their feet. Ants don’t have lungs. Oxygen enters through tiny holes all over the body and carbon dioxide leaves through the same holes.

Can you believe that there are more than 12,000 species of ants all over the world?

Although ants are frustrating when they get into your home or when you’re having a picnic, ants do help the environment.

They are social insects, which means they live in large colonies or groups. Depending on the species, ant colonies can consist of millions of ants. Yet, only the queen ant can lay eggs. Some queen ants can live for many years and have millions of babies!

Once the queen grows to adulthood, she spends the rest of her life laying eggs! Depending on the species, a colony may have one

10 Black Economics & Faith

queen or many queens. When the queen of the colony dies, the colony can only survive a few months. Queens are rarely replaced and the workers are not able to reproduce.

How do we now understand and interpret Proverbs 6:6-8? “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

There are nine lessons we can learn from the ants.

1. They have an attitude of initiative. They are hard workers.

Ants don’t need a commander to tell them to get up, get out or get started.

2. They have a clear division of labor. The Queen has a specific function; the King ants stick to their jobs and the worker ants do their tasks.

3. They have a sense of belonging. There are more than 12,000 species of ants in the world and each ant knows where he or she belongs.

4. They what each ant is capable of. Since an ant can lift 20 times its own body weight, the entire nest knows about how much food each ant is capable of capturing and bringing home.

5. They understand and respect colony structure. Every ant respects the Queen and all male ants know that she cannot be replaced.

6. Ants have a powerful sense of independence. They are selfsufficient and do not need outside help.

7. Their deep sense of accountability that keeps them doing the right thing correctly.

8. They have unity. They come together, double their efforts and replace their anthill if or when it gets ruined.

9. They work hard today for both today and tomorrow. They store provisions in summer for the cold days of winter.

All this they accomplish without a leader. Imagine what we could all accomplish if we had the attitude and mindset of ant.

FAITH

Faith and Economics

By Reverend Riley Roberts

I

n the 1980s and 1990s, America went through an expansive time of growth and prosperity due to the economic policies of that time. Americans, as a whole, enjoyed a period of unprecedented growth.

Much of what we enjoyed yielded tremendous personal wealth.

Personal wealth in the form of high salaries, record highs in stock market growth, and other forms of personal wealth enjoyed during that time created tremendous personal wealth. Fueled primarily by a fiat system, the multinational corporations created a purchase/consumer based economy to take advantage of all of the expansion of personal wealth.

Americans and our global allies were purchasing homes, cars, boats, stock portfolios, and more. As a result, we and our trading partners became enriched by this relationship. As the demands for greater personal wealth grew, salaries and the demand for personal benefits became a signature of top talent. As a result, companies richly rewarded top talent, which adjusted other workers’ salaries and benefits.

Where is God in all of this?

God is still in heaven.

God is still God. Companies that enjoyed the same prosperity decided that more still wasn’t enough. The need was to move out of America and Western-based economies in order to grow even larger. In doing so the belief was to improve the quality of life in India, China and Southeast Asia, and Middle Eastern countries as well as become even more affluent by appealing to a new class of consumers.

In the 2000s, multinational companies that had satellitebased economies in other countries decided to move from America to these multinational satellites. The basis of this move was predicated on the enjoinment of greater profits.

Greater profits would also be enjoyed through the reduction of taxes, the reduction of cost of lowering salaries, the reduction and elimination of unions, the reduction of personal benefits (healthcare and stock), and the emphasis on globalism became the mantra of the day. As a result, the last ten years or so has been a move away from the Western capitalistic economies fueled by nationalism and the move to a global economy fueled by socialism which results in a much larger worker base at much cheaper cost.

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FAITH

Growth is now coming in the forms of multinational companies that are moving toward automation, robotics, and artificial technologies. There is also a movement away from cash to digital currency. Many economists are agreeing with this and seeing this as the projected wave of the future. The dollar as the gold standard is moving away to SDRs (Special Drawing Rights), which represent a global basket of currencies issued by the International Monetary Fund, comprising of all major currencies as the new “gold standard.�

There is an inherent danger in this as we place all of our eggs in one basket with the creation of a global, interdependent massively scaled economies. The benefit of checks and balances with nationalistic, collaborative, and competition-based economies to digitally based economic systems with lower controls is concerning. Now the danger is the creation of a global group of people who may not have our values and our best interests at heart and monitoring our behaviors in real time, and adjust it accordingly to manipulate our behaviors.

This may help them to keep us in line. This new level of technology creates a totally new level of privacy concerns. As we begin to move closer and closer to a world-based system, which is a socialist system in nature, we replace our hope in God and self-determinism, to now placing our trust in a humanistbased system. Subsequently, we are seeing a move away from individualism, independence, and personal freedom to a massive socialist monitoring system.

Where is God in all of this? God is still in heaven. God is still God. None of this is catching him by surprise. He said 2000 years ago, through the Apostle John, that this would be the system that would be developed near the end of the age.

God is still in the same place he was when we were enjoying increased prosperity twenty-five years ago. God is immutable. He still has his hand out to our country, telling us to come unto him and serve him and he will give the same promises of prosperity he has outlined in his Word.

He said that he will not forsake us if we come unto him. I believe that even with all of the changing economies leaving us grappling for answers. Now is the time for us to draw close to him. He is still in control! Nothing catches him by surprise, so as we continue to seek the sovereign of the universe for answers, we will shift our focus off of the changing economies and keep our it on the unchanging God.

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The change has resulted in massive downsizing in Western culture. Massive cutbacks and loss of benefits, homes, incomes, savings, and retirement accounts have left us wondering what’s going on. Western-based capitalist economies have now seen a moving away from the debt service/consumer based economies, and a movement toward a more global economy in the form of greater economic drivers at less cost. As a result, the focus is now on a shifting of the tides. Debt service economies are now being replaced with equity-based economies.

FAITH

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In God We Trust

By Rev. Aaron Gray, Sr.

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his motto has an interesting history although there is some debate as to the intention of the proponents for it being placed on U. S. Currency. Regardless of its origin, there is a very real message in these four words that tends to elude many people, including professing Christians. Far too often the concept of trusting God removes personal responsibility and good stewardship. Yet, throughout the pages of Scripture, many of the promises of God require human partnership with Him in order to be experienced. In the opening book of the Bible God promised to make Abram into a great nation, and to bless him and those who treated him well. However, this promise came after God told him to leave his country, kith, and kin and go to an unfamiliar place, which He would later show him. (Genesis 12:1-3) Where is Your Faith Abram had a decision to make, would he heed the command of God for the unknown or would he remain in his current situation surrounded by the familiar. Place yourself in Abram’s shoes and consider his dilemma from your modern context. God comes to you and tells you to leave your current residence and go to an unidentified place that He would show you. What thoughts run through your mind? For the majority of folks daily sustenance heads the list of concerns. This is when the source and substance of your faith are tested. Many say they trust God yet their trust is based upon what they can see and what they can produce.

For example, many say, “I trust God” yet they are counting their earned income.

Seeing God Beyond Your Resources To really trust God means you do not limit Him by your ability, but instead you see Him as He has declared himself throughout His word. Trusting God does not mean you do not play a part, it means after you do your part, you leave the results to Him. The Bible teaches that God knows everything, including what each human being needs to reach the potential He placed inside of them. Trusting God means submitting the natural resources of all He has given you through gifting and training and then believing that He is able to make all grace abound toward you.

(2 Corinthians 9:8) The Bible is filled with principles, which properly applied, produce specific results. One of the most simple yet profound passages instructs the reader to trust in the Lord with all their heart, do not lean on their own understanding, acknowledge Him in all their ways and He will direct their path.

(Proverbs 3:5-6) Rev. Aaron Gray is a Philadelphia native, he serves as an assistant pastor with Bethel Deliverance International Church, he is a published author, and a Realtor with Century 21 Advantage Gold. He and his wife Teresa have three adult sons and a five year old daughter.

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15 Black Economics & Faith

ECONOMICS

The Power of Economics What We Should Know

by Rev. Maurice L. Butler

T

he term “Economics” has broad meaning for many in our society. Most define economics from a personal financial perspective while others view it as the process of managing the money of nations, communities and institutions. The meaning however is typically defined based on one’s intellectual, academic and socio/ economic orientation. We oftentimes find the word “economics” associated with the financial state of a person or organization, but the meaning has broader application and is more profound.

This article begins a series of conversations that will help those of us in the African American Community to gain a better understanding of the term “economics” from an historical, cultural and faith context specifically as it relates to the value and quality of life issues that impact us and other members of our community both past and present.

Economics is such a broad subject area and as such it is difficult to present all of the concepts, models, thoughts and practices into one article. Therefore, we will begin the conversation discussing the definition of “economics” from an historical context in order to provide a baseline to help audiences to see how its meaning has been applied generally through the thoughts and theories of those who have practiced the field of economics and who’s scholarship has influenced our nation throughout the years over many generations.

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ECONOMICS So what is Economics anyway? Economics in its most basic definition from an academic and historical perspective is the branch of knowledge concerned with the production, consumption and transfer of wealth based on the premise that there is scarcity of resources. Therefore, the central theme inherent in this definition is Wealth. In far too many cases discussion of this critical life subject has been ignored, skipped over or minimized as an essential lesson we should study and learn as African Americans from the earliest ages of our existence.

Wealth measures the value of all assets (resources) of worth owned by a person, community, company, institution or country. According to “Investopedia”; wealth is determined by taking the total market value of all physical and intangible assets owned, then subtracting all debts. Essentially, wealth is the accumulation of resources valued as assets. Specific people, organizations and nations are said to be wealthy when they are able to accumulate many valuable resources or goods. Economics suggest that first wealth must be produced from defined resources before it can be consumed and or transferred.

Without consumption, the production of wealth cannot materialize. In other words if there is not an entity willing and able to purchase for consumption the goods and services that are being produced from the resource (asset) used for that intended purpose then wealth cannot be generated. The owners of vast amounts of land who plant crops every year and those owners of factories that manufacturer goods, are not able to produce wealth from these resources if there is not a consumer to purchase what has been produced.

Once wealth is produced and consumed the results are phenomenal in the since that one’s wealth can then be transferred to many different entities including to individuals, communities and throughout the larger society ensuring that prosperity will continue into perpetuity. The more frequent wealth is transferred the stronger the recipient becomes to be position to produce more wealth him/her self or the entity it represents. This scenario demonstrates how some persons are able to keep wealth within their families for generations and communities and societies are able to flourish consistently because wealth continues to be consumed and transferred constantly throughout their society.

Practically speaking learning the concepts of “economics” helps to provide road maps to strategies and processes that can be adopted to acquire resources (assets) needed to produce goods and services that can be sold into a marketplace where consumers are able and willing to buy. There is a general assumption made within most economic systems that resources are scarce, therefore one must be conscious of this in order to successfully be in position to produce wealth. Economics also measures the success of one entity over another examining the strategies and processes each uses to produce and sustain wealth given there is a scarcity of resources.

So what does Economics mean to the African American Community?

For many in the African American community the term “economics” has a negative meaning when it comes to addressing day-today circumstances and conditions many individuals and families face simply trying to survive. But, as a people we must become more knowledgeable about economics and informed about the many policies, practices and principles that impact our life as they are integral to the foundational structures of the capitalistic society in which we live. The most important Economics lesson to be learned is that at its core the subject is primarily concerned with building Wealth and ensuring that this wealth can be consumed and transferred within the system throughout generations whether personal or corporately. Once we as a people begin to understand the principles of how wealth is produced, consumed and transferred, our communities and families can become financially stronger, more successful and affluent.

Now, you may be asking what does all this have to do with “Black Economics and Faith”! Everything.

The concept of producing wealth for our personal benefit, our family and community has been a foreign concept for many African Americans primarily because we have always been the tools (resources) used to yield (produce) wealth for so many others over generations. As a people generally we have never owned land at the magnitude of other ethnic and cultural groups that have dominated, manipulated and oppressed us as a people for so many generations therefore we never had the assets (resources) ourselves to produce much wealth. But, we must understand that Economics is more than becoming rich! If applied correctly economics has everything to do with being a blessing to others as God blesses us!

We are all inherently rich (wealthy) already due to the mere fact that God has allowed us to live and have breath another day regardless of our socio/economic condition or status. And, because we are blessed with this richness God has given us attributes and gifts to be in position to produce wealth. This fact alone is where the bridge between economics and faith connects…understanding that because we are already rich, God affords us many opportunities to produce wealth so that we can be a blessing to our families and others.

But, we must be very careful…

“You may say to yourself, my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” Deuteronomy 8:17-18 African Americans for the most part have been strong persons of “Faith”. We must now recapture the strength of our faith and learn how to practically become more knowledgeable about practice of Economics. Learning the concepts of economics within a faith context will help us to build stronger communities, societies and households, guided by the right principles and following the best practices. Join me again in the next issue as we will go deeper into the conversation, but in the mean time, I hope you have enjoyed our time together. God Bless You!

Black Economics & Faith 17

ECONOMICS

Economics Within A Global Community Particularly As It Relates To Persons Of Colour

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By Austin Dulen

n times past, the urban communities saw the surrounding countryside as an indispensable part of its existence.

Goods and services are provided to the towns by the urban communities, and the towns offered the essential supplies of food and other agricultural products required by the urban communities.

In Nigeria, Community Economic Development is projected with a primary focus on sustainability, which is known as Sustainable Community Development. This idea blends social, economic, and environmental policies and practices that encourage sustainability for generations of the future. In the 1980s, two decades after independence was when much of this started; as Nigeria was declared eligible to be among the recipients of funds from the International Development Association (IDA) by the World Bank.

Aside from the fact that CED focuses on economic development in urban and rural communities, the most noteworthy feature of the CED is that it centres on community building processes. The “community” part of the Community economic development presumes that the urban and rural localities will play a dynamic function in the economic development processes and as such add to sustained economic development and the other way round. To better understand this implication, the coalesced community is seen as both an input and output structure in the community economic development equation.

That is to say, they both served as the primary market to complement their individual efforts, and their coalesced economic activity established an entirely self-sufficient community in which people and families can provide for their particular wants and needs.

Viewing the CED from an economic point of view, the original intentions of such a scheme is the stimulation of business activities and the creation of local jobs. Essentially connected to these rationales are strategies to boost access to capital, enhance the general business climate, arouse asset building, and connect urban-wide economic development efforts to definite rural development endeavours.

All service providers and producers in this coalesced community see the other members of the community as their main consumers. Therefore, instead of seeking for skyrocketed prices, they realised that it would be in their best interest to offer budgetfriendly prices to their local businesses. For them, the finest way to ensure they succeed was to also ensure the economic success of their consumers. At the end of the day, the local economy becomes stable, as the outcome of most of the economic activities is self-supporting and circular. That is, I purchase from you and you in turn purchase from me. By being our own consumers, we ensure to assist each other remain in business, allowing us to remain loyal customers to one another.

Boosting access to capital is a tremendously significant strategy for community economic development. Historically, persons of colour in poor and deprived communities have experienced immense difficulty getting access to capital since they are usually considered as credit risks. In locations where banks operate, these persons of colour are faced with other structural obstacles such as complex paperwork, high service fees, and minimum deposit requirements. To resolve these challenges, a CED approach could create alternate community-based financial institutions such as community development venture capital funds, community development banks, and community development credit unions.

To build strong industries and sustain the economics within a global community particularly as it relates to people of colour, using Nigeria as a case study; there will be need to ensure an effective community economic development system.

Improving the overall business clime is also vital to community economic development. Strategies to achieve this would be to improve the quantity and quality of residential housing units, the physical appearance and infrastructure commercial areas, and the modes of transportation within these communities.

Although these might not directly impact on economic activities, nevertheless, the function to make stronger and support the economic welfare of a locality since it encourages businesses to establish there.

Community economic development (CED) seeks to actively ensure both the private and public sectors involve the communities – urban and rural – to build strong markets, communities, and industries. CED supports the use of local resources in such ways that it augments economic opportunities in the communities while enhancing social conditions in a sustainable manner. Often, community economic developments schemes are implemented to surmount crisis and amplify opportunity potentials for communities that are underprivileged.

A feature of “localising economics,” Community Economic development is a community-focused process that unifies economic and social development to promote the social, economic, cultural and ecological welfare of communities.

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Across the global communities in all developed countries, community economic development has been in existence; however, it differs in the manner it functions and operates with the different systems of governments globally. Research into the CED of various countries shows that they all have common objectives and goals such as the promotion of economic programs and activities to develop and improve low-income communities, not just for the present, but also for the future generations.

ECONOMICS

Act Today AVOID FINANCIAL REGRETS TOMORROW

By Monaye Nelson

“Regrets? I’ve had a few.”

- Frank Sinatra.

M

r. Sinatra, one of the most famous entertainers of the 20th century, did things his way, but he was also familiar with remorse. He’s not alone, of course. We all deal with regrets - and financial ones are among the most troublesome.

Here are the leading financial regrets, according to a recent survey by Bankrate.com, along with some suggestions for avoiding them: • Not saving for retirement early enough – This was the top regret expressed by survey respondents. Saving and investing early for retirement offers you two key benefits. First, the more time you give growth-oriented investments, the greater their growth potential. And second, by saving and investing for retirement early in your career, you will likely need to put away less money each year than you would if you waited until, say, your 40s or 50s. So, if you aren’t already doing so, contribute as much as you can afford to your IRA and your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored plan.

And increase your contributions every time your salary rises.

• Not saving enough for emergency expenses – You can’t plan for all expenses. Your furnace might die, your car may need a major repair, you may incur a sizable doctor’s bill – the list goes on and on. If you don’t have the money available to meet these costs, you might be forced to dip into your long-term investments. That’s why it’s important to maintain an emergency fund, containing three to six months’ worth of living expenses, in a liquid, low-risk account.

• Taking on too much credit card debt – If you don’t overuse your credit cards, they can be handy and helpful, in many ways. Try to keep a lid on your credit card debt, keeping in mind that your debt payments reduce the amount of money you have available to invest for your long-term goals, such as a comfortable retirement.

• Not saving enough for children’s education — This may be perhaps the most difficult regret to address – after all, it’s not easy to save for your own retirement and simultaneously put money away for your children’s college educations. However, if you can afford to save for college, try to do so in as advantageous a manner as possible.

• Buying a bigger house than you can afford– If you tie up too much money in mortgage payments, you will have less to contribute to your various retirement accounts. And while home equity certainly has some value, it generally does not provide you with the same liquidity – and probably not the same potential for growth and income – as an investment portfolio that’s appropriate for your needs and risk tolerance. So, think carefully before purchasing that big house – you might be better served by scaling down your home ownership and ramping up your investments.

You can’t avoid all the doubts and misgivings you’ll encounter at various stages of your life. But if you can reduce those regrets associated with your finances, you could well increase your satisfaction during your retirement years.

Monaye Nelson Financial Advisor | Edward Jones Investments 8640 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118 215-753-0624 Monaye.Nelson@edwardjones.com Black Economics & Faith 19

ECONOMICS

Marriage

& Money

A

By Nicolas T. Abrams, CFP

ccording to a study by Sun Trust, finances are th biggest cause of stress in a relationship. Stress can not only lead to breakups and divorce but it can cause serious health issues. When it comes to marriages, finances are one of the leading causes for divorce. According to a survey done by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts money issues are the third leading cause of divorce. One and two are “basic incompatibility” and “infidelity”. Taking steps early in your relationship to address finances can help improve your odds of having a happy and healthy relationship.

Communication is imperative in any relationship, however when it comes to money and finances it is one of the keys to a successful relationship. Even before deciding to get married it is imperative that couples have an honest dialogue about their finances. This dialogue should range in topic from credit, debt, bill paying, and savings. Being able to discuss finances and money early in our relationship will help alleviate the stress of finances later.

One of the first things I recommend couples to do when they start discussing marriage is to obtain your credit report and discuss it with each other. Your credit report will show your bill paying history and will show how much debt you have. Remember when you marry someone you enter into a partnership with them. Their credit history and their debt will affect your ability to buy a house and make other large purchases together. Also looking at your partners’ credit report helps to let you know how responsible your partner is with money and what actions need to be taken before you are officially connected.

Another thing I recommend couples do prior and during their marriage is to discuss their goals. These goals can include starting a business, and other career aspirations. Goals can include buying a home, savings for kids education, and retirement.

Your goals will change throughout the course of your marriage, communicating them will help prepare for changes o. You after goals have been established then they need to be prioritized.

This can sometimes be difficult because what is important to one person may not be important to another. Remembering what’s good for the household is key.

Budgeting is an area that most couples struggle with. Having and sticking to a budget can also help ease the strain of finances in a relationship. The word budget intimidates people so couples should find ways to make it fun. One example can be having a budget date night. Look at the money that comes into the house each month.

20 Black Economics & Faith

Next get an accurate assessment of you expenses. The best way to do this is to look at your prior three months bank and credit card statements. Developing a budget is good but where most couple have problems is sticking to and following the budget. Your budget should be revisited monthly and discussed and assessed by both people in the relationship.

Other things that need to be discussed in relationships are how many bank accounts should a couple have. Should you have a separate account or should everything be in one joint account.

There is no right or wrong answer for this. It is solely up to what each couple feels works better for them. It might be decided that it is better to have separate checking account and a joint savings.

Or it could be decided that there is one account to pay bills from and all other accounts are separate. Whatever is decided it needs to be agreed upon by both people.

“Budgeting is an area that most couples struggle with.”

Who pays the bills? Deciding who pays the bills and how bills are paid is important. Is one person going to responsible for paying all the bills or are the duties going to be divided. If one person is paying all the bills make sure the expenses are communicated so that there are no surprises.

Money is a very serious subject matter to people. The lack of it and the misuse of it leads to anger and frustration. When married don’t be afraid to express your feeling to your partner.

Money might be more important to your partner than to you and that needs to be recognized in the relationship. Whatever your situation is keeping the communication lines open can help make bad situations better and good situations even better.

Nicolas T. Abrams, CFP ®, Investment Advisor Representative. *Securities and investments advisory services offered solely through Ameritas Investment Corp. (AIC). Member FINRA/SIPC. AIC and AJW Financial Partners, LLC are not affiliated. Additional products and services may be available through Nicolas T. Abrams, CFP® or AJW Financial Partners, LLC that are not offered through AIC.

21 Black Economics & Faith

ECONOMICS

Life Insurance: The Key to Unlocking Wealth for Generations to Come

By Vera Staley

L

ADVERTISING SPACE

ife insurance can be used for many strategies, such as financial planning, college planning, retirement planning, and asset protection. Unfortunately, many people don’t have the information that’s required to take full advantage of it.

With more than thirty years of experience, our practice educates people about taking responsibility for their loved ones’ financial futures and ensure that they don’t leave them a legacy of poverty and an inheritance of debt. Life insurance is a powerful tool to stop the trajectory of poverty in our communities. But many people are unaware of its ability to provide a continuous lifestyle to a family that can quickly lose accustomed comforts at an untimely death. Simply putting a sound life insurance plan in place can prevent devastation.

Let’s see what the path of poverty can look like. Lisa is a divorced mother of three, one teen and two college students: the youngest aspired to be an artist, another planned on making a career in baking, and the other was striving to become a doctor.

Lisa worked fervently for more than fifteen years to provide a wonderful life for her children. Her sons were her inspiration after coming through a difficult divorce, and she found providing for them an immense blessing. She took great pride in knowing that her job provided them the lifestyle and the prospect for a secure future she’d always wanted for them.

For many people like Lisa it’s one of life’s dreams to be able to provide opportunities like art camps, baking schools, and academic memberships for our children. Lisa had achieved that dream. Until one day during a doctor’s visit, her physician advised her to schedule an EKG—it didn’t turn out in her favor.

With what seemed to be a blink of an eye the proud mother of three was now facing death. She had to leave her work after a period of long-term disability. With the loss of her job came the loss of income and the loss of her employer-sponsored life insurance plan, which she’d planned to rely on in the event of her death. With no other life insurance benefits outside of her employer plan, Lisa’s three sons became shattered and broken, not only from the untimely death of their mother, but from a new life steeped in poverty. Her children lived in poverty for several years, struggling to work toward their dreams. On average, a young boy or girl will only receive an inheritance of $6,000 from the death of a parent or grandparent. This isn’t enough to carry on with housing, food, private schools or public school projects and trips—not to mention vacations, college or businesses that many of our children dream to open one day.

Because of grievous past experiences with life insurance, along with the myth that life insurance isn’t a tool we can truly depend on, many people go throughout life lacking accurate information.

We’ve seen proper planning save so many futures. Let’s not couple the emotional pain of loss with the adverse effects of poverty when, in fact, we can offer hope and security to our families instead. Life insurance continues to be one of the arrows we can use to strike against the enemy of poverty—an enemy that we can effectively strategize against. For the lives of our families aren’t just for the moment but are for many generations to come.

22 Black Economics & Faith

ECONOMICS

23 Black Economics & Faith

EDUCATION

Education: A Lifelong Journey

E

By Arrastene (EJ) Henry

ducation is a powerful tool once possessed and activated.

It is simply essential for success. Individuals define success differently; however, the constant component is education. Regardless of your profession, continuously learning is required to master your craft. As an African American male with over 16 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, a master in Instructional Technology, and an executive MBA, for me, learning is still continuous.

When I speak of education, I am not simply referring to the number of degrees one possesses or the college one has attended.

Education is a continuous learning journey, which requires you to be insistent about learning new and diverse topics to increase your capabilities.

Proverbs 18:15 Reads “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”

A lifelong learner seeks to be inspired by those who have walked the walk not just talked the talk. Learning from others is a blessing as you can learn from their mistakes and avoid common pitfalls. I recently attended a fundraiser dinner hosted

by NFL All-Pro guard Jahri Evans, where Shark Tank Guru and Founder of FUBU clothing brand Daymond John was the guest of honor. Daymond John’s story is a great example of how persistent dedication and continuous learning propelled his career. Daymond started with nothing to creating an empire of

24 Black Economics & Faith

businesses and investments. Daymond began his journey selling hats and made a whopping $800.

Daymond possessed little education in regards to schooling however, he understood the fundamentals of continuously learning the retail business. Daymond understood the importance of building trustworthy relationships with consumers in efforts to build loyalty. This assisted him in building his brand a critical factor in competing in the marketplace.

Daymond learned that customers purchase from companies or individuals they like trust and connect with. This simple notion is profound in business as it relates to any product or service. If an individual can gain an emotional connection to you or your product they will be loyal. Daymond gained credibility through continuous learning of products, solving customer’s specific needs, and seeking feedback from customers.

Daymond John is one of the most successful businessmen and investors in the US; however, he lost millions of dollars in business ventures before achieving success. These failures were stepping-stones to his ultimate success. Daymond learned from his mistakes and made calculated decisions to boost his personal portfolio to become financially successful. “The true difference is what you do after work hours to differentiate yourself.” What are you doing to continuously learn and become the expert at what you do and love! A true entrepreneur fails but continues to learn and each time they fail they learn from their failures until they have mastered their craft. This is a true example of a continuous learning journey from an entrepreneurial perspective.

EDUCATION Becoming a student of learning is not a new fad, but is critical as the workforce and business sectors continue to grow increasingly competitive. According to the US census bureau, there are 83.1 million millennia’s, which represent more than one-quarter of the nation’s population, while there are 75.4 million baby boomers.

How will you differentiate yourself from others?

Throughout your learning journey, seek to gain relevant experience, as this is critical to your personal development.

Having a degree is great however practical experience putting the skills you learned into execution is critical. There is a difference between technical capabilities and operational execution.

Technical capabilities ensure that you can do the job if necessary, while the operations experience says that you have done the job successfully. Note the difference. A good manager should not ask an employee to do something they aren’t willing to do themselves. Operational experience is derived from conducting the job and involves rolling up your sleeves and delivering.

Building your resume or portfolio with both technical and operational experiences will increase your chances of success.

Let’s use a doctor for example, would you want an individual who has never practiced medicine to perform surgery on you?

Absolutely not! This is why the Medical school provides practical experience as well as technical knowledge to ensure doctors properly learn how to diagnose and treat patients.

This is why I would encourage you to gain certifications, learn how to operate at every level of your business or organization, enlist a coach/mentor, and continuously seek feedback from others.

In most cases, individuals are not sure what their journey is or what motivates them. This is why it is important to ask yourself the following questions when seeking answers.

• What is my Journey?

• What do I love to do?

• What do I need to know?

• What need can I fulfill?

• How can I provide value?

• How can I disrupt the process?

• What differentiates myself/product/service?

• Am I committed to this journey?

• What barriers will I need to overcome?

• What are my desired outcomes?

• How will I measure my success?

I encourage individuals to learn as much about technology as possible to ensure they are adapting to the current market and workforce trends. Recognizing the value of technology and the way that it has changed or disrupted the way in which we live and operate. A-Tracks, VHS, DVDs, Kodak, Floppy disc, are just a few examples of technology changes over the years. Business innovations such as Uber, LinkedIn, Airbnb, Google, and Tesla, are just a few that have disrupted the way we live.

I recommend the following social media sites to stay connected and continuously grow your network.

LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook Leveraging your Network is absolutely critical to accomplishing your goal of being a life-long learner. Networking is a competency that you need to master. Networking is difficult and requires time and practice; however, is necessary. Having the capability to build effective relationships and work in a collaborative environment to leverage others capabilities can spark ideas unimagined. The diversity of thought and opinions is how we create ideas to solve some of the greatest challenges. Technology has provided us with an extraordinary opportunity to communicate with individuals from all around the world to leverage learning and knowledge sharing.

Learning from others is a blessing as you can learn from their mistakes and avoid common pitfalls.

Seeking Coaching and Feedback: Coaching and Feedback is a term that is often used synonymously however they are two very different skills.

Coaching is an active process of inspiring others to move from where they are to where they want and need to be. Feedback is considered a gift! Feedback is the process of giving a clear, concise, and accurate description of a situation that you have observed. Coaching and Feedback involves a spectrum of styles that range between asking and telling. The goal in getting feedback or coaching should be to learn more about ones strengths and weaknesses.

Increase your success by becoming a true seeker of knowledge, adapt to the ever-changing world of technology, and continue to seek coaching and feedback from others. Knowledge is one of the most powerful tools that you can possess, and once achieved it is permanent, which is the beauty of being a life-long learner.

I have established a rule of 3 to maximize continuous learning.

These components can guide you in being a life long learner.

• Leveraging Technology • Leveraging your Network • Seeking Coaching and Feedback

Arrastene (EJ) Henry

Black Economics & Faith 25

EDUCATION

Education as a strategic tool for empowerment of the black community

By Diana Dunham

Т

hе wоrk оf dіsmаntlіng struсturаl rасіsm іn еduсаtіоn dеmаnds bоld, strаtеgіс, аnd sоmеtіmеs rеvоlutіоnаrу асts thаt, bу thеіr nаturе, соnflісt wіth mаіnstrеаm, lаudеd аррrоасhеs tо еduсаtіоnаl lеаdеrshір (Мurtаdhа & Wаtts, 2005; Реrlstеіn, 2005; Rісhаrds & Lеmеllе, 2005). Рublіс еduсаtіоnаl lеаdеrshір іs оftеn соnсерtuаlіzеd аs thе sоlе tеrrаіn оf рrоfеssіоnаl еduсаtоrs whо hоld аdmіnіstrаtіvе роsіtіоns оr оthеr роsts vеstеd wіth hіgh lеvеls оf іnstіtutіоnаl аuthоrіtу. Ѕuсh nоtіоns оf lеаdеrshір vаlіdаtе thе іnіtіаtіvе аnd іnfluеnсе оf mіddlе-tо-uрреr іnсоmе, fоrmаllу еduсаtеd, sуstеm іnsіdеrs, thе mајоrіtу оf whоm, іn Wеstеrn nаtіоns, аrе Whіtе аnd mаlе (Аlstоn & МсСlеllаn, 2011). Dоmіnаnt lеаdеrshір mоdеls thеrеfоrе fаіl tо аffіrm nоn-Wеstеrnіzеd lеаdеrshір trаdіtіоns аnd thоsе dеrіvіng frоm реорlе оf соlоr, whісh аrе оftеn соmmunіtу-оrіеntеd аnd/оr mоrе соllаbоrаtіvе thаn hіеrаrсhісаl (Frаnklіn, 1990; Јеаn-Маrіе, Wіllіаms, & Ѕhеrmаn, 2009). Тhеsе dоmіnаnt mоdеls аlsо lасk сulturаl rеlеvаnсу tо mаnу rасіаllу, еthnісаllу, аnd lіnguіstісаllу dіvеrsе рорulаtіоns аnd dо nоt аdеquаtеlу аddrеss сrіtісаl іssuеs оf rасіsm оr sосіаl јustісе (Ѕhоhо, Меrсhаnt, & Lugg, 2005). Еduсаtіоnаl асtіvіsm, whісh іs frеquеntlу еnасtеd bу sіzеаblе рорulаtіоns оf sуstеmіс оutsіdеrs аnd реорlе оf соlоr, іs dеvаluеd аnd undеr-rесоgnіzеd аs а fоrm оf lеаdеrshір, уеt hаs bееn а ріvоtаl асtіvіtу fоr Вlасk соmmunіtу mеmbеrs tо rеsіst struсturаl rасіsm іn рublіс еduсаtіоnаl sуstеms аnd strіvе fоr sуstеmіс сhаngе (Јоhnsоn, 2013; Реrlstеіn, 2005) Тhе Вlасk Соmmunіtу іs Вlасk Аmеrіса. Меmbеrs оf Вlасk Аmеrіса аrе сіtіzеns оf thе Unіtеd Ѕtаtеs оf Аmеrіса. Аlsо thеу аrе сіtіzеns оf thе stаtеs, соuntіеs, сіtіеs аnd munісіраlіtіеs іn whісh thеу rеsіdе. Тhе Вlасk Соmmunіtу іs а соnсерt thаt gоеs fаr bеуоnd thе соlоr оf оnе’s skіn. Іt іs thе ехреrіеnсе оf bеіng Вlасk іn thе Unіtеd Ѕtаtеs. Тhе Вlасk Соmmunіtу іs а sосіеtу whоsе сulturе іs wаіtіng tо bе rе-dеfіnеd. Тhіs dеfіnіtіоn оr соnсерt іs nоt dеsіgnеd tо іgnоrе оthеr Вlасks іn thе Аmеrісаs, but tо еvоlvе thе strеngth аnd роwеr оf Вlасks аs сіtіzеns оf thе Unіtеd Ѕtаtеs оf Аmеrіса. Тоо оftеn Вlасks іn thе Unіtеd Ѕtаtеs funсtіоn аs іf thеу аrе nоt сіtіzеns.

26 Black Economics & Faith

Еduсаtіоnаl асtіvіsts аrе lеаdеrs whо соntrіbutе tо аnd рrоtесt dеmосrаtіс еduсаtіоn thrоugh thеіr usе оf grаssrооts strаtеgіеs оutsіdе оf sсhооl sуstеms аnd bу thеіr рrоfеssіоnаl sаvvу wіthіn. Тhеіr vаrіеd strаtеgіеs сhаllеngе struсturаl rасіsm іn sсhооls аnd аdvосаtе fоr сhіldrеn іn thеіr соmmunіtіеs. Неnсе, wе suggеst whу аnd hоw асtіvіsts shоuld bе mоrе rеsресtfullу аnd strаtеgісаllу еngаgеd tо соmbаt rасіsm аnd buіld еffесtіvе sсhооl-tо-соmmunіtу аllіаnсеs thаt іmрrоvе еduсаtіоn fоr mаrgіnаlіzеd studеnts. Іt іs nоt еаsу fоr thе Вlасk Аmеrіса tо еmроwеr іtsеlf whеn аll thе оdds арреаr tо bе аgаіnst thе соmmunіtу. Маnу mеmbеrs оf Вlасk Аmеrіса fіnd thеmsеlvеs bеіng аfrаіd tо раrtісіраtе ореnlу іn thе роlіtісаl аnd есоnоmіс рrосеssеs thаt mіght еmроwеr thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Тhіs fеаr hаs lеd mаnу іn Вlасk Аmеrіса tо bеlіеvе thаt thеу must ехhіbіt а rасеlеssnеss реrsоnа іn оrdеr tо асhіеvе vеrtісаl mоbіlіtу іn Аmеrіса. Тhе Вlасk Соmmunіtу must undеrstаnd “Вlасk Аmеrіса Роlіtісаl Асtіоn” аnd lеаdеrshір іf іt іs tо bе suссеssful іn mееtіng іts nееds fоr thе futurе.

“Тhеrе іs nо еlеvаtоr tо suссеss, уоu hаvе tо tаkе thе stаіrs” “Тhеrе іs nо еlеvаtоr tо suссеss, уоu hаvе tо tаkе thе stаіrs” Тhаt іs thе truth аbоut lіfе. Grеаt реорlе wіll tеll уоu thеу hаd nо shоrtсut tо suссеss Ѕо соllеgе studеnts, gо оut thеrе аnd bе suссеssful. Dо уоur bеst аnd nеvеr gіvе uр nо mаttеr hоw tоugh thе сhаllеngеs аrе. Lіfе іs full оf uрs аnd dоwns but thе оnlу соnstаnt thіng іs thаt уоu shоuld nеvеr gіvе uр. То wоrk аnd wоrk аnd stіll gо tо sсhооl аnd stіll dо оthеr thіngs аnd hаvе tіmе tо rеst іs nоt еаsу but thе sасrіfісе іs wоrth іt. Іt іs dеfіnіtеlу hаrd whеn уоu рrераrе fоr аn ехаm аnd уоu fоrgеt аll уоu rеаd but thеrе іs аlwауs а sесоnd сhаnсе іn lіfе. Аlwауs trу аgаіn.

EDUCATION “Тhе аіm оf оur lіfе іs tо gіvе оur bеst tо whаtеvеr wе dо, whеthеr sсhооl оr саrееr. Gіvіng оur hundrеd реrсеnt іs hоw wе fulfіl оur рurроsе оn еаrth” – Оluwаtоbі Оluwаgbеmі.

Аmеrіса. Тhіs іndіgеnоus Вlасk lеаdеrshір must bе wіllіng tо соmmunісаtе, сооrdіnаtе, аnd соореrаtе wіth оthеrs іn dеfіnіng аnd рrеsеntіng thе nееds аnd аsріrаtіоns оf thе Вlасk Аmеrіса.

“Еvеrуоnе dеsеrvеs а sесоnd сhаnсе іn lіfе, thаt іs whу І соmmеnd аdult lеаrnеrs sо muсh fоr usіng thеіr sесоnd сhаnсе. І bеlіеvе wе shоuld аll bе gіvеn а sесоnd сhаnсе аt аnуthіng іn lіfе, іt іs nеvеr tоо lаtе tо bеgіn аgаіn.” – Оluwаtоbі Оluwаgbеmі.

1- Аll Вlасk Аmеrісаns must rесоgnіzе thаt thеу аrе сіtіzеns оf thе Unіtеd Ѕtаtеs оf Аmеrіса аnd thеу must dеfіnе thіs сіtіzеnshір tо еmроwеr Вlасk Аmеrіса tо mееt іts nееds. Аlsо thіs сіtіzеnshір must bе usеd tо hоld thоsе реrsоns іmрасtіng Аfrісаn Аmеrісаn lіvеs ассоuntаblе аnd rеsроnsіvе.

“Вlасk Аmеrіса Роlіtісаl Асtіоn” іs dеfіnіng thе nееds, gоаls, аnd аsріrаtіоns оf thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу, аnd соmmunісаtіng thе sаmе tо іndіvіduаls whо саn mаkе thе dіffеrеnсеs. Вlасk Аmеrіса Роlіtісаl Асtіоn іs dіsсussіng іssuеs аnd соndіtіоns, аnd еstаblіshіng, thrоugh rеsоlutіоns, thе роsіtіоns оf thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу, соllесtіvеlу, оn thеsе іssuеs аnd соndіtіоns аffесtіng іt. Іt іs bеіng а rіsk tаkеr аnd аn аgеnt fоr роsіtіvе сhаngе іn аnd fоr thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу.

Тhе аіm оf оur lіfе іs tо gіvе оur bеst tо whаtеvеr wе dо, whеthеr sсhооl оr саrееr... Вlасk Аmеrіса Роlіtісаl Асtіоn іs runnіng fоr рublіс оffісе аt thе fеdеrаl, stаtе аnd lосаl lеvеls. Іt іs suрроrtіng аnd wоrkіng fоr thе еlесtіоn оf саndіdаtеs whо аrе sеnsіtіvе аnd rеsроnsіvе tо соndіtіоns аnd іssuеs аffесtіng thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Вlасk Аmеrіса Роlіtісаl Асtіоn іs rесоgnіzіng thаt аll еlесtеd оffісіаls rерrеsеnt thе іntеrеsts оf thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Іt іs соmmunісаtіng thе quаlіtу оf thаt rерrеsеntаtіоn tо thеsе еlесtеd оffісіаls. Іt іs dеmаndіng thаt аll рublіс оffісіаls (еlесtеd оr арроіntеd) rерrеsеnt thе іntеrеsts оf thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Аlsо іt іs hоldіng аll рublіс оffісіаls ассоuntаblе аnd rеsроnsіvе fоr рrоduсtіvіtу wіthіn thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Вlасk Аmеrіса Роlіtісаl Асtіоn іs hоldіng Вlасk lеаdеrs аnd Вlасk рublіс оffісіаls ассоuntаblе fоr рrоvіdіng thе lеаdеrshір tо еnhаnсе рrоduсtіvіtу wіthіn аnd fоr thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Іt іs рrоvіdіng lеаdеrshір fоr аll Аmеrісаns. Веіng аgеnts fоr сhаngе іn Вlасk Аmеrіса іs nоt еаsу. Іt rеquіrеs dіsсірlіnе аnd іntеgrіtу. Вlасk Аmеrіса Роlіtісаl Асtіоn саnnоt bе асhіеvеd wіthоut соmmіtmеnt. “Вlасk Аmеrіса Роlіtісаl Асtіоn” rесоgnіzеs thаt thе Вlасk Аmеrіса must tаkе асtіоn nоw іn оrdеr tо сhаrt а bеttеr соursе fоr thе futurе. Wоrkіng tоgеthеr, Вlасks саn mаkе а dіffеrеnсе іn іmрасtіng thе роlіtісаl рrосеss. Еduсаtіоn іs а tооl thаt Вlасk Аmеrіса must usе fоr sосіаl сhаngе, tо еduсаtе іts уоuths, аnd tо соrrесt thе mіs-еduсаtіоn оf аnd аbоut thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Іndіgеnоus Вlасk lеаdеrshір thаt іs ассоuntаblе, rеsроnsіvе аnd рrоduсtіvе tо thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу іs еssеntіаl tо thе dеvеlорmеnt аnd еnhаnсеmеnt оf thе Вlасk Аmеrіса. Тhе Вlасk Соmmunіtу must bе соmmіttеd tо thе dеvеlорmеnt аnd rесоgnіtіоn оf thіs tуре оf lеаdеrshір thrоughоut Вlасk

2- Аll Вlасk Аmеrісаns must sееk lеаdеrshір роsіtіоns іn аll аsресts оf еmрlоуmеnt, vосаtіоns, еduсаtіоn, роlіtісs, busіnеss аnd іndustrу. Вlасk Аmеrісаns must еmрhаsіzе sеrvісе tо thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу іn hіs оr hеr роsіtіоn оf lеаdеrshір.

3- Вlасk еduсаtоrs аnd wrіtеrs must соmmіt thеmsеlvеs tо hеlріng Вlасk Аmеrіса dеfіnе іtsеlf. Тhе сарасіtу tо untаnglе thе соmрlех rасіаl, sосіаl аnd сulturаl humаn ехреrіеnсеs іn thе Unіtеd Ѕtаtеs оf Аmеrіса, thаt hеlреd tо dеfіnе Вlасk Аmеrісаns, sееms tо еludе thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Еduсаtоrs аrе nееdеd tо hеlр untаnglе thе mеаnіng оf rасіаl strаtіfісаtіоn аnd іts іmрасt оn thе Вlасk іdеntіtу (роlіtісаllу, sосіаllу, сulturаllу, аnd есоnоmісаllу). Тhus thе іdеntіtу оf thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу suffеrs.

4- Еасh Вlасk lеаdеr must соореrаtе wіth оthеr Вlасk lеаdеrs tо еnhаnсе thе stаtus оf thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Тоdау, thе рrоblеms іn Вlасk Аmеrіса аrе bіggеr thаn аnу оnе іndіvіduаl. Вlасk Аmеrісаns must wоrk wіth еасh оthеr іn sріtе оf thеmsеlvеs оr іn sріtе оf оthеrs.

5- Вlасk іnstіtutіоns аnd оrgаnіzаtіоns, еsресіаllу thе Вlасk Сhurсh, must рrоvіdе аnd bе thе fоundаtіоn fоr Вlасk Аmеrіса.

6- Еасh Вlасk Аmеrісаn shоuld bе аn аgеnt fоr сhаngе іn thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Веіng аgеnts fоr сhаngе іn Вlасk Аmеrіса іs nоt еаsу. Іt rеquіrеs dіsсірlіnе аnd іntеgrіtу. Тhіs іs еsресіаllу truе whеn іt іs knоwn thаt sоmе Вlасk іnstіtutіоns аnd іndіvіduаls аrе usеd tо dіvіdе thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу. Вlасk Аmеrісаns must hоld аll рublіс оffісіаls ассоuntаblе аnd rеsроnsіvе fоr рrоduсtіvіtу wіthіn thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу.

7- Вlасk Аmеrісаns shоuld tаkе Вlасk Аmеrіса Роlіtісаl Асtіоn bу hоldіng Вlасk lеаdеrs аnd Вlасk рublіс оffісіаls ассоuntаblе fоr рrоvіdіng thе lеаdеrshір tо еnhаnсе рrоduсtіvіtу wіthіn аnd fоr thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу.

8- Вlасk Аmеrісаns must hоld еасh оthеr (Вlасks) ассоuntаblе іn рublіс аnd оn thе rесоrds. Іt іs nоt еnоugh tо sау thаt Вlасks shоuld nоt wаsh thеіr dіrtу lіnеn іn рublіс whеn thе рublіс аlrеаdу knоws аbоut thіs dіrtу lіnеn.

9- Вlасk еlесtеd аnd арроіntеd оffісіаls must wоrk fоr роlіtісаl, еduсаtіоnаl, аnd есоnоmіс раrіtу fоr Вlасk Аmеrісаns.

10- Вlасk Аmеrісаns must rесоgnіzе thаt аdvаnсеmеnt оf thе Вlасk Аmеrісаn саn bе hаmреrеd bу Вlасk аnd nоn-Вlасk “gаtеkеереrs.” Вlасk Аmеrісаns must орроsе suсh “gаtеkеереrs,” rеgаrdlеss оf соlоr оr роsіtіоn, whо іnhіbіt thе grоwth, dеvеlорmеnt аnd еnhаnсеmеnt оf thе Вlасk Соmmunіtу.

11- Вlасk Аmеrісаns must hоld аll lеаdеrs ассоuntаblе fоr hоw thеу dеfіnе аnd рrеsеnt thе nееds аnd аsріrаtіоns оf thе Вlасk Аmеrіса.

Black Economics & Faith 27

EDUCATION

Education as A Key Influence on Economics and Faith

By Nadia Bennett, M.Ed.

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am a woman, who is driven by a passion for seeing children and communities—often scarred by the effects of poverty and oppression—not just survive, but thrive. I am also a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, born to descendants of the Bay Island of Roatan, Honduras.

As a young child, I watched my mother, a single parent of three, work two or more jobs to support our family. It was there, in my mother’s sacrifice, that I saw the impact of racism, poverty, and a lack of education in America. I learned the harsh realities of systemic racism experienced far too much in communities of color—long prison sentences, the murder of young people, police brutality, and a lack of adequate opportunities. This, combined with my deep love of culture, resilient spirit, and the literary works of Black authors taught in my youth group at church, became the fuel burning my lifelong passion: to see people of color close the opportunity gap through education.

After attending New Orleans public schools, I completed my undergraduate degree at Dillard University and later received my master’s in education administration and policy from Howard University. I have served in education for eleven years, and today I am the principal of Simon Gratz Mastery Charter, a high school recognized as one of the few successful “turnaround” cases in the country. Whether it’s through my role as a principal, adjunct professor, servant at church, or public speaker, I am committed to changing the narrative for people of color in America. Daily, I work to educate not only youth but aspiring teachers and leaders about the impact of racism on the American education system and how together we can close the opportunity gap for persons of color. I look forward to the dialogue in Black Economics and Faith as we tackle the problems within the systems of education facing the African-American community and the part they play in influencing our economic successes and failures.

Nadia Bennett is a high school principal and activist living in Philadelphia.

28 Black Economics & Faith

EDUCATION

The Journey Begins With Finding Our Way Back Home

T

here is a narrative that has persisted in the African American community for far too long. The core message of this rhetoric is that there is a looming gap of inequality that separates Blacks from their white counterparts. This gap has impacted all aspects of our community from education to economics.

Unfortunately, the statistics only tell half of the story. Yes, it is true that African American students are more likely to drop out before earning a high school diploma (16 percent of black students drop out compared with 8 percent of whites). The story behind higher education paints a comparatively bleak picture of success for the Black students who persist beyond high school.

According to a U.S. News & World Report, of students completing high school or earning a GED within a given year, only 56 percent of Black students ages 16 to 24 years old enrolled in a two or four year college compared to 66 percent of whites. Furthermore, only 20 percent of black students who started college in 2006 graduated in four years whereas 40 percent of their white counterparts completed their degree within that timeframe.

These numbers leave out a very significant portion of the African American narrative that has the potential to bring transformation and radical change to our entire community. The narrative of which I speak is in the process of being written, and it includes the voices of those of us who have been able to defy the odds which have overshadowed the potential of our communities.

It includes my voice as a first-generation, African American female Ph.D. who was born and raised by a middle class Black family. Due to my upbringing, I had the privilege of standing on the shoulders of my parents who never experienced the benefits of higher education. However, what they may have lacked in education, they made up in modeling discipline, dedication and persistence.

My story is not much different from many other African American men and women who were able to escape the clenches of poverty and illiteracy that continue to plague our innercity communities. However, our individual successes lack the ability to transform a narrative that has resonated within our communities since W.E.B. Du Bois pleaded the case of black social responsibility.

By Erica Wyatt PhD

So, how and where does change begin for us?

I am inclined to believe that change for us begins within us. It begins with believing within ourselves that we have the collective ability to bring transformation to the Black community. Those of us who are blessed enough to have broken generational cycles of poverty within our families did not do so of our own volition.

To put an end to the vicious cycles that are destroying our communities, we will have to dig deep and be reminded of all those who have paved the way for the success we hold so dear today. We will have to allow ourselves to begin an internal journey that will bring us back to the external starting points of our individual communities.

“only 56 percent of Black students ages 16 to 24 years old enrolled in a two or four year college compared to 66 percent of whites”.

The first sentence of the narrative that we are beginning to write together reads: “The journey begins with finding our way back home.” The places that we call home are filled with potential.

They are overflowing with our next doctors, lawyers, professors, C.E.O.’s and world change makers.

They are seeking those same bridges that enabled many of us to experience a world very different from the communities in which we began our journey. In their search, they have only been able to find the remnants of the broken pieces that we left behind.

They are waiting for someone to repair the breach and rebuild the bridge.

How will they ever find their way if we don’t find our way back home?

Black Economics & Faith 29

Entrepreneurship

Breaking Down Barriers:

An Entrepreneurial Survival Guide for Black Women

M

ost people understand the basics of being an entrepreneur and the hardships that come with it.

The late nights, the early mornings, the weight-gain, and the empty pockets are all part of the ways we experience entrepreneurial life.

What most people don’t seem to get is that there’s a difference between entrepreneurial life as a white man and entrepreneurial life as a black woman. While white men are free to embody that perfect ideal of the struggling biz kid, as black women, we are forced to process racism and sexism in both our personal and entrepreneurial lives—and hope that somehow they don’t impede our motivation and productivity. And because we’re less likely to come from wealthy families and are severely underpaid in our careers, we are less able to fund our own projects and ultimately less likely to be on equal footing with white people when standing in front of investors. That being said, as a black woman entrepreneur, I work DAMN (*shouts to cornrow Kenny*) hard on what I know is an amazing idea. Come on, I run a project that creates methods of color cosmetic production that center on people of color without exploiting them. I work to dismantle rigid and harmful ideas of beauty, analyze how those ideas influence systems of oppression, discover how those ideas seep into all aspects of our lives, destroy the industries that breed them, and create ways for people to form beauty networks/spaces/ideals/ identities of their own without hindrance from outside forces.

Still, sometimes the hardest part is knowing that you blasted through all the obstacles mentioned above and have a project that’s better than all your competitors’, but still don’t get picked to receive that check or win that competition.

That’s what I’m here to talk about.

Recently, I read an interesting Forbes article that stated, “Black women have received only 0.2% of all venture funding in the past five years.” This, of course, doesn’t mean black women aren’t creating businesses or that we lack the competence to pitch effectively. In fact, black women entrepreneurs make up 1.5 million businesses in the U.S., generating $44 billion a year combined. What this means is that for every $36,000 a black woman entrepreneur raises through venture funding, a white man is able to raise up to $1.3 million before his business goes bankrupt. So, why is this the case? Why is the black woman entrepreneurial experience so shitty? Gotta be paying attention, y’all, because racism and sexism still exist.

Venture capitalist firms are run mostly by older white men who can’t tell their racist hand from their sexist hand. A black woman can’t just walk into one of their offices preaching anything that serves to solve the problem of blah blah blah and blah blah blah (an accurate depiction of how it’s heard) and hope to leave with anything other than criticism of how she looks, speaks or

30 Black Economics & Faith

By Camille Bell

something she’s missing. Not to mention that panels of white men (and women) will constantly tell her that the problems she faces aren’t problems for other people of color.

Fortunately, my experience as a young black woman entrepreneur, in a time where social awareness is heightened, has equipped me with the ability to dissect and withstand these moments of absurdity without offering up a piece of myself. This ability has helped me navigate the multiple white male investors I’ve sat down with that refer to black people as “colored” and Asian folks as “Orientals.” I’ve also been able to align myself with people that think like me and have been doing so for years.

So, here’s my first tip: Get yourself a mentor.

My mentor and current investor Dr. Christine Martey-Ochola, president of the Sub-Saharan Africa Chamber of Commerce, has helped me bring my project, Pound Cake, from idea-stage to fruition. As a black woman entrepreneur she knows the trials we face and helps me to bulldoze the walls of racial insensitivity and bigotry. I find it very important to surround myself and my business ideas with successful black women in order to reach the level of success I’m striving for.

Second tip: Get yourself a partner.

While you and I both know you can do anything, you can’t do everything. Having at least one person to help carry the load and share your ideas with is liberating. My partner, Jonathan Velazquez, keeps me on track with being authentic and putting people first. He’s always keen on deconstructing things and creating new ones (that we may or may not have the means to create yet), and sometimes I have to keep him grounded—but that’s the joy of partnership­. You work in a reciprocal relationship and always have someone to challenge you and help you with your ideas.

Third tip: Talk to the community.

If you’re doing something for a community instead of with a community, then you’re doing something wrong. No action you ever take should be without the people you hope to serve. We’re still learning how to do this better. Although my project is in its early stages, we recently participated in the Taliah Waajid World Natural Hair Show in Atlanta to gain user validation and create friendships. We also decided to launch a collection of videos that we call the #PoundCake Series and interview people of color about their experiences in beauty. Still, even those two things aren’t enough to say we truly represent the people we serve.

That’s why we’ll be heading out this summer to align ourselves with even more organizations and groups where the only help we provide is the kind that’s asked for. The point is activism is

a constant battle, so never expect to feel like you’re doing or connecting enough.

The last and most important tip: Question whether or not you want to do business. What I mean by this is: Challenge the need for businesses and capitalism to participate in oppression. Do we really want capitalism to be the way we change the world? Do we really want to rely on capitalists to help us do it? Are we more interested in making money than we are in helping people? These are the type of things we need to be asking ourselves. Personally, I want to have a project that takes very little and gives a lot. I want to let people decide if they need what I’m doing and, if not, find ways to improve it. Capitalism has proven that it can’t sustain us or itself so let’s rethink the ways we participate in it. Of course, this doesn’t mean we don’t need funding because we’re going to need a whole lot of it. It just means that our goal isn’t to make as many sales as possible. Now if this isn’t for you, then that’s cool. I’m still kind of figuring it out myself. But even if it’s not, understanding it can still be helpful when trying to get your venture off the ground. As the statistics show, you’re not going to be getting a lot of investors as a black woman. This means that you have to be a million times more creative and you have to rely on your community. Crowdfunding could be a great way to raise what you need while also making connections with those who need you. I finally talked myself up and we launched an Indiegogo campaign in May. Take it from someone who’s been on both sides—controlling how you raise money and meeting people who are directly affected by what you’re doing feels a lot more like freedom than waiting for white men to say “yes” just so you can give them a stake in your idea.

The entrepreneurial journey is difficult and rewarding at the same time. Some days you feel fueled, energized, and unstoppable and some days you feel defeated and worthless. Just remember, if you’re doing something right, then you’re doing something right. Don’t let someone who is far removed from the problem (or a part of it) tell you you’re not. I believe in you and hope you continue to do good work. Now go break through those walls and see me on the other side.

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Camille Bell is working and pushing to make big waves in the cosmetics industry with a mission to help as many people along the way. Classifying herself as a person that enjoys to “stay woke and be woke”, she is constantly challenging the status quo and expanding her knowledge on social issues. With a Bachelor’s degree underneath her belt from Temple University’s School of Media and Communication, and a Business Certificate from the Fox School of Business, it’s no surprise that Camille mustered up the courage and determination to create her own cosmetics business under the name "Pound Cake". She has her sights on bringing a voice to people of color in the cosmetics industry. Her main goal is to create an authentic line of cosmetics tailored towards different skin tones, while focusing in on true representation for Black, Asian, Latinx, transgender, and men who are not represented how they should in the beauty industry!

Black Economics & Faith 31

Entrepreneurship

Good Management for Better Wealth Creation

By Anwuacha Dandy Samuel

I

n Economics, Management is the coordination and organization of business activities in order to accomplish set goals and objectives. Management involves organizing; controlling, planning and directing of the resources (natural, financial, human, and infrastructural) of an organization towards achieving business goals.

Some business owners take management for granted; they usually focus on the output rather than management which is very important, and their business always bears the brunt of it.

The success of your business and how much wealth you create depends on your ability to manage the available resources and other factors of production, to yield maximum profit. It depends on your ability to make sound business decisions that will spur your company into taking advantage of opportunities to create wealth.

For economic success and optimum wealth creation, you need to have good management mind. This entails that you must be disciplined, focused and smart enough, to make decisions that will grow your business.

For economic success and optimum wealth creation, you need to have good management mind.

Some of the importance of good management in a business includes: It Paves The Way for You to Achieve Business Goals When good management is put in place, it organizes the factors of production and channels all their efforts into achieving the goals of the company. This is to say that you have to define the goals of the business clearly to everybody on the team. When the

32 Black Economics & Faith

goals are clear to everybody, they will have to channel all their efforts towards achieving those goals.

It Helps you Reduce Cost A good manager understands that for a business to thrive, it must not spend on frivolities. When you have a good management mind, you will realize that you should only spend money on things that will end up yielding more income for your business.

This requires proper planning and strategizing to use minimum input in getting huge output.

It helps you Weather business storms A business without good management will crash when the slightest challenge hits it. Our country’s economy is dynamic and ever evolving. New trends keep coming up every day, especially with the rapid improvement in technology. Good management acumen will help you to know how to adjust with the changing times. It will open your eyes to the things you have to do for your business to adapt to the changes, salvage the situation, and turn it around in your favor.

To crown it all, good management involves consistency in business (you must always make sure that your brand is in the market); it entails team work, being open for suggestions and being willing to reward team members who perform excellently.

Good management mind will make you understand that human resource is the power of a company, so you’ll be sure that all your staff is well taken care of, such that they will dedicate their time and passion into growing your business.

My name is Anwuacha Dandy Samuel. I have a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from University of Uyo, Nigeria. I work as a scriptwriter with Fingerprints Entertainment, Nigeria; and as a freelance writer on Fiverr (as Janedwriters). You can contact me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dandymee

33 Black Economics & Faith

Entrepreneurship

2017 Shaping Up to be a Prosperous Year for African-American Entrepreneurship

By Martina Arroyo-Burton

It goes without saying that African-Americans encounter invariable roadblocks when taking steps to gain a foothold in their industry. Limited education, natural born status, and lack of funds are just a few challenges that arise when attempting to build a company. Before discouragement settles in, it’s important to look at the facts. According to the Kauffman Index of Main Street Entrepreneurship, a report aggregating data from 20 years of small business activity, statistics show anyone and everyone can start a business, regardless of their current socio-economic status. This is especially true for cities with large African American populations and other people of color.

Receiving a college degree will usually enable those to apply for jobs in their desired field, however, it isn’t always a necessary step to break ground. In fact, in some cities, those with some or no college education have experienced a boost in new venture creation over the past decade. Navigating the startup world requires a host of skills, most of which are not taught in universities, which can explain this significant increase.

Immigrant-owned businesses have also shown to sustain adequate survival rates in cities such as Baltimore. Owning over 20 percent of the cities businesses, foreign-born residents are taking strategic risks to pursue the American Dream, by creating their own avenue of financial stability. With the will of God and an unshakeable faith, everyone is given an opportunity to benefit in their own right, regardless of the pitfalls present when pursuing a passion.

A

s the door closes on another fruitful year, the rise of African American entrepreneurship continues to spread its influence on the US economy. These diverse agile companies have the ability to catch onto trends quickly and adopt new methods that strike the appeal of their techsavvy clientele. Generating millions of jobs in cities all over the country, startups foster creative financial outlets for those who wish to break the mold of the traditional job market structure.

The popularity of small business creation is especially apparent amongst people of color and foreign-born individuals. This is highlighted when comparing the percentage of nonwhite smallbusiness owners in the past 20 years. In this time, the percentage of businesses owned by minorities rose to 28.3%, from its 13.5% mark prior.

Startup culture is not only diverse in its individuals, but also in the ideas it promotes. From homemade cookies baked by a kid in New Jersey to a secondhand home decor store in Philadelphia, entrepreneurship has thoroughly weaved itself into the American experience, propped by ambition and personal faith. It has inspired countless members in diverse communities to leave their 9-5 careers, embarking on passion-inspired paths, creating various avenues for revenue.

Deviating from the norm can bring about feelings of uncertainty and fear of failure, leaving many to avoid this track of success entirely. Financial freedom cannot be obtained when remaining complacent at a job that squashes personal growth and instills unhappiness. While starting your own business can be nervewracking, becoming your own boss and securing a stronger financial future beats out these cons.

34 Black Economics & Faith

Aside from an entrepreneur’s education level or residency, funding can be a critical component when determining the strength of a small business’ future. Limited capital lowers the chance of securing additional rounds of funding which can hinder the opportunity to scale. African-Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities more often than not find it difficult to accumulate enough cash to sustain a company in the long term.

In response to these constraints and the uptick in minorityowned businesses, financial lenders are creating alternatives for financing, providing aid where there once were limited resources. Loan applications catered to black-owned businesses allocate assets for those that cannot rely on financial gifts from family members or colleagues. In addition, high schools are also integrating programs to teach younger students about the importance of starting their own businesses and managing money efficiently in their adult life.

It is extremely rewarding to birth an idea and watch it flourish into a successful business, adding to the growing startup density in all major American cities. From financial backing to increasing brand awareness and gaining traction, African-American entrepreneurs and other people of color are just getting started in the startup environment. With determination and aid from peers, many are actualizing successful career alternatives in industries where it was once impossible to get started. Aligning these passions with those of our Father, minorities can become financially independent and achieve the impossible. When on God’s side, we’re always on the right side.

Martina is a creative content writer with a focus on technology and entrepreneurship. She has previously written for international entrepreneurial magazines and regularly contributes work to small publications in the tech space. martinab.contently.com

Entrepreneurship

Impact Of African-American Entrepreneurs On Economy

By Karen Wilz

E

ntrepreneurship has been defined in a variety of ways but two definitions which really appeal more to me are by Sakong and Stevenson. Sakong (1980) defines entrepreneurship as a force that mobilizes other resources to meet unmet market needs. While Stevenson et al (1985) defines it as the process of creating value by pulling together a unique package of resources to exploit an opportunity.

These two definitions presuppose the fact that although profit is intrinsic in entrepreneurship, it extends beyond profit-making to meeting needs and creating value. And it is against this backdrop that I am analyzing the impact of entrepreneurial practices among African Americans.

Entrepreneurship used to be quite common among African American people from the post-slavery period through the civil rights movement, and this took such forms as menial jobs or other jobs the Whites considered too low to engage in including barbing, hauling, hotel keeping, convenience store ownership and other similar businesses. But, business for us, African Americans, seems to have evolved with time to a wide range of different sectors.

City Commentary categorizes entrepreneurship as a very strong influencer and determinant of viable economies. And the data newly released from the Census Bureau puts the number of African American owned businesses at an estimate of 108,000 and also with a payroll in the U.S. attesting to so many ways in which African Americans are contributing to economic structures. Job creation, contractor opportunities, the launch of new products or services are some of the ways African Americans contribute and this increases the overall production capacity in a community.

However, the issue of sustainability is pervasive and much agreed to be the bane of a strong and lasting environment for African American entrepreneurship. According to the Fortune Magazine (2016), most African Americans are not able to achieve sustainability for their businesses beyond a few years and are not at the fore front of generating large numbers of jobs either. Although statistics have shown that the percentage of African Americans launching a start-up, planning a new business venture or managing an existing business is quite on the rise when compared with previous years, the trend that has been identified by Fortune is that these businesses rarely get to survive the tide of sustainability for a variety of factors.

Some of these factors include but are not limited to African American business owners starting the business out of necessity such as low educational levels or high financial needs, limited capital and poor management skills. In addition to these, the U.S Department of Labor shows that the employment rate of African Americans is in sharp contrast when compared to that of other Americans so this leaves business and entrepreneurship as the only viable alternative. So as long as African Americans

venture into entrepreneurship with a mindset devoid of longterm survivability plans and sustainability, such enterprises will seemingly not achieve some of the dividends of entrepreneurship nor cause a beneficial disrupt in the society. And this is exactly where African American businesses seem to be missing the mark.

Generally, African American businesses are present in almost all of the economic sectors available. Statistics show that 28% of these businesses seem to be in health and social sciences as compared to other businesses and industry sectors. It would suffice to say that with the current situation of things of African American businesses, African Americans need to pay more attention to developing skills, strategies and resources which are helpful in producing positive results on a long term basis. The bane of entrepreneurship in the African American community is not far-fetched , but it is our propensity to get a job with traditional organizations e.g multinationals, blue chip companies rather than go through the herculean task of building a business. And if getting a job does not seem to work, embracing entrepreneurship becomes the alternative and this negates the definition of entrepreneurship in the context of this article as this approach leads to the inability of business sustainability.

Karen Wilz is a passionate and professional fulltime writer, editor and blogger. She hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Cleveland State University. As an entrepreneur working in the competitive field of journalism and communications Karen understands the difficulties and challenges entrepreneurs face when working diligently to promote and deliver excellent products and services to clients profitably.

REFERENCES Quittner, J (2016). How African American Entrepreneurs Can Power the Economy.

Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2016/08/03/african-american-startups Cortright, J (2016). Where are African-American Entrepreneurs?

Retrieved from http://cityobservatory.org/african_american_entrepreneurs

Black Economics & Faith 35

WORK

Igniting Your Power and Your Voice ADVERTISING SPACE

- AN Effective Approach to Public Speaking Coaching

By Allison Frances Barksdale

W

hen I decided to offer public speaking coaching, I had no idea how often I would be asked, “What’s a public speaking coach?” Generally, this question is followed by the real question, “What is coaching?”

Most people understand coaching in sports, but with the recent growth of the coaching industry, estimated at $2.3 billion worldwide, more and more people are interested in coaching from a consumer and provider standpoint.

I’ll explain coaching through the lens of what I do. I take an integrative approach, combining public speaking with life and leadership coaching. I call it IMPACT Coaching because I help clients create more impact and grow as speakers, as leaders, and individuals.

Back to the real question – What is Coaching?

Igniting Your Power and Your Voice - AN Effective Approach to Public Speaking Coaching Simply put, coaching is a form of development in which one person, called a “coach,” supports another person, the “client,” to achieve specific goals, personal and/or professional. The coach shares his or her knowledge and experience to help the client learn and grow.

Goals may include but are not limited to:

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Improving message clarity and organization, Minimizing or overcoming performance anxiety or Building confidence and connecting better with audiences (this is my personal favorite which I call Igniting Your Power Voice – helping to connect Vision, Values and Voice).

The above goals are specific to public speaking. Here are some additional goals that may arise from a focus on life satisfaction or leadership: How do I identify and live my purpose?

What does it really mean to lead by example?

How can I stay strong when so often things don’t go my way?

After 25+ years in service management, I entered the coaching profession as a life coach helping women find more joy after divorce. I had learned from my own divorce how to jumpstart my life with joy and I wanted to share it with others. In a short time, it became clear that I needed to expand my practice, as I had more

36 Black Economics & Faith

WORK to give. I remembered being the little girl who performed for my family, so as not to be ignored by my older sisters. I also thought about my professional career and how I was often promoted in record time because I spoke up and stood out. Speaking Up has always served me. By connecting the dots from actions to rewards, my purpose found me.

What does it really mean to lead by example?

Now as the CEO of Speakers RISE – Leaders RISE, my mission is to empower women leaders to Speak Up & RISE! On a personal level, I encourage everyone to connect to their truth and share it.

Coaching is a great way begin the self-discovery process and to ignite your power.

The coaching industry is not currently regulated, but most coaches adhere to the guidelines of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). While coaches are experts in their fields, the ICF acknowledges that the client is the true expert of his or her life. Operating with this understanding, coaches play a key role in supporting their clients by getting them to clarify and align goals, develop strategies and solutions to achieve goals and most important, holding their clients accountable.

Through this process, great benefits can be achieved in productivity, confidence and leadership. Here are some noteworthy statistics about coaching from a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers:

86% return on investment from coaching 80% improved self-confidence, 73% improved relationships 72% improved communication skills 70% improved work performance Additional benefits can be found on the ICF website at www.coachfederation.org.

If you are considering coaching to improve a skill or to achieve a goal, start with your endgame. What do you want to achieve?

Chances are there is a coach who can help. This list provides a glimpse into the extensive range of coaching services offered and it’s growing every day.

• ADHD • Business • Career • Christian • Executive • Health

• Happiness • IMPACT • Leadership • Life • Life Style • Public Speaking

• Relationship • Spirituality • Sports • Success • Wellness

I have heard it said that God would not put a dream in your heart without also giving you the means to achieve it. This I know for sure. Further, coaching is an effective means to help you achieve it. Keep on dreaming, if you need help, call a coach.

Allison Francis Barksdale, Executive MBA/Certified Professional Life Coach is the CEO of Speakers RISE – Leaders RISE, a personal and professional development company dedicated to Empowering Women Leaders to Speak Up & RISE!

Black Economics & Faith 37

WORK

Benefits of Using a Coach Professional coaching brings many wonderful benefits: fresh perspectives on personal challenges, enhanced decision-making skills, greater interpersonal effectiveness, and increased confidence. And, the list does not end there. Those who undertake coaching also can expect appreciable improvement in productivity, satisfaction with life and work, and the attainment of relevant goals.

Increased Productivity Professional coaching maximizes potential and, therefore, unlocks latent sources of productivity.

70% Improved Work Performance

61%

57%

Improved Improved Time Business Management Management

51% Improved Team Effectiveness

Positive People Building the self-confidence of employees to face challenges is critical in meeting organizational demands.

80%

73%

Improved SelfConfidence

72%

Improved Improved Relationships Communication Skills

67% Improved Life/ Work Balance

Return of Investment Coaching generates learning and clarity for forward action with a commitment to measurable outcomes.The vast majority of companies (86%) say they at least made their investment back.

86%

Satisfied Clients Virtually all companies and individuals who hire a coach are satisfied.

99%

“Somewhat” or “Very Satisfied” with overall experience

96%

Would repeat the process

More information on benefits of coaching can be found in the ICF Research Portal, including case studies and industry reports.

Source: ICF Global Coaching Client Study was commissioned by the ICF but conducted independently by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

38 Black Economics & Faith

AD SPACE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Economic Impact On African American Lives

By Margaret Kabogo

S

ocial Injustices Have Led to Increased Poverty among African

Americans but Also Other Ethnic Communities in the World.

Mahatma Gandhi unequivocally stated, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs but not every man’s greed[1].”[2] In a world where capitalism is vital for economic growth, his socialist ideas only make sense to the oppressed and have no meaning to those whose wealth proliferates with every awakening dawn.

Unfortunately, many individuals the world over have had to contend with this kind of society. A society to whom social justice[3] is only a privilege enjoyed by a section of the people who have a footing on and control of the economic and social opportunities. African Americans[4] living in the United States make the greatest percentage of those persons whom society has failed over the years through the failure to provide them with their societal dues. Theirs is a story of human endurance, endless fights and struggles for their fundamental social rights and freedoms with close to nil progress.

Decades-long after African American liberation, African Americans have managed to retrieve firmly their cultural identity, but not their contribution to social justice. Social oppression in the form of police brutality and incarceration, poor education, discrimination leading to reduced opportunities and increased victimization is a norm to many of them. As a result, they have continuously suffered increasing levels of poverty[5], with every passing decade undoubtedly being worse than the former.

Statistics show that African Americans unemployment rates are higher than the national unemployment rate and their wealth is twenty-two times less than that of the White Americans.

Approximately twenty-six percent of African Americans receive food stamp assistance in a country where roughly around thirteen percent of the population is African American[6]. This phenomenon shows that the debacle of social injustice among the African Americans in the US is far beyond normal and their cry for equality has only managed to reach deaf ears.

The American government and the White population in the country who have erected themselves as a more superior people to the Black Americans have been and are to blame. However, speaking as one in a culture where ethnicity[7] has led people to act like bloodthirsty carnivals in more than one occasion, I cannot cast a finger without thinking twice. All I can confidently

40 Black Economics & Faith

say is that the menace against African Americans can never be worse. Even in a society where race is not a question in the extension of social justice, many people have had to endure unequal distribution of resources, loss of opportunities as well as privileges. Far worse social evils such as corruption in the form of tribalism, nepotism, bribery, and criminality continue to plague us. In many ways this ills have made unemployment a permanent problem and economic development an unfeasible dream. The critical end has been perpetual poverty among the people, which even foreign aid has been unable to abate or curb.

The problems of the racist Western culture endured by the African Americans are in more than way similar to those of the ethnic communities within the many third world countries. In all fairness, this suggests that social injustice in the world is a result of our doing and undoing. It is a consequence of humankind’s ubiquitous cultural practices driving them to oppressive, unjust behaviors and unfathomable attitudes. Our insatiable needs, which translate to greed for some of us, hinder many from receiving social benefits and lead them to endure the burdens of insubordination. Perhaps it is the animalistic instinct, which calls for survival, which kicks in us, making the few strong to trample on the weak.

My name is Margaret Kabogo, a Kenyan living in Kenya, in the African continent. I am excited about the opportunity to share with you my observation of Social Justice in America from an international lens. From the looks of it, Social Justice is a topic that begs for reconsideration, not only by the World’s most powerful country, United States, but also by most of the nations around the globe.

REFERENCES Gandhi, M. (2015). Mahatma Gandhi quotes.

Hall, W. (Sep 2012). SEVEN DEVASTATING ECONOMIC FACTS AFFECTING BLACK AMERICANS. Retrieved from http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/09/02/7devastating-economic-facts-affecting-black-americans/ [1] GREED – INTENSE AND SELFISH DESIRE [2] Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi quotes.

[3] SOCIAL JUSTICE – FAIR AND JUST RELATION BETWEEN SOCIETY AND INDIVIDUAL [4] AFRICAN AMERICANS – ETHNIC GROUP IN AMERICA WITH AFRICAN ANCESTRY [5] POVERTY – TO HAVE SCARCE OF, OR LACK SOMETHING [6] Hall, Wynton (2012), “SEVEN DEVASTATING ECONOMIC FACTS AFFECTING BLACK AMERICANS” [7] ETHNICITY – BELONGING TO A SOCIAL GROUP WITH NATIONAL OR CULTURAL TRADITIONS

We Are All Our Brothers’ Keepers

I

By Charles L. Chatmon

n our American society, we love excess. How else would we explain that every night we turn on our television sets and we hear about the latest celebrity break-up? An heiress’s shopping spree? A corporate leader’s whirlwind vacation? In our media-driven twenty-first century we have become obsessed with virtually monitoring the lives of rich people and celebrities created by social media. A study by the Kairos Center reveals 45.3 million people live in poverty in the United States, accounting for 14.5 percent of the population. We read these figures and don’t lift a finger in helping these Americans, who are less fortunate.

Instead, we take the position of looking down on these folks for their lower social class.

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Some politicians, however, are doing their part to help. Here in Los Angeles, voters have approved Measure H which will require a one-fourth sales tax increase to support programs for the homeless. And with the passage of Measure HHH, a $1.2 billion bond measure, they will also receive adequate lodging with 10,000 housing units. But the act of helping others in need shouldn’t have to fall on elected officials alone; it’s up to each and every one of us to reach out to the poor and destitute whenever possible.

It has been encouraging to see the many outpourings of love from regular citizens. Over the years, they’ve done what they could to help homeless victims of natural and man-made disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, as well as unfortunate tragedies caused by gun violence and so forth. This follows a long history of gestures led by the American people, not by our government. For instance, in the 1980s goodhearted residents in this country believed in the notion We Are The World, as millions provided food, time, and prayers to help out in the USA for Africa and Hands Across America projects. I witnessed an outpouring from citizens willing to do what they could as they participated in a clean-up effort during the 1992 L.A. Riots. People from all walks of life swept up debris from burned buildings and cleaned dirty sidewalks and streets, lending their assistance to those in the community who needed it. The bigger the tragedy, the more our hearts enlarge with a sense to be Good Samaritans to our brothers and sisters regardless of race or social class. Giving to the poor is not only an American thing; it is a human thing as we’ve seen in the past throughout the world.

Of course, the alternative is not a celebrated one to be sure, just as the rich man discovered in Luke 16: 19-31. It’s one thing to live a life of luxury, but failure to help out and assist your fellow man will have a reward all its own. I don’t understand what this means.

Let’s hope we don’t wait for the next major catastrophe for our hearts to open. Let’s use this [What?] as a wake-up call lest we be added to the 45 million living in poverty. I pray those of us who are able to make a living never find out but help those who are in dire need.

Charles L. Chatmon is an author and teacher, who lives in Los Angeles, California. He is married to an artisan and author. He has helped coordinate community literary events and he teaches writers workshops. He can be reached via his website, charleslchatmon.com. His email is chatwrites2@yahoo.com.

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HEALTH

Three Ways to Deal With the Stress of Receiving Bad News

By Debra Williams, Ed.D. ACSM-CPT & Sole Proprietor of SMART Fitness / SmartFitnessStudio.com

A

t some point in our lives, receiving bad news is something we will all experience. It may be about a loved one, your job or your health. And it doesn’t have to be bad news that you have a personal connection to. Bad news comes in all forms. For example, you can inadvertently receive bad news from the constant exposure to negative information and images in the media. You may receive negative information on social media or see something on TV or YouTube about political injustice, judicial injustice, racial and gender injustices or religious injustices that often face our community. You get mad because it’s bad news!

First, it’s helpful to understand that we all respond to painful or difficult events differently. Second, understand that if you feel anxiety after receiving bad news, this is normal, you are not alone in these feelings and the anxiety you feel will lessen over time.

How do you cope in the meantime? Consider these tips.

1. Take care of your physical health. Breathe: In the immediate aftermath of receiving bad news, you may find it difficult to breathe. You may feel tightness in your chest or in the pit of your stomach. You might even feel like you cannot catch your breath.

Focus on your breathing and breathe deeply.

Drink water: Deep breathing may lead to a dry mouth and thirst.

Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep helps regulate emotions. You ever see what happens after a fretful toddler takes a nap? The child usually goes back to being their cheerful self again. You may not find that you are cheerful after a good night’s rest, but sleep helps you think more clearly and logically about bad news.

Exercise. Release all the stress, tension, and anxiety you are carrying from the bad news by exercising. Exercise produces endorphins, which help you feel better, helping you feel more energized and alert. The exercise can be as simple as taking a walk (by yourself or with a friend). Moderate physical activity can help improve your mood and lower your stress level.

42 Black Economics & Faith

Prepare for fatigue. Bad news can be exhausting. Your brain is working overtime as it tries to process your news or problemsolve. In addition, because of your bad news, you may have to take on extra responsibilities. So go easy on yourself and give yourself permission to let non-essential things slide during this time. For example, let the dirty dishes pile up in the sink or reschedule a work meeting if you can.

Avoid numbing behaviors. You may be tempted to manage your pain by drinking, using drugs or binge eating. Keep in mind that these behaviors only dull your feelings temporarily and do nothing to help you work through your bad news. These behaviors only create a cycle of feeling the pain and numbing the pain. They do not help you process the pain.

If you feel compelled to drink to excess, use drugs, or binge, talk to a friend to help distract yourself, or consider attending a support group meeting, such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

Bad news comes in all forms.

2. Take care of your emotional health. Know that you may be in shock. It is common to not feel much of anything when you first hear bad news. You may feel numb, like you are going through the motions. While other people around you may be crying, for example, you may be sitting there in stony silence. Understand that this is normal and does not usually last very long.

That feeling of numbness is the brain’s self-protection mechanism to not let too much trauma flow in at once. Slowly you will begin to process the feelings associated with the bad news.

HEALTH Feel the emotions that come to the surface. Don’t bottle them up. You are processing this news and your brain needs to work through it. You work through it by letting your feelings flow through and out of you without judgment. Fear, sadness, anger— whatever you feel is appropriate and normal. It is okay to cry (men too!) Your brain will probably be replaying the news over and over again. It’s your mind’s way of getting used to the new information. It’s tiring and annoying but normal.

Distract yourself. Processing bad news can be exhausting. Take a break from it if possible and do something you find enjoyable.

The problem may be at the back of your mind, but busying yourself for a while will give you a sense of normality. You may even find yourself feeling a bit better.

You might decide to see a comedy with your friends, go shopping, read a book or do a puzzle.

Reach out to your support network. Find people you trust who can be a shoulder to cry on as you process your bad news. Look for friends, family, clergy or others who can listen supportively without offering advice or judgment.

Make sure you are talking to people who can support you in the bad news, not the people who are currently experiencing the bad news.

Look for professional support. You may find it beneficial to seek out more structured, professional help for a number of reasons.

Perhaps you just moved to a new city and have no one local to talk with. Or maybe you are tired of relying on your friends to be available. Talking to a counselor or joining a support group will help you feel like you aren’t alone can and give you strategies to help you cope. Find a support group whose members deal with the problem you are facing. Seek counseling if you are struggling to cope with your bad news and do not have a support network available.

Find perspective. While your bad news may genuinely be catastrophic and traumatic, keep in mind that these difficult, overwhelming feelings will not last forever. Time is a good healer, and with each passing day, you may find yourself working through your feelings and slowly figuring things out. You will find a new normal. Be patient with yourself—this doesn’t happen overnight.

Do your best not to ruminate on the future, creating worst-case scenarios in your mind. This creates additional stress, which you certainly don’t need.

3. Practice self-care. Spend time in nature. Being outside helps calm you down, decreases your blood pressure, and helps you become present by observing your surroundings.

Write. Spend some time writing down your problems in a journal. This helps your mind organize your thoughts and feelings and provides an expressive outlet, particularly if you not able to talk to someone as often as you would like. Writing in a journal will also help you reduce stress.

At some point in our lives, receiving bad news is something we will all experience.

Take a personal day. If you can, skip a day of work or school to rest, relax, and take care of yourself. If you are feeling overwhelmed and unable to concentrate because of your bad news, speak to your employer or school and let them know you need a day to rejuvenate.

Connect with your spirituality. You may find your faith to be a source of support for you as you cope with your bad news.

Suffering is a universal human concern, and you will find many religious teachings and texts addressing it. Focusing on your spiritual life will help you feel calmer and help you feel better equipped to handle stress. Attend religious services and connect with others in your spiritual community for support.

Pray. Connecting to a higher power and sharing your troubles may help you feel less stressed.

Meditate. Meditation may help you decrease stress and help you to connect with your higher power. You may have other spiritual practices in your life that promote healing. Use them and spend some time each day in the practice of your choice to keep yourself present and calm.

Be encouraged by these tips, suggestions, and strategies. And remember, life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we react to it!

Stay in faith and be well!

Stay confident. Continue to believe in yourself and have faith in the world around you. You may have to overcome obstacles, but believe in your ability to surmount them and succeed.

Feeling confident in your ability to handle a situation translates into a greater likelihood of success. Pretend you are a superhero!

There’s trouble, but you have the power to fix it.

Be flexible. People who are resilient will bounce back faster from bad news by reevaluating their goals and coming up with a new plan. They do not see bad news as roadblocks; rather, it is a detour or another destination entirely.

Debra Williams, Ed.D. is an ACSM-certified personal trainer and sole proprietor of SMART Fitness. www.SmartFitnessStudio.com MEDICAL WARNING & DISCLAIMER Information in this article is not intended as medical advice or to replace a one-on-one relationship with your doctor or your minister. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from my personal research and experience. *Part of this text was edited and taken from: http://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-Bad-News.

Black Economics & Faith 43

44 Black Economics & Faith

A

fter starting a successful business, every entrepreneur begins to wonder about whether they can now afford health and dental coverage. They may have given up employer benefits in order to pursue their dreams, but now they have a big dental appointment looming and they want them back.

There are several solutions designed specifically for the self-employed that are cost effective, tax deductible and straightforward to set up, including: individual health and dental plans, private health services plans (PHSP), and small business group insurance plans.

Individual Health Plans are purchased from an insurer to cover supplementary health and dental expenses such as prescriptions, cleanings, and specialists such as chiropractors and registered massage therapists.

The health and dental coverage are bundled into modular basic, mid-range or enhanced plan designs. Additional coverage can be purchased for items such vision care or travel insurance. Basic plans can usually be obtained without medical evidence, but be forewarned, the top tier coverage bundles generally require a medical questionnaire, and approval is not guaranteed.

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Cost Effective Health & Dental Insurance For The Entrepreneur

HEALTH

The Economics of Exercise

By Bentley Ritter, founder and CEO of Bentley Personal Training

Listening skills and mental clarity are critical to your success in business.

R

esearch suggests that exercise can take you to new levels of physical and financial fitness!

Finding it difficult to find the motivation to exercise consistently? Perhaps a financial motivation is the push you need. A 2012 study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Labor Research, found that workers that exercise on a regular basis earn 9 percent more than their less active counterparts.

It is unclear whether this link is causative or simply correlated.

However, here are a few reasons why exercise and earnings appear to be linked why you might want to consider making exercise a priority for the sake of your physical and financial health.

Mental Sharpness Listening skills and mental clarity are critical to your success in business. A habit of regular exercise will help keep you mentally sharp throughout your entire life. As you age, your body generates fewer and fewer brain cells (a process called neurogenesis). However, early research in mice suggests that exercise can help prevent this slowdown. By the time they reach their 50s, 60s, and 70s, people who exercise might have more brain cells than their more sedentary peers. Cyrus Raji, a senior radiology resident at U.C.L.A states that for the purposes of brain health “physical activity” is an elastic term. It can include walking, jogging and moderate cycling as well as gardening, ballroom or line dancing and other calorie-burning recreational activities.

Increased Energy Being maximally productive requires energy. An exercise routine can give you that extra octane that you need to keep going when others are ready to crash. Most of your cells contain components called mitochondria, often referred to as the cell’s “power plant.” Mitochondria produce the chemical that your body uses as energy, known as ATP. Physical exercise stimulates the development of new mitochondria within your cells, meaning that your body will be able to produce more ATP over time. That gives you more energy to exert yourself physically, but it also means more energy for your brain, boosting your mental output.

46 Black Economics & Faith

Your Mood & Your Money Most people experience the blues every now and again. Problem is, your manager or client may not be sympathetic to the fact that you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. In this highly competitive economy, you cannot afford to have a bad day. If you want to stay emotionally up and optimistic, exercise can take you to your happy place, naturally. When you exercise, your body releases several different chemicals in your brain, collectively known as neurotransmitters such as endorphins. These neurotransmitters seem to reduce the discomfort of exercise and create the sensation often referred to as “runner’s high.” This sensation can help regulate mood swings so that you function at peek performance. Furthermore, when you’re an optimist you smile more. Smiling at others conveys confidence. Studies have even found that those who smile frequently make more money in tips, are much more likely to receive a raise, and more likely to move up the ladder compared with their pessimistic peers.

We can’t offer you any guarantees, but if you want to increase your chances of a promotion, earn more money or increase your mental horsepower, consider committing yourself to a regular exercise program. It could help take you to new levels of physical and financial fitness!

BeneFit Personal Training, based in Philadelphia, PA currently services individual and corporate clients throughout New Jersey and the Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore and Washington, DC metro areas. Since its founding in 1996, BeneFit Personal Training and its personal training team have supported thousands of people in reaching their health and fitness goals.

Bentley Ritter, founder and CEO of Bentley Personal Training

47 Black Economics & Faith

COMMUNITY

The Southern Workplace in the 21st Century

By Amber Noel

M

ost topics today are centered around aesthetics. Race, color, creed, weight, sexuality, and other superficial qualities are all we decide to notice about each other.

These factors are what we choose to focus on, and unfortunately shape our experiences throughout life. In the North it seems people are a little more subtle about their racist remarks and actions, whereas in the South, it’s a completely different story.

Growing up in the South, I’ve learned to identify the underlying insults a minority may casually receive-generally from an older caucasian person-and always on the low. Charleston is mostly made up of white retirees and white college students, and neither group seems to understand the strong presence of white privilege lingering in the air. The privilege of landing a job by simply walking in and talking to the owner, or the privilege of not being told how to wear their hair at work, or always feeling completely alone because you look different than everyone else in the office no matter what job you go to next.

Black folks do exist, in addition to less than 10% of other races, but there is a clear disparity in the roles blacks play in the workforce, and how they are treated as a whole in the deep South. You may notice the local brochures and commercials depict blacks as Gullah members, or basket weavers, but never golfing on Kiawah or vacationing on the beach as a family.

Due to the frequent yet natural mistreating of minorities, a bulging growth of resentment and pain has been building within the black community. This pain stems deeply from slavery, coupled with the fact that in the South we’re reminded of our chains at every corner-more on that later.

Careers available to blacks seem heavily based on education, experience, and skills. Seemingly textbook, right? Shouldn’t everyone be judged on these qualities? Yes, except they aren’t. Charleston is very, very small, meaning you will most likely run into someone you know every time you leave your house (be careful with the friends you make).

As aforementioned above, and because Charleston is so focused on who you know, whites have the upper hand due to resources and connections, while blacks are on the outside looking in. Most millennials have heard of the networking app Meetup, which is used by millions to meet up with people interested in doing the same things as you are. They have groups for Business, Sports, Travel, and even Language and Culture, yet you rarely see a meet up that is predominately black-in the deep South.

48 Black Economics & Faith

It’s important that we celebrate and educate each other on our culture, history, and practices, and that we continually make an effort to build the black business community up. There is a severe lack of black entrepreneurs in the Charleston area, as well as a gap in specialized products for stores that offer beneficial commodities specifically for our race.

South Carolina is not diverse in any way. The majority of the state is comprised of whites and blacks, and there is a thick, ugly line separating the two. Because the races are so segregated even today, the roles blacks are given in the workforce are usually subpar compared to the roles whites assume in the workforce, and maybe that’s the biggest issue right there.

It appears blacks have been forced to rely on whites for their livelihood in many ways, if only because whites outnumber and over-dominate everything they do, and that’s a frightening thing.

Not saying you can’t be whatever you want to be in life regardless of your race, simply pointing out that race and appearance in general will provide obstacles in your path, especially and certain locations of the world.

Regardless, it’s 2017 and we are moving towards a time in which people are evolving in many ways. It’s important blacks and advocates continue the Black Lives Matter movement, as its core touches on unity and supporting one another to do bigger and better things in the community.

It’s time we let go of these impossible aesthetic and beauty standards holding us and others back; and that we focus on qualities such as a person’s intelligence, effort, and humanity.

Amber Noel

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DESCRIPTION Black Economics and Faith Magazine is the perfect resource for those who are interested in improving the economic conditions of their family and community while gaining knowledge about the importance of faith in achieving our goals. Every issue of this periodical will provide the reader with engaging and empowering information presented by members of our community desiring to share practical insights and solutions to economic issues that impact our community at-large.

DIRECTION AND INSPIRATION Black Economics and Faith Magazine ensures that you are inspired by the articles and stories from writers who have experienced first hand the struggles, challenges and opportunities that led to their own economic empowerments and strengthening of faith. Whether you are looking to grow stronger in your economic or faith journey or simply interested in learning more about helping your community to become more productive and prosperous, this magazine is for you!

NETWORK AND RESOURCES There are many articles and testimonies shared in this publication written by a diverse group of voices that now will become part of your and you a part of their network. Powerful! The goal of this magazine is to also share information about as many resources as possible that can help readers move to the next level of economic success in order for them to become more engaged in the process of strengthening families and communities for the greater good of our society.

49 Black Economics & Faith

COMMUNITY

The Economic Impact of Gentrification

ADVERTISING SPACE

By Stephanie A. James

T

he word “Gentrification” is a common term for the arrival of rich individuals in an existing district, changes in the district’s culture and character, and an increase in the values of properties and rents. It refers normally to changes in the lower or the middle income neighborhoods.

Gentrification occurs when a declining or a partially abandoned community starts looking attractive again to quick profit opportunists and housing speculators.

Gentrification is used often negatively; suggesting how poor communities are being displaced by the rich outsiders. However, gentrification effects are contradictory and complex, and its main impact varies.

Several aspects of the process of gentrification are desirable.

Everybody wants to experience a crime-free neighborhood, new investment in infrastructure and buildings, and growth in economic activities in their communities. The benefits of the aforementioned changes; unfortunately are enjoyed disproportionately by those new arrivals; while the main residents find themselves socially and economically marginalized.

Gentrification has no doubt been the primary cause of painful conflict in most American cities; often along economic and racial fault lines. The neighborhood change is viewed often as a social justice miscarriage, in which wealthy (usually white) new arrivals are congratulated for improving the neighborhoods who’s poor and minority residents are deliberately displaced by increasing rent and economic change.

Though there is no clear technical definition of the term “gentrification”, it is however characterized by many changes.

• Character and Culture - Latest ideas about what is attractive and desirable, including standards (either legal or informal) for public behavior, landscaping, architecture, nuisance and noise.

• Demographics - Increase in the median income, decline in racial minorities’ proportion, and a reduction in the size of household, as the low-income family members are replaced by couples and young singles.

• Land Use – Reduction in industrial uses; increase in multimedia or office uses, the development of high-end and live-work “lofts” housing, restaurants and retail.

• Real Estate Markets – Great increases in homes and rents prices, continues increase in the rate of evictions, rental units’ conversion to condos (ownership) and new development of expensive housing.

50 Black Economics & Faith

• Ensure that all stakeholders in the neighborhood have a spot at the table before the whole process advances further.

This simply means bringing members of the community into the process of planning from the beginning and ensuring that developers respect the priorities and goals of the community.

This however would require understanding how all information travels through the community and how individuals within these communities voice their concerns.

• Use the available policy tools to preserve housing diversity and protect residents.

Maintaining a steady supply of affordable houses is vital to ensuring that communities experiencing gentrification stay diverse. The housing ought to be placed in communities that are asset-rich, strongly noted. It should not be out of context.

A neighborhood with her own plan can bring to the table such plan when a large scale redevelopment is proposed and make use of it as tools to get all developers to negotiate. Public housing could still play a vital role in preserving the affordability in gentrifying communities, and that federal policies can also be utilized to maintain housing diversity. But most of the vital federal policies that should be addressed deals with income inequality - This needs to be tied to labor policy also, a higher minimum wage specifically, a more generous-Earned Credit and more progressive income taxes.

• Learn how the process of development and planning works.

In Philadelphia for example, the major way for a community to shape her development is through the RCO (Registered Community Organization), a group that is recognized legally and has review power to developments that requires zoning variances. However, not all Registered Community Organizations represent or reach out to the entire community, and should this be the case; it may be extremely necessary to “bogart all conversations.” RCOs; where they do reach out, can play an important part in seeing to inclusive redevelopment.

ADVERTISING SPACE

WAYS COMMUNITIES SHOULD TAKE CONTROL OF GENTRIFICATION

COMMUNITY AROUND THE GLOBE

Investment Trends around the World: Tapping into the African Market

I

By Anwuacha Dandy Samuel

f you ask a smart entrepreneur to give you a good business idea to invest in, the first thing they will instruct you is to look around you and find out vital needs of the people around you. To start up a successful business and create a lot of wealth, you must look at your immediate environment or the environment where you want to invest, and find out the things that are missing; then you ask yourself, what can I possibly do to fill this gap? What can I bring to this people, which they need, but do not have already? The most successful business owners around the globe understand this and are therefore always on the lookout for new areas to invest in, where the yearning customers will jump at their products or service.

These unmet needs are the things which determine the investment trends that blossom in a particular part of the world.

In Africa, for instance, there are so many untapped investment opportunities. There are so many needs that need to be met, and meeting these needs have created investment opportunities for smart entrepreneurs all over the continent. They are taking advantage of these, and are creating wealth in the tune of millions of dollars every year.

Some of these investment trends include; Provision of Solar Energy, Internet Access, E-commerce, Agro business, Smart Phones, African Arts, Retail Chain, Media and Entertainment, and many others. In this article, we will look at some of these investment trends, how the smartest entrepreneurs are using

52 Black Economics & Faith

them to create wealth and employment opportunities, and how African Americans can take advantage of these opportunities to create wealth for themselves.

SOLAR ENERGY The activities of many small and medium scale enterprises in some parts of Africa are hampered by an epileptic power supply.

These businesses now rely on noisy generators which fill the air with soot and harmful gases and consume a lot of fuel. Apart from business owners, an estimated 600 million people in SubSaharan Africa, especially those living in the rural areas cannot boast of a reliable electric power supply. The most heartbreaking part of the situation is that most of these people pay monthly electricity bills to the government agencies in charge of power supply, but they still live in darkness every night and day. This situation presents an excellent investment opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to make a huge profit from providing constant electricity to these people.

Investors in Africa are taking advantage of this situation, and are investing hugely in building and marketing solar electricity panels. Over the past few years, companies like SouthSun Resources Limited, Astrum Energy Solutions, Equinoxx Power Engineering and many other indigenous companies in several parts of Africa have raked in millions of dollars from providing affordable solar electricity to the locals.

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The line is known for its use of rich, vibrant fabrics and the highest level of hand-sewn quality. Anna aims to bring the rich and colorful regalia of the African culture into the western world by exposing this generation to comfortable and modernized African print at an affordable price.

53 Black Economics & Faith

COMMUNITY AROUND THE GLOBE

ADVERTISING SPACE

This market remains very largely untapped because, despite the efforts of these companies, millions of people are still living in darkness. This presents a golden opportunity for African American businessmen to help lighten up Africa and create enough wealth. The market is huge, and Africans generally patronize foreign brands more than they do products made by their countrymen. These people are fed-up with their government and the exorbitant amount they pay for electricity, which they are not getting; hence they will jump at the idea of affordable and reliable alternative power supply, which you can bring to their doorsteps by investing in Solar Panels in Africa.

INTERNET ACCESS With the wealth of information and opportunities available on the internet, it is rather unfortunate to know that many parts of Africa do not have reliable and affordable access to the internet.

Apart from the fact that many people, especially in the rural areas, do not have internet connection, the individuals who do have internet connection pay ridiculously high amounts of money for a small amount of data that works at snail pace.

Tech giants, Facebook and Google, are competing to fill this gap by working towards providing fast, affordable and reliable internet access to these regions. Indigenous companies have also realized that this is a lucrative business opportunity; hence they are taking advantage of the situation to make real money.

To start up a successful business, you must look at the environment where you want to invest, Amongst many other local investors, a Kenyan company, BRCK has produced an internet modem which is ruggedly designed for environments with poor internet connection and epileptic electric supply. The modem comes with a battery life of up to 8 hours and can run on 3G and 4G networks. Since inception, they have sold over one hundred thousand units of the device in 54 countries in Africa and other continents.

African Americans who want to invest in Africa can take advantage of this, and make millions of dollars because Africans are ready to patronize any Internet provider who is willing to provide robust and reliable internet access at an affordable price.

Other trending business interests making waves in Africa include: • African Fabrics, which has made many African fashion designers millionaires in the past three years. • Internet TV and Movie Streaming: This venture has made one time small businesses like Ebony TV, Ibaka Tv, Iroko Tv, and most recently, Linda Ikeji TV rake in millions of dollars recently.

There are lots and lots of new business trends making waves in Africa, and only the economically wise and prudent will make the best out of them.

54 Black Economics & Faith

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56 Black Economics & Faith

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Triumph Baptist Church of Philadelphia

Deliverance Evangelistic Church

This is your first stop on your journey to a better life.

We welcome you to learn more about us and invite you into our family.

Deliverance Evangelistic Church seeks to be a Biblical ministry designed to encourage life transformation through our threefold purpose: to Evangelize, Edify and Equip the whole person to serve the community and reach the world for Jesus Christ. We strive to be holy in our living, reverent in our worship, compassionate in our love for souls, and excellent in our service.

1648 West Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19140

215 228 8000 triumphbc.org

2001 West Lehigh Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19132

215 226 7600 triumphbc.org

Saint Matthew African Methodist Episcopal Church

Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

We invite you to our worship experience, attend any of our bible studies or just fellowship with us. Looking Forward to seeing you!

Mother Bethel AME Church worships every Sunday morning at 9:30am. We offer a variety of Bible Study groups, classes, and seasonal studies that provide Bible-based instruction and life application skills. Bible Study at Mother Bethel is open to all.

215 North 57th Street Philadelphia, PA 19139

215 472 4784 stmatthewamephila.org

The Sharon Baptist Church of Philadelphia

419 S. 6th Street Philadelphia, PA 19147

925 0616 motherbethel.org

Bright Hope Baptist Church

Join us as we come together as a church family to worship Jesus. Whatever your story, questions, doubts or struggles, everybody is welcome here. We’re all about doing life together as a community of Jesus followers.

We are Angels of Hope serving the God of Hope spreading the gospel of Hope in love. Bright Hope Baptist Church is a testimony to the grace and love of God demonstrated in the congregational life of His children. From generation to generation, Bright Hope has been a beacon of light and pillar of hope in North Philadelphia.

3955 Conshohoken Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131

1601 N. 12th Street Philadelphia, PA 19122

215 473 3000 thesbc.org

Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Our Vision: A Place Where People Encounter God. Our Mission: The mission of the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church is to offer families a Christ-centered, Biblically based ministry that is educational, evangelical, inspirational and combative of negative and demonic forces in our community.

2800 W Cheltenham Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19150

215 276 7200 enontab.org

215 232 6004 brighthopebaptist.org

The African Episcopal Church of Saint Thomas The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas is an open, Christ centered Community of faith, in which the Gospel is taught, lived, and spread.

2001 West Lehigh Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19132

215 473 3065 aecst.org

Black Economics & Faith 57

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Christ Community Church of Philadelphia

Miracle Temple of Christ

Christ Community Church of Philadelphia is a non-denominational church located in the heart of University City. Our purpose is to worship God, love His people, and impact the world with the life changing message of Jesus Christ.

Miracle Temple of Christ, Miracle Temple Christian Academy, and our Community Development Corporation are affiliated companies orchestrated by the principles of God to provide community and economic empowerment through innovative approaches. We are a cross-section of spiritual leaders and business professionals with a desire to improve the quality of life of the neighborhoods in which we serve and operate.

4017 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19153

2600 Tasker Street Philadelphia, PA 19145

215 243 3630 cccphila.org

215 755 6252 mtochrist.org/philly

Society for Helping Church

Cathedral of Praise

The Society For Helping Church was blessed from it’s humble beginning of it’s house ministry, located 2343 N. 52nd Street in Philadelphia with devoted and spiritual persons sharing their gifts. A host of professionals and para-professionals served on our Advisory Board. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, council-persons, nurses and government employees helped to fill our slogan, “Saying what we are doing – Doing what we are saying – HELPING.”

Cathedral of Praise is a group of people from all walks of life that are united by a shared faith in a loving God. Praise is a very important value for us because it is connected to gratitude. We get our inspiration from Psalm 22:3 - “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel”.

1323 W. Susquehanna Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19122

215 236 1250 societyforhelping.org

6400 Haverford Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19151

Tel: 215 474 2680 cathedral-of-praise.com

Zion Baptist Church of Philadelphia

Tindley Temple United Methodist Church

We are a people of prayer, power, contemporary preaching and unapologetic praise. Through our social and spiritual vernacular we share our faith. Through our specialized religious expressions, we glorify God. With a multiplicity of ministries to meet your needs, we welcome you to Zion Baptist Church of Philadelphia!

We invite you to our many services, our 10:30 AM traditional service and our exciting 12:30 PM Impact service. Our Impact service is an exciting addition to our vibrant congregation. This one hour service includes a relevant word, inspirational singing, good fellowship and food. Come as you are but prepared to be impacted by the word of God. Hope to see you at any of our services.

3600 North Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19140

215 223 5460 zionbaptphilly.org

The African Baptist Church Philadelphia We Love God. We Love People. We Seek To Share God’s Love With Everyone.

And Yes, It Really Is That Simple.

700-798 N 67th Street Philadelphia, PA 19151

58 Black Economics & Faith

215 473 3200 thefabchurch.org

750 S Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19146

215 735 0442 tindleytemple.net

Saint James United Methodist Church Join us for service on Sundays at 10am where the worship experience is exciting, the people are warm and accepting, and our core culture is one of “Unconditional Love,“ as we look towards Christ together.

199 E. Tabor Road Philadelphia, PA 19120

215 392 2851 stjumc.org

CHURCH DIRECTORY

First African Baptist Church-Sharon Hill First African Baptist Church is a family-oriented church for all of the Lord’s children regardless of race, color, creed, or circumstance. “a family-oriented church for all of the Lord’s children regardless of race, color, creed, or circumstance.” If you have never experienced the JOY! of First African, I sincerely ask you to join us for Sunday morning worship service. If you have visited previously and are looking for a church home, please accept an invitation to become part of our Christian fellowship on Sunday morning. May God bless and keep you.

901 Clifton Avenue Sharon Hill, PA 19079

610 461 0350 fabc-joy.org

Asbury African Methodist Episcopal Church Welcome to Asbury. We are church that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Citizens of God’s People through the Preached Word. Join us for Worship on Sunday morning at 10:45 am. Come, Praise the Lord with Us. 1712 Providence Avene Chester, PA 19013

610 874 9961 asburyamechurch.org

Life In Christ Ministries

Second Baptist Church of Media

WELCOME TO LIFE IN CHRIST MINISTRIES Reaching the whole person with the whole gospel, loving and discipling them until Christ is fully formed in their heart

Welcome to the Second Baptist Church of Media, PA. What a joy to know that you have taken the time to inquire about the Second Baptist Church of Media, PA through our website, “The Church on the Move for the Lord”. We trust that you will find the necessary information to acquaint you with our staff, ministries, activities, events, and facilities.

3012 W 3rd Street Chester, PA 19013

610 497 2100 lifeinchristnow.org

Saint Paul’s Baptist Church-West Chester As called people of God, united in Christ’s love, that have chosen to align with His will, it is the mission of St. Paul’s Baptist Church to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ by word and deed. We shall minister to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ, to those in the community, and shall work together to spread the gospel throughout the world.

One Hagerty Blvd.

West Chester, PA 19382

610 692 2446 stpaulsbaptist.org

400 East State Street Media, PA 19063

610 891 9980 secondbaptistmedia.com

MT. Zion AME Church Norristown Welcome to Mount Zion AME Church! We are a Christ-centered church who is actively involved in equipping the saints for Kingdom building. Our theme is “ Loving God, Loving Our Church, and Loving Each Other with Purpose and Excellence”. Join us for Sunday morning worship as we lift up the matchless name of JESUS! “ Loving God, Loving Our Church, and Loving Each other on Purpose with Excellence”.

1312 Willow Street Norristown, PA 19401

610 279 8313 mtzionamec-norristown.org

Tabernacle of Praise Worship Church

Shiloh Baptist Church-Chester

The Ministry where the people are our #1 concern. “Called to make a difference in the city. Our Statement of Purpose is “to allow people to gain a saving knowledge through Jesus Christ, develop them to Christ-like maturity, and equip them for their Ministry in the church and life mission in the world, in order to magnify the name of our GOD. BRING THEM IN, BUILD THEM UP AND SEND THEM OUT

Shiloh Baptist Church believes that religious liberty is a gift from God. We support the freedom of the individual conscience to choose to worship God according to the dictates of one’s heart. And while we celebrate our own liberty to embrace Biblical truth without compromise, we also support the first amendment to the Constitution which guarantees freedom of religion for all Americans.

908-910 Highland Avenue Chester, PA 19013

610 364 7828 thetabernacleofpraise.com

703 W Central Avenue Chester, PA 19013

610 872 8147 shilohchester.net

Black Economics & Faith 59

COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY

Financial Services and Insurance West Philadelphia Financial Services Organization wpfsi.com

PFCU - Philadelphia Federal Credit Union pfcu.com

Ascension Wealth Management ascensionwealth.com Jocelyn Wright – Managing Partner

5200 Warren Street, Philadelphia, PA 19131 (215) 452-1000

12800 Townsend Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154 (215) 934-3500

510 West Avenue, Jenkintown, PA 19046 (215) 543-7954

The West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution (WPFSI), a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, was founded to provide economic development leadership and resources to the West Philadelphia Empowerment Zone (EZ). Often referred to as the “Economic Engine” for the community, WPFSI has had significant impact on the development of the neighborhoods comprising the EZ.

It is our fundamental belief, and the pride of PFCU, that our members and employees are the real owners of this institution. That’s why we work so hard to help them achieve their financial goals and see their families thrive. And why we reinvest all our profits back to improve our services, reduce our fees, and keep our rates competitive. We believe in helping people. Pure and simple. And that might seem like a radical idea, but trust us - it isn’t. It’s just a good one.

Ascension Wealth Management is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in our relationship with you, our client. We endeavor to know and understand your financial situation and provide you with only the highest quality information, services and products to help you reach your goals.

Community and Economic Development Resources PIDC pidcphilia.com

NKCDC - New Kensington Community Development Corporation nkcdc.org

PEC - People’s Emergency Center pec-cares.org

1500 Market Street , Suite 2600 West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 - (215) 496-8020

2515 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125 (215)-427-0350

325 N. 39th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267) 777-5800

NKCDC’s mission is to strengthen the physical, social and economic fabric of Kensington, Fishtown and Port Richmond, Philadelphia, by being a catalyst for sustainable development and community building.

PEC nurtures families, strengthens neighborhoods, and drives change. We are committed to increasing equity and opportunity throughout our entire community. We provide comprehensive supportive services to homeless women and their children, revitalize our West Philadelphia neighborhood, and advocate for social justice.

PIDC is a non-profit organization founded by the City of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce in 1958.

Our mission is to spur investment, support business growth, and foster developments that create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, and drive growth to every corner of Philadelphia.

60 Black Economics & Faith

COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY Entrepreneurship and Small Business Resources Benetrends Financial benetrends.com

Reinvestment Fund reinvestment.com

Entrepreneur Works myentrepreneurworks.org

1180 Welsh Road, Suite 280, North Wales, PA 19454 (267) 498-0059

1700 Market Street, 19th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 574-5800

111 S. Independence Mall East, Ste. 528, The Bourse Building, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (267) 777-5800

Our company was built to provide small business lending solutions that help fund the dreams of entrepreneurs. Once your funding is secure, our partnership to grow your wealth and achieve success truly begins.

We innovate with market and evidence-based, scalable solutions that yield economic growth in low-wealth communities.

Increasing equity access to resources that strengthen communities and create economic opportunity drives our work.

Since we first opened our doors more than 25 years ago, Entrepreneur Works has been guided by one overarching goal: creating opportunities. From our start supporting Philadelphia ecosystem of community development corporations to our current work with small business and entrepreneurs, we’ve always been committed to meeting the needs of underserved communities in the Greater Philadelphia Region.

Adult Education and Career Development Resources Office of Adult Education City of Philadelphia philaliteracy.org 990 Spring Garden Street, Third Floor, Suite 300 Philadelphia, PA 19123 (215) 686-5250 The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Adult Education (OAE), formerly known as the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy has worked to equip all adults in Philadelphia with the education they need for work, family, and civic engagement since 1983. OAE was charged to work on behalf of over 80 literacy and workforce development programs to help the estimated 550,000 adults in the City who need to develop their workforce literacy skills to compete in our knowledge based economy, complete secondary education, or prepare to participate in post-secondary programs.

Building Bridges to Wealth @ Wharton University of Pennsylvania buildingbridgestowealth.org The Wharton School, Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, 3620 Locust Walk, Room 351 SHDH (basement level) Philadelphia, PA 215-898-6369 Building Bridges to Wealth is a cross-generational program empowering both youth and adults with vital entrepreneurial and life skills. A collaboration between the Wharton Social Impact Initiative and Professor Keith Weigelt, the curriculum and courses aim to help participants learn to generate wealth through savings and investing. Participants develop leadership and business skills whether they strive to be entrepreneurs or simply want to create more opportunities for themselves in the workplace.

Urban League of Philadelphia Entrepreneurship Center urbanleaguephila.org 121 S. Broad Street, 9th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 985-3220

The Urban League Entrepreneurship Center (ULEC) provides technical assistance, strategic planning and links to resources to help small businesses grow their financial and human capital. Empowering entrepreneurs results in increased sales, job creation, increased financing and a greater market presence in the region.

Nonprofit Volunteer Opportunities Rebuilding Together Philadelphia rebuildingphilly.org

Friends of the Philadelphia Free Library freelibrary.org

Volunteer Accountants for Nonprofits volunteeraccountants.org

4355 Orchard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19124 (215) 965-0777

1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 567-4562

P. O. Box 394 Drexel Hill, PA 19026 (610) 626-9526

The mission of Rebuilding Together Philadelphia is to bring volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners.

Each year, RTP and 1,200 volunteers provide free safe and healthy home repairs for 75 to 100 home homeowners.

Volunteer with Friends of the Free Philadelphia Library to help support and organize an important community staple: the library. Volunteer groups work with library staff members to increase their library’s resources, raise money to pay for programming for children and adults, work on library gardens, run bus trips, host classes and much more. To get involved, contact Tessa Renshaw at tessa@libraryfriends.info today.

Volunteer Accountants for Nonprofits is a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation comprised of CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers dedicated to providing pro bono accounting consulting and training to nonprofit organizations.

Black Economics & Faith 61

CREDITS

CONTRIBUTORS

AUGUST 2017

EDITORIAL

CIRCULATION AND DISTRIBUTION BUSINESS

EDITOR AND CHIEF PUBLISHER EDITORIAL DIRECTOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITORS

Erika Freeman Rev. Maurice L. Butler, MBA, M.Div. Amber Noel Maya Wilkinson Print - Charles L. Chatmon Online - Faith Ritter

Senior Content Designer, Print Senior Content Designer, Digital Social Media Editor Associate Editor (Faith) Associate Editor (Economics) Associate Editor (Education) Associate Editor (Entrepreneurship) Associate Editor (Work) Associate Editor (Health And Fitness) Associate Editor (Community)

Daniel Zahoul Priyanka Kumari Camille Bell Clesha Staten Kinji W. Ridley, MBA Erica Wyatt, PhD Richard Snow, MBA Allison Francis Barksdale, MBA Debra Williams, Ed.D Amber Noel

Community Outreach Church Management Printing and Mailing

Camille Bell Ricardo Griffin Alpha Graphics – Delaware

President/CEO Chief Operating Officer Financial Operations Circulation and Distribution Media Sales Director

Rev. Maurice L. Butler, MBA, M.Div. Derrick Southard Calvin Harris, Jr., CPA Edwin Francis Amanda Bogan

Faith: Kinji W. Ridley, MBA Bishop C. Milton Grannum Ed.D., D. Min., Ph.D. Reverend Riley Roberts Rev. Aaron Gray, Sr. Economics: Rev. Maurice I. Butler Austin Dulen Vera Staley Monaye Nelson, B.A.Sc. focused in Economics Nicolas T. Abrams, CFP Education: Arrastene (EJ) Henry, EMBA, MS Diana Dunham Erica Wyatt, PhD Nadia Bennett, M.Ed. Entrepreneurship: Camille Bell Anwuacha Dandy Samuel Martina Arroyo-Burton, MBA Karen Wilz Work Allison Frances Barksdale, MBA Social Justice Margaret Kabogo Charles L. Chatmon Health Debra Williams, Ed.D. Bentley Ritter Community Amber Noel Stephanie A. James

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