CRM2022

Charlotte’s Multicultural Resource Magazine 2022-2023

Charlotte Football Club The Queen City’s formidable soccer team

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July – August 2022

Departments

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8 From the Publisher 47 Annual Business

Directory

Features 10 T he

Charlotte Football Club Offering an international sport to Queen City fans

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ational Institute N of Minority Economic Development Helping small businesses thrive

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rom “Aggie Pride” F to “Philip the Fair” Culturally diverse art in Charlotte

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raveling T Internationally During the Pandemic Charlotte area friends share their experiences

Log on to pridemagazineonline.com for more features.

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I nspire the Fire Dennis Reed mentors and motivates young musicians

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S erving Coffee and Hope Bitty & Beau’s gives hope to employees with disabilities

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On the Cover:

C harlotte’s Thriving Family-Owned Businesses Teamwork and strong connections equal success

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he Charlotte T Business INClusion Program Advocating for small and minority businesses

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celerate NC X Sister and brother teach children around the world

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xploring Epilepsy E Facts, management and awareness

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xactly Who Are We? E Finding answers in our family tree

Charlotte Football Club soccer players Photo courtesy of The Charlotte FC

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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“FIVE STARS. UNMISSABLE AND UNFORGETTABLE.”

RICHARD THOMAS ATTICUS FINCH HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD AARON SORKIN BARTLETT SHER in

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Charlotte’s African-American Magazine

CEO/Publisher Dee Dixon

Editor

Alicia Benjamin

Copy Editor

Sonja Whitemon

Lead Writer Angela Lindsay

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Distribution Watch Dog Entertainment® LLC

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Account Executive Nikelle Fesperman

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Vol. 30 No. 4 July-August 2022 All rights reserved for PRIDE Communications Inc. Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/PrideMagazineNC Find us on Instagram: @pridemagazinenc Find us on LinkedIn: Pride Communications, Inc. July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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FromTheCEO

By Dee Dixon

Cochrane Students Begin Their Investment Journey with PEEP

S

ome of you still may not know that Pride Magazine has a nonprofit arm called PEEP. Founded in 2007, PEEP has relaunched as the Pride Educational Empowerment Program with three foundational pillars: career mentoring, entrepreneurship and wealth creation. The fundamental goal of PEEP is to tackle the wealth gap by eliminating future socio-economic disparities within the African American community.

Under the wealth creation umbrella, PEEP successfully launched Charlotte’s First Generation Investors Program (FGI) in collaboration with Cochrane Collegiate Academy, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Global Endowment Management. Simply stated, FGI is a national program with an established curriculum to teach students about the stock market.

Jennifer Wyatt Kennedy, Instructional Facilitator at Cochrane, oversaw the student participation, which included 11th

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Below: Cochrane Collegiate Academy students present their financial portfolios.

and 12th grade students from the school’s Career and Technical Education, Business Pathway.

Each student participated and completed 12 financial literacy sessions, including an 8-week national FGI curriculum. In addition to being a great supporter of the program, Niner Finances Director Brad Yeckley was instrumental in securing five UNCC college volunteers needed to train the Cochrane students over the 8-week program. Caleb Achidi, also a UNCC student, did an excellent job in instructing the volunteers in order to present information to the students on the importance of investing, the stock market, diversification and portfolio management, mutual funds, ETFs and financial planning.

On April 26, 2022, eighteen Cochrane students and partners concluded the first cohort of the chapter on the campus of UNCC. During the celebration, students presented their portfolios, with each receiving $100 to begin their investments!

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Jarrell Rivera

Kalera Martin

Silas Mackins

Taleah Leake

What a wonderful opportunity for students of color to start their first journey in investing. The PEEP FGI program puts real money into the hands of students of color who have never invested before.

IF YOU OR YOUR CORPORATION WOULD LIKE TO JOIN PEEP IN HELPING STUDENTS TACKLE THE WEALTH GAP FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, SEND AN EMAIL TO INFO@PRIDEMAGAZINE.NET AND LET ME KNOW. All hands on deck.

It’s Soccer Season Charlotte!

Time to shout, “Olé, olé, olé!”

By John Burton Jr.

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Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC

S

o Charlotte, are you ready for some football, I mean soccer? Although the word “football” conjures up images of quarterbacks, running backs and offensive lines, people internationally think of “football” as two teams of 11 players running on a field, trying to kick a round ball into the other team’s goal net — that’s “soccer” to us in America.

Luckily, since 2021, Charlotteans have been able to enjoy professional soccer right here in the Queen City with our city’s first professional soccer team — the Charlotte Football Club.

When you go to a Charlotte FC game, you’ll hear the fans gleefully shouting, “Olé, Olé, Olé!”

According to soccer blogger Jibin S. Joseph, this was the refrain fans at especially exciting bullfights would shout.

The chant made its way into Spanish soccer games in the early 1980s, and then fans around Europe adopted the shout.

Eventually the cry circulated around the world and is now heard even at U.S. soccer matches.

You’ll also hear loud and enthusiastic shouts of “Charlotte FC!” accompanied by four claps when you attend the team’s games. Touted as “the people’s game” because of its cultural diversity, it wasn’t until recent years that soccer has taken America by storm. Soccer received a significant boost when the U.S. hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup and in 2007, when England sports icon David Beckham joined the LA Galaxy. Soccer is the fourth most popular sport in the U.S. behind American football, baseball and basketball.

Excited Charlotte FC fan cheers at a March 2022 game.

Blacks in soccer

When Major League Soccer awarded billionaire David Tepper and Charlotte the professional soccer franchise in December 2019, the reception was somewhat mixed.

Some Charlotte area folks were elated — others didn’t quite know what to make of it. Traditionally soccer has not been a sport Black people naturally gravitated toward, like baseball, basketball and football. Viewed like golf, tennis and swimming, soccer was often considered a boutique sport, which rarely included Black players. This added to the narrative that Black folks don’t

Excited Charlotte FC fans get hyped before the first game of the season.

Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC

“Touted as ‘the people’s game’ because of its cultural diversity, it wasn’t until recent years that soccer has taken America by storm.”

Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC

Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, also known as Edson Arantes do Nascimento.

play soccer, which is not true. The AfroBrazilian soccer legend Pelé was known as “the greatest of all time” by the football association FIFA, the highest governing body of association football. Pelé, also known as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. In the U.S, Black soccer history can trace its lineage back to brothers, Oliver and Fred Watson, the first known African American soccer players in the U.S. in the late 1800s.

The Watsons and many other unsung Black soccer players blazed the trail for others to follow like Cobi Jones, Briana Scurry, and High Point native and National Soccer Hall of Famer, Eddie Pope.

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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Photos courtesy of Charlotte FC

According to Zippia.com, here’s the makeup of professional soccer players in the U.S., this year: • White, 78.0 percent • Hispanic or Latino, 7.2 percent • Black or African American, 6.8 percent • Asian, 3.9 percent • Unknown, 3.7 percent • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4 percent

A unique NC soccer leader Darrius Barnes, the President of Charlotte FC’s MLS Next Pro, joined the organization in 2021 as the Club’s Director of Business Operations. The Raleigh native’s storied career in soccer began at age five. MLS Next Pro is a minor league division of the Major League Soccer system. “I was in kindergarten and a buddy of mine invited me to play at recess time and the rest is history,” Barnes said. He began playing on recreational teams, then for travel and classic leagues. Usually, the only Black player on his teams, Barnes realized early that diversity would be a challenge. Still, he was not dissuaded. He took inspiration from other Black players like Eddie Pope.

“He was one of my biggest idols. He was someone who looked like me, played the same position and had the same playing profiles,” Barnes said. Barnes’ on-field prowess and perseverance paid off resulting in an athletic scholarship to Duke University. After his collegiate career, he was drafted in 2009, to play professionally with the New England Revolution. He played professionally for eight years before retiring in 2017.

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“In march, the inaugural Charlotte FC game was history-making. Not only because it was the team’s introductory game but because they broke the MLS attendance record with 74,479 attendees.”

Awareness and advocacy

“When I was growing up soccer was a sport that many people didn’t know much about, including my parents. But they saw it brought me joy,” Barnes said. In his new role as president of MLS Next Pro, Barnes said he hopes to shine a spotlight on the next generation of young players, preparing them for their futures, both in soccer and in life, which includes people of color. “Soccer is still growing in black and brown communities,” he said. Because soccer is an international game, Barnes hopes his efforts will allow people to think beyond stateside games to ponder the sport’s other benefits beyond the field.

“Soccer is such a global game. I think people in the United States are starting to realize that and how much of a unifier this sport can be,” he added. “It brings people from different nationalities, cultures and ethnicities together. Soccer is their common language.”

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Above: Retired professional soccer player Darrius Barnes is president of Charlotte FC’s MLS Next Pro team.

The strong sense of advocacy and inclusiveness among MLS soccer players is underappreciated. Many players, past and present, have been outspoken about causes they support. Black Players for Change is an independent nonprofit organization consisting of close to 200 Black players, coaches, and staff of MLS, working to bridge the racial equality gap that exists in society. Soccer Collective on Racial Equality’s mission is to increase the representation of Black and brown men and women in soccer and create equitable access for all people regardless of color, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.

Soccer is catching on

In March, the inaugural Charlotte FC game was history-making. Not only because it was the team’s introductory game but because they broke the MLS attendance record with 74,479 attendees.

In 27 seasons of MLS, there had never been a larger attendance for a single match. This was 388 attendees shy of completely packing Bank of America Stadium. “For it to be their first season, I was surprised at how crowded it was,” said Jabari Chavis, 44, who attended his first pro soccer match. “It was great to see all the people decked out in their jerseys, shirts and scarfs. I’ll definitely go back.” The attendance record sent a message to Charlotte and the rest of the nation: Soccer is thriving in the U.S. P

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Nonprofit Helps Minority and Women-Owned Businesses Thrive

By Sonja Whitemon

T

he hurdles that face minority business owners are countless: operating costs, raising capital, attracting customers. Throw in a worldwide pandemic and what’s an entrepreneur to do? Where there are challenges, there are also opportunities.

The National Institute of Minority Economic Development is helping minority and women-owned businesses to weather traditional business challenges and survive and recover from the economic impact of the pandemic.

The nonprofit was created in 1986 as The North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development with the goal to diversify North Carolina’s business base as a strategy for expanding economic opportunities. Thirty-six years later, the organization covers five states and Washington, D.C., and is called the National Institute of Minority Economic Development. Now led by President and CEO Kevin Price, the institute supports North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Although the organization has a new name, the mission is the same.

“We address policy-related issues that may adversely impact minorities and women. We also educate the community about how those [policy issues] impact minority and [female] populations. And we educate minority and women-owned businesses — providing technical assistance around how to grow and scale their businesses and connect with corporate procurement,” said Price. “And then, lastly,” he added “it’s important that we provide economic opportunities–whether it’s grants or whether it’s loans. I don’t know of another nonprofit that has as holistic an approach in this region, let alone in the state of North Carolina.”

The institute’s Center for Entrepreneurship operates Women’s

Business Centers in Charlotte, Durham and Greensboro in North Carolina, and in Richmond, Virginia. Women’s Business Centers are funded throughout the country by the SBA and support both women and minority-owned businesses. The centers offer tools and support to both minority and women-owned businesses to stabilize their companies, generate sustainable profits, strategize for growth, and to contribute to the growth and economic development of their communities.

The offices of the National Institute for Minority Economic Development are in the historic Parrish Street building in Durham.

Through the Women’s Business Centers, the institute has the only Small Business Transportation Resource Center for the Southeast. With its partnership with the Department of Transportation, they are helping entrepreneurs in any of its five states and Washington, D.C., to land subcontracts on projects funded by

Kevin Price, President and CEO of the National Institute of Minority Economic Development

President Biden’s $2.9 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These projects have an MWBE-certification requirement, so the institute pairs eligible businesses with large entities that need subcontractors. When needed, they also provide bonding support.

After the pandemic hit, Price says large corporations and municipalities were reaching out to hire minority subcontractors but often found them to be too small to handle their jobs. The Center for Community Investment is the nonprofit’s way of providing financial resources through loans and equity to those businesses. It established Institute Capital to provide that funding. “Last year, we made over $5 million in loans over 6 months,” says Price. Their goal for next year–$10 million. And the next phase of RetoolNC grants will be $9 million.

The organization’s fourth line of business is the Center for Professional Services. It creates supplier inclusion, diversity equity inclusion, and operates an executive management education institute to not only support the minority businesses but also connect them with corporations that can buy their products and services. “It’s not enough to build capacity,” says Price “if they still can’t grow their revenue.”

The National Institute for Minority Economic Development is housed in the historic Parrish Street building in Durham, North Carolina. The 100-year-old building was at the center of Durham’s “Black Wall Street.” It was built by North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company, one of the nation’s largest companies founded and owned by African Americans. The building has been owned by minorities ever since.

The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975.

To reach the National Institute of Minority Economic Development, go to: TheInstituteNC.org. P

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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Diverse Artists Elevate Charlotte’s Cultural Scene

By Angela Haigler

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“Aggie Pride” (top) and “Down from Here” (bottom) by Curtis “Cee Kay” King

to complete it. However, he performed 90 percent of the work, King added.

King said the community inspired him to create the piece. A lover of research, he said he always makes sure he studies the subject of any of his artwork. On the left side of the Uptown mural is Queen Charlotte. Also represented are the blues and hues of the city. Giving back to the community has always been important to King, who teaches art at Oakdale Elementary in Charlotte.

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Photos courtesy of Curtis King

Curtis King burst into the national spotlight when he and his family were featured on ABC’s “Extreme Home Makeover” in 2008. The program blessed the family with a beautiful new home that included an art studio for King and an expanded community daycare center for his wife Alisha. At that time the audience caught a glimpse of his bold and colorful artwork in quick snippets on the screen.

Fast forward to today and King’s talent is so much more than quick snippets.

Audiences in Charlotte and across the region now know who Curtis King is, and his work can be found on murals, in private homes and as featured works in several exhibits.

Originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, King was encouraged to pursue his artistic talents at an early age. He sold his first painting at seven years old and later one of his high school teachers suggested he study art in college. He started out at North Carolina A&T State University and after his “Extreme Home Makeover” debut, King continued his education and then received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in painting. King’s body of work includes drawings, paintings, collages, murals and sculptures. He describes his art as “abstract expressionism and distorted urban contemporary.”

“Probably the most exciting piece I have out right now is the farmer’s market mural in Uptown,” said King, who also goes by Cee Kay in the art world. “That one is about 70 by 30 feet high, my largest one to date. It was incredible to get it done. It took about two months, but we finally got it done. It’s the piece I’m most proud of.” King said the magnitude of the piece meant he had to call in some help

Photo courtesy of Curtis King

CURTIS KING

Photo by Michell Kearney.

Photo by Brandon Scott

Top: "Lavarse Los Manos" by Irisol Gonzalez is on view at Mint Museum Uptown. Bottom: “Philip the Fair,” 2006, oil on canvas by Kehinde Wiley. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Mint Museum Auxiliary, the Katherine and Thomas Belk Acquisition Fund, and Kelle and Len Botkin.

IRISOL GONZALEZ

Irisol Gonzalez immigrated to the U.S. from Costa Rica with her family when she was 10 years old. The traditions and heirlooms from her upbringing are what she draws on to create art with an impact. An inaugural recipient of the Arts & Science Council’s 2020 Emerging Creator Fellowship, Gonzalez likes to twist and reshape the idea of machismo, the celebration of masculine strength and pride above all else throughout her work.

Her latest work, “Unearthing Jade” is included in the Interventions installation at the Mint Museum’s Randolph location. In “Unearthing Jade,” Gonzalez showcases the beauty of the jade stone and its importance to Costa Rican culture. Jade was often used to craft symbols of masculine strength for body adornment and to accompany the dead to the afterlife when buried.

Throughout the “Unearthing Jade” installation, Gonzalez twists the masculine perspective into a more feminine one. What would happen if the ancients had created jade artifacts in the image of the feminine?

What if more women had been involved in the production? How was pain expressed in Meso-American culture? What are the similarities and differences seen today?

These are the questions Gonzalez explores in this inspiring exhibit.

“I wanted to highlight what we continue to bring forward and how that looks today. This exploration led me back thousands of years to find different behaviors, traditions and ideas taught in the Aztec and Mayan cultures that we’ve held onto for so long,” Gonzalez said. “I discovered not only a critical understanding of my background and heritage but compassion for how we all perceive things.”

Gonzalez’s work has been exhibited at the Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh and Goodyear Arts in Charlotte. Her educational background includes degrees in psychology and political science from Appalachian State University. She has traveled to Mexico and Central America to study Latin American culture and its roots in the Hispanic identity that currently exists in the U.S. In her work, Gonzalez explores the sentiments and physical experience of being a brown female immigrant functioning in today’s American political atmosphere.

Gonzalez’s exhibit is part of the Interventions series at Mint Museum

Randolph, giving local and contemporary artists the opportunity to showcase their contributions alongside permanent collections.

KEHINDE WILEY

“Philip the Fair” by Kehinde Wiley is a new attraction at the Mint Museum Uptown. Wiley gained fame in 2018 after painting President Barack Obama’s official portrait in 2018. In “Philip the Fair,” Wiley takes an everyday man named Philip and gives him an elaborate rendering complete with the resplendent glamour seen in several of the palatial portraits of King Philip IV of France.

Wiley encourages us to rethink our opinions of who should receive “the royal treatment” when it comes to stately artistic depictions.

Wiley, a Los Angeles native, is now based in New York City. He’s known for his “highly naturalistic paintings of Black people modeled after the portraiture of the Old Masters of art. His artistic career began with the desire to transform the perception of Black men as dangerous and grew his concept to include Black women. He received his MFA from Yale in 2001 and has exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin and Milan among other cities.

Upcoming at the Mint Museum

Diedrick Brackens’ latest exhibit, ark of bulrushes, presents a new series of largescale weavings and premieres the artist’s first woven sculptures. The Los Angeles artist’s exhibit runs July 16 to December 11 at Mint Museum Randolph. P

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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REC HARGE. HARGE .

CAMP NORTH END

Charlotte. In a city brimming with tastemakers and trendsetters, it’s the passion of the people that gives the Queen City its soul. Stories are celebrated in this cultivated community of creatives and entrepreneurs, elevating the city with pride and a sense of excitement at every turn. Get to know Charlotte at charlottesgotalot.com.

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Thinking About Traveling Internationally During the Pandemic?

Two travelers share their experiences

By Ryan Kouame

H

Photo courtesy of Bridgette-Anne Hampden

ave you considered traveling during the coronavirus pandemic? A retired Charlotte banking executive, Bridgette-Anne Hampden, and her friend Dr. Clarence Ellis completed trips to Munich, Germany and Croatia last summer as two of their bucket list destinations and shared their travel experiences with us during this Q&A session.

Why did you decide to visit Croatia and Munich?

Bridgette-Anne Hampden: Croatia was on my bucket list of places to visit, and they were accepting vaccinated tourists from other countries. My son lives in Munich which is only a few hours away, so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone.

Croatia gets cold and has its summers from June to September, so we decided to go in August when there are fewer tourists and it’s harder for the virus to transmit. Croatia also has a younger population who is less susceptible to covid, so all the boxes were checked off for safe travels.

What did you do in Munich and Croatia?

BAH: We landed in Munich first to spend some time with my son. Munich was stricter when it came to masking mandates in public. Everyone wore masks on trains and other forms of public transportation compared to Croatia where they were more relaxed. After spending some time with my son in Munich, we made our way to the main event — Croatia.

Riding on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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Everything was open in Croatia. We visited museums and palaces, went on boat rides, relaxed in hot springs, and tried some delicious cuisine. My favorite activities were relaxing in the hot springs and visiting the palaces built by Ludwig II like the Nymphenburg [Palace], Linderhof [Palace], and Neuschwanstein [Castle] which inspired Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle. Another famous landmark in Croatia that we visited was Dubrovnik where the Amazing Race and Game of Thrones were filmed.

Clarence Ellis: We didn’t know anybody in Croatia, but we did come across a group of young Americans who took us on a boat ride for the day. We loved the emerald green views of the Adriatic Sea and Blue Lagoon where we spent most of our time when it got cold. An interesting aspect of the city and hot springs is that the volcanic activity powers the hot water that runs through their pipes, so they don’t require a hot water system.

progression of the disease. Germany was stricter compared to Croatia when it came to covid because they have a larger population and infection rate.

There were surprisingly more tourists than we expected in Croatia, so getting into some of the palaces and museums would’ve been hard had we not booked our activities before traveling. Masks were off at the tables of most restaurants as well considering the low death and infection rate.

Did the pandemic affect your travel plans?

Left: Linderhof Palace in Munich Center: Standing in front of the Grgur Ninski statue in Split, Croatia Right: Fortresses seen from the south old walls in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

steps hauling luggage throughout hilly Croatia before realizing that we kept missing the street because it looks more like an alleyway. When we finally got to the hotel, we found out that the hotel booked our room out to someone else, and we had to find somewhere else to stay. Needless to say, bring good walking shoes.

Plan ahead of time. Research good times to travel to a location versus when to avoid travel, what the weather will be like, precautions to take, places to go, and the best times to book flights and hotels. Young people and solo travelers may benefit from hostels where there are shared accommodations and experiences.

Get vaccinated. Wash your hands often, wear your mask and carry hand sanitizer. Some people even go as far as bringing their own linens and cleaning supplies, so that is also an option for extra protection. Also, educate yourself

What tips do you have for people who might want to do some international travel during the covid pandemic?

BAH: I encourage people to travel and explore with proper plans, health, safety and precautions. Covid is a new normal

Photo courtesy of Bridgette-Anne Hampden

CE: The pandemic didn’t affect our travel outside the need for careful planning. We weren’t too concerned about covid during our travels because we were vaccinated and visited low-risk areas. Croatia didn’t have a high number of cases compared to other parts of Europe like Italy, France, and other European countries that were heavily affected. There weren’t many restrictions like quarantining at this point in the pandemic considering most people were getting vaccinated and wearing masks.

BAH: A few locals told us that Croatia is used to plagues so they were prepared because of past experiences like the bubonic plague. Their society was willing and ready to cooperate to slow the

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so there is no need to be afraid if you are taking the right precautions. I like to plan ahead of time by using services like Scott’s Cheap Flights to save on travel and book all activities beforehand. Some general tips when traveling abroad are: Be polite. You’re in a new environment so you need to pay attention to your environment and stay aware and curious. You’ll learn so much about cultures just from those two things.

Be prepared for unpredictability.

We didn’t know much about the streets in Croatia and walked hundreds of

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

on what the covid travel requirements are for where you’re traveling and things you may need to do before your return. P Bridgette-Anna Hampden is a retired banking executive from Guyana who moved to New York in 1972 where she began her career in banking. She moved to Charlotte in 2001 where she currently resides and continued her career until retirement. Dr. Clarence Ellis is a medical doctor from Henderson, North Carolina, and co-founder of Metrolina Internal Medicine, an independently owned and privately-operated medical practice serving Charlotte for over 26 years.

For more information on travel guidelines from the World Health Organization, visit bit.ly/whotravelguidelines.

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Dennis Reed mentors and motivates young musicians

By Sherita Pryer

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Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Dennis Reed and his nonprofit group for young artists, Inspire the Fire

Photos courtesy of Dennis Reed

harlotte musician Dennis Reed helps young people dream about where they want to go in life and encourages them to work hard to get there.

Reed, who attended Northwest School of the Arts and earned a bachelor’s degree in music business from Catawba College, created Inspire the Fire (ITF) when he was 17 to help young people, ages 10 to 19, succeed.

What started as a choir workshop for youth in his community became a nonprofit organization that serves approximately 400 young people each year. “I was bored in the summer — there was hardly anything to do. This inspired me to create a workshop alongside my pastor and friends,” Reed said. Coaches guide the participants in various areas of the arts including dance, voice, theater, spoken word, rap and visual arts.

Reed said ITF has reached multiple generations over the past two decades. “Some of the young people that started off with us 20 years ago are working for the program now,” he said. Many former ITF youth are now performing their special talents all over the U.S. “Our former student Christopher Darby is currently working with Tyrese Gibson on the upcoming film, “1992,” said Reed.

Reed and his group God’s Appointed People (GAP) have performed with famous musicians and celebrities including the late Dr. Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, BeBe Winans, Kirk Franklin, Fantasia and former president Barack Obama.

Reed said he met Fantasia through her hairstylist who needed help putting together a surprise album release party in Charlotte. “Fantasia hired musicians that I brought in for the album release party to tour with her that following year,” Reed said. Fantasia earned her first gospel hit with the song “Necessary,” written by Reed. “Necessary,” performed by Fantasia with Dennis Reed and GAP, topped the Billboard’s Gospel Digital Songs chart in 2016. Reed continues to work with Fantasia on various projects.

Reed has been working on several projects with both ITF and GAP. Inspire the Fire has partnered with other nonprofits to create pop-up events. The group held a celebration at the Charlotte Shout festival in April that included art, fashion, food and music.

Inspire the Fire also held a vibe night at Camp North End and gave youth an opportunity to participate in an open mic session. “Throughout the summer we’re partnering with local YMCAs to host level ups, and Inspire the Fire’s big event will happen end of summer 2022,” Reed said.

“It honestly feels like we’re about to burst something brand new,” he said. GAP and ITF will drop new albums this year, and GAP is going to tour 30 European cities this winter, he added.

Reed’s advice to aspiring teenagers who would like to start their own non-profit or music group is to “simply just do it.” He added, “It’s not necessary to have everything figured out. “Your job early on is to try as many things as possible. Try it now because if you fail, there’s still time to fix it. When you get older, you begin looking for more security.” P

Dennis Reed and Grammy-award winning recording artist Fantasia

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HURRICANE PREP IS EVERY DAY, 24/7 WHAT WE’RE DOING: We are strengthening our system, upgrading equipment and investing in new grid technology.

We are improving response and restoration times by identifying potential issues in advance and installing technology that will allow us to reroute power to avoid outages.

Have a plan to move yourself and your family.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Sign up for outage alerts by phone or email or text REG to 57801.

Prepare an emergency kit with water, nonperishable food, first-aid and more.

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THURSDAY, JULY 28 | 11:30AM Have housing prices peaked? Is this the top of the market? You’re invited to a delicious mimosa brunch with Charlotte’s top real estate experts to demystify the housing market and learn how to sell your home for top dollar. Plus, meet our talented Life Plan Team and discuss the financial benefits of community living.

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Aldersgate is a non-profit Life Plan Community.

3800 Shamrock Drive • Charlotte, NC 28215

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Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Bitty & Beau’s Serves More Than Just Coffee

By Anders J. Hare

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oughly one in four Americans currently live with a disability, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in 2018. Among those with disabilities, nearly 80 percent are unemployed. This staggering statistic was the fuel Ben and Amy Wright needed to open Bitty & Beau’s Coffee, a once-smalltown business that employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

First opened in the Wrights’ hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina in 2016, Bitty & Beau’s Coffee is named after their children Bitty and Beau Wright who both have Down Syndrome. Since then, Bitty & Beau’s has opened 24 locations across the U.S. Amy Wright started the coffee shop as a business that would give people with disabilities in her community a place to work. That business has now started a movement that has led to the opening of more Bitty and Beau’s Coffee shops across the country in 12 other states.

Families told the Wrights, “We need this in our community. How can we be a part of this?” Amy said. “So we evolved into a franchise system where now we partner with families in cities across the country to open coffee shops, and in doing so … they’re creating jobs for people with disabilities in their communities, and they’re creating another portal where people can come in and see what’s possible,” she explained.

In October 2021, Bitty & Beau’s Coffee opened its first shop in Charlotte. Owned and operated by Amie and Vic Cennamo, the business has quickly become a staple in Charlotte’s coffee scene, impacting families with kids living with disabilities along the way.

One of the families impacted by Bitty and Beau’s is the Fuerstman family whose daughter Sydney lives with Down Syndrome. A high school senior, Sydney began working at Bitty & Beau’s Charlotte location shortly after it opened. Sydney said working at Bitty & Beau’s has allowed her to earn a paycheck to pay for the things she wants.

“I have a paycheck in my bank account.

And I can get these nails done,” Sydney said.

“My favorite part is the lattes that I make.”

Sydney’s mom Hunter Fuerstman said she appreciates the impact Bitty & Beau’s has had on her daughter. She explained that working at the coffee shop has helped Sydney and those around her realize the things that she’s capable of.

“Random strangers come in a coffee shop and see all these kids and see that they are

capable of more … and that they can do things that contribute to the community — just like the rest of us,” Fuerstman said.

Each coffee shop offers customers a distinct experience. The Charlotte location, for example, allows coffee buyers to place orders with trading cards which Sydney said is one of her favorite parts of working at the shop.

Bitty & Beau’s impact on the Charlotte community since its opening six months ago has been unprecedented. The location, named the city’s best coffee shop by several outlets, has been featured in the Charlotte Observer and Charlotte Magazine.

Amy said the coffee shop has not only impacted Charlotte’s most active coffee drinkers but families who have members with disabilities as well.

“They have hundreds of people that pour through their doors every day. There are families that seek out that experience

Above: Sydney Fuerstman has been working at the Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Charlotte location since last fall. Below: Bitty & Beau’s Coffee staff members at the opening of the shop’s Charlotte location in October 2021.

of coming to the shop,” she said. “Maybe they have a child with a disability, and they come to have a peek at what their child’s future could look like.”

As Bitty & Beau’s continues to expand beyond the Carolinas, Amy said she hopes their business will influence

Photos courtesy of Hunter Fuerstman

They also offer hope to employees

more businesses to make people living with disabilities a norm in the workplace.

“What we hope to do is continue to demonstrate how you can run a profitable business [by employing] people with disabilities,” she said. “Other businesses across the country will see what we’re doing and start to innovate their workplace so that they can be more inclusive and have people with disabilities on their staff.”

Overall, the Wrights want to continue to emphasize the fun nature that has made Bitty & Beau’s Coffee a success.

“It’s a very fun and festive place where we hope families will continue to come and bring their kids and bring up a generation of people that really values people with disabilities so that we can really create some change in our country,” Amy said.

Bitty & Beau’s Coffee is located at 1930 Camden Road, Suite 236 in Charlotte. P

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES

Successful Bonds Thriving family-owned businesses in Charlotte A

ccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 90 percent of American businesses were family-owned in 2019. What’s the secret to running a successful family business? We interviewed business owners in Charlotte that rely on family members to help those enterprises run smoothly and thrive. family members have worked with the company at some point in their careers. Former employees and family members include Means’ late brother James Means; his nieces Javonna Martin, Nneka Means, Tonya Dubose and Jamila Lindsay.

Photo courtesy of Jamila Lindsay

Teamwork and serving the community

Several of Nathaniel Means’ family members have worked to help his income tax service succeed.

This Family Means Business

By Sasha Manley

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he average person will spend over 90,000 hours working in their lifetime, according to LinkedIn. These hours make up about one-third of your life. With so much of our careers dedicated to this time, being part of an authentic family dynamic can mean stronger commitments, security, pride, trust and mutual long-term visions.

There are currently over 5 million family-owned businesses in the U.S. These companies make up nearly 80 percent of job creation, according to according to Family Enterprise USA. Working with family also promotes transgenerational entrepreneurship, which results in the continued legacy of independent business among families.

Means Income Tax Service is an example of a company that counts on family members to contribute to its success. Charlottean

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Nathaniel Means has served Charlotte area residents for over 50 years. Means and his niece Jamila Lindsay spoke with Pride recently about owning a business that relies on family involvement to run smoothly.

Family business tree

Means Income Tax provides tax preparation, payroll and business return services. Before starting the company, Means, an Air Force veteran, was an auto mechanic and owned a mini-mart and club in Concord.

The business began as a partnership with a friend but has turned into a company with his relatives. Current employees include his sister Myrtle Means who manages payroll services; his sisters Janette Dubose and Carol Ford who serve as front desk administrators; and his niece Trina Smith who works as a tax representative.

It’s almost become a tradition to work in the business. As a result, several

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

With any business, there will be plenty of ups and downs. There is a deeper dynamic when working with family. Means says it hasn’t been a problem. Everyone understands communication is essential for a successful business. It is also equally important to have healthy relationships with family members,” he explained. “Being able to have a workforce you can trust and that you know will work as hard as you do to maintain the family business is key.”

The digital age has helped many current businesses get the word out about their services, but prioritizing the longevity before these modern conveniences results in two things; Professional service and word of mouth. These two key elements have guaranteed return business and referrals to Means Income Tax for over five decades.

Clients have become family too. Means shared he picks up documents from clients who can’t make it to the office and does outof-state taxes when needed. “I love helping people,” he shared with a smiling face.

Throughout the year, Means and family also provide tax and homeowner seminars.

These meetings assist at-risk homeowners who need help before foreclosing.

Continuing the legacy

Looking ahead, Means plans to keep the business in the family. After working in the tax business for half a century, Means offers some sage advice: “Communicate. Nothing will happen that you cannot overcome.

Treat the business like any other business and work hard. Always communicate, and everything will be okay.”

Contact Means Income Tax Service at 704-333-1831 or visit them on Facebook.

Crepe Bistro

By Vanessa Clarke

reparing crepes is a national tradition in Ukraine which is where the owner of Crepe Bistro, Julia Watson, is from. Watson moved to America 15 years ago, and after living in New York, New Jersey and South Carolina — where she met her husband Craig — she moved to Gastonia, North Carolina and opened her crepe restaurant four years ago.

Crepe Bistro is a family-owned business and it’s the family’s love of their home country, Ukraine, their passion for the traditional preparation of crepes and their eagerness to share the delicious pancake-like dishes with Americans that drives their success.

Teaming with her mother Galyna Shepeliuk and her sister Marina Zhaburovska, Watson used her mother’s Eastern European recipes for crepes to open Crepe Bistro. “The batter is what sets us apart,” Watson said. “I traveled the world to pick the ingredients and I created this menu. People always comment that they’ve had some of the dishes in different parts of Europe.”

Watson said her customers feel like family to her, her mother and sister. “We take a lot of pride in talking with the customers and getting to know them,” she said. That family-like bond was evident as many of her customers supported the restaurant’s partnership with Kyiv-based Initiative E+ which specializes in humanitarian and charitable work in Ukraine. Crepe Bistro donates 30 percent of every purchase to the nonprofit organization that provides Ukrainian army,

Photo by Vanessa Clarke

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Julia Watson, owner of Crepe Bistro (right), her sister Marina Zhaburovska (middle) and her mother Galyna Shepeliuk (left) work together at the restaurant.

territorial defense forces and medical professionals with medical kits, bulletproof vests, helmets, vehicles and more.

Crepe Bistro has supported the local community as much as they have supported her home country, Watson said. From sponsoring local youth baseball to working with the Matthews Chamber of Commerce and local nonprofits, Watson’s restaurant has become a staple in the neighborhood.

Crepe Bistro is located at 1605 Galleria Blvd. in Charlotte.

Isaiah Counseling & Wellness

By Alicia Benjamin

he desire to help people find healthy ways to navigate life’s challenges and bring them greater emotional balance, selfconfidence and happiness is what motivated the husband-and-wife counseling team, Derwin and Shawntal Isaiah, to start Isaiah Counseling & Wellness 12 years ago.

“We are really passionate about making sure that people are well, and so we do that by being compassionate, by being real, by being understanding. Those are the things that are important to us,” Shawntal said.

Both Shawntal and Derwin provide private psychotherapy services to adults and young people, 13 years old and older.

Shawntal earned her master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Pittsburgh. Derwin earned his graduate degree in counseling from Webster University in South Carolina.

“My specialty is working with women who are similar to me — navigating life and wearing a million hats and trying to make themselves the priority. And feeling OK about doing that and not feeling guilty,” Shawntal said.

Derwin specializes in couples and mens mental health, she said.

“In the Black community … our men are not always open to seeking support — I think because we’ve often been taught that seeking help is a sign of weakness,” she added. “So he has a way of connecting with men and helping them to prioritize themselves and their mental health as well.”

Additional therapists at Isaiah Counseling & Wellness provide counseling services to young people (13 and over), adults, couples and families.

Photo courtesy of Shawntal and Derwin Isaiah

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Derwin and Shawntal Isaiah, owners of Isaiah Counseling & Wellness

Shawntal said what makes their family-owned business work so well is the mutual respect she and her husband have for each other.

“We’re both passionate about this work, but we’re different. We each respect the different skills that the other brings to the table,” she said.

Even when they both come home from work after long and challenging days, Shawntal said she and her husband acknowledge their feelings and “then we shut it down. We move on. I think that is what helps us.”

Isaiah Counseling & Wellness is located at 1914 Brunswick Ave., Suite 1B in Charlotte.

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES

Signs Revolution

By Alicia Benjamin

Photo courtesy of Signs Revolution

he team at Signs Revolution, a small family-owned business, has been serving other small businesses in the Charlotte area since 2010. Husband-and-wife team Mario Herrera and Patricia Herrera-Rubiano, who are originally from Colombia, own the company.

Signs Revolution takes pride in their indoor and outdoor signage products. They offer expertise in designing and manufacturing illuminated channel letter signs, large format printing, dimensional acrylic letter signs and other products including banners, yard signs, flags, murals, car wraps and more. They also use the most up-to-date and environmentally-friendly printing equipment.

The Herreras are proud of the family atmosphere at their company as they work alongside their daughterin-law Noelle Herrera. Also, occasionally their son David Herrera (Noelle’s husband) joins in to help.

As a small business, Mario said they “want to help other small businesses succeed.” Signs Revolution can help other businesses increase their customer base through increased visibility, he said.

One of the reasons Signs Revolution has been so successful as a business is the effective way the team works together as a family, Mario said. “I am a handyman and my wife Patricia is good with people,” he added.

“She’s more of the public relations person,” Noelle said.

“We are Spanish-speaking people and Noelle is from America so she brings the understanding of someone from the U.S.,” said Mario. “We all have our jobs to do in the company.”

Signs Revolution is located at 7148 Idlewild Road in Charlotte.

Photo by Vanessa Clarke

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Owners of Signs Revolution, Mario and Patricia Herrera

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Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Pete Tesfagzi, owner of Red Sea Restaurant and Bar

Red Sea Restaurant and Bar

By Vanessa Clarke

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he owner of Red Sea Restaurant and Bar in the Oakhurst neighborhood in Charlotte, Pete Tesfagzi, can often be seen walking around the restaurant holding conversations with his customers. This family-owned neighborhood staple opened in 2001 in Elizabeth and moved to its Monroe location in 2016. Tesfagzi and his family perform different jobs at the restaurant from making the food, serving customers and operating the cash register.

Many Red Sea patrons have been eating the Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine offered at this restaurant since it opened and order their food without looking at the menu. Pete said he stays busy from the moment the place opens making sure to give his customers the mouthwatering food their expecting.

This is the success Pete wanted for his family when he moved to Charlotte from Los Angeles in 1998, though he moved from Eritrea 30 years ago.

Tesfagzi said he wanted to open a restaurant because he “knew people would like a different type of food” than what was commonly eaten in the South. “I saved for three years to make sure I could pay for it and prepared for it to struggle.” For him, “hard work, education, and setting goals” are a life mantra and what he has instilled in his three children — his youngest attends high school and his oldest just graduated from Duke University. Tesfagzi said he enjoys serving and talking with his guests. “I have long-term customers who are like family,” he said.

Red Sea Restaurant and Bar is located at 4301 Monroe Road in Charlotte.

Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen

By Alicia Benjamin

Photo courtesy of The Charlotte Business Journal

ooking meals for her family as a middle school student gave Alyssa Wilen such joy that she turned her passion for food and cooking into a successful career as a professional chef. Alyssa, the co-owner and executive chef of Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen, works with her husband Andrew Wilen to bring the art of cooking and enjoying good food to both children and adults.

After dating for a year, the couple realized their skills fit well together. She was working at local restaurants, becoming a great chef, and he was good at branding and event planning. They opened Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen in 2013, and they’ve been sharing their talents with the Charlotte community ever since.

Chef Alyssa’s kitchen offers a variety of services including hands-on cooking classes for kids and adults, brunch at their South End location, corporate catering and healthy prepared meals for families. About the cooking classes, Alyssa said, “A lot of people come to us because they’re great home cooks and they want to strengthen their skills.” And some people who never cook want to take the classes because they want to do something fun, she said.

Alyssa gives her cooking students a basic understanding of “how to work in the kitchen and also make some really quality dishes where they can appreciate the ingredients,” she said.

“We’re a family business — husband and wife. We knew we were soul mates, and we knew we were all in for this business and together for life,” said Andrew.

hoto courtesy of Alyssa and Andrew Wilen

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Alyssa and Andrew Wilen, co-owners of Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen

“When you have a family business there’s that mom-and-pop homey feel to it. The husband-and-wife touch works well with our guests, and it carries over to our team,” Andrew said. “We love our team like family.”

Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen is located at 4001-C Yancey Road, Suite 100 in Charlotte.

of SPARK Publications Fabi Preslar started her business 24 years ago and has won numerous awards along the way, including an induction into the 2019 North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame.

Known for giving their clients individualized attention, the SPARK Publications team creates such products as lifestyle, trade and association magazines; nonfiction books for leaders and business owners such as business, collector, and cookbooks.

“Each client has different goals and our business model is very entrepreneurial and very collaborative,” Preslar said. “The publications we’re producing are part of the clients’ bigger mission, and they serve as impactful mechanisms for those companies. Our nonfiction book clients become ‘authorpreneurs.’”

The SPARK Publications team includes Preslar’s husband and Creative Director, Larry Preslar, and their daughter and Special Projects Coordinator, Sofi Preslar. She said her family members bring their own special talents and personalities to the firm that Creative Director, Larry Preslar along with founder and President of SPARK Publications Fabi Preslar and daughter and Special Projects Coordinator, make work more fun. In 2018, she told the Charlotte Business Sofi Preslar Journal, “I bring the structure but have my goofy side as well.

They are both creative and have kept a youthful playfulness to them that fits in with our overall creative culture.”

Preslar, her family, along with the team of inhouse talent and

By Vanessa Clarke contractors (also known as “the SPARKlers”) all contribute to the long-term success of SPARK Publications. Preslar added, “It’s hat began as a home-based graphic design firm has grown a heart-centered and creative services firm doing big work for to a national independent and custom publishing firm amazing businesses.” that specializes in creating print and digital magazines, books, SPARK Publications is located at 2116 Crown Centre catalogs, interactive microsites and more. Founder and President Drive, Suite 300 in Charlotte. P

SPARK Publications

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July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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GuestColumn

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he city of Charlotte spends millions of dollars annually on contracts for goods and services. During the past two years the city has increased the number of minority business enterprises certified to compete for city contracts and increased the amount of money the city spends on these businesses.

If you own a small business or want to start one, the city of Charlotte is your go-to partner for information and help. We are laser focused on promoting wealth equality by helping minority-owned businesses grow and thrive.

The Charlotte Business INClusion Program

The city’s Charlotte Business INClusion (CBI) program seeks to grow the participation of small, minority and women-owned firms in city contracting to promote economic opportunity and growth.

The CBI team is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the contracts that are awarded using public funds. “As wealth inequality increases and communities work to overcome racial and gender disparities, the city of Charlotte will be a leader in providing equal access and opportunity for all businesses LOH IV00175170_Lowes_Toolkit_Print_Ad.pdf to grow,” said City Manager Marcus Jones.

When planning for retirement, it’s best to have as much clarity as possible on the road ahead to lead the life you want.

While taxes can complicate things, it’s not necessarily true that they will lower in retirement. With the ever-so-changing expenses, you should be aware of the many implications of an effective plan.

Consider a Roth Conversion as you ask yourself these key questions: - Do you have assets in Traditional 401(k) or IRA accounts?

- Will RMDs be likely to increase your tax bracket in retirement?

- Do you desire the flexibility to structure investments to maintain growth potential?

- Do you wish to simplify your estate planning?

Call for the free guide now.

704-543-6269 Download the free guide now. https://resources.jpfinancialgroupllc.com/roth

www.jpfinancialgroupllc.com Joyce Palmer JP Financial Group | Charlotte

E : joyce@jpfinancialgroupllc.com

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Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Home to diversity The collective power of our team is the blueprint of our business.

For more information on Lowe’s career opportunities, please visit us at www.talent.lowes.com.

VectorMine / Shutterstock.com

By Steven Coker, program manager of the Charlotte Business Inclusion Program

Charlotte Program Advocates for Small and Minority Businesses

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5/25/22

10:01 AM

Our local economy and minority population are both growing, creating a huge potential for minority business growth. This growth is important because minority businesses create jobs in minority communities and help build wealth among minority families. Through intentional strategies, policies and procedures, CBI is tasked with registering our minority businesses and including them in city of Charlotte contract opportunities.

Support for minority businesses

To help minority businesses compete for these contracts, the CBI has built a network of local agencies from various fields to provide resources, including: • Government • Non-profit • Financial • Health care • Academic • Chambers of commerce Along with this network, the city offers educational opportunities to help MBEs

cope with the numerous challenges of running a small business.

We have invested in initiatives such as AmpUp, an educational program that provides MBEs with business knowledge, management know-how and the networks they need to propel their business. AmpUp has been successful in helping participating MBEs accelerate their business to increase revenue, create jobs and positively impact the Charlotte community.

The city also offers NXT|CLT, an initiative that builds on AmpUP to create a robust pathway of success for businesses owned by people of color.

We believe in listening and learning from our minority business community and providing them with resources based on their expressed needs. In the coming months, CBI will be administering a capital assistance program to support our certified MBEs who have city contracts and need loan capital. In addition, to support our construction companies who need assistance with securing surety bonds or

increasing their bonding limits, CBI will be seeking a partner that will administer a surety bonding program.

The city of Charlotte believes that through commitment and intentionality, the Charlotte Business Inclusion Program will positively impact many minority businesses and become a national model that we all can be proud of.

Find out more about CBI

To learn more about CBI and the programs that CBI has to offer, please refer to the information below: • Steven Coker, CBI program manager: Steven.Coker@charlottenc.gov • How to certify your business: Visit www.charlotte.diversitycompliance.com or call 704-336-4137, and press prompt “1” for certification.

• City contract opportunities: https://charlottenc.gov/DoingBusiness/ Pages/ContractOpportunities.aspx • EarlyBird (for contract opportunities): https://earlybird. charlottebusinessresources.com/ P

Charlotte Latin School is an independent, non-sectarian, coeducational, college-preparatory day school for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12.

9502 Providence Road | Charlotte, NC 28277 CharlotteLatin.org | 704.846.7207

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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Your peace of mind is at the top of our list.

Getting on the Sharon Club Priority List comes with perks, including: •

First offer of residences in upcoming phases of new construction

•

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CHARLOTTE, NC 28210

Charlotte Nonprofit Teaches Children Around the World

By William Carter, Jr.

N

onprofits that help people and give back to communities represent the best of our country. They give people a way to work together for the good of all, putting their shared aspirations and ideologies into practice. They shape our biggest dreams, highest ideals and most important causes.

There are 1.3 million charitable nonprofits in the U.S. that help feed, heal, house, teach, inspire, enlighten and care for people of all ages and background throughout the world. They help people get involved in their communities and become leaders. They also help the economy grow and improve our communities every day.

One of these groups is Xcelerate NC, a Charlotte-based 501(c)(3), nonprofit group that works to help young minds develop and do better in academics.

Xcelerate NC offers online math and public speaking classes and raises money for other charities.

Aditi Sengupta,18, and her brother Anirudh Sengupta,13, founded the organization in the summer of 2020.

These two siblings coordinate all the organization’s activities and events, and they both teach students through online sessions. They work primarily with elementary school students, but they also provide resources for kids as they progress through middle school and high school.

Some of their online students overseas are in their late teens.

Aditi, a graduating senior at Ardrey Kell High School, has demonstrated excellence and leadership in diverse disciplines, such as math and debate. She serves as captain of the debate team and president of mock trials. “[It’s] humbling to be part of other people’s journeys and give back to the community,” she said. “I get plenty of satisfaction from helping others.”

Anirudh currently attends Community House Middle School and is passionate about math, science and the arts, and has won multiple trophies and medals in competitive academics and accolades at math and science Olympiads. He said, “I’ve had great experiences with my mentors and want to give others the same opportunity by mentoring them.”

The siblings started Xcelerate NC in

Founders of Xcelerate NC Aditi Sengupta (right) and her brother Anirudh Sengupta

2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

When several schools opted for virtual learning rather than in-person classes, Aditi understood that students, especially the younger ones, could become easily disconnected from lessons taught virtually.

She identified the need to support younger kids in transition to distant learning and recognized public speaking as a skill that children will eventually need.

The public speaking courses Aditi teaches help young children develop self-

confidence. “It’s something that we do a lot [in life], so start kids at a young age…telling stories and fun things to get kids speaking publicly,” Aditi said. “We’re helping kids become more comfortable with math in one-on-one courses for typical math classes and competitions,” Anirudh explained.

Anirudh leads an annual math competition hosted by Xcelerate NC called Xpress Math during the winter season. The program creates classes and assessments that help test children’s math knowledge.

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

35

International educators participate in a panel discussion on the impact of the pandemic on the education of children globally.

The curriculum, established by Aditi and Anirudh, has helped school-aged kids in Charlotte, South Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, Tennessee and even countries such as Tanzania and India.

One of the hurdles the Sengupta siblings have had to overcome with their educational programs is ensuring that their students have the proper equipment to receive and work on lessons. “One student [in Tanzania] was using a cellphone and [public] wi-fi to login,” Aditi said. To help raise educational funds for students in need overseas, Xcelerate NC partners with other nonprofits like help2kids, which works to improve children’s quality of life and opportunities in Tanzania and Malawi. They also work with Develop Africa, which aims to help meaningful and long-term development in Africa by giving school supplies, scholarships, computer/vocational training and other resources to young students.

Xcelerate NC also receives donations from its one-on-one course and summer camps to help raise educational funding.

Outside of their organization, Aditi and Anirudh participate in fundraisers for other nonprofit groups like Breast Cancer Hub, Second Harvest Food and the Exceptional Children Program at CharlotteMecklenburg Schools. Aditi said she plans to continue raising funds to provide proper learning equipment for children overseas when she starts college.

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Anirudh and Aditi guide students during the Xcelerate NC annual Xpress Math Competition.

Working together as a sister/brother team is a challenging yet rewarding dynamic, they said. “There are productive disagreements,” Aditi said. “Debates can help both ways … different ideas help piece things together. I may have a class idea for one student while Anirudh may have a different idea for a class that still helps the same student.” Anirudh manages the Xcelerate NC website, and Aditi handles the content; both work together to create lesson plans and curricula.

Executing a successful 501(c)(3) organization isn’t always easy, but Aditi

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

and Anirudh Sengupta have Xcelerate NC operating quite seamlessly. Their parents assist with organizational duties, such as tax filings and other federal/state regulations, while the siblings remain focused on Xcelerate NC’s educational mission and goals.

Parents of students the siblings have taught and others praise Aditi and Anirudh’s work at Xcelerate. “Harshil and Rishan love your camp,” one parent wrote.

“I like the way you keep the kids engaged and focused. They are never bored and look forward to your camp.” P

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BLUMENTHAL REVIEW SPONSORED CONTENT

Queen City Comedy Experience Hits Charlotte This August

F

or the first time since 2019, Blumenthal Performing Arts, Queen City Comedy, and The Comedy Zone will host The Queen City Comedy Experience, Charlotte’s premier comedy festival highlighting several dozen local and national acts from a wide variety of genres. The festival returns to multiple venues in Uptown Charlotte August 11-August 28. Tickets at blumenthalarts. org/queen-city-comedy-experience.

Iconic comedy musician Weird Al Yankovic, IFC’s podcast Comedy Bang Bang, stand up comedian Bill Bellamy and legendary sketch & improv comedy troupe The Second City will headline the 2022 festival.

This year’s festival will be held over three weekends, expanding beyond past festivals one weekend schedule. Venues include The Comedy Zone, Belk Theater, Knight Theater, Booth Playhouse, Stage Door Theater and QC Social.

Local Charlotte area stand-up comedians and improv troupes including Tara Brown, Don Garrett, Johnny Millwater, Jason Allen King, Now Are The Foxes, Improv Charlotte, Robot Johnson, Screw Up TV and more will also perform throughout the festival.

The full local lineup and schedule will be revealed at a later date.

The QUEEN CITY COMEDY EXPERIENCE is Charlotte’s principal comedy festival fit for anyone who loves to laugh. Pop up spaces around the city will be transformed into comedy clubs for the large variety of offerings from comedy acts, stand-up shows, improv teams, dance and music groups, films, live podcast tapings and more. Plus, veteran and budding performers of all ages will have the opportunity to get some hands-on comedy experience with workshops by Second City for teens and adults.

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Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

For tickets and more information, visit https://www.blumenthalarts.org/queen-citycomedy-experience

ABOUT BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS

Blumenthal Performing Arts serves the Carolinas as a leading cultural, entertainment and education provider.

For more information, call (704) 372-1000 or visit BlumenthalArts.org. Blumenthal Performing Arts receives operating support from the North Carolina Arts Council.

Blumenthal Performing Arts is also supported by PNC Bank, sponsor of the PNC Broadway Lights.

ABOUT QUEEN CITY COMEDY

Queen City Comedy is a non-profit artist collective dedicated to growing the comedy scene in Charlotte and around the globe by building community, fostering collaboration, showcasing our great talent, celebrating quality work and generally being awesome.

ABOUT THE COMEDY ZONE

Based in Charlotte, The Comedy Zone is the nation’s largest chain of stand-up comedy clubs with over 50 locations. The Charlotte club, located at the NC Music Factory, is considered by the industry as one of the premier clubs in the country. With seating for 400 guests and state of the art sound and lighting, there is not a more impressive venue in the region. In addition to bringing in the best in live comedy, the club is available as a rental for meetings, banquets, charity functions or any type of special event.

Exploring Epilepsy:

The Facts and Mysteries

By Sasha Manley

Dr. Rani Singh, pediatric neurologist at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital

M

ore than three million people have been diagnosed with epilepsy in the U.S. It is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting the central nervous system.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a seizure disorder that happens when brain activity is disturbed.

It can occur because of head injuries or genetics. To have epilepsy means to have two or more seizures at least 24 hours apart that are not provoked.

Fast facts

Many people believe epileptic seizures are triggered by things like low blood sugar, flashing lights or an illness that causes fever, but there are many unknowns about epilepsy. Here are a few: • Anyone can develop this condition.

• 1 in 10 people will have epilepsy in their lifetime.

• Most seizures last 30 seconds to two minutes.

• Not everyone loses consciousness during an epileptic episode.

• The number of new cases is rising every year.

• Most are diagnosed after two episodes.

• It can take years to get a diagnosis.

Types of epileptic seizures

Two of the most common types of seizures are “focal” and “generalized.”

Focal seizures, also known as partial seizures, affect one part of the brain. In contrast, generalized seizures affect both sides of the brain.

Epilepsy in children

There are more than 150,000 new diagnoses every year, and one-third are children who are not as affected as adults.

“Epilepsy can affect people in different ways and at different ages from infants to the elderly,” said Dr. Rani Singh, a pediatric neurologist at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital.

Since children’s brains are still developing, they have a higher chance of growing out of the condition. Singh explained, “In kids, often what happens is that children could have childhood epilepsy, which may be temporary or transient, even though [the child] may require medicines to help control the seizures for the time being.”

Unlike epilepsy in adults that can be caused by a stroke or brain injury, there are still questions surrounding what causes it in children. “Out of 10 children, six of them will have an unknown cause,” Singh added.

According to AtriumHealth.com, infantile spasm is a common type of infant seizure that is sometimes overlooked by a baby’s natural movements. Out of 10,000 children, only five will be affected. Therefore, keeping a watchful eye is critical for early intervention and positive development.

Treatment

Although there is no cure for epilepsy, there are ways to help manage it. The four common treatments are anti-epileptic medicine, electronic implant devices, surgery and diet.

Pediatricians recommend that children be given one medication for two years, Singh said. If they have no seizures during that time, they are then evaluated to determine the next steps, she added.

Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, has been used to reduce the occurrence of epileptic triggers in recent years; however, there have been no over-the-counter FDAapproved cannabis treatments to date.

Recreational and medical CBD is limited in North Carolina.

First aid

Many seizures come without warning.

The unknown can be scary. Here are a few ways you can help: • Make sure the person is in a safe place.

• Check for a medical bracelet that will have emergency information.

• Do not administer CPR. In many cases, the person will recover after the seizure has passed.

• Please do not put anything in their mouth. It can cause mouth injuries.

• Time the seizure.

• Wait until the person is alert before offering food or drink.

Epilepsy awareness

Since 2003, November has been Epilepsy Awareness Month. A considerable part of epilepsy awareness is identifying seizures among those who are undiagnosed and aiding them with health care.

Those living with epilepsy face many challenges beyond the condition, such as finding work, acceptable school environments, and affordable health care.

Bringing these concerns to the forefront can make a difference.

Always consult your physician for medical advice. P Sources: Dr. Rani Singh, epilepsy.com, mayoclinic. org, atriumhealth.org, CDC.gov and FDA.gov

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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Building Wealth Through Homeownership Resources Every Prospective Homebuyer Needs in Their Life

By AJ Barkley, Head of Neighborhood and Community Lending, Bank of America

O

n paper, wealth is household net worth, or the total value of assets minus debt, but personally, wealth is more far-reaching. It can provide a secure retirement, ensure backup in times of financial distress, or serve as something tangible to pass down to the next generation.

Homeownership continues to be seen as a path to wealth accumulation and family legacy, and Bank of America provides a variety of educational resources and digital tools to help buyers achieve their lifelong dream to own a home. Still, upfront costs of homeownership can be the most challenging barrier, so Bank of America’s $15 billion Community Homeownership Commitment® aims to help low- and moderate-income or multicultural homebuyers on their path to affordable homeownership. The program includes a combination of specially-designed products, resources and expertise as well as two proprietary homebuyer grant programs which can provide eligible buyers with money toward their down payment and closing costs, helping them overcome obstacles on their way to homeownership.

Prospective homebuyers understand the important role homeownership can play in their financial future. According Bank of America’s 2022 Homebuyer Insights Report, top reasons Black/ African American buyers are motivated to purchase homes include:

If you’re just getting started…

• First-Time Homebuyer Online Edu-Series®: Demystifies home finance as experts provide guidance and tips to prepare finances, make an offer, and apply for a mortgage -- both in English and Spanish.

• Better Money Habits®: A financial education platform that empowers people to take control of their finances with advice, tools and guidance on budgeting, saving, managing debt and more.

• Home Resource Center: Our new Home Resource Center is a hub for anyone seeking financial education and guidance in the early stages of buying or redesigning a home. A wide array of resources and advice are at your fingertips to help you reach your homebuying and home improvement goals.

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the ability to build equity in a home, and to set down roots for a growing family – 42% and 46% of respondents respectively.

Whatever your timeline to homeownership is the below resources at bankofamerica.com/homeowner can get you on your path:

If you’re researching home buying programs…

• Affordability Calculator: Start with our recently updated affordability calculator to determine how much home you can comfortably afford. Completing three simple fields – annual gross household income, monthly debt payments, and property ZIP code – make it more streamlined than ever to evaluate a mortgage payment that fits into your lifestyle.

• Bank of America’s Down Payment Grant: Gives eligible homebuyers in select markets 3% of the home purchase price up to $10,000 (whichever is less) – no repayment necessary.

• America’s Home Grant®: Gives eligible buyers a lender credit up to $7,500 to be used for non-recurring closing costs or to buy down their interest rate. And, it can be used with the Down Payment Grant.

• Affordable Loan Solution®: Our 3% down payment fixed-rate mortgage has a competitive rate and lower cost mortgage insurance.

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

If you’re ready

to purchase…

• Bank of America Real Estate Center®: Offers a home search feature that identifies down payment and closing cost grant-eligible properties for sale across the country, as well as lists homes for sale, home values, previous purchase prices and recent home sales based on the latest data.

• Digital Mortgage ExperienceTM: Puts homebuyers in the driver’s seat when it comes to selecting a mortgage that fits their personal needs and guides them through the entire process. P © 2022 Bank of America Corporation.

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www.TheInstituteNC.org/ENC22 July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

41

We Are All Super Heroes When We Recycle Right!

Above: A Sauk Native American family in 1890 Left: Five generations of an African American family in Beaufort, South Carolina

Searching for Who We Are:

Looking for answers in our family tree

By Angela Lindsay

H

ow far back can you trace your family roots? Many of us want to know as much as we can about our ancestral tree because we want to find answers to who we really are and where we come from.

“In my experience, few things are more compelling than our own origin stories,” said Gretchen Krueger, Ph.D., senior historian and lead family dynamics specialist at Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management. Krueger gives people practical tips for investigating and documenting their family history.

The most common questions people ask Krueger include: Where did my family come from? Who came before me? What was their life like, including schooling, daily work, military service, migrations and connections to community?

“Knowing these answers can give us a fuller sense of our self and our place in our families across a long-time horizon — one

that spans the past, present and future,” she said.

“History allows us to be able to more fully understand those who came before us and reflect on how Gretchen Krueger, they’ve shaped our Ph.D., senior lives and identities,” historian and lead Krueger said. “Often family dynamics we’re not even aware specialist at Wells of these influences Fargo Wealth until we learn more & Investment about our family’s Management past. It’s important to know that ‘the past’ can mean the more distant past and more recent generations.

Having this knowledge can stir many emotions – even mixed emotions,” she explained. “History can confer greater responsibility,” she added. “It can also inspire us to contribute to our family’s unique legacy.”

Interest in researching genealogy and family lineage seems to have spiked over the past 25 years or so with the availability of many online resources and at-home testing kits that claim to help people trace their ancestry, as well as the popularity of genealogical TV shows like “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.” and “Who Do You Think You Are?” In fact, Ancestry.com gets about 39,000 visitors a day, according to genealogyintime.com. For some ethnic groups, however, particularly African Americans, this search often hits dead ends because much history has been lost to time or even destroyed due to the transatlantic slave trade which intentionally destroyed family bonds and the stories that went along with them.

While Krueger contends that all researchers—whether novice, experienced or professional — will encounter roadblocks, she acknowledges that African Americans face unique challenges when trying to explore their family history.

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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“A major challenge is commonly referred to as the 1870 wall, which refers to the period before 1870 when there was a lack of government records available for enslaved people. Most family historians depend on federal census records to trace their ancestors back through time. The U.S. Census has been enumerated every ten years since 1790. Thus, these records help researchers look back across time and place, in decade increments. However, before the Civil War, only free Black Americans (just 10 percent of African Americans at the time) were listed by name in the census.”

The Freedmen’s Bureau archive may provide new clues for those searching for answers. The Freedmen’s Bureau’s records hold a wide range of information about the African American experience during slavery and Reconstruction. Organized in 1865, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands provided a measure of relief and education to refugees and freedmen. This invaluable collection includes records created from 1865-1872, so it may help researchers scale the “1870 wall.”

Researchers may uncover additional ancestors by using advanced strategies, such as searching the 1870 census for other people who had the same family surname who lived close to where their relatives lived, Krueger explained. A small number of Black Americans took the surname of their last enslaver. Examine the households listed on census pages before and after your ancestors on the census. White people with the same surname might be the former enslaver(s).

Having that name may allow you to explore property records such as deeds, probate records and bills of sale that might include your ancestors. Unfortunately, the destruction of courthouses in some southern counties during the Civil War can pose further challenges, or even dead ends, when searching for civil records.

The records are varied, relating to marriages, schooling, hospitalization and military service, Krueger said. Other records

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Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

An American family in the late 19th century

relate to the negotiation of labor contracts, land and property records and court records. Family historians prize these records because they can contain names, ages and occupations of their ancestors, information that can be difficult to find through other documents, she added.” Visit archives.gov/research/african-americans/freedmensbureau to search the records in the Freedman’s Bureau collection.

Anyone with an internet connection can now access more than 3.5 million records documenting the lives of free Black people during the Reconstruction period. Created by genealogy company Ancestry, the

A Chicago family in the 1920s

free Freedman’s Bureau online portal is a treasure trove of information about Black communities in the U.S. between 1846 and 1878, Rosalind Bentley reported last year in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The families Krueger helps with research tell her they feel a greater sense of connection after learning more about their roots. She said many feel gratitude for sacrifices or hard decisions their ancestors made, while others speak about wanting to live up to their families’ reputations or to take advantage of opportunities not available to those who came before them.

Here are additional suggestions for anyone, regardless of race, who is interested in researching their roots.

Start with yourself. What do you already know, such as names, dates, and key places? Pull it all together for easy reference.

Widen your circle. Reach out to relatives who may be able to help. Often family trees, photo albums, family bibles, and historical records get scattered across family members. Ask questions and gather what you need at the beginning.

Determine a focus: Researching family history can become overwhelming if you try to explore many directions all at once. What do you most want to know?

Map a path: Carefully consider what tools you need. Are you interested in searching for particular records or are there life stories of a relative that you can’t wait to record?

Prioritize to make it manageable.

Be tenacious: If you get frustrated, consider your challenge from a different angle. For example, if you’ve exhausted a search using federal census records, dive into a different source like city directories or newspaper databases. You can move from online sources to an expert in a local library or historical society where your relative lived.

Finally, pause and then resume your sleuthing. New collections like the Freedmen’s Bureau records can add leaves to a family tree just when you would have given up hope of learning more P

Saturday, August 6, 2022 (8am-noon)

.

— Gretchen Krueger, Ph.D.

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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Minority and Womenowned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Training and Support

N.C. Coordinators’ Network www.mwbenetwork.org N.C. Institute of Minority Economic Development 919-956-8889 www.theinstitutenc.org

MWBE Certification Carolinas-Virgina Minority Supplier Development Council 704-549-1000 www.cvmsdc.org info@cvmsdc.org City of Charlotte Small Business Opportunity Program www.charlottebusinessinclusion.com 704-336-4137 N.C. Small Business and Technology Development Center 919-715-7272 www.sbtdc.org Statewide Uniform Certification Program (SWUC) *N.C. Dept. of Administration Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses 984-236-0130 www.doa.nc.gov/hub

Food Lion Garland Scarboro Manager, Diversity and Inclusion 704-310-2589 Garland.Scarboro@ RetailBusinessServices.com www.foodlion.com/careers/diversityand-inclusion/supplier-diversity/ Novant Health diversityandinclusion@novanthealth.org www.novanthealth.org/ supplierdiversity Piedmont Natural Gas supplierdiversity@piedmontng.com Walmart Stores, Inc. corporate.walmart.com/suppliers Wells Fargo supplierdiversity@wellsfargo.com www.wellsfargo.com/supplierdiversity

Businesses Administrative Services Cybertary Charlotte 704-256-4717 charlotte.cybertary.com charlotte@cybertary.com Global Linking Solutions 877-914-5465 www.gls.com

BrandRPM 704-225-1800 www.brandrpm.com

The Narmer Group, LLC 678-787-8098 www.thenarmergroup.com

BURKE Integrated Marketing 704-377-2633 brkmarketing.com

Zuri Creative Services 704-380-0278 www.zuricreative.com

CGR Creative 704-334-2232 www.cgrcreative.com

Architects

Jaunt Media Group 704-962-8570 Info@ridejaunt.com www.ridejaunt.com

Neighboring Concepts 704-374-0916 www.neighboringconcepts.com

Classic Achievements, Inc. 980-819-9176 www.classicachievements.com cs@classicachievements.com Creative Marketing Ideas 980-938-8555 www.creativemkg.com cs@creativemkg.com Equine Marketing Group 704-663-4487 www.equinemarketinggroup.com KS Image Solutions, LLC 704-786-7763 www.ksimagesolutions.com info@ksimagesolutions.com

Lyerly Agency 704-525-3937 www.lyerly.com elyerly@lyerly.com

Benjamin M. Li 704-527-0878

Internet Marketing Charlotte 704-236-6936 www.Internetmarketingclt.com

Corporate Supplier Diversity

The Plaid Penguin 704-919-1726 www.theplaidpenguin.com

Motivation Marketing Firm 704-326-2187 www.MotivationMarketingFirm.com

Atrium Health www.atriumhealthsupplychainalliance.org

AC&M Group 704-697-4400 info@acmconnect.com www.acmconnect.com

PIA International 704-593-1256 www.piapromo.com

Compass Group/Foodbuy Alicia McMath VP of Diversity & Inclusion 704-328-4000 www.cgnad.com

Williams & Exum, P.A. 704-332-5583 www.jjexumlaw.com

Barbara L. White 704-375-9411 www.barbaralwhite.com

3 Keys Marketing Products 704-249-5572

Bank of America www.bankofamerica.com

The Corbett Law Firm, Pllc 704-401-5299 www.cmlaw-nc.com

Logo Pros 704-545-7408 www.logopros.us

Media Power Advertising, Inc. 704-896-0310 www.mediapoweradvertising.com

AdSpark Promos 704-293-5049 www.adsparkpromos.com

Attorneys

Mickle & Bass Law Firm 803-929-0029 www.mickleandbass.com

Advertising Agencies/ Promotional Products

Ad Concepts, Inc. 704-366-1616 www.goadconcepts.com

FM Supplies 336-391-8653

Logo’d Gear 704-334-9333 www.logodgear.com

Women Wrule Women, Minority and Small Business Certification Assistance and Government Contracting 803-517-4030 www.womenwrule.com

Balfour Beatty Construction Chad Humphrey Director of Business Development and Diversity 919-233-5137 chumphrey@bbus.com www.balfourbeattyus.com

CES Group 704-489-1500 www.ces-group.net

Media Mark.US 803-329-7942 www.mediamark.agency

Pride Communications, Inc. 704-375-9553 www.pridemagazineonline.com QCityMetro.com www.qcitymetro.com Robinson Thinks www.robinsonthinks.com

BluePepper Public Relations 704-625-6564 www.bluepepperpr.com

Spark Strategic Ideas, LLC 704-625-2185 www.sparkstrategicideas.com

Brand Equity Marketing, LLC 704-372-3982 www.brandequitymarketing.com

The Agency Marketing Group 704-564-9694 www.gettheagency.com

ResourceListings

Minority Business Development Agency 202-482-2332 www.mbda.gov

Duke Energy Andrew Grier Supplier Diversity Executive 704-382-7690 andrewgrier@duke-energy.com www.duke-energy.com/ suppliers/default.asp

Brady & Kosofsky, PA 704-849-8008 www.bandklaw.com info@bandklaw.com Cheryl R. Watkins 704-552-3993 www.crwatkinslaw.com Douglas H. Kim Law Firm 704-504-0962 www.douglaskimlawfirm.com GPS Law Group 704-549-1950 www.gpslawnc.com Gardner Skelton, PLLC 704-335-0350 www.gardnerskelton.com Hoard Law, P.C. 704-954-8094 www.hoardlaw.com Houston Law Office 704-595-9146 www.Houston-law-office. business.site The Montgomery Law Firm, PLLC 704-312-7360 www.charlottemontgomerylaw.com Ferguson Chambers & Sumter, P.A. 704-375-8461 www.fergusonsumter.com

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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Hands Law Office, PLLC 704-248-7976 www.handslawonline.com

ResourceListings

Ken Harris & Associates 704-343-2620 www.khalegal.com Kimberly E. Fox, PLLC 704-439-2720 www.kimfoxlaw.com Kimberly Poe Law Office 704-489-8182 DeMayo Law Offices 704-324-8689 www.demayolaw.com Closing Carolina •Law Offices of Michelle Vereckey 704-283-5555 www.closingcarolina.com Lisa Andrew Dubs 828-323-1926 www.dubslaw.com York Harmon Johnson 704-375-4480 www.yhjlaw.com Mitchell & Suhr PLLC 919-944-4668 www.paulsuhrlaw.com Ramsay Law Firm, P.A. 704-376-1616 www.ramsaylawfirm.com The Snow Legal Group 704-358-0026 www.snowlegal.com Collins Family Law Group 704-275-2657 www.collinsfamilylaw.com Starrett Law Firm, PLLC 704-887-4944 www.starrettlawfirm.com

Computers/ Printers/Web

William H. Harding Law 704-504-7854 www.williamhharding.com

Allegra Marketing, Print, and Mail 704-385-4212 www.allegracharlotte.com

Book Stores

Affordable Computer Repair by DJ 704-412-5101 www.affordablecomputerrepairbydj.com

Book Buyers 704-344-8611 Park Road Books 704-525-9239 www.parkroadbooks.com Main Street Books 704-892-6841 www.mainstreetbooksdavidson.com The Book Rack 704-544-8006 Julia’s Café & Books 704-295-4585 www.juliascafe.org KEMETIC Science Institute 704-910-6783 www.KemeticScienceInstitute.com

Communications/ Media-Related Services Advanced Imaging Systems, Inc 800-365-1038 www.aisimc.com Aquent 704-338-9119 www.aquent.com

Susan D. Brotherton 704-873-7529

Atlantic Communication Products, Inc. 704-676-5880 www.goacp.com

Law Offices of T. Michael Todd 704-343-9700 mtodd@tmtoddlaw.com

BC Forward 866-363-1132 www.bcforward.com

The Law Office of Tamela T. Wallace 704-371-4212 www.tamelatwallace.com

CGR Creative 704-334-2232 www.cgrcreative.com

Bishop, Dulaney, Joyner, Abner, P.A. 704-945-9850 www.bdjalaw.com Central Law Group, PLLC 704-248-0949 www.clglawgroup.com The Justice Firm, LLC 704-377-4747 www.thejusticefirm.com admin@thejusticefirm.com

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Roderick G. Davis Attorney & Counselor at Law 704-632-1500 www.rgdavislaw.com

Blueline Technologies 704-542-1514 www.BlueLTI.com

Paperless Digital Solutions, LLC 980-265-1425 www.paperlessds.com

Business Policy Solutions, LLC www.bpolicysolutions.com Carolina Cartridge & Supplies 704-347-2447 www.ccsinside.com Computech Consulting, LLC 704-499-8967 www.computech-consulting.net Computer House Calls 704-549-4334 www.chc-clt.com/ Computel Systems 704-541-8659 www.computelsys.com Copy Cat Instant Printing of Charlotte 704-529-6606 www.copycatsouth.com CPI Training Solutions Inc. 704-593-8999 www.solutionsrus.com Dat-A-Syst, Inc. 704-523-3548 www.datasyst.net Experienced Recruiting Partners LLC 518-598-6300 www.experiencedrecruitingpartners.com

Jameson Advisory Group 980-285-7146 www.jagclt.com

Hardison Cartridge, LLC 704-770-3533 www.hardisoncartridge.com

Mark III Media 704-269-8640 www.markiiimedia.com

IT-HenHouse 704-659-0665 980-393-3400 www.it-henhouse.com

Network Cabling Systems, Inc. 704-523-8606 www.networkcablingsystems.com

Zamora Law 704-728-9633 info@zamora-law.com

Yellow Duck Marketing, LLC 704-271-9555 www.yellowduckmarketing.com

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

NTT DATA Consulting 704-936-1600 us.nttdata.com Neteffect Technologies 704-504-9040 www.ne-t.com

Geek Choice 704-331-0739 www.geekchoice.com www.computergeeksnow.com

The Wright Law Firm 704-332-2274 thewrightlawfirmofcharlottepllc. vpweb.com

Metrolina Printing & Promotional, LLC 704-262-3939 www.metrolinaprintpromo.com

Applied Data Technologies 704-847-3000 www.applieddatatech.com

CITI, LLC 704-969-2484 www.citi-llc.com

Media Power Advertising 704-896-0310 www.mediapoweradvertising.com

MPG Consulting Services LLC 704-807-6376 704-659-6767 www.mpgcs.com

Patriot Technology Solutions 850-512-0365 Rush Computer Rentals 800-343-7368 www.rushcomputer.com SMS Tech Solutions, LLC 800-656-7702 www.smstechsolutions.com Stratagon, Inc 888-506-3466 www.stratagon.com Syntelli Solutions Inc. 877-796-8355 www.syntelli.com The Imagine Group 704-597-9015 www.theimaginegroup.com XM Digital, Inc 919-335-3164 Xtramile Soft, LLC 704-699-9912 www.xtramilesoft.com

Dentists/Orthodontists A Smile 4 U Family Dentistry 704-549-1199 www.Smile4ucharlotte.com Carmel Commons Dental & Imaging 704-412-4629 www.carmelcommonsdental.com Carolina Aesthetic Dentistry 704-793-4211 www.ncaestheticdds.com Dasling Dentistry 704-594-9250 www.daslingdentistry.com

JCMR Technology, Inc. 704-707-3333 www.jcmr.net

Derek C. Barnes, DDS 704-849-6700 www.drderekbarnes.com

Laury Controls & Design 704-785-6788 www.laurycontrols.com

Diane E. Haberl, DDS 704-663-3001 www.alliancedentalgroupnc.com

Lorven Group, Inc. 704-899-5200 www.lorvengroupinc.com

Dual Image Orthodontics 704-269-8495 www.dualimageortho.com

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Eagle Shembo Dentistry Dr. Etienne Shembo, DDS 704-503-0202 www.eagleshembodentistry.com

Qwest Electric, LLC 704-662-3900 www.qwestelectricllc.com

Island Grocery 704-532-0322 www.IslandGroceryandGrill.com

U. Phillip Igbinadolor& Associates 704-494-8484 www.upidental.com

Starr Electric Company, Inc. 704-568-6600 www.starrelectric.net

Patel Brothers 704-509-2305 www.PatelBros.com

Wizark Medical L.L.C 980-888-8628 www.WizarkMed.com

Summit Air and Electric 704-597-0940 www.summitairandelectric.com

Jackson Orthodontics 704-464-0696 www.drjacksonsmiles.com

Young & Polite Children’s Dentistry (704) 587-7336 www.youngandpolite.com

Watson Electric Company, Inc. 704-947-5151 www.watsonelectric.com

Matthews Periodontics 704-820-6633 www.matthewsperio.com

Electrical Services

Orthodontic Care 704-303-8455 704-533-9240 www.drcooperortho.com

Adams Electric Company 704-940-6080 www.adams-electric.com

Eastover Dental 704-842-3542 www.eastoverdental.com Friendly Dental Group of Ballantyne 704-494-7990 www.friendlydentalgroup.com

Palmieri Dentistry 704-247-6336 www.palmieridentistry.com Alliance Dental Group 704-786-9123 www.alliancedentalgroupnc.com Rolle Oral & Facial Surgery 704-892-9500 www.rolleoralfacialsurgery.com Sandy Stovall, DDS 704-549-5600 www.stovalldentistry.com Smart Orthodontics 704-549-8878 www.smartorthodontics.com Smile Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics 704-971-7272 www.mykidsmile.com SouthEnd Dentistry 704-335-8266 www.southenddentistry.com www.southendsmiles.com

Beam Electric Company, Inc. 1-855-225-2326 www.beamelectric.com Gaylor Electric, Inc. 800-878-0577 www.gaylor.com Interstate Electric Company, Inc. 704-333-7149 www.interstateelectriccompany.com IRV Plumbing, Electric & HVAC 704-544-0200 www.irvplumbing.com Jim Dickerson Co. 704-331-0544 www.jim-dickerson.com Jenkins Electric, Inc. 800-438-3003 www.jenkinselectric.com Major Contractors, Inc. 704-392-3133 www.infinitycontractors.com

Steven H. Ghim, DMD 704-935-2700 www.drstevenghim.com

McNaughton-McKay Electric Co. 800-521-0917 www.mc-mc.com

Webber Dentistry 704-392-9357 www.webberdentistry.com

Pike Corporation, Inc. 800-424-7453 www.pike.com

WB Moore Company of Charlotte 704-331-9300 www.wbmoore.com White Electric Company 704-594-4612 www.whiteelectriccompany.com

Mr. Jim’s Pizza 704-376-5467 mrjims.pizza New Century Grocery & Food 704-921-1716 Ole Mexican Foods 704-587-1763 www.olemex.com Organic Marketplace 704-864-0605 www.organicmarketplacenc.com

ResourceListings

University Pediatric Dentistry 704-688-1664 www.universitypediatricdentistrync.com

Oriental Food Market, Inc. 704-537-4281 Plaza Sundries 704-333-2652

Ethnic Food Items/ Grocery Stores

Sweet It Is! Bakery 704-351-4668 www.sweetitis.net

A1 Stop Food Store 704-347-1747

Tropical Nut & Fruit, Co 704-588-0400 www.tropicalfoods.com

Caribbean Hut (2) (704) 527-9505 www.caribbean-hut.com Carolina Smoothies 704-358-0006

Uptown Catering Company 704-332-5521 www.uptowncateringco.com

Celestial Cakery 704-258-1209 www.celestialcakery.com

Events/Party Planning

Central Market 704-567-2071 www.centralmarketcharlotte.com

Aisha Thomas Events 704-951-4273 Aishathomas.com

Compare Foods 704-596-3495 www.compareclt.com

Botanica Lights, LLC 704-737-0962 www.botanicalights.com

Eloquent Creations Catering & Design Services, LLC 704-200-6883 www.eloquentcreationscatering.com

Creative Catering 704-373-2900 www.creativecateringinc.net

FutoButa 704-376-8400 www.futobuta.com

Extravaganza Events 704-343-9200 www.extravaganzaevents.com

Honey Butter Bakery 704-421-1390 www.honeybutterbakery.com

It’s My Affair 704-394-4928 www.itsmyaffair.com

“ There is nothing more beautiful than someone that goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.”

— Mandy Hale

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

51

ResourceListings

Key Signature Entertainment 704-568-1968 www.KeySignatureOnline.com

Shultz Engineering Group 704-334-7363 www.shultzeg.com

Success By Choice 980-282-0982 www.SuccessByChoice.com

N’Shape with ’N 704-334-4848 www.nshapewithn.com

Occasions Catering and Event Planning 704-333-1060 www.occasionscater.com

Smiley Engineering, Inc. 803-548-4111 www.smileyengineering.com

Freedom Financial Advantage, LLC 704-905-9867 www.freedomfinancialadvantage.com

Discovery Chiropractic and Wellness Center, PLLC 704-946-2054 www.DiscoveryChiroWellness.com

GM Financial 704-719-3570 www.gmfinancial.com

Total Life Change 704-945-8786

The Kee Group 704-726-6838 www.keepingeventsepic.com The Main Event 704-332-5819 (Main) 704-605-6028 www.themaineventnc.com

Engineering Advanced Enclosure Consulting 704-361-8664 www.aeconsulting-usa.com Atom Engineering, PLLC 980-938-5231 www.atomengineers.com C2 Engineering Solutions, PLLC 704-266-0942 www.rcengineering.net Critek Engineering Group 336-348-1889 www.critekgroup.com Devita, Inc. 877.4.Devita (877.433.8482) www.devitainc.com DiCon Consulting 980-202-2011 www.diconconsulting.com High Performance Building Solutions, Inc. 704-299-1698 www.hpb-solutions.com Hinde Engineering, Inc. 704-814-4407 www.hindeengineering.com

System WorCx, PLLC 704-996-9924 www.systemworcx.com Watson Electric Company, Inc. 252-237-7511 www.watsonelec.com

J & G Legacy Financial 704-557-9786 www.jandglegacy.com

Wescott Structures, P.A. 704-921-0504 www.wescottstructures.com

JP Financial Group LLC 704-543-6269 www.jpfinancialgroupllc.com

Willis Engineers, Inc. 704-377-9844 www.willisengineers.com

Ocean Advisors, LLC 704-523-6914 www.oceanadvisors.com

Financial Services

Rose & Associates Southeast 704-896-0094 www.roseassociates.com

AloStar Bank of Commerce 877-738-6391 www.alostarbank.com Anderson & Associates 704-347-0090 www.andersonexecsearch.com ATG Accountants & Advisors 704-733-7819 www.atgadvisors.com Beacon Wealth Advisors 704-947-8444 www.mybeaconwealth.com Carter Insurance 704-542-7500 agents.allstate.com/luthercarter-jr-charlotte-nc.html

Self-Help Credit Union 704-375-5781 https://www.self-help.org Tucker Boynton Company 704-366-5085 www.tbfinancial.com Worth Financial Advisory Group 704-731-0121 www.worthadvisors.com

Fitness/Wellness Better Bodies 4 Us, LLC 980-721-1866 www.betterbodies4us.com

Cornerstone Wealth Planning Matthews: 704-849-0123 www.cornerstone4planning.com

Club Fitness 704-295-7900 www.goclubfitness.com

Lending.com 855-693-7283

Core Elevation Fitness & Wellness www.coreelevationfitness.com

Jones Civil Design, P.C. 704-412-8523 www.jonescivildesign.com

M&F Bank 704-332-2121 www.mfbonline.com

Little Diversified 704-525-6350 www.littleonline.com

The Real Money Coach 517-395-7885 www.TheRealMoneyCoach.com

Energyve Fitness 704-763-6556 My Gym 704-522-6966 www.mygym.com/charlotte

Toushea Body Boutique 980-354-1145 www.tousheabodyboutique.com 8th Street Studio 704-372-4289 www.8thstreetstudio.com Ultimate CrossFit 704-497-4099 www.ultimatecrossfit.com

Food/Catering/ Food Trucks Big “L” Enterprises 704-392-8717 Cake and Craft Creations 704-577-4400 www.cakeandcraft.com Carolimas Dessert Boutique 843-800-0766 www.Carolimas.com Catering by Tara 704-492-3791 www.cateringbytara.com Creative Catering 704-373-2900 www.creativecateringinc.net Essie’s Catering 803-329-2228 www.essiescatering.com FDY, Inc. 704-523-6605 www.fdyinc.com Heaven Sent Catering 980-446-4816 Howard & Howard Event Management and Catering 980-349-5750 www.howardandhowardevents.com

“ Don’t worry about being successful but work toward being significant and the success will naturally follow.”

— Oprah Winfrey

52

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Jewell Treats 980-202-2530 www.jewelltreats.com

Popbar www.pop-bar.com/collections/ charlotte-nc 980-237-9750 Round The Way Eatery 704-408-7381 www.RoundTheWayEatery.com Sadie’s Café 704-532-5570 www.sadiescafe365.com

Cosmopolitan Creative Group 912-507-1708 www.cosmpolitancreativegroup.com Virtual Illustrations 704-287-7023 www.virtualillustrations.com VistecGraphx, Inc. 704-377-6626 www.vistecmarketing.com Zuri Creative Services 704-380-0278 www.zuricreative.com

The Southern Gourmet 704-849-7646 www.southern-gourmet.com

Health Care/Medical

Zippy Ice Inc. 980-355-9851 www.zippyicecompany.com

Advantage Vision Center 704-375-3935 www.advantagevisioncenter.net

Graphic Design Brinkley Design, Inc. 704-372-8666 leigh@brinkleydesign.com The Imagine Group 704-597-9015 www.theimaginegroup.com Cynthia Frank Design 704-562-2616 www.cynthiafrankdesign.com Linda K Blake 704-408-8865 Moonlight Creative Group 704-332-9918 www.moonlightcreative.com Moore Creative Ink, Inc. 704-726-6007 www.moorecreativeink.com SPARK Publications 704-844-6080 www.sparkpublications.com SK 7 Studio 704-449-7444

Center for Personal Growth 704-655-2828 www.center-for-growth.com Center for Speech Excellence, Inc. 704-375-5231 Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry 704-324-8545 www.cltpediatricdentistry.com First Care Medical Clinic 704-271-5585 www.firstcarecanhelp.com

Heating and Air Conditioning

Cynthia Busher 704-522-8300 www.cynthiabusher.com

A-1 Quality Insulating Service 704-331-9294

HomeCare for the Carolinas, LLC 704-335-8488 www.homecareforthecarolinas.com

Americare Health 704-535-0400 Arboretum Obstetrics & Gynecology 704-341-1103, 704-841-7225 www.arboretumobgyn.com

Lancaster One Medical 803-286-5700 www.lancasteronemed.com

Brandon Gynecology Associates 705-510-1600 www.brandongynecology.com Carolinas Eye Center & MedSpa 704-510-3100 Carolina Family Healthcare 704-847-4000 www.carolinafamilyhealthcare.com Carolina Pediatric Therapy Cooperative 803-980-4900 Centers for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research 704-895-9355 www.drbuttar.com

Williams Chiropractic and Wellness, PLLC 980-237-8489 www.drcleyawcw.com

Crown Clinic 704-527-5522 www.crownclinicpa.com

JP Chiropractic & Posture 704-841-1701 www.jpchiropractic.com

Barbara G Green Physical Therapy 704-377-0020 www.barbaragreenphysicaltherapy.com

Thuanh Nah Nguyen, MD, PA Internal Medicine & Pediatrics 704-554-8880

White Diamond Medical Clinic 704-542-9833 www.whitediamondmedical.com

M.D. Laser Studio 704-664-4247 www.mdlaserstudio.com Mount Holly Eye Clinic, Inc. 704-822-0099 Planned Parenthood 704-536-7233 www.plannedparenthood.org/healthcenter/north-carolina/charlotte Premier Pharmacy 704-496-9182 www.yourwellnesskey.com PrimeCare Medical 704-966-7012 www.primecaremed.org Speechworks Therapy Services 980-237-6226 www.speechworkstherapy.com Serenity Acupuncture and Wellness Clinic 910-707-4602

ResourceListings

Manolos Bakery 704-568-2120 www.manolosbakery.com

Steele Creek Printing & Design, Inc. 704-697-1755 Steelecreekprinting.com

AeroRaq Engineering Inc. 704-469-8463 www.aeroraq.com Air Diagnostics, Inc. 704-824-8333 AME Consulting Engineers, PC 704-295-4263 www.ame-pc.com Barrett & Barrett Heating & Air 704-391-2077 www.barretheatac.com CATAWBA Mechanical Services, LLC 704-399-8786 www.catawbamechanical.com Climate Control of Charlotte 704-588-2066 www.climatecontrolcharlotte.com Cost Effective Maintenance, Inc. 704-332-9711 Environmental Controls & Mechanical 704-910-2692 Gordon’s Heating & A/C 704-370-7789 KID Construction Company, Inc. 704-277-4679 www.kidconco.com

“ You have to see failure as the beginning and the middle, but never entertain it as an end.”

— Jessica Herrin founder and CEO of Stella & Dot

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

53

ResourceListings

Mckenney’s Inc. 704-357-1616 www.mckenneys.com

DLS Landscape 704-583-0777 www.dlslandscape.com

CEO, Inc. 888-242-1755 www.ceoinc.com

Mr. Charlotte Comfort 704-512-8096 www.mrcharlotteelectric.com

Fresh Bright Corp.

704-526-6922 www.freshandbrightcorp.com

Native Air & Heat 704-824-0380 www.NativeAirandHeat.com

Genesis Construction of the Carolinas 704-266-3737 www.genesiscoc.com

Compass Career Management Solutions 704-849-2500 www.compasscareer.com

Performance Air, Inc. 704-394-4748 Refresco, PLLC 704-293-8011 www.refresco-pllc.com Superior Mechanical Systems, Inc. 704-335-1942 www.superiormsinc.com

Homecare Services 360° Painting 704-322-4724 www.360painting.com Advanced Roofing & Exteriors, LLC 704-999-4130 www.advancedroofingandexteriors.com American Fence and Supply Co., Inc. 704-523-4936 www.americanfenceandsupply.com A Devine Lock and Key 704-579-4799 www.adevinelockandkey.com Bless Hurr Soil 484-714-2819 www.blesshurrsoil.com Bullseye Construction, Inc. 704-889-2855 www.bullseyeconstructioninc.com Camden Roofing and Construction, LLC 704-858-2141 www.camdenroofinggc.com Carolina Custom Installations, Inc. 704-568-7277 www.cci-floors.com

CRG Workforce 704-665-9555 www.getcrg.com

Jiron’s Construction, Inc. 704-626-5395 www.jironconstruction.com

Employee Benefit Advisors of the Carolinas, LLC 704-442-4400 www.eb-adbvisors.com

Kim’s Professional Painting 704-349-1810 www.kimsprofessionalpainting.com Millennium CCF and DJF, LLC 704-622-9409 Lewaro Interiors Inc. 980-430-1951 Paraclete Incorporated 704-661-2599 Queen City Master Services 800-326-5540 wwwmasterservicescontractor.com Tillman’s Lawn Care LLC altontillman70@yahoo.com 704-891-7584 United Painting Services, Inc. 800-961-5927 www.unitedpaintingservices.com

Human Resources/ Executive Search AccruePartners, Inc. 704-632-9955 www.accruepartners.com Advantage Personnel Solutions, LLC 704-612-9500 www.advantageaps.com Advocations, LLC. 704-960-1783 www.advocations.org Allegiance Staffing 704-556-1770 www.allegiancestaffing.com

Carolina Hydroplanting, LLC 704-913-1113

Alpha Labor Contractors, Inc. 704-398-2741 www.alphalaborcontractors.com

Certapro Painters of North Charlotte 704-489-0957 www.Certapro.com/north-charlotte Charlotte Plantscapes, Inc 704-529-1399 www.charlotteplantscapes.com Cook’s Pest Control LLC 704-399-8919 www.cookspestcharlotte.com 54

Green Clean Commercial 866-845-4948 www.greencleancommercial.com

Carolina Door Specialties, INC 704-391-7133 www.carolinadoorspecialties.com

Carolina Lawn Service 919-633-4647

Corestaff Services 704-248-3453 www.corestaff.com

Before You Hire, Inc. 704-878-3600 www.beforeyouhireinc.com Burnett Resources, Inc. 888-273-4108 www.burnettresources.com BPN Healthcare Concepts 866-623-8880 www.bpnconcepts.com Career Match Solutions 813-412-6560

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Be Evolved HR 919-576-9279 Beevolvedhr.com Galilee Agency, Inc. 704-394-0674 www.galileeagency.com Greene Group 704-896-3110 www.greene-group.com Insurance Professional Search, LLC 704-362-5638 www.insuranceprofessionalsearch.com

Employment Practices Counsel Inc. 877-763-7193 www.epcounsel.com FirstPoint, Inc. 800-288-7408 www.firstpointresources.com Performance Staffing Solutions, Inc. 704-927-1477 www.performss.com PrideStaff 704-237-4103 www.pridestaff.com ProLogistix 704-522-9166 www.prologistix.com Vincent Career Training Institute 941-227-2092 www.vincentcareertraining.com Refulgent Technologies Inc. 704-405-4238 www.refulgent-tech.com Sappenfield Staffing, Inc. 704-332-4710 https://sappenfieldstaffing.com Success By Choice 980-282-0982 www.successbychoice.com

Integra Staffing 704-527-9191 www.integrastaffing.com

SourceAbility, Incorporated 704-837-8200 www.sourceabilityinc.com

Jennifer Temps, Inc. 704-510-1556 www.jennifertemps.com

Solutions Staffing 704-503-1090 www.solutionsstaffing.com

J.W. Smith and Associates, LLC (919) 649-4055

Staffmark 704-799-3636 www.staffmark.com

Kavaliro Staffing Services 704-525-3457 www.kavaliro.com

Trinity Strategic Consulting, Inc. 704-957-0620 www.trinitystrategicconsulting.com

Kforce 704-612-2800 www.kforce.com

VisionCor, Inc. 704-366-7979 www.visioncor.com

Language Resource Center Inc 877-322-1244 www.languagerc.com

Xperience Leadership, LLC 704-896-9881 www.xperienceleadership.com

LeadAdvantage, Inc 501-687-5323 www.leadadvantageinc.com

Insurance Services

Link Staffing 888.292.5465 www.linkstaffing.com

ACOP, LLC. 888-508-2267 www.acopprotection.com

Little Gerald Services 704-289-3831 www.lgservicesnc.org

Allstate Insurance: Bob White 704-376-3479 www.allstate.com/bobwhite2

Medical Administrative Solutions 704-944-3571 www.mascodingsolutions.com

Altmann & Porter Insurance 704-795-9001 www.altmanninsurance.com

Metro Staffing 704-535-3559 www.metrostaffingservice.com

Carolina Insurance School, Inc. 704-489-9440 www.carolinainsuranceschool.com

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OF YOUR MONEY Experience the Difference

Carolyn Green, Lutcf 704-504-0564 https://agents.allstate.com/ carolyn-green-charlotte-nc.html

Group Insurance Solutions, Inc. 704-543-9314 www.groupinsurancesolutions.com Hayes Insurance Agency 704-545-3337 www.hayesinsuranceagent.com Moulton Insurance Group 704-633-7283 www.MoultonInsuranceGroup.com Parks Insurance Group 704-548-0500 www.goparksins.com Prestige Insurance Agency, Inc. 704-321-3900 www.prestigeinsagency.com Rankin Insurance Group, Inc. 704-896-9393 www.rankininsurancegroup.com Zxiva Insurance 980-236-1548

Janitorial/Custodial All Things Professional Cleaning, Inc (704) 345-3976 allthingsprofessional.net ATL & C Cleans, LLC 704-839-0283 www.atlccleans.com Bucket, Mop, and Broom Cleaning Service LLC 877-784-0781 www.bucketmopandbroom.com Elite Touch Cleaning Services, Inc. 704-266-0623 www.elitetouchcleaningservices.com Green’s Commercial Cleaning, Inc. 704-525-5859 www.gccpride.com JAC Janitorial Services 704-401-7142 jacjanitorialservice.com JC Services Unlimited 980-253-7256 www.jcservicesunlimited.com Joffie Contracting Services, Inc. 704-392-4442 www.joffie.com Mint Maids 704-367-9931 www.mintmaids.com

Borealis Language Academy 980-207-3958 www.borealislanguage.com

Manolos Bakery 704-568-2120 www.Manolos.com

MOLLY MAID of South Charlotte / Matthews 704-714-1150 www.mollymaid.com

Cambio Coaching LLC 704-497-2340 www.cambiocoach.com

Latin American Coalition 704-531-3848 www.latinamericancoalition.org

Carnitas Guanajuato Mexican Restaurant 704-563-1651 www.carnitasmexican.com

Latino Community Credit Union 704-531-0201 www.latinoccu.org

Celia Estrada Realtors 704-335-4400

Latorre Insurance Group 704-766-0889 www.latorreinsurance.com

Mr. Clean Maintenance Company 980-339-5399 www.MrCleanCo.com Sparkle & Shine Cleaning Co. 803-315-7932 www.sparkleandshinecc.com Squeaky Completely Clean 704-455-7580 www.scclean.net

Centro Medico Latino, PC 704-333-0465 www.centromedicolatino.com Concepcion Barajas Painting 704-557-5072

The Johnson Group 704-522-3544 www.aejohnsongroup.com

CSB Promo 704-708-5088 www.csbpromo.com

Top Pro Cleaners 704-241-6206 www.topprocleaners.com

Culturati Research 858-750-2600 www.culturatiresearch.com

Latin American Chamber Charlotte 1900 Mexican Grill 704-334-4677 www.1900mexicangrill.com AC&M Group 704-697-4400 www.acmconnect.com AFC Custom Granite 704-598-1647 www.afccustomgranite.com America’s Real Estate Group, Inc. 704-540-4646 Apex Exterminating, Inc. 704-573-1197 www.apexexterminatinginc.com Agua Source, LLC 704-831-8311 www.aguasourcellc.com Arlette Guerra de Hurtado 704-591-0359 Arronte Law Firm, PLLC 704-774-6292 Avon ProductsLiz Bell 919-695-6400 AVON Products Myriam Gladney 704-814-7318 Baruu Advertising Group LLC 888-841-0179 www.baruu.com Beauty & Body Rituals 704-568-5458 www.bbrituals.com Bonilla Brothers, LLC 704-737-7124 www.bonillaroofingnc.com

Daniela Melendez State Farm 704-733-9022 Dentist Salud 704-771-2268 www.dentistsalud.com El Progreso Hispano Newspaper 704-529-6624 www.progresohispanonews.com

Law Offices of Stefan R. Latorre, PA 704-342-1111 www.latorrelaw.com Mellorinas Catering 704-660-1815 Metro Landmarks Architecture, PC 704-333-2011 www.metrolandmarks.com Mundo Uniforms, LLC 704-287-1527 www.mundouniform.com Precise Translating, LLC 704-606-2869 www.precisetranslating.com Premier Home Healthcare Services 704-521-4901 www.premierhomehealthcare.com

El Soplon Deportivo 704-238-0260

Promotion Magic 704-596-2300 www.promotionmagic.com

Elite Touch Cleaning Services, Inc. 704-266-0623 www.elitetouchcleaning.com

Punta Cana Grill 704-529-3599 www.puntacanagrill.com

Exotic Landscapes 704-537-0842 www.exotic-landscapes.com

Que Pasa Mi Gente Newspaper 704-319-5044 quepasamedia.com/Charlotte/

H3 Staffing, LLC 704-439-6547 www.h3staffing.com

RentMeUSA 980-355-9696 www.rentameusa.com

Heits Building Services 919-249-6840 www.heitsofcentralnc.com/

Sign Connection 704-868-4500 www.signcon.com

Hernandez Auto Service 828-310-1326

USTT, Inc. 704-676-0990 www.usttusa.com

Into Languages Global 704-408-3132 www.intolanguagesglobal.com JDC Construction 980-721-2882 Johamar, Tires/Wheels 704-847-0175 JV Painting, LLC 704-942-1514 LaCa Projects 704-837-1688 www.lacaprojects.com La Noticia, The SpanishLanguage Newspaper 704-568-6966 www.lanoticia.com

ResourceListings

Dawn Johnson Agency 803-980-1414 https://www.statefarm.com/ agent/US/SC/Rock-Hill/DawnJohnson-Z4JGF1YS000

Miriam Davis Cleaning, LLC 704-201-6111 www.miriamdaviscleaning.com

Windsor Jewelers 704-556-7747 www.windsor-jewelers.com

Marketing/Public Relations AC&M Group 704-697-4400 www.acmconnect.com A Design Company www.robinsonthinks.com Apple Rock Displays 1-800-478-2324 www.applerock.com July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

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BluePepper Public Relations 704-625-6564 www.bluepepperpr.com

ResourceListings

CGR Creative 704-334-2232 www.cgrcreative.com Compass Career Management Solutions 704-849-2500 www.compasscareer.com Digital Divas 201-304-2933 Dream Builders Communication, Inc. 704-727-5006 www.dreambuilderscommunication.com Eaddy, Perry & Associates, Inc. 704-965-6956 www.eaddyperry.com Fast Signs 704-599-4949 www.fastsigns.com Finishing Partners, Inc. 704-583-7322 www.finishingpartners.com HDS Manufacturer Representatives 704-504-1032 www.hdsreps.com

Symmetry Behavioral Health Systems 704-632-9900 www.symmetrybhs.com

Asian Library 704-332-4167 chungroup.org

The FMRT Group 866-761-0764 www.fmrt.com

Beasley Media Group 704-522-1103 www.BBGI.com Breiding Electronics, Inc. 704-362-5333 www.breidingelectronics.com La Noticia 704-568-6966 www.lanoticia.com Lake Norman Currents 704-749-8788 www.lncurrents.com Lake Norman Woman 704-895-6168 www.lakenormanwoman.com LaRaza — 106.1FM 800-975-0760 www.laraza.com Norsan Media 800-975-0760 www.norsanmedia.com QCitymetro.com www.qcitymetro.com

Image Solutions 704-619-1539 www.imagesolutions.biz

QuéPasa Media 704-319-5044 www.quepasamedia.com

International Minute Press 704-782-2020 www.concordimp.com

Pride Communications/ Pride Magazine 704-375-9553 www.pridemagazineonline.com

Jervay Agency, LLC 704-780-7004 www.thejervayagency.com KS Image Solutions, LLC 704-786-7763 www.ksimagesolutions.com Latoya Evans Public Relations LLC 910-261-5874 www.lepragency.com Lockman-Brooks Marketing Services 704-944-3188 www.lockmanbrooks.com Michelle Connley-Gore 980-477-5665 www.mdcmarketinggroup.com Motivation Marketing Firm 704-326-2187 www.MotivationMarketingFirm.com Mythic Advertising & Marketing 704-227-0700 www.mythic.us Pride Public Relations 704-375-9553 www.pridepublicrelations.com The Lyerly Agency 704-525-3937 www.lyerly.com 58

Media/Magazines/ Newspapers/Radio

Radio One — Old School 105.3, Praise 100.9FM 704-548-7800 www.oldschool1053.com www.praisecharlotte.com Speak Up Magazine 704-980-9885 www.speakupmag.org SPARK Publications 704-844-6080 www.sparkpublications.com The Charlotte Post 704-376-0496 www.thecharlottepost.com

Mental Health Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions 980.938.4100 www.cardinalinnovations.org Essential Assessments & Behavioral Health 980-939-5099 www.EssentialHealthNC.com Pride in North Carolina 252-321-8080 www.pridenc.com

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Office Supplies/Services Aaron’s 877-607-9999 www.aarons.com Beardsley Office Solutions, LLC 704-395-3081 www.beardsley-office.com Bullseye Branding and Promotions 704-366-1616 www.Bullseyebp.com

Indigo Photography 704-335-0948 www.indigocharlotte.com JB Long Photography 803-517-7159 www.jblongphotography.com Joanna Dehart Photography 704-545-5850 www.joannadehartphotography.com Kim Brattain Media 704-562-9161 www.kimbrattain.com Loyd Visuals 704-615-8743 www.loydvisuals.com Media Arts Collective, LLC 704-771-9927 www.mediaartscollective.com Moments by Donna 704-364-1215 www.momentsbydonna.com

Office Depot 704-464-0014 www.OfficeDepot.com

Origin Land Surveying and Mapping, Inc. 704-506-5225 www.originlandsurveying.com

Richa Graphics 704-331-9744 www.richa.com

PPT Photography 704-293-7459 www.pptphotography.net

Shred-It, Inc. 888.750.6450 www.shredit.com

Sanborn 1-866-726-2676 www.sanborn.com

UPS Store - Stewart Creek Crossing 704-392-5099 store5926@theupsstore.com

Timeless Arts, LLC 803-493-7086

Plumbers Optometrists Advantage Vision Center 704-375-3935 www.advantagevisioncenter.com Fort Mill Vision Center 803-547-5547 www.fortmillvision.com

Photography/Aerial/ Commercial Avioimage Mapping Services, Inc. 704-573-7080 www.avioimage.com Advanced Imaging Systems 800-365-1038 www.aisimc.com Boyle Consulting Engineers, PLLC 704-676-0778 www.boyleconsulting.com Color Star Media 980-819-0255 www.colorstarmedia.com Flawless Capture Photography 704-713-1254 www.FlawlessCapture.net

Agua Source 704-831-8311 www.aguasourcellc.com Crockett Quality Plumbing LLC. 704-231-1531 Qualityplumbing.Crockett@aol.com Dependable Plumbing 704-982-6938 Heyworth Plumbing Company, Inc. 704-523-2696 www.heyworthplumbing.com Morris-Jenkins Plumbing 704-703-0893 www.MorrisJenkins.com National Plumbing Solutions 704-309-9565 Pay Less Plumbing 704-393-9032 Paylessplumbingofcharlotte.com Reed’s Plumbing Company 704-399-7785 Rooter Man 866-577-1221 www.rooterman.com Roper Construction, LLC Roper Construction Company 704-332-737 www.roperconstruction.com

Richa Graphics 704-331-9744 www.richa.com

Remodeling

Social Ape Marketing 980-288-7804 www.socialapemarketing.com

Anointed Flooring, Inc. 704-510-8906 www.anointedflooring.com

Printers

Squeegee Tees & More, Inc. 704-888-0336

3.10 Graphics 704.910.2242 www.310signs.com

The Charlotte Post Publishing Co. Inc. 704-376-0496 www.thecharlottepost.com

Do It All Interiors, LLC 704-877-1351 www.doitallinteriors.webs.com

Action Graphics 704-332-1164 www.actionprints.com Allegra Marketing, Print, and Mail 704-385-4212 www.allegramarketingprint.com American Labels & Printing 704-633-8005 Fast Signs Matthews/Ballantyne 704-841-4033 www.fastsigns.com Brightflow Technologies 704-893-8445 www.brightflow.net

Underground Printing Custom T-Shirts & More 980-495-0324 www.Undergroundshirts.com/clt Vision Print Solutions 1-800-200-9797 www.visionenvelope.com

Publishing/SelfPublishing Books SPARK Publications 704-844-6080 www.sparkpublications.com

Free Agent Electric 704-502-4677 M&V Builders 980-219-0650 www.mandvbuilders.com

Azteca Mexican Restaurant (Woodlawn) 704-525-5110 www.aztecarestaurantcharlotte.com

ToddCo Builders, Inc. 704-277-6338 www.toddcobuilders.com

Bobbee O’s BBQ 704-509-6902 www.bobbeeosbbq.com

Restaurants

Cantina 1511 704-331-9222 www.cantina15eleven.com

Classic Graphics 704-597-9015, 800-368-1056 www.theimaginegroup.com

Canopy Realtor Association 704-372-0911 www.CarolinaHome.com

88 China Bistro 704-335-0288 www.88chinabistro.com

Copy Cat Instant Printing of Charlotte, Inc. 704-529-6606 www.CopyCatSouth.com

Morton Malloy Realtors 704-773-6457

Basil Thai CuisineCharlotte, NC 704-332-7212 www.eatatbasil.com

Image Solutions 704-771-5038 www.imagesolutions.biz Lake Printing and Design 704-895-3878 www.lakeprinting.biz Marie’s Print Shop, Inc. 704-633-1125 Metrographics 704-375-2474 www.metrographicsprinters.com Mid-Carolina Reprographics, LLC 704-529-0612 www.mid-carolinareprographics.com Proforma Impressions Group 704-575-2743 www.proforma.com/ impressionsgroup RR Donnelly 704-949-3568 www.rrd.com

Valarie R. Brooks Real Estate 704-488-2420 www.valarierbrooks.com Servant Heart Realty Group 704-748-0922 www.servantheartrealtygroup. com/our-firm

Recycling/Junk Removal/Shredding All Points Waste Service Inc. 704-821-5424 www.wm.com

Multicultural Cuisine

Interior Motives by Will Smith LLC 704-523-0935 Interiormotives.ws

Asian

ImageMark 704-865-4912 www.imagemarkonline.com

Vietnam Grille 704-525-2408 http://vietnamgrille.business.site

Anntony’s Caribbean University 704-598-6863 6434 West Sugar Creek Rd. Suite F www.anntonys.com

Real Estate

FSI Office 704-598-8971 www.fsiofficefurniture.com

Thai Taste 704-332-0001 www.thaitastecharlotte.com

Mister Sparky 704-341-2270 www.mistersparky.com

Carolina Cartridge & Supplies, Inc. 704-347-2447 www.ccsinside.com

Nettie Lark, REALTOR Morton Malloy Realty 704-340-3862 704-773-6457

Thai Orchid 704-364-1134 www.thaiorchidrestaurantcharlotte.com

Be-Em Asian Kitchen 704-708-4793 www.be-em.com Dim Sum Chinese Restaurant 704-569-1128 www.dimsumchineserestaurant.com Golden Taipei 704-494-8688 www.goldentaipaicharlotte.com House of Leng 704-510-5081 www.houseofleng.com Ishi Restaurant 704-921-9219 www.sushiishi.com

ResourceListings

Tew Equipment Solutions, Inc, 704-573-5476 www.tewequipment.com

Chicken Box 704-566-6000 www.thechickenboxcafe.com Copper Cuisine of India 704-333-0063 www.copperrestaurant.com Don Pedro Mexican Restaurant 704-921-2414 www.donpedrorestaurant.com La’wan’s Soul Food Restaurant 704-665-7225 www.lawans.com Los Paisas (Colombian) 704-542-5477 www.lospaisasrestaurant.com Luna’s Living Kitchen 704-333-0008 www.lunaslivingkitchen.com Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish 704-333-0455 www.mrcharleschickenandfish.com Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish 704-595-7410 www.mrcharleschickenandfish.com

C & M Recycling, Inc. 704-599-1771 www.gotsomeconcrete.com

Nikko Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar 980-213-0388 www.nikkosushibar.com

Carolina Recycles 704-376-4295 www.carolinarecycles.com

Soho Bistro 704-333-5882 www.sohobistro2go.com

Mert’s Heart & Soul 704-342-4222 www.mertscharlotte.com

Junk King 704-469-4815 www.charlotte.junk-king.com

Shun Lee Palace, Inc. 704-366-2025 www.shunleecharlotte.com

Monterrey 704-593-0167 www.monterreyuncc.com

Shred-It, Inc. 704-424-5997 www.shredit.com

Thai House - University 704-717-8006 www.thaihouse.us.com

Nana Morrisons Soulfood 704-357-3700 www.nanamorrisonssoulfood.com

Maharani Indian Cuisine 704-370-2455 www.maharanicharlotte.com

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ResourceListings

Saffron Indian Restaurant 980-297-7722 www.saffron-cuisine.com

Graphical Creations, Inc. 704-888-8870 www.graphi-cal.com

Liberty Tax Service 704-373-1343 www.libertytax.com

The Inertia Group 704-301-2551 www.inertia-group.com

Soul Central 980-349-4015 www.soulcentralfood.com

Signs Now 704-343-9619

Lucas Tax & Energy Consulting 704-968-5506 www.lucastaxandenergy.com

Web Design

Marilynn Allred (H&R Block) 704-827-5761 www.HRBlock.com

Brand Equity Marketing, LLC (704) 372-3982 www.brandequitymarketing.com

MND Accounting 866-774-9447 Mndaccounting.com

New Creations Enterprises 704-971-7854 www.NewCreationsMedia.biz

Three Amigos Mexican Grill & Cantina 704-536-1851 www.threeamigoscharlotte.com VelTree – Vegan Soulfood 980-355-0075

Security Alarms and Services Alpha Alarm Systems, Inc. 980-495-0306 www.alphasecurity.us Firestop Carolinas, Inc. 704-662-7720 www.firestopcarolinas.com JP Government Investigations 877-990-2111 www.jpgovernmentinvestigations.com Keyper Systems 704-455-9400 www.keyperstore.com Landmark Security, Inc. 704-527-7756 www.landmarksecurityinc.com LifeGuard Protective Services, Inc. 704-319-3180 www.lifeguardprotective.com Professional Protection, Inc. 704-523-1660 www.ppi-inc.net Professional Security Services 1-888-704-7765 www.pssprotection.com SAF Technologies, Inc. 704-844-0955 www.saftechnologies.com Security Solutions Group & Investigative Services 540-220-0052 www.ssgis.com andre@ssgis.com Southeastern Public Safety Group 704-394-1500 www.southeasternus.org

Signs Barbara Bunn Specialties 704-650-2242 DAWA, Inc. 704-321-4748 www.dawainc.com FastSigns - S. Tryon 704-527-9102 www.fastsigns.com/176 60

Metrolina Sign Supply 704-343-0885 www.metrolinasignsupply.com Petrie Sign Installation 704-599-6977 Pronto Signs 704-890-4554 Quality Neon, Inc. 704-598-2256 www.qualityneoninc.com Rite Lite Signs 800-784-5605 www.ritelightsigns.com Signs by Tomorrow 844-957-4467 www.signsbytomorrow.com Signs, ETC of Charlotte 704-522-8860 www.signsetcofcharlotte.com Sign Innovations 704-375-2338

Street Sweeping/ Parking Lots Major Clean 704-529-5775 www.majorcleaninc.com Supreme Sweepers, LLC 888-698-9996 www.supremesweepers.com

Tax Return Preparation ABC Tax Services 704-735-7900 www.abc-taxservices.com Accounting Associates 704-864-0284 www.accountingassociatesnc.com Accounting Payroll & Taxes, Inc. 704-482-1722 ATG Advisors 704-303-9998 www.atgadvisors.com Burchett Financial Services 704-549-9401 www.burchettfinancial.com Bustle Tax Service 704-873-3946 H&R Block 704-503-1502 www.hrblock.com Hawkins Accounting & Tax Service 704-509-2399 www.hawkinstax.com

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com

Storey’s Tax Bookkeeping & Secretarial 704-865-0210 www.storeystaxservice.com TaxPro 1000 Instant Tax Centers 704-596-3400 www.taxpro1000.com

Taxis Assistance Travel & Transportation, Inc. (919) 489-5050 www.assistancetravel.com Crown Cab Company, Inc. 704-334-6666 www.crowncabinc.com Luxury Transportation 704-458-9126 Prestige Wheelchair Transportation 704-332-3939 Rose Chauffeured Transportation 704-522-8258 www.riderose.com TJ’s Taxi 704-938-5440 www.TJS.com

Video Production Apollo Video Productions 704-814-8899 www.apollovideoclt.com Civilized Films, Inc. 704-904-6368 www.civilizedfilms.com Color Star Media 980-819-0255 www.colorstarmedia.com Kim Brattain Media 704-562-9161 www.kimbrattain.com Rebrand Media 510-862-6757 www.rebrandlifestyle.com

Neonsky Creative Media 704-377-4820 www.neonsky.com STP Ventures, LLC 704-470-4121 www.securitech180.com The Agency Marketing Group 704.564.9694 www.gettheagency.com The Anstad Group 704-208-8304 www.anstad.com Zuri Creative Services 704-380-0278 www.zuricreative.com

Nonprofits Chambers of Commerce Carolinas Asian-American Chamber of Commerce 866-937-2742 www.caacc.com Charlotte Business Guild (LGBT Community) 704-837-4050 www.clgbtcc.org Charlotte Chamber 704-378-1300 www.charlottechamber.com Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce cltblkchamber.com Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte 704-237-0552 www.lacccharlotte.com

Business & Civic Organizations

SL Media Productions 704-451-3566

100 Black Men of Charlotte 704-375-7300 www.100blackmenofcharlotte.org

Stratagon Inc. 888-506-3466 www.stratagon.com

Altrusa International of Charlotte districtthree.altrusa.org/charlotte

Latin American Women’s Association 704-552-1003 www.lawanc.org

Chinese-American Association of Charlotte 910-398-4600 www.charlottechinese.com

League of Women Voters of Charlotte-Mecklenburg 704-556-4600 my.lwv.org

Democratic Women of Mecklenburg County 704-525-5843 www.meckdemwomen.com National Diversity Council 281-975-0626 www.ndccarolinas.org German Language and Culture Foundation 704-906-5850 www.germanfoundation.com Hispanic Contractors Association of the Carolinas 704-583-4184 www.hcac.org Hmong Southeast Puavpheej 828-260-3910 hmongsoutheastpuavpheej.org Homes of Hope, Inc 704-982-3634 www.homesofhopestanly.org InnerVision, Inc. 704-377-5042 www.innervisionnc.org Internal Revenue Service Charlotte 844-545-5640 www.irs.gov Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas 704-536-9668 centralcarolinas.ja.org Latin American Coalition 704-531-3848 www.latinamericancoalition.org

Metrolina Minority Contractors Association 877-526-6205 www.mmcaofcharlotte.org N.C. Small Business Administration (SBA) 704-344-6563 https://www.sba.gov/localresources/north-carolina National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Charlotte 704-900-3067 www.nawbocharlotte.org National Black MBA Association — Charlotte Chapter 877-732-0314 www.nbmbaacharlotte.org National Hispanic Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Inc. www.nheo.org Neighborhood Good Samaritan Center 704-605-6723 704-531-9989 www.ngscenter.org Office of International Relations 704-336-5615 charlottenc.gov/international-relations Philipine American Association of North Carolina www.paanc.org Pride Entrepreneur Education Program (PEEP) 704-375-9553 www.peepcharlotte.org

SCORE 704-344-6576 www.charlotte.score.org

Children and Family Services Center 704-943-9400 www.childrenfamily.org

The Diversity Forum 704-527-9191 www.Integrastaffing.com

Community Link 704-943-9490 www.communitylinknc.org

Urban LeagueCentral Carolinas 704-373-2256 www.urbanleaguecc.org

Crisis Assistance Ministry 704-371-3001 www.crisisassistance.org

Vietnamese Association 704-607-7661 vietcharlotte.wixsite.com/vietcharlotte

Hope Haven, Inc. 704-372-8809 www.hopehaveninc.org

Wat Lao Buddharam & Lao Community Center 704-391-9956

Kicking for a Dream 305-439-7464 www.kickingforadream.org

Women’s Business Center of Charlotte 704-412-5309 www.linktr.ee/wbccharlotte

Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services 704-336-3000 www.mecknc.gov/dss/ Pages/Home.aspx

Women’s InterCultural Exchange 980-355-7000 www.wi-ce.net

Refugee Support Services 704-458-3245 www.refugeesupportservices.org

Community Services A Child’s Place 704-536-0375 www.thompsoncff.org/a-childs-place/ Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas 704-910-1301 www.bbbscentralcarolinas.org Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency 704-535-8803 www.carolinarefugee.org Center of Hope/ Salvation Army (Shelter for women and children) 704-348-2560 www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/ charlotte/get-help/center-of-hope

ResourceListings

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Republican Women 980-355-9604 cmrw.org

Safe Alliance 704-332-9034 www.safealliance.org Supportive Housing Communities 704-335-9380 www.supportivehousingcommunities.org United Way of Central Carolinas, Inc. 211 (information and referral services) 704-372-7170 www.uwcentralcarolinas.org Urban Ministry Center 704-347-0278 www.roofabove.org YMCA of Greater Charlotte 704-716-6200 www.ymcacharlotte.org

“ The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat; who strives valiantly, who errs and may fall again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming.”

— Theodore Roosevelt

July-August 2022 | Pride Magazine

61

Isn’t the best time to continue building your legacy right now?

Owning a home isn’t just about finances— it’s about building a future. Our Community Homeownership Commitment1 can help new homebuyers with: Down payment help up to $10,000 or 3% of the purchase price, whichever is less. Product availability and income restrictions apply.2 Closing cost help up to $7,500 as a lender credit.3 Down payment as low as 3% down.

Income limits apply.4

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE POWER TO DO?

Learn more: bankofamerica.com/homeowner

You are invited to apply. Your receipt of this material does not mean you have been prequalified or pre-approved for any product or service we offer. This is not a commitment to lend; you must submit additional information for review and approval.

1. Down Payment program and America’s Home Grant program: Qualified borrowers must meet eligibility requirements such as being owner-occupants and purchasing a home within a certain geographical area. Maximum income and loan amount limits apply. Minimum combined loan-to-value must be greater than or equal to 80%. The home loan must fund with Bank of America. Bank of America may change or discontinue the Bank of America Down Payment Grant program or America’s Home Grant program or any portion of either without notice. Not available with all loan products, please ask for details.

2. Additional information about the Down Payment program: Down Payment program is available with one mortgage product. Program funds can be applied toward down payment only. Borrowers cannot receive program funds as cash back in excess of earnest money deposits. Down Payment Grant program may be considered taxable income, a 1099-MISC will be issued, consult with your tax advisor. May be combined with other offers. The Bank of America Down Payment Grant program may only be applied once to an eligible mortgage/property, regardless of the number of applicants. Homebuyer education is required.

3. Additional information about the America’s Home Grant program: The America’s Home Grant program is a lender credit. Program funds can only be used for nonrecurring closing costs including title insurance, recording fees, and in certain situations, discount points may be used to lower the interest rate. The grant cannot be applied toward down payment, prepaid items or recurring costs, such as property taxes and insurance. Borrowers cannot receive program funds as cash back.

4. Maximum income and loan amount limits apply. Fixed-rate mortgages (no cash out refinances), primary residences only. Certain property types are ineligible. Maximum loan-to-value (“LTV”) is 97%, and maximum combined LTV is 105%. For LTV >95%, any secondary financing must be from an approved Community Second Program. Homebuyer education may be required. Other restrictions apply.

Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. ©2022 Bank of America Corporation. America’s Home Grant, Bank of America Community Homeownership Commitment, Bank of America and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation.

MAP4274936 | AD-03-22-0173 | 03/2022