Learn Why HBCU Scholar Dr. Charles L. Singleton Quotes "The Vote is Precious!"

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The Vote is Precious!

 “Voting is Nonviolence and Nonviolence is Voting”

Iconic Civil Rights Leader The Legendary John Lewis (Courtesy Wikipedia Commons)

"The vote is precious. It's almost sacred, so go out and vote like you never voted before." --- John Robert Lewis

Don't Boo, Vote!  --- Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States

“We Must Vote!” "Lift Every Voice and Sing." --- Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson

Greetings! I sincerely thank all of you for reading my articles over the years.  As always, I am hoping and praying that you are well during this ongoing and death-driven Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic.  And, I emphatically suggest that you faithfully and diligently continue to practice the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for managing your personal health and staying well (practicing effective handwashing, properly sanitize surfaces,  practice social distancing, wear a mask; avoid crowded and populated indoor areas, and maintain a healthy diet).  Please remember, stay away from big events and mass crowds without social distancing.

Everybody, Safety First:  Note, “Sturgis, South Dakota biker rally, 460,000 attendees, August 2020, added an estimated 267,000 COVID-19 cases and $12.2B in health costs.” --- Katie Camero, The Kansas City Star, September 8, 2020

 

Now, the upcoming vote is coming soon, November 3, 2020.  We need every healthy and able-bodied registered voter in our community and state to VOTE!

If you are voting by mail, please correctly complete your individual ballot and return it as soon as possible to the required voting precinct by zip code or return ballots via a secured drop box.  "Make every vote count." Press on the video below to learn more about John R. Lewis and the power of our vote...

Discover How Iconic Singer Jody Watley Is Expanding Her Brand Into Home - Lifestyle and Wellness

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Singer Jody Watley Expands Her Brand Into Home & Lifestyle and Wellness

“The Iconic and Always Fabulous Trendsetter Welcomes ‘Sanctuary’ Candle and Interior Room Fragrance Spray To Her Growing Brand Family.”

The iconic and always fabulous trendsetter welcomes the much-anticipated ‘Sanctuary’ luxury soy candle and fragrance room spray with its comforting notes of green tea, lemon and vanilla limited-edition, available now at her Jody Watley Shop 

With so many people spending more time at home, Jody Watley decided there was no better time to send out the message of self-care and wellness that her brand is rooted in. “Healing vibes are so necessary especially in these times,” says Jody Watley.

 

“As an artist and songwriter, atmosphere has always been a place where great ideas sparked for me. A deliciously scented candle has always added to my creativity. In order to be productive, we must recharge to create great things; our homes should be that place which is why I am so excited about the ‘Sanctuary’ candle and fragrance spray line,” added Watley...

Black Filmmaker, Documentary on Race Relations

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AFRICAN AMERICAN EMMY-WINNING FILMMAKER DIRECTS DOCUMENTARY ON RACE RELATIONS

Nationwide -- Under the auspices of his production company, Black Pearl Media Works LLC (BPMW), Emmy award-winning independent filmmaker Dante James will direct A City Within A City, an independent feature documentary for Grand Stand Pictures; produced by founders Victor Williams, Jazmyne Fuentes, and Rodney Brown. A City Within A City was inspired by Dr. Todd Robinson's book, A City Within A City: The Black Freedom Struggle in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which was selected as the 2016 book of the year by Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss.

"Dr. Robinson's scholarship is engaging and complex. It provides a foundation for an incredible film. I'm thrilled to be working with my friend, project academic adviser, Dr. Randal Jelks, the author of African Americans in the Furniture City The struggle for Civil Rights in Grand Rapids,” said James. “Directing this film about my hometown will be challenging. Race relations in Grand Rapids are complex, but within the racial complexity, are great stories of Black men and women struggling for freedom, equality, and justice.

Black Travel Expert, New "Green Book"

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TRAVEL EXPERT RELEASES NEW “GREEN BOOK” THAT CONNECTS TRAVELERS TO BLACK-OWNED HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AND MORE AROUND THE WORLD

Nationwide -- Martinique Lewis is set to release the #1 Black travel resource, The ABC Travel Greenbook, that will connect travelers with communities and businesses from the African diaspora globally. The book is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and across all major book retail platforms.

With the Black travel movement constantly growing, and Black travelers injecting billions of dollars into the travel industry each year, the information highlighting the destinations and experiences where those travelers can see themselves reflected has been repeatedly overlooked.

After years of research, Martinique Lewis — diversity in travel consultant, creative lead of Nomadness Travel Tribe, and president of the Black Travel Alliance — has compiled this resource for Black travelers to connect with Black communities in every city and country in 6 out of 7 continents. From restaurants to recreation centers, transportation companies to Black history tours, this resource shows you all of the places search engines can’t. The ABC Travel Greenbook amplifies Black-owned businesses previously left out of major travel publications - so that they too are included in press trip itineraries, garner attention for their own television segments, and can be starred as a destination for travelers.

Black-Owned IT Firm Offers Course For Adults

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BLACK IT PROFESSIONAL AND VETERAN DEVELOPS COURSE THAT TRAINS ADULTS TO SUCCEED IN THE EVER-CHANGING TECH INDUSTRY

Nationwide -- Koach-IT Technology Education is a Black-owned, veteran-owned Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company specializing in advanced IT skill training and educational services for youth and adult workforce development. It is their goal to provide proper training to individuals who have been denied access to the extremely profitable and ever-growing information technology industry.

According to statistics compared with overall private industry, the high-tech sector employed a larger share of white workers (68.5% vs 63.5%), Asian Americans (14% vs 5.8%), and men (64% vs 52%), while a smaller share of African Americans (7.4% vs 14.4%), Hispanics (8% vs 13.9%), and women (36% vs 48% )In the tech sector nationwide, whites are represented at a much higher rate in executive-level roles than African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. Furthermore, by gender, men occupy 80% of executive roles compared with 20% for women. That compares with the overall private sector, where 71% of executive positions are held by men and 29% occupied by women.

Ronald Tate, founder and CEO of Koach-IT, comments, "At our company, diversity is about recognizing that our dimension of differences is actually our greatest strength. We strive for parity and to give everyone the opportunity to achieve their own access to opportunities. Learning and enhancing your skills are vital in this technological era. This helps you to prepare yourself for getting the highest paying jobs in the field of your choice while widening your arsenal of tools that enhance your value as a professional in your company."

Black Nurse Helps 100 Other Nurses to Start Their Own Businesses

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BLACK NURSE HELPS 100 OTHER NURSES TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES

Nationwide -- Michelle Greene Rhodes, Founder and CEO of Michelle Rhodes Media LLC in Tampa, Florida, has created a place for nurses to personally develop and meet their big goals outside of the traditional roles. The RNterprise™ Academy is an online brand that helps nurses go “onward and upward” in business. The program, developed in 2016- was created to help nurses meet their maximum potential and avoid burnout, a common problem in healthcare.

For those nurses who enjoy business but feel stuck, this could be an excellent option to support healthcare. This can also help alleviate the swinging door in this field where statistics show up to 33% of nurses leave the field withing the first two years of beginning the profession.

With burnout knocking on her doorstep back in 2008, Michelle found herself feeling physical symptoms daily while at work. A nurse of 23 years, Michelle states “I remember finding myself reflecting the good days when I loved what I did daily and was happy to serve day in and day out.”

She served many years as a hospice nurse who witnessed death frequently, found herself experiencing compassion fatigue. In addition to heavy caseloads and 365-day schedules, she saw her personal life suffering.

Once those relationships began to deteriorate, she knew that it was time to get some help. It was through therapy after losing her mother and husband that put her life back on the right track. “It was then I found my sense of purpose and a new way of legacy thinking that made me want to leave my mark in nursing, on behalf of my mother.”

Wrongful Conviction Expert Timothy T. Williams, Jr. Launches Foundation To Help Wrongfully Convicted

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WRONGFUL CONVICTION EXPERT LAUNCHES FOUNDATION TO HELP EXONERATE INNOCENT PRISONERS

Los Angeles, CA -- It is estimated that 2.3 million people are currently incarcerated in the United States, and approximately 2 - 10% (40,000 - 230,000) are wrongfully convicted. Since a majority of wrongful conviction cases do not have DNA evidence, it can sometimes take years, even decades, to prove the innocence of a wrongfully convicted person. However, such legal personnel cannot afford to work pro bono long-term and most convicted persons seeking exoneration cannot afford legal representation. Per Santa Clara University of Law, some cases can cost more than $2 million and an estimated 5,000 attorney hours or more to win the freedom of a wrongfully convicted person.

Launching in October 2020, the Timothy T. Williams, Jr. Foundation for Wrongful Convictions (TTWFWC) is making history by providing attorneys, experts, and criminal investigators with grant funding that embraces their prevailing industry rates to work as teams on state and federal wrongful conviction cases nationwide. In response to the national crisis of wrongful convictions, TTWFWC sets itself apart by funding the exoneration process from beginning to end. TTWFWC will also provide continuing education and professional development workshops to the next generation of expert witnesses, criminal investigators, and attorneys.

New Black Comedy Series on UMC, "Millenials"

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‘MILLENNIALS’: KYLE MASSEY, KERAUN HARRIS, PHILIP BOLDEN, AARON GRADY, AND TERESA CELESTE TO STAR IN NEW UMC MULTI-CAM COMEDY

Los Angeles, CA  Millennials, the multi-camera comedy series recently greenlit by the popular AMC Networks streaming service, UMC, has officially named its cast. Kyle Massey (That’s So Raven), Keraun Harris (viral social media star @KingKeraun), Philip Bolden (Are We There Yet?), Aaron Grady (Everybody Hates Chris), and Teresa Celeste (Tales, Wild N’ Out) will lead the cast of the new comedy series centered on the lives of four 20- something roommates and their neighbor across the hall as they navigate the chaos of being young, finding success, and finding themselves in the city of angels. Created by Rugg Williams and Oren Williams with Bentley Kyle Evans serving as co-director, Millennials will kick off production this week. The series is currently slated to premiere in early 2021.

Massey will play the role of Omar, a business student with dreams of taking over the corporate world; Harris will play Jaheem, a personal trainer who’s attractive clientele doubles as his pool of dating conquests; Bolden will play Travis, an insecure YouTuber who thrives off of public attention; Grady will play Todd, a college dropout who struggles with his sense of responsibility and remaining gainfully employed; and Celeste will play Mercedes, an aspiring actress from Atlanta who often serves as the only voice of reason for guys. Rounding out the cast are Tanjareen Thomas (Famous in Love), comedian Buddy Lewis (Big Stan, Black Dynamite), Katherine Florence (social media influencer @katieflorence), and actor DeShaude Barner.

Black Woman Director Makes History With Film and Stage Play

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BLACK WOMAN DIRECTOR MAKES HISTORY WITH AWARD-WINNING FILM AND STAGE PLAY

Nationwide --  Marishka S. Phillips wears many hats, the actor/ writer/ director/ producer/ coach has maintained a pace that would exhaust the average individual. In recent years, she has focused her attention on developing her directorial skills. Her first film projects, Melinda the Movie, an award-winning short, which she wrote and produced, starring Tony Award-winners LaChanze (Broadway’s The Color Purple, Summer, If/Then), and Lillias White (Fela!, Chicago), made the festival rounds (2017-2018), picking up a number of awards, and is now available on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/melindathemovie).

Last year, Ms. Phillips directed the Audelco nominated, one-woman stage production of Down to Eartha, written and starring Dierdra McDowell. The play pays homage to the multifaceted entertainer/activist, Eartha Kitt, and was in residency at the Dwyer Cultural Center in Harlem until COVID shut the city down. This project too will be on Vimeo in November 2020 and is currently available for pre-order ( https://vimeo.com/454806441).

Only Black-Owned Bank in Texas Partners With Bank of America

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BLACK-OWNED BANK IN HOUSTON PARTNERS WITH BANK OF AMERICA TO STRENGTHEN ITS SUPPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

Nationwide -- Unity National Bank of Houston, N.A., the only African American owned bank in Texas, has announced that Bank of America has acquired approximately 5% of its common equity. The investment will facilitate benefits to the communities that Unity serves through lending, housing, neighborhood revitalization, and other banking services.

Unity’s Board Chairman Dr. Kase L. Lawal said, “Unity remains committed to the vision of providing banking services to historically underserved businesses and individuals during these trying times. Bank of America’s investment in Unity will strengthen our core community banking philosophy especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The investment is part of Bank of America’s focus on investing $50 million in direct equity investments in Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) as part of a broader $1 billion, four-year commitment to advance racial equality and economic opportunity.

Black Entrepreneurs Once Ignorant About Credit Launch New Company

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MEET TWO BLACK ENTREPRENEURS WHO THOUGHT A GOOD ACT SCORE AND GPA WOULD GET THEM INSTANT APPROVAL FOR A HOME LOAN

Los Angeles, CA -- Meet Ronald Eddington and Kevin Williams, the founders of Impact Credit Solutions and Coaching. They are two entrepreneurs who once thought their excellent ACT scores and good GPAs would automatically grant them the finer things in life until life got in their way.

Read their stories to learn how good or bad credit can impact your life! Listen to how becoming homeless, sleeping in vehicles and on air mattresses, and how child support was eating a chunk out of their paychecks. Not to mention the constant denial letters they received from financial institutes turning them down for car loans or credit card access.

Ronald

In 2013, Ronald made a life-changing decision that left him homeless, sleeping in his truck and basically working for free because so much child support was coming out of his paycheck.