Daily Motivations for African-American Success: Including Inspirations from Famous African-American Achievers

A rich compendium of wisdom from such distinguished and celebrated African Americans as Malcolm X, Bill Cosby, Morgan Freeman, Alice Walker and others, designed to help you focus on the thoughts, attitudes, and deeds that will lead to the achievement of your true goals. Each lesson will last a lifetime!

Karma's World

Karma’s World was an idea first introduced by Chris Bridges’ third grade daughter, Karma. She wanted to create an exciting educational website that was interactive, full of good music and fantasy. Chris wanted to make Karma’s dream come true, so he brought creative people together to make the website she envisioned.

The result is Karma’s World, which upholds the standards that Chris set. It is a site that encourages children like Karma to learn in an atmosphere of fun, offering academic lessons as well as ethical ones. It teaches the Golden Rule: how to treat others the way you would want to be treated. It teaches an understanding of “karma”: how doing good deeds can bring good into your life. It shows the importance of manners and the rewards of hard work. It reflects Chris’ belief that the habit of working joyously from the heart opens the door to children for a lifetime of meaningful success..

More About Chris
Chris Bridges is first and foremost a father and teacher. He is also a multiple Grammy Award-winning musician, actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

More About Karma
Karma Bridges is a third grader who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She loves singing and dancing and is an advocate for recycling and “keeping it green.” She and her daddy have a dog named Castor, who is as smart as Smartacus. More than anything, she wants everyone who visits this site to feel welcome and join in the fun!

Lessons for Teachers
Teach more lessons derived from Karma’s World in the classroom. Each time the site is refreshed, our educational consultant offers three new lesson plans for teachers in the featured subjects. Those lesson plans are prepared for a specific grade level each time.

Tips for Parents
Enhance your child’s enjoyment of learning by getting some hints from our educational consultant about what fun activities, books and films are available for them on the subjects featured on Karma’s World.

Source: http://www.karmasworld.com

Diverse Mobile: Apps

Ever go hunting in the App store or Android Market for an application that had your culture in mind? Well, we do it all the time! As a matter of fact, that void is the foundation Diverse Mobile is built on! (Sounds oxymoronic, huh?)

Over the last few years, mobile applications have exploded on the scene and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. We at Diverse Mobile are making efforts to bring a wide array of applications for your iPhones, iPads, and Android phones and tablets that we hope can get people from different cultures excited about technology because there is something for them.

Many apps are currently in development as well as some exciting collaborations. We recently released the HBCU Homecoming App that is the premiere destination for your HBCU Homecoming activities! Chat with friends, set reminders for homecoming activities and nightlife events surrounding homecoming, stream games, and we even put a QR Reader in it for you to use! Check out the site here, and be sure to download it from the app store! Note: Party promotors, if you'd like your party promoted in the app, just shoot us an email at info@diversemobile.com and we can get it in there lickity split! We also just released another children's storybook app "Ashti Meets Birdman Al" written by Carmen Rubin, that takes a little girl on a journey through jazz music, with exciting sounds, colors, all with the help of her mom and jazz legend Al Jarreau!  You can read up on the story here, and it's in the app store ready for download.  Last but certainly not least, you can get our first app, a children's storybook App titled "A Song for Miles", which is the story of a little boy's journey and discovery of Soul Music with his father.  Go check out the site here and stay tuned for lots more apps coming your way!

HBCU Homecoming

Ashti Meets Birdman Al

A Song for Miles

Source: http://www.diversemobile.com

HBCU Calendar 2012

Since 2006, the Black History Educational Network has produced this spectacular annual calendar as a fundraising vehicle for the nation’s 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

So far, we’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for HBCU schools with the calendar, which is sold in more than 2,300 locations nationwide!

Since 1837, HBCUs have produced some of our country’s most prominent African-American leaders. Yet, despite the important work they do, Historically Black Colleges and Universities have always faced daily financial struggles to remain open.

With the dual goal of raising funds for and awareness of HBCUs, and to document the historical achievements of outstanding African Americans, this special commemorative limited edition calendar was created.

The calendar:
Features 13 “notable” African-American history makers/celebrities on the cover and inside – one for each month (December through December).
Profiles 12 HBCUs by the chronological order in which they were established.
Provides Black history facts on important dates.
Highlights the Black Greek fraternities and sororities and other national African American organizations interested in education.

Purchase

Ice Cube

As a solo artist and as a member of the influential West Coast group N.W.A., Ice Cube was a driving force that helped put gangsta rap on the map. He stood out from his peers as a great - if controversial -storyteller with a tremendous presence onstage. It was only a matter of time before filmmakers recognized his potential. Much as Ice Cube made his mark representing the tough streets of South Los Angeles in his music, his early film appearances likewise cast him as familiar characters from the 'hood. He showed great screen promise with his debut in John Singleton's Academy Award-nominated "Boyz 'n the Hood" (1991) and built up an acting resume with a string of thugs before taking the helm as a screenwriter and producer of the successful "Friday" film franchise, including "Friday," (1995) "Next Friday" (2000) and "Friday After Next" (2002). From that more lighthearted take on urban life, Ice Cube stretched his range with an acclaimed performance in David O. Russell's war film "Three Kings" (1999). Despite the unruly image of his continued musical output, Ice Cube was able carve out a different onscreen persona, breaking through to the mainstream with the hugely successful "Barber Shop" (2002) franchise and family films "Are We There Yet?" (2005) and "The Longshots" (2008), earning the respect of fans and critics alike, proving this former rapper had the versatility to take on any part Hollywood asked of him.

O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson was born on June 15, 1969 and raised in South Central Los Angeles. By the time Ice Cube was a pre-teen, his working class neighborhood was deteriorating into a gangland overrun with drugs and weapons. Ice Cube was skeptical of the dead-end life around him and was fortunate enough to have a solid two-parent family who encouraged him to pursue his interests and education. He spent his early years occupied with Pop Warner football and music - first, the soul and funk his parents listened to until the 1979 history-making single "Rapper's Delight" captured his attention. When Ice Cube hit his teens, his parents tried to boost his chances at a better future by bussing him to a suburban high school in the San Fernando Valley. It was an eye-opening experience for Ice Cube, as he realized for the first time how rough he really had it in South Central. And even though there was a growing wave of rap music emanating from New York, he began to wonder why no one was telling the story of life in his very different world of Los Angeles. As Ice Cube began to watch more and more of his friends end up strung out, murdered or in jail, he became even more determined to find a way out of his bleak surroundings.

When Ice Cube began to write his first raps in high school, he never had his sights set on fame; he was just looking for a way to express himself and entertain people. Rising local hero Dr. Dre took a liking to the rapper and served as his mentor, eventually teaming Ice Cube with Eazy-E and himself to form the groundbreaking gangsta rap group, N.W.A. (Niggaz with Attitude). Keeping his future options open, Ice Cube spent a year studying architectural drafting while the group released an early underground recording and began to build a reputation. But by the time their debut wide release album Straight Outta Compton was released the following year, it was clear that Ice Cube, who wrote a significant amount of the lyrics on the album, had a bankable future in music. The album's breakout single "F*ck the Police" did not win them any friends among the men and women in blue, but it made a huge impact with its vivid, realistic imagery of gangsta life in the 'hood, peppered with frank social commentary. Radio stations would not touch the expletive-riddled songs with their controversial perspective on racism, cops and women, but the influential album became a huge seller that put the West Coast on the map and helped establish gangsta rap as a new music subgenre.

The successful rapper left the group in 1989 over royalty disputes, and made two extremely explosive solo albums - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990) and Kill at Will (1991)- angry accusatory records that decried social conditions. But Ice Cube was also ready to prove that the man behind the trademark scowl was much more than the message. He got the opportunity to tell the story of his world in a new way when he was approached by another ambitious neighborhood force, filmmaker John Singleton, who asked him to play a sensitive, doomed ex-con gangbanger in his low budget South Central masterpiece, "Boyz 'N the Hood" (1991). The title for the film was taken from Cube's N.W.A. song of the same name and the part of Dough Boy written for Ice Cube by Singleton. The collaboration of neighborhood veterans resulted in a powerful cinematic portrait of a specific time and place, earning such far and wide praise as nominations from the Academy Awards and the Political Film Society. Not surprisingly, Ice Cube followed up his acting success with a string of urban-themed films, including Walter Hill's "Trespass" (1992), where he played a hotheaded subordinate to fellow rapper Ice-T's crime lord.

After releasing Billboard number one solo albums The Predator and Lethal Injection, which received generally high critical marks, Ice Cube shifted his focus to film for the remainder of the decade. In 1995, he played a man unjustly accused of murder in "The Glass Shield" and reunited with Singleton for "Higher Learning." And thanks to the encouragement of Singleton, who told him that if he, Ice Cube, could write an album, he could also write a screenplay, the wrapper-turned-actor set his sights on selling his own script. He teamed with musical cohort DJ Pooh and wrote the screenplay "Friday" (1995), a more lighthearted look at neighborhood life that, instead of gangbangers, focused on a pair of stoner buddies, owing much in tone to the lunacy of old Cheech & Chong movies. The low-budget movie directed by F. Gary Gray became a cult favorite and brought in more than ten times its original investment of $3 million. With several acting, writing and producing projects in the works, the rapper who once had little mainstream appeal was beginning to prove a different and far more rare crossover-a musician who could make his mark both in front of and behind the movie camera.

Onscreen, Ice Cube began to venture outside of the gang genre with roles in the corny horror film "Anaconda" (1997) and "Dangerous Ground" (1997), where he played a South African living in Los Angeles who returns to his homeland to find his missing brother. Ice Cube executive-produced the former and continued acquiring production experience at the helm of 13 music videos, including those of Prince and Color Me Badd. In 1998, he unveiled his solo screenwriting and directing debut, "The Players Club" (1998), about a lovely African-American single mother who lands a job stripping at a club to pay for her college tuition. The director demonstrated his growing command of the film medium, convincingly evoking the seedy strip joint milieu in a comedy-drama that made up in vigor what it lacked in polish. The same year, the creative powerhouse was back in record stores with the first of a double album set, War and Peace, Vol.1, which scored a number one single with "Pushin' Weight."

Ice Cube pushed the boundaries even more onscreen, proving his crossover appeal and real talent as one of a group of disenfranchised U.S. soldiers in David O. Russell's acclaimed Gulf War comedy-drama, "Three Kings" (1999), holding his own onscreen with George Clooney and another rapper-turned-actor, Mark Wahlberg. The following year, his success as a screenwriter, producer and star of "Friday" proved no fluke when his humble follow-up "Next Friday" (2000) brought in $19 million in its opening weekend - without the help of its predecessor's co-star Chris Tucker, who was replaced by the lesser-known comedian, Mike Epps. Ice Cube again turned in a solid straight man performance in the often very funny sequel. The soundtrack featured the single "Chin Check" by the newly-regrouped N.W.A., with Dr. Dre's protégé, Snoop Dogg, standing in for late original member Eazy-E, who had died of AIDS in 1995. Ice Cube's old N.W.A. cohorts also made an appearance on the second disc of his ambitious set, War & Peace Vol. 2 (2000).

Though the misfire sci-fi thriller "John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars" marked Ice Cube's only acting outing of 2001 - the same year the rapper released his long-awaited Greatest Hits collection - he more than made up for it the following year by writing, producing (under his new Cube Vision production shingle) and starring in the comedies "All About the Benjamins" and "Friday After Next." Both films reunited him alongside Mike Epps, with the duo playing a bounty hunter and bumbling criminal in the former and reprising their "Next Friday" roles in the holiday-themed latter. Cube's next effort, "Barbershop" (2002), was a turning point in his film career. He played the middle-class owner of a South-Side Chicago barbershop where colorful local characters gather to exchange gossip and opinions. The film visited similar "neighborhood character" territory as his "Friday" franchise, but appealed to a broader audience than the stoner successes, earning $75 million at the box office and becoming a bona fide crossover to mainstream audiences. The runaway hit spawned the 2004 sequel "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," which found Ice Cube's character contemplating whether or not to sell his property to a developer for quick cash or to maintain it as an important, if not so lucrative, community magnet.

In 2004, Ice Cube provided one of the few precious merits of the lame videogame-like motorcycle action flick, "Torque"(2004) before turning in his first family-friendly performance in the appealing road comedy "Are We There Yet?" (2005) - a kind of urban "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983), with Ice Cube taking on the Chevy Chase role. Ice Cube toned down his hard image and came across as charismatic and extremely watchable per the usual, and though the movie failed to warm the hearts of critics, "Are We There Yet?" opened at number one and subsequently took in nearly $100 million at the box office. The same year, Ice Cube produced the "Barbershop" spin-off "Beauty Shop" and took the lead as super spy in the big budget actioner, "xXx: State of the Union" which was a modest box office success, if overshadowed by a superior predecessor, "xXx" (2002). After a long absence from the recording studio, Ice Cube unleashed Laugh Now, Cry Later, which many considered his comeback, following a string of creatively underwhelming releases. The album was marked by a more positive focus and reached No. 2 on Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop album chart. Ice Cube continued to explore new avenues and expanded into television as the executive producer of the reality TV show, "Black.White." (FX, 2006), which had black and white families trading places in an effort to explore issues of racism.

Cementing his image as a new figure in family-friendly entertainment, Ice Cube returned to the big screen in the successful comedy sequel "Are We Done Yet?" (2007). He fared less well in the predictable neighborhood heist "First Sunday" (2008) before tackling the sports comedy, "The Longshots" (2008), first-time musician-director Fred Durst's clichéd story about a rag-tag Pop Warner football team who turns around town spirit, thanks to a female recruit (Keke Palmer) and a new coach (Ice Cube). He also released the album Raw Footage in 2008, and the following year, addressed the rap arena on film with the comedy "Janky Promoters," which he wrote and starred in as a crooked music promoter. The same year he took a starring role in the big screen adaptation of the beloved 1970s sitcom, "Welcome Back, Kotter: The Movie."

Source: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018947/bio

An XL Life: Staying Big at Half the Size by Big Boy

Growing up homeless, fatherless and facing more than a few problems with gang violence and issues of self-worth, Big Boy managed to rise to the top of the hip-hop world and west-coast radio scene. For 33 years of Big Boy’s life size didn’t matter. As he reached the pinnacle of broadcasting he just kept piling on the pounds, and claiming award after award in radio. Right around this time he stepped on the scale and it read “510” pounds, celebrities took bets that he couldn’t drop the weight. Choosing to put his career first, even when his life was on the line after opting for a radical surgical procedure, Big fought through the greatest struggle of his life. In this book the joke song-singing, crank call-making, celebrity interviewing, wise-cracking, all around hilarious, humongous black dude behind the wildly popular morning radio program Big Boy’s Neighborhood shares everything he lived through and learned along the way.

Little-Known Black History Fact: Charles 'Honi' Coles

Charles "Honi" Coles was a famous tap dancer of the 1930s who was said to have "the fastest feet in the business." People who witnessed his dance at the Apollo Theater said that his feet moved so fast, it looked like an illusion.

Coles was given the nickname 'Honi' by his mother. The streets in Coles' hometown of Philadelphia were beaming with aspiring tap dancers "cutting" one another in contests. That’s where Coles "honed his craft."

Coles got his start with a group called The Three Millers in New York, who danced on top of pedestals and tiny platforms, doing barrel turns, wings and over-the-tops. Unfortunately, Coles learned that his partner replaced him in the group, and he retreated back to Philly. After connecting with the Joffrey Ballet, Coles made history when he performed in their unique production of Agnes DeMille’s "Conversations About the Dance." For the first time, tap made a debut in concert dance.

The late, great Lena Horne once said of Coles, "Honi makes butterflies look clumsy. He was my Fred Astaire."

In the 1940s, Coles joined with Cab Calloway to create a duo with Charles "Cholly" Atkins. The two would perform as Coles and Atkins for years. He danced with an array of jazz greats: Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, and Count Basie.

Coles made his broadway debut in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” in 1949. He also appeared in "Bubbling Brown Sugar" and "My One and Only," and received a Tony Award for his performance. He was 72 years old. In 1949, Coles helped to found The Copasetics, a tapping fraternity made in honor of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

In the 1980s, he taught dance and dance history at Yale, Cornell, Duke and George Washington universities. Coles also had a small but stellar part in the 1984 film "Cotton Club" - where he danced in a classic scene featuring Maurice and Gregory Hines and a mix of legendary hoofers - and a bit part in the hit 1987 hit movie, "Dirty Dancing."

In 1992, the year after he was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President George H.W. Bush, Coles died at age 81. He was posthumously inducted into the American Tap dance Foundation's Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2003.


Source: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/the_black_diaspora_news/35138

KWANZAA 360 – ENGAGING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY

Join 900AM-WURD as we launch an ambitious initiative to take the idea of Kwanzaa and embed it into the fabric of our community.  For 7 weeks, from November 14th, 2011 through January 1, 2012, WURD will mobilize our listening audience to support African-American owned businesses and cultural institutions along with businesses that support the Black community.

During the weeks leading up to Kwanzaa 2011, WURD will do weekly live broadcasts from African-American businesses, civic and cultural institutions, encouring our listening audience to support these organizations.

As we move into the holiday season, this program will provide tangible ways to support the economic development and cultural awareness within the African-American community.

Kwanzaa360 will continue throughout 2012 with weekly on-air features focused on the seven principles and monthy remote broadcasts.

Join WURD as we harness the power of Kwanzaa’s seven principles and move twoards collective action to empower the African-American community.

Kwanzaa’s Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba)

Unity  (Umoja)
Self-Determination (Kujichagulia)
Collective Work and Responsibility (Ujima)
Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa)
Purpose (Nia)
Creativity (Kuumba)
Faith (Imani)

Source: http://www.900amwurd.com/index.php?mact=Initiatives,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01item=kwanzaa-360&cntnt01detailtemplate=5&cntnt01returnid=22

What Makes the Great Great

@DrDennisKimbro - Part vocational pep rally, part how-to book, What Makes the Great Great elaborates on the inspiring message bestselling author Dennis Kimbro put forth in his first book Think and Grow Rich--A Black Choice. In What Makes the Great Great, the author explores the strategies and thought processes of successful African-Americans. Through dozens of interviews and the inspirational stories of people like John H. Johnson, Publisher of Ebony magazine, Condoleeza Rice, Provost of Stanford University, and Ann Fudge, President of Maxwell House Coffee, Dr. Kimbro outlines the nine strategies that determine success.

According to Dr. Kimbro, being great depends on a commitment to making dreams come true: "All high achievers make choices, not excuses." He believes we all have the seeds of greatness in us, and his book gives readers the tools to discover and nurture those seeds, showing hem how to motivate themselves to master every aspect of their lives.

Muhammad Ali: Humanitarian

Today, championing the issues in the developing world has become a major focus of Muhammad's life. He has been instrumental in providing over 232 million meals to the world's hungry. Traveling across continents, he has hand-delivered food and medical supplies to children in Cote D'Ivoire, Indonesia, Mexico, and Morocco among other countries.

In addition to his international efforts, Muhammad is equally devoted to helping charities at home. He has visited countless numbers of soup kitchens and hospitals, and helped such organizations as the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and the Special Olympics. At the State Capitol in Michigan, he advocated new laws for protecting children.

He annually participates in "Fight Night," which generates funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center at Barrow Neurological Institute, in Phoenix, Arizona.

He is also the namesake of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, a federal law that regulates professional boxing to protect boxers from unscrupulous promoters and poor health and bout conditions. Muhammad has testified before the United States Senate several times regarding boxing reform.

For his humanitarian efforts, Muhammad has been the recipient of countless awards. His recognitions include:
• United Nations Messenger of Peace in 1998-2008, for his work with developing nations
• Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, the United States of America's highest civil award
• Amnesty International's Lifetime Achievement Award
• Germany's 2005 Otto Hahn Peace Medal, for his involvement in the U.S. civil rights movement and the United Nations
• International Ambassador of Jubilee 2000, a global organization dedicated to relieving debt in developing nations
• State of Kentucky's "Kentuckian of the Century"
• The Advertising Club of Louisville's "Louisvillian of the Century"

Other honors include an Essence Award, an XNBA Human Spirit Award and recognition from the National Urban League; 100 Black Men; Givat Haviva; the Oleander Foundation; The National Conference of Christians and Jews; TIME magazine and many others.

President Jimmy Carter once cited Muhammad as "Mr. International Friendship."


http://www.ali.com/

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Red Tails: The Red Tail Squadron

Like thousands of other Americans in 1940 and 1941, the young black men who would become known as the Tuskegee Airmen were full of patriotic zeal during the run-up to the country’s involvement in World War II. What set them apart was that they wanted to fight the enemy from the air as pilots. Many applied to U.S. Army Air Corps flight training programs, but all were rejected because of the color of their skin.

In 1941, under pressure from political groups and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Army Air Corps reversed its position on accepting black flight program applicants. However, the brass was not fully committed to this change so they set up the “Tuskegee Experiment.” The black pilot cadets would train at a segregated base in Tuskegee, Alabama. Flight support personnel would train at Chanute Air Base in Rantoul, Illinois, but would also be segregated.

It was called an “experiment” because the initiative was expected to fail. The Army’s decisions about blacks in its ranks were still influenced by a 1925 Army War College report called The Use of Negro Manpower in War. The 67-page report was full of cruel generalizations about the behavior of black men during wartime and the black race in general. It even went so far as to state that black men are “very low in the scale of human evolution.” The black cadets were determined to create a record of excellence during their training and future war service to make the “experiment” work.

The first class of 13 cadets began training in 1942. Five young men made it through the entire program, earning their wings in March 1943. One of those was Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., a 1936 West Point graduate who had endured four years of “shunning” by his white classmates who only spoke to him when required to for class or military training. Davis’ father, General Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., was the only black line officer in the U.S. Army at that time. Davis, Jr. would soon join him as the second black line officer as he moved through the ranks as a leader of the Tuskegee-trained pilots. He would become the U.S. Air Force’s first black general.

In all, 996 men earned their wings at Tuskegee. 450 of them would be sent to fight and fly in North African and Europe as fighter pilots. The others were trained as bomber pilots, but the war ended before they could be deployed to the Pacific theater. Of those who fought, 66 gave their lives and 32 became prisoners of war.

Source: http://www.redtail.org/

Black Business Secrets: 500 Tips, Strategies, and Resources for the African American Entrepreneur

According to the U.S. Census, African American entrepreneurs are five times more likely to fail in business than their white counterparts.


To address this devastating statistic, Dante Lee has authored his third book entitled Black Business Secrets: 500 Tips, Strategies, and Resources For The African American Entrepreneur. Its in bookstores nationwide, and is published by SmileyBooks - Tavis Smiley's publishing company.


The book offers an encouraging and unique blue print for entrepreneurs against the backdrop of the new media landscape, and invaluable guidance for those adapting to the global marketplace.


Black Business Secrets features a foreword written by Dr. Randal Pinkett, and exclusive one-on-one interviews with Bob Johnson, George Fraser, Karen Hunter, Will Moss, Tom Burrell, Wally Amos, Dr. Farrah Gray, Ephren Taylor, Nadine Thompson, and Gwen Richardson.


Source: http://www.dantelee.com/the_book.html

Ujamaa Deals

@ujamaadeals - Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.


Daily discounts from Black-owned companies


It's simple.  Black unemployment is at least 2x the national level (the official estimate is  about 16.7%, but the real rate is closer to 30%).  Black-owned businesses are 85% more likely to hire Black employees than non-Black-owned businesses.  So the most efficient use of our consumer dollars to increase Black employment and decrease the wealth gap is to support Black-owned businesses.


Follow us on facebook and twitter (@ujamaadeals)

Les Brown: Fight For Your Dreams

You have a dream that just won’t die.

You long to take that dream off the shelf and finally meet your destiny.

This is the book that will inspire you to go for it and never look back.

You’ve been striving for your dream for a long time.

You need a push to motivate you to stay the course and reach the finish line.

This is the book that will help you get the win.

In Fight For Your Dreams! bestselling author and motivational speaker Les Brown presents 31 inspiring true stories of people just like you who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds, harrowing experiences and decades of self-doubt to fulfill their dreams. Reading these stories will give you the courage to answer your calling; they will sustain you when are weary; and when you’re down they will empower you to get back up and fight, fight, fight for your dreams until you’re living them.

Whether you’re just beginning or have been trying for years, whether you have always believed in yourself or gave up long ago, whether you have all the support one could hope for or none at all, you can - and you WILL - realize your dreams. Fight For Your Dreams! is all the evidence you need.

Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr.

When Sammy Davis, Jr. published his autobiography in 1965, it was an immediate long-running bestseller as well as a revelation. Yes I Can describes Sammy Davis's personal conviction, the view of success that both propelled him to stardom from ghetto obscurity and served as his armor against racism.

2012 Ron Brown Scholar Program Seeks To Give $40K Each To Ten African American Students

Nationwide (November 21, 2011) -- The Ron Brown Scholar Program seeks to identify African-American high school seniors who will make significant contributions to society. Applicants must excel academically, exhibit exceptional leadership potential, participate in community service activities and demonstrate financial need. The applicant must be a US citizen or hold a permanent resident visa card. Current college students are not eligible to apply.

Each year, a minimum of ten students will be designated Ron Brown Scholars and will receive $10,000 annually for four years, for a total of $40,000. The recipients may use the renewable scholarships to attend an accredited four-year college or university of their choice within the United States. Ron Brown Scholarships are not limited to any specific field or career objective and may be used to pursue any academic discipline. More than 250 students have been designated as Ron Brown Scholars since the inception of the Program.

Ron Brown Scholars are selected in the spring prior to entering college. Applications are screened during the month of February by Ron Brown Scholar Program staff. In March, finalists are invited to participate in a weekend selection process in Washington, D.C. at the expense of the CAP Charitable Foundation. Finalists are interviewed by members of the Ron Brown Selection Committee and are expected to participate in several Selection Weekend activities. Scholarship winners are selected on the basis of their applications, interviews and participation in Selection Weekend activities.

The deadline to apply is January 9, 2012.

For more details, visit:
www.BlackStudents.com/ronbrownscholars

Source: http://www.blacknews.com/news/ron_brown_scholar_program101.shtml

900 AM Wurd

WURD Radio is the only African-American owned and operated talk radio station in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (and one of few in the country.) Taking a multi-media approach -- on-air, on-line and in-community -- WURD serves as the heartbeat of the African-American urban market, providing information and solutions that educate, uplift and inspire the heart and soul of Philadelphia.

900AM-WURD offers a unique two-way talk format that is widely recognized as the pulse of the African-American community - locally, regionally, and nationally. WURD has helped shape every major event in the region. From mayoral races to Presidential elections, from the street corner to the corner suite, WURD has tackled the hard issues as an influential, respected and powerful voice in the marketplace.

Beyond the airwaves, WURD has a robust interactive website 900AMWURD.com and a highly acclaimed symposium series – WURD Speaks. This event series gathers local, national and internationally renowned experts to share insights on issues ranging from health care, education and economic development to arts and culture and civic engagement.

Spreading our voice on-air, on-line and in-community has attracted creative partnerships with such blue chip clients as Universal Companies, PECO, Keystone Mercy Health Plan, United Health, Peirce College, Wells Fargo, and PNC Bank. Leading organizations like the Philadelphia Theatre Company, Art Sanctuary, the University of Penn and WHYY have also established strategic partnerships with WURD on several ground-breaking initiatives.

WURD has become a gathering point for the diverse voices that exist in the Delaware Valley. If you want to know what’s happening in the Black world, tune in to WURD. Whether it’s interviews with Heads of State, business leaders or local activists, we are, as our tagline explains, “the information station, committed to solutions.”

About LEVAS

LEVAS Communications, LP the parent company of 900AM WURD, was founded based upon the principle that communication and dialogue are central components to empowerment. The word “LEVAS” is an acronym for Lift Every Voice and Sing”, (also known as The Black National Anthem) and acknowledges the reality that no voice is special until it is heard.

LEVAS Communications, LP is a media and entertainment holding company. Through its subsidiaries, LEVAS is engaged in the business of original content creation, marketing and distribution across various communications platforms including radio, internet, special events, film, children’s television, sports entertainment and publishing.

Our Staff
Sara Lomax Reese : President/ General Manager
Kimberly Everett : Sales & Marketing
Barbara Grant: Program Director
Bill Anderson: Host/Senior Account Executive
Fatimah Ali: Host
Al Butler: Host
Dana Puopolo : Chief Engineer
Kira Clifford: Account Executive
Kia Alston: Traffic Manager
Alexis Lindsey: Production Manager
Troy Wilmore: Board Operator/Producer
Tiffany Gilliam: Board Operator
Troy Morris: Board Operator/ Producer
Hayden Superville: Board Operator
Melissa Henderson: Administrative Assistant

Source: http://www.900amwurd.com

Create Buzz When Starting A Business: 27 Answers to FAQs About Social Media and Networking

by

@DryerBuzz

While many want to experience viral contagion in their business, creating buzz can give your business longer shelf life with customers. Buzz is remembered and recalled again and again.

Two decades engaging niche audiences and helping entrepreneurs create buzz for their business, Yalanda P Lattimore answers FAQ’s in the perfect accessory for entrepreneurs, Create Buzz When Starting a Business: 27 Answers to FAQs About Social Media and Networking.

Over the years, how to reach customers and audiences evolved. Creating Buzz When Starting a Business helps passionate DIY entrepreneurs and small businesses ease their way into creating buzz and credibility for their business with leadership and authority.

"Along the way, I learned the tricks of the trade in creating buzz when starting a business, says Yalanda P Lattimore. "I even developed some tricks of my own when it comes to mastering networking to create lasting impressions and influenced. I learned to lead with opportunity while staying ahead of the game."

In this exciting release, Yalanda answer 27 questions often asked by entrepreneurs when introducing and networking their business. The questions cover topics such as what's the big deal with twitter and Facebook and how to build a twitter following; to the new business behind blogging such as blogging to publish; to creating influence and keeping customer focus in a busy social world.

27 Frequently Asked Questions Answered
1. What’s going on?
2. Should I join an association?
3. What is Leadership?
4. How does the trendsetter create a legacy?
5. Where do haters come from?
6. How do I create buzz when networking and change the game overnight?
7. How do i create buzz at a conference?
8. How do I find my customers?
9. Am I ready?
10. Is that opportunity knocking?
11. Is my business digitally friendly?
12. Can my customers see me now?
13. Is my networking working?
14. Can I do business with strangers?
15. What's the big deal with twitter and facebook?
16. Where should I launch my buzz?
17. How do I find and engage potential customers?
18. How do I keep customers focused on my brand?
19. Does my business need to tweet?
20. How do I build a twitter following?
21. How do I tell my business story?
22. How can I make some extra money with Twitter and Facebook?
23. What is SEO?
24. What is a quick way to change the game?
25. What’s the number one way to grow my business?
26. How do I position my product with bloggers?
27. What is the new business with blogging?

3 Texas Sisters Take On Wedding Industry in Turbulent Economy

Nationwide (November 21, 2011) -- Will the state of the economy prevent brides from planning and enjoying a memorable wedding or keep inspired entrepreneurs down? A Texas trio says, no. Despite economic woes, the Thompson sisters (Valerie, Tajuana and Jenese Thompson) have formed I Do! Magnets, a company specializing in Save the Date Wedding Magnets. Designed to announce a wedding, the magnets display engagement photos, wedding websites, and other ceremonial details. Competitors beware; the sisters have raised the bar.

I Do! Magnets offers a large assortment of fun, ingeniously shaped Save the Date wedding magnets. Hands down, my top picks are the chapel magnet, dove-in-flight magnet, and the bridal couple magnet - which is reminiscent of a groom embracing his new bride for their first dance. They have quite an offering. Brides can choose up to 4 different layouts in a single order. Better still; all orders include not only the magnet, but its holder, tissue, decorative ribbon, and an envelope. What they've done is innovative and smart.

Brides everywhere are reacting to the downturn in the economy, not by skipping the ceremony, but by being savvier when planning. Wedding guest list have shrank and some brides have chosen to forgo the more expensive formal invitations all together, choosing to use Save the Date wedding magnets with the wedding couple's website address to further inform guests on the details of the upcoming day.

With no bank financing or personal loans, the Texas sisters pooled their financial resources to jump start the venture. The sisters say, "We believe innovative ideas and hard work are the backbone of the American economy. Our ideas and stick-to-itiveness didn't go away when the economy weakened...we were persistent."

There are approximately 2 million weddings in the United States every year. The average cost of a wedding is $24K to $27K, making the wedding industry quite a lucrative one. "Brides remain committed to planning a luxurious, memorable event and are willing to spend despite the state of the economy," said Carley Roney, editor in chief of The Knot Inc.

Despite the decline in the economy, the Thompson sisters from Texas are poised to lasso a portion of the wedding industry.

Visit them to see what they have to offer at www.IDoSaveTheDateMagnets.com


PRESS CONTACT:
Tajuana Thompson
800-925-7044
order@IDoMagnets.com


Source: http://www.blacknews.com/news/thompson_sisters_i_do_magnets101.shtml

Twitter: African American Empowerment Blog

We've created a twitter account for the African American Empowerment Blog, please follow @AAEBNews. You can use the twitter account to stay up to date with new post, suggest post for friends and read about upcoming features. We appreciate the support from everyone.


Thank You,


AAEB Admin

Chef Roble & Co.- Sunday, 10/9c on Bravo

Bravo serves up a new slice of culinary drama with Chef Roblé & Co. as Roblé Ali risks it all to cater the biggest events New York City has to offer, premiering on Sunday, December 4 at 10 pm ET/PT. Chef Roblé Ali has cooked for everyone from red carpet rock stars to award-winning actors, but nothing has prepared him for the stresses and strains of setting up his own high-end catering company. From a doggie wedding in the Hamptons to a Bollywood inspired birthday party, this series follows Roblé and his team as they create world-class cuisine and produce jaw-dropping events for a range of top-name clients and celebrities, including Rachel Dratch, and Kandi Burruss from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

In the premiere episode, Chef Roblé meets his first client -- a glamorous New York socialite who wants a creepy, carnival-themed birthday party. Roblé wonders whether he's bitten off more than he can chew after finding out she has a list of demands such as a live monkey and only allowing him to serve red, white, and black foods. Roblé is joined by his older sister Jasmine, who has relocated from Atlanta to help him start his business. Other members of the catering team include Artie and Shawn, who handle the front of house, and Adam, Ché, Kikuyo, and D'Andre in the kitchen.

Chef Roblé Ali was always fascinated with food and cooking. He showed talent in the kitchen at a young age after learning from his grandfather, Jesse Harris, who was a professional chef. At 15, Roblé began working in his first professional kitchen and continued to develop as a chef throughout his high school years. Upon graduation, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he broadened his knowledge of food.

After quickly being identified as one of the hottest up-and-coming chefs, Roblé worked through the ranks as the youngest sous chef ever at Abigail Kirsch, an elite New York catering company. He worked side by side with Chef Chris Santos as Chef de Cuisine of Restaurant Mojo and on the opening of Stanton Social. In addition, Roblé was hired by nightlife mogul, Noah Tepperberg, to be the executive chef and design the menu at Avenue, a popular gastro-lounge in New York City.


Source: http://www.bravotv.com/chef-roble-and-co/season-1/about

32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business by Earvin Magic Johnson

As a young man, Earvin “Magic” Johnson admired his father and other small-town entrepreneurs who created jobs and served as leaders in his Midwestern community. He worked for them, watched them, and his interest in building communities through economic development grew even while his basketball career flourished. His fame as an NBA star gave him access to some of the most successful business leaders in the country. It was Earvin’s own entrepreneurial spirit that inspired them to serve as his mentors.


Earvin made the transition from great athlete to greater entrepreneur through hard work and by avidly pursuing opportunities. He recognized that densely populated urban communities were ripe for commercial and residential development. He partnered with major brands like Starbucks, 24 Hour Fitness, and T.G.I. Friday’s to lead a major economic push in these communities. The success of his businesses proved that ethnically diverse urban residents would welcome and support major brands if given the opportunity. Earvin continues to be a leader of urban economic development that provides jobs, goods, and a new spirit of community.


32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business will inspire and enlighten readers who wish to make a similar impact with their careers and business endeavors.

Great Stories From America's Earliest Black Writers

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- Eureka Productions is pleased to announce the release of African-American Classics: Graphic Classics Volume 22, the newest volume in the Graphic Classics® series of comics adaptations of great literature.

African-American Classics presents comics adaptations of great stories and poems by America's earliest black authors, illustrated by contemporary black artists. The volume is co-edited by Tom Pomplun and Lance Tooks, a longtime contributing artist to the series. "This is an unprecedented opportunity to expose young readers of all races to a group of brilliant American authors who've never been adapted into the comics medium, interpreted by some of our industry's top talents," states Lance.

This volume presents stories including "Two Americans" by Florence Lewis Bentley, "The Goophered Grapevine" by Charles W. Chesnutt, "Becky" by Jean Toomer, two short plays by Zora Neale Hurston, and six more tales of humor and tragedy. Also featured are graphic interpretations of eleven poems, including Langston Hughes' "The Negro," Claude McKay's "America," and Paul Laurence Dunbar's "Sympathy."

The comics adaptations and illustrations are by some of the best black talent in the comics and illustration fields today, including Kyle Baker, Alex Simmons, Christopher Priest, Afua Richardson, Trevor Von Eeden, Jeremy Love and Milton Knight.

The Graphic Classics series presents the works of great authors in comics adaptations and heavily-illustrated text. The adaptations are written at an adult level, and utilize as much of the author's original language as possible. Our goal is to create books that are enjoyable for adults, yet accessible to children ages twelve and up. Graphic Classics are available in bookstores and comics shops nationally, or direct from the publisher, Eureka Productions at www.graphicclassics.com. Libraries and schools can order from Diamond Book Distributors, Baker & Taylor, Ingram, Follett or other distributors.

Graphic Classics are available in bookstores, comics shops, or direct from the publisher at www.graphicclassics.com.


About The Book:

African-American Classics: Graphic Classics Volume 22
Edited by Tom Pomplun and Lance Tooks
Published December 2011, Eureka Productions
Distributed by Diamond Book Distributors
(ISBN 978-0-9825630-4-5)
144 pgs, 7 x 10", paperback, full color, $17.95(US)


Other Books In The Series:

GRAPHIC CLASSICS: EDGAR ALLAN POE (978-0-9825630-0-7)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (978-0-9746648-5-9)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: H.G. WELLS (978-0-9746648-3-5)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: H.P. LOVECRAFT (978-0-9746648-9-7)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: JACK LONDON (978-0-9746648-8-0)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: AMBROSE BIERCE (978-0-9787919-5-7)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: BRAM STOKER (978-0-9787919-1-9)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: MARK TWAIN (978-0-9787919-2-6)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON (978-0-9746648-0-4)
HORROR CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Ten (978-0-9746648-1-1)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: O. HENRY (978-0-9746648-2-8)
ADVENTURE CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Twelve (978-0-9746648-4-2)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: RAFAEL SABATINI (978-0-9746648-6-6)
GOTHIC CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Fourteen (978-0-9787919-0-2)
FANTASY CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Fifteen (978-0-9787919-3-3)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: OSCAR WILDE (978-0-9787919-6-4)
SCIENCE FICTION CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Seventeen (978-0-9787919-7-1)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: LOUISA MAY ALCOTT (978-0-9787919-8-8)
CHRISTMAS CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Nineteen (978-0-9825630-1-4)
WESTERN CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Twenty (978-0-9787919-9-5)
EDGAR ALLAN POE'S TALES OF MYSTERY: Graphic Classics Volume 21 (978-0-9825630-2-1)
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume 22 (978-0-9825630-4-5)


PRESS CONTACT:
Tom Pomplun, Publisher
Eureka Productions
tom@graphicclassics.com

Lance Tooks, Editor
lancetooks@hotmail.com

Source: http://www.blacknews.com/news/african_american_classics101.shtml

Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice

"An inspiring an powerful success guide."

Author and entrepreneur Dennis Kimbro combines bestseeling author Napolean Hilll's law of success with his own vast knowledge of business, contemporary affairs, and the vibrant culture of Black America to teach you the secrets to success used by scores of black Americans, including: Spike Lee, Jesse Jackson, Dr. Selma Burke, Oprah Winfrey, and many others. 

     The result is inspiring, practical, clearly written, and totally workable. Use it to unlock the treasure you have always dreamed of--the treasure that at last is within your reach.