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This Saturday: 18th Annual Black College Expo

LOS ANGELES, CA- It’s that time of year again when high school seniors start narrowing down their college choices. On Saturday, February 11, the National College Resources will be hosting the 18th Annual Black College Expo.

The Black College Expo is where students who are interested in attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) can receive more information on different campuses, as well as to apply and get accepted on the spot. The application fees will be waived. For those that can’t afford to go to a four year university, there will be scholarships on the spot for high school seniors.

There will also be internships and career opportunities for recent college graduates that are in need of employment. Other programs and workshops that will be held throughout the day include:  Students Think S.T.E.A.M.; The Movement Enrichment Program; Intervention, Mentoring, College & Career Planning; and Student Athlete Recruiting & Education Program.

The Expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center located at 1201 South Figueroa Street in Los Angeles. For tickets and more information, please visit thecollegeexpo.org.

ESSENCE Magazine, Paley Center Celebrate Black History Month with “Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards”

LOS ANGELES, CA- For the past decade, Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood Awards have paid homage to modern image-makers—both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Since its inception in 2008, the awards have honored some of the most cherished figures in the industry, including Oprah Winfrey, Lupita Nyong’o, Ava DuVernay, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson and many more. This year’s event will shift from a daytime luncheon to an evening gala for the first time and will be held at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, CA, on Thursday, February 23, 2017.

The Power of Our Presence exhibit will be open at the Paley Center’s Beverly Hills location (465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210) from Wednesday, February 8 to Tuesday, February 28, 2017.

For more information about this exhibit, please visit Essence.com or paley.me/bwih, and follow Essence on TwitterInstagram and Facebook @essence, as well as the Paley Center on Facebook and Twitter @PaleyCenter for more updates.

The Essence Power of our Presence exhibit is presented by AT&T and the Minority Business Development Agency.

Photo Recap: BCCIE Host a Fun Filled Day at the 2nd Annual Black History Expo

Photo credit/manolojolinsky.com

Photo credit/manolojolinsky.com

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Empire (BCCIE) had their 2nd annual Black History Super Expo this past Saturday, February 4 in Downtown San Bernardino at Court Street. Tammy Martin-Ryles and the BCCIE members did an outstanding job on bringing together the community. 

“Black Man, Black Man!”

Lou Coleman

Lou Coleman

“What makes you so strong, black man? How is it that after 200 years of slavery in which skin color was the determining factor of your servitude and social status you could still produce a Frederick Douglass, a Booker T. Washington and a W.E.B. DuBois? What makes you so strong, black man? How is it that after losing 100 million souls in the “Middle Passage” of the slave trade, losing your name, your language and your cultural identity, you could still produce a Benjamin Banneker, a Louis Armstrong, a Duke Ellington, a Paul Robeson, a Jackie Robinson and a painter like Romare Bearden? What makes you so strong, black man? How is it that after two centuries of being someone else’s property and another century of Jim Crow laws, lynching and daily insults, you could still produce a Dr. Martin Luther King, a Malcolm X, a theologian like Howard Thurman and a labor leader like A. Philip Randolph. What makes you so strong, black man? How is it that even though for years they had a law making it illegal to teach blacks how to read, you could still produce classic American authors like a Langston Hughes, a Ralph Ellison, a Richard Wright and a James Baldwin? What makes you so strong, black man? How is it that after having your intelligence and moral worth devalued and degraded by some of the leading intellectuals of modern scholarship, you could still produce a noted pediatric surgeon like Ben Carson, a mathematician like Bob Moses and an inventor like Lewis Latimer, who made electric lighting practical by creating a longer-lasting filament for the bulb? What makes you so strong, black man? How is it that after being considered inferior by leaders of Western civilization, including the man who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, you could still produce a Joe Louis, a Muhammad Ali, a Hank Aaron, a Michael Jordan and an Olympic runner like Jesse Owens, who embarrassed Hitler by winning four gold medals competing against the “master Aryan race” in Germany. And Black Woman, What Makes You So Strong? How is it that after 300 years of being used –you could still produce a Harriet Tubman, a Sojourner Truth, a Fannie Lou Hamer, a Rosa Parks and early 20th-century millionaire Madame C.J. Walker? What makes you so strong, black woman? How is it that after being inculcated with the idea that your skin color is ugly, your hair nappy, your lips too big and your hips too wide, that the less you look like a blonde beauty, the worse off you are, you could still produce a Josephine Baker, an Angela Bassett, a Pam Grier and a Halle Berry? What makes you so strong, black woman? How is it that after being walked on and walked out on, after being popularly portrayed as a sexless Aunt Jemima and an oversexed temptress, you could still produce a Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, a novelist like Zora Neale Hurston, a poet like Maya Angelou and an Oprah Winfrey? What makes you so strong, black woman? How is it that after men, even your own men, told you were good only for housekeeping and making babies, you could still produce an educator like Mary McLeod Bethune and a teacher like Elma Lewis, whom former Boston University Chancellor John Silber has said: “Mother Teresa doesn’t have anything on Elma Lewis, not one thing” What makes you so strong, black woman? How is it that after being cast as lazy welfare queens, after even sociologists identified you as the primary source of social pathology behind the “breakdown of the black family,” you could still produce a sculptor like Meta Warrick Fuller and a Dr. Jane Cooke Wright, whose pioneering cancer research led to treating cancer patients with chemotherapy and who later became the first black woman to be named associate dean of a medical school in America? What is your source of this incredible human strength and resilience? Samson was a fool to tell Delilah his secret, and I’d be a fool to try and name it in this column. Suffice it to say that the strength lies within all of us – black, white, yellow, red and brown people. And when its power is harnessed, victims are transformed into victors. Thank you, black people, for the many marvelous things you have contributed to this wonderful world of ours. And for reminding us of the paradoxical power of the powerless.” [Reverend Jeremiah Wright].

 

As we celebrate Black History Month recognition is given to the mighty men and women of valour who paved the way for all of us. We recognize them for their heroic courage, dedication, commitment, and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, intimidation, and even death… all for the equity for people of color. As we take time to celebrate this notable occasion, we remember how God has delivered His people. We remember the way God led His people through trials. We remember the victories God has given, and we remember the blessings God has bestowed. Why do we remember? We remember so that we can keep in mind the great price paid for our freedom and for our salvation. For it is that memory that connects us and brings our histories and lives together in ways that are life renewing and life giving. So remember the story by recalling the story. Remember the story by making the story your story. Remember the story by doing the story, and remember the story by being the story.

 

Black History Month… a time of reflection, rejoicing, and recommitting. Black History Month, a time to think about what it means to be an African American. Black History Month, the story of God’s action in the United States. Black History Month, the story of good beating evil, of liberation, of freedom. Black History Month! Whenever I reflect on the legacy of Black History, my mind also reflects on the passage in [Hebrews 12:1-3]. In this passage, God instructs us to listen to the stories of believers who have gone before us—to learn from the stories of the great cloud of witnesses. Here’s how the author of Hebrews says it in [12:1-3]: When life gets hard, and we get weary, and we’re tempted to lose heart, the Bible says, “Remember the great heroes of the faith who faced horrible suffering and great temptation to sin, yet they persevered spiritually because they looked to Jesus.

Macy’s Celebrates Art, Expression and Culture During Black History Month

Chef Marcus Samuelsson

Chef Marcus Samuelsson will be joining the Macy’s Celebrates Black History Month later this month at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles.

(Black PR Wire) NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–This February, Macy’s celebrates Black History Month by welcoming a host of stars from a variety of fields including fine art, music, literature, the culinary arts, and spoken word. Black culture has electrified the pulse of American life for generations, from music and fashion to film, television and activism. It has created a wave of change that has helped propel the country to new heights. This year, our celebrity guests will share how creative self-expression and a strong connection to their heritage have shaped their careers. As part of Macy’s Black History Month celebrations, Grammy-nominated artist BJ The Chicago Kid, “Insecure” actor Jay Ellis, award-winning Macy’s Culinary Council Chef Marcus Samuelsson, and “The Read” podcast host Crissle West will join other emerging stars in conversations focused on the influence and impact of black culture on all facets of American life.

“Macy’s is once again thrilled to celebrate the contributions African Americans have made to our nation with special events in our stores. Macy’s values the diversity of all of its customers and inclusion and respect are at the heart of our core values. We are happy to join with our associates and customers nationwide in honoring the legacy of African American achievement during Black History Month and beyond,” said Kristyn Doar-Page, Macy’s vice president of Diversity & Inclusion Strategies.

In New York City and Washington, D.C., writer and pop culture commentator Crissle West will moderate thought-provoking conversations with local artists. In Philadelphia and Atlanta, Chef Marcus Samuelsson will share stories from his new book, “The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem!” In Chicago, BJ The Chicago Kid and Jay Ellis will participate in an engaging panel discussion and talk with the audience.

Rapper, spoken-word poet, actor and activist Saul Williams serves as the national ambassador for Macy’s Black History Month Celebration. Exclusive video performances and interviews from Williams, hailed as the “poet laureate of hip-hop” by “CNN,” will be featured at www.macys.com/celebrate.

“I am very glad Macy’s is furthering the discourse around artistic self-expression in black culture. As a performer who uses words to bring attention to social justice causes, I feel it is paramount to stimulate engagement and awareness through our words and our art,” said Williams.

BJ The Chicago Kid is an R&B recording artist who recently delivered a soulful rendition of the national anthem preceding President Obama’s farewell address. His debut album, “In My Mind,” has been nominated for three 2017 Grammy Awards. He recently released a mixtape, “The Lost Files: Cuffing Season” and a new video for his homage to Marvin Gaye, “Uncle Marvin.”

Jay Ellis is a talented actor best known for his roles on HBO’s “Insecure” and BET’s “The Game.” His other credits include guest-starring roles on “Hart of Dixie,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “NCIS,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”

“I am grateful to be among those Macy’s has selected to discuss the powerful impact artistic black voices are having on today’s American culture,” said Jay Ellis. “There couldn’t be a better time to come together to talk about the strides we have made and the road ahead.”

Marcus Samuelsson is the acclaimed chef behind Red Rooster Harlem, Ginny’s Supper Club, and Streetbird Rotisserie. He is a committed philanthropist and the youngest person to ever receive a three-star review from “The New York Times.” Samuelsson has won multiple James Beard Foundation Awards, including Best Chef: New York City, and was tasked with planning and executing the Obama Administration’s first State dinner. Samuelsson was also crowned champion of television shows “Top Chef Masters” and “Chopped All Stars,” and served as a mentor on ABC’s “The Taste”. In October of 2016, he released his newest book, “The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem!”

“I am thrilled to be celebrating Black History Month with Macy’s,” said Marcus Samuelsson. “I look forward to paying homage to black culture’s impact on the culinary arts and sharing some of my favorite bites and stories with guests in Philadelphia and Atlanta.”

Crissle West is a writer and the female co-host of the hit comedy podcast, “The Read,” a weekly show covering the latest in entertainment news. Crissle’s written work has been published in “ESSENCE” magazine and she has appeared on panels covering race, gender, and sexuality.

“I am really looking forward to engaging with young people and sharing stories of how black culture has influenced my personal and professional journey,” Crissle said.

At each of the Black History Month events, Macy’s customers will have an opportunity to meet and greet with event talent. For additional information on Macy’s Black History Month festivities, please visit macys.com/celebrate.

Macy’s Black History Month events will be held at the following stores:

Macy’s Herald Square (New York City) – Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.
Macy’s City Center (Philadelphia) – Thursday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m.
Macy’s State Street (Chicago) – Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m.
Macy’s Baldwin Hills (Los Angeles) – Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Macy’s Lenox Square (Atlanta) – Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.
Macy’s Lenox Square (Atlanta) – Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.
Macy’s Aventura (Aventura, FL) – Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m.
Macy’s Union Square (San Francisco) – Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.
Macy’s Metro Center (Washington, D.C.) – Thursday, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m.

About Macy’s

Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M), delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at approximately 670 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms, Macy’s offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy’s is known for such epic events as Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Macy’s flagship stores — including Herald Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, and Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California — are known internationally and are leading destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of customers and employees, Macy’s helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than $69 million each year to help make a difference in the lives of our customers.

For Macy’s media materials, including images and contacts, please visit our online pressroom at macys.com/pressroom.

Educate Me Foundation Working to Grow the Number of Teachers for Students across the Country

BlakeNathan

The axiom, “Those who cannot do, teach,” missed the point, as far as Blake Nathan is concerned.
In fact, Nathan created the Educate Me Foundation on a wholly opposite premise: To mentor and encourage African-American students, high school and college, to pursue careers in education, especially as teachers—and to help existing black teachers find new opportunities.
All with one goal, Nathan said: “To increase the number of African-American teachers in classrooms where they would have a cultural connection. That dynamic makes a huge difference for black students.”
Nathan, 27, speaks from his own experience. Growing up outside of Atlanta, he said he had just three black teachers from kindergarten through 12th grade. An engineering major at historically black Tennessee State University, he said he had just five African-American professors.
Then, as a middle school teacher of engineering and technology, in Indianapolis, Nathan said he was the only black male teacher in his district.
“There are hundreds of thousands of (black) students who have the same story as me,” he told Urban News Service. “Having taught black students, I know how important it is for them to have someone who has been where they are, someone who can relate to them on a personal level and have that cultural competency with them. (To continue reading, please visit www.wssnews.com)

What It Do With the LUE: PRADA a.k.a. DUB DOLLA

By Lue Dowdy

Rapper PRADA a.k.a. DUB DOLLA is what it Do. Making major moves, this tall, handsome, and talented recording artist is truly one to be on the lookout for.

Signed to “GF Cash Records,” his mixtape titled “H.H.M.$. Have Heat and Make Money,” is now available. His song “ALL WE KNOW” featuring Peanut dropped last week and is getting great reviews from the fans.

Make sure to support Prada’s mixtape release party, happening on February 8 at Castaways Restaurant in San Bernardino. Details located on flyer. Until next week L’z! 

Alliance Fosters Social Entrepreneurship while Enriching and Improving Lives

Gina Paige 15 Touched

Gina Paige

(Black PR Wire) WASHINGTON, DC (JANUARY, 30 2017) – African Ancestry, Inc. announces its partnership with MahoganyBooks, an award-winning online bookstore that specializes in books written for, by, or about people of the African Diaspora. The partnership underscores the power of Black businesses with aligned missions uniting to deliver products and services that educate, uplift and empower Black communities across the world.

Central to the alliance is AfricanAncestry.com/Partners/Mahogany-Books where consumers from both companies will have expanded resources from everything such as their African countries origin to educating Black kids in America about their culture and heritage. The AfricanAncestry.com Get Rooted Book List will debut to provide select titles that help people better understand who they are in the context of Africa, culture and consciousness.

“When this partnership was proposed, I knew instantly that this is something that African Ancestry should and would do,” said Gina Paige, co-founder and president of AfricanAncestry.com. “We both share a collective responsibility to educate and uplift Black people, and this alliance extends and strengthens the impact of that commitment.”

Created by husband and wife duo, MahoganyBooks uses literature to enlighten and inform by promoting reading, writing and cultural awareness. “Our relationship with AfricanAncestry.com is social entrepreneurship at its best,” said Derrick A. Young, co-founder and president of MahoganyBooks. “We’re two small businesses that have joined forces to address issues around identity and cultural awareness for people of color and to improve our communities.”

Consumers can visit AfricanAncestry.com/Partners/Mahogany-Books today to learn more about the partnership and begin experiencing the benefits. Media can contact Greer Johnson at gajohnson@taylorcommunicationsgroup.com.

ABOUT AFRICAN ANCESTRY

Founded in 2003, African Ancestry Inc. (AfricanAncestry.com) pioneered African lineage matching in the United States utilizing its proprietary DNA-database to more accurately assess present-day countries of origin for people of African descent. African Ancestry’s products include the MatriClanand PatriClanancestry tests, myDNAmix Admixture tests; and customized memorabilia and informative resources. African Ancestry is African-American-owned and headquartered in Washington, DC. For general media inquiries, contact Nichole Taylor at taylor@taylorcommunicationsgroup.com.

ABOUT MAHOGANYBOOKS

Started in 2007 by an enterprising husband and wife duo, MahoganyBooks is an award-winning online bookstore that specializes in the sale of books written for, by, or about people of the African Diaspora. At its core, MahoganyBooks is a company that firmly believes in improving its community through social entrepreneurship by providing access and awareness to culturally relevant books to empower its community socially, politically, and economically. For general media inquiries, contact Derrick Young at derrick@mahoganybooks.com.

“Don’t Get Left Behind!”

Lou Coleman

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Thinking you got all the time in the world to get it together; you better think again. God, who has control over life and death, can demand your life from you this very day. Don’t be Stupid!  Tomorrow is never promised to the person who puts everything off till tomorrow. The best preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today. You better know that you know! “What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away…” [James 4:14]. I tell you; “Tomorrow is the fitting epitaph for many tombstones.” “Tomorrow is the barred and bolted door that has shut many people out of Heaven.” Right now is the only time you have. Without Notice! Without Warning! SUDDENLY! Jesus could come, and if that happens, I tell you, you would not want to be caught with your pants down. So you better check yourself before you wreck yourself! I want you to know that in [Acts 24:25] Felix postponed his salvation for tomorrow: but his tomorrow never came. He was one day too late!  Don’t let that be said about you!

Right now, God is still striving with rebellious mankind……calling, convicting, convincing, and saving sinners…but there’s coming a day when God’s patience will give way to God’s wrath; it will be a day so terrible, so severe, so beyond comprehension, that you would not want to be caught up in it. Do not ignore God’s offer of mercy. Respond to it now, for today is the day of mercy and grace.  Today God is giving you opportunity. ”… harden not your heart.” [Hebrews 4:7(b)]. The Bible says “Now is the acceptable time. Now is the time of God’s favor. Now is the day of salvation….” Please do not cast aside God’s offer. I want you to know that through visions, prophecies, visitations and signs, Jesus have given many warnings to the world that there was little time left and that after the trumpet call, it will be too late! Don’t get left behind!

Today, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live. [Deuteronomy 30:19]

Los Angeles County Democrats Supports Dallas Fowler in Bid for Community College Board

Dallas Fowler

Dallas Fowler

LOS ANGELES, CA- Veteran Democrat Dallas Fowler landed the endorsement of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party on Tuesday at its general meeting. Fowler, a long time political activist, is running for the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees against a Republican incumbent.

“It is truly an honor to have the support of my own party-the Los Angeles County Democratic Party-where I have served for many years,” said Fowler.  “I know that my opponent has tried to make this race about black and brown, but this is about the fundamental differences between our two parties’ agendas with regards to education and fiscal management.”

Dallas is currently a candidate for Los Angeles Community College District, Seat No. 4. The Los Angeles Community College District is the largest community college district in the country, spanning 36 cities in Los Angeles County and serving nearly 250,000 students per year at its nine colleges. Drawing 80 percent of its enrollment from historically underserved populations, LACCD offers affordable and accredited higher education that empowers students to transfer to four-year institutions, earn associate’s degrees, and obtain training and job skills that open doors to lifelong opportunities.

A proud Los Angeles native, Dallas Fowler served in Mayor Eric Garcetti’s cabinet as a Commissioner on the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioner’s Police Permit Review Board. She is a graduate of Florida A & M University’s School of Business & Industry and Principal of Daltek Global Solutions, LLC, a boutique digital and print media firm specializing in outreach, political and business development consulting. She holds over tens years of experience in supplier diversity & community affairs and fifteen plus years in project management and event planning. A life-long Democrat, Dallas has been actively working on political campaigns for over twenty years. As a graduate and former alumnae association President for the Los Angeles African American Women’s Public Policy Institute, Dallas currently serves on their faculty providing training in campaign communications. She also currently serves on the boards of and the Museum of African American Art and the South L.A. youth outreach non-profit C.H.A.N.G.E.S.   Her service to Los Angeles was honored in 2015 by the National Action Network when she was awarded one of the Most Influential Persons Under 40 in Los Angeles. Fowler previously served on the Commission on the Status of Women in the City of Los Angeles as a delegate to the National Association of Commissions for Women.

The election will be held March 7, 2017.  For more information on Dallas, please visit dallasfowler.com and follow @YoDallas on Twitter, @DallasDFowler on Facebook and the hashtag #Dallas4LACCD.