University Hosts Economic Summit Targeting African-American Community
South Carolina Churches Creating Plan to Improve Black Community
released on 01/26/06 at 08:33:00 COLUMBIA - Members of the Association of African-American Churches were told during the organization's first legislative breakfast Monday that creating an infrastructure in the black community is of utmost importance. The association is made up of pastors, ministers and laypersons from all religious denominations throughout the state. Chartered in 1999, it's a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Charleston. Four key initiatives en route to creating the infrastructure: -Creating community-based church schools, some of which will have a military school protocol -Bringing black banking to South Carolina -Creating a black-owned property and casualty insurance company -Creating more jobs The goal of the breakfast was to try to further the creation of a partnership with the General Assembly, particularly the Legislative Black Caucus, along with the Longshoreman's Association in Charleston and the black business community. Full Article http://www.morningnewsonline.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=FMN%2FMGArticle%2FFMN_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137833658523&path=!newsMinority-Owned Businesses Need to Adopt New Strategies to Compete
| Can We Meet The Challenges Ahead? |  |
"Character is what you have left when you've lost everything else." Patricia Harris | |
Where do we go from here? | |
Solutions: the method or process of solving a problem. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company No one was identified as saying we have achieved Dr. King's dream and vision for a community unfestered by discrimination of any sort. Not the Governor, nor the President. In fact, they all stated publically that Dr. King's promise of equal opportunity has not been met. Is it that we have not reached the promised land, or that we have failed to fulfill the promise now that we made it here? If enough is enough, we tired of being sick and tired, where do we go from here so that future MLK celebrations will be used as a time to hghlight the new programs, services, opportunities that are beating away at the remaining vestiges of supremacy. Black America is experiences some daunting challenges. Listlessness in our youth, unemployment unsurpassed by any ethnicity, overrepresentation in both prisons and welfare lines, underemployment keeping many stuck in poverty, under-achievement in math, science, and even people skills by too many youth in the community..... With the many scholarships that have been awarded, the afirmative action programs that have helped increase our number of college graduates, many foundations giving money for social programs, gov't subsidized programs and services.... how could all this lead to a point to where: schools are more segregated in spite of Brown vs Topeka Board, there is no real access to programs whereas trade skills are taught to give those not bound for college a way forward, and our businesses can't reach capacity for hiring. If you missed the MLK activities here in Topeka, let me hit on a few highlights; to me. First, the Governor's address was correct in that we need to be in the halls of a house that's ours too. And that we have not realized King's Dream in Kansas and more needs to be done. Then there was an economic development forum whereas agencies available to assist small businesses spoke. Rhonda Harris with the KS Dept. of Commerce Minority/Women Business Development emphasized that only 1500 businesses have registered with their online directory; which also excludes them from the print directory sent to all those in charge of gov't or corp. purchasing. And even with a staff of two (yes, I said 2), they still help small businesses in a variety of ways, all of which I commend them for. Kathy DeVoe from the Smal Business Administration (SBA) also spoke on how to prepare, and do business with the federal gov't, and what services or programs are available for women and minority businesses. One point she did stress is that having an online web presence is crucial if you want to do business with the federal gov't. She said, she "alway" goes to a company's website in making decisions and that many companies needeing to meet federal contracting obligation do as well. In other words, you can't maximize your business without one. Glenda Overstreet, President of the Topeka Branch Naacp spoke about the First Step FastTrac program in which she is a facilitator. The next program start is scheduled for Feb. 16th, so I would encourage anyone who want to position their business for better opportunities ahead to take the time now, and get the course over with. If you are in business, small, and could use a person who is bent on helping your business do better, now is the time to take advantage of a program being provided through struggle. If you know of a Black business or aspiring entrepreneur, let them know there may be some assistance to help them and have them give us a call. Thursday, there was the forum on diversity and race relations; in which Dr. Julia Hare and representatives from the Topeka Naacp, African American Male Leadership, YWCA spoke on diversity and those in attendance were able to ask questions and make comments. Tough question were asked, bold statements were made. And of course, there was the annual MLK Awards Banquet and this year it was again magnificent. Dr. Hare spoke the truth, and I believe left the Black community with the challenge of getting its house in order. Over and over again someone kept saying "we are losing the battle for the hearts and mnd of our youth. What are going to do about it? Unless someone, some group or an alien invasion comes to earth and forces us to address our problems so clear and apparent, nothing will change; except incrementally. That's too slow. It takes 'initiatives' to get balls to roll'in. Sis. Sandra Lassiter is moving towards establishing a Charter School, Several Black business men have established a foundation to provide more scholarships, and unless some of the folks holding us back from effectively addressing what ails us as a collective through ignorance change their ways, I myself will be challenging them on legal terms and let the chips fall where they may. And I am hopeful even more initiatives will be started and worked in a cohesive manner which reaps results. I feel a bit more optimistic about the future for Black Topeka because I really feel a sincere effort is what we now want as a collective. I think the local Naacp is not only changing, but will change for the better when we all find what role we can play in bringing solutions forward. I also believe that as taxpayers we need to really understand the dynamics of where our money is going, how much of it is coming back in the form of business, jobs and training, and what do we want part of the sales tax for economic development to entail for our collective (and individual) benefit. Tough questions indeed. Malcom X said that "the community that sends its money out of the neighborhood gets poorer and poorer, while the community it is sent to gets richer and richer. Therefore, the businesses in which we spend our money and agencies outside of our sphere that we give our contributions to gets richer and richer and they inevitably hire more and more of folks they feel they can tolerate or get along with. Problem is we ain't the ones getting the jobs at the very companies/agencies that we are economically empowering. This practice has led to high unemployment for some and prosperity for others. To reverse the trend is rather easy, but it will take a commitment to consciously seek out Black businesses for the purchases we make and contribute to organizations truly concerned with moving our people forward and able to do it. We will never be able to escape doing business with big-box retailers, but there are some discretionary purchases we can do among ourselves; and for ourselves. We are not charity cases. We must have a plan to help our businesses increase their performance, increase internal hiring amongst ourselves, and in order to decrease our disproportionate unemployment rate for Black men and women who are serious about being productive citizens in this community. But none of the above will change if we just dwell on words that promises a new day ahead. I personally believe a 'solutions summit' is in order for us to hash out our differences, identify our strengths, and for us to begin to develop some sense of direction. You are encouraged to communicate your thoughts about the above to help us better understand your position on Black community development and empowerment. IBSA provides this online network to better inform and educate interested parties on pending legislation, policies, issues and actions that impacts our collective well-being and your businesses bottom line. | |
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Dear Sir/Madam: ACCOR HOTELS, parent corporate office, based in Paris, France, of which one of its sub chain hotels in America is called MOTEL 6, of which there are over 860 Motel 6's in the U.S, corporate headquartered in Dallas,Texas, has been supplying Homeland Security with names from some of their local motels individual NO RENT LIST data base. Individuals who have been placed on the NO RENT LIST over the years and currently, usually by recommendation of local law enforcement agencies, are not able to reserve or rent a room at the motel. They are only told by the guest service reprentative, that they are unable to rent these individuals a room, and if these individuals have any questions as to why, they can contact the corporate guest service 800 number, but the local guest service representative at the motel won't give out anymore information, even though all the information as to why, and whether it was a law enforcement recommendation or other, like no pay, or distrubance, is right there on the screen in front of the clerk. The majority of names (about 80%) placed on the NO RENT LIST are recommended by law enforcement locally and in most cases these individuals DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA that they are on the NO RENT LIST until they try to rent or make reservation for a room. And some multiple common names come up on the NO RENT LIST when a person trys to check in and it is sometimes hard for the front desk staff to determine the right individual who is on the NO RENT LIST Nationwide, there are over 360,000 names on the Motel 6 hotel chain NO RENT LIST data base, the majority of the names are of minorities. I just wonder if anyone cares about this information.
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Now that another celebration of the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King is over, what do we do now? I'm sure you may have asked yourself this question each and every year you attended events and activities during January, and like me, I hope you are optimistic that one day the speeches and ceremonies will lead to something significant. With that said, I am going to remain optimistic that we as a people will eventually come to grips with our problems; and make a genuine attempt to address them with viable solutions. We shouldn't need anyone's approval to do that.¶ 1/17/2006 05:01:00 PM links to this post
Table A-2. Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA Table A-2. Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age (Numbers in thousands) Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted (1) Employment status, race, sex, and age Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2004 2005 2005 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 WHITE Civilian labor force............................ 121,257 122,880 122,752 121,507 122,638 122,843 122,810 122,813 122,994 Unemployment rate........................... 4.4 4.0 4.0 4.6 4.2 4.5 4.4 4.2 4.3 Not in labor force.............................. 62,226 62,307 62,575 61,976 62,031 62,008 62,218 62,374 62,333 Men, 20 years and over Civilian labor force............................ 63,110 63,896 63,925 63,206 63,879 63,849 63,901 63,827 64,028 Unemployment rate........................... 4.2 3.5 3.9 4.1 3.7 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.8 Women, 20 years and over Civilian labor force............................ 52,459 53,238 53,175 52,356 52,756 52,971 52,998 53,037 53,067 Unemployment rate........................... 3.5 3.7 3.4 3.9 3.7 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.8 Both sexes, 16 to 19 years Civilian labor force............................ 5,688 5,746 5,651 5,945 6,004 6,023 5,912 5,949 5,899 Unemployment rate........................... 14.1 13.8 11.8 15.7 13.8 13.3 14.2 13.9 13.4 ==================================================================================================================== BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN Civilian labor force............................ 16,773 17,197 17,001 16,744 17,130 17,068 17,150 17,118 16,979 Unemployment rate........................... 10.4 10.5 8.9 10.8 9.7 9.5 9.1 10.6 9.3 Not in labor force.............................. 9,500 9,509 9,743 9,529 9,442 9,549 9,513 9,587 9,766 Men, 20 years and over Civilian labor force............................ 7,507 7,634 7,560 7,490 7,727 7,672 7,659 7,556 7,553 Unemployment rate........................... 10.8 9.5 8.8 10.6 8.6 8.7 8.5 9.4 8.6 Women, 20 years and over Civilian labor force............................ 8,532 8,735 8,667 8,491 8,604 8,664 8,726 8,714 8,633 Unemployment rate........................... 8.5 8.9 8.1 9.0 8.2 8.1 7.5 9.0 8.5 Both sexes, 16 to 19 years Civilian labor force............................ 734 827 774 763 799 733 765 848 792 Unemployment rate........................... 27.4 36.6 19.3 32.6 35.9 33.1 32.4 38.4 24.4 ASIAN Civilian noninstutional population................ 9,658 10,044 10,036 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) Unemployment rate........................... 4.1 3.6 3.8 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) Not in labor force.............................. 3,264 3,403 3,384 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 1 The population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation; therefore, identical numbers appear in the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted columns. 2 Data not available. NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups will not sum to totals shown in table A-1 because data are not presented for all races. Beginning in January 2005, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey. Seasonally adjusted data have been revised to reflect updated seasonal adjustment factors.
Table A-3. Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by sex and age
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA Table A-3. Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by sex and age (Numbers in thousands) Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted (1) Employment status, sex, and age Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2004 2005 2005 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY Civilian labor force............................ 19,514 20,274 20,316 19,489 19,925 19,944 20,047 20,214 20,292 Unemployment rate........................... 6.6 6.0 6.1 6.5 5.8 6.5 5.9 6.1 6.0 Not in labor force.............................. 9,094 9,278 9,329 9,119 9,340 9,417 9,409 9,338 9,353 Men, 20 years and over Civilian labor force............................ 11,175 11,626 11,664 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) Unemployment rate........................... 5.7 4.8 5.1 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) Women, 20 years and over Civilian labor force............................ 7,312 7,585 7,590 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) Unemployment rate........................... 6.6 6.4 6.0 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) Both sexes, 16 to 19 years Civilian labor force............................ 1,028 1,063 1,061 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) Unemployment rate........................... 15.6 16.9 17.3 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 1 The population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation; therefore, identical numbers appear in the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted columns. 2 Data not available. NOTE: Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Beginning in January 2005, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey. Seasonally adjusted data have been revised to reflect updated seasonal adjustment factorsLast Modified Date: January 06, 2006 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Technical (web) questions: webmaster@bls.gov
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Labor Force Statistics
CPS Phone: (202) 691-6378
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National Employment, Hours, and Earnings
CES Phone: (202) 691-6555
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IBSA Business Partners:
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At iZania, we are committed to accelerating the growth of the Virtual Black Community. As a Premium Business Member there are additional opportunities to accelerate the growth of your business. We look forward to your participation.
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¶ 1/13/2006 04:16:00 PM links to this post
Become the host and moderator of YOUR OWN RADIO PROGRAM and Talk to the World! Give your company an impressive image with your own Internet Radio Broadcast Special January MLK Jr. Day Offer... * 90 Day Trial * Limited time offer • $115.00 value |  |
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| Resolutions or Goals? | |
"If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together - African Proverb" | |
HAPPY NEW YEAR | |
At the end of every year, many make resolutions of what they will do differently in their personal life for the new year. Lose weight, spend more time with family, participate in more church activities.... Very noble. So, since 'resolutions' are a bit personal, what does a personal resolution have to do with community? Better yet, the Black community? Rarely have I ever heard of our community sitting down together to set or establish goals for the new year. Setting 'goals' provides an anticipation of change because a collective of individuals have stated in mind and principle that they will endeavor to do some things differently because what is being/has been done ain't working. I can resolve to work more effectively 'and' I can also set goals to work with individuals to reduce the unemployment of Black men, women and youth. If those are my goals; which should be our' goals, then at least a benchmark is set and can be assessed at years end. Having lived in Topeka now for about 16yrs, many of the very statistics that have dogged the Black community in Topeka and other cities in Kansas remain. Instead of waiting for legislation, the right white, black or other... to get into office, why not simpy set collective goals and concrete step so we can at least 'attempt' to begin to deal with our problem? When goals are set, I can find my place to chip in. Collective action isn't about my 'individual' resolutions... those are issues I have to resolve, and since there is no 'I' in 'TEAM', it stands to reason that no problem that impacts a many will ever be resolved by the 'one'. A 'few' have a better chance. Youth employment, high unemployment among Black men/women, lack of opportunity to obtain training or skills to be productive, overrepresentation of Black women on the welfare rolls, young brothers killing each other... they all stay the same as we go through our waiting game. We can stay in our comfort zone or step up to the plate. You are encouraged to communicate your thoughts about the above to help us better understand your position on Black development and empowerment. | |
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Maintaining your computer is like maintaining your car - don't keep up and either will stop working sooner or later (N.B. Murphy's Law prevails, your computer or car will fail at the worst possible time). The list below provides some generalized instructions for maintaining a computer that has been set up and protected according to our Setup List. So feel free to highligt and copy the text below, insert it into a document of your own, and customize it for your situation. Then, we recommend you print it out and tape it right next to your computer monitor. Oh, and follow the instructions! Daily Maintenance:
Weekly Maintenance:
Miscellaneous Maintenance (do on whatever schedule you feel is appropriate):
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