Get The Scoop On The Upcoming Global Series: "Mending Divides," Launching to Connect Women of African Descent Worldwide

Global Series Launches to Connect Women of African Descent Worldwide

Mending Divides: A Journey to Solidarity Debuts June 14, 2025 with keynote Dr. June Soomer current member and former Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. 

In alignment with the United Nations’ Second International Decade for People of African Descent, the African American Public Policy & Advocacy Group proudly announces the launch of Mending Divides – A Journey to Solidarity: Mending Historic Divides Between Women of African Descent. The inaugural session of this global discussion series will take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at 11:00 AM EDT / 1500 hrs UTC.

This landmark initiative aims to bring together women of African descent from across the diaspora to confront historical and cultural divides and co-create a shared path toward solidarity visibility, and in support of the  work of UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, and aligned with the African Union’s 2025 theme—“Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”—the series serves as a platform for dialogue, healing, and transformative action.

---

Keynote Speaker:

The session will be inaugurated by The Honorable Ambassador Dr. June Soomer, current member and former Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. Dr. Soomer brings over 30 years of leadership in diplomacy, education, development, and reparatory justice, and her voice will set the tone for this powerful international dialogue.

---

Session I Theme:

“Who Am I to You and Why Does It Matter?”

An exploration of identity, perception, and how women of African descent can strengthen solidarity across borders and cultures.

Black Wealth Expo Brings $30K Pitch Competition to Queens NY

Black Wealth Expo Brings $30K Pitch Competition to Queens

"Live Investment Opportunity to
Fund Local Black Entrepreneurs at
Resorts World NYC, June 21"

Queens NY June 21, 2025 — A major investment in Black entrepreneurship is coming to Southeast Queens just days after Juneteenth. On Saturday June 21, the Buy. Build. Bond. Black Business and Community Wealth Expo, sponsored by Airbnb and Con Edison will take place at Resorts World New York City with a clear mission: to put real capital directly into the hands of local entrepreneurs.

At the heart of the event is a Live Pitch Competition backed by respected political strategist and investor Patrick B. Jenkins. Jenkins is offering up to thirty thousand dollars in funding and is prepared to invest in multiple businesses based on the strength of their pitches.

This is not a winner takes all moment. Jenkins is looking for founders who are clear about their vision, ready to scale, and willing to offer equity in exchange for long term partnership and support.

“If we want to own our communities and build wealth, someone has to step up and just do it,” said Jenkins. “So I thought this would be a great opportunity to meet entrepreneurs with great ideas, and if they are willing to invest in themselves, then I am willing to invest in them.”

In addition to the investor awards, the competition includes a One Thousand Dollar Audience Pick gift. Attendees will vote for their favorite pitch live. This prize has no strings attached. It is a show of love from the crowd and an extra boost for a promising entrepreneur.

Black Teen Inventor Lands $1M in Scholarships and a New Book Deal

Black Teen Inventor of Gabby Bows Lands $1M in Scholarships and a New Book Deal

Gabby Goodwin invented GaBBY Bows, the first and only anti-slip double-face double-snap barrette at the age of seven with her mom, Rozalynn, and holds three U.S. patents. The now-teenage CEO and graduating senior has received merit scholarship offers totaling more than $1 million — including four full rides — from eight esteemed universities.

Gabby has also secured a book deal from HarperCollins, and her first authored children’s book, Naturally Me at the Confidence Salon, is now available for pre-order and set to release May 27 everywhere books are sold. Inspired by Gabby’s real-life Confidence Salon, this picture book inspires young readers to embrace their natural beauty, find their confidence, and follow their dreams.

Get The Scoop On Employing Yourself By Pierre Clark

Employ Yourself
By Pierre Clark

The Entrepreneur's Corner – 21st Century Version

Employ Yourself – The SideHustlers Edition
By Pierre A. Clark

It’s been a long time since I wrote the original columns that spotlighted self-employment, creating your own job, and building a business. Now, a quarter of the way into the 21st century, everyone is catching on to what I learned decades ago: anyone can employ themselves, create their own business, and become an entrepreneur — and be Homefree.

It wasn’t easy then, and it isn’t easy now — because freedom is never free. Becoming a successful entrepreneur costs time, money, and most of all, effort. You have to believe the saying: If you can make a dollar, you can make a million. And if you can make a million, you can make a billion.

Take Grant Cardone — the entrepreneur-pastor of the economic freedom church — who popularized the 10x wealth-building movement. He did just that. And many others have done it too, through the boom years of the 1990s, the dot-com bust, the 2008 recession, and the pandemic shutdowns of 2020–2023.

New Book By Award Winning Author Chanté Griffin Gives Us The Scoop Step-By-Step On Buying Black All The Year-Long

Chanté Griffin Launches The
“Buy Black” Financial Toolkit to
Empower Black-Owned Businesses

2025 has shown Black Americans many things—notably that we can’t rely on DEI initiatives either to support or to sustain Black businesses.  This year has underscored the challenges Black Americans face, notably the limitations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in supporting Black businesses. “The work of increasing economic justice and Black wealth is ours, and the time to increase our commitment to Black businesses is now,” says Chanté Griffin, journalist and author of Loving Your Black Neighbor as Yourself.

In response, Griffin developed the “Buy Black” Financial Toolkit, a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to supporting Black-owned businesses throughout the year. This free, year-long resource assigns a theme to each month, providing curated lists of businesses to support and practical strategies for intentional spending. The toolkit launched in April 2025, aligning with Financial Literacy Month, and continues through March 2026.yougochante.com

Griffin was inspired to create the toolkit after two of her friends' products were removed from Target's shelves amid the company's rollback of DEI initiatives in January. “My friends’ experiences, coupled with sobering news stories, prompted me to become more intentional about putting dollars into Black communities and to provide a resource for others to do the same,” she explains

Highly Regarded Business Writer Pierre Clark Shows US How To Get The Bag To Start Our Business

How To Get The Bag To
Start Your Business

By Pierre Clark

Stats show that more than 60% of all small business startup funding for a business comes from the founders and personal friends of the founders. So you'll have to raise the first startup cash yourself and demonstrate your business commitment and your concept's potential before investors will be interested.

Writer's Note: Everyone thinking about starting a business wants to know: how to get the money. Here are some tips and strategies. (I'm using these myself. Let me know how they work for you.)

 Here are 10 ways to raise up to $10,000 cash:

1. Host a fundraiser: Create an event, sell 100 tickets at $100 each.

Get The Scoop On How How Systemic Barriers, Not Creativity, Impact Black Business Growth

How Systemic Barriers, Not Creativity, Impact Black Business Growth

(C) Copyright nZinga E. Austin

By Kamau Austin

I sometimes hear people — sometimes even Black people — complain that there is a lack of creativity in Black businesses. This is shocking, given that so many creative cultural achievements in the U.S., like jazz and hip hop, are artistic innovations that sprang from Black communities.

However, some claim that the lack of successful Black businesses is due to a lack of creativity. I’m a contrarian in this regard.

As the owner of a media company that has covered and written about over 5,350 Black businesses, cultural institutions, community organizations, and events in Southeast Queens and globally through my news blogs, I can say without hesitation: there is plenty of creativity, brilliance, and determination among Black businesses.

I’ve seen Black entrepreneurs create more innovative tech platforms than many mainstream legacy sites (for example: Fanbase, B1, and BlaqSBI). I've seen all kinds of Black-owned apps and amazing educational technology developed for our children.

The real problem is that owning businesses, real estate, and making investments are the primary ways to create multigenerational wealth — and unfortunately, Black entrepreneurs are systemically marginalized from accessing capital, securing large contracts with governments or corporations, and, as Dr. Claude Anderson states, are "boycotted by white people and companies" far too often.

Registration is OPEN! FinFe$t 2025 is happening April 26 at NJIT in Newark, NJ!

FinFe$t 2025 is Happening
April 26 at NJIT in Newark, NJ!

Registration is OPEN!  FinFe$t 2025 is happening April 26 at NJIT in Newark, NJ! 

Wealth Protected by Health This FREE, game-changing event is where financial empowerment meets wellness!

Learn from top experts, network with leaders, and take charge of your future.

Where? NJIT – Campus Center, 150 Bleeker St, Newark, NJ 

When? Saturday, April 26, 2025

Why? Because your health and wealth go hand in hand!  

Powered by @prudential @rwjbarnabas @njit and more!

Don’t wait—REGISTER NOW and secure your spot!

Get The Scoop On The BlaQue Community Cares: *Buy *Build *Bond - Black Business & Community Wealth Expo

BlaQue Resource Network Announces
*Buy *Build *Bond
Black Business &
Community Wealth Expo
on June 21, 2025

Queens, NY — The BlaQue Resource Network (BRN), a leading community organization dedicated to empowering Black residents in Queens, is proud to present the "Buy Build Bond: Black Business & Community Wealth Expo." This landmark event is scheduled for Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Resorts World New York City in Queens, NY.​Eventbrite

The "Buy Build Bond" Expo aims to foster economic empowerment by connecting Black-owned businesses with the community, promoting entrepreneurship, and facilitating wealth-building strategies. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with local entrepreneurs, participate in workshops, and access resources designed to support business growth and financial literacy.​

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025​

• Location: Resorts World New York City, Queens, NY ​Eventbrite

• Time: 10am - 5pm

50-Year-Old Black-Owned Construction Firm Choates Family of Companies Makes History in Kenya

50-Year-Old Black-Owned Construction Firm Opens First International Office in Nairobi, Kenya

Choates Family of Companies, a Black-owned international, multi-generational US-based construction firm that spans more than five decades, has opened its first international office in Nairobi, Kenya. The opening of this new office has cemented its position as a global leader in infrastructure, real estate, investments, digital currency and blockchain, energy, commodity trading, and advisory services.

Under the dynamic leadership of its founder and CEO Darrell Choates Sr. and the strategic expertise of Sindani Job Weindava, the company is achieving unparalleled success in reshaping industries, driving sustainability, and fostering economic empowerment across continents.

Black Girls Defense Fund Launches Mini-Grants for $2K

Black Girls Defense Fund Launches Mini-Grants for $2K to Fight Dehumanization and Protect Their Fundamental Rights

The Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium (SBGWC) announces the opening of its Black Girls Defense Fund: Resistance and Resilience Grant Application, providing financial support to organizations fighting against dehumanization and protecting the fundamental rights of Black girls and women in the South.

With grants of up to $2,000, this funding opportunity is designed to strengthen community-led efforts addressing the unique challenges Black girls face that include adultification, dehumanization, and violence. Black girls are in need of legal support, protection, and advocacy in a world that robs them of their innocence as children.

Black Entrepreneur Robert Smith Gets Proposed Financing For $100M

Black Entrepreneur Announces Engagement Letter From EF Hutton For Proposed Financing For $100M

Serial entrepreneur Robert Smith who owns Champion Media Worldwide and Robert Smith Communications today announced that it has received an Engagement Letter from EF Hutton, a top investment bank.

Smith will enter into an Engagement Letter in which the bank has agreed to proposed terms to finance up to $100 million for acquiring manufacturing, engineering, e-commerce, and marketing agencies.

Smith bought his first franchise in 1996 at age 22 and grew to become number 1 in his territory. Since then, Smith has acquired nearly a dozen companies and is a 5-time award-winning entrepreneur.