ICYMI: The International Women’s Conference Returns to Hofstra University A Celebration of Women’s Leadership, Culture, and Legacy

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ICYMI The International Women’s Conference Returns to Hofstra University

ICYMI: New York, New York - In case you missed it, the International Women’s Conference is returning to Hofstra University on Saturday, March 7, 2026, for a powerful day of inspiration, connection, and celebration designed to uplift women from all walks of life. The flagship event runs from 10 AM – 4 PM EST, with an exciting Recognition Awards Reception following from 4 PM – 5 PM honoring extraordinary women leaders. 

Click link here for information on how to register, become a community sponsor, and corporate sponsor, or tabling opportunities: https://tinyurl.com/InternationwomensDayCon2026

A Platform with Purpose and Impact

Since its inception in 2017, the International Women’s Conference has become a premier annual event that amplifies women’s voices, champions leadership, and fosters cross-cultural exchange. Hosted at Hofstra University, the conference has consistently provided a space where women connect, learn, and grow together—building networks that turn opportunity into action. 

This event brings together women from diverse industries, cultural backgrounds, professions, and communities who are committed to driving progress and elevating women’s leadership across sectors. 

Official 2026 Theme: Her Voice. Her Culture. Her Power. Her Legacy.

The 2026 theme Her Voice. Her Culture. Her Power. Her Legacy honors the full spectrum of women’s identities and contributions. It celebrates women as storytellers, changemakers, culture keepers, economic drivers, and legacy builders. Through this theme, the conference emphasizes:

• Her Voice — uplifting women to speak with clarity and confidence

• Her Culture — recognizing the rich cultural influences shaping women’s leadership

• Her Power — strengthening influence in business, policy, academia, and community

• Her Legacy — honoring impactful work that paves the way for future generations 

Get Scoop On Local Legends - the African American Small Business Foundation Scales Impact as "Homegrown Heroes" Event Approaches

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African American Small Business Foundation Scales Impact as "Homegrown Heroes" Event Approaches

GARDEN CITY, NY — February 3, 2026 — The African American Small Business Foundation, Inc. (AASBF) is entering 2026 with historic momentum, transitioning from a regional powerhouse to a nationally recognized leader in economic equity. Fresh off a wave of national media coverage from Essence, Black Enterprise, and Afrotech, the Foundation is now issuing a call to action for donors and stakeholders to support its inaugural "Homegrown Heroes of Long Island" celebration on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Adelphi University. 

A Growing National Voice for Equity

The Foundation’s work in closing systemic gaps has recently captured the attention of the country’s most influential Black media platforms. Recognition from Essence, Black Enterprise, and Afrotech underscores AASBF’s success in moving the needle on capital access, technical literacy, and inclusive procurement, and displaying homegrown heroes to inspire this generation and generations into the future.

“Being featured on national stages like Afrotech and Essence affirms that our model—local, intentional, and community-driven—is the blueprint for the future,” said Phil Andrews, Founding President of the African American Small Business Foundation, Inc. “We aren't just discussing the wealth gap; we are actively closing it by building a sustainable economic engine right here on Long Island.”

Founding President Phil Andrews Speaking to AASBF Members

About the Curator: Mrs. Darkeh’s lifelong service has been recognized with numerous honors, which are documented in the American Biographical Institute, Second Edition. A trailblazer in both the corporate and public sectors, Mrs. Darkeh was also the first African American woman to work in the Accounting Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and later served as comptroller for Reed Roberts, Inc.

Her pioneering spirit continued in 1966 when she became the founding Director of Management Information at the Charles Drew Neighborhood Health Center, where she designed and implemented one of the nation’s earliest computerized patient identification and billing systems—an achievement well ahead of its time.

In 2003, Mrs. Darkeh curated and directed Promises Made, Promises Kept, a landmark photographic exhibition honoring distinguished African American women of Long Island. Premiering at Nassau Community College, the exhibit toured colleges and libraries throughout Nassau, Suffolk, and Queens counties.

As the creator and curator of this new exhibition, Mrs. Darkeh embodies the spirit of Homegrown Hero of Long Island a woman whose legacy was not imported, but cultivated; whose impact was not distant, but deeply rooted; and whose life’s work continues to shape the cultural landscape of the community she calls home.

Get The Scoop On Upcoming Black History Events

Help Us To continue to inform and empower our community please Donate. Get The Scoop Weekly On the Global Black Community and Southeast Queens, NY. Subscribe to Our Mailing List. Receive the Latest Events, News, Jobs, and Top Community Economic Development Stories Like this one Click Here | Reach up to 1.3 million people Promote

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Upcoming Black History Events

Are we the most when it comes to Black history in Southeast Queens? Census data don’t lie — we’re the first large community where Black income surpassed surrounding areas, and that greatness runs deep through ancestors and icons like Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Count Basie, Roy Wilkins, Joe Louis, and so many more. As family and neighbors, let’s honor that legacy, celebrate uplifting community events, and use our history to inspire the future — get the Scoop below...

Award-Winning Black Podcast Host Dr. Catrise Austin to Reveal PR Strategies at Podfest 2026

Help Us To continue to inform and empower our community please Donate. Get The Scoop Weekly On the Global Black Community and Southeast Queens, NY. Subscribe to Our Mailing List. Receive the Latest Events, News, Jobs, and Top Community Economic Development Stories Like this one Click Here | Reach up to 1.3 million people Promote

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Award-Winning Black Podcast Host to Reveal PR Strategies at Podfest 2026

Dr. Catrise Austin, award-winning podcast host, CEO of Celebrity Branding, LLC, and nationally recognized branding, PR, and media visibility strategist, will take the stage at Podfest Multimedia Expo 2026 to share proven strategies that help podcasters turn content into visibility, authority, and revenue.

Dr. Austin will present “7 PR Strategies That Work for Podcasters” on Thursday, January 15, from 9:00–9:30 AM, offering podcasters and entrepreneurs a practical framework for earning media attention, building credibility, and monetizing their message beyond downloads.

A recipient of the 2025 Best Podcast Host Award at the Dental Socials Awards, held during The Dental Festival in Delray Beach, Florida, Dr. Austin brings more than 25 years of national media experience to the Podfest stage. She is the host of the Let’s Talk Smiles podcast and the founder of Celebrity Branding, LLC, where she helps podcasters, authors, speakers, executives, and healthcare leaders become the most visible and in-demand voices in their industries.

Get The Scoop On Tapping Into Business Growth With The Southeast Queens Business Incubator With RDRC

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TAP Into Business Growth with the
Southeast Queens Business Incubator

RDRC Launches Southeast Queens Business Incubator Winter 2026 Program to Scale Local Black-Owned and Developing Businesses

Entrepreneurs across Southeast Queens — especially those building from the Rockaway Peninsula — have a powerful new opportunity to grow, scale, and access major procurement pipelines as the Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation (RDRC) prepares to launch its Southeast Queens Business Incubator (SEQBI) – Winter 2026 session.

Based in Far Rockaway at 1920 Mott Avenue, RDRC is once again stepping forward as a major driver of Black and community-centered economic development in Southeast Queens, offering a 10-week intensive incubator program designed to position local businesses for serious growth.

Program Dates & Structure

According to the official SEQBI flyer, the Winter 2026 session will run from February 4th through April 8th, 2026

Entrepreneurs interested in applying can also attend one of the program’s upcoming Information Sessions, scheduled for:

January 14th, 11AM–12PM

January 21st, 11AM–12PM

January 28th, 11AM–12PM

These sessions will be held virtually via Zoom at: https://zoom.us/j/95324580124.

Registration Form: Click Here

Registration Form: Click Here 

Get The Scoop On Why Queens Residents Are Fired Up About a Lithium-ion Battery Plant in Historic Addisleigh Park in St. Albans

Help Us To continue to inform and empower our community please Donate. Get The Scoop Weekly On the Global Black Community and Southeast Queens, NY. Subscribe to Our Mailing List. Receive the Latest Events, News, Jobs, and Top Community Economic Development Stories Like this one Click Here | Reach up to 1.3 million people Promote

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Proposed Lithium-ion Battery Plant in Southeast Queens Spurs Community Concern

Southeast Queens NY — A proposal by NineDot Energy to build a lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the St. Albans/ Addisleigh Park area of Southeast Queens has sparked ongoing protests and vocal opposition from local residents and civic leaders.

NineDot Energy, a Brooklyn-based clean energy developer, is planning to build a community-scale battery storage facility — part of a wave of battery energy storage system (BESS) projects the company says will help the region’s energy grid store renewable power, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and meet New York’s climate goals.

Community Safety and Fire Risk Concerns

Many Southeast Queens residents, including members of the Addisleigh Park Civic Association, and Southeast Queens environmental justice groups, are concerned about the plant’s proposed location in a primarily residential area that is rich in history and home to families, seniors, and community institutions.

Critics point specifically to the risk of lithium-ion battery fires, which have drawn national attention because of their intensity and difficulty to extinguish once they ignite. A high-profile fire at a large battery storage facility in California burned for days and forced evacuations — a reminder of the safety challenges associated with the technology.

In St. Albans, residents fear that any such incident near homes, schools, senior centers, and healthcare facilities could have devastating consequences — particularly in a historic neighborhood like Addisleigh Park, known as “Black Hollywood East” for attracting jazz legends, sports icons and cultural figures throughout the 20th century. “One of the biggest concerns is fire,” a community member told local media this summer, noting that once lithium batteries enter thermal runaway — a chain reaction of overheating — the blaze can be nearly impossible to extinguish and release dangerous gases that imperil nearby homes and residents.

Dr. Gerald Deas: Honoring a Southeast Queens Legend, Healer, and Cultural Light

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Dr. Gerald Deas: Honoring a Southeast Queens Legend, Healer, and Cultural Light

Southeast Queens is mourning the reported passing of one of its most respected men, Dr. Gerald Deas — a brilliant physician, community servant, cultural worker, and elder whose life embodied healing in every sense of the word.

Dr. Deas, reportedly in his 90s, represented a generation of Black physicians who practiced medicine when access to quality healthcare for our people was neither equal nor guaranteed. His work helped lay the foundation for today’s fight for health equity in our communities.

Though major media outlets have yet to formally report his transition, word within the community is that Dr. Deas has become an Ancestor. For those who knew him, worked alongside him, or were healed by his hands and spirit, the loss is deeply felt.

Dr. Deas was far more than a medical doctor. He was a community institution.