Sunday, February 15, 2026

Get The Scoop On How The Black Health & Wealth Virtual Summit 2.0 Showcases A Dream Team Of Medical and Business Moguls

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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The Black Health & Wealth
Virtual Summit 2.0 Showcases a
Dream Team of Medical and
Entrepreneurial Powerhouses

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The Black Health & Wealth Virtual Summit 2.0 isn’t just another online event — it’s a strategic gathering of culture, capital, and community.  Curator Kamau Austin shares his overview "this year’s summit is already bringing together a Dream Team of medical innovators, wealth builders, business architects, and movement leaders who are flipping the script on what health and economic empowerment looks like in Black America."

"In a period when over 1.1 million Black people have lost their jobs and Black unemployment hit over 7.2 percent, since the last election cycle, the Black Health and Wealth Virtual Summit 2.0 is a timely and relevant event to jump start an economic reset in our community," adds Austin.   This year's line up of presenters for the virtual summit are impressive to say the least and state the obvious. 

On the wealth side, financier and investor Gary Smith will break down how he has helped Black communities move from being shoppers in the mall to owners of the mall — making major corporations cut the rent check to us.  Gary also has extensive experience in helping Blacks and other entrepreneurs buy and sell viable businesses.

Financier, Business & Commercial Real Estate
Investor and business broker Gary Smith
 

Tech titan and multimillionaire Chuck Starks, author of Get Rich While Black!, will share how he scaled an Inc. 500 company and turned distressed properties in our communities into high-value community assets.

Self-Made Millionaire Chuck Starks

The health and innovation lane is just as powerful. Medical researcher Renee Williams is using AI to help Black women achieve better health outcomes, proving that technology can be both culturally competent, enhancing health, and life-saving.

Medical Researcher and
AI and App Innovator Renee Williams 

Afi S. Okon, MPA, founder of the American Obesity Foundation, continues to push solutions and policy conversations around one of the most urgent health crises impacting our community.  Ms. Okon is a Solutions provider with focus on wellness and community empowerment.

Afi is the Creator of Let’s Make Healthy Our New Happy, a nationwide campaign designed to reframe health as joyful, doable and family-centered journey that meet families where they are – at home, school, places of worship and in their neighborhoods. With over a decade of expertise in nonprofit leadership and deep-rooted passion for community well-being, Ms. Okon has dedicated her career to addressing health disparities through education, advocacy and empowerment.

Pierre Clark is a Harvard-trained entrepreneur and will deliver high-level strategies on creative business development and smart investments.  He is the Founder-Editor of The Entrepreneur’s Corner™, Homefree, NuFutures Development Ventures LLC, and NuMillennium Opportunity Capital Ltd.

Pierre is also a well respected writer and publisher on entrepreneurial and business operations. 

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Get the Scoop On Black Women Refusing to Become a Statistic (Part 1) By Renee Williams

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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“I Refuse to Become a Statistic (Part 1): Why Black Women Need More Than Apologies — We Need Power”

By Renee Williams

Nia Robinson is a 31-year-old coordinator in Atlanta who is done feeling powerless in the doctor’s office.

“I’m not just ‘another patient’ in a gown; I am a woman who refuses to become a statistic because a doctor wouldn’t listen.”

Her words hit even harder when we look at what’s happening in hospitals today.

Recently, more than 500 women filed a lawsuit against Chesapeake Regional Medical Center in Virginia. They say a former doctor there performed unnecessary surgeries, including hysterectomies and other major procedures, that they didn’t truly need.

One attorney called this case:

“Perhaps the single largest case involving civil rights violations of humans in our lifetime.”

Think about that.

Hundreds of women. Their bodies were cut open. Life-changing surgeries they may not have needed. All inside a system that was supposed to protect them.

This isn’t just about one bad doctor. It’s about power.

  • Who has it?

  • Who doesn’t?

  • And what happens when we walk into exam rooms with no tools, no proof, and no backup?


The Problem: When We’re Not Heard, We Become “Cases”

Black women have carried stories of dismissal, disrespect, and danger in healthcare for generations. Now those stories are showing up in courtrooms and headlines.

The truth:

  • Black women are about three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

  • Our pain is more likely to be ignored, minimized, or misdiagnosed.

  • Our concerns about periods, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause are often brushed aside with “you’re fine” or “it’s in your head.”

The Chesapeake Regional case is one extreme example, but many of us know smaller — and still life-threatening — versions.

And this doesn’t just happen to women without money, status, or fame.

Monday, February 9, 2026

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

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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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 

Sunday, February 8, 2026

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

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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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.

Saturday, February 7, 2026

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...



Tuesday, January 27, 2026

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.

Friday, January 23, 2026

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

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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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