Kamau And nZinga Austin To Receive Outstanding Community Service Award For Publishing The Southeast Queens Scoop

To attend the Long Island Nets Halftime Outstanding Community Service Award Ceremony with Kamau & nZinga Austin, and receive a free ticket when you buy one click here

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Co-Publishers Of The Southeast Queens Scoop To Receive The Outstanding Community Service Award

By Kamau Austin

Wow I was both surprised and honored when a business person and artist Ms. Adrienne Whaley, founder of the Queens Center Of The Arts, told me we were selected for an  "Outstanding Community Service Award."  Actually I laughed in disbelief. I laughed under the incredulous irony of the moment.

See we started a local blog for our community to challenge the major media usually primarily covering our area with negative or sensational news stories. My daughter and I covered over 1,500 community events, Black businesses, and economic development stories before making a dime for our efforts.  

80% of the time we didn't even get a thank you. But we did it as an act of love. We made a little money from a few of my clients in the area, that I had before we did any serious publishing to make some income.

But we did it because we were tired of the negative major media coverage of the area. What was so disappointing was the Southeast Queens, NYC area is historic in a few ways.

Woman Says 4 Failed Marriages Saved Her Life

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IN NEW BOOK, AUTHOR SAYS THAT HER 4 FAILED MARRIAGES SAVED HER LIFE

Michelamonè, author of Rejection Saved My Life

Chicago, IL  -- "What if I told you that over the last 20 years, I have been married and divorced 4 times and the last one was designed to kill me emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically and yet, I still walk in forgiveness for it all?" says author Michelamonè.

Michelamonè, a life and relationship expert, is a true testament that life is not about what happens to you, but how you choose to respond to the trials, tribulations and challenges that it may bring. The ordained minister, author, and entrepreneur has been called to help women live in successful relationships and marriages after overcoming rejection, self-doubt and fear.

Her latest book, Rejection Saved My Life, is set to release February 24, 2019. Every woman, from birth to adulthood, has experienced rejection at some point in her life: parental rejection, rejection in marriage, childhood rejection, rejection in the workplace and so much more. Often, she is left wounded, lifting baggage that is too heavy to carry.

Black-Owned EdTech Startup Launches "Wakanda Now" Campaign

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MISSION-DRIVEN GIG ECONOMY JOBS TO BUILD WAKANDA NOW

Create social impact and make money too.

Maurice Womack, CEO of OASIS

Columbus, OH -- OASIS, a socially conscious EdTech startup that provides hands-on, video-led STEM learning for kids, announced that it is launching OASIS Live, a distribution model which leverages the "gig economy" to create social impact.  Using this new distribution strategy, OASIS hopes to accomplish its mission of delivering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning to youth everywhere, especially those in underserved and underrepresented communities.

OASIS is calling this campaign "Wakanda Now," a reference to the movie Black Panther and the fictional nation of Wakanda whose advances in science, medicine, and technology have allowed its citizens to live unbothered by the outside world. OASIS CEO Maurice Womack said, "We want to realize the idea of Wakanda now by exposing more youth to STEM subjects and skills that will equip them to be the innovators of tomorrow."

Of the new business model's goal, Womack said, "It's a win-win-win. We're (OASIS) able to reach more youth, communities get access to high-quality STEM learning, and coaches get to earn money, have a flexible work schedule, and create meaningful social impact."

He added, "By helping to eradicate STEM deserts OASIS Live coaches can contribute to a mission with purpose as opposed to simply driving Uber or charging Bird scooters for extra cash."

Black-Owned Day Trading Firm Shares Tips For Building Generational Wealth

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SUCCESSFUL BLACK-OWNED DAY TRADING FIRM SHARES TIPS FOR BUILDING GENERATIONAL WEALTH IN 2019

Have you made a P.L.A.N. for 2019 to work towards building generational wealth?

Nationwide -- The Profit Room, a Black-owned day trading firm, is sharing some valuable tips for African Americans who want to build generational wealth. Founders Latoya and Ernest created The Profit Room based on their individual success as investors and traders. Here's their advice to others:

P - Pay Yourself First.
When you earn a dollar the first person you should pay is you. Most people will pay everyone else first. Make it a habit to pay yourself, as in automatic payments from your check straight to your savings or investment accounts. The point in this matter is you can not spend what you do not have. By making the mental switch to paying yourself first into a necessity rather than a desire; then over time you would have saved a substantial amount money.

L - Learn and Change Your Mindset.
It's never too late to condition your mind and thoughts. Early in our lives we had certain perspectives that shaped our perception and views about money. We can change the way we think about money. Many people believe that it is difficult to become financially free. Although the process is a journey the information that is readily available is endless. It's just your willingness to accept positive changes in order to reprogram your subconscious mind.

Top Black Scholarship Programs For 2019

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TOP 12 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS FOR BLACK/ AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN 2019

Nationwide -- The new year has settled in, and most students are already back to their normal school routine. Also, many are realizing that the summer is fast approaching and that its time to start thinking about applying for scholarships for the upcoming 2019/2020 college season.

Here are the top scholarships programs for African American students to apply for in 2019:

#1 - Spike Lee's Malcolm X Scholarship For Exceptional Courage: The Malcolm X Scholarship for "Exceptional Courage" is directed towards undergraduate students, who are enrolled at one of the UNCF Institutions. The scholarship was developed by Spike Lee to increase the awareness about the life and contributions of Malcolm X within society. Learn more at www.blackscholarships.org/2019/01/spike-lee-malcolm-x-scholarship-for-exceptional-courage.html

#2 - Derrick Rose Scholars Program: Passionate about embodying a legacy that will empower the next generation to pursue greatness; NBA star Derrick Rose has launched a scholarship program called the Rose Scholars. The program is open to high school sophomore, junior + senior students who are civically minded and have an instinct to lead. Learn more at www.blackscholarships.org/2018/09/nba-star-derrick-rose-scholarship-program.html

#3 - Scholarships From Beyonce's BeyGOOD Foundation and Jay-Z's Shawn Carter Foundation: While on their OTR II Tour, Beyoncé and Jay-Z (through BeyGOOD and the Shawn Carter Foundation) announced a new scholarship program to award exceptional senior high school students with financial needs. Each recipient will receive a scholarship award of $100K to put toward their college enrollment, and the award will serve as a dedicated university-based fund for each selected student throughout the duration of their enrollment. Learn more at www.blackscholarships.org/2018/09/scholarships-available-beyonce-beygood-jay-z-shawn-carter-foundation.html

Black Columnist Admonishes America to View James Baldwin's Beale Street With Different Optics

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AMERICA SHOULD VIEW JAMES BALDWIN’S BEALE STREET WITH DIFFERENT OPTICS

By Tolson Banner

Nationwide -- Beale Street is anywhere Black USA: rural or urban - where the 24/7 steady drumbeat of Black Lives Matter beat out justice against a pernicious rhythm of "implicit bias and unconscious discrimination". It is where Red, Black and Green fade into invisibility vis a' vis the landscape of Red and Blue United White States. It is where the pronouncements of white privilege and white entitlement emanate, as King puts it, "jangling discords of the nation."

This is where movies about race relations - streamed or projected, end the same - rendering spoiler alerts unnecessary. The black protagonist is always faced with insurmountable odds strategically placed by the white antagonist who denies at every turn their nefarious role in the arrested development of Black America.

The setting for the movie could very well be any Black USA community where the day is very much like yesterday: killings of unarmed blacks at the hands of noxious police, duplicated by staunch white racists; incarceration of innocent blacks by a rigged judicial system; profiling and arresting blacks for mundane acts of walking, driving, sitting, running, swimming, barbecuing; talking on the phone in a hotel lobby; asking to use the restroom; and simply BREATHING AIR. All charged to the same recurring theme of implicit bias.

Funding For Black-Owned Businesses

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NEW INITIATIVE HELPING BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES GET ACCESS TO FUNDING AND TREASURY SERVICES

Los Angeles, CA --  Historically, Black-owned businesses have had difficulty gaining access to adequate levels of working capital and other banking services. While there are several reasons for this disparity, a significant contributor has been limited knowledge of the client selection and onboarding processes banks practice to ensure they comply with all laws and regulations that govern client relationships. As banking regulations and disclosure requirements evolve, banks have increased their due diligence standards to stay ahead of regulatory changes, and to more clearly define their risk appetite.

One of the most important and major due diligence evolutions is Know Your Customer (KYC), which is the due diligence process that enables banks to fulfill their regulatory and legal obligations with respect to anti-money laundering and related financial crimes. Because of the serious threat to the US financial system and the impact money laundering and related crimes has on the US economy, banks are now required to gather much more information about their clients and how their products and services will be used before extending commercial credit, treasury management, merchant, and commercial credit card services.

It is critically important that Black-owned businesses are knowledgeable of the KYC process, and what documentation and information is expected of them when seeking banking services. In addition, understanding how information regarding ownership, operations, customers, vendors, and expected account transaction activity may impact the businesses risk profile is invaluable. This is particularly true for businesses considered to be high risk or that operate within high risk industries or geographies.