Checkout How The B.E.S.T. Networking Group Launches New Website To Empower Community Businesses

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The B.E.S.T. Networking Group's New Website BESTeList.net Further Establishes Their Commitment To Community Economic Development

By Kamau Austin With Marsha Duke - Founder BEST Networking Group

B.E.S.T. Networking Group, the emerging go to business networking, support, promotion, and training organization in Jamaica or Southeast  Queens, and the Greater New York City area - has completed its new highly interactive website.  The digital platform www.BESTeList.net, is the organization's latest creation to harness the power of the Internet to empower and create more viable businesses in the area.  B.E.S.T. stands for Building Business Entrepreneurs Strong Together.

While the organization has had a significant online presence on social media sites it didn't have an exclusive platform to showcase its rich offering of services for the development of entrepreneurship in the Jamaica and Southeast Queens, New York communities.  However, the BESTeList.net website has an important array of features and functionality.

The visionary and service orientated Founder of the BEST Networking Group, Marsha Duke, weighed in on the importance of the website's purpose and goals.  She affirms "One of the key elements in business development is marketing. It cultivates brand awareness, builds exposure and establishes the business presence. The ultimate end goal is to increase profitability.  One specific marketing tool is the internet, the first place consumers look for a business."

Living Paycheck To Paycheck

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The Catch 22 of Living Paycheck to Paycheck

By Venchele Saint Dic

Jim is an air traffic controller living in New York. He and his wife have four children. His wife is a stay at home mom raising their four children.  Jim earns $60,000 dollars annually. The extent of his education is a high school equivalency test. He has worked for his agency for 30 years. They own a home and depend on one income to pay the expenses incurred monthly for the household. 

Carla is a single mother of two children. She works as a contractor for a trucking company based in California. Due to the lack of support afforded to her, she rarely dedicates time for self-care because she is working two jobs to pay the mortgage and child care expenses. She has been working with her company for five years. Carla earns an annual salary of $50,000 dollars. 

The assumption here is that both cases rely on one income. Therefore, it is safe to say that without an income stream coming every month, it would be increasingly hard for Jim and Carla to maintain their respective lifestyles in the states they live in. At first glance, they are in two different tax brackets and salary ranges. They live in different states with their own unique topography, economic and social capital. As it is common knowledge, this is a very typical situation wherein the net income you earn determines whether you can afford the commodities and lifestyle in a particular state.

Chicago Black Entrepreneur Makes History With First Ever Cloud-Based Credit Repair Software

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AFRICAN AMERICAN FROM CHICAGO LAUNCHES THE NATION'S FIRST CLOUD-BASED CREDIT REPAIR SOFTWARE FOR CONSUMERS, CREDIT DISPUTE CLOUD, LLC, WHICH ELIMINATES MIDDLEMEN AND HEFTY FEES

Quintel Sumrall, founder of Credit Dispute Cloud, LLC

Indianapolis, IN -- Quintel Sumrall knows what it's like to have low credit scores delay or increase the cost of purchasing a car or a home. After many years of being held down by bad credit and poor financial management, Sumrall learned the skills he needed to turn his financial situation around. Seven years later, Sumrall founded Credit Dispute Cloud, LLC (CDC). An entirely new model of "credit repair" - CDC is a cloud-based software application that empowers individuals to get a handle on, repair and maintain good credit - WITHOUT a middleman or hefty fees.

The vast majority of African Americans are in debt and having increasing difficulty paying their bills. Sumrall wants to change that.

Credit Dispute Cloud is an "on-time solution" that is quick and easy to setup and it's affordable. Individuals can begin their journey to better credit for only $29.99 at CreditDisputeCloud.com.

Black Women Invited, Group Trip to Ghana

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BLACK-OWNED TRAVEL AGENCY, SISTERS AND SUITCASES, PLANNING 2019 JOURNEY TO GHANA FOR WOMEN TRAVELERS

Last year's group as they were just arriving to Accra, Ghana

The trip is in commemoration of the country's "Year of Return"

Little Rock, AR -- A Black-owned travel agency called Sisters and Suitcases has announced that it is offering a once in a life-time opportunity for female travelers to experience the "Year of Return" in Ghana. The trip will commemorate the 400th year anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arrival to English Colonial America from Ghana in 1619. The trip will be led by the company owner, Tamaya Walker McClendon, August 9-15, 2019 or August 22-28, 2019.

"The Year of Return is the commemoration of the diaspora's return to the continent and the opportunity for women of all backgrounds to experience Accra and how Pan-Africanism is a true part of Ghanaian culture," Walker McClendon said. "People have come to have a negative connotation of Africa. I want to unlock this hidden gem and allow women to experience Ghana and have a taste of Africa they have never seen before -- breathtaking views, loving people, delicious cuisine, cool places filled with lots culture, music and so much more."

Ladies embarking on this journey will immerse themselves in Ghanaian culture by exploring Jamestown and High Street through the beginning of Accra, visit design houses, take part in part in cooking lessons and Batik making as well as enjoy high life music and special events such as the Chale Wote Festival. They will also get the chance to participate in a naming ceremony, explore the heart of the ancient pre-colonial Ashanti Kingdom in Kumasi and hike through Kakum National Park. The highlight of this adventure will be a visit to Elmina and Cape Coast Slave Dungeons-two important reminders of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Door of No Return.

The cost of the trip starts at $2,897.00 for double occupancy.

Documentary Exposing Scientific Racism to Premiere on YouTube

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HUMAN ZOOS: SHOCKING DOCUMENTARY EXPOSES AMERICA'S FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF SCIENTIFIC RACISM

Washington, DC -- It's a sordid chapter in American history that many scientists would rather not talk about. Thousands of indigenous people from Africa and elsewhere were put on public display in twentieth century America, often touted by scientists as "missing links" between humans and apes.

Perhaps the most shocking display of all was the exhibition of African man Ota Benga in a cage in the Monkey House at the Bronx Zoo in New York City.  The scandalous story is exposed in Human Zoos, an award-winning documentary from Discovery Institute being given its YouTube premiere this week as part of African-American History month.

Human Zoos also explores the history of eugenics, the crusade by scientists and doctors to breed a "better" human race by applying the principles of Darwinian evolution.  Film director John West says he hopes his film will help Americans avoid the mistakes of the past. "

Ford Inaugural HBCU Mobility Challenge For $25K

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FORD FUND ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL HBC-YOU MOBILITY CHALLENGE $25,000 GRANT OPPORTUNITY

Detroit, MI -- Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, is offering an opportunity for college students, alumni, faculty and administrators at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to submit an innovative proposal that addresses a mobility need on campus or in their community.

The HBC-You Mobility Challenge is officially open and details regarding the program can be found at http://fgb.life. The last day to submit proposals is March 31, 2019 and winners will be announced in May 2019. The program launch is part of Ford Fund's Black History Month Ford Goes Further in OUR Community campaign.

"Innovative solutions to mobility challenges can not only enable people to get where they need to be but empower them to realize their dreams," said Pamela Alexander, director Ford Motor Company Fund Community Development. "We are proud to partner with the HBCU community on this new initiative."

Mom's Book Warns Children About Police Brutality

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CONCERNED MOM WANTS HER SONS AND OTHERS TO COME HOME ALIVE!

Sanya Gragg and her bookcover

Nationwide -- It is known as "The Talk", a conversation nearly all African-American parents have with their children; more specifically their sons. Sanya Whittaker Gragg has written a book to help facilitate that very important conversation.

Momma, Did You Hear the News? is centered around 10-year old Avery who is disturbed by yet another unarmed black man being shot. This prompts his parents to sit down with him and his brother to talk about what to do if approached by police officers.

Their Dad references a catchy chant taught to him by his mother to help remember the five things to do to "come home ALIVE". A to the L to the I-V-E! Come home ALIVE... That is the key!