Harold Bell Shares His Archives For Black History Month

By Gary A. Johnson, Black Men In America.com (Harold Bell and Gary Johnson at the Black Men In America.com office).

Native Washingtonian and former radio and TV talk show legend Harold Bell is sharing his archives of celebrity interviews with the world for Black History Month via his website and YouTube channel.  Throughout the month of February and throughout the year, we will support Harold Bell by promoting his efforts to share these classic interviews with legendary and iconic sports and political personalities.  For those of you who are new to town and unfamiliar with Harold Bell, the following narrative on Harold by the late great Bert Sugar, tells you just about everything you need to know about the legendary Harold Bell.

Harold Bell has long been a legend around Washington, DC for his work in the streets with at-risk children through his non-profit organization Kids In Trouble, Inc. and for his radio sports talk show, “The Original Inside Sports.”

Harold, is a pioneer in sports talk radio and television in DC.  He has interviewed hundreds of leading sports figures from “A” to “Z” the list, includes Muhammad Ali, Hank Aaron, George Foreman, Red Auerbach, Jim Brown, Johnny Sample, Dave Bing, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, Don King, Clarence “Bighouse” Gaines, Angelo Dundee, Earl Monroe, Sugar Ray Leonard, Gary Williams, Earl Lloyd and Chief Zee (Redskin Hall of Fame mascot). 

He has always delved into their personalities with the eye of a reporter, never the “Fluff” of a talk-show host.  No topic was ever out of bounds.  His credo “A lie will change a thousand times, but the truth never changes,” says a lot about his talk show format. 

Former radio and television critic Bill Taaff of the Washington Post said “Inside Sports rules the roost because of a crusading kind of honesty and the show’s guest actually says something.  You never have to splash water on your face to stay awake.”

Dick Heller long time columnist for the Washington Times says “Harold Bell is the Godfather of sports talk, the good kind.”

NBA Hall of Fame and pioneer player Earl Lloyd describes Harold best, in an interview heard on ESPN 980 all sports talk radio in Washington, DC said, “Harold maybe controversial, but I have yet to hear anyone call him a liar.” 

Harold Bell’s Up Close and Personal interview with Ali in 1974 on NBC WRC TV 4 is a masterpiece.  The interview reveals every side of Ali, his funny side, serious side and controversial side.  It is an interview of how we all would like to remember Ali before Parkinson’s disease robbed him of his ability to speak. 

Ali talked about the difference between a boxer and a fighter.  He described the difference between the sluggers, Joe Frazier and George Foreman verse the technicians of the ‘Sweet Science’ Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis and himself.  I found the interview to be very enlightening and entertaining.”

As an advocate for youth he is second to none.  His community involved projects are now being implemented by every pro sports franchise and media outlet in America.

Harold Bell has been honored at the White House by President Richard M. Nixon and on the floor of the House of Representatives on 3 different occasions for his work with at-risk children by Lou Stokes (D-Ohio), Bob Dole (R-Kan) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

He was the first sports media personality to be named Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine.

This book covers all the bases, politics, media and the business of professional sports on and off the field.  All I can say is fasten your seat belts “From the Out House to the White House to the Legends of Inside Sports” will be an interesting ride.   

The late Bert Randolph Sugar—is in the Boxing Hall of Fame.  He is a boxing historian and a former boxing analyst on HBO television network and the author of dozens of books.

Click here to visit Harold’s website.  Click here to watch Harold’s latest video on YouTube.

8 Simple Stressbusters

By Henry S. Miller, Author of The Serious Pursuit of Happiness: Everything You Need to Know to Flourish and Thrive

Got stress? Stress is a part of a normal life that you can’t really avoid. The good news? You have more power than you realize to control stress before it prevents you from living the life you want to lead.  Here are 8 simple stressbusters to help you:

1. Breathe Slowly and Deeply

Before you react to the next stressful event, first take 3 deep breaths and consciously release each breath slowly. If you have more time, try a relaxation technique, such as meditation or guided imagery, before deciding how to handle the situation.

2. Speak More Slowly

If you feel overwhelmed at any time, deliberately slow down the pace of your speaking. You will appear less anxious and more in control of the situation. Stressed people tend to speak fast and breathlessly. If you slow down, you’ll find you can think more clearly and react more reasonably to stressful situations.

3. Take a Break Outdoors

Take advantage of the healing power of fresh air and sunshine. Just 5 minutes outside on a balcony or terrace can be rejuvenating. If you have more time, 30 minutes of sunshine has proven positive benefits.

4. Check Your Posture

Hold your head and shoulders upright. Avoid slumping or stooping: bad posture leads to muscle tension, pain, and increased stress. If you are behind a desk during the day, avoid repetitive strain injuries and sore muscles by making sure your workspace is ergonomic, and take 5 minutes every hour to walk around or stretch.

5. Drink Plenty of Water and Eat Small, Nutritious Snacks

Fight dehydration and hunger—they can provoke aggressiveness and exacerbate feelings of anxiety and stress. Drink plenty of water always have small and nutritious snacks available on hand, such as fruit, string cheese, or a handful of nuts.

6. Do One Thing Today

Take control of your time. Every day, do at least one simple thing you’ve been putting off: return a phone call, make a doctor’s appointment, or file the paperwork piling up on your desk. Taking care of one nagging responsibility will energize you and improve your attitude! You might even find that completing one task inspires you to move on to the next one. At the end of each day, try planning your schedule for tomorrow using a calendar or day planner that works for you.

7. Reward Yourself after a Stressful Day

At the end of the day, set aside any work concerns, housekeeping issues, or family concerns for at least a few minutes. Allow yourself a brief period of time to fully relax before bedtime each day—even if it’s only taking a relaxing bath or spending 30 minutes with a good book. Remember, you need time to recharge. Don’t spend this time planning tomorrow or doing chores you didn’t get around to during the day. You’ll be much better prepared to face another stressful day if you give yourself a brief reward of some free time.

8. Practice Letting Go

When your next inevitably stressful situation comes up, make a conscious choice not to become upset. Just let it go. Don’t waste your energy on situations where it is not deserved. Managing your anger is a proven stress reducer.

There’s no way to avoid stress, but you can be proactive in managing it. Here’s wishing you a happy life with less stress!

About Henry S. Miller

Henry S. Miller is the author of The Serious Pursuit of Happiness:  Everything You Need to Know to Flourish and Thrive and Inspiration for the Pursuit of Happiness:  Wisdom to Guide your Journey to a Better Life. He is also the creator of the online membership program Get SERIOUS About Your Happiness:  20 Transformational Tools for Turbulent Times. As President of The Henry Miller Group (www.millergroup.com), he is a speaker, trainer, and consultant helping organizations improve engagement, performance, and productivity specifically by increasing employee well being. In prior careers, Henry was a Senior Consultant for the Tom Peters Company training and coaching senior management teams worldwide in leadership and his initial career in corporate America was with IBM.

 

When Ceasar Goes Mad

By Mike Ramey

Had a great time off, and am tanned, rested and ready for another go-round! To my friends, supporters, as well as my haters and trolls…wake the neighbors, get out the torches and brew the coffee ‘cause Mike Ramey is back–and still Black–on the funky electronic frontier.

A GREAT STARTING POINT:

Let’s start off with one of my favorite stories. In Daniel, Chapter 3 (KJV), we see the three Hebrew men: Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego). They were originally kidnapped as teenagers from their homeland (along with their friend Daniel), had their names changed, and over the course of time were promoted to leadership positions under King Nebuchadnezzar. One fine day, the king decides to erect a huge golden statue of himself. When it was finished, it was decreed that ALL the officers and officials under his reign would bow their knee to worship the golden image of the king–or face the death penalty.

I can tell that many of you have heard this one…if you’ve ever been to church or read the Bible. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow. Of course the rival leaders (who didn’t like them anyway because they were Hebrews) ‘snitched’ to the king about their refusal to bow to the king’s image. “Now, men,” said the king, “I’ve been good to you; I’ve set you up in fine positions and paid you a good wage. I’m gonna give you another chance. Please…bow…now!”

The three men didn’t miss a beat…because they knew God had their back. They refused. “Oh King, we won’t bow. We serve God. He can choose to deliver us, or not to deliver us…but we won’t bow!” Their refusal was made before a packed house of other officials. The king flipped out. “Bow…or burn!” The Hebrew men refused again!

Nebuchadnezzar ordered immediate execution. “Heat the furnace seven times hotter; tie these men up, and have the strongest men in my employ throw them in, and that will be that!” The heat killed the strong men, but did nothing to the three Hebrew men. Somehow, the king got a look into the furnace and saw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego lose, walking around, and conversing with the pre-incarnation of Jesus Christ.

While the three Hebrew men were later freed and promoted, the story didn’t end well for Nebuchadnezzar. Eventually, for his lifting himself up against God–and God’s people–the Babylonian king lost his mind (sanity), lost his family, and lost his kingdom.

There is always a high price for a nation and its leaders to pay, when they follow the same track. The Bible records a host of other public officials–from kings on down to governors–who exalted themselves ‘above’ God, and sought to abuse His people.

WHO IS ‘CAESAR’?

Let’s have a brief history lesson as to why I use the term ‘Caesar’ when I refer to the government or government systems. The Caesars were the leaders of ancient Rome, the world power that was in place when Christ walked the earth. While the Bible urges Christians to pay their taxes, pray for government leaders and others in authority and support the established systems of government, where government ‘crosses the line’ and; 1) disregards the teachings of the scriptures, 2) passes laws that are in direct conflict with biblical teachings, 3) deny the rights of the righteous by setting limits on the freedom to worship, or; 4) in any other way oppresses those who identify themselves as Christians, then it is the Christian’s duty to obey God, rather than the government.

The Caesars were arrogant, for the most part. Nero was the most ruthless of the Caesar class. His sins were many and mighty. Nero also had mental health problems. Not only did he persecute Christians, history teaches us that he set fire to Rome…and laid the blame at the feet of the Lord’s people, leading to widespread torture and persecution.

Of course, it didn’t end well for Nero…or Roman society. Do you see a pattern?

WHEN CAESAR GO MAD AND MOCKS GOD‘S LAW:

There have been more than a few examples popping up in the Mainstream Press (MSM) and the Internet of ‘Caesar’s kin’ going mad.

Let’s begin in California.

It’s no secret that Californians voted by more than two-to-one against sodomite (homosexual) marriage with Proposition Eight. While the people expressed their will at the polls, those who were on the losing side of the measure ran eagerly to the federal courts–where the will of the people was overturned for sake of immorality. Yes, this same tactic has taken place in other states of late, but let’s look at the result of the overturning of Proposition Eight in California through the eyes of Scripture.

A drought began in 2010 in California–and is still going on as I pen this column.

Allow me to continue. The drought is sooooo bad that Gov. Jerry Brown, in January, 2014 urged Californians to ‘pray’ for rain! You read that right! A governor of a state which has allowed God’s ideal of marriage to be mocked, is asking for prayer to break a drought!

In Oregon, a court ruled that a Christian-owned business could NOT stand on its principles and REFUSE to back a wedding cake for a homosexual couple’s ‘wedding’. This is not the first time that this has happened to Christian-owned businesses in the USA. On the large side, remember the venom pushed against the Chick-Fil-A chain? At the small business level, I recall that a Christian couple who owned a Bed and Breakfast Inn were hauled into court by a sodomite ‘couple’ for being refused service. That case was also long and messy, and socked the business with legal fees.

Make no mistake about it. Caesar is willing to take the tax money generated by Christians and Christian-owned companies. However, when Christians are being forced out of business, or out of state by the ungodly, God is not pleased, nor do the offending parties get away with their antics. I have yet to see a state prosper where laws have been passed and oppressive tactics used against God’s people.

Remember what happened to Pharaoh–and Egypt–when God intervened.

NOT ANY BETTER IN HIGH PLACES:

In the White House, President Barack Obama has–since his first term–sided with homosexual marriage, abortion, and turning America’s back on the nation of Israel in favor of Iran, Syria and other enemies of the Jewish state. The particularly troubling note in those decisions is that President Obama and his family spent some 20 years in Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s Chicago church, sitting under his pastorate and preaching. Even a ‘casual’ scan of the KJV Bible will reveal that God’s hand of blessing is not on a nation that turns its back on Israel, let alone additional types of national immorality.

What has been the ‘blow-back’ of President Obama’s decisions to the American landscape? Well, according to the latest news, some 20 percent of American households are on food stamps. There is a 40 percent rate of OOW births, while the US has recorded some 55 million abortions since the Roe v. Wade case from 1973. Traditional marriage has declined, along with the birth rate. According to one financial analyst, the REAL unemployment rate is 37.4 percent–IF you add in those who are no longer looking for work! Black unemployment and Black Teen unemployment are BOTH in the double digits and are NOT expecting to go down anytime soon. Throw in one of the worst winters in recent memory, and you have a mess of major proportions.

When Caesar goes mad, the righteous aren’t the only ones who suffer. Those outside of Jesus Christ also suffer, though they won’t admit it. It rains on the just and the unjust. The cries of ‘tolerance’ and ‘peaceful coexistence’ that we see plastered on bumper stickers and in newspaper headlines are really buzzwords for open hostility against godly morality and those who believe in it. The only prayerful stance against those who have ‘gone over’ to a reprobate mind is a simple one: Deliverance from evil.

Many of us have come too far, to bow our knee to the Caesars now.

MIKE RAMEY is a syndicated columnist, book reviewer and Minister who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emails always welcomed to manhoodline@yahoo.com. ©2014 Barnstorm Communications.

 

 

The President’s “Promise Zones”

By William Reed

The Obama White House continues a pattern of attacking symptoms instead of the underlying disease, one rehashed progressive ploy at a time.  President Barack Obama’s Promise Zones initiative is aimed at lifting up some of the America’s poorest communities.  At a White House press conference Obama told the story of his time organizing in Chicago and highlighted the work local communities do to support their neighbors and prepare them to be contributors to the economy. In his Promise Zones program, Obama proposes to invest more than $750 million in hard-hit communities to provide a tax incentive to help build homes and create jobs.  The first five are: San Antonio, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Southeastern Kentucky and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

“There are communities in this country where no matter how hard you work, it is virtually impossible to get ahead,” Obama said in his speech. “America is not a place where the chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny. And that’s why we need to build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class for all who are willing to climb them.”

The Obama administration is designating “promise zones” by looking for areas where local officials can make strategic, targeted investments. For instance, a “promise zone” may be interested in reducing violent crime with increased Justice Department funding for local law enforcement. Alternatively, a region may want to leverage Housing and Urban Development grants to attract private real estate investors to high-poverty neighborhoods. The president’s plan also includes tax credits for hiring workers and tax write-offs for capital investments within the “promise zones.”

President Obama has called income inequality, “the defining challenge of our time”, and is pushing to raise the minimum wage and “find new ways to help poor children break out of the cycle of poverty.”  Obama says the “Promise” programs are part of his pledge to narrow the gap between rich and poor in America.  The White House says the programs “will target job creation, housing, law enforcement and education.”

This latest big-government stimulus initiative is going to formulate yet another front for Democrats’ big “income inequality” campaign. The Democrats are full of expensive and ultimately unsustainable ideas for helping people temporarily cope with poverty (i.e., the welfare state), but are pretty much intellectually bankrupt when it comes to actually creating opportunities for people to lift themselves out of that poverty (i.e., economic growth and job creation). Income inequality is one way the White House seeks to address the larger problem of economic mobility.  The problem is that this “promise zone” initiative actually doesn’t address economic mobility in any real, lasting, or widespread way. The Obama administration is once again using more bureaucracy – via the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and Commerce – to create top-down faux-collaboration in which the feds will decide upon “targeted investments” with “free money” the U.S. Treasury does not have.

The ineffectiveness of the Congress in the 50 years since Lyndon Baines Johnson introduced the “War on Poverty” makes the probability of sane and soon federal legislation to address income inequality a pipe dream. Shifting responsibility for economic development away from the dysfunctional legislative branch and toward local communities could evolve into a good thing.

Obama’s presidency never became the “Promise Land” many Blacks had hoped.  Instead of the “prosperity” most of the nation realized, large populations of Blacks have struggled economically under Obama.  Overall, 25.6 percent of Blacks in urban areas live in poverty.  Recent estimates put the figures at 17.9 percent in Atlanta, 19.3 percent in Charlotte and Los Angeles and 26.5 percent in Chicago. Two-thirds of Black children who were raised in the poorest of U.S. neighborhoods a generation ago now raise their own children in similarly poor neighborhoods.

What the whole of the country really needs to fight poverty are streamlined regulations, less red tape, fewer taxes, less prohibitive labor laws, less government spending, and less national debt at the macro level.

William Reed is publisher of “Who’s Who in Black Corporate America” and available for projects via the BaileyGroup.org

Tavis Smiley’s Support of Edward Snowden

By Black Men In America.com Staff

While discussing President Obama’s NSA reform speech, PBS TV host Tavis Smiley, appearing on the ABC TV’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” on January 19, asserted that former NSA employee Edward Snowden “might be on a postage stamp somewhere down the road.”  During the broadcast, Smiley said:

“And so when I knew the president was going to give his speech on Friday, I started to wonder what that bust of Dr. King in the Oval Office might be whispering to the president who was fine-tuning his speech Thursday night,” he continued. “I saw the Friday speech. Unlike Peggy [Noonan], I was somewhat underwhelmed. I understand, David [Gregory], what he’s up against but I sometimes wonder if this president sometimes think rather that he is too cautious when he ought to be a bit more contrarian, particularly when a federal judge has said that part of this bulk collection is unconstitutional. And secondly, you can’t convince me how the dots connect to keep us safer.”

While other panel members, political strategists James Carville, Mary Matlin, presidential historian Peggy Noonan disagreed, Smiley went on to say that “Edward Snowden is going to be acknowledged one day.  He’s going to be appreciated one day.”

For his part, fellow panelist James Carville laughed and said that the only place Americans will see Snowden at a post office is on a “WANTED” poster.

Talk show host Tavis Smiley, in a roundtable discussion on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopolous,” said NSA leaker Edward Snowden “might be on a postage stamp” some day. – See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-hunter/tavis-smiley-snowden-might-be-postage-stamp-one-day#sthash.B6VgAEu7.dpuf

Talk show host Tavis Smiley, in a roundtable discussion on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopolous,” said NSA leaker Edward Snowden “might be on a postage stamp” some day. – See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-hunter/tavis-smiley-snowden-might-be-postage-stamp-one-day#sthash.B6VgAEu7.dpuf

17 Highlights from the New Yorker’s Profile on President Obama

By Gary A. Johnson

The Washington Post.com has an article written by Zachary Goldfarb detailing the highlights from President Obama’s lengthy (18 web pages) interviews with New Yorker magazine editor David Remnick.  The interviews cover a number of different topics.  If you are a supporter of the President, you definitely want to read these series of interviews.

I find the President to be consistent if you are honest in your assessment of him.  By that I mean, if you accept that Barack Obama is a politician first, and you realize what politicians say and do, then you are not likely to be shocked or surprised by what you read.

That being said, here are a few comments by the President that we thought were worth highlighting:

• President Obama acknowledges that the color of his skin might have affect how some Americans perceive his presidency, but he doesn’t think it has a major overall effect one way or the other. “There’s no doubt that there’s some folks who just really dislike me because they don’t like the idea of a black President,” he said. “Now, the flip side of it is there are some black folks and maybe some white folks who really like me and give me the benefit of the doubt precisely because I’m a black President.”

This is an interesting comment.  The President thinks that the color of his skin “might” affect how some Americans perceive him.  “Might?”  Race is always a factor.  Another factor why some Americans may have soured on President Obama is that he’s been in office for almost 6 years and for many Americans, especially, Black Americans, they have not seen any significant improvement in the areas of creating jobs, reducing unemployment and affordable healthcare and the environment.  It’s not like the President can wave a magic wand and make these things disappear.  There is a complicated process called our system of government that has not been very cooperative with this President.  I’ll just leave it at that.

The President in my view has a trust issue.  Look no further than the incidents with the NSA, IRS and the Affordable Healthcare Act aka “Obamacare,”  Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, etc.  Barack Obama has been our Black President for over 5 years.  People have had plenty of time to give him the benefit of the doubt or sour on him.  Sure, there are some people that criticize him because he is Black and others who blindly support because he’s black.  There are also people who have a problem with the President making speech after speech after speech telling Americans that they can keep their doctor and their current health insurance, only to find out that was not true.  POTUS has been getting some bad advice on a number of high profile issues.

President Obama’s approval rating among all voters is 39 percent and his disapproval rating is 53 percent, according to a Gallup Poll conducted Jan. 14 to 16.  In the 2012 presidential election, Republican candidate Mitt Romney won 59 percent of the white vote, compared with Obama’s 39 percent, according to exit polling by a consortium of major news outlets.  President Obama won 43 percent of the white vote in 2008 against 55 percent for opponent John McCain.

• The President said he is most concerned about the impact of drug laws on minorities and the poor.  “Middle-class kids don’t get locked up for smoking pot, and poor kids do,” he said. “And African-American kids and Latino kids are more likely to be poor and less likely to have the resources and the support to avoid unduly harsh penalties.” He added that he supports Colorado and Washington’s efforts to “go forward” with their efforts at legalization and decriminalization.

• The President said he does not regard the leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden as comparable to the Pentagon Papers or other leaks vindicated by history.  Remnick writes: “The leaks, he said, had ‘put people at risk’ but revealed nothing illegal. And though the leaks raised ‘legitimate policy questions’ about N.S.A. operations, ‘the issue then is: Is the only way to do that by giving some twenty-nine-year-old free rein to basically dump a mountain of information, much of which is definitely legal, definitely necessary for national security, and should properly be classified?’”

President Obama said that even the greatest presidents — like Abraham Lincoln — had to operate in the currents of history. Remnick concludes the story with President Obama saying, “I just wanted to add one thing to that business about the great-man theory of history. The President of the United States cannot remake our society, and that’s probably a good thing.” Obama then adds, “Not ‘probably’. It’s definitely a good thing.”

Click here to visit New Yorker.com and read the entire article.

5 Entrepreneurship Lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Black Men In America.com Staff

On this day where the nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a national holiday, we ran across an article in Forbes.com magazine written by Joseph Steinberg.  Steinberg is noted for writing about entrepreneurship and cybersecurity.  He’s done a great job of connecting Dr. King’s message to what is relevant to us 45 years after his death.  In his article, Steinberg writes that entrepreneurs should take note of five important business lessons that can be learned from Dr. King, and his role in the Civil Rights movement.  The 5 lessons are:

1. Make Your Dream A Reality

The phrase people most often associate with Dr. King – excerpted from his landmark 1963 speech — is “I have a dream.” Of course, many people have dreams. Some even have great dreams. But most people don’t work to make their dreams a reality as did Dr. King. Great ideas for new products, businesses, and works of science and art die every day with their inventors. To be an entrepreneur is to dream – but is even more to do.

2. The Way It Was Is Not The Way It Has To Be

At the time that Dr. King gave his famous speech at the Mall in Washington, racism had been entrenched in American culture for centuries. Dr. King challenged the status quo, and raised awareness of a different and better future that could be built from positive change. Likewise, businesses often are averse to changing long-held positions, or denying that major changes for the better can take place, with or without them. Only a few years ago, “experts” were saying that people would reject keyboard-less smartphones like the iPhone, and Blackberry would continue to dominate the smartphone market for many years to come. We know how that turned out.

3. Change Can Happen Fast

The vast majority of the members of my generation – born not that many years after it took a struggle to get the Civil Rights Act passed – consider the notion that people should be segregated based on the color of their skin to be both morally repugnant and downright ridiculous. Attitudes change quickly – especially after positive developments occur and everyone sees the correctness of the change. This is true vis-à-vis business as well. Consider how quickly Blackberry went from market leader to having less than 4% of market share, or how fast Kodak was transformed from having its film products bought by nearly every family in America to filing for bankruptcy as a firm many teenagers “had never heard of.”

4. Build A Large Following

Dr. King was an amazing speaker who inspired millions of people with his words. But, ultimately, it was those large numbers of people who organized, marched, or otherwise influenced legislators and the public. There is little doubt that the grassroots nature of the civil rights movement – and the resulting far reach of its leaders – was a key ingredient in its success. In the Internet era it is much easier than the 1960s to reach large numbers of people; if you have a great message – spread it widely.

 5. Success Takes A Lot Of Work

The civil rights struggle did not achieve its aims overnight, and its success was built upon the hard work and sacrifice of many; Dr. King and various others even lost their lives. Thankfully, entrepreneurs do not need to make such giant sacrifices, but, effectuating change and achieving success does not usually happen without hard work. Yes, there are some businesses that skyrocket to the top, and there are some people who get rich quickly. But, the vast majority of businesses are built with a lot of time and effort. Don’t expect to succeed without working hard.

Joseph Steinberg is the C.E.O. of Green Armor Solutions, a vendor of cybersecurity technologies which he co-invented, and which specializes in applying knowledge of human dynamics so as to ensure that maximum security can be delivered with maximum convenience.  You can follow Joseph and learn more about him on Twitter at @JosephSteinberg.  Click here to visit Forbes.com.

Are Black People Conditioned To Think Less Of Black Professionals?

By Dr. _______________ (Identity Withheld)

I have to remain anonymous to avoid the backlash, but the subject has to be addressed.  Black Americans, African Americans or whatever designation Negroid American people ascribe to, frequently show a disdain for their own kind every day.  Many of us desire to be entrepreneurs but are afraid we would not succeed because our most obvious and most expected clientele, other black people would not support our businesses.

Many of us have decided that our own kind do not possess the ability to run a quality business or deliver a quality product, unless we are working for a white business owner.  I had a friend who stated to me they wouldn’t open a nail salon because African Americans wouldn’t patronize it.  They felt that black women would go to Asian salons before a black owned salon.  I personally wish to challenge this assertion. In my experiences as a dentist, I have been very disheartened by many of my own people.

Some black people will go only to white doctors for all services never giving their own highly trained and educated professionals an opportunity to provide the same services.  Black doctors who set up practice in the communities where black people live must suffer indignities such as being referred to as a “ghetto practice.”  A white doctor can have a practice in the black community and this would never be said. What makes it ghetto?  Because we hire black skinned people?  Because we work in a black community? Are we always compelled to hate ourselves, to think less of ourselves, to think that the white doctor or business owner is better by virtue of his or her white skin?

Here’s what tends to happen.  Many of our potential clientele travel for miles away from our communities looking for white practitioners who always charge much higher fees.  I have seen black patients get a dental treatment plan at a white practice for $15,000 and get talked into expensive financing plans to satisfy the demands of the treatment.  I’ll ask a patient to pay $5,000.00 for a treatment plan and they are quick to reply, “I don’t have any money on me.”  Or they offer to pay me $50.00.

The white doctor would politely run get them out of the office and not do business with them.  And yet, 75% of African Americans are running to white dentists.  Many Black dental offices are empty and trying to get patients. This is ridiculous, when you consider that of the 155,000 dentists in the country only 7500 are black, which is less than 1% of all dentists in the country!  This explains why some black dental practices are going out of business and why some black dentists can’t find employment.

The 2012 US Census Bureau estimated there were 44,456,009 African Americans in the United States, meaning that 14.1% of the total American population of 313.9 Million is Black. This includes those who identify as “Black Only” and as “Black in combination with another race.” The “Black Only” category totaled 41.2 million African Americans or 13.1% of the total U.S population. With approximately 7500 dentists, black dentists should be doing very well everywhere but this is frequently not the case.  As a community, we need more participation from black people as patients. I feel that if I don’t sound the alarm in an effort to awaken our people to this fact, they will falsely assume that black dentists are wealthy simply by virtue of the title “Doctor.”  Nothing could be further from the truth. We need our target clientele to patronize black practitioners.

Black dentists are just as capable as white and non-black dentists.  Many of us go to the same schools, pass the same board exams and get the same state licensing.  The only difference is that many black dentists set up practices in our communities to serve our people. The same communities resemble those areas where we grew as children.

Believe it or not, black dentists and doctors provide great services.  We are also the most likely persons to supply your family with employment opportunities.

I had a black female tell me about how pretty the white dental offices look.  She went on to describe how the white dental office had all the latest gadgets and decor. I explained to her that black medical professionals face the same financial scrutiny by banks and other lenders. It is harder for us to get loans and lines of credit.  And while most black patients are running out of their own communities to white practitioners, I don’t think they realize they are bankrupting their own communities and enriching the wealthy elsewhere. The wealth leaves the black community.

We have admonished our people to listen to the financial data relative to black economics and understand what it means. It is said that a dollar circulates in white communities seven times before it leaves while only circulating one time in black communities. (Click here to learn more about how black people spend their money).

All of this reminds me of a saying that the publisher of this website/blog frequently repeats. He says when it comes to doing business many black people have been culturally conditioned to believe that the “white man’s ice is colder.” Think about it.

If the black population was a nation, the black economy would be the ninth largest economy in the world. This means we are not doing enough business in our communities with black entrepreneurs. We are unknowingly bankrupting ourselves. I hate to say it; but maybe my friend was right.  Maybe black women will only patronize Asian nail salons instead of black salons. In many black neighborhoods there are more Asian-owned restaurants serving us “soul food” than black restaurants. What does this say about us as a people? Do we really have hatred and disdain for our own?  Do we not like ourselves?

I guess my final point, is that I believe that we have to do better as a community.

What do you think?  Please share your thoughts.

JODY WATLEY REVIVES THE LEGACY OF DANCE MUSIC

On the heels of her funky hit single, “Nightlife” becoming a Top 5 Urban and Top 10 Commercial Pop hit in the UK and Top 20 Hot Dance Club Play on Billboard gaining international success, dance music legend and Grammy-winning pop icon, Jody Watley continues to master her career. Jody’s individuality and style in Dance and R&B music is reflected in her newly released video to her classic dance soul anthem.  The “Queen of Cool” has, again, revived the good feel of the soul in dance music with the Dave Doyle video remix to “Nightlife” which paints a picture that evokes an uplifting emotion, with the spirit of the “nightlife” and glamour of people loving to dance, get glammed up, feel the groove, and simply have fun.

“Nightlife” was shot on location at the hottest night spot in the country, Giorgio’s (named in a recent article by The NY Times as “The City of Dancing Angels”) on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.

Filmed by Steve Willis and edited by Ray Easmon of the UK, “Nightlife” features a cameo by Andy Warhol legend Joe Dallesandro, famed Giorgio’s club owner, Bryan Rabin, LA based dance crew “The Waackers” and mega choreographer Rosero McCoy (Britney Spears, Usher, America’s Best Dance Crew, Sing Off).

Bold Predictions for 2014

By Raynard Jackson

Now that a 2014 has come, I have decided to pull out my trusted crystal ball and give you some of my predictions for the year.

I think the biggest thing to watch is on the political front.  This year we will have congressional elections for the House and Senate.  Republicans will keep the House.  Even if Republicans have a total meltdown, they will still keep the House. But their margins may shrink (currently the Republicans hold a 17-vote margin over the Democrats).  The way congressional districts have been gerrymandered , that virtually guarantees minimum change in the composition of the House.

Republicans have a better than even chance to take over the Senate if they nominate the best conservative candidate that is “electable.”  The GOP should be able to pick up seats in Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina and West Virginia.  Republicans need only a net of six seats to win the Senate.

The Black vote could be the margin of victory in states such as Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina. Each has Black voters who thoroughly turned off by the Democrats and Obama.  If these Republican candidates take their message to the Black community, Republicans will take over the Senate.

I know many of my Democratic friends will laugh at me and my Republican friends will continue to want to dismiss the Black vote; but I dare my Republican leaders to call my bluff if they really want to win the Senate.

As I often say, I have been Black most of my life and I know the sentiments of my community very well.  To prove my point, what was unthinkable just a month ago is going to happen more frequently going forward.  Democrats, especially Blacks, for the first time are publicly voicing their dissatisfaction with Obama.

A group of very liberal Blacks are about to file a lawsuit against Obama for enacting policies that have decreased the number of Black students attending HBCUs. Civil Rights leaders such as Congressman John Lewis have publicly threatened to go to war with Obama over the lack of Black judges being nominated.  On Black radio, there is huge vocalization of dissatisfaction with Obama. This was unimaginable only a few weeks ago.

Blacks turning away from Obama will be one of the top news stories of the year.  The question is are Republicans prepared to take advantage of this opening within the Black community?

Gun violence and mass shootings will continue, not because of the availability of guns; but  because of the continued breakdown in our moral fabric.  By 2016, I predict that morals and values will be in the top five issues of importance to voters.  This liberal drift towards pluralism and relativism will begin to reverse itself with a lot of help from within the Black community.    Republicans, are you listening?

Look for a major reduction in corporate support for many of the reality TV shows that have proliferated over the past several years.  These corporations will find it increasingly more difficult to justify the expenditure of their corporate dollars from a cost/benefit analysis.

I expect to see more suicides from those who played professional football and hockey.  The issue of trauma to the brain during violent sports is a lot worse than the public is being told.  I think over the next few years, pro football will become unrecognizable as we know it today.

There will be no comprehensive immigration reform. However,  as a compromise, there will be a path to legalization, but not citizenship.  Republicans who vote for citizenship will lose their next election and some will even be recalled before their next election (on the local level).

Journalism will continue its downward spiral towards the cult of personality.  Journalists will continue down the path of becoming bigger than the story they are supposed to be covering.  They will continue to put more emphasis on being famous versus being accurate.

My final prediction is that Obamacare will be a huge albatross around the necks of the Democrats for the next three years and will make their retaining the White House very problematic.  The issue will be are the Republicans prepared to address some the major problems facing America with policy solutions?

If the answer is yes, then Republicans will win the White House. If the answer is no, we can kiss the America we know goodbye.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government affairs firm. He can be reached through his Web site,  http://www.raynardjackson.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at raynard1223.