- For more on executive success in the workplace:
- How to Deal with the Boss from Hell
- Step Your Game Up with a Career Coach
- How to manage your feelings
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Boss Effect: How Small Gestures Make Big Impressions
Dr. Boyce Video -- Dr. Byron Price Speaks on Black Male Mass Incarceration
Filed under: Dr. Boyce Money
When prisons are full of black men, that means that fathers are being taken away from their children and potential husbands are being taken away from black women. In fact, economists have drawn a clear and consistent link between mass incarceration and the proportion of black women who never walk down the isle. Making matters worse is the fact that these individuals are marginalized from society for life after doing time, even if they committed their crimes at an early age: they can't vote in most states, they have a difficult time getting access to an education, and they can't find jobs. So, by thinking that we are tough on crime, we are actually making crime worse by increasing the risk of recidivism. So, if you want to know why I've remained involved with the prison inmate strike in Georgia and created an organization to help create opportunities for formerly incarcerated Americans, you now know why. The truth is that although many of us may never serve time in prison, the prison industrial complex affects almost all of us in some significant way. Our boys are being led down a trail of death and misery and we must find ways as a community to shut this thing down by any means necessary. The interview with Byron is below -- enjoy!
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
UBR Morning Post: NuJak Entrepreneurs Share the Power of Partnerships
NuJak's city: Partners Jackson and Kendrick
This week on The Urban Business Roundtable, UBR Executive Producer TaQuoya Kennedy speaks with Frank Kendrick and Tim Jackson, the business partners behind NuJak Companies, winner of the 2010 Black Enterprise Small Business of the Year award. NuJak, founded in 1992, provides construction management, general contracting and real estate services.
WATCH: NuJak Companies Entrepreneur of the Week profile on the Black Enterprise Business Report
Based in Lakeland, FL, the epicenter of the Sunshine State's high tech corridor, NuJak specializes in the design and construction of commercial facilities, including those for religious, educational and financial institutions. NuJak implemented an extensive technology enhancement strategy that resulted in savings of about $150,000 per year. Kendrick and Jackson share how as fraternity brothers and buddies from college, they came together to pool their skills, knowledge, talent and capital to create one of Florida's fastest growing Black-owned construction firms. In addition, Kennedy will speak with them about what it take to create and maintain a successful business partnership between friends.
Grant shares wealth-building tips.
Also on this week's edition of The Urban Business Roundtable, contributor Renita Young speaks with Gerald Grant Jr., director of financial planning for AXA Advisors' South Florida Branch and author of Bold Moves to Creating Financial Wealth. Named Banker of the Year by the Miami-Dade Urban Bankers Association, Grant explains what he's found to be the key difference between wealthy and non-wealthy people, while sharing proven wealth-building tips.
My "Alfred's Notepad" commentary shares some of the key elements of a great elevator pitch for your business. This information will be very useful to entrepreneurs who intend to enter the 2011 Black Enterprise Elevator Pitch Competition for a chance to win prizes, including $10,000 in capital for the best business pitch. Finalists will earn the chance to deliver their pitch at the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, slated for May 22-25, 2011 in Atlanta. The deadline for contest entries is March 31, 2011. Once again I'll also be sharing a special discount code that will allow UBR listeners to knock more than 50% off of the cost of registration for the Entrepreneurs Conference, if they register by February 12. (That's next week, folks!)
In addition, every week on UBR, you'll get motivation and inspiration from author and entrepreneurial icon Farrah Gray, a weekly wrap-up of business news from USA Today Business Correspondent Charisse Jones, our Patient Investor Report from Ariel Investments and key economic intelligence for small business owners from our UBR Economists Derrick Collins and Rasheed Carter.
If you have a question you want answered or a topic you want addressed on The Urban Business Roundtable, send me an e-mail at edmonda@blackenterprise.com or to me at Twitter or Facebook.
Alfred Edmond Jr.
Alfred Edmond Jr. is the senior VP/editor-at-large of Black Enterprise and the host of the Urban Business Roundtable, a weekly radio show, sponsored by Ariel Investments, airing CST Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. on WVON-AM 1690, the Talk of Chicago. You can also listen live online at WVON.com. Check back each Wednesday for The UBR Morning Post, which features additional resources, advice and information from and about the topics, entrepreneurs and experts featured on the show.
Half of Detroit Public Schools In Danger of Closing
Detroit's school system is getting a failing grade (Thinkstock)
Detroit is in trouble—again. The city’s public school district continues to grapple with a $327-million budget deficit, resulting in painful cuts for staff and students. If an alternate solution isn’t implemented, the district will be forced to shut down half of its schools by 2014, pushing the average high school class size up to 62 students, run by offsite regional principals.
While decision-makers describe the plan as a draconian solution, time is running out and early stages are already in place as the school system buckles under the deficit. “That’s what the current law requires us to do,” says Steve Wasko, Executive Director of Public Relations for Detroit Public Schools. “We call it Plan A. We have porous boundaries and it would further drive parents away from our school system, but it is the plan to exist.”
In response, Detroit educational leaders are meeting with state officials, scrambling to advocate for at least two alternative plans. “We've been generating long term proposals to share with elected officials in Lansing,” Wasko says. One plan under consideration includes a proposal that was submitted for President Obama’s “Race To The Top” initiative, which includes the elimination of teacher seniority. Another plan involves taking existing debt and discarding it, similar to a General Motors style restructuring. Detroit officials have also been looking at models used in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina for federal funding to drive academic reforms.
While Detroit residents pay considerably higher property taxes than the surrounding suburbs, the city’s population has decreased significantly in the last decade due to a host of quality of life issues—including the economic downturn, lack of jobs and an increase in crime. The decline in the state’s economy has deepened the problems for the city’s schools, where funding sources have dwindled. In 2000, 180,000 students were enrolled in Detroit Public Schools. That number has since decreased to 74,000. Of the students left, more than 80% are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, according to the Detroit Free Press. Classrooms are already overcrowded—averaging 35 students from sixth to twelfth grade—so doubling the class size will be a nearly impossible undertaking for teachers to handle effectively.
“What I worry about are people who live in the Detroit district, because of the budget cuts and financial problems, they will have to change schools and go to another district,” says DeWanna Arrington, a local high school senior who will attend Eastern Michigan University in the fall to study nursing. “I’m really worried about students who will give up and drop out. You need a high school education and some type of degree in college in order to get a job. I worry about the teachers that will lose jobs. There are really good teachers here.”
Detroit’s school district has been in a state of turmoil for nearly a decade, when a state takeover was implemented due to mismanagement and constant infighting between the school board and the superintendent. In February 2009, consultant Robert Bobb was appointed as the Emergency Financial Manager. In a November 2009 Black Enterprise article “Can Detroit Be Saved?” Bobb told BE’s Editorial Director Alan Hughes, “the school system must put in place, aggressively and urgently, methods for 21st century teaching and learning.” At the time, he was considering having the city's school district file for bankruptcy, a proposal that was eventually abandoned.
Bobb's contract ends this spring, but it’s likely to be extended until the end of the school year. “I don't know if the state would appoint another financial manager, but it would be hard to imagine it without [one],” Wasko says. Under new state leadership of Republican Governor Rick Snyder, it’s unclear of how the change in governance will affect the city’s plight and what the next steps will be in the process.
Friday, January 7, 2011
In the News: TV No Longer a Viable News Source for Young Adults
Last year, 65% of people ages 18 to 29 named the Internet as their source for news, which almost doubled from 34% in 2007. Those who did consider television as their main source slipped from 68% to 52% in that same time frame.
This trend is spreading to other age groups. Nearly half (48 %) of those in the 30-59 age range note the Internet as their central news source. This is up from 32% in 2007, whereas television dropped from 71% to 63%. The number of people 65 and older who pull their news from the Internet rose from 5% to 14%. On the other hand, of those in the 51-64 age group, 34% turn to the Internet, which is comparable to the number of people who name newspapers (38%) as their go-to source.
The study surveyed 1500 American adults, 41% saying they received their national and international news from the web—a 17% increase from 2007.
What do you think? Take our survey.
For related content, read:
Follow Black Enterprise at the Consumer Electronics Show
In the News: TV No Longer a Viable News Source for Young Adults
Last year, 65% of people ages 18 to 29 named the Internet as their source for news, which almost doubled from 34% in 2007. Those who did consider television as their main source slipped from 68% to 52% in that same time frame.
This trend is spreading to other age groups. Nearly half (48 %) of those in the 30-59 age range note the Internet as their central news source. This is up from 32% in 2007, whereas television dropped from 71% to 63%. The number of people 65 and older who pull their news from the Internet rose from 5% to 14%. On the other hand, of those in the 51-64 age group, 34% turn to the Internet, which is comparable to the number of people who name newspapers (38%) as their go-to source.
The study surveyed 1500 American adults, 41% saying they received their national and international news from the web—a 17% increase from 2007.
What do you think? Take our survey.
For related content, read:
Follow Black Enterprise at the Consumer Electronics Show
Russell Simmons Asks: What Would You Do if You Were Super-Rich?
Filed under: Celebrity News, News
Def Jams Movers & Shakers
25 People Who Helped Shape Def Jam Records
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of hip hop's most durable brand should not be taken lightly. Blackvoices.com pays homage to the 25 people out-front and behind-the-scenes who made a difference.
Since it was founded in 1984 in Rick Rubin's New York University dorm room, Def Jam Recordings has been home to some of the greatest artists in hip-hop music. Talented rappers and singers, from LL Cool J and Jay-Z to Patti LaBelle and Rihanna, have called the legendary record label home. In celebration of Def Jam's 25 years in the music business, Blackvoices.com takes a look at some of the important figures who have made the imprint what it is today.
Who: Russell Simmons
What: Around 1984, rapper Jazzy Jay introduced the Phat Farm clothing founder to Rick Rubin, and the two created Def Jam Records. LL Cool J, Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys were some of the early artists that Simmons signed. But his time with Def Jam ended in 1999, when he sold his stake in the company to Universal Music Group for $100 million.
Factoid: Pre-Def Jam, in the early 1980s, the Queens, NY, native spent his time as a concert promoter for early hip-hop acts like Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC - the latter act included his brother, Joseph DJ Run' Simmons.
Who: Rick Rubin
What: While attending New York University, he created Def Jam Records with Russell Simmons. Rubin was the Beastie Boys' original DJ and worked extensively with heavy metal groups, including Slayer, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica.
Factoid: Rubin came up with the idea of having Run-DMC cover Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way.' The 1986 version of the song became an MTV staple and made the Queens-bred trio crossover superstars.
Who: LL Cool J
What: Up until his most recent release 'Exit 13' last year, he remained Def Jam's longest-signed artist. The Queens rapper dropped out of school in 1985 to record his debut, 'Radio,' and has made a name for himself creating more pop-friendly rap songs that cater to women, including 'I Need Love,' 'Hey Lover' and 'Around the Way Girl.'
Factoid: LL Cool J has starred in the TV shows 'In The House,' Oz,' and 'NCSI: Los Angeles,' the movies 'Any Given Sunday,' 'Deep Blue Sea,' 'Krush Groove' and 'Last Holiday' opposite Queen Latifah.
Who: Beastie Boys
What: Rick Rubin signed the punk rocking rappers to Def Jam in 1984. Their big break would come in the form of 'Licensed to Ill,' the group's 1986 offering that became the best-selling rap album of the 1980s and the first rap album to hit number one on the Billboard album charts. It's recognized as the fastest-selling Def Jam debut to date.
Factoid: 'Licensed to Ill' sold more than 5 million copies and spawned the breakout single 'Fight for Your Right to Party.' But after it was released, the Beastie Boys ended their relationship with Rubin and signed with Capital Records.
Who: Alyson Williams
What: She's the first R&B artist signed directly to Def Jam Records.
Factoid: After singing background on classics such as Kurtis Blow's 'Basketball' and The Fat Boys ''The Fat Boys Are Back,' the Harlem native released three critically acclaimed opuses: 'Raw' in 1989, a self-titled 1992 set and 2005's 'It's About Time.' She remains a staple on the New York City live club scene.
Who: Public Enemy
What: Arguably one of the greatest hip-hop groups in history, Public Enemy had a long career at Def Jam Records. The label's co-founder, Rick Rubin, signed the New York rappers after hearing a demo of front man Chuck D freestyling. And the rest is history.
Factoid: Public Enemy's 'Fight the Power' became the theme song of Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing' movie in 1989. Coincidentally, PE's final Def Jam album was the soundtrack to Lee's 1998 film 'He Got Game.'
Who: Bill Bellamy
What: The soundtrack to Bill Bellamy's 1997 comedy 'How To Be A Player' was released by Def Jam. The gold-certified-album also included the hit song 'Big Bad Mamma' by Foxy Brown and Dru Hill, as well as tracks by Junior M.A.F.I.A. , Redman and 2Pac.
Factoid: The Newark, New Jersey native has deep roots with the Def Jam brand. He and his then-girlfriend Roceania Williams starred in the music video for the Alyson Williams song 'Can't Have My Man' in 1992. The former 'MTV Jams' VJ also was a part of the troupe of acclaimed comedians who appeared on the groundbreaking HBO series "Def Comedy Jam' in the early 1990s.
Who: Warren G
What: Long Beach, California-reared rapper Warren G is credited with reviving Def Jam Records. Shortly after PolyGram acquired the record label, Warren G released his debut, 'Regulate...G Funk Era.' The triple-platinum album boosted the infectious single 'Regulate' with Nate Dogg.
Factoid: Warren G (real name: Warren Griffin, III) appeared on season five of the hit VH1 reality series 'Celebrity Fit Club.'
@buyhousescheap wrote, "If I were #SuperRich I would rebuild Haiti." @313Don214 said, "If was super rich I would buy an apartment building to give the homeless a second chance." @Tim Summa wrote, "I would put away enough money to help my family, then I would start to help the youth. There would be after school programs, or maybe I would start my own schools." @Antwon Butler Sr said, "I will help with all the inner city school and make sure they all get an education jus like the private school kids get, ya dig." @FlavianaMatata said, "If I was #SuperRich I would...make sure at least 25% of Tanzania ppl could use internet..." And there are even more great ideas where that came from, showing that people also have an instinct to share wealth, not only horde it. During this difficult time in America when so many are losing their economic security through job loss or the loss of a home, it is eye-opening to see in plain words that fiscal uncertainty can't crush the basic human desire to provide for the welfare of others. So I ask also you, BV community: What would you do if you were super rich? It's a great question, and I commend Russell Simmons for asking it. It opens up a dialogue that helps to put our personal financial problems in perspective and become interested in helping our world. I for one would work on establishing education centers, group living facilities and jobs training programs for single mothers in an environment that supports the care of both mothers and children, in order to break the cycle of poverty that so often affects this vulnerable group.
What would you do if you were super rich? Leave your comments below!