October 2020 Newsletter

Honoring the Spirit of Mbuya Nehanda, Zimbabwe's Great National Heroine

African history is replete with accounts of triumph intertwined with indigenous spiritual traditions. Primary to them is the heroic record of Mbuya Nehanda, Zimbabwe’s celebrated ancestral spirit and national grandmother. It is to the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda that the Shona and Ndebele people attributed guidance and protection during the 1896-97 war against colonial encroachment. It is the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda that fueled the modern-day liberation movement that led to Zimbabwe’s 1980 independence.

Construction to erect a monument to honor Mbuya Nehanda is underway. The structure, modeled from a photo taken of an Mbuya Nehanda medium in 1898, will be mounted in the capital city of Harare at the intersection of Samora Machel Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way. It will be a reminder of how Zimbabweans resisted colonial conquest. It will serve as a testament to ancestral partnership. Click below to learn more about the pervading link between freedom movements and indigenous spirituality, as exemplified by Mbuya Nehanda.

Check out the bonus video below that further explains the historical significance of Mbuya Nehanda.

2020 October Newsletter, History and Culture

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History as Instruction: Black Wall Street Founder O. W. Gurley

Increasingly, the history of Black Wall Street—a Black Oklahoma community that flourished during the early 20th Century—is becoming known and celebrated. It’s serving as an example of what Black folks have done and therefore can do. O.W. Gurley was the industrious young man who acquired the land on which Black Wall Street was built. While interest in the success of Black Wall Street continues to grow and inspire, exploring how its foundation was laid may be instructive. Using lessons from history to inform strategies for achieving today can be invaluable.

So, who was this 21-year-old man who had already achieved an impressive measure of success as educator and entrepreneur before traveling to Oklahoma? What actions did he take that yielded incredible results? What vital aspect of community development appears absent from his efforts? Click below to learn more about the person and processes central to developing what became one of the most prosperous and self-determining Black communities in the United States. Note insights gained that help inform how to create safe and prosperous Black communities today.

2020 October Newsletter, History and Culture

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19 Families Purchase 90 Acres, To Build Safe & Prosperous Black Community

As a testament to how Black people DO trust each other, work together, and thereby accomplish highly, 19 Black families recently purchased 97 acres of land in Toomsboro, Georgia. Building a safe community where Black people can live, grow, and breathe—unencumbered by racial terror—was their aim. Their efforts were prompted by increased and vivid exposure to racism, highlighted by continued police killings.

Distraught and filled with despair, realtor Ashley Scott sought racial trauma therapy. With renewed mind and spirit, she chose to remember how Black people have persevered through worse times than are being experienced today. She recalled when Black folks transformed open forests into thriving cities. Ashley Scott decided to form a partnership with investor and good friend Renee Walters. Together they spearheaded the collective purchase.

Their actions are real-life reminders of the more—beyond fear and despair—that is available in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder and other injustices. While the entire article is amazing, its last sentence warrants a mike-drop. With matter-of-fact clarity Scott states, “We just have to build it for ourselves!” Click below to learn more about community-development, born of Black self-love.

2020 October Newsletter, Present Day Achievements

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Black-Owned Private Jet Company Experiencing Massive Growth Amid Pandemic

Who knew that in the midst of COVID-19 travel restrictions that are wreaking financial havoc throughout the airline industry, a young Black man’s private jet company would experience record growth? Glenn Gonzales, founder and CEO of Jet It, is on course to reach a 300% growth increase by the end of 2020.

The experienced pilot and aviation instructor flew private industry air crafts long enough to gain business insights he leveraged to start his own company. Gonzales teamed-up with co-founder Vishal Hiremath and began operating Jet It in 2017. This story of swimming up stream—strong—while many others falter, is a testament to the win that is always possible, even in the face of tremendous odds. Click below to learn more about Jet It, and the brother providing yet another example of Black excellence.

2020 October Newsletter, Present Day Achievements

Company Formulates Nutritional Supplements with Black People in Mind

Recognizing that nutritional supplements are formulated to meet general needs, and may not consider health patterns common among Black people, 2 doctors and an engineer teamed up to produce supplements with Black folks in mind. Dr. Amsu Anpu, Dr. Amun Neb, and Michael Lartey are the founders of the Electric
pHood herbal supplement company.Their products are designed to support a myriad of health issues—like fibroids and high blood pressure—that disproportionately affect higher numbers of Black people.The owners say their Electric pHood formulas represent years of “sincere research from Black doctors who are especially concerned about the well being of Black people.”

The global dietary supplement market is valued at more than $85 billion. With that hefty reality in mind, Electric pHood has carved out an industry niche that could well serve Black people and their pockets. To learn more about the 3 brothers who chose to build a business that honors Black bodies, click below.

2020 October Newsletter, Present Day Achievements

To Support COVID-19 Needs, Couple Partners with Black Farmers & Creates Grocery Delivery Service

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a young Atlanta couple created a delivery service that brings food directly to consumers.They’ve chosen to source that food from Black farmers and food suppliers. Through The Better Buddy delivery service, Rhandi and Jonathan Altidor are advancing physical and financial well-being in Black communities and beyond. Because
they consciously chose.

Click below to learn more about the business savvy duo delivering food and Black self-love daily.

2020 October Newsletter, Present Day Achievement ,

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7 Black-Owned Games To Ease Cabin Fever & Spark Family Fun

Black folks taking time to play games together, laugh with each other, and genuinely enjoy each others company is important at anytime. Doing so strengthens human bonds. And if we understand the unifying principle behind the simple adage “The family that plays together, stays together,” we recognize the value of each black-owned game this article showcases.

This unique bundle of 7 games offer variety. For instance, the Black Wall Street board game helps players gain financial literacy. The Brilliant or BS? party game for know-it-alls comes with 85 trivia questions, and Trap Wars® uses a virtual format that lets players support Black businesses.These games and others can certainly make stay-at-home pandemic compliance a little easier.

To learn more about these sources of family fun, free from electronic devices, click below—and let the games begin!

2020 October Newsletter, Present Day Achievement , Youth & Community