Education: What U Need to Know

Click here to listen to What U Need to Know Saturday 4th September 2:00 p.m. EDT.

As September means back to school for many people, we are looking at education. What can Black parents do to ensure their children get the best from the education system? And what kinds of educational resources are available?

This show is presented by two sistas across the Atlantic - my colleague, Joan E. Gosier of HBCU Kidz, author of Cotton Pickin' Paycheck, and myself.

Please phone in at 001 (347) 637 1099 or join us in the chatroom to share your views on education.

You may know that Google is now offering free phonecalls from the UK and the U.S.A.

If you miss the broadcast, you can still listen to the recording here.

Larry Beacham on Video Marketing

Stonecold Millionaire Larry Beacham says video marketing is the hottest, most effective way to market online.

Larry talks through all the basics of how to make and edit a video to promote your products. Lighting, location – he breaks it all down for you.

Click here to watch.

To read an article by Larry Beacham on The Uncovered Diamond That Creates Extraordinary Results In Lead Generation For
Every Network Marketer, get your free copy of More Black Success Volume 6.

Racism and White Privilege on the Liberal-Left

I've just seen this article by Tim Wise which contains an excellent analysis on racism amongst white liberal, left-wing thinkers and activists.

Among the issues covered are:

- The attitude that "Barack Obama is not like other Black people".

- The failure to address racism amongst other movements including the women's movement and LGBT activism.

- Does President Obama make white people feel good about themselves?

- And is San Francisco really more racist than places like Jackson, Miss?

I am so tired of hearing white women say that women did not work outside the home until the 1970s. My grandmother had a career well into her 70s (in the 1970s) and my mother started her second career after retirement in her early 60s. To paraphrase Sojourner Truth, ain't they women?

He also rightly points out that the Summer of Love was not that meaningful for lots of African American people, as they were being targeted by the police in Oakland. In my article Celebrating the Legend that Is Motown, I also talk about the fact that 1967 saw major race riots in Detroit.

Tim Wise is the author of Colorblind: The Rise of Post-Racial Politics and the Retreat from Racial Equity.

Very clear analysis. My question is: what is he doing to change the situation?

I strongly recommend this article. Check it out: With Friends Like These, Who Needs Glenn Beck? Racism and White Privilege on the Liberal-Left.

African Remembrance Day Film: Poto Mitan

On Saturday, the BFI screened “Pto Mitan” as part of its African Remembrance Day programme. This documentary depicts the lives of five Haitian women living in abject poverty in urban Haiti. Each woman tells her own story.

Remember, this film was made before the earthquake disaster. The situation now is even worse.

In traditional Haitian religion, Poto Mitan is a pole around which all activity centers. The film makes the point that in Haitian society, everything rests on the women.

In Haiti, the majority of families are single-parent families with female heads of households. So when women are struggling, the whole of the family and thus the whole of the society struggles.

To read more about this striking documentary, see: Two Films about Haiti.

Click here for the African Remembrance Day show on What U Need to Know.

See also: Jamaica for Sale.

Modern-Day Slavery: Jamaica for Sale

Today, 23rd of August, is African Remembrance Day, which celebrates the Haitian Revolution.

On Saturday, the BFI screened “Jamaica for Sale” as part of its African Remembrance Day programme. This documentary by Esther Figueroa explores the way the hotels and tourism industry in Jamaica is destroying the island’s coastline and with it, its wildlife, and a whole way of life for many people.

Large sections of Jamaica’s coast have been sold off to private developers who build vast hotel complexes, restricting access to the beaches where people used to rest and relax.

The construction workers work 12-hours days, for which they are paid a pittance. Their working conditions are often unsafe, and accidents have led to injuries and deaths. The workers often have to wait weeks to be paid at all. Then, they spend up to a third of their wages transport to and from work.

This is modern-day slavery.

Meanwhile, the hotels are exempt from paying taxes for up to 15 years, which means that their profits are not benefiting the local economy.

The lack of access to the beaches is impacting on the fishing industry. Not that this matters, as the fish are dying off. The coral reefs are dying, so the fish have nowhere to breed. The trees are cut down to make way for the hotels, which means that birds have nowhere to nest. We see a shot of a pelican picking its way around debris in the sea.

The images in this film will shock and disturb you. The combination of greed, short-sightedness and wanton disregard both for the people of Jamaica and for the environment leaves me speechless (for once).

There are trade unions, as well as people organising locally around the environmental issues. The film raises many questions but provides no answers and, unfortunately, at the screening I attended, no answers were forthcoming. But you need to see this film.

Click here for the African Remembrance Day show on What U Need to Know.

See also:
Two Films about Haiti
Jamaica: Paradise Lost
Jamaica for Sale on Facebook

Ian Wright 'axed from Live From Studio Five'

Presenter and former footballer Ian Wright is claiming he was fired from Live at Studio Five. I reckon he was the best thing about that show.

Click here to read more.

This reminds me of when Henry Bonsu was sacked from the BBC because he was "too intellectual". He talks about this in Black Success Stories. He was also a regular panellist on Five's The Wright Stuff at the time, but soon disappeared from that show as well.

Moira Stuart was later sacked by the BBC reportedly for being "too old".

Ludovic Kennedy once said there were too many Black people on TV - looks like Five are doing something about it.

Making a Quantum Leap (Part 2)

When Levi Roots was approached by a researcher to appear on the TV show Dragons' Den, his children told him not to do it. But he went ahead and did it anyway.

Dragons' Den gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch to "dragons" - business leaders who may invest in their businesses. This investment will lead to the entrepreneur being able to develop a product and/or expand his or her business.

Jamaican-born Levi had been known and respected as a reggae musician and singer for many years. In 2006, he decided to explore other avenues, as he needed to earn more money, he was deep in debt and was struggling financially. So he started promoting his Reggae Reggae Sauce more widely. He is not a trained chef; his food products are based on family recipes.

He appeared on Dragons' Den playing the guitar and singing about his spicy sauce.

He was willing to take a risk. This is crucial to making your quantum leap. You will feel scared and unsure, but if you take a risk, you are on your way to making a quantum leap and achieving amazing results. To read more about this, see The Higher Self.

Taking that risk has led to Levi becoming a millionaire. He still performs music, and emphasises the importance of doing what you love, and are passionate about.

Over 10 million bottles of Reggae Reggae Sauce have now been sold, and Levi Roots's company has produced many other products, including chutneys and relishes. But says, "It's not just about my brand. It's about exposing Caribbean food. It's a great cuisine".

Click here for Part 1 of How to Make a Quantum Leap.

Click here for my Amazon Author Profile.

Wyclef Jean for President of Haiti + What U Need to Know

This week, Wyclef Jean announced his plans to run for President of Haiti in the forthcoming election.

He has outlined his plans to support farming in the impoverished nation which was hit by a devastating earthquake early this year.

He plans to encourage people to move out of the capital of Port au Prince and take up farming. Click here to read more.

We will be discussing African Remembrance Day, which celebrates the Haitian Revolution, on the What U Need to Know radio show tonight.

This is the third show in our series on Freedom, Independence and Liberation.

Haiti's problems date back to the time of the revolution, which was seen as a major threat to slavery by the European powers including Britain, Spain and France. Toussaint L'Ouverture's government signed a treaty agreeing to pay reparations to Napoleon for freeing themselves from slavery. These reparations crippled the country economically for the next 200 years. For more information, see Two Films about Haiti.

Click here to join us for What U Need to Know. If you miss the live broadcast, you can still listen to the recording here.

African Remembrance - The Haitian Revolution

African Remembrance Day celebrates the Haitian Revolution. Click here to join us for our radio show What U Need to Know tomorrow, Saturday 7th August at 2 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. UK time.

What is the significance of the Haitian Revolution? What does this mean in relation to the recent Haitian earthquake and the history of Haiti? Please feel free to phone in at 001 (347) 637-1099 or join us in the chatroom.

This is the third show in our series on Freedom, Independence and Liberation.

If you miss the show, click here to listen to the recording.

For more about the history of Haiti, see Two Films about Haiti.

Making a Quantum Leap

A quantum leap is not the same thing as making small, gradual changes. A quantum leap is a major leap forward.

To make a quantum leap in your business, your career, or any area of your life, you have to take a leap of faith. Know that if you put in the effort, if you take action, you will get the rewards you seek.

You need to take massive action. And that action will be based on what you have achieved in the past.

To read more, see Allowing Success.

See also: Success Strategies for Black People.