Black Men Denied Condoms in Prison

Black men in prison are at increased risk of contracting HIV and other STIs as a result of violent sexual assault, according to a study on prison health recently released by the Centers for Disease Control. 

Black (African American) men are contracting HIV in prison through sexual activity and through sharing needles when using intravenous drugs.

This has been going on for many years. When they leave prison, many Black men are going back into the community and conducting heterosexual relationships. This is one of the main ways in which African American women are contracting HIV. 

I read MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO that the fastest-growing group of people who would be contracting HIV were – you guessed it – Black women. This is true in Africa as well as the diaspora.

In other words, it was predicted and could have been prevented.

What I only found out very recently is that, in many prisons in the U.S., prisoners are not allowed to use condoms. This means people are being infected with HIV right now, and it COULD BE PREVENTED.

Sorry to shout, but I feel very passionate about this.

It's not only Black men who are being denied condoms in the majority of U.S. prisons. This applies to all prisoners.

But the numbers of Black prisoners – people of African heritage in prison – is disproportionate to our numbers in the population. This is true on both sides of the Atlantic.

The UK government, in preparation for the Olympics, is bringing in repressive measures including 24-hour courts. Click here to read more about this.

This is effectively establishing a police state. They are cracking down in order to prevent demonstrations. So anyone who disagrees with government policies may find himself or herself behind bars.

These are some of the reasons why I have written my book Success Strategies for Black People and why I lead the Success Workshops.

To get the benefit of these workshops, you MUST be open to trying new things.  The methods I share are very powerful. We are changing lives. And we can do a lot more. 

Please join us for my next workshop. Click here for details of my Relaxation and Success Workshops.

Blogging While Writing

The Schomburg Center presents:  Blogging While Writing

Thursday, July 19, 2012, 7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Are bloggers the new writers? Is there a difference between blogging and writing? 

Writer Jozen Cummings  (pictured left) (UntilIGetMarried.com) talks to Rembert Browne (grantland.com, 500daysasunder.wordpress.com) and Gene Demby (huffingtonpost.com/black-voices and postbourgie.com), to discuss their independent blogs, their work for mainstream media outlets, and how bloggers have become the voice of a generation. FREE! Registration recommended: www.schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com  or call (212) 491-2040. 

Click here for information about my ebook Secrets of the Black Bloggers. 

Click here for more Black history and cultural events. 

South Africa Remixed at the Schomburg

The Schomburg will celebrate South Africa Remixed this Saturday.  The programme will include film, live music and discussions.  

Come Back, Africa, a film shot in secret during apartheid, will be one of the films screened.  Click here to read more.  

Click here for more about South Africa Remixed and other Black history and cultural events.   

This is a free event, but you need to book for it. 

Black Blogger: Entree to Black Paris

Monique Y. Well's blog Entree to Black Paris explores the lives and history of people of African heritage in Paris.  

As one of the contributors to Secrets of the Black Bloggers, Monique has recently reviewed the book.  One area she focuses on is the importance of networking with, and learning from, other Black bloggers.  Click here to read her review. 

African Film Season on Film Four

This week, Film Four is screening a series of films made in Africa, by and about African people. 

Last night, they screened Johnny Mad Dog, which depicts the experience of child soldiers during the Liberian civil war.  Click here to read more and watch the trailer.  

Tonight, Film Four will screen A Screaming Man, a drama from Chad about guilt, betrayal and intergenerational father/son conflict.  A Screaming Man also touches on the effect the Chinese takeover of African countries is having on the lives of ordinary African people.  Check out the trailer above. 

Click here for more about the Film Four African Film Season. 

Diane Abbott MP on Free Speech

Diane Abbott MP on The Wright Stuff talked about free speech and "political correctness" this morning.  

Matthew Wright asked her if she feels free to say what she wants, and she said that she does, but as a politician she has to be careful about expressing her views.  What she would say in private to her friends is not what she would say in public.  (Isn't this true of all of us?)  

Diane Abbott, the first Black woman to be elected to the House of Commons, is one of the people I interviewed in Black Success Stories. 

You may recall she apologised for tweeting that "white people love playing divide and rule".  I personally do not think she should have apologised.  Click here to read more. 

Abbott also said that some words are always offensive; however, it is also a question of context.  

Meanwhile, Asian comedienne Shazia Mirza stated that what she says about herself and her community is one thing, but if someone else calls her a "Paki" - and they have - that would be a different thing.  

See also:  Diane Abbott MP on the Olympics.  

Diane Abbott MP on the Olympics

Diane Abbott MP said on The Wright Stuff this morning that Olympic torch-bearers should be able to sell their torches - after all, corporate sponsors are earning huge sums of money from the Olympics.  

Click here to read more about this and other Olympics news.  

Diane Abbott, the first Black woman to be elected to Parliament, is one of the people I interviewed in Black Success Stories.  If you want to know how to have a career in politics, you need to read it.  

Getting to Your Core Issues

I blogged yesterday about the Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and the Millionaire Mind Intensive (MMI).

The MMI was brilliant. T. Harv Eker helps you discover your money blueprint.

Your money blueprint is your set of mental and emotional patterns which determine your financial life.

Although this can be highly valuable, your core issues may not be about money at all. Your core issues may be based in an area or aspect of your childhood. Harv touches on this during the MMI.

If you really want to make major changes in your life, you need to discover your core conditioning.

I did a lot of work around my money issues many years ago. Although this work was valuable, I did not see a lot of change in my money situation. Until you deal with your core issues, you may not see much change happen.

Your core conditioning, or core programming, affects every area of your life, including your money, your career, your relationships and your health.

Once you address your core conditioning, you can make major changes. For more about this, see:  Change Your Life with Core Conditioning.  

See also: Your Money Blueprint.

Your Money Blueprint

I recently attended the Millionaire Mind Intensive (MMI) with T. Harv Eker. Click here to read more about it.

Ever since I did this a few weeks ago, my life has really taken off! It has been a rollercoaster. Very challenging, but brilliant! Amazing. 

Did I mention I spent the whole weekend talking to sistas and brothas?   

In the book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, and in the MMI, Eker helps you to discover your money blueprint.

Your money blueprint is the pattern of thoughts, feelings and emotions you have around money. Your money blueprint determines your financial life. The more aware you are of your patterns, the more you have the power to change them. 

I have been saying for years, in my books, ebooks and articles, that when you change your mindset, you can change everything.

One difference between the MMI and what I say in Success Strategies for Black People is that, in Success Strategies, I don’t give you the answers, as Eker does. I show you how to find your own blueprint.

You can use my method to discover any blueprint you want to – be it for money, career, relationships or health – any area of your life.

I’ll be blogging more about this soon. See also: Why I wrote Success Strategies for Black People.

Boost Your Business

Pinterest is one of the fastest-growing social networking sites on the net.

Want to find out more about Pinterest and how you can use it to boost your business? Go here: http://www.squidoo.com/fast-and-easy-ways-to-make-money-online#module159039783

Want an invitation to join Pinterest? Go here: http://www.squidoo.com/fast-and-easy-ways-to-make-money-online#module158772751

Plus, click here for more ways to boost your business.  

Plus click here to check out Strong Black Business Community.  

Here's to your success!  

Childless Man Jailed for Failing to Pay Child Support

As described in this video from the Southern Center for Human Rights, Mr. Frank Hatley was jailed for failure to pay child support.  

See below for more details. 

What's unusual about this case?  Mr. Hatley had no children.   

I believe many of these these cases of injustice can be addressed with Spiritual Response Therapy (SRT), which I talk about in Success Strategies for Black People. 

I am passionate about this.  See also:   We Need to Talk about an Injustice. 

Many people are being incarcerated, often indefinitely, in the State of Georgia for inability to pay child support.  This is in an area in which which has 24% of the population lives below the poverty line. 

One-third of those in the Cook County Jail are there because of inability to pay child support.   Of course, a high proportion of them are African Americans.  When they do manage to find some money, their payments go to the State, not to their children. 

This is just one of the many ways in which poverty leads to injustice.  Many of those jailed were not provided with legal representation.  And while they are in jail, they are not allowed to see their children.

Click here to read more. 

Officers Involved in Shooting Refuse to Speak

The police officers involved in the Mark Duggan shooting have refused to be interviewed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission about the incident. 

The shooting of Mr. Duggan, pictured left, is widely believed to be one of the causes of last year's rioting across the UK.  

Click here to read more.  Plus click here for a Nubiart Diary editorial on the killing of Mark Duggan. 

Leela Francis: Embody True Wealth

This latest audio in the Wealth for Women series explores how to embody true wealth: fun and creative ways to be in your body in order to attract abundance.

It also explores how to identify and listen to your body’s wisdom for lasting results.

Leela says that wealth is not just what you strive for. When you embody wealth, it is what you radiate from the top of your head to the tips of your toes!

Click here for more information and to listen to this free audio.

I shall be posting additional information for members of my Nurture Success group.

Ultimate Success

I don't know if you caught the Ultimate Success video with Jack Canfield and Pamela Bruner.

If you missed it, click here for more chances to view it. I strongly urge you to watch Ultimate Success, it may change your life.

Click here for more info on Ultimate Success.

Questions: Black People and Success

I’ve got a couple of questions for Black people, i.e. people of African heritage. The first one is: Do you have to behave like a white person in order to be successful?

The next two questions are for the sistas: Do you have to behave like a man in order to be successful?


Also: Do you expect a man to take care of you?

I’ve just been listening to this great recording with Shelly Lefkoe as part of the Wealth for Women series. I completely agree with her that our beliefs create our reality.

Actually, I say our thoughts create our reality because our positive thoughts work for us and our negative thoughts work against us, WHETHER WE BELIEVE THEM OR NOT.

However, as a Black woman, I do not think I have ever expected a man to take care of me. I just was not raised that way.

Click here for the Shelly Lefkoe audio and the Wealth for Women series.

What are your thoughts? Please leave your comments below.

For more info, click here to listen to my short audio about my success workshops in London. Even if you're not in London, have a listen. I think you will learn something.

See also: Do We Need to Learn from White People?

Success Workshops in London

Below is a short audio about my Relaxation and Success Workshops in London. For more info, click on the links below.

Listen to internet radio with Zhana21 on Blog Talk Radio

Click here for for more information and to book for the Relaxation and Success Workshops.

Plus click here for Financial Success with EFT.

Bryan Stevenson – We Need to Talk about an Injustice

This video gives some very shocking statistics about the prison population and particularly the population of African Americans in prisons.

I feel very passionate about this, and about finding solutions to this situation. For more about this, see below.



One out of three Black men in the U.S.A. between the ages of 18 and 30 is in jail, in prison, on probation or on parole.

In urban areas, 50-60% of all young men of colour are in jail or in the criminal justice system.

In Alabama, 34% of Black males are permanently disenfranchised.

The U.S.A. has life imprisonment for children. There are 13- and 14-year-olds in prison without parole in the U.S.A.

For every nine people on death row, one person has been exonerated.

In the Deep South, the death penalty is 22 times more likely to be applied if the victim was white and the defendant is Black.

My work is all about solutions. I strongly believe Spiritual Response Therapy (SRT) can be very effective in a lot of these cases and could ultimately transform the whole system.

For more about this, see Why We Need to Heal.

Women in Caribbean History

This informative and inspirational presentation tells the story of the hidden contribution of women to the development of Caribbean.

The invisibility of women in the early books on the history of the Caribbean is linked to the fact that some historians felt that women's issues did not merit inclusion and their contributions were ignored.

It is important to recognise that the study of Black Women's History makes for a much more inclusive, richer, fuller and more importantly, truthful account of World History.

Click here for details of this and more forthcoming Black history events with Black History Studies and Black History Walks, plus reviews of previous events.

The National Black Writers' Conference: The Impact of Migration on Black Literature

The National Black Writers' Conference: The Impact of Migration in the Literature of Black Writers will be a discussion and book signing at the Schomburg with Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration.

Click here for more details of the National Black Writers' Conference.

See also: Women's Jazz Festival at the Schomburg.

Women's Jazz Festival at the Schomburg

The Women's Jazz Festival at the Schomburg is billed as "A gathering of some of New York's Best come together to give praise to those who lead the way".

Includes the Spelman Jazz Ensemble and the Berniece Johnson Reagon Songbook.

Click here for details of the Women's Jazz Festival plus lots more Black history and cultural events.

Black Author and Business Blogger: Denise Turney

Denise Turney of Write Money Inc. is one of the business bloggers I interviewed in Secrets of the Black Bloggers.

The purpose of Write Money Inc. is to help you grow your creative business and generate wealth. She states that her purpose is "to provide informational, educational and networking support to business owners, particularly business owners operating in creative spaces".

As a writer, Denise focuses on book industry entrepreneurs, profiling creatives such as "Literary Diva" Joy Farrington, who provides services for authors.

Denise also focuses on practical information and advice, such as how to make it easy for your customers to buy, and how to use social networking sites to promote your books successfully.

In Secrets of the Black Bloggers, Denise talks about how she drives traffic to her blog, and how she uses her blog to increase sales of her books.

Click here to order your copy now.

Black history: The Black Paris Blog

The Black Paris blog, hosted by blogger Monique Y. Wells, profiles contemporary and historical Black people resident in Paris. Monique also explores the history of people of African heritage in Paris.

She is one of the bloggers I have interviewed in Secrets of the Black Bloggers. Download your copy today.

See also: The Black Blogger as Modern Griot.

See also: Black Women in Europe.

Black Blogger: Black Women in Europe

Adrianne George of the Black Women in Europe blog is one of the most helpful and creative bloggers I have met online. I am very pleased to have been able to interview Adrianne about Black Women in Europe in my new ebook Secrets of the Black Bloggers.

It is so important for us as people of African heritage to celebrate one another’s achievements and contributions. We can learn so much from each other.

The Black Women in Europe blog consistently seeks out and acknowledges the achievements of Black women.

Like all the bloggers interviewed in Secrets of the Black Bloggers, Adrianne talks about

- what to blog about
- how often to blog
- how to get traffic to your blog

and much more.

To read my interview with Adrianne, click here to download your copy of Secrets of the Black Bloggers now.

Plus click here for an audio interview with Adrianne about Black Women in Europe.

Click here to read about the Black blogger as modern griot.

Enjoy!

Black History: African American Entertainment Entrepreneurs

I have posted this blog to acknowledge and to celebrate African American entrepreneurs who made their names in the entertainment field, and achieved great success at a time when few opportunities existed for Black people.

People who provided employment and training for African Americans, helped Black performers to forge successful careers, and contributed to the financial prosperity of the Black community.

Don Cornelius, producer and presenter of Soul Train, was one of the first African American entrepreneurs whose business operated without white backing.

Click here to watch a video about Don Cornelius.

Berry Gordy founded the Motown empire. He had worked in a car factory himself, and based Motown on the way the automobile factories operated.

Click here to read more about Berry Gordy and the legend that is Motown.

Oscar Micheaux was the first African American to make a feature film. He promoted African American actors from 1919/20 onwards. Click here to read more about Oscar Micheaux's life and work.

Plus click here for free advice from Black business experts.

This blog contains hundreds of Black history resources. To locate them, just type "Black history" into the search box.

The Publishing Revolution

These days, people often ask me what I think the future will hold for writers and publishers.

For more about this, click here for an interview with Adrianne George of Black Women in Europe.

And click here for more interviews.

Plus click here for more about Secrets of the Black Bloggers.

The Black Blogger as Modern Griot

I am delighted to announce the launch of my new ebook, Secrets of the Black Bloggers.


The griot was part of an ancient oral tradition in areas of West Africa from which many of our ancestors originated.

If you have seen Roots or read the book, you will know a little bit about the griot.

The role of the griot was to remember the history and customs of the community, and to share them orally with others in the village or clan, passing them down to the next generation. So the griot was vital in helping the community to define its identity.

During slavery times, although forbidden to read or write, our ancestors still managed to record their stories – either by memory or through scribbling away in secret.

We are fortunate to have access to many of their words today.

In the 21st century, bloggers fulfil the functions of the griot. We record the lives and experiences of our people digitally. Living in the information age, we can now share our words globally.

We record the doings of our people, our lives and the events which affect us – be they local, national or global.

As February is recognized as Black History Month in the U.S.A., we are particularly called upon to recall our history, comment on it and share it.

There are always forces at work striving to eradicate our history, our memories and, in truth, our lives.

Yet many Black bloggers, by putting the news and views of the community at the forefront of our work, ensure that our history continues to remain alive. The news and opinions we blog about today are a living history, which continues to inform a larger and larger readership.

The 16 bloggers I have interviewed in Secrets of the Black Bloggers are continuing this tradition of the griot. Writing our stories. Sharing our truths.

What may be different is that we comment in ways that are unashamedly biased and opinionated. Every voice has a place, and every blogger has the freedom to express his or her point of view.

I am sure you will enjoy Secrets of the Black Bloggers as much as I have. These bloggers will entertain, inform and inspire you.

Please leave your comments below.

This blog contains hundreds of Black history resources.  Go here to check out some of my Black history blogs. 

New Year, New Job?

The new year can be a great time for you to find that new job.

Have you been looking for work for a long time?

Or are you looking to change jobs, or careers?

I've got lots of resources for you if you are looking for work. Click here for my online jobsearch resources.

Don't chase jobs. Get employers to chase you. Click here for my free report on 4 Steps to Finding the Job You Want.

Plus click here for my free jobsearch consultations.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can be a very effective method to help you with your job search. Click here for my ebook, How to Use EFT to Find a Job.

Plus click here to learn how you can change scarcity to abundance.

Here's to your success!

Financial Success with EFT

Want to have money flooding into your bank account this year? This video shows you how.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as meridian tapping, is a highly effective method which can help you achieve your goals.

EFT is a very simple method which takes just a few minutes to learn.

Warning: EFT tapping will make you become aware of everything that is getting in your way - your fears, doubts, and challenges. That's because Love Always Brings Up Its Opposite for Healing. To find out more about this, read my book, Success Strategies for Black People, or my ebook, The Power of Affirmations.

Plus click here if you want to change scarcity to abundance.

Here's to your success!

Change Scarcity into Abundance

Want more money in your bank account this year? I've got lots of ways you can increase your income.

Click here to read about how to change scarcity to abundance.

Click here to focus the power of the universe to help you achieve your goals.

Plus, if you're looking for work, click here lots of help with your job search, including my free report to learn how to stop chasing jobs, and have employers chase you.

Here's to your success!

What Can We Learn from Tiger Mothers?

I saw a documentary on the BBC last night about "tiger mothers", Chinese women who push their children to succeed.

I have strongly objected to a lot that I have read about "tiger mothers". They are portrayed as being very harsh with their children, not allowing the children to play or to have lives of their own.

However, I felt some sympathy with the mothers in the documentary.

Many people in the West lack discipline. I have found this when teaching personal courses for adults in London. I would tell my students, "Do this exercise every day for one week". They would come back a week later and say, "I did it for three days".

This is not just about Black people - I saw this a lot with my white students.

I was fired from one job, teaching ex-offenders, because my boss disagreed that when a student struggled with something, I said they should do it again. Keep at it until you learn how to do it. He said, let them do something else that's easier. This was teaching them to give up - something "tiger mothers" do not do.

It is important to learn the value of persistence. When you achieve something that was difficult, this greatly increases your sense of self-worth.

One of the parents in the film said that she expected her children to do well. It never entered her mind that they wouldn't. My father was very much the same. He would say, "There is nothing the school can throw at you that you can't handle".

I had experiences of my parents, particularly my mother, not caring about my feelings and my needs, not caring about my dreams and ambitions, and forcing hers on me. That is wrong, it's very undermining. We need to be living out our own dreams, not our parents'.

Also, you don't have to be a doctor, dentist or accountant to do well financially. People do well in all walks of life. There are artists and musicians who are multi-millionaires - just look at Sir Elton John as one example.

Although Elton John had phenomenal success at an early age, he also experienced conflicts with his father, who never went to see him perform. Elton had huge self-esteem issues which created major problems for him. Click here to read more.

One of my serious concerns about the "tiger mothers" is that they are pressuring their children to perform academically at the expense of other areas, which I fear creates an imbalance.

Still, Black parents can learn some things from the "tiger mothers". We need to learn to have that confidence that our children can do well, academically and in every area. Then life can't throw anything at them that they can't handle.

Diane Abbott Says "Sorry" for Race Tweet

Diane Abbott MP has apologised for "any offence caused" by her Tweet that "white people love playing divide and rule".

It's not the first time she has been caught out by her remarks. I personally do not think she should have apologised. I may be in a minority of one (but I doubt it).

If we look at history, it is clear that "divide and conquer" is one of the tactics which has been employed time and time again by racist and colonialist regimes. To our shame as Black people, this tactic has been very successfully employed in turning us against each other.

While it is not wise to make generalisations about any race of people, we need to learn from this history, and we need politicians like Abbott who tell the truth - a rare thing in these times.

I interviewed Abbott, who was the first African Caribbean woman ever to be elected to the House of Commons, in my book Black Success Stories. Click here to order your copy.

This blog contains hundreds of Black history resources. If you type “Black history” into the search box, you can access them.

Please leave your comments below. Thanks.

Why I Wrote Success Strategies for Black People (2)

If you want more money in your bank account in 2012, Success Strategies for Black People is for you.

I recently saw a TV program about money. They showed people attending workshops with T. Harv Eker and Robert Kiyosaki.

I am sure those workshops get great results. But the program showed people getting thousands of pounds into debt to pay for them, to develop a plan that could bear fruit many years down the line.

I can help you get much faster results. I don't claim to be able to turn you into a millionaire. But I can teach you how to double your income in 30 days - JUST by using the power of your mind.

And at a fraction of the price. For a limited time, it's all included in the price of the book.

Click here to read about what I have manifested. Using the methods in Success Strategies for Black People can help you to manifest what you want, too.

I have been using these methods for many years. That's how I know they work.

If you want more money, Success Strategies for Black People can help you.

Want a better job or career? Success Strategies for Black People can help you.

Business owner? Want more customers, more clients, more sales? Success Strategies for Black People can help you.

Click here to order your copy now.

Once you have bought it and read it, click here to download the first of your free gifts, which will start you on your way to doubling your income in 30 days.

By the way, the price will be going up. So grab your copy now.

And start creating a wonderfully prosperous 2012.

Black Talk Radio: Kwanzaa: Do Black Consumers Buy Black? (2)

Do Black Consumers Buy Black? Judging by the emails I have received, the answer is a resounding "No".

On my radio show, I was joined by Kwanzaa expert Charles Taylor, author of Kwanzaa: How to Celebrate It at Home. You can listen to the recording below.

We discussed many things, including

- the meaning of Kwanzaa
- how to involve children in Kwanzaa
- the seven principles (nguzo saba)

and the role of business owners in Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is not a commercial holiday. However, the founder, Dr. Malauna Karenga, wanted Black business owners to be in charge of the sale and marketing of Kwanzaa items - and that is largely the case.

Click here for lots of lovely Christmas and Kwanzaa gift ideas.

Click here to read about Kwanzaa.

The recording of the show is below.

Preview: Kwanzaa: Do Black Consumers Buy Black?

As the season of Kwanzaa approaches, we are asking, Do Black Consumers Buy Black? We will be joined by Charles Taylor, author of Kwanzaa: How to Celebrate It in Your Home. For more info, and to listen in, scroll down.

Listen to internet radio with Zhana21 on Blog Talk Radio

Click here to listen or phone in, on Saturday the 3rd of December, 4:30 p.m. EST, 9:30 p.m. GMT.

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

Click here for lots of Christmas and Kwanzaa gift ideas.

Click here to read about Kwanzaa.

Promote Your Books at a Kwanzaa Event

Annual Plainfield NJ Kwanzaa Authors and Vendors

The City of Plainfield is looking to honor writers at their December 30th annual
Kwanzaa. If you've written a book and are interested in promoting it, please
call 908.753.3097.

The Kwanzaa will be held at the Washington Community School, Plainfield.

Free of charge.

Performances, vendors, and a Kwanzaa dinner for all.

Many thanks to African Cultural Vendors for this information.

Click here for more Kwanzaa events.

Click here for more ideas about how to promote your book for the holidays.

London Kwanzaa, Tokyo Kwanzaa

Every year, I post a list of Kwanzaa events on my site, including international events.

I have the first details of international events now.


Tokyo Kwanzaa
A Kwanzaa will be held in Tokyo today (Monday 28th November).

London Kwanzaa
Stereo-Hype will be presenting a Kwanzaa event on Friday the 9th of December, 7-9 p.m. in east London.

Click here for details of these and other Kwanzaa events. I shall continue to update the comments section on this page.

Click here to read about the tradition of Kwanzaa.

Click here for lots of lovely Christmas and Kwanzaa gift ideas, including my books.

Happy Kwanzaa!

Two Pre-Kwanzaa Events

I have just found out about two pre-Kwanzaa events being held at the Alexandria Black History Museum in Alexandria, VA on Saturday December 10th. For more info, see Black Museums.

Click here for more listings of Kwanzaa and pre-Kwanzaa events.

Click here to read about the tradition of Kwanzaa.

Click here for loads of lovely Christmas and Kwanzaa gifts, including my books as well as free online fun for children and the whole family, books, DVDs and more.

Happy Kwanzaa!

Jamelia on Natural Hair

I saw the singer Jamelia on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff today. She has been on the panel all week.

Jamelia says she has relaxed her hair for 20 years, but now she has decided to wear it natural.

Her two young daughters told her "When we grow up, we want to have straight hair like yours" and she said, "No, I love your big, bushy Afros".

This led her to question what type of image she is portraying, so she has decided to "bring back the Afro".

Well done, Jamelia. I hope more celebrities will follow your example.

African American Bloggers' Carnival

The theme of the next African American Bloggers' Carnival is "Black relationships, families, culture and society".

"All positive, Black-focused blogs are invited to submit links for review and possible inclusion."

The deadline for submission is the 30th of November. Click here to post your entries.

And good luck!

Click here to read more about Black bloggers and blogging.

Black Doll/White Doll

If you have not seen this already, or even if you have, check this out:

These very young children have already learned the lesson of self-hatred.



What can we do about this?

Buy culturally relevant gifts which reflect us and our children.

Buy Black This Holiday Season.

Living with Joy Worldwide Meditation

I am so happy to be able to share this with you. Click here for Orin's Living with Joy Worldwide Meditation.

Plus click here to read about Orin and DaBen, and how you can change scarcity to abundance.

This is not specifically for people of Afrian heritage, it's for everyone.

The Best, Most Highly Effective Methods for Black People (Part 5)

Part 4 is about building on your past achievements to attract greater success. Click here to read it.

This is the final part of this series.

Strategy 6 – Be True to Yourself

Strategy 6 is, in some ways, the most important strategy of all.

Be yourself. Be true to yourself. Be authentic.

Many times, we try to fit in with what other people want. We try to meet other people’s expectations. If you were raised on a system of rewards and punishments, you probably have this problem, at least to some extent.

The school system tends to reinforce this pattern. Rewards and punishments are used to control children’s behaviour.

So, you may need to unlearn this pattern.

My parents’ generation tended to try to fit in with what they thought white people wanted. This was a survival strategy. They thought that, as long as they played by white people’s rules, they would be able to survive and thrive. But there was a terrible price to pay, as they lost a sense of who they were.

Another thing we tend to do is to fit in with our ideas of “what Black people do”, and avoid doing “what Black people don’t do”. This is called group mentality. To read more about this, see The Key to Confidence.

As long as you are trying to fit in with the group, you will never truly be honouring your own uniqueness.

Learn to love yourself, appreciate yourself and value yourself.

You are a unique individual. There has never been anyone just like you before, and there never will be again.

Click here for the Success Strategies fan page

Click here to read about what I have manifested - and can help you to manifest, too.

Click here to download Excerpts from Success Strategies for Black People now.

See also: Positive Change and Transformation.

This blog contains loads of information to help you achieve your goals and manifest what you want. Much of it is based on Success Strategies for Black People and What They Don't Want Us to Know.

I invite you to search this blog to find what you need to help you get what you want.

What do you think of this blog? Please leave a comment below.

Why I Wrote Success Strategies for Black People

I have just published Excerpts from Success Strategies for Black People, so I thought it was useful to explore why I wrote Success Strategies.

Our people are suffering and struggling needlessly. We are suffering and struggling in ignorance.

Why are so many of our people living below the poverty line?

Why are so many people in Africa struggling, living without access to clean water, health care or education?

Why are so many African Americans disadvantaged in the education system? Why are so many told by their teachers, "You will never amount to anything"?

Why are there disproportionate numbers of Black people in prison - on both sides of the Atlantic?

For more about this, see Why We Need to Heal.

Then click here to read about what I have manifested - and can help you to manifest, too.

My goal is to help you achieve your goals.

Click here to download Excerpts from Success Strategies for Black People now.

See also: Positive Change and Transformation.

Kwanzaa and Pre-Kwanzaa Events

I have started listing Kwanzaa and pre-Kwanzaa events on my site. Click here for Kwanzaa events.

Some of these include:

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will hold Kujichagulia: A Kwanzaa Celebration for School Groups on Wednesday, December 21, 2011, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Click here for museum events.

Some of these include:

The DuSable Museum in Chicago will hold the Harambee pre-Kwanzaa Celebration on the 8th of December.

The African American Museum in Philadelphia will hold a Kwanzaa event on the 30th of December.

I shall continue to add details of Kwanzaa events, so please come back.

Why Are There No Black Entrepreneurs?

Okay, so this guy - founder of Tech Crunch Michael Arrington - is saying he cannot name ONE SINGLE BLACK ENTREPRENEUR in Silicone Valley. In fact, he seems to be saying there are NO BLACK ENTREPRENEURS at all!

So I must be a figment of your imagination. In fact, you are not reading this at all.

Obviously, our brains are too tiny.

Click here for free advice from Black business experts.

Achieving Our Highest Potential

One of the most important things we need to do in order to achieve our higher potential is to get the different parts of ourselves to work together harmoniously. This is sometimes called "integration" (NOT to be confused with racial integration).

The parts of us that we disown, ignore or try to hide are the parts that contain our treasure.

Click here to read more. I talk about this more in Success Strategies for Black People.

Slavery and the White House

Below is a fascinating video interview with Clarence Lusane, author of The Black History of the White House.

One point he makes is that people who were enslaved in the U.S.A., and all over the world, were influenced by the Haitian Revolution. Like Oney, a young woman who had been owned by George and Martha Washington until she ran away.

We have so much to learn from each other internationally.

Click here to read more about the Haitian Revolution.

Is This Racial Stereotyping?

I phoned The Wright Stuff on Channel 5 this morning.

They were discussing the new TV drama, Top Boy, soon to be seen on Channel 4.

Top Boy, which will star Ashley Walters, has been criticised for focusing on young, Black gangsters and drug dealers. Hackney Council has withdrawn its permission to shoot the drama within the borough, saying that it negatively stereotypes Black youth.

The producers argue that the drama reflects life for young people on inner-city estates.

Nina Wadia, an Asian actress from EastEnders, echoed these thoughts on the show today.

My argument is that, yes, it does represent some of the realities of life for some young people.

However, there are many more stories that are not being told or not made into dramas for TV and film.

When we keep seeing the same portrayal of Black people over and over again, these images become stereotypes and cliches.

In Black Success Stories, I have profiled many successful Black people in Britain.

My free More Black Success ebooks also feature the experience of successful Black people in a range of fields.

Don't just protest against negative stereotyping. Produce positive images and positive stories like the ones in Black Success Stories and More Black Success.

Oprah Richest Woman in Entertainment

According to a recent article, Oprah Winfrey has been declared the richest woman in entertainment, leaving No. 2 Lady Gaga in the shade. Click here to read more.

Actually, I don't understand why these things are stated in this kind of competitive way. But there ya go.

Click here to download my free More Black Success ebooks about Black business success.

Click here for more free ebooks and reports.

Wangari Maathai, Warrior Woman

I want to share this great blog about Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan woman who has been active in the environmental movement for many years. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work in the Green Belt Movement.

Often, the environmental movement has operated in a way that is very Eurocentric, and has marginalised and excluded African people and other people of colour.

This blog about Kibera describes some of the conditions endured by people in Kenya, and the way these conditions have been exploited by Europeans.

Anna Renee's blog underlines points I have made on this blog many times - that we need to tell our own stories and that we, as African people all over the world, need to network with each other. We need to share our stories. We need to communicate with each other and educate ourselves about each other's lives.

Long may this continue.

Please leave your comments below.

Learning Black History Is Fun

Click here to take my online Black history quizzes. Great fun for your children and for all the family.

See also:

Black Facts

More Free Online Fun

How to Research Black History.

This blog contains hundreds of Black history resources. If you type “Black history” into the search box, you can access them.

Please leave your comments below. Thanks.