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Richest Black Woman In The World is Oil Mogul Folorunsho Alakija

By goodblacknews on December 6, 2012

folorunsho alakijaFolorunsho Alakija on the November 2012 cover of Geneieve magazine in a dress by Iconic Invanity.

Oprah Winfrey is no longer the richest black woman in the world.  The new leading lady is oil baroness Folorunsho Alakija from Nigeria. While drilling oil has reportedly made the 61-year-old owner of FAMFA Oil Limited a very rich woman — she is estimated to be worth at least $3.2 billion — Alakija started her ascent to financial supremacy in fashion.

Born into a wealthy family, Alakija studied fashion design in England back in the ’80s and soon after founded the Nigerian clothing label Supreme Stitches. Her one-of-a-kind creations were worn by the who’s who of African society, quickly making her the premier fashion designer in the West African country. In fact, she has been called one of the “pioneers of Nigerian fashion” and stays connected to the industry through the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FDAN).  The well-heeled businesswoman and philanthropist made the switch to oil in 1993 and the rest is history. Ventures Africa reports that Alakija owns at least $100 million in real estate and a $46 million private jet.

article by Julee Wilson via huffingtonpost.com

Haiti’s Rony Delgarde Forms Charity To Collect Paint for Third World Projects

By goodblacknews on December 2, 2012
Rony Delgarde, Founder of Global Paint For Charity
Rony Delgarde, Founder of Global Paint For Charity

Rony Delgarde immigrated to the United States from Haiti with only $5 and a Bible. The first thing he saw when he landed at Miami International Airport were all the colorfully-painted buildings.  “People paint their house yellow, white, red, blue and I said, ‘Wow, there’s so much paint in this country!'” Delgarde says.” I said, ‘When I get money in this country, I’m going to buy paint and take paint back home.'”

From that idea, Global Paint for Charity was born. Delgarde, who is 38 and works as a health care consultant, states the mission: “to recycle leftover paint from businesses and residents, processes it and then donate it to vulnerable families in developing countries all around the world.”

NAACP Steps Up Fight to End Death Penalty in Maryland

By goodblacknews on December 2, 2012
The national president and chief executive of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Ben Jealous. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

The national president and chief executive of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Ben Jealous. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

The NAACP is stepping up its fight to end the death penalty in the state of Maryland by vowing to mount its largest-ever effort in a state that has played a historic role in the civil rights movement, according to the Baltimore Sun.  NAACP President Ben Jealous said that the organization has made ending the death penalty in Maryland a top priority in its more broader campaign to end capital punishment altogether in America.

“Around the Way” App Locates Black-Owned Businesses

By goodblacknews on November 30, 2012

Imagine having access to the more than 1.9 million black-owned businesses in the United States at your fingertips? A company called Around The Way, which is based in New York, teamed up with Washington, D.C.-based mobile-app development firm Clearly Innovative to create a mobile app that will locate black-owned businesses in your area.

The companies say they hope the Around The Way app will support and empower black-owned businesses, especially around this all-important Christmas shopping season. The app, which is available only for the Apple iPhone right now,can be downloaded from the Apple app store.

While the app doesn’t have all of the black-owned businesses in the U.S. yet, it does contain a substantial number and there’s a spot on the app’s website where you can add your business. “The app can locate 17,000 black-owned businesses in all 50 states. Many of the businesses are located in New York City, and other major metropolitan areas,” Eric Hamilton, chief marketing officer and co-founder of Around The Way wrote in an e-mail to The NorthStar News & Analysis.

Baltimore Launches Micro-Loan Program for Small Businesses

By goodblacknews on November 29, 2012

To help small businesses in the Baltimore area, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is launching a micro-loan fund to assist owners in hiring and stabilizing their businesses. The program, named BaltimoreMICRO, will enable small businesses with under $1 million in annual revenue to apply for loans that range in amounts from $5,000 to $30,000. To be eligible for the BaltimoreMICRO program, businesses must be based in Baltimore City. The owner of the business must also have a personal credit score of 650 or higher.

“[Small businesses] bring residents together and create a buzz that attracts people from throughout the region,” Rawlings-Blake said in a statement. “We want that to happen in more of Baltimore’s neighborhoods, and we must do what we can to support that. Baltimore’s neighborhoods that have experienced growth and revival in the past few years are known not only for their unique homes and character, but also for their small businesses, including stores and restaurants.”

Ellinah Wamukoya Becomes Africa’s First Anglican Woman Bishop

By goodblacknews on November 29, 2012

Earlier this month, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa consecrated its first woman bishop in Africa.

Ellinah Wamukoya, 61, will serve as the church’s bishop in the small, conservative kingdom of Swaziland.

Her consecration comes as the Church of England is due to vote on whether to allow women to become bishops.

“We have taken this step, and we wish the Church of England ‘God speed’ as they deliberate this week,” Cape Town’s Anglican archbishop said.

The Most Revd Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town said in a statement: “The thunder is rumbling as I write: We have witnessed a great occasion, and now it does indeed seem that the heavens are about to fall upon us – the falling of rain, which this country and its people so desperately need.

African-American Judges Head Up Oklahoma’s Two Highest Courts For First Time in History

By goodblacknews on November 26, 2012

In Oklahoma, two  judges have made history by becoming the first African-Americans to head up two of the state’s highest courts.

Tom Colbert is set to become chief justice of the nine-member Oklahoma Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Colbert’s law school classmate, David B. Lewis, is poised to become presiding judge of the five-member Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

The Tulsa World describes what both men have in common:

Both men were raised by single mothers, are former prosecutors and worked in private practice.

Both are runners – Colbert is a sprinter, while Lewis runs for distance.

And former Gov. Brad Henry appointed both as the first blacks to hold a post on their respective appeals courts.

 Colbert says he owes his success to those who came before him and paved the way for him.

The chief justice will be in charge of overseeing district courts in Oklahoma’s 77 counties. But as far as Colbert is concerned, his job doesn’t stop there. He’s looking forward to mentoring kids so that he can pass on some of what he’s learned on his road to success.

Colbert also offered a bit of advice, saying,  ”There are great opportunities out there if you believe in yourself and try to stay on the right path,” he said.  Lewis said that he happy with his achievements, but went on to say that it is important for people to understand that success doesn’t happen overnight.

article via yourblackworld.net

 

Joaquim Barbosa Sworn In As Brazil’s First Black Supreme Court Justice

By goodblacknews on November 25, 2012
Joaquim Barbosa
BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil’s Supreme Court is now headed by a black justice for the first time.  Joaquim Barbosa was sworn in on Thursday. He became the only black ever to serve on the court when he joined it in 2003, even though more than half of the country’s 192 million people identify themselves as having African descent.

Barbosa, 58, was elected in October to a two-year tenure as Supreme Court president. His election was a foregone conclusion since the court’s presidency always goes to the justice who has served on the bench the longest.  

Republican Resistance of Obamacare Lessens As Implementation Begins

By goodblacknews on November 24, 2012
Obamacare

Obamacare supporters react to the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold President Obama’s health care law, on June 28, 2012 in Washington, DC. Today the high court upheld the whole healthcare law of the Obama Administration. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

This is an easy way for these Republicans to suggest to their party’s base they still oppose Obamacare, but the practical effect is that it gives the Obama administration more power, since the federal government will run the exchange in states where the governor refuses to set one up.

Survey Shows Surge In Support of Gay Marriage from the Black Community

By goodblacknews on November 14, 2012

A national exit poll conducted by Edison Research shows that black voters favored their state legalizing gay marriage by 51 to 41 percent

It appears that ever since prominent African American figures have publicly voiced their support of gay marriage, the African American community’s support of gay marriage has surged. A national exit poll by Edison Research shows that black voters favored their state legalizing gay marriage, 51 to 41 percent. Pew polls have also showed an increase from 36 percent in 2011 to 44 percent last month supporting gay marriage.

According to the exit poll conducted by Edison Research on behalf of the NEP, 51 percent of black voters said their states should legally recognize same-s*x marriage, compared with 47 percent of whites who favored this idea.

article via yourblackworld.net