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AFRICAN BILLIONAIRE TONY ELUMELU PLEDGES 100 MILLION TOWARDS HELPING CREATE MORE AFRICAN AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS 

Published April 11, 2016 by sheezacoldpiece

  
Tony Elumelu is an African billionaire, philanthropist and a business man with a solid resume in economics. Due to his informative knowledge and training in economics, Elumelu will be utilizing his skills, abilities also the his empire where he sits on the board of Heirs Holdings and Transcorp to launch a new program spearheaded by his non-profit organization Tony Elumelu Foundation, to improve the state of Black economics and businesses in America. The program will also assist Africans and African-American entrepreneurs to reach the maximum and full potential of the corporations and companies they create and build.

In 2014, Tony Elumelu had a vision and partnered up with other African and American moguls, as well as prominent business men and women to develop a summit in Washington D.C., to address issues in economics affecting the Black community and present solutions to alleviate where most of the problems were. The summit also consisted of developing programs and organizations to foster opportunities for Africans and African-Americans to advance in economics, business and financial studies.
Elumelu’s vision is one of unity as well, in an effort to unite Africa and America with a solid business partnership to revise and aid in the progression of economics in Black communities across the nation. Tony strongly believes the programs that are being invested and launched will be rewarding for all those involve and will amplify not just the Black buying power, but also the Black investing power, to own and become leaders in entrepreneurship and businesses.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation has already put forth $100 million dollars in scholarships, education programs, funding and etc. to help entrepreneurs become their best and even achieve greatness in the business world. 

To apply or get more information, please visit TEF HOME

GLOBAL RACISM – BRAZILIAN COUPLE DENIED THE RIGHT TO GIVE THEIR DAUGHTER AN AFRICAN NAME…

Published March 30, 2016 by sheezacoldpiece

  
When you can’t even name your child giving honor to your African roots due to racism, it makes you lose hope for humanity.  

With just one week of life, little Makeda is already facing the first fight of her life: having a civil registry. The name Makeda Foluke means Grandiose that is at the care of God, but even so, the girl, who was born on the 16th in the Casa de Parto David Capistrano Filho (House of Labor David Capistrano Filho, in Realengo, in the West Zone of Rio, still can’t be placed on her birth certificate. All because the registration office of the 2nd district of São João de Meriti, in the Baixada Fluminense region, understood, according to the girl’s parents, that the name would cause embarrassment for the child in the future. Makeda’s family believed they were the victim of racism.
“It’s a form of racism that takes place in Brazil: the racism of subtleties. It should be very natural a man and a black woman adopting an African name, as the country is made up of three races. It is difficult to prove. Only those in this skin is knows,” lamented the child’s father, Cizinho Afreeka, 44.
Cizinho, which is a public servant and is depending on the registration to have a maternity leave, also said that he and his wife, the Physical Education teacher Jéssica Juliana, 27, thought about the issue of name pronunciation before choosing it:
“It’s not a name phonetically alien to Portuguese, we thought about it. There are African names that change the pronunciation and cause greater estrangement.”
Makeda was what the Ethiopians called the rainha de Sabá (Queen of Sheba). Foluke is a Yoruba name. The girl’s name was decided early in the pregnancy.

  
“We decided together quite in early in the pregnancy and we came to call her Makeda. Family and friends already speak naturally because we were inserting this. What’s the problem with naming her Makeda if they register so many European names,” asked Jéssica.
Cizinho came to speak to a civil registration official, Luiz Fernando, by telephone, but a petition was necessary so the name could be analyzed:
“He said he thought the name was beautiful. They already knew that the name was African. They searched the internet before giving a negative. I made a petition and took a statement from my wife authorizing, but it was denied. The notary suggested I put a name in Portuguese in front. But I will keep on until the end. Either it will be Makeda Foluke or she’ll be with no registration.
“The procedure is necessary with any name that can be used to leave the child in a vexatious situation or bullying. You have to filter. These procedures are normal, no one refused to do the registration,” said Luiz Fernando. “It is not the name, not the meaning. It’s pronunciation, diction. Racism is really in people’s minds,” he finalized.
According to the Internal Affairs Division of the Court of Rio, the registration office submitted to the judge in charge a procedure of doubt. The prosecutor’s office issued an opinion against the use of the name because they considered it likely to cause future problems for the child, suggesting that a pre-name be added to the other names such as Ana Maria Makeda, for example. If the judge does not authorize, it will be up to the party to appeal the decision in the procedure in the proper registry office that will forwarded to the Council of the Magistracy.
Parents want their daughter to be named Makeda
Also according to internal affairs, “when pronouncing the name in Portuguese it makes no sense at all, except for coming out wrong, which could provide possible future suffering for the person in social life.” The criterion used is “the analysis of the magistrate and the Ministério Público (public prosecutors) who act to protect the child. Law 6.015/73 gives that power to avoid registrations with names that may affect the social life.”
Read the response of internal affairs in full:
“The prosecutor’s office issued an opinion against the use of the name because they considered it likely to cause future problems for the child, suggesting a pre-name was added to the other names…such as Ana Maria Makeda or something like this.
If the judge does not authorize, it will be up to the party to appeal the decision in the procedure in the proper registry office that will be forward to the Council of the Magistracy.
When you pronounce the name in Portuguese it makes no sense at all, except for coming out wrong, which could provide possible future suffering for the person in social life.
The criterion is the analysis of the magistrate and prosecutors who act to protect the child. Law 6.015/ 73 gives this power to avoid registrations with names that may affect the social life. The criteria are the social and historical phonetics of Portuguese, verifying the sense that the name may have to be spoken or read, must meet in these criteria elements that can classify it as vexatious. Thus are considered vexatious historical names of bloodthirsty dictators or persecuted characters or execrated over time, the objectification of the name or the phonetic pronunciation, which seems to be the case, because it will not make any sense to those who do not know its origin and its translation, favoring acts as “bullying” or discrimination. Several cases where the lack of care of the registers and deeper analysis produced cases that later forced people to go to court to change the first names are notorious due to the embarrassment caused in childhood. One of the most famous was that of the daughters of Baby and Pepeu (1).
The request is being examined by the responsible judge, but it is an analysis at the administrative level that provides for its consideration on appeal to the Judicial Council through a specific procedure.”

This is what happens when GOVERMENT has too much control.  I ask if a European name has ever been challenged like in this case.  It’s blatant inexcusable racism.  The country has a deep history of racist disparate treatment of its black citizens.  I pray this couple prevails, and despite the decision, call their daughter by the name they want her to have.

Source

A PROMISE TO END WHITE ECONOMIC CONTROL IN SOUTH AFRICA….

Published March 26, 2016 by sheezacoldpiece

  
This is Cyril Ramaphosa.  The Deputy President of South Africa.  He aimes to reverse white financial domination in South Africa, a much needed economic solution, and turn over control to black people in the country.

Where will the money come from, though? The economy shrinks every time the ANC makes yet another ill-conceived decision; the party’s reputation is in shambles and their president now ranks as one of the top five beleaguered world leaders.
Image Credits:Getty
That said, Ramaphosa is adamant that Broader Based Black Economic Empowerment be pushed along at a more aggressive pace.
“We are going to intensify BBBEE. We are going to sharpen our teeth and determination when it comes to unemployment.”
“We expect that our black industrialists will have up to R24 billion made available to them to redefine the way business is done in our country,” he said.
The deputy president appealed to black business owners to bring their ideas to the ANC and asked them to pay for the party’s local government election campaign. He added that the time of white business monopolies is over and that government is hell-bent on placing the economy in black hands…
“For far too long this economy has been owned and controlled by white people. That must come to end. For far too long, this economy has been managed by white people. That must come to an end.”
“Those who don’t like this idea – tough for you. That is how we are proceeding.”
He added that government was ‘obsessed’ with empowering black South Africans…
“In some cases, we have become fanatical about it. It is in this area that we know we will be able to plant seeds of further economic growth in our country,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa ended with the only part of his speech that didn’t stink of pre-election promise; adding that academics and professionals had started the ANC and are essential in the party’s efforts to improve SA… pity the party’s current policy is to weed out any and all intellectuals within its own ranks and opt for yes-men-and-women.

The awakening is long overdue.  We must take back and reclaim what is rightfully ours…our land and our resources.  

MISSIONARY RAPIST FROM OKLAHOMA GETS 40 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ABUSING ORPHANS IN AFRICA

Published March 8, 2016 by sheezacoldpiece

  
An Oklahoma missionary who volunteered at a children’s home in Kenya was sentenced to 40 years in prison Monday for sexually assaulting three girls and a boy while working at the facility, according to court documents.
Matthew Lane Durham, 21, was sentenced to four decades in prison by Judge David L. Russell on four counts of “engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places,” according to court documents.
“In a span of just 33 days,” prosecutors wrote to the court, Durham “raped three girls — ages 5, 9 and 15 — at least eight times. During that same time period, he sexually molested a 12-year-old boy twice.”
The prosecutors said that Durham “not only forcefully sexually abused these children,” but “he psychologically damaged them by taking advantage of their trust he received from the children.”
A jury found Durham guilty on seven counts of the charge in June, court records show. Russell acquitted Durham on three of the counts in January, writing that the prosecutors “failed to establish that he engaged in a ‘sexual act’ ” with the children identified in those charges.
Durham’s attorney, Stephen Jones, told CNN on Monday that he plans to appeal the court’s decision.
Fallout in Kenya
The region of the eastern African nation that Durham volunteered in has also been shaken, prosecutors say.
In a sentencing memorandum to the court in February, they wrote that Durham’s actions “have had a chilling effect on the lives of dozens of foreign volunteers in Kenya and elsewhere who must now live under the cloud of suspicion … there is a real perception among Upendo’s local Kenyan community that more pedophiles lurk among the volunteers, especially the male volunteers.”

In 2014, Durham arrived at Upendo Children’s Centre to volunteer with neglected children, according to the criminal complaint. Durham had previously volunteered at the school three times before.
The organization, funded by an American citizen, recruits volunteers from the Oklahoma church community and provides food, housing and clothes to neglected children in Nairobi, according to the complaint.
Upon arriving in 2014, Durham requested to stay at an “overflow bunk” in the school rather than an off-site facilities with sponsor families to be in a “better position to assist the children,” the complaint says.
A school caretaker began to notice odd behavior between Durham and the children, including “lingering embraces” and “lying beside some of the children on their beds” at night, the complaint says.
Durham was confronted by leaders at the school who then held his passport, the complaint says. They returned the passport to him days later, and he flew back to Oklahoma.
At the time of his arrest, Durham’s attorney told CNN that Durham was coerced into a confession to get his passport back.

This has me so infuriated to no end.  This man went over to Africa just to rape and abuse helpless children.  He should be put away for life!!!  Children’s lives are more serious and precious than any drug offender behinds bars for life.  This is what is wrong with our justice system.  He never should see the light of day again in his lifetime. 

NO MORE PRIVATE DIAMOND MINERS IN ZIMBABWE

Published February 23, 2016 by sheezacoldpiece

 
HARARE, Zimbabwe, Feb. 22 (UPI) — Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Monday ordered the expulsion of eight foreign diamond mining companies and turned over all mining operations to the newly formed, government-run Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Co.
  

Several companies abandoned their equipment, including: Anjin Investments Ltd., the Diamond Mining Co., Jinan Mining Ltd., Kusena Diamonds, Marange Resources Ltd. and Mbada Diamonds. These organizations were invited to nationalize their assets but they chose to stay as private entities and give up whatever little political capital was built up.
“Since they no longer hold any mining titles, these companies were notified this morning to cease all mining with immediate effect,” Zimbabwe Mines Minister Walter Chidakwa said.
Zimbabwe ranked ninth in total diamond output in the world with 4.7 million carats in 2014, according to the fourth annual report on the global diamond industry prepared by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre and Bain & Co. Last year, Zimbabwe’s production fell by 1.6 million carats and the government received $23 million in royalties and other fees from diamond mines, down from $84 million in 2014.

  
It’s about time Africans took control of their resources to further the wealth of their land.  The awakening is happening globally, and it’s a beautiful movement. 

FRANCE LEADS THE WAY AGAINST WASTING FOOD WITH A MANDATORY DONATE PROGRAM

Published February 8, 2016 by sheezacoldpiece

  
IN FRANCE, if a supermarket throws out or destroys unused food its operators could face fines of €75,000 or two years in jail. Instead the food must be donated to charities or else used for animal feed. According to The Guardian, “the law follows a grassroots campaign in France by shoppers, anti-poverty campaigners and those opposed to food waste. The campaign, which led to a petition, was started by the councillor Arash Derambarsh.” As of Wednesday the practice of throwing out unspoiled food has to stop. All grocery stores with a footprint larger than 4305 square feet will need to sign contracts with charities or face the penalties. This same law will also introduce food education programs for schools and businesses.

Food waste problem
In the video below food waste campaigner Tristram Stuart present some disturbing facts, such as:
-Globally, over 800 million go hungry.

-Globally, we waste 1/3 food produced.

-In the US, one in four Americans struggle to buy food.

-In the US, over 30% — around $160 billion worth — of food is wasted by grocery stores and their customers.

-Food production is the single largest impact we have on nature.

-Farmers can’t sell half of what they produce because of strict supermarket standards.

As consumers we buy more than we need and regularly throw away perfectly good food because of overcautious date labels.

Restaurants overproduce to ensure everything on their menus is always on hand, and portion sizes are too large resulting in a lot of leftover waste.

If America along with other countries adopts this policy against food waste, we will solve the hunger problems we currently have.  I’m not a huge fan of France,  but I must say they are very forward thinking with this initiative.

MORE BRAZILIANS ARE IDENTIFYING WITH THEIR BLACK ROOTS…

Published February 5, 2016 by sheezacoldpiece

  

A new study reveals more Brazilians identify as Black or multiracial today than 10 years ago. While demographic shifts like this usually sound like they would be the result of birth rates and migration, it’s actually a reflection of something else.
The Brazilian Geographical and Statistics Institute reports that in their National Household Survey last year, 53 percent of Brazilians said they are Black or multiracial, up from 47.9 percent 10 years ago. Sociologists have been attributing this to shift in attitudes toward race in Brazil and increased education about the country’s history.
Brazil has a huge Afro-Brazilian population, descendants of the four million slaves brought to Brazil before the practice was abolished in 1888. Brazil, along with many other Latin American countries, has crafted narratives that overlook people of African descent, both culturally and demographically. Though most people have some African, native, and/or European heritage, there’s a history of emphasizing the latter, in that everyone is mixed but not black. Plenty of surveys have shown Brazilians in particular tend to claim a kaleidoscope of racial identities that translate to mixed, but stop short of acknowledging blackness.
According to El País, Katia Regis, an Afro-Brazilian studies coordinator, said, “The black population has more access to effective knowledge about African and Afro-Brazilian history to realize that being black is a positive thing.”
People have grown to appreciate the huge contributions African culture has made in Brazil, and they reflect that in how they identify. Samba, capoeira, and many Brazilian dishes have obvious African origins, and some of the most famous Brazilians in the world like Pelé and the bossa nova musician Gilberto Gil are Black.
Afro-Brazilians still face discrimination and their murder and poverty rates are significantly higher than white Brazilians, but this growing appreciation for blackness in Brazil indicates a rapid shift that many activists hope will transcend what people check on surveys.

THE UNITED NATIONS IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY BLACKS IN AMERICA ARE TREATED….

Published February 5, 2016 by sheezacoldpiece

  
– We encourage the US government to elaborate a National Action Plan for Racial Justice to fully implement the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and comprehensively address racism affecting African Americans. – See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=17000&LangID=E#sthash.9lHo51Ua.dpuf

It’s a relief to know the world is paying attention to black strife in America.  It’s extremely sad that after so many years in this country, so many tears and blood shed to build it, that blacks are still marginalized in America.  The United Nations took the time to pen a lengthy letter with observations and facts happening to blacks in the United States.  

  
The statement comes from the United Nations’ Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent. It listed several concerns that highlighted racial disparities such as police brutality, mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline.
Read more here: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=17000&LangID=E

BOKO HARAM KILL 86 PEOPLE IN NIGERIA

Published February 2, 2016 by sheezacoldpiece

  
Please pray for the people of Nigeria dealing with murder and senseless terror.  The Religious extremists terrorist group Boko Haram, continues to terrorize and take innocent lives to the extreme of burning children to death.  Details available below —-

A survivor hidden in a tree says he watched Boko Haram fighters firebomb huts and heard the screams of children burning to death, among 86 people officials say died in the latest attack by Nigeria’s homegrown armed group.


Scores of charred corpses and bodies with bullet wounds littered the streets from Saturday night’s attack on Dalori village and two nearby camps housing 25,000 refugees, according to survivors and soldiers at the scene just 3 miles from Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and the biggest city in Nigeria’s northeast.


The shooting, burning and explosions from three suicide bombers continued for nearly four hours in the unprotected area, survivor Alamin Bakura said, weeping on a telephone call to The Associated Press. He said several of his family members were killed or wounded.


The violence continued as three female suicide bombers blew up among people who managed to flee to neighboring Gamori village, killing many people, according to a soldier at the scene who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to journalists.


Troops arrived at Dalori around 8:40 p.m. Saturday but were unable to overcome the attackers, who were better armed, said soldiers who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. The Boko Haram fighters only retreated after reinforcements arrived with heavier weapons, they said.


Journalists visited the carnage Sunday and spoke to survivors who complained it had taken too long for help to arrive from nearby Maiduguri, the military headquarters of the fight to curb Boko Haram. They said they fear another attack.


Eighty-six bodies were collected by Sunday afternoon, according to Mohammed Kanar, area coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency. Another 62 people are being treated for burns, said Abba Musa of the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.


Another 62 people were being treated for burns, said Abba Musa of the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeastern Nigeria, which is about 10km from from Dalori.


Nigerian troops were initially unable to fight off the attackers, and Boko Haram fighters only retreated after reinforcements arrived with heavier weapons, soldiers said.


“As they saw the flames of the fight, then they alerted us. I informed the soldiers … and that’s how they checked,” Lawana Geti, head of a local vigilante group called Kondugua, said.


“And when the soldiers were coming, Boko Haram rushed out of the village.”


Boko Haram has been attacking soft targets, increasingly with suicide bombers, since the military last year drove them out of towns and villages in northeastern Nigeria.


The 6-year uprising has killed about 20,000 people and driven 2.5 million from their homes.