African-American Business and Careers Articles
Black Business Rundown: June 17, 2005
By Blair Walker, AOL BlackVoices columnist,
Posted: 2005-06-21 11:11:53
The state of Virginia recognizes a black water-bottling company. The NAACP chooses a businessman instead of a politician to lead the organization. And Babson College is leading an effort to find business case studies that focus on the triumphs and failings of black-owned enterprises.
From Water Flows Business Success
Black bottled-water company Platinum H2O Enterprises was recently recognized as a finalist in a business plan competition sponsored by the Virginia Housing and Community Development Corporation. Operating out of Baltimore since 1998, Platinum H2O markets bottled water as well as Platinum H2O bags, jackets and caps.
Ex-Exec to Head NAACP
It's a new day at the NAACP, which for the first time has chosen a former businessman as its president and CEO. Bruce S. Gordon, 59. had been a senior executive with Verizon. The NAACP definitely needs to be run like a business -- I just hope Gordon is also an impassioned advocate who can lure black youth into the fold.
Bias in PR Industry Seen as Pervasive
Blacks and Hispanics working in the public relations field are generally disgusted with the profession's lack of regard for diversity and its penchant for racial discrimination. That troubling disclosure surfaced in a comprehensive online survey conducted in part by Howard University professor Rochelle Ford. But since we're talking about the PR industry I'm sure it can put an innocuous spin on its retro ways.
“L.A.” Reid to Address Black Female Execs
Sisters working in the entertainment biz may want to circle the date Aug. 19. That's when producer and Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid will keynote the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment conference taking place in Chicago. Reid's appearance caps off five days of panels and networking sessions. Get the details at www.nabfeme.org
Putting Business Case Studies in the Black
Business school case studies tend to consistently focus on the successes and travails of white-run enterprises, as though black companies never have similar experiences. Because of that, Babson College -- near Boston -- and Ford Motor Company are combining forces to find useful business case studies featuring black entrepreneurs. Along those lines, a 2002 Babson study indicates blacks are 50 percent more likely than whites to start a business.
BET Owner Viacom Turned Away by Radio One
Radio One recently looked into, and turned down, an opportunity for Infinity Broadcasting to acquire a stake in black-owned Radio One, which owns more than 60 radio stations nationwide. According to Radio One Executive Vice President Scott Royster, his company felt that getting in bed with Infinity, which is owned by Viacom, "wasn't good to our portfolio."
Suffering From Suede Withdrawal
Seems the ball was dropped over at ESSENCE Communications earlier this year, when some subscribers to the suspended Suede fashion magazine were left holding the bag. ESSENCE owner Time Inc. is making amends by offering ESSENCE magazine, or another Time Inc. publication, to jilted Suede readers. Even though the jarringly avant-garde Suede was scuttled in February, ESSENCE is to be commended for thinking waaaaay outside of the box.
Immigrant Women More Appreciative of American Dream?
A researcher at Towson University, near Baltimore, has come up with numbers proving something I've long suspected: Immigrant women start businesses at a higher rate than their native-born counterparts. According to Towson sociology professor Susan Pearce, in 2000, 8.3 percent of employed immigrant women were business owners, compared with 6.2 percent for women born in the United States. Why is that?
New Group for Black Florida Entrepreneurs
It's hoped that the recently formed Florida Black Chamber of Commerce will help black businesspeople in the Sunshine State flex more muscle. Based in Pensacola, the not-for-profit organization is looking to give Florida's black and minority chambers far more clout. As a Florida resident, I can tell you that's a laudable goal.
Harlem Book Fair Concept Expanding
The Harlem Book Fair will take on a decidedly New England flavor June 25 when the popular literature festival will appear on the campus of Roxbury Community College, in Roxbury, Mass. Amber Communications Group Inc. and the Roxbury Action Program are doing the deed, with the blessing of the book fair's founders. To learn more, visit www.roxburyactionprogram.com and click on the Roxbury Harlem Book Fair link.
About the Author
Blair Walker is a former business writer at USA Today and the author of six books, including the biography 'Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?: How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire.'
Black bottled-water company Platinum H2O Enterprises was recently recognized as a finalist in a business plan competition sponsored by the Virginia Housing and Community Development Corporation. Operating out of Baltimore since 1998, Platinum H2O markets bottled water as well as Platinum H2O bags, jackets and caps.
Ex-Exec to Head NAACP
It's a new day at the NAACP, which for the first time has chosen a former businessman as its president and CEO. Bruce S. Gordon, 59. had been a senior executive with Verizon. The NAACP definitely needs to be run like a business -- I just hope Gordon is also an impassioned advocate who can lure black youth into the fold.
Bias in PR Industry Seen as Pervasive
Blacks and Hispanics working in the public relations field are generally disgusted with the profession's lack of regard for diversity and its penchant for racial discrimination. That troubling disclosure surfaced in a comprehensive online survey conducted in part by Howard University professor Rochelle Ford. But since we're talking about the PR industry I'm sure it can put an innocuous spin on its retro ways.
“L.A.” Reid to Address Black Female Execs
Sisters working in the entertainment biz may want to circle the date Aug. 19. That's when producer and Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid will keynote the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment conference taking place in Chicago. Reid's appearance caps off five days of panels and networking sessions. Get the details at www.nabfeme.org
Putting Business Case Studies in the Black
Business school case studies tend to consistently focus on the successes and travails of white-run enterprises, as though black companies never have similar experiences. Because of that, Babson College -- near Boston -- and Ford Motor Company are combining forces to find useful business case studies featuring black entrepreneurs. Along those lines, a 2002 Babson study indicates blacks are 50 percent more likely than whites to start a business.
BET Owner Viacom Turned Away by Radio One
Radio One recently looked into, and turned down, an opportunity for Infinity Broadcasting to acquire a stake in black-owned Radio One, which owns more than 60 radio stations nationwide. According to Radio One Executive Vice President Scott Royster, his company felt that getting in bed with Infinity, which is owned by Viacom, "wasn't good to our portfolio."
Suffering From Suede Withdrawal
Seems the ball was dropped over at ESSENCE Communications earlier this year, when some subscribers to the suspended Suede fashion magazine were left holding the bag. ESSENCE owner Time Inc. is making amends by offering ESSENCE magazine, or another Time Inc. publication, to jilted Suede readers. Even though the jarringly avant-garde Suede was scuttled in February, ESSENCE is to be commended for thinking waaaaay outside of the box.
Immigrant Women More Appreciative of American Dream?
A researcher at Towson University, near Baltimore, has come up with numbers proving something I've long suspected: Immigrant women start businesses at a higher rate than their native-born counterparts. According to Towson sociology professor Susan Pearce, in 2000, 8.3 percent of employed immigrant women were business owners, compared with 6.2 percent for women born in the United States. Why is that?
New Group for Black Florida Entrepreneurs
It's hoped that the recently formed Florida Black Chamber of Commerce will help black businesspeople in the Sunshine State flex more muscle. Based in Pensacola, the not-for-profit organization is looking to give Florida's black and minority chambers far more clout. As a Florida resident, I can tell you that's a laudable goal.
Harlem Book Fair Concept Expanding
The Harlem Book Fair will take on a decidedly New England flavor June 25 when the popular literature festival will appear on the campus of Roxbury Community College, in Roxbury, Mass. Amber Communications Group Inc. and the Roxbury Action Program are doing the deed, with the blessing of the book fair's founders. To learn more, visit www.roxburyactionprogram.com and click on the Roxbury Harlem Book Fair link.
About the Author
Blair Walker is a former business writer at USA Today and the author of six books, including the biography 'Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?: How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire.'
2005-06-17 07:28:36
