Chandra Gill, Ph.D., knows what it’s like to grow up in the inner city.

“Where I’m from, young people stand on corners they do not own and frequent stores owned by others. Where I’m from, churches overpopulate blocks as some of their own parishioners enter jails around the clock,” she writes on her website.

Raised in the crime-ridden Woodlawn section of Chicago, Gill can easily relate to children from urban communities. She uses her experiences to encourage youth to get an education through the group she founded, called Blackademically Speaking.

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Apple Martini. Apple Pie. Almond Butter. These three things did not have a lot in common until 28-year-old Felecia Hatcher came along and made them into ice cream and popsicle flavors.

Hatcher, who lives in Florida, has made a name for herself with Feverish, an aptly named line of gourmet ice cream trucks that cater to the state’s warm-weather residents year-round.

WATCH THEGRIO’S 100 FELECIA HATCHER ON THE TODAY SHOW HERE:

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After working as a marketing manager at Nintendo, Hatcher started Feverish with her now-husband in 2008. Feverish now boasts clients like Playboy, J. Crew, and the W Hotel. Equipped with eco-friendly trucks and carts, the company make stops all over South Florida nightclubs, festivals, and anywhere they can find a group of people. They are able to give patrons their choice of dozens of flavors of vegan-friendly, organic treats of the frozen variety.

Before ice cream and Nintendo, Felecia coached high school students on getting into college.

Felecia Hatcher is making history … as an entrepreneur with flair. Through her innovative ice cream flavors and commitment to keeping her business an eco-friendly one, Felecia has been featured in numerous publications and was invited to the White House as an Empact 100 honoree, an award given to the country’s top entrepreneurs under 30.

A little-known fact …

According to the U.S. Census, the number of black-owned businesses in the U.S. increased 60.5 percent from 2002-2007, the most recent period in which statistics were released. Nearly 2 million of all non-farm businesses in the U.S. are black-owned.

For more information, click here.

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Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll is used to standing out. The Trinidadian-American served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, working as an enlisted jet mechanic — a rarity for women at that time – and rising in rank to retire as a lieutenant commander aviation maintenance officer. In 2003, Carroll made her first foray into politics, winning a seat in Florida’s House of Representatives and becoming the first African-American female Republican elected in the state Legislature’s history. As Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s second-in-command, Carroll is the first African-American Republican woman on a statewide ticket.

Before becoming a legislator, Carroll was the executive director of the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs. She was also a small business owner, starting and running a public relations and consulting firm with her husband.

WATCH LT. GOV. CARROLL ON MSNBC WITH THOMAS ROBERTS

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During her time as a legislator, Carroll worked to create jobs, appropriating nearly $3 million to fund the Florida Export Finance Corporation, which helps give employers access to short-term loans intended to create and retain jobs. She also sponsored legislation that created a tax refund program for certain industries that created high-wage jobs in the state.

Jennifer Carroll is making history as… a pioneer in Florida politics. As an African-American Republican, Carroll has made history in being elected to Florida’s Legislature and executive branch.

What’s next for Jennifer?

Carroll is happy with her lieutenant governor position but said she is open and ready for any other opportunities in the future.

In her own words…

“To me, when you get elected it’s no longer (about) your party affiliation,” she said. “What it is about is the issues that impact the citizens you represent and for you to do something about it – to fix those issues that are negative and turn it into a positive.”

A little-known fact…

Carroll once attended modeling school in New Mexico and received offers for being in commercials, photo shoots and movie extra positions.

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Back in 1974 a young Al Sharpton appeared on Soul Train with Don Cornelius, to present a ‘black’ record to Sharpton’s idol, James Brown for his classic song “The Payback”:

Alonzo Washington, real-life superhero creates black comic book characters

Alonzo Washington spent his childhood drawing his own comic book heroes and creating black action figures out of clay, making afros for their heads and coming up with plot lines for them.

Fast forward to his adulthood in Kansas City, Missouri. Washington, who started out as a political activist and gave talks to kids about violence, came to see comic books as an even better way to get their attention. After teaching himself how to become an entrepreneur, Washington then turned his childhood hobby into a full-fledged business called Omega 7 Comics, a series of independent comic books featuring black superheroes.

Washington uses his characters — such as Omega Man, Dark Force, Mighty Ace and others — to tackle heavy topics like crime, HIV and drugs. This year, Omega 7 Comics is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

“I was always a big fan of comic books, but when it came to black heroes you just didn’t see a lot of them, and if there were, they were either sidekicks — they did what the white characters told them to do — or they were very stereotypical, ex-cons and athletes,” Washington said. “I wanted to bring the black hero in for children of color to look up to, and all children to look up to.”

Through Washington’s creation of several black superheroes, it’s now fair to say that in doing so, he is one.

Alonzo Washington is making history … through his socially-conscious comic books and his work being an advocate for missing black children and adults, bringing attention to an epidemic not mentioned often in the mainstream media.

As an advocate for missing black children and adults, Washington’s biggest accomplishment was his help in solving the case of “Precious Doe.”

In 2001, the body of a three-year-old child, later identified as Erica Michelle Maria Green, was found decapitated near a church in Washington’s city. It took four years for her to be identified, and for the suspects to be found and charged. Washington helped solve the case by placing several ads asking for information on her whereabouts. A family relative responded to an ad, which led to the arrest of Green’s mother and stepfather in 2005. They were later charged with her murder.

What’s next for Alonzo?

In addition to a movie about his life and work being shopped around to producers, Washington said he’s looking into selling his comic book series to a studio, to bring the characters to life through cartoons and movies. He’d also like to develop a reality show about solving crimes in urban communities.

In his own words …

“One person can make a difference. That’s what comic books are about — they’re about action, people standing up to make a difference,” Washington said. “But in real life, I try to do that as well. Comic books are an extension of my activism, and my activism is an extension of how comic books influenced me.”

More about Alonzo Here

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As part of black history month, we remember playwright, poet and writer Langston Hughes.

Born Feb. 1, 1902, in Joplin, Mo., he spent his youth in Cleveland. While a teen at Central High School in 1917, Hughes lived in the attic of the home at 2266 East 86th Street after his mother and stepfather left Cleveland.

The city of Cleveland had condemned the home last June. But the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation hopes to renovate it. It was nominated by the Cleveland Landmarks Commission to be designated a landmark.

According to a Hughes biography written by Arnold Rampersad, Hughes wrote about the hard times he experienced while living at the home.

“I couldn’t afford to eat in a restaurant, and the only thing I knew how to cook myself in the kitchen of the house where I roomed was rice, which I boiled to a paste,” Hughes wrote. “Rice and hot dogs, rice and hot dogs, every night for dinner. Then I read myself to sleep.”

Hughes was known as one of the major figures of the Harlem Renaissance movement.

After he left Cleveland, he lived in New York and attended Columbia University for a year before he decided to go out to sea, which allowed him see to parts of Europe and Africa.

He later attended Lincoln University from 1925 to 1929.

He is known for numerous pieces of work, including his essay, “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” the play, “The Mulatto,” and the story, “The Way of White Folks.” One of his most popular works was a “A Dream Deferred.” Playwright Lorraine Hansberry used the line from the poem, “a raisin in the sun,” as the title of one of her plays.

Hughes died of cancer on May 22, 1967, in New York City. He was 65.

“My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I danced in the Nile when I was old
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.”

from “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (1920),
in The Weary Blues (1926)

A penny stock is a common stock trading at five (5) dollars or less. Penny stocks are traded outside the major markets (NYSE, AMEX, or NASDAQ). Instead, they are traded “over the counter” (OTC) via quotation services such as the OTC Bulletin Board and the “Pink Sheets.” Perhaps most importantly, penny stocks offer an incredible upside for potential investors.

Penny stocks are sold at such low prices that they entice many investors, particularly first-time investors. These low prices allow novices to explore the markets, without risking an extensive amount of money. Furthermore, if the stock were to dip in price, the investor will not have lost excessive amounts of money.

Another advantage to penny stocks is that they are easy to buy. Penny stocks are sold as common shares, and are readily available to the public. Furthermore, penny stocks are listed in each of the stock exchange markets for the benefit of the general public and potential investors.

The biggest advantage is the potential for very high returns on investment. It is not uncommon for some penny stocks to double or triple in price in extremely short periods of time; something that is nearly impossible for the average stock.

While investing in penny stock, and choosing which penny stocks to buy might seem like a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be. There is one website that offers sound financial advice, with a proven track record of success: AwesomePennyStocks.com.

AwesomePennyStocks.com provides far more than general advice: the site offers a free subscription to a newsletter filled with specific penny stock picks. Each and every featured has a much bigger potential than other penny stocks, because they tend to jump very shortly after they are alerted.

In fact, AwesomePennyStocks.com’s results over the past two years have been nothing short of astounding. Their most recent pick was alerted at 10 cents and quickly skyrocketed all the way to 1.20$ in just 2 weeks. This represents an outstanding increase of 1100%! Their members have also seen gains of over 2500% in the past.

Because their newsletter has had many other successes like these, an increasing number of investors are becoming subscribers and dedicated followers.

If you’re interested in receiving these high-potential penny stock picks straight to your email, sign up for this free, insightful penny stock newsletter today at AwesomePennyStocks.com.

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Source: The Griot

Case and point: when you buy growth stocks like Apple and hold them, as they appreciate over the years you don’t pay a dime in taxes until you sell. Same rule applies to cash value life insurance policies — no taxes, as rich people continue to stash millions of dollars in them. The same rule should apply for residential property.

Could it be that assets such as stocks, bonds and insurance get special tax treatment because African-Americans aren’t known for using and taking advantage of these wealth building investment vehicles?

Did you know that when figuring your net worth, your personal residence isn’t used in the computation? It’s your home, not an investment. It doesn’t matter if it’s paid off or not, it’s not an investment and you will never stop paying for it.

Recently, a 101-year-old, African-American woman lost her home because she failed to pay her property taxes. Sad, but it still happened. It should serve as a wake-up call to the rest of us that age doesn’t matter when you’re talking business and money.

So how can we avoid this happening to the rest of us in the future?

First, pay your taxes. If you find yourself behind for several years, and you can’t afford to pay all the years at once, pay the oldest tax bill first. This will buy you some time for at least another year. Paying the oldest bill first will keep the property taxing authority from foreclosing on you property now.

The rule is, if you’re behind one or two years paying your property taxes, they won’t foreclose. But if you manage to fall behind after the third year, you’re living on borrowed time. Investors are circling your property like vultures waiting to scoop it up after that third year.

You see, when you fail to pay your property taxes, investors pay them for you. Yes, that’s right. A complete stranger pays your tax bill. It’s called purchasing a tax certificate. Now don’t get me wrong, this investor could be an individual or a corporation. In the case of the 101-year-old woman it was a governmental agency.

The investor is in it for a profit — nothing personal. Paying other people’s property taxes (purchasing tax certificates) is a very profitable business. Tax certificates can pay anywhere from 5 percent to as much as 18 percent on the dollar.

If you think it’s shocking to hear that a 101-year-old woman lost her home due to delinquent taxes, be advised, it can happen to anyone. People lose homes not just due to property taxes, but African-Americans also lose millions of dollars worth of property each year because they simply failed to have a will or a trust drawn up before they died.

In the end, it’s all about the money. We need to be educated to do better about protecting the assets we have worked so hard for.

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What will Oprah’s endowment be?

As if launching her ‘OWN’ network is not enough, Oprah can add another prestigious title to her legacy. She has been chosen to be the godmother to Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s newborn daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

According to RadarOnline, the couple has chosen the iconic media figure to be Blue’s godmother, as they have grown increasingly closer to her.

Jay-Z’s best friend, Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith, has allegedly been chosen to be Blue’s godfather. Beyoncé and Jay-Z reportedly did not want Blue’s godparents to be blood-related.

Earlier this month Oprah reportedly sent over a trunk of children’s books to Blue as her baby gift. And in 2010 the talk show titan named Jay-Z’s book Decoded as one of her “Favorite Things,” saying how impressed she was by it after the rapper sent her an advance copy.

Oprah currently is the godmother to her best friend Gayle King’s daughter Kirby and her son Will Bumpus.

In 2008 Oprah gave the commencement speech during Kirby’s graduation from Stanford University and beamed with pride as she revealed that she Kirby’s godmother.

“I need to begin by letting everyone in on a little secret. The secret is that Kirby Bumpus, Stanford Class of ’08, is my goddaughter. So, I was thrilled when President Hennessy asked me to be your Commencement speaker, because this is the first time I’ve been allowed on campus since Kirby’s been here,” Oprah said.

Read full article here.

Source

Form 1099s are due on February 29, 2012, for the 2011 tax year, and churches that need to issue these forms should take note this year: a failure to send them on time has doubled from $50 per form to $100 per form.

If you do not have all the information needed to complete a Form 1099 (such as a Social Security number), you can still file it incomplete by February 29. As long as you secure the missing information and file the amended Form 1099 before August 1, 2012, then no penalties will apply. By the way, if you file the Form 1099 within 30 days after February 29, the $100 penalty is reduced to $30. If you file Form 1099 more than 30 days after February 29, but before August 1, 2012, the penalty is reduced to $60 per form.

The IRS projects collecting big bucks from these penalties over the next few years. Churches should check—and double check—to make certain Form 1099s are issued to all unincorporated businesses that provided services of $600 or more to them during 2011. This includes sole proprietorships, partnerships, and limited liability corporations (LLCs). You can verify the business information via a Form W-9.

Following is a short list of individuals and companies that must receive a 1099-Misc from your church if you do any business with them of $600 or more.

1. Landlords

2. Guest speakers, musicians, nursery workers and babysitters

3. Coffee vendors such as Starbucks, Caribou and others

4. Landscapers and lawn care providers

5. Doctors and hospitals, chiropractors

6. Lawyers

7. Cleaning/Janitorial companies

8. Video companies

9. StartCHURCH, for the services we provide

10. Copier maintenance agreements

More about that here..