Visitors to the celebrated art show at The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, will be able to view and purchase the art work, produced by emerging Ethiopian artists who rarely get a chance to showcase their impressive contemporary images outside of Ethiopia. The works are by artists are associated with Makush, one of the largest commercial galleries in Addis Adaba.

The exhibition hours of the art show are 6 p.m. to Midnight, February 25th, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., February 26th and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. February 27th.

All proceeds from sale of artwork will be used to further the work of the Abyssinian Fund in the rural farming community of Chaffee Jeneta and to promote economic development in Ethiopia.

To learn more about The Abyssinian Fund, go to www.abyfund.org. To purchase tickets to the Harlem Fine Arts Show website go to www.hfas.org to learn more about the show.

A proposed new identity protection software development company could lead to creating nearly 200,000 permanent new jobs in the U.S. at a time when President Obama is calling for more innovation and job creation.

Tom Hill, who ran the EDS Fellows and the Distinguished Engineering Program, says B-Security Systems’ concept “potentially solves an enormous identity management problem facing the United States government.” He said the company’s solution could create anywhere from 125,000 to 200,000. In an evaluation of the product, Hill said, “The proposed B-Systems solution has identified several key areas of concern for secure identity management that have not been adequately covered by either government or commercial initiatives.” Most of these jobs also would require employees to be bonded and U.S. citizens, according to B-Security Systems’ business plan.

Velma Hart, who recently became a partner of B-Security Systems and its chief financial officer, said the company has a product that’s sorely needed and will help out the nation’s economy. This week, the president released his $3.7 trillion federal budget and recently met with the CEOs of the nation’s top technology companies, seeking their ideas on how to fuel innovation and job creation.

“Look, it’s very simple,” said Hart, former CFO of AMVETS, a veteran service organization who made national headlines last year when she questioned President Obama on the ineffectiveness of his economic policies. “B-Systems offers a tangible innovative technology solution that has a huge potential to create jobs. We’re looking for investors, the federal government – the President himself – to take notice. We’re committed to making sure this business makes a difference, but we need folks to step up.”

The B-System Privacy Protection Method (http://bsecuritysystems.com), in part, offers a more effective and secure means to issue and protect the national use of the social security number. The company has a patent pending for a sophisticated software system idea that will make it more difficult for thieves to illegally use social security numbers and other forms of personal identifying information. The software is conceived to provide the federal government and commercial outlets an innovative method that will effectively deter and dramatically prevent ID fraud and save hundreds of billions of dollars annually in monetary and other forms of loss that is associated with being a victim of ID Fraud.

To contact Ms. Hart or learn more about B-Security Systems LLC, contact Neil Foote, neil@neilfoote.com, 214.448.3765.

Rev. Nicholas Richards, president of the Harlem-based Abyssinian Fund, will lead a Thursday evening discussion on how communities in the U.S. can partner with Ethiopian coffee farmers.

The panel, entitled ‘From Harlem to Addis: Connecting Communities through Development Projects’, will take place 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. February 24 at the temporary home of the Museum for African Art, 80 Hanson Place, in Downtown Brooklyn.

The lecture is part of a series entitled, Views of Africa: Conversations with a Continent and its People, produced by The Museum for African Art and Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA).

The goal of the Abyssinian Fund is to provide new technologies and distribution networks to ensure Ethiopian coffee is competitive in the global marketplace.

A gifted speaker, Rev. Richards has always been passionate about international affairs. His leadership of Abyssinian’s international ministry has spawned a series of projects, including development efforts in Ethiopia, humanitarian relief in Haiti and on-going educational services in Kenya. Born in Mandeville, Jamaica, Rev. Richards grew up in Bronx, NY. He completed his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy at Morehouse College and received his Master of Divinity degree at The Union Theological Seminary in New York.

For more information about the seminar, go to the museum’s website, http://www.africanart.org/index.php. For more information about The Abyssinian Fund, go to http://abyfund.org. To interview Rev. Richards, contact Neil Foote, neil@nelfoote.com, 214.448.3765.

Award-winning Gospel & R&B singer Shirley Murdock will share her inspiration through song for guests, including a host of local celebrities, media and civic leaders. Attendees will dine on heavy hors d’oeuvres and be eligible to win giveaways, including designer shoes and a one-night deluxe hotel suite stay, plus receive a gift bag of surprises. Those interested in healthcare and awareness for ‘women of color’ are strongly encouraged to attend. There is no charge.

The quarterly, pocket-sized Girlfriends Health Guide for Women of Color® in Dallas is the most recent to join the publication’s network already in distribution in Milwaukee, Chicago and Atlanta. Matthew Johnson, founder and group publisher, says plans are in progress to launch Girlfriends Health®, which debuted in January 2007, in additional markets later this year.

“Girlfriends is more than just a publication, it’s a network,” Johnson said. “Dallas is a very important market to us and we’re looking forward to growing this market, providing readers relevant content, and offering sponsors an opportunity to reach the coveted ‘women of color’ market.”

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Circle of Promise is partnering with Girlfriends Health® as the title sponsor to co-host a series of special events around the country, including health disparities conferences.

In the inaugural Dallas edition, read the cover story of how Y. Nicole Payseur left the high-powered, intense life of a New York attorney to refocus her life, her priorities on yoga and her inner peace. Readers will also find helpful tips on finances, “going green” and other stories to help “girlfriends” incorporate a balance of life, work and most importantly, health into their lives.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Sandra K. Samuel, WordOut Communications, at 214.549.5028 or email dallasgirlfriendshealthguide@gmail.com. Reservations are not required but highly recommended.

Girlfriends Health Guide for Women of Color® currently publishes 250,000 issues quarterly and with The Girlfriend’s Network viral communications model has nearly 20,000 members nationwide. Girlfriends Health® can be found online at www.girlfriendshealthguide.com.

More information can be found online at http://www.girlfriendshealthguide.com

The February 13 event, billed as the “DALLAS DYNASTY-FLASH TO THE   FUTURE” at the Fashion Industry Gallery (F.I.G) in Dallas featured appearances by award winning actress Gabrielle Union, multi-Platinum record producer Jermaine Dupri, recording artist Mya, America’s Next  Top Model winner Eva Marcille Pigford, Phoenix Suns star Amare Stoudamire,  football great Terrell Owens and the hip hop legend Doug E. Fresh. Some of the other VIP guests included Ken Hamlin of the Dallas Cowboys, Antonio Bryant of the San Francisco 49ers,Terrence McGee of the Buffalo Bills and former Dallas Cowboy and Super Bowl XXX MVP Larry Brown.

“My Dallas NBA All-Star weekend could not have been better,” said Wade, a six-time NBA All Star and world champion with the Miami Heat.  “Winning the MVP trophy was definitely a highlight, but my event at F.I.G. was the kind of upscale, celebrity driven event I like to be associated with.”

The guests were treated to signature Martinis in the BLACKPLANET.COM suite and specialty drinks offered by Red Carpet sponsors by MOËT & CHANDON, HENNESSY COGNAC and BELVEDERE VODKA.  RED BULL also offered a menu of unique drinks along with a breakfast buffet that kept the party going until 6am.

Oscar Joyner, G³ Sports Marketing, LLC and The Masters Group partnered to create the high-profile, A-List event at one of the hottest venues in Downtown Dallas. The 20,000-square-foot loft space in downtown Dallas featured a contemporary and sophisticated décor produced by The Design Group of Miami®, a nationally celebrated event production firm.

Richardson Joyner is encouraging alumni, students, friends and supporters of black colleges to donate to her team to raise money for the Tom Joyner Foundation®, the 12-year-old organization founded by her husband, Tom.  She is asking people to send a tax-deductible donation in her name to the Tom Joyner Foundation, Attn: Angela Morton, P.O. Box 630495,Irving, Tx 75063-0495.

“The ING Miami Marathon is a wonderful event and I’m encouraging everyone to take a moment to join us at the event or support us with a donation and we walk/run for a cause,” said Joyner Richardson.  “This is a great way to promote fitness and wellness while helping my favorite charity – The Tom Joyner Foundation!  What a great way for you to help students stay in school and support Black Colleges.”

At the Miami Marathon, Richardson Joyner is participating with Danielle Joyner, Regina Cooper, Stacy Merrell and Carra Wallace.

The Miami event, started in 2003, will feature more than 15,000 runners and registered runners will begin at 6:15 am January 31 at the American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., and finish at Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33131.  Registration fees vary. It’s $75 for the half marathon and $100 for the marathon.  Interested run register at http://ingmiamimarathon.com.

Richardson Joyner has starred in over 25 award-winning videos, including the best selling “Buns of Steel” and her own “Sweating in the Spirit” videos.  She is a member of the President’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports.  Donna was the former co-host for the “ESPN Fitness Pro’s Show” and fitness expert on the “NBC Weekend Today Show.  She is the producer and host of the “Donna Richardson’s Mind, Body & Spirit Show”, which aired on TV One, and the “Sweating in the Spirit” show which airs on the Word Network. She was inducted into the Fitness Hall of Fame and was named by Essence Magazine for being “one of the twenty five most inspiring women in America.”  Richardson Joyner broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s largest line dance with over 50,000 participants.  She is an author, and has lectured in over 40 countries educating and empowering women and children about a healthy lifestyle.  Richardson Joyner will be named for a second year one of spokesperson’s for the LPGA Women’s Golf Month. She is the first African American woman selected for this position.  She has recently been appointed to the board of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to fight Childhood Obesity. Richardson Joyner is the creator  of “GROW Green Get Fit”, outreach program that educates and empowers schools and universities on how to grow “Gardens of Hope“, eat healthier, become physically active, and give back to their communities.

She is the wife and soul mate of the #1 nationally syndicated morning radio talk show host, Tom Joyner, who reaches more than 8 million listeners weekly.

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Founded in 1998, the Tom Joyner Foundation has raised more than $55 million to help keep students enrolled in black colleges. It has assisted more than 14,000 students and worked with more than 100 HBCUs.

WHAT: 8th Annual Kidney Walk to benefit the National Kidney Foundation Serving North Texas

WHERE: Fort Worth Stockyards, beginning at River Ranch 500 NE 23rd St., Fort Worth, TX

WHEN: September 19, 2009, 9:00 am Registration, 10:00 am Walk

WHO: Community members, including kidney patients, transplant recipients, organ donors, physicians, friends and neighbors.

WHY: More than 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease. Millions more are at risk, and don’t even know it. In Tarrant County alone, an estimated 140,000 people have chronic kidney disease and 1,900 need dialysis treatment to stay alive. Funds raised from the event will support public and professional education, kidney health screenings and research grants.

CONTACT: Kelly Vaughan, 214.351.2393 – office, 214.564.5190 – cell Kelly.vaughan@kidney.org

For more Kidney Walk information visit www.kidneywalk.org.

(Dallas– September 11, 2009) The Tom Joyner Foundation® today announced a new ‘Scholar of Honor’ program that will provide a $1,500 scholarship to a veteran of the Iraq or Afghanistan wars since Sept. 11, 2001. The veteran must be currently attending a Historically Black Colleges & University (HBCU).

“This scholarship recognizes those men and women who have served our country who are trying to complete their education at a black college,” said Tom Joyner, chairman of his Foundation and host of the top-ranked nationally syndicated radio show. “This is our way of saying, ‘Thanks’ for what they’ve done and to help them pursue their dreams.”

The scholarship is available to qualified recent veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and the National Guard and Reserves that have served since Sept. 11, 2001 in the Overseas Contingency Operation. The purpose of this scholarship is to assist military veterans who have enrolled in an HBCU to complete their education with costs that are not covered by the Montgomery GI Bill, which provides eligible veterans of benefits, including an undergraduate or graduate degree at a college or university. The first scholarship will be awarded during the week of Oct. 26, 2009.

Detailed information about the scholarship is available at Joyner’s website, BlackAmericaWeb.com.

To qualify for the scholarship, the veteran must meet the following criteria:

* Must be a veteran of Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, US Coast Guard, and the National Guard and Reserves and must have served in the US Overseas Contingency Operation and/or since Sept. 11, 2001.
* Must be currently enrolled at an HBCU as a full time student and in good standing with their respective institution.
* Letter of nomination must provide contact information (phone and email) for the nominee and the nominator.

Eligible applicants or loved ones must submit a nomination letter of no more than 250 words. The letter should include the nominee’s rank, time and place served, and designate from which branch of the Armed Services the nominee served. The letter should also highlight why the nominee deserves the scholarship, and any other personal information or history that will help select the award winning scholar, such as special medals and/or awards that the nominee has received. The letters must be accompanied by a digital photograph of the nominee that may be posted on BlackAmericaWeb.com and shared with media.

Upon selecting a recipient, the Tom Joyner Foundation will verify the nominee’s military status, enrollment at an HBCU, and amount needed for enrollment for the subsequent semester.

Letters of nomination may be emailed to scholarofhonor@blackamericaweb.com faxed to Foundation office at (972) 681.2886, or mailed to the The Tom Joyner Foundation, P.O. Box 630495, Irving, Tx 75063-0495

Founded in 1998, the Tom Joyner Foundation has raised more than $55 million to help keep students enrolled in black colleges. It has assisted more than 14,000 students and worked with more than 100 HBCUs.

Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

(Dallas, TX – June 25, 2009)  A portion of the book sales of “Tom Joyner Presents How to Prepare for College” will benefit two black colleges: Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Princess Anne, Md.

The book, written by Thomas A. LaVeist, PhD, a graduate of UMES and Wil LaVeist, a graduate of Lincoln, has a foreword written by Thomas Joyner, the nationally syndicated media personality and philanthropist. Released earlier this year, the book is filled with easy to read, easy to understand lessons that can help make the path to college a little bit easier. 

“A book like this is essential to the prosperity of a student,” said Dr. Ivory N. Nelson, president of Lincoln University. “The best advice a young person can get is from individuals like the LaVeist brothers, who have navigated successfully through the academic arena and are not too far removed from the experience.  The results of these proceeds will be the testimonies of Lincoln students who will achieve greatness comparable to that of the LaVeist brothers and Tom Joyner, all HBCU graduates.  We are excited and grateful to have this partnership helping us to continue to produce leaders.”

Thelma Thompson, president of the UMES, said, “The collaboration between these two geniuses can only bring good to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. We are very proud to call these two of my favorite alumni – Thomas LaVeist and Tom Joyner [who receive an honorary doctorate].”

The LaVeist brothers said the book is a valuable resource that will help African-American families learn how to give their children a chance to compete.

The book, published by Joyner’s Foundation and Amber Books Inc., can be ordered now through  www.amberbooks.com  and www.ipgbook.com.  Chain stores (Barnes and Noble, Borders, Wal-Mart, Sam’s, etc.), can make special orders through Independent Publishers Group until September 2009, when the title will be officially released (published) nationwide.  

The book features useful advice on several subjects, including:

• A step-by-step guide for elementary school and beyond
• Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) v. non-HBCU: Which is the right for me?
• The Admission Process
• Paying for a college tuition
• The financial aid process
• Financial aid myths
• Staying in college
• Preparing for life after college
• Giving back
• A List of HBCUs
• Useful websites/organizations for scholarships/grants

Tony Rose, publisher/CEO, of Phoenix, AZ based Amber Communications Group, Inc. (ACGI), created Amber Books Publishing in 1998, which is the corporation’s first imprint, and has become the nation’s largest African-American publisher of self-help and career-guide book titles written by and for African Americans. Yvonne Rose, an Associate Publisher for Amber Books and director of Quality Press, said, “We are delighted with the opportunity and pleased that the Tom Joyner Foundation, Inc. has selected Quality Press, Amber Books  and  Independent Publishers Group to handle the production, manufacturing, publishing and distribution of their new literary venture Tom Joyner Presents How To Prepare For College.”

The Tom Joyner Foundation provides financial assistance to students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. (HBCUs)  Since 1998, The Tom Joyner Foundation® has raised more than $55 million to help students attending HBCUs stay in school. The Tom Joyner Foundation also hosts an annual cruise named the Fantastic Voyage^TM  , which raises money for the (HBCUs).

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