Sunday, January 26, 2025

National Alliance for Black Business (NABB) Secures Historic USPTO Federal Trademarks

The National Alliance for Black Business (NABB)®, co-founded by the National Business League (NBL)®, National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC)®, and The World Conference of Mayors (WCM)®, proudly announces the official registration of two groundbreaking trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): National Alliance for Black Business (U.S. Trademark Registration No. 7616333) and NABB National Alliance for Black Business (U.S. Trademark Registration No. 7606600). These trademarks represent a monumental step in institutionalizing Black economic empowerment and creating a unified platform to advocate for Black businesses globally.

Historical Context and Legacy:

This milestone is a testament to over a century of advocacy for Black economic independence, tracing back to Booker T. Washington's founding of the National Business League in 1900. His vision of self-reliance and economic sovereignty for Black Americans is at the heart of NABB's mission to unify and empower Black businesses in today's global economic landscape.

Key Milestones and Leadership Insights:

  • Trademark Achievement: The trademarks not only secure legal protections but also symbolize a commitment to a unified Black business narrative.
  • Leadership Insights:
    • Dr. Ken L. Harris, NBL President and NABB Co-Founder: "This legal victory is emblematic of our dedication to redefining Black economic empowerment, leveraging historical foundations for future prosperity."
    • Honorable Johnny Ford, WCM Founder: "These trademarks are a pivot in our global economic strategy, showcasing the strength of unity in advancing Black business interests."
    • Charles H. DeBow III, NBCC President and CEO: "The trademarks affirm our resolve to ensure Black businesses are recognized and integrated into the broader economic system, fostering accountability across sectors."

Past 2024 Accomplishments Leading to the Trademark Approval:

  • Formation of NABB (2022): A collaborative initiative uniting the NBL, NBCC, and WCM and 100+ to amplify Black economic equity.
  • NABB Hosted the NBL's 124th National Black Business Conference (2024): A landmark event attended by more than 3,000 participants and delegations from 32 Pan-African countries, with President Joseph Boakai of Liberia as a keynote speaker.
  • USAID/NABB Partnership (2024): A historic MOU aimed at strengthening trade ties between Black businesses in the U.S. and the Pan-African diaspora.
  • NBL/NABB Black Supplier Development Program (2024): Generated over $150 million in contracts, demonstrating the success of intentional economic inclusion strategies.
  • USAID/NABB Caribbean Trade Mission (2024): Launched initiatives to expand trade and commerce between Black American businesses and Caribbean nations.

The Road Ahead:

NABB will continue its momentum with the upcoming launch of the Black Business Enterprise (BBE) Certification and Scorecard Program, scheduled for the NBL's 125th Quasquicentennial National Black Business Conference in Atlanta in August 2025. This program will further solidify conference host NABB's role in promoting economic sovereignty and equitable resource distribution for Black businesses worldwide.

About the Co-Founders:

  • NABB: A nonprofit federation of Black business and professional organizations dedicated to Black business advocacy, representing interests across the U.S. and the Pan-African diaspora. Visit www.nationalallianceforblackbusiness.com.
  • NBL: The oldest Black business trade association, founded by Booker T. Washington, advocating for economic equity since 1900 and owner of NABB. Visit www.nationalbusinessleague.org.
  • NBCC: A leading advocate for Black economic empowerment since 1993, with extensive chapter networks across the U.S. and globally. Visit www.nationalbcc.org.
  • WCM: Founded by Honorable Johnny Ford, WCM facilitates global mayoral collaboration for economic and cultural development. Visit www.worldconferenceofmayors.org.

US Department of Labor to cease and desist all investigative and enforcement activity

Acting Secretary of Labor Vince Micone today transmitted Secretary’s Order 03-2025 to all department employees, directing them to cease and desist all investigative and enforcement activity under the rescinded Executive Order 11246 and the regulations promulgated under it.

The order applies to all department employees, including the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office of Administrative Law Judges and the Administrative Review Board.

The department no longer has any authority under the rescinded Executive Order 11246 or its regulations.

Read the Secretary's order here: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OPA/newsreleases/2025/01/Secretarys-Order-03-2025.pdf

Friday, January 24, 2025

Bestselling author Roxane Gay is CCNY's 2025 Langston Hughes medalist

Roxane Gay, the New York Times bestselling author and noted scholar, is the City College of New York's 2025 Langston Hughes Medal recipient. She'll receive the Medal at CCNY's 46th annual Langston Hughes FestivalFeb. 13-14. This year's event commemorates the centenary of the Harlem Renaissance, that intellectual and cultural revival of African-American literature, music, art, theater and scholarship of which Langston Hughes was a central figure.

The medal is awarded to highly distinguished writers from throughout the African American diaspora. It recognizes honorees for their impressive works of poetry, fiction, drama, autobiography and critical essays that help to celebrate the memory and tradition of Langston Hughes. Past award winners include:

  • James Baldwin;
  • Gwendolyn Brooks;
  • Toni Morrison;
  • August Wilson;
  • Maya Angelou;
  • Octavia Butler;
  • Edwidge Danticat;
  • Zadie Smith;
  • Michael Eric Dyson;
  • Rita Dove;
  • Jamaica Kincaid;
  • Lynn Nottage; and
  • Carlson Whitehead

A prolific writer, Gay has authored and edited numerous books. The list includes her 2014 debut An Untamed State, the New York Times bestsellers Bad Feminist and Hunger; the nationally bestselling Difficult Women, and the World of Wakanda for Marvel. Click here for a full list of her books.

Gay's writing appears also in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, and Best Sex Writing 2012.  Among the many literary magazines frequently publishing her work are: A Public Space, McSweeney's, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, and Virginia Quarterly Review. Read more here.

In 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty -- the online news and entertainment publication that covers LGBTQ-related topics, including news and politics -- named Gay among the 50 heroes "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people." She was also included in the 2022 Fast Company Queer 50 list.

Gay is a graduate of Norwich University (B.A.), the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (M.A.) and Michigan Technological University (Ph.D.).

The Langston Hughes Festival commences Thursday, Feb. 13, with a student symposium. The evening ceremony will include a reading by Gay, and a conversation between her and author Edwidge Danticat, the 2011 Langston Hughes medalist.

Concluding the program on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, will be the first Langston Hughes Festival Fundraising Breakfast.

"The 2025 Langston Hughes Festival Theme is Black Love, and we will celebrate Black Love in all its iterations," said Jervette R. Ward, Festival Director and Chair of CCNY's Black Studies Department. "In addition, in honor of both Gay and Danticat, this special two-day Harlem Renaissance Centennial will include a celebration of Haitian music and food."

Both Gay and Danticat are of Haitian heritage.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

NAACP President Condemns Trump Administration’s Roll Back of DEI Programs

In a flurry of Executive Orders enacted on President Trump's first day in office, the controversial Administration has chosen to roll back all federal programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. The move represents a significant regression from the previous Administration's approach to centering racial equity and remedying the systemic racism deeply entrenched in our nation's governing practices. 

NAACP President Derrick Johnson released the following statement condemning President Trump's Executive Order Rolling Back DEI in the Federal Government:

"It is outrageous that the President is rolling back critical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. DEI programs help ensure that everyone can prosper. It's clear that President Trump does not value equal opportunity. 

His appalling executive order will only worsen America's racial hierarchy and benefit the oligarch class. This executive order threatens public services that benefit all Americans; it's an attempt to consolidate power and money to a few wealthy individuals. And poor and working-class people will pay the price. 

This is all part of a calculated strategy to redefine the role of government, privatize essential public services, and further discrimination. Elections have consequences and it's clear that this election has put a target on Black America's back." 

The data makes it clear: organizations with diverse workforces have a strategic advantage over those who don't. According to McKinsey, Companies in the top quartile for being ethnically and culturally diverse are 36% more profitable than those in the bottom quartile. 

To learn more about NAACP's work to advance a more inclusive economy, visit our website. 

Rick Smith Sr. Appointed President of Dallas College Northlake

Rick W. Smith, Sr. has been named president of Dallas College Northlake in Texas. His presidency will begin on February 3.

Dallas College Northlake is a public community college and one of seven campuses within the Dallas College system. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the system as a whole enrolls nearly 67,000 students, 20 percent of whom are Black.

Dr. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from the University of Louisville, an MBA from Kennedy Western University, a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and a doctor of education degree from Bradley University in Illinois.

SOURCE: JBHE