Welcome back to the Economic Forum! Last time we took a look at the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, and its role in how banks aid low and middle income neighborhoods. Knowing that these banks go through an examination process, and that the public can play a role in the building of the bank's strategic plan, the question was still who regulated all these activities? The simple answer to that question is the Federal Reserve. What I have found is that the Federal Reserve has a community development branch FedCommunities.org, and we will take a closer look at that today.

According to the website FedCommunities.org (FedComm) "provides Federal Reserve resources to community development practitioners working in policy and the field." On their site they post several forms of information, from upcoming conferences to their podcast Access (which I have not yet checked out), to data and research conducted by their team. There are 12 Districts of the Federal Reserve, (one of which is my hometown of Cleveland), and to find out which district your neighborhood falls in note the map below and check out the FedComm website to know what community development efforts are taking place and how you can be a part of positive local change.

Art Sellers - Montego Bay, Jamaica

 When I opened up my blog to check the date of my last post I see that it was six months ago. I was super shocked, I couldn't figure out what could have kept me from my blog for so long? Life mostly, it went something like this:

• November '16 - January '17- I'd started a new job in November of last year, and was still in the orientation stage through the holiday season so I had more time on my hands. 
• February - March- I had a birthday trip to Southern Africa 
• April - June- Lack of work/life balance and paralysis of writing about my trip to Africa 
• July- Took a trip to Jamaica for a family reunion 

And now here we are...

As I write this I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I have been blessed to visit global predominantly-Black spaces twice this year. It makes me hungry for more, makes me want to dive deeper into their worlds and to hear in detail their stories, but the responsibilities of telling their stories and doing so accurately, respectfully, it makes me admire story tellers like Ava DuVernay that much more. Documentarians (did I make up a word?), all those who can bring life to the people that we would have never otherwise known existed. And telling my story feels a bit narcissistic, but being in those spaces changes the way that I move in predominantly-Black spaces here in the US. I'm not exactly sure what my objective is, but I know that it has something to do with generational wealth and giving a voice.

 That brings me back to my blog. Exploring the policies, history, and little known or seemingly unrelated happenings that affect Black people globally, those things that could change the way that we move within our spaces domestically and abroad is what this blog is now about. Instead of starting a new one and having the archived fashion posts be hidden, I'll just continue to let it evolve here. When there is enough consistency in this space I will go ahead and make those decisions.

Men Playing Checkers - Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Welcome back! Today we continue our look at the Moynihan Report as we dive into Chapter 1: The Negro American Revolution. For those just joining us, take a look back at the introductory post to get caught up on Daniel P. Moynihan, who he is, how I found out about him, and the background on his report The Negro Family: The Case for National Action.

Chapter 1: the Negro American Revolution, as I interpret it, is a recap of how Moynihan sees the state of Negro life in general and his suggestions on creating an amicable and equitable environment for the race. It is split into three sections, The End of the Beginning, The Demand for Equality, and The Prospect for Equality.

Below are select passages from this chapter that stood out to me, whether it be for its connection to the state of the Black America today, or the controversial nature of the language, I encourage you to go and read the chapter in whole for yourself.

Intro: 

"The course of world events will be profoundly affected by the success or failure of the Negro American Revolution seeking peaceful assimilations of the races of the US"

When I read this I was immediately taken to the time magazine on the right. I feel as if any hope of assimilation has now been resigned, and that at this point a mutual existence is what is desired. Back at the time of the writing of this report segregation was just ending so "assimilation" would have been a reasonable desire for the Black community at the time.

The End of the Beginning: 

Photo Source

This portion of the chapter is where the past and present began to parallel embodying the magazine cover above. Moynihan writes of the major events that onsets the Negro Revolution coming in three forms Political, Administrative, and Legal. In the past 3-5 years we have seen all three of these take form.

• Political: Moynihan writes "The Negros themselves organized as a mass movement" - Black Lives Matter is a modern-day embodiment of this notion. 
• Administrative: Moynihan mentions the Economic Opportunity Act and Civil Rights Act, both of 1964 as examples of the administrative events. During the Obama presidency the administrative events that I have identified as relevant to this post are as follows: 
• White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans (Links: Executive Order, Twitter (which I personally enjoy), Events Page)
• My Brother's Keeper (Links: A Day of Action National Summit with complete livestream)

•  Legal: At the time Brown v Board of Education (1954) was a major legal event for the Black community in desegregating schools. In present day, it is the investigations of cities and their police departments that have become the major legal events of the movement. See the Department of Justice reports for the cities of Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD following the killings of Mike Brown and Freddie Gray respectively.

The Demand for Equality: 

"Liberty and Equality are the twin ideals of American democracy. But they are not the same thing. Nor most importantly, are they equally attractive to all groups at any given time nor yet are they always compatible, with one another.

Many person who would gladly die for liberty are appalled by equality. Many who are devoted to equality are puzzled and even troubled by liberty. Much of the political history of the American nation can be seen as competition between these two ideals, as for example, the unending troubles between capital and labor" 

"American democracy has not always been successful in maintaining a balance between these two ideals, and notably so where the Negro American is concerned. 'Lincoln freed the slaves' but they were given liberty, not equality. It was therefore possible in the century that followed to deprive their descendants of much of their liberty as well." 

The Prospect for Equality: 
Here Moynihan wraps up the first chapter with the conclusion that not enough data was available to present a clear conclusion on how the future will pan out for the Negro people with any particular recommended course of action. However, he does start his conclusion with the sentence:

"The time, therefore, is at hand for an unflinching look at the present potential of Negro Americans to move from where they now are to where they want and ought to be"

 This reminded me of a video David Banner posted after the 2016 Presidential Election concluded with a call to action for Black people to galvanize and not look to one specific leader to heal the hurting community. 

Again, my goal is to spark conversation, and just to inform you that this report even exists. As we delve into the other chapters we will see more examples of how Moynihan's words were relevant to the current times. The next post will be on Chapter 2: The Negro American Family.

Post 1: Intro

For our first installment in the Economic Forum we will begin with the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA, or The Act). Watch the video below provided by the Federal Bank of San Fransisco for a brief explanation of the act and what it means for low-moderate income communities.


My first question regarding the CRA was "Who is keeping them accountable?" The video mentions an evaluation system which is actually completed by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC). You can view the exam schedule here. I tried searching for the exam schedule in my home town of Cleveland, but the process was a bit tedious and I can't seem to locate a small bank in the city. Exams are scheduled to occur every 48-60 months and members of the public may submit on a banks performance by commenting on FederalReserveConsumerHelp.gov.

Back in 2010 the CRA held public meetings in 4 major cities, Arlington, VA, Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, and Los Angeles, CA. These meetings were regarding the public's input on modernizing the CRA's regulations. The press release and call for comment collection was posted one (1) month before the first meeting was held in July of that year.

 The public is also encouraged to engage with their local bank to create a Strategic Plan. The Act allow an institution to develop a plan with the community input detailing how the institution proposes to meet its CRA obligation. Here are the basics of the process:

• The bank informally seeks suggestions from the public 
• Notice of the plan is published 
• The public has 30 days of that publishing to comment 
• The plan is submitted for approval

This is the basic information of the CRA and how it functions. There will be a more concentrated post on Community Development and the CRA will once again make an appearance, but for now you have some background information.

However, before I end this post I must be honest, the basic information and links provided above where the low hanging fruit. I still have yet to identify a bank that has been approved of a strategic plan in a predominantly-Black neighborhood, known to me anyway, and I can't find any information on what an example of "informally seeks suggestions" really means. The more research I do on the community development efforts of the Federal Reserve and all its supporting acts, policies, and affiliates I have found that they operate in an odd form of opaque transparency. One thing I may do at some point is call one of the banks listed that have an approved strategic plan to see if it is posted somewhere, ask how they collected their information, etc. as I am truly curious has to how this information is collected and the true turn time from suggestion to Fed approval. If I do so, I will be sure to update you all on it!

Until next time...

By now many of us have heard of Apple Marketing Executive Bozoma Saint John. If you have not take some time to familiarize yourself with her here, and here, and also here.

Two weeks ago the video of her acceptance speech for the Billboard Women in Music 2016 Executive of the Year Award surfaced with nothing but love and adoration for all things sistah gurl. I found out about the speech when my best friend posted it proclaiming its power to make you hit the ugly cry, and it sure did. So after watching it several times in a row I knew I had to write a post about it.

The reason I personally feel that this speech in particular is necessary, just plain crucial, for Black women to hear before the clock strikes midnight on 2017, is because there was just something about 2016 that is leaving many of us in need of healing, restoration, and a lot of renewed strength. There is a restorative power to this speech, there are necessary charges in this speech, we are seen in this speech, and our language is spoken in this speech. Saint John gives us a seat at her table in this speech, matter of fact after this speech listen to Solange Knowle's "Dont Touch My Hair" and then "F.U.B.U." just get all the way into it. (I am actually listening to album as I write this). So before you close out this hell of a year give your soul some R and R (and R and R...)

Restore - Your Spiritual Practice

"I would like to give thanks to the Most High"

Bozoma is not shy about her love for Christ as she thanks Jesus openly mentioning how she caught the Holy Ghost when she found out she won the award. No matter your personal beliefs, (and it appears that Black women have been exploring their options), having a spiritual practice that centers you when life is uncertain, trying, and just down right uncooperative is imperative. Before the year ends centering with your higher power and locating your inner peace can help keep your journey smooth when you hit the potholes of life.

Resound - Your Voice

"The S-I-S-T-A-H" 

From this year's presidential election, to the #SayHerName movement, we know that our voices matter. And if you don't know, know it now. Every time Bozoma said "Boo" my pride grew just a little more. When she spoke to her mother in her native language of Fante because in her words "...since our mother tongue, Fante, isn't often spoken on stages like this..." I lost it. The tears could not have been stopped under any circumstance. Listening to her speech the feeling of a big sister talking to her girls as we sit by the door and listen in only for her to invite you in on the conversation is exactly what I felt with the language that she used here. Never did she replace a slang word with a corporately appropriate word, never once did she apologized but proclaimed that this speech was for the sistahs "with an 'H'" She new that not only did her voice matter but it needed to matter in its own identity, in its true and native form. Black women your voice is beautiful and your words necessary.

Rally - Realize and Refine Your Tribe

"You are always home base for me" 

There is something about a tribe, the small group of women (people) that no matter where you are in the world they are as Saint John put it, "home base." The power of sisterhood is evident in her speech when she speaks gratitude to "the sistahs who chose [her]" and how they "spoon-fed [her] back to life on the strength of their love" after her husband died. This resonates with me so strongly as I am the gypsy of my friends yet there is a group of women who reside in Columbus, OH that I will forever call my Foundation, and when my father died in 2012 my sistahs in Los Angeles took turns sleeping at my place to ensure I wasn't alone during those first few nights of returning from Cleveland. I breathe their love and no matter where I am in the world, knowing that I have them matters more than anything to me. Before 2017 review and reevaluate your friendships, where does it need to be refreshed or even revisited; as my best friend puts is "protect your energy." Prune where necessary, and realize where you too can improve as a friend and support system.

Recognize - Coach and Champion Instead of Complain

"I see you Boo! Okay!"

There was this smooth rant Bozoma when on that was just straight recognition for "the sistahs that aren't seen, that push themselves day in and day out..." When she said "I see you Boo!" I felt as if she was talking to me directly, like she knew all about that one Wednesday two weeks ago when...you know? The restorative power of recognition among your peers where your soul also has rest is both underrated and undervalued. Often the media has tried to portray Black women as catty and combative and not as collaborative, but this portion of the speech disproves this notion. I personally am trying my best to do better about coaching and championing rather than complaining. I have made my own proclamation that if it is important enough for me to vent about it to multiple people, but have yet to speak to the originator of agitation then I am now the problem. I have gotten much better over time, but it still something I have to be fully conscious about. Not everyone will receive constructive criticism or kind correction, but it is much more productive to coach and champion than to complain. So before 2017 try to take these next few days to recognize where you can hand out more "I see you Boo!" It's the Black woman's high five.

Reach - Teach Them Well and Let Them Lead the Way

"We are knocking these dudes out of the way to make room for you"

If nothing else in her speech made you cry Bozoma's promise to the younger generation, and her words to her daughter and goddaughter should have done the trick. Charging them to "walk [their] walk, walk boldly, walk in [their] truth and not even [hers]" to "use [their] big girl voice" Young Black girls have to be woke in a way that we have only heard of our parents tales of the Civil Rights Movement. I remember when this video of 9 year-old Zianna Oliphant speaking at the Charlotte, NC City Council meeting circulated and the comments on the post were that she was prepped, that someone fed her the words, and that there was no way that those could be the words of a child her age, and it just made me think of how much our children are discounted. Our Black girls need to see examples of walking in one's truth, speaking out and using their voice, and know that it is okay to do the same. There are 4 young ladies in my life that are the silent checks and balance system to ensure that the things I do, I do with intention. And since it's my blog I am going to take a moment to speak words of honor to them.

• Goddaughter - I honestly believe that you were born early because the world couldn't wait to have you in it. Your creativity and knack for video editing is going to have great value for the way that our stories are heard and told. I am so excited to watch you grow and embrace every changing circumstance that the world throws at you with such a mature demeanor. You embrace life as if it were an opportunity to make something beautiful, and it inspires me to change my perspective when I lean toward the negative. 
• Twin - You are pure in heart. Artistic is an understatement as you have made art your science. Your love for the Lord keeps your outlook on life so bright, and you clearly cause light wherever you go. This is your superpower. People love you and instinctively want to protect you, yet you are the strongest warrior of them all. You will use your art as your sword, and oh the battles you will win. 
• Muse - Carefree Black Girl, you are a founding member. Watching you come into your own, fashion your style in a way that inspires me on a daily, street and book smart, you are the epitome of "cool." Your voice is going to change a generation, you are a natural leader, and we don't have to worry about knocking down the dudes to make room for you because you do that all on your own. Haters part like the Red Sea in your presence, your confidence your staff, and us your support system will always be there to hold up your arms when they tire. Already a mentor to many, your leadership will inspire multitudes. May I forever remain a part of your fan club. 
• Favorite - My favorite girl. You will literally be that until you're like 50. We are such kindred spirits. You are that kind whose friendship has the ability to spoon feed someone back to life when they need it; you have so much love to give. Smart and disciplined, this will take you farther than many in your circle. Embrace it! You will soon come across others who have a high-capacity to achieve in the same way you do. You are wise about how you use your voice already, when you choose to speak it means something, and people want to hear it. You are headed directly to the exceedingly, abundantly, above, and beyond, and when you get there that capacity to love, discipline to complete the hard tasks, and voice that speaks the necessary will be crucial. You got this! 

Speak life into a young woman in your life today. In the meantime get your life with the video below. Cry, take notes, journal your thoughts and feelings, purge a bit before the new year, and Restore, Resound, Rally, and Reach.

Happy 2017!

Billboard Women in Music 2016 Executive of the Year Acceptance Speech (Bozoma Saint John) from Bozoma Saint John on Vimeo.

Every once in a while I will hear something that makes my ears perk and mind race, and in this case it was the mention of Benign Neglect in an episode of Netflix's Luke Cage. It was a very quick mention at the start of an episode by a nonessential character and easy to miss. So quick was the mention that I had to pause, rewind, and pause again to hit Google and do some research. If you know me then you know that I am very easily drawn into a rabbit hole of research when interested in a subject, and this time was no different. I tip my had to the writers of Luke Cage for hiding this little gem within the context of community organization and management because without it I would have never discovered Daniel P. Moynihan and his many musings on both the poor and what I will call the Negro Condition in the 1960's.

(Side Note: Though this post is not about the notion of benign neglect, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge its subliminal reference in Netflix's The Get Down. Netflix is in no way sponsoring this post, but there was something that struck me by two of its original shows giving nod to this man and his musings on the state of the Black community. Do your research, watch the shows and then come back here and let's start a convo! I might do a separate post on the idea of Benign Neglect in a Post-Obama era, but that will take a while to gather my thoughts on.) 

In 1968 Moynihan published what he titled The Negro Family: The Case for National Action (commonly referred to as "The Moynihan Report"). Written to President Nixon and now housed on the Department of Labor's website, the 5-chapter report is a call to action to revive, realize, and support a stronger Black community. It is arguably one of the most controversial writings this century on the Black condition and has received much analysis, praise, and its fair share of criticism. (Supporting Articles and Studies: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4) My purpose for writing on it was for nothing other than to let you know it exists. Though I may throw my two cents in from time to time, for the most part I will be providing excerpts from the report that I most found interesting, and will break the posts up by chapters. Today we will start with the intro.

When reading Moynihan's words for the umpteenth time, I still feel as if they could be said today with just as much emphasis and concern. Moynihan opens the report with:

The United States is approaching a new crisis in race relations.
In the decade that began with the school desegregation decision of the Supreme Court, and ended with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the demand of Negro Americans for full recognition of their civil rights was finally met.

The effort, no matter how savage and brutal, of some State and local governments to thwart the exercise of those rights is doomed. The nation will not put up with it — least of all the Negroes. The present moment will pass. In the meantime, a new period is beginning.

In this new period the expectations of the Negro Americans will go beyond civil rights. Being Americans, they will now expect that in the near future equal opportunities for them as a group will produce roughly equal results, as compared with other groups. This is not going to happen. Nor will it happen for generations to come unless a new and special effort is made.

There are two reasons. First, the racist virus in the American blood stream still afflicts us: Negroes will encounter serious personal prejudice for at least another generation. Second, three centuries of sometimes unimaginable mistreatment have taken their toll on the Negro people. The harsh fact is that as a group, at the present time, in terms of ability to win out in the competitions of American life, they are not equal to most of those groups with which they will be competing. Individually, Negro Americans reach the highest peaks of achievement. But collectively, in the spectrum of American ethnic and religious and regional groups, where some get plenty and some get none, where some send eighty percent of their children to college and others pull them out of school at the 8th grade, Negroes are among the weakest.

Finish the rest of the introduction here. I would like to make note that we are that "second generation" that Moynihan spoke of. For many of us, our parents are the children referenced in this report whose future's where premonitioned by the statistics gathered from the study of the social patterns and financial statuses of our grand and great-grand parents. When we look at it this way, the Civil Rights Movement doesn't feel so far away, and yet the responsibility to the next generation feels much too close.Until next time where we will take a look at Chapter 1: The Negro American Revolution.

While talking with a friend I mused as to why Black Wall Street had never been replicated, and when he spoke of his intentions to do so it only led to more questions about approach and methodology. One could argue many reasons as to why we never saw the resurgence of this ethnically-concentrated financial district, but one roadblock I found in my research was the lack of information available. (Though I read somewhere that John Legend and Tika Sumpter have teamed up to make a movie on the legendary district)

My knowledge quest on the history of Black Wall Street reminded me a bit of the research spiral I went through after returning from the CBCF ALC (read more about my experience here). From Correspondent Banking, to the Community Reinvestment Act, to the United Nations Capital Development Fund, I was made aware of so many organizations, programs, and policies that have been put into place to aid the low and moderately incomed across the globe. Yet, many of us don't know about them.

Though this is not my call to action to galvanize some economic movement, or new BWS blueprint, I am hoping that just by knowing these institutions exist others will be encouraged to their own research, to take some interest in global economics, and possibly start a conversation that might change someone's world. I am also hoping this will catch the eye of those much more well versed in these global economic matters than I to engage me in an awesome learning opportunity.

With that said, I am turning this into a series of some sort; welcome to the introductory post! I promise you lots of links and me trying to make sense of it all (if I can, no promises). What I cannot promise you is some eloquent prose regarding the economic state of the impoverished and how we may remedy their condition through these institutions. Maybe one day, but not today. For now just enjoy some new information with me.

Check back here as this will be our "Home Base" and will be updated with links to the forthcoming posts in this series as they are made available.

This past summer a friend and I participated in the LA Crawl "a celebratory event to socially connect the tri-city region [Santa Monica (SaMo), Culver City, and Los Angels] utilizing the expanded Expo Line". Two types of tickets were sold

• General: $22 - pub crawl ticket + Metro Tap Card, or 
• VIP:  $30 - pub crawl ticket + Metro Tap Card + Post Wrap Party + LA Crawl T-shirt + Spa Certificate valued at $40

The process went something in the ways of entering in your zip code, and then the site would create a crawl for you in a neighborhood outside of your own. This could be done as an individual or as a team; we chose the team option. However, if you were on a team there was no specific "leader" nor way to sync crawl routes, so my friend and I had two separate routes, hers in SaMo and mine in Downtown LA (DTLA). After a series of phone calls to the number provided by the site we just decided to go with her route since there was no way to correct the situation. We chose the VIP option and obtained our materials at the designated pick up locations indicated in our confirmation emails.

The day of the event, we took the Expo Line to the last stop in Santa Monica and proceeded to follow the route provided by the site; there was not an app component so we had to log in to the site to view the map. Though we wore VIP bands, none of the locations we patronized knew about the Crawl or had any real special rates for the event. The spa certificate was for first time visitors, which my friend was not, so it was of no use to her, and the wrap party moved venues and ended up being about 10 of us in a small pub. (This is only for the SaMo crawl, there was also a party in DTLA that I do not know the outcome of.)

Needless to say the event itself was not what I would consider a success, though after speaking with the creator of the crawl he explained to me that their main objective was creating a data base (which mostly consisted of emails). Since I paid $30 for something I could have done on my own I decided that my two cents were also welcomed. Below is a comprehensive view of that two cents. There was a meeting with council members planned for Tri-City Alliance (the creators of the Crawl), but I don't know if it happened or what the outcome of that meeting was in the event it did occur. I took to their social media pages, which have not had any activity either at all, or since the time of the Crawl.

Creating  a Tri-City Impact

The basic idea behind the Crawl was great, it was the execution that was incomplete.

Metro Partnership - Have a Tap Card with the LA Crawl Logo
The founder informed me that due to the event promoting the consumption of alcohol there could not be a formal relationship with Metro. (as a citizen I would think that it would be the opposite to keep people from driving while intoxicated, however I never looked further into this). However, if the main objective is to create diversity in these three cities and the new expanded Expo Line, then promoting the exploration of these cities without the specific emphasis on the local bars could remedy that.

Homelessness - Have an Accountability of Funds
The site states that the event was to benefit LA's homeless, however there was never any information (before or after the event) that provided in detail:

1. If any portion of the ticket purchase was tax deductible
2. A formal partnership with any city initiative, shelter, or other organization that supports homelessness 
3. How much was raised and where those funds were sent. 

Technology - Creating Accessibility
Having an option for the creation of teams on multiple accounts would have been ideal. Without the necessity of a team leader, patrons should be able to:

• Create a team, 
• Invite members to the team
• Look up/join a team
• Sync routes for team members 
• Receive push notifications in the event of any changes like with the Post Wrap Party

I understand that apps are not cheap, so the creators of the event may have not had that capacity, however, while building their site the above would have been ideal. Also a partnership with FourSquare, Yelp, Open Table and/or any other "check-in" site that allows for location identification to provide stats of participation.

Logistics and Metrics - Mutual Benefit for Businesses and Tri-City Alliance
The part that I understood least was why there were no metrics put in place to determine success of the event. There were basic logistical measures I recommend to put into place:

• Signage outside of each venue to distinguish participating businesses 
• Informed hostesses and staff of the event to acknowledge VIP-band wearing patrons, in the event they do not have a reservation for that specific venue

After the event select data could have been recorded and reported to the necessary local officials in order to receive wider support and promotion of the next event (no next event has been advertised. Both local businesses and officials could have also benefited from the below: 

• Demographic information of participants by zip code: 
• Age and Gender 
• How far from their zip codes where they willing to travel (I was around 25 miles from my current zip code) 
• Average dollars spent in these areas 

• Revenue from the Crawl Alone: 
• With a prix fix menu, or Crawl specific designation for revenue recording from each participating business would allow them and the city to have a tangible number of the event's impact on local business. 
• Elimination of the $20 and $30 fee and partner with an organization to donate a portion of the proceeds to homelessness alleviation efforts in LA, or have the Tshirt available for purchase with 100% proceeds being donated. If we have to pay for food and drinks at each of the places there is no need to also charge $30 for a tee and $7 metro card.

Again, the Tri-City Alliance has a good idea and concept, however, the execution can stand for revisiting. This can be a great idea for not just restaurants but for local art galleries, boutiques, and other services that are normally looked over by tourists who migrate to big businesses and chains they are familiar with.

In efforts to sharpen my assessment skills concerning the metric system I created regarding community development I will be selecting various non-profit organizations and community programs and examining them against the 5 P's. These first few entries will be pretty rough cut. Disclaimer: It is not my intention to expose, judge, or condemn, any organization or program. My objective is to open dialogue in the ways of building sustainable communities that benefit the persons that inhabit those low and moderate-income spaces. Now let's get on with it shall we...

Urban Zen Foundation, Est 2010

Soulful Promise:
To raise awareness and inspire change to the issues that touch all of our hearts...[C]reating integral connections on individual and global levels, bringing mind, bod, and spirit to preserving cultures, well-being and the education of children.

Headquartered in New York City, this post will examine the work that the organization does in Haiti. This includes the Haitian Artisan Project and The D.O.T (Design Organization and Training) Center. We will not be taking a look at the fashion collection, or the Urban Zen center located in NYC, nor the wellness training that takes place through the organization, as the latter do not directly affect a predominantly-Black space as the former two do.

General Assessment: 
When first looking into the Urban Zen Foundation, I searched solely through the org's site. Skimming through blog posts, (the most recent post is from April of 2015), and clicking through the various links on the site regarding the three initiatives, the Artisan Project, DOT and Empowering Children, I couldn't find much of what the organization was doing present day, past 2011/2012. After a little more digging it appears that the organization partners with the Clinton Foundation, where work in Haiti is still very much a priority.

The D.O.T. Center

Partnership(s): Parsons School for Design

Proximity: Located in Port-Au-Prince, the capital city with approximately 10.5 million residents and an unemployment rate of 40.6% (source), there is no real information as to the distance the Center's workers have to travel from their homes, nor whether or not the workers have access to ample transportation. As far as access to resources go, this is all the information available. With further research I would want to know whether or not their wages enabled them to afford more food, better living conditions, medical care, etc. Does them working in this facility give them access to the same or similar benefits that one would have working for a factory here in the States?

Political Engagement: Though Urban Zen as a whole may be working with the Clinton Foundation to bring Haitian economic development concerns to the forefront, the DOT specifically appears to play little to no part in ensuring that there is a Haitian voice at the table. It also doesn't appear to be their role or objective, which is fine.

Preservation: The 5,000 sqft facility was a new facility that was built, not refurbished, nor a building torn down and replaced with this facility. With further research I would want to know the condition of the area where the Center was built, and whether or not it was surrounded by other functioning factories.

Perpetuity: The Center's purpose is to a vocational training center for Haitian artisans, it appears that entrepreneurial abilities are being taught. In the event that the Center ceases to function there appears to be no sustainability to the lifestyle residents may have afforded through working at this facility.

Final Assessment:
I wanted to also examine the Haitian Artisan Project, however there isn't much information on the initiative as a separate entity. Its mission comes off as a catch-all for all the work that the Urban Zen Foundation seems to stand for in Haiti specifically. I make this distinction because the Foundation also has a wellness focus that is carried out in the US.

To make it highly simplistic it appears that a fashion executive built a facility in a country that has a great need for economic development and a culture that provides beautiful art that proves to be profitable. So here is where I find opportunity for either more information to be available, and/or the organization look into improving.

• Partnership: At present the scholarship for students is one-sided. Parsons students and professors can go to Haiti to study, but it is not a two-way street. All scholarships and grants for Haitians have been said to have been provided in-country, for example their relationship with PRODEV a not-for-profit that supports children's education. It also bugs me a bit that there was not one Black student from Parson's but since I don't know what the applicant demographics were, I have no real qualms here. In any event, it would be nice to see an exchange program of some sort that the Haitian artisans also have access to facilities in the States in the same way Parsons students and staff have access to Haiti. 
• Preservation: I really would like to know if the living conditions of the neighborhoods of the workers improved in any way at all? With the ability to build a showroom for their product, I wonder if the showroom that showcases the Haitian's work has better utility access than the homes of the workers themselves. 
• Perpetuity: The biggest frustration I have was the fact that I have now seen 3 collections (there may have been more, I am just referring to what I have witnessed through the web), of clothing and home goods under the Urban Zen label, and the prices can range from $50-1,700. If I am purchasing a $1,700 knit dress, with little to no detail, that I am positive cost $25-40 at most to produce, where is the rest of the $1,675 going? Granted, I don't know the companies costs nor expenses, however with the Haitian Gourde being 65 to $1 US, (source) and housing in a moderate area costing a little under the equivalent of $800/mo (source), which I am positive is still higher than the actual cost of living for the workers in the Center, I wonder how much economic and living conditions improved since the Center first began turning profit (even as a not for profit). As a merchandise planner I have been trained to look at the cost, wholesale, retail, and discounted price of an item. With that profit how those funds were allocated concerning expenses, I was not privy, as with this case. I don't know how funds are allocated across the Haitian initiative as provided by Urban Zen's website, so I can only guess. 
• Blog: Not one of the P's of Community Development, however it still communicates what organization is doing in Haiti. If they can take the time to ensure that the collection's site is up to date, ensuring that their children's initiative remains current is recommended. I could find no information about what they were doing with this area past it's inaugural year. It looks like it was the hot thing to do back in the early 20'teens and then it got old and the Foundation started to focus on the NYC facility, but kept the Artisan vocational facility because they both made, rather than required, money. It appears to benefit less Black faces, and more those who like to exploit them for good PR. It is a harsh assessment, however when entering Black spaces without continuity, and that continuity appears to occur in a place where Black faces are scarce is cause for call out. Even the Twitter post about work in Haiti wasn't about anything that Urban Zen Foundation is itself carrying out. 

With that said, I am appreciative of the way that this post has caused me to take a closer look at the way in which I utilize the 5 P's for assessments of organizations. There are places where a more defined scale would be needed in the categories in order to provided a quantitative measure of comparison. For example, in Proximity I ponder about the access to resources and the distance from the residences of the workers is the Center and the mode of transportation available to and from the facility. Is there a Distance to Transportation ratio? Concerning Perpetuity, am I measuring in this case, unemployment within the area, improved economic conditions of the workers (percentage of those who no longer need government assistance, disposable income, etc.)?

There is still much work to do on this metric system. If you made it down to this end...bravo! On to the next organizational assessment. Stick with me...I think once I get this it is going to be good!

Last week I attended the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. I was my first time attending the conference and I really am glad that I was talked into going. One, I learned a lot about diverse plights of Black people from all over the globe, as well as a few terms and organizations that I had never heard of before. Below I am going to give a quick recap of the workshops I attended and (where available) link them to their livestream. I am also going to link some of the new phrases and organizations that I learned about during the conference. Let's get started.

The ALC is structured in tracks that an attendee can follow, but it's not required. So if your interest is in Education then that track will highlight all the workshops surrounding that industry. Otherwise it's pretty much a free-for-all. I didn't follow any track and decided to attend whatever peaked my interest.


Last year it was reported that Black women were the fastest growing group of business owners in the U.S.,  and this workshop made sure that all those that are inspired to start their business or are already deep in the trenches know where and how to get the support (financial and otherwise) that they need in order to have a business that will last and flourish.

Here is what I learned I never knew from this workshop: 

• Minority Business Development Agency - an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce that work throughout the Nation to link minority-owned businesses with the capital, contracts, and markets they need to grow. 
• Women's Chamber of Commerce Certification -  One of the panelists discussed how the certification opened her business to a mentor/protegee program offered by the organization and how that helped to grow her business 

Here are the gems that I received from the panelists: 

• Not a hobby or a quick fix: It was stated that many women end up finding themselves outside of the workforce for one reason or another and decide that they then want to start their own business. The only problem is a good number of those businesses are lifestyle based and aren't built or maintained for perpetuity, which can make it hard for mentors or financial institutions to invest in. If you are building a business are you doing it because you have nothing else to do anyway? 
• All money ain't good money: The direct quote was "Think like a customer when you are borrowing" Just because someone is willing to give you what you are asking for make sure that you agree with all that comes with that money. You also have the option to say no. Remember, it is possible to build a profitable business with no debt. 

Quote to Remember: 

Panelist Janice Howroyd  quotes her father when she complained about having old school books with the pages missing:

"Read the pages, you're smart enough to figure out what's missing. Then, write what's missing and tape it in for the next student"

• Social Care- I keep trying to find something concrete on this term as it was used a lot by the panelists, however, it appears to mean working with community based organizations. If there is anyone out there that is more knowledgeable on the topic I invite them to comment. 
• Community Reinvestment Act- The Community Reinvestment Act is intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound operations. 

 Here are the gems that I received from the panelists: 

• Laws of Attraction: The question was asked, "what attracts businesses to the underserved communities?" And I asked myself, what are the factors of that attraction? What are the laws in place that protect the people of that neighborhood of attraction? 
• Mental Detour: Veronica Smith of the City of Sacramento's SEED Corporation presented the challenge of redirecting our thought process on how we build policies and the policies of the entities that serve the basic needs of our communities. She made the point that subsidies with no opportunity to get our of that situation (that is causing them to need a subsidy in the first place) is not working. (She had me on the edge of my seat)

"When you think about development policy think about where people live" 

• Correspondent Banking -  When financial institutions provide services on behalf of another, equal or unequal, financial institution. 
• De-Risking - the phenomenon of financial institutions terminating or restricting business relationships with clients or categories of clients to avoid, rather than manage, risk.
• Trade Diversions - occurs when tariff agreements cause imports to shift from low cost countries to higher cost countries.
• Regional Advocate - helps to identify regulatory concerns of small business by monitoring the impact of federal and state policies at the grassroots level.
  

 Here are the gems that I received from the panelists: 

• Lend on Me: Approximately 3'700 banking groups depend on correspondent banking
• You're Money's No Good Here: A country is kept in a state of poverty when they can only use their currency inside their own country. Imagine if you could only spend the dollar from California to Maine. 
• I'm the Captain Now: Understanding how trade diversion helps growing economies willing to invest in smaller economies, that larger economies are not willing to invest in, gain global power and influence. Like building an economic brand loyalty is the way I make sense of it.

Quote to Remember:

"We don't have a penny in that dollar" 

• Agenda 2063 - Africa’s endogenous plan for structural transformation and a shared strategic framework for inclusive growth and sustainable development
• Sa-hel Region - semiarid region of western and north-central Africa extending from Senegal eastward to The Sudan.

 Here are the gems that I received from the panelists: 

• Jet Set: I had heard talk of this before of alleviating the issues of intra-continental travel. Think of it like with the European Union and easy travel among the member countries, but as simplistic. The idea of an African passport had been mentioned. 
• Implementation: When discussing the execution of select initiatives no matter the proposing organization, it was brought up that the two largest obstacles were lack of clarity, and a lack of financing. 

Quote to Remember:

"How do you reconcile this rich Africa with poor people?" 

• The 242 - The Blue Wall - The 18 states that have voted Democrat in the past 6 elections. These particular states combined equals 242 electoral votes.  
• IWillVote.Com - Where you can register, update your registration, and check your status as a registered voter

Here are the gems that I received from the panelists:

• Youth Matters: There was a young man on the panel that gave great gems for those of all generations. From dealing with the youths one-on-one to help dispel generational fear, to the necessities of partnership to feel as if they have a cause, stating that their fight in the Obama campaign made them feel as if they had a cause. 
• Poll Taxes: Knowing the ways in which states are making it difficult to vote is vital, and many of the questions dealt with specific issues around difficulties with voting. Even something like parking tickets on your record can keep you from the polls in some states. 
• Filling in the Gaps: There were questions about where to find comprehensive information on each candidate's stance on specific issues, especially a side-by-side comparison. Residents of non-battleground states were told that it would take extra effort and maybe even them creating the materials themselves to have more comprehensive information regarding the candidates, especially for national elections. 

 Quote to Remember:

"There is no more powerful person than a 24 yr old in Cleveland...that person in Cleveland determines who becomes president." 

So there we have it! Feel free to take a look at the videos, and any others on the CBCF Channel on YouTube that may be of interest to you. I truly enjoyed my experience and I anticipate attending again next year.

Happy Enlightenment!

"Hmmm? I'm sorry what was your question?" She wasn't paying attention, inside her own thoughts about why exactly she was there. "I said, 'What exactly does your company do?'" He was polite in repeating his question, but his face was more telling. She scanned her thoughts making quick edits. "Why am I even here? Right...because of trade agreements....but what does that have to do with his question? What does my 'company' do? What do I do?" How exactly would she tell this vendor that her company was actually just her Twitter handle, but she needed something to put in the mandatory space in order to register for the Textile show.  Brain scan complete she looks at him politely and says simply..."Research."

1. Partnership - What is the relationship between the NGOs and governmental initiatives? With each other? Do any of them partner together to diversify and expand their impact/reach? 
2. Proximity - Do the target recipients of this org's service(s) have increased access to resources, tangible and/or intangible? Are those resources in the actually community of their target audience, or do they have to travel to receive the benefits of this org's service(s)? 
3. Political Engagement - How is the org and its service(s) highlighting any issues and/or needs of policy change within the community of their target recipients? Do the members of this community now have a seat at the table (even if in voice through an advocate) that their issues not be ignored? 
4. Preservation - Are the spaces within that community being preserved? Are they being torn down and repurposed for the benefit of the residents of that community? Is this org buying, building, or refurbishing spaces within that community for inclusion or exclusion? 
5. Perpetuity - Are these efforts sustainable? Can they make it past the 13month mark and beyond? 

Not every organization or initiative is going to hit all 5, but I am curious as to what it looks like when examining community development efforts against these metrics. Next it would be finding a way to actually quantify the findings of these Ps. I think I might have a budding framework on my hands....

She took a breath as she sat in her car. Dressed in a black wrap dress that she bought specifically for her grandmother's funeral, she was headed to an interview for a job she wasn't even sure she wanted. "What am I doing?" she looks at her lipstick in the rear-view mirror, the visor mirror is just way too close.

She had become good at her job, even she was impressed, but she wasn't sure if it was something she was fully ready to turn into a full blown career. She drums her fingers on the steering wheel, stalling..."I should do something about my nails. But, I'm not cutting my hair...I just need...a change." She puts the car in gear...

When making the decision to preserve pieces of our history how do we decide which to preserve physically and which should only be preserved through photographs and traveling museum exhibits? Further more, which do we choose to repurpose?

While watching the Many Rivers To Cross miniseries on Netflix I find myself contemplating about the places Henry Louis Gates, Jr visits across the nation and how some are still surprisingly in tact, mostly turned into museums, others given way to the times and have been now made into highways, or forgotten about under underpasses.

Last month the story of the Rosenwald Schools surfaced, debating their need for preservation. Over 100 years ago in over 15 states across the south Booker T. Washington and Julian Rosenwald established an approximate 5,000 schools. It is said that at least 10% of the schools remain, most of which are located in the state of Virginia. (Click the link for a more detailed report of the schools and the fight for their preservation.)


Then we have The Dunbar Apartments in Harlem, New York. Built by John D. Rockefeller around 1926, these apartment buildings held important figures in the Black community such as A. Philip Randolph, Countee Cullin, and W.E.B. Dubois. In the late '70's the complex was placed in the National Register of Historic Places, and has been purchased by E&M Associates for its rehabilitation. What's interesting to note for me is that when mentioning the purchase on The Real Deal (commercial real estate blog), it calls the Dunbar "iconic" yet mentions nothing of its importance in African-American history, bringing me back to the questions of preservation. Are we preserving the building but not the history? Would the importance of this site only go down in Black History buried deep only to be found by historians for the occasional February documentaries? Or will we see photographs within the lobby of the lives that once occupied this space? Only time will tell. In the meantime I found this New York Times article from 1990 giving a detailed history of the Dunbar Apartments and how they were turning into a rental property.

Side Note: While conducting my search for more information about the Dunbar Apartments, I came across the Los Angeles Conservancy website which discusses The Dunbar Hotel assumed to also be named after poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. 


How do we choose? Is it the pain or pride of the history it brings? Is it the location? Are those landmarks without the fear of eminent domain better deemed to be preserved? What is the argument for their preservation, new use, or demolition?

This isn't just a question for historic Black sites, however. We are seeing a resurgence of American malls being repurposed for organizations such as churches, schools, to even police facilities. Some, like Austin Community College, who was granted a two-bond proposition for $386 million to refurbish an abandoned mall to expand its campus, has receives great support for its efforts of solving the matter of urban blight. While others, like the Forest Lake, Minnesota police who planned to move into a closed down mall, met opposition from citizens who felt they should have some say in how their tax dollars were spent, especially when the move would ensure tax increases.

How do we preserve our communities? How do we make them new and current? How do we make these simultaneous efforts? I am not sure, I don't know what the answer is, which is why I am asking the question.

She sat up late on her couch raiding Style.com for trends of ratty sweaters that consumers pay thousands of dollars for just to look like their cat took it out back and has it's way with it. "I'm pretty sure that my first knitting project looked like this," she thinks to herself, "I could sell it and pay my rent for months...but I really should be buying a house soon." She eyerolls at this forlorn thought. On her assistant's salary she is happy that rent and utilities are paid with her mini paycheck that just barley sports a comma. Her boss is in NY for an extra week due to Hurricane Sandy, she feels guilty for this pleasure. She loves her job, she love her boss...sometimes, but she doesn't love her life, not right now anyway.

Hitting a ceiling can certainly happen in our industry, feeling over or underwhelmed happens often in the industry that requires consistent creativity. Many people don't see what we see, there is more to us....In an effort to quiet her inner thoughts she picks up her cell, she goes to scroll through Instagram, but finds herself fascinated by a LinkdIn article on the power of play. She can't remember the last time she "played" had she forgotten how?

I remember when I first graduated from undergrad ten years ago and wanted to get into logistics and operations for the fashion industry. I then wanted to do fashion consulting which was more in the ways of styling but I knew that I wanted to work on the business side. Fast forward 2 years and I am graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising because I wanted to gain a better understanding of the fashion industry's inner workings and couldn't find a Master's program with what I wanted to do, (I had never heard of LIM or Fordham in NYC otherwise this entire story would have been different). I worked for a bit in product development, and could have continued in that direction, but left to obtain my MBA (a desire that was left incomplete when I lived in ATL). Now I have graduated with my MBA in Organizational Behavior and Management and have completed my thesis. Now that is a story in and of itself.

So my thesis is on Workforce Development in the Fashion Industry in LA. I was (am) frustrated with the way that Los Angeles boasts being a fashion capitol in its own right, but does little about the lack of infrastructure within the industry. None of it's schools offer a graduate or law program in the industry (granted Fashion Law JUST became a thing), and many of those have to put together pieces of an education and work experience just to make a small living. On top of that since this industry here on the west is filled with smaller companies and not many have a true hierarchical structure, which isn't a bad thing.

I use the word "navigate" a lot on this blog because that is mainly what the purpose of this blog is, my way to navigate through life, career, and purpose. It justifies my lack of a straight line and clarifies the diversity of my journey. Recently I posted:

And I mean it. As of 2010 only 7.4% of PhDs are Black. That is not broken up into gender, and it doesn't really need to be to hit home on how low of a percentage that is. Then taking into consideration the points I was making earlier about the lack of postgradute programs within the fashion industry on the west, there is a space to build something new and needed. Though my interests lean more toward economic development within low income areas utilizing the creative economy as a whole, there are opportunities that I want to create for those who are coming after me.

In the meantime I will be mind mapping and journaling it all out in my Passion Planner. Putting the pieces together and guessing about the picture the entire time.