By Michael Hill
Correspondent
“Newark is here! We’re ready to work! We work or nobody works,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
Baraka made good on his promise and led a protest at the Port of Newark, first shutting down one lane of truck traffic and then all lanes on Corbin Street outside the Maher Terminal where he tried to deliver job applications from Newark residents. Port Authority Police watched. Some truckers became hopeless and turned around. Some port workers yelled, “Go back to Newark” and “Run the animals over!”
But, the mayor and hundreds of protesters who came by buses were undeterred as he held court in the middle of the road.
“Guy hit me up on Twitter said you should be worried about crime. I said I am that’s why I’m worried about jobs,” said Baraka said.
The mayor has asked the Justice and Labor departments to investigate and accuses the International Longshoremen’s Association and the New York Shipping Association of denying full-time jobs to Newark residents and said these Newarkers got temporary jobs but were not called back while counterparts from another town were.
“And all that we ask as citizens of the great city we call Newark is the opportunityto be a part of the greatest job opportunity that the great city of Newark has to offer,” Newark resident Alan Gates said.
In response to the mayor, the ILA’s president wrote: “Historically, the percentage of longshore workers who live in Newark has fluctuated. Even though many Newark residents have been hired for these jobs over the years, many of them have decided to move themselves and their families to other areas of New Jersey and New York to experience a different lifestyle.”
The city of Newark and the Waterfront Commission say the hiring numbers here are disappointing and staggering.
The commission was formed to combat corrupt hiring practices and it says as of March 1, this was the ethnic breakdown of the nearly 1,600 Port of Newark maintenance workers: 40 black, 252 Hispanic and 1,281 white — all men.
In a statement, the Waterfront Commission told us, “The Waterfront Commission has been tirelessly fighting to secure waterfront job opportunities for minorities and residents from Port communities. While our efforts have resulted in an overall increase in minority hiring, the practices of the New York Shipping Association, Inc. (NYSA) and the International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO (ILA), and others continue to result in an incredible lack of diversity in waterfront employment.”
The ILA said the mayor knows what it stands for and has accepted its $9,000 in contributions to his political war chest. Its president said, “The longshore industry is committed to a discrimination-free waterfront” and “Mayor Baraka presents multiple claims to create the appearance of nonexistent racial discrepancies”
And the Shipping Association, which does the hiring, says the most recent numbers paint a much different picture than the mayor’s.
But, these Newark residents cheered on their mayor’s employment quest.
“We have to say if we can’t get employed there’s going to be hell to pay down there at that port until they start opening up their doors to all Newark residents in this city,” said Baraka.
They vowed this is not the last protest here, it’s the first.
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After Generations of Assimilation in Turkey, Afro-Turks are Fighting to Reclaim Their Heritage and Identity
By David A Love September 17, 2016Although this is unknown to many, there are up to 100,000 people of African descent in the nation of Turkey. A legacy of the Ottoman Empire and of the African slave trade, Afro-Turks, as they are called, have lost their language and have a renewed interest in discovering who they are and from whence they came.
As The Global Dispatches reported in 2010, while slavery existed in the Ottoman Empire from the 14th century until the 19th century, enslaved people came from the Balkans and the Caucasus until the late 1800s, with the abolition of “white” slavery in these regions after pressure from the European nations.
Before that time, the trading in Black people had been limited, but then, the trading of enslaved Africans to the Ottoman Empire grew, particularly from Kenya and Sudan. Between 1860 and 1890, around 10,000 enslaved Africans were sent into the Ottoman Empire each year, a total of about 250,000 people, with many freed at some point. Many enslaved people were sent to the cotton fields near Smyrna (now known as Izmir) on the coast of the Aegean Sea. But it wasn’t until the early 20th century that the end of slavery came, as enslaved people were replaced by paid servants. And in 1924, the Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk established laws of equal citizenship in the country’s new constitution. Further, as the BBC reported, Afro-Turks are called “Arab,” a term denoting someone who is dark enough to be Arab or African — in a country where Blackness is often negatively associated with inferiority. These days, in light of the refugee crisis, their identity has come to light in large cities, where Afro-Turks are often mistaken for Somali or Eritrean refugees, although these Black people have lived in Turkey for generations.
“It’s a shame we have lost our African language, the language our great-grandparents spoke. Every minority in Turkey has its language – the Kurds, the Zaza, even the Laz. But we have only Turkish, and we don’t know anything about our ancestors” an Afro-Turk man named Orhan told the BBC. “After years of suffering, you hide what makes you different,” he said. “That is why our parents and parents’ parents did not teach us their language. They did not want to make us different, they wanted us to only be Turkish.”
Meanwhile, due to years of intermarriage, there are likely many Turkish people who are descended from Black people and do not realize it, as The National reported. The national push for assimilation and a homogeneous society since the founding of the republic and the end of the Ottoman Empire has meant that Black identity was discouraged. However, Black people in Turkey are beginning to reclaim their heritage and their African past. For example, Mustafa Olpak, a grandson of enslaved Kenyans, published Slave Coast, a 2005 memoir chronicling his family’s saga from the Horn of Africa to Crete to Turkey.
“The first generation experiences, the second denies and the third researches,“ Olpak’s book begins. “We have been living in this region for at least 150 years and we don’t have any other homeland,” says Olpak, who also founded the Afro-Turk Association as a means to preserve their heritage and increase awareness of their condition. And Turkish authorities had banned the Feast of the Calf — known as Dana Bayrami in Turkish — a holiday that enslaved Black people celebrated in the Ottoman era, and which Afro-Turks resurrected only in 2007.
Like elsewhere, Black people in Turkey face discrimination. For example, African soccer players have faced racist chants from fans, including some who were called monkey and one who had a banana pointed in his face. In addition, Turkey has not been welcoming to African migrants. According to the International Business Times, there are at least 50,000 African migrants in Turkey, one-third from sub-Saharan Africa and who tend to be Christian, and the remaining from North Africa who tend to be Arab. Black Africans face racism, social exclusion and police violence.
President Obama’s 2009 visit to Turkey and subsequent meetings with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan have provided an opportunity for the Afro-Turk community to reclaim their narrative and bring their issues to the table. In a country that is once again beginning to acknowledge its diversity and the contributions of so-called minority communities such as the Afro-Turks, Black people in Turkey are experiencing a cultural reawakening.
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Here Is A List Of 23 Black-Owned Banks, Credit Unions And Financial Institutions To Support
The #BankBlack revolution has already began. Thousands of African Americans across the country are transferring their money to Black-owned banks that invest in urban communities and businesses. Initiated by several celebrities like Solange and rapper Killer Mike, the initiative is in response to years of police brutality, discrimination, and other racial problems that have long existed in America.
African Americans collectively have an annual buying power of almost $1 trillion dollars, and so the idea is to circulate and re-circulate Black dollars within Black communities.
If you are interested in opening an account at a Black-owned, FDIC-insured bank, here’s the complete list below according to FederalReserve.gov:
ALABAMA
#1 – Alamerica Bank: This bank in Birmingham, Alabama provides a unique banking experience for underserved communities. Their staff of experienced bankers is committed to providing quality and personalized service, offering a full array of banking services, from deposit accounts to loans.
#2 – Commonwealth National Bank: At this bank in Mobile, Alabama, they believe that your business is unique and so your bank should be too. They offer free online banking with no minimum daily balance required, and a variety of business accounts designed to help you maximize your banking experience.
(Also see #11 – Liberty Bank, which has branch locations in Tuskegee and Montgomery, AL.)
CALIFORNIA#3 – Broadway Federal Bank: Based in Los Angeles, California, this Black-owned bank aims to serve the real estate business and financial needs in underserved urban communities. They especially aim to meet the needs of minority consumers who want to take out conventional loans.
(Also see #13 – One United Bank, which has branch locations in Compton and Los Angeles, CA.)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (WASHINGTON, DC)
#4 – Industrial Bank: Headquarted in Washington, DC with branch locations in Oxon Hill and Forestville, MD, this bank has delivered essential banking and financial services since 1934 that have contributed greatly to the growth and development of the local Black community.FLORIDA
#5 – Axiom Bank: Headquartered in Central Florida with branches throughout the Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa areas, this federally-chartered community bank serves the financial needs of its customers through a wide range of financial products. They provide retail banking services, including checking, deposit, and money market accounts, through 20 branch locations, 19 of which are inside select Walmart Supercenters. (Note: This bank was Black-owned for many years as Urban Trust Bank, and even earlier as Metro Savings Bank. Although they are no longer Black-owned, they are a solid, growing community bank that supports urban communities.)
(Also see #13 – One United Bank, which has branch locations in Miami, FL.)
GEORGIA
#6 – Carver State Bank: Established in 1927 in Savannah, Georgia, this Black-owned bank has has remained a financial services leader for all sectors of the Savannah community throughout its 85 years and is the only bank in the area with an outstanding Community Reinvestment Act Rating.
#7 – Citizens Trust Bank: Since their beginning in 1921, this Atlanta, GA-based bank has responded to market shifts by expanding their electronic platform while still providing the personal touch service that makes them unique to their customers. Thanks to an online #BankBlack social media campaign in July 2016, more than 8,000 new accounts were opened at their branch in just one week.
ILLINOIS:#8 – Illinois Service Federal Bank: Based in Chicago, this bank aims to be a viable, growing, community development financial services institution responding innovatively to their primarily underserved and minority constituency with superb customer service.
#9 – Seaway Bank & Trust Company: This Chicago-based community bank serves families, non-profits and businesses in diverse neighborhoods. It was established in 1965 to counter discriminatory lending practices and is now recognized as one of the nation’s largest minority-owned banks, with more than $400 million in assets and 240 employees.
(Also, see #11 – Liberty Bank, which has branch locations in Chicago, IL.)
KANSAS:
(See #11 – Liberty Bank, which has branch locations in Kansas City, KS.)KENTUCKY:
#10 – Metro Bank: Based in Louisville, Kentucky, this Black-owned bank works to provide opportunity where before there was none – whether it is their involvement in a multi-million dollar New Markets Tax Credit project, or a start-up business loan to an entrepreneur providing a much-needed service in an underserved neighborhood.
LOUISIANA:
#11 – Liberty Bank: Primarily based in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this bank has a sincere focus on service, integrity and a sincere interest in community and business development. Over the past four decades, they have also expanded to more than 18 branches in six states – including Kansas, Mississippi, Michigan, Missouri, Alabama, and Illinois.
MARYLAND:
#12 – Harbor Bank of Maryland: Opening its doors in 1982, this bank primarily serves the Baltimore metropolitan area, and offers checking, savings, time deposits, credit cards, debit card, commercial real estate, personal, home improvement, automobile, and other installment and term loans. They also have a branch in Riverdale, MD, PG County.
(Also, see #4 – Industrial Bank, which has branch locations in Oxon Hill and Forestville, MD.)
MASSACHUSSETTS:#13 – One United Bank: The first Black internet bank and the largest Black-owned bank in the country, with offices in Los Angeles, Boston and Miami. They were awarded the highest Bank Enterprise Award by the U.S. Department of Treasury for their community development lending ten times, and they are a designated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).
MICHIGAN:
#14 – First Independence Bank: Based in Detroit, this bank was established in the 1970’s to serve the financial needs of the urban community, its businesses, and its citizens. They say that no line of financial services is beyond their charter as long as they are serving the financial needs of businesses and families in the Black community.
(Also, see #11 – Liberty Bank, which has branch locations in Detroit, MI.)
MISSISSIPPI:
(See #11 – Liberty Bank, which has branch locations in Jackson, MS.)
MISSOURI:
(See #11 – Liberty Bank, which has branch locations in St. Louis, MO.)
NEW JERSEY:#15 – City National Bank: Primarily based in Newark, NJ with branch locations in Harlem and Brooklyn, NYC, this Black-owned bank plays a pivotal role in strengthening urban communities. They call themselves a forward-thinking financial institution whose mission is to build economic strength and improve the quality of life within urban communities by providing the highest quality financial services, including low-cost business loans.
NEW YORK:
(See #15 – City National Bank, which has branch locations in Harlem and Brooklyn, NY.)NORTH CAROLINA:
#16 – Mechanics & Farmers Bank: Founded in 1907, this bank is the 2nd oldest minority-owned bank in the United States. They have branches in Winston-Salem, Durham, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte, and most of their deposits are recycled back into urban communities.
PENNSYLVANIA:
#17 – United Bank of Philadelphia: Based in the city of Philadelphia, this Black-owned bank says that all deposits stay right in the community in a cycle of community, inclusivity, and opportunity. They offer affordable banking services to individuals, families, small businesses, and non-profit organizations.
SOUTH CAROLINA:
#18 – South Carolina Community Bank: Based in Columbia, SC, this Black-controlled bank offers a select range of high priority personalized products and services to traditionally underserved communities, including small to medium sized businesses,
TENNESSEE:
#19 – Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company: With branch locations in Nashville and Memphis, TN, this community bank provides friendly and personal service to both individuals and small businesses. They are an equal opportunity employer with 32 full-time employees, 3 convenient offices and approximately $100 million in total assets.
#20 – Tri-State Bank of Memphis: With three branch locations throughout the Memphis area, this a community bank has proudly served the urban community for over 65 years and have a history of leadership, concern and commitment.
TEXAS:
#21 – Unity National Bank: Based in Houston, Texas, with a branch also in Missouri City, this Black-owned bank creates opportunities to help people and businesses grow and enhance the quality of life. They do that through service and services that respect their time, make banking easier and keep them financially competitive.
VIRGINIA:
#22 – First State Bank: Chartered in 1919 in Danville, VA, this locally-owned and operated bank provides the personal touch to banking services. From checking and savings products to loans and other financial investments, they offer a variety of options to fit your needs.
WISCONSIN:
#23 – Columbia Savings & Loan Association: Based in Milwaukee, WI, this is the oldest Black-owned financial institution in the state, and they have been serving commercial and individual accounts to urban customers since 1924. They offer checking accounts, and consumer and business loans.
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We Buy Black: Top Black Businesses You Should Support
by Teddy Grant and Christina Santi, April 27, 2018EBONY wants you to buy Black. A study by Nielsen—a global information and measurement company that gathers data on what people watch, buy and listen to—found that the Black community has a current buying power of $1.2 trillion.
Much of that money, however, is spent outside of our communities. It is important to connect consumers with Black-owned businesses so our money stays in Black communities and promotes our economic stability.
Below are the top Black businesses we think are worth your money:
De’Shade Eyewear
De’Shade is a small designer eyewear company based in Los Angeles. The glasses are stylish and cost as little as $20 but still have a luxury feel. The company also prides itself on providing looks that are inclusive of all shapes, sizes and color of people.
Wild Moon Jewelry
Wild Moon was created by Toronto-based jewelry designer Asia Clarke. The line’s pieces are eco-conscious and use natural materials to create the art of the jewelry. The beadwork and material choices allow each piece to become a highlight to any outfit.
MWR Collection
The MWR collection is a unisex accessories brand by Mia Wright-Ross featuring chairs, stools, bags and luggage that boast raw-edged seams and hand-stitched detailing. The handcrafted goods can be pricey, but they are design standouts.
Temple Zen Organic Skincare
Temple Zen offers all-natural hand-crafted skin care products for your face and body. The company uses organic herbs, oils, salts and vitamin-rich minerals to restore and promote natural cell rejuvenation. Although skin care can be expensive, all of TZ’s products are reasonably priced.
Kärlek Candle Co.
This company specializes in hand-poured organic candles made with coconut wax that are so fragrant, they fill a room with their scent before they are burned. The eco-friendly candles are restocked weekly (they sell out within minutes) and become available for purchase on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST.
UNWRP
Unwrp adds luxury to gift wrapping. The brand not only offers striking, unique print options and the ability to customize wrapping paper to make your gifts stand out, but it has also introduced reusable options that can be repurposed as fashion statements.
Puer NY
This NYC-based clothing line recreates some of pop culture and fashion’s biggest moments on its graphic tees. In addition to T-shirts, the company creates eco-friendly denim and outerwear.
Your go-to stop for pins, patches and keychains that honor Black culture, Coloring Pins takes Black moments such as the history of Black hair care or the “You have McDonald’s money?” question by Black moms and turns them into wearable statement pieces.
Ikuzi Dolls
Ikuzi Dolls creates Black dolls that come in different shades with different hair textures and hairstyles, showcasing how diverse the our community is. It provides children with the representation that can be missing from mainstream toys.
MahoganyBooks
This online bookstore, a family business, pairs Black readers with books written for, by and about us in almost every genre
Me & the Bees Lemonade
Entrepreneur Mikaila Ulmer, 13, developed a fascination with bees after she was stung twice by them in one week when she was 4. After receiving her great-grandmother’s recipe for lemonade, she started her own business selling the drink, with a portion of her profits going to organizations that help save honeybees. Her lemonade can be found on store shelves at Whole Foods in several states.
Pyramid Books
Pyramid Books is bookstore based in Boynton Beach, Florida, that offers works from African-American authors of genres including fiction, nonfiction, self-help, metaphysics, mysteries, Egyptology and science fiction and specializes in books that are more difficult to find. Anyone wanting to learn more about the African diaspora can find books here that will serve their needs.
Fanm Djanm
Fanm Djanm began in 2014 as a headwrap company but has transformed into a lifestyle brand. Its name means “strong woman” in Haitian Kreyol, and its mission is to motivate women to be bold and to wear bold prints. Its headwraps are handmade in Harlem, some of fabrics and dyes from African countries, thereby helping local businesses on the continent.
RWD Consulting
RWD Consulting is a management consulting firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. that caters to clients in the public and private sectors. With over 190 workers, the company offers various services in information technology, facilities and logistics, program and administrative support and health care. The firm brought in $7.9 million in revenue in 2016, according to inc.com.
Nubian Skin
The London-based company, which has been featured in EBONY, was born out of a lack of lingerie and hosiery options that matched the skin tones of women of color. Ade Hassan founded Nubian Skin in 2014 and has expanded the brand to include shoes. The company delivers worldwide.
The Lip Bar
This cosmetics business stemmed from frustration about lack of diversity in the beauty industry with regard to color range, unnecessary chemicals and linear depictions in the media. The Lip Bar offers a wide variety of shades of lipsticks, lip glosses and liquid mattes, and all products are vegan and cruelty-free.
Kashmir VIII
Founder Kashmir Thomas combined her talents as an artist and her knowledge of pop culture references and turned it into a business. Her website sells clutches, shirts, mugs and prints that feature her awesome artwork. Her most recent pop culture references are from Beyoncé’s Coachella performance and Marvel’s megasuccessful Black Panther film.
Costbucket
Costbucket is a point-of-service provider that caters to small business owners. The company offers cloud-based accounting software, real-time updates on inventory management, customer accounts in addition to personal accounting managers who work closely with businesses.
Talley & Twine
Talley & Twine is a watch company that makes affordable and stylish quality watches. Founded by Randy D. Williams, it was created to represent the “intersection of where you started and where you finish.”
My Pride Apparel
Specializing in clothes for the “socially conscious Black woman,” this company exemplifies #BlackGirlMagic and offers a wide variety of tees, sweatshirts, hats and mugs that make bold statements.
There are a host of other Black businesses that deserve your support, and the ones on this list are good starting points for those who want to invest their money in our community. We hope you enjoy our pick of businesses, and please comment/tag a business you would like us to feature.
READ MORE AT: http://www.ebony.com/career-finance/we-buy-black-top-black-businesses-you-should-support#deshade-eyewear
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The Ports all over this Nation ought to be picketed, because, the lack of hiring of Black Native Americans/Moors of North America has been ongoing, since the 60s, that I am aware of. Two(2)years ago, I ran, for a Port of Tacoma Commissioner’s position, because, the Port needs some creative and forthright people oriented policies and procedure, to bring the Port of Tacoma into the 21-22 Century. The Port of Tacoma Commissioners were responsible for the controversy to build a methane plant at the Port of Tacoma. However, you will note, that the citizens squashed plans to build a dangerous Methane plant inside the city of Tacoma. For 50 plus years the Port of Tacoma has racially excluded Blacks of Native/Moor Americans of North American heritage from employment and training at the Port of Tacoma.
…, By Their Own Rules
http://hbcuconnect.com//content/292013/by-their-own-rules
Good,finally a politician who cares about his voters.I want him for president
he’s a piece of shit trying to have derelicts work for the port