Why I Wrote Success Strategies for Black People (2)

If you want more money in your bank account in 2012, Success Strategies for Black People is for you.

I recently saw a TV program about money. They showed people attending workshops with T. Harv Eker and Robert Kiyosaki.

I am sure those workshops get great results. But the program showed people getting thousands of pounds into debt to pay for them, to develop a plan that could bear fruit many years down the line.

I can help you get much faster results. I don't claim to be able to turn you into a millionaire. But I can teach you how to double your income in 30 days - JUST by using the power of your mind.

And at a fraction of the price. For a limited time, it's all included in the price of the book.

Click here to read about what I have manifested. Using the methods in Success Strategies for Black People can help you to manifest what you want, too.

I have been using these methods for many years. That's how I know they work.

If you want more money, Success Strategies for Black People can help you.

Want a better job or career? Success Strategies for Black People can help you.

Business owner? Want more customers, more clients, more sales? Success Strategies for Black People can help you.

Click here to order your copy now.

Once you have bought it and read it, click here to download the first of your free gifts, which will start you on your way to doubling your income in 30 days.

By the way, the price will be going up. So grab your copy now.

And start creating a wonderfully prosperous 2012.

Black Talk Radio: Kwanzaa: Do Black Consumers Buy Black? (2)

Do Black Consumers Buy Black? Judging by the emails I have received, the answer is a resounding "No".

On my radio show, I was joined by Kwanzaa expert Charles Taylor, author of Kwanzaa: How to Celebrate It at Home. You can listen to the recording below.

We discussed many things, including

- the meaning of Kwanzaa
- how to involve children in Kwanzaa
- the seven principles (nguzo saba)

and the role of business owners in Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is not a commercial holiday. However, the founder, Dr. Malauna Karenga, wanted Black business owners to be in charge of the sale and marketing of Kwanzaa items - and that is largely the case.

Click here for lots of lovely Christmas and Kwanzaa gift ideas.

Click here to read about Kwanzaa.

The recording of the show is below.

Preview: Kwanzaa: Do Black Consumers Buy Black?

As the season of Kwanzaa approaches, we are asking, Do Black Consumers Buy Black? We will be joined by Charles Taylor, author of Kwanzaa: How to Celebrate It in Your Home. For more info, and to listen in, scroll down.

Listen to internet radio with Zhana21 on Blog Talk Radio

Click here to listen or phone in, on Saturday the 3rd of December, 4:30 p.m. EST, 9:30 p.m. GMT.

If you miss the broadcast, you can still listen to the recording there.

Click here for lots of Christmas and Kwanzaa gift ideas.

Click here to read about Kwanzaa.

Promote Your Books at a Kwanzaa Event

Annual Plainfield NJ Kwanzaa Authors and Vendors

The City of Plainfield is looking to honor writers at their December 30th annual
Kwanzaa. If you've written a book and are interested in promoting it, please
call 908.753.3097.

The Kwanzaa will be held at the Washington Community School, Plainfield.

Free of charge.

Performances, vendors, and a Kwanzaa dinner for all.

Many thanks to African Cultural Vendors for this information.

Click here for more Kwanzaa events.

Click here for more ideas about how to promote your book for the holidays.

London Kwanzaa, Tokyo Kwanzaa

Every year, I post a list of Kwanzaa events on my site, including international events.

I have the first details of international events now.


Tokyo Kwanzaa
A Kwanzaa will be held in Tokyo today (Monday 28th November).

London Kwanzaa
Stereo-Hype will be presenting a Kwanzaa event on Friday the 9th of December, 7-9 p.m. in east London.

Click here for details of these and other Kwanzaa events. I shall continue to update the comments section on this page.

Click here to read about the tradition of Kwanzaa.

Click here for lots of lovely Christmas and Kwanzaa gift ideas, including my books.

Happy Kwanzaa!

Two Pre-Kwanzaa Events

I have just found out about two pre-Kwanzaa events being held at the Alexandria Black History Museum in Alexandria, VA on Saturday December 10th. For more info, see Black Museums.

Click here for more listings of Kwanzaa and pre-Kwanzaa events.

Click here to read about the tradition of Kwanzaa.

Click here for loads of lovely Christmas and Kwanzaa gifts, including my books as well as free online fun for children and the whole family, books, DVDs and more.

Happy Kwanzaa!

Jamelia on Natural Hair

I saw the singer Jamelia on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff today. She has been on the panel all week.

Jamelia says she has relaxed her hair for 20 years, but now she has decided to wear it natural.

Her two young daughters told her "When we grow up, we want to have straight hair like yours" and she said, "No, I love your big, bushy Afros".

This led her to question what type of image she is portraying, so she has decided to "bring back the Afro".

Well done, Jamelia. I hope more celebrities will follow your example.

African American Bloggers' Carnival

The theme of the next African American Bloggers' Carnival is "Black relationships, families, culture and society".

"All positive, Black-focused blogs are invited to submit links for review and possible inclusion."

The deadline for submission is the 30th of November. Click here to post your entries.

And good luck!

Click here to read more about Black bloggers and blogging.

Black Doll/White Doll

If you have not seen this already, or even if you have, check this out:

These very young children have already learned the lesson of self-hatred.



What can we do about this?

Buy culturally relevant gifts which reflect us and our children.

Buy Black This Holiday Season.

Living with Joy Worldwide Meditation

I am so happy to be able to share this with you. Click here for Orin's Living with Joy Worldwide Meditation.

Plus click here to read about Orin and DaBen, and how you can change scarcity to abundance.

This is not specifically for people of Afrian heritage, it's for everyone.

The Best, Most Highly Effective Methods for Black People (Part 5)

Part 4 is about building on your past achievements to attract greater success. Click here to read it.

This is the final part of this series.

Strategy 6 – Be True to Yourself

Strategy 6 is, in some ways, the most important strategy of all.

Be yourself. Be true to yourself. Be authentic.

Many times, we try to fit in with what other people want. We try to meet other people’s expectations. If you were raised on a system of rewards and punishments, you probably have this problem, at least to some extent.

The school system tends to reinforce this pattern. Rewards and punishments are used to control children’s behaviour.

So, you may need to unlearn this pattern.

My parents’ generation tended to try to fit in with what they thought white people wanted. This was a survival strategy. They thought that, as long as they played by white people’s rules, they would be able to survive and thrive. But there was a terrible price to pay, as they lost a sense of who they were.

Another thing we tend to do is to fit in with our ideas of “what Black people do”, and avoid doing “what Black people don’t do”. This is called group mentality. To read more about this, see The Key to Confidence.

As long as you are trying to fit in with the group, you will never truly be honouring your own uniqueness.

Learn to love yourself, appreciate yourself and value yourself.

You are a unique individual. There has never been anyone just like you before, and there never will be again.

Click here for the Success Strategies fan page

Click here to read about what I have manifested - and can help you to manifest, too.

Click here to download Excerpts from Success Strategies for Black People now.

See also: Positive Change and Transformation.

This blog contains loads of information to help you achieve your goals and manifest what you want. Much of it is based on Success Strategies for Black People and What They Don't Want Us to Know.

I invite you to search this blog to find what you need to help you get what you want.

What do you think of this blog? Please leave a comment below.

Why I Wrote Success Strategies for Black People

I have just published Excerpts from Success Strategies for Black People, so I thought it was useful to explore why I wrote Success Strategies.

Our people are suffering and struggling needlessly. We are suffering and struggling in ignorance.

Why are so many of our people living below the poverty line?

Why are so many people in Africa struggling, living without access to clean water, health care or education?

Why are so many African Americans disadvantaged in the education system? Why are so many told by their teachers, "You will never amount to anything"?

Why are there disproportionate numbers of Black people in prison - on both sides of the Atlantic?

For more about this, see Why We Need to Heal.

Then click here to read about what I have manifested - and can help you to manifest, too.

My goal is to help you achieve your goals.

Click here to download Excerpts from Success Strategies for Black People now.

See also: Positive Change and Transformation.

Kwanzaa and Pre-Kwanzaa Events

I have started listing Kwanzaa and pre-Kwanzaa events on my site. Click here for Kwanzaa events.

Some of these include:

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will hold Kujichagulia: A Kwanzaa Celebration for School Groups on Wednesday, December 21, 2011, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Click here for museum events.

Some of these include:

The DuSable Museum in Chicago will hold the Harambee pre-Kwanzaa Celebration on the 8th of December.

The African American Museum in Philadelphia will hold a Kwanzaa event on the 30th of December.

I shall continue to add details of Kwanzaa events, so please come back.

Why Are There No Black Entrepreneurs?

Okay, so this guy - founder of Tech Crunch Michael Arrington - is saying he cannot name ONE SINGLE BLACK ENTREPRENEUR in Silicone Valley. In fact, he seems to be saying there are NO BLACK ENTREPRENEURS at all!

So I must be a figment of your imagination. In fact, you are not reading this at all.

Obviously, our brains are too tiny.

Click here for free advice from Black business experts.

Achieving Our Highest Potential

One of the most important things we need to do in order to achieve our higher potential is to get the different parts of ourselves to work together harmoniously. This is sometimes called "integration" (NOT to be confused with racial integration).

The parts of us that we disown, ignore or try to hide are the parts that contain our treasure.

Click here to read more. I talk about this more in Success Strategies for Black People.

Slavery and the White House

Below is a fascinating video interview with Clarence Lusane, author of The Black History of the White House.

One point he makes is that people who were enslaved in the U.S.A., and all over the world, were influenced by the Haitian Revolution. Like Oney, a young woman who had been owned by George and Martha Washington until she ran away.

We have so much to learn from each other internationally.

Click here to read more about the Haitian Revolution.

Is This Racial Stereotyping?

I phoned The Wright Stuff on Channel 5 this morning.

They were discussing the new TV drama, Top Boy, soon to be seen on Channel 4.

Top Boy, which will star Ashley Walters, has been criticised for focusing on young, Black gangsters and drug dealers. Hackney Council has withdrawn its permission to shoot the drama within the borough, saying that it negatively stereotypes Black youth.

The producers argue that the drama reflects life for young people on inner-city estates.

Nina Wadia, an Asian actress from EastEnders, echoed these thoughts on the show today.

My argument is that, yes, it does represent some of the realities of life for some young people.

However, there are many more stories that are not being told or not made into dramas for TV and film.

When we keep seeing the same portrayal of Black people over and over again, these images become stereotypes and cliches.

In Black Success Stories, I have profiled many successful Black people in Britain.

My free More Black Success ebooks also feature the experience of successful Black people in a range of fields.

Don't just protest against negative stereotyping. Produce positive images and positive stories like the ones in Black Success Stories and More Black Success.

Oprah Richest Woman in Entertainment

According to a recent article, Oprah Winfrey has been declared the richest woman in entertainment, leaving No. 2 Lady Gaga in the shade. Click here to read more.

Actually, I don't understand why these things are stated in this kind of competitive way. But there ya go.

Click here to download my free More Black Success ebooks about Black business success.

Click here for more free ebooks and reports.

Wangari Maathai, Warrior Woman

I want to share this great blog about Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan woman who has been active in the environmental movement for many years. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work in the Green Belt Movement.

Often, the environmental movement has operated in a way that is very Eurocentric, and has marginalised and excluded African people and other people of colour.

This blog about Kibera describes some of the conditions endured by people in Kenya, and the way these conditions have been exploited by Europeans.

Anna Renee's blog underlines points I have made on this blog many times - that we need to tell our own stories and that we, as African people all over the world, need to network with each other. We need to share our stories. We need to communicate with each other and educate ourselves about each other's lives.

Long may this continue.

Please leave your comments below.

Learning Black History Is Fun

Click here to take my online Black history quizzes. Great fun for your children and for all the family.

See also:

Black Facts

More Free Online Fun

How to Research Black History.

This blog contains hundreds of Black history resources. If you type “Black history” into the search box, you can access them.

Please leave your comments below. Thanks.

How to Leverage Conference Networking

Greetings, all.

Where do we start with conference networking? How does it differ from local networking?

Click here to read an article by Twitter's Smallbizlady Melinda Emerson on How to Leverage Conference Networking.

To read my interview with Melinda on how she gained over 15,000 Twitter followers, and for advice from other Black business experts, click here to download More Black Success Volume 10.

Ever wanted to attend a conference but lacked the funds? Click here to download my ebook Shaking the Money Tree.

Here's to your success!

Moving Forward - What We Can Learn from Troy Davis

As I said in yesterday's blog, one thing we can learn from the tragic, horrendous case of Troy Davis is that justice often stops short of where we need it to be. Click here to read more.

People of African heritage are over-represented in the prison system. This is true on both sides of the Atlantic.

I truly believe that Spiritual Response Therapy (SRT) can help in many cases in which there have been miscarriages of justice.

SRT can produce amazing results. I have seen this in my own life many times. We are capable of producing miracles.

The Higher Self always works to find the best possible solution for everyone in a given situation. SRT is just one way in which the Higher Self works.

To read more about the Higher Self and SRT, see my book Success Strategies for Black People.

If you are willing to try new things, you can learn how to produce these amazing results and help to create a better future - for everyone.

When these kinds of terrible, tragic situations arise, we need to see this as a wake-up call. We need to find new methods to help us to move forward.

Click here to order your copy of Success Strategies for Black People now. It could help you our someone you love.

A Letter from Troy Davis

Click here to read a letter from Troy Davis.

As I blogged yesterday, Troy Davis's appeal for clemency has been denied despite worldwide protests. His supporters are still fighting hard in these final hours before his scheduled execution.

This 2003 Justice Department report gives statistics of imprisonment in the United States.

It gives figures going back to 1974 showing that African American males are disproportionately represented in the prison system.

In other words, this is nothing new. African American males have also long been disproportionately represented on death row.

It is important to remember that the fight for justice did not begin with Troy Davis and it does not end with him. This is a fight for all of us. When one person is denied justice, we all suffer.

La luta continua.

Why We Need to Identify as Black

From time to time, I receive comments from people about the fact that I use the word “Black” to refer to people of African heritage. Thus, my books are called Black Success Stories, Success Strategies for Black People and More Black Success.

The history of the word Black is an interesting one. In traditional African spiritual practice, the colour black is considered to be the strongest, most powerful colour in existence. When we want to attract something, we use the colour black to attract it.

To take an example from nature, a black hole in space attracts everything to it.

My opinion – this is a personal view – is that white people, people of European descent, as well as other light-skinned people such as Arabs, were aware of the power of the colour black, and that is why they feared it. So they started to associate blackness with negativity.

However, as African people, we have no reason to fear the colour black or the word “black”. Plus, many of our ancestors were black, the colour of the earth, and there are still many black-skinned African people in the diaspora, all over the world.

The rich, deep dark blackness of Black skin - "coal-black, plum black, blue black" to quote Maya Angelou.

So Blackness is an important part of our identity.

As an African American, I am proud to identify myself as Black and I shall continue to do so.

This blog contains hundreds of Black history resources. If you type “Black history” into the search box, you can access them.

Please leave your comments below.

Troy Davis Denied Clemency

In case you have not heard, Troy Davis has been denied clemency. He is scheduled for execution tomorrow, Wednesday the 21st of September

This is just one more case of the criminal justice system being used to murder a Black man legally. Troy Davis is being treated as guilty until proven innocent.

Amnesty International is urging us to take action. It is not too late to stop the execution of Troy Davis. Click here to read more.

Click here for the Amnesty International blog.

Seven of the nine witnesses who testified against him have now recanted on their statements. Click here to view a video from the Huffington Post.

How to Research Black History

In my book, Black Success Stories, the late Len Garrison, founder of the Black Cultural Archives in South London, gives his steps for researching Black history.

He talks about defining a Black identity, why he started to teach Black history and how he founded the archives.

Click here to order your copy now. Black Success Stories also makes a great gift.

Black Success Stories also contains an interview with Jak Dodd, the creator of the Nubian Jak Black history board game.

Knowledge of Black history – the history of African people - starts at home. It’s down to the parents – we cannot rely on the schools to do it.

My parents taught me about my history from a very young age. They planted a seed. All of our parents and grandparents carry valuable knowledge which we need to share.

Once we have an awareness of even a little Black history, we can build on this. I continue to attend Black history events and I always learn something new.

For more about the importance of Black history, see: Our History, Our Healing.

This blog contains hundreds of Black history resources. If you type “Black history” into the search box, you can access them.

Please leave your comments below.

Tribute to Gil Scott Heron - Message to the Messengers

A tribute to Gil Scott Heron, Message to the Messengers: Mi Revalushanary Frenz will be held at The Drum in Birmingham, UK, on 27th October as part of their Black History Month programme.

Gil Scott Heron was one of the most talented and outspoken spoken word artists of ANY generation. His words, with drums or with jazz accompaniment, forecast some of the issues we are facing today. See below for videos of the classic "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".

Click here for more details of this and other BHM UK2 2011 events.



Click here for another hard-hitting version.

See below for a video of Gil Scott Heron talking about this piece.



This blog contains hundreds of Black history resources. If you type “Black history” into the search box, you can access them.

Please leave your comments below.

Kwanzaa Stories Wanted

I am seeking original Kwanzaa stories by writers of African heritage for publication.

I am looking for short stories of 500-1500 words on the theme of Kwanzaa, and/or set at Kwanzaa. Your story must be suitable for a family audience.

Click here for more about my work.

Click here for details of how to submit your story for consideration.

For more about Kwanzaa, see: Kwanzaa - Celebrating Traditional African Values.

Deadline: 31st October 2011

The Gollywog Issue (Again)

On Channel 5's The Wright Stuff this morning, they are discussing gollywogs. Should they be banned? Someone put a gollywog in their window in order deliberately to offend their Black neighbours.

In my book Black Success Stories, the founder of the Black Cultural Archives, Len Garrison, talked about the research he had done into the use of groteque images of African people in the British colonies. He was struck by the amount of money manufacturers had invested in preserving these types of images.

Yet some people still find the need to defend the use of these dolls with their grotesque features.

I find it fascinating the way The Wright Stuff tackles issues, including racial issues. They look at issues from lots of different angles and different people on the panel have widely varying views. And Matthew Wright genuinely appears willing to learn - at least sometimes.

Further Thoughts on the Riots

There was a lot of destruction caused by the riots across London and the UK a few weeks ago. As ever, my first thought is, why did people feel the need to riot, loot and burn?

Obviously, as I said in previous posts, people are angry. There is a lot of anger being expressed in these situations. I believe a big contributing factor is that the government has refused to listen to what people want. And it is still refusing to listen.

Why is there so much anger and disssatisfaction? We can only find out by asking the people involved.

There has been an enormous amount of speculation. And an enormous amount of stereotyping.

We need an alternative. We need to turn this situation around.

The media have blamed "young people" for the rioting and destruction, although only about 20% of the people involved have been under 18 years of age.

The media have stereotyped the Black community as rioters and looters. The Evening Standard was full of photos of African people being taken to court. But the truth is somewhat different.

Black community leaders have taken it on themselves to try to address what have been long-standing problems between young Black people and the police. These problems certainly may have contributed to the events of a few weeks ago.

The shooting of a young Black man, lies and rumours about this incident, and the assault by police officers on a young woman on a peaceful demonstration may well have contributed. But people of many different racial and cultural backgrounds took part in the rioting and looting.

Orthodox Jewish people were filmed at the riots in North London.

The fact that white people have been rioting in London since last year has been all but forgotten.

In Nonviolent Communication (NVC), we say that people's actions are always an attempt to meet a need.

In order to get someone to do what you want, you first need to give empathy to that person. That is, you have to connect with that person's feelings and needs. For more about this, click here to read my article on Nonviolent Communication.

I have not heard any empathy at all from the government or the media, although I have heard empathy from some of our community leaders.

Mostly what I have been hearing is "bring in the Army", "bring in water cannons", "impose harsh sentences". This is the opposite of empathy. This is a fear reaction and does not address the causes of the rioting.

At a recent meeting in London of the African People's Parliament, which had met to discuss issues arising from the riots, the police sent a helicopter and shined a light on the door of the building.

We need to use different methods, as I said previously. I saw this coming, as I said on a previous post. And I predict more rioting as long as the government continues with this blame game, and continues to avoid dealing with the underlying issues.

It takes an enormous amount of courage to say, "we will not give in to fear. We will not give vent to our violent impulses". But this is what we need to do.

People need to stop posturing, stop pointing the finger and start using more effective methods.

Click here for my workshps in London.

We have been presented with a golden opportunity to turn things around. Let's use it.

Please leave your comments below.

Egalite for All

I recently saw this excellent PBS documentary about the Haitian Revolution, which was screened by Black History Studies.

Egalite for All was chock full of factual information, as was the subsequent presentation by Charmaine at Black History Studies.

Click here to read some of what I learned.

This is important information for all African people. And there is always more to learn. See also:

The Haitian Revolution and Practical Spirituality. The book entitled The Logical and Historical Significance of the Haitian Revolution was mentioned by Panyin on What U Need to Know. Click here to read more and listen to the show.

Dark Girls Lecture with Directors

The Dark Girls documentary explores color prejudice/colorism among African American women. See below for a trailer.

The Du Sable Museum in Chicago will hold a lecture with Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, the directors of Dark Girls, on Monday, October 10, 2011.

For details of this and other events, see Black History/Cultural Events.

See also: Chicago African Festival of the Arts.

For more great stuff like this, click here to join Nurture Success.

See also: Africa and Africans on Film.

Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.

Andrew Jackson Beard - Black Inventor

I have just discovered a great site about Black inventors.

Andrew Jackson Beard saved the lives and limbs of many people working on the railroads in the 19th century. Click here to read more.

Plus click here for advice from Black business experts.

Here's to your success!

Chicago African Festival of the Arts

The African Festival of the Arts in Chicago celebrates the arts of the African Diaspora. 2-5 September 2011.

For details of this and more events, see Black History/Cultural Events.

Below is a video about the African Festival of the Arts.

Why My Book Is Not for Everyone

My book Success Strategies for Black People is not for everyone.

That's because many people of African heritage are not ready to take the steps necessary to bring about positive change.

They are too busy looking for something else to do it.

Looking for a solution for "us", for the Black community, rather than facing up to the fact that positive change starts with the individual. Positive change starts with self.

When we know and understand how to bring about positive change for ourselves, in our own lives, we understand how others in our families and communities can use these methods to bring about the change they need, too.

Harriet Tubman has been an inspiration for me since I was a child - more than 40 years now. A few months ago, I learned that the first time she ran away, she went back to the plantation.

She ran away with her brothers, and they all turned back.

Eventually, she made the decision to run away on her own. Once she took that step, she found others who helped her and gave her the support she needed.

Having proved that it was possible, Harriet was then able to go back time and time again, to lead many others to freedom.

Learn the lessons of history. We need to be willing to take that first step. Then we will see how to encourage others to do the same - for the benefit of our Black families and our Black communities.

Click here to order Success Strategies for Black People today.

Here's to your success!

Bill Gates Offering Scholarships to African American Students

The information below was sent to me by Black News.

Bear in mind Bill Gates's company Microsoft has used cheap prison labor.

Click here for my ebook, Shaking the Money Tree, on how to raise sponsorship funds for your education or your business.

The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program (GMS) will select 1,000 talented students next year to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice.

Scholars will also be provided with personal and professional development through their leadership programs, along with academic support throughout their college career.

The program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established to provide outstanding low income minority students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest. To date, the program has given scholarships to more than 15,000 students.

Continuing scholars may request funding for a graduate degree program in one of the following discipline areas: education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

The deadline for submitting an application is Wednesday, January 11, 2012.

To apply, visit www.blackstudents.com/billgates

Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution

On Saturday, we were honoured to have Sister Panyin as our guest on What U Need to Know.

She spoke very eloquently about African Remembrance Day and the Haitian Revolution.

Panyin emphasised the role of traditional spirituality in the revolution, in which the Haitian people under L'Ouverture's leadership defeated the armies of France, Spain, Britain and France again.

Click here to listen.

We talked about practical spirituality, which is the basis of my book Success Strategies for Black People.

Practical spirituality is what helped African people to survive during slavery, and we can use practical spirituality to achieve our goals.

My parents taught me about Black history and heroes and sheroes like L'Ouverture and Harriet Tubman. We cannot rely on the schools to teach our children about our history and heritage.

Panyin also shared information about a book by Clinton A. Hutton entitled The Logic and Historical Significance of the Haitian Revolution and the Cosmological Roots of Haitian Freedom

To read more about Haiti past and present, see Two Films about Haiti.

Exam Results Day

You and your family may have had weeks of anxiety waiting for exam results. Today, at last, they have been announced.

But now that you have the results, you may be facing another anxiety - how will you pay for university education?

Matthew Wright of Channel 5's The Wright Stuff has said that many young people are deciding not to pursue higher education, because they do not want to be saddled with a high level of debt.

But there is a solution.

Shaking the Money Tree is my ebook which explains how you can raise funds for college or university tuiton.

The experts interviewed in Shaking the Money Tree also explain how to raise sponsorship funding for business events, arts and community projects, and sporting events.

Click here to download it now.

If you are worried about your exam results, phone the Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000.

Here's to your success!

Rodney King Urges Young People to Stop Violent and Criminal Behaviour

Rodney King became a household name in the early 1990s for some of the worst possible reasons - he was badly beaten by racist police officers in Los Angeles.

Rioting broke out in L.A. when the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty" for the police officers involved.

Similarly, violence broke out in Tottenham, North London when the police assaulted a 16-year-old girl during a peaceful protest.

King has now stressed that people should not loot and burn their own neighbourhoods - this is not a solution. He says: "Being a looter is a crime, but who are you hating? Your local store? My message to all rioters is to stop.”

Click here for a positive alternative to the violence.

See also: UK Riots - Ending the Violence.

Click here to read more about King's statement.

Targeting the Black Community

The African Caribbean community is now being scapegoated - we are being blamed for the riots and violent disorder of last week. Like the riots, this was entirely predictable.

Click here for a positive alternative - the African Caribbean Family Leadership Project.

One caller on The Wright Stuff this morning said that people who use Patois are violent. The guest presenter did nothing to challenge him on this.

Patois is spoken by many people including parents, teachers and community leaders.

This call was in response to remarks by historian David Starkey, who claimed that Black culture is violent and that the infamous "rivers of blood" speech by Enoch Powell was right.

What is this if not incitement to violence against the Black community. Apparently, links to the English Defence League (EDF) website have been added to Starkey's video on YouTube.

This is just the thin end of the wedge. Expect more of the same.

Click here for a positive alternative - the African Caribbean Family Leadership Project.

Commentators including Bishop Dr. Derek Webley, Chair of the West Midlands Police Authority, and Sgt. Winston Christie, Interim Chair of the Black and Asian Police Association, have stated clearly that the riots were not just to do with Black people - they reflect the disaffection of many young people in British society today.

See also: Ending the Violence.

Looking for Work?

Have you been looking for work for some time? Or do you know someone who has?

Recently left school or graduated from university?

Or are you facing layoff or redundancy?

Are you worried that there are just not enough jobs out there? Or that you're going to be stuck in a McJob forever?

Have you answered loads of job ads? Tried lots of different things? Getting fed up?

The jobsearch can be frustrating, but I can help.

Click here to download my free report on 4 Steps to Finding the Job You Want.

Plus click here to read about how you can use EFT in your job search.

And click here for my free jobsearch consultations.

Here's to your success!

Why We Are Afraid to Try Something New?

Does this describe you?

You have had a health problem for some time. Maybe you are in pain. Or you know someone who is.

If you have tried lots of different things, but you still struggle with this issue, you are probably feeling fed up by now.

You have experienced so much disappointment you don't even want to try anymore.

I can help.

I am offering solutions for diabetes, Alzheimer's, pain relief and other health issues.

If you are open to the possiblity that MAYBE you can find a solution, I can help you find one.

Click here to read more and download my free resources.

See also: Alternative Health Remedies.

Click here for more information about me and my work.

Here's to your health!

African Emancipation Day: What U Need to Know

I hope you will join us for What U Need to Know tomorrow (Saturday) at 7:30 p.m. UK time, 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

We will be discussing African Remembrance Day.

Can the riots and violence we are seeing on the streets of the UK be linked to revolutionary action? Or is there no connection?

We will be joined by Sister Panyin, who will talk about the Haitian Revolution.

Click here to listen or click here to join us on Facebook.

This Is an Opportunity to Create a Better Future

The footage from the UK riots is terrible and unrelenting.

People are losing their homes and their jobs. This situation is bringing out the worst in people.

I can't help thinking this could have been prevented. See I Saw This Coming.

However, this is an opportunity to create a better future. This crisis can be a positive turning point. The potential is there.

To read more, see UK Riots - Ending the Violence.

We can go on pointing the finger of blame, or we can find a positive solution.

This is a great opportunity. We can continue escalating the violence, or we can change direction to create a better future.

UK Riots - Ending the Violence

As the riots in many parts of London continue to spread across the UK, there is more and more talk about putting troops on the streets.

The situation is highly chaotic. The police are overstretched. They appear to be making it up as they go along.

For a better way to communicate and end the violence, see Improving Communication.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is one of the most effective methods of countering violence. NVC is used to transform situations, including cases of extreme violence.

We need leadership. We need strategies to address this situation.

The police and the authorities need to be using better strategies now. The old ways are not working - how more obvious can this get?

For news of NVC workshops in Britain and Europe, click here, here and here.

See also: Ending the Violence through a Creative Response. When are we gonna learn? We need a better way.

More Violence in London

The violence in London is continuing. Since Saturday night, the rioting and looting in Tottenham and Enfield have spread to Hackney and Bethnal Green in East London, Brixton and Clapham in Southwest London, Lewisham and Peckham in Southeast London, Croydon to the South.

Now the violence has spread outside of London to Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool.

As I said a couple of days ago, I Saw This Coming.

People are complaining because the police are slow to respond, but they are clearly overstretched. They seem to be making it up as they go along. It will not surprise me if there are troops on the streets by the end of the week, like what happened in Detroit in 1967.

Mayor Boris Johnson and Prime Minister David Cameron refused to break off their holidays at first, but as the violence has spread, they are both now heading back home.

For those of us who have been here, the situation is very tense. We don't know where the violence will break out next.

The terrible incident which led to the death of Mark Duggan is not the cause of this. That incident was just the catalyst. I feel terribly sad for his family and the grief they are experiencing.

It stopped being about that a long time ago, though.

And it's not about the Black community. White English youths are out there rioting. Turkish young people, Eastern European immigrants are out there, too. Not just young people, older people are out on the streets.

Home Secretary Theresa May keeps saying this is "criminality", and of course, this is true. But it's missing the point.

I saw this coming because people are angry. People have been angry for months.

I saw this coming because the government is not listening.

Be very clear. I am not condoning the violence and mayhem.

I am saying it was inevitable and could be predicted months ago. In fact, I predicted it.

Don't know what's going to happen next, but it won't be good.

And it won't surprise me if the Black community takes the brunt of any repercussions.

Tottenham Riot: I Saw This Coming

Probably a lot of people saw this coming. I sure did.

Click here for a video on the Tottenham riot last night.

I've been saying for months now, expect a summer of rioting. I thought we might have been spared because the weather had turned cloudy and temperatures were down. But no.

The sun came out and it was lovely, warm and sunny. And then the police decided to shoot somebody.

At least one eyewitness said that Mark Duggan was lying on the ground when the officers shot him.

Cuts, layoffs and redundancies. Pensions are shrinking. Tuition fees are rising. Then the police decide to shoot somebody. In Tottenham, a Black community with a history of tensions with the police.

Somebody please convince me this is not a conspiracy.

See also: Death of Smiley Culture.

We need to focus on solutions. There is a solution to this problem if we take a positive approach - the methods of the past do not work. Not for us. And ultimately, not for anybody.

Flora Nwapa: The Mother of African Women's Writing

I came across this blog post today: Remembering Flora – The Mother of African Womens Writing.

According to this, Flora Nwapa was the first African woman writer to be published in English.

We must remember that still, in many parts of Africa, women and girls are denied education. Buchi Emecheta, a Nigerian author of more than 20 books, has said that without her education, which was paid for by a grant from the Methodist church, she would never have achieved financial and personal independence.

Click here to read my interview with Buchi.

See also: Her Husband Burned Her First Novel.

Black History Film: The First Grader

As I stated in Historic Victory for Kenyans/The Mau Mau, four elderly Kenyans have been granted the right to sue the UK government. Given these recent developments, the screening of this film I attended in London was very timely.

The First Grader tells the story of Maruge, an elderly Kenyan man who has never learned to read and write, and who decides to go back to school.

Maruge has received a letter from the government and wants to read it for himself. In the course of the film, we catch glimpses of what he suffered at the hands of the British – his imprisonment and torture and the killing of his family during the “Mau Mau” uprising of the 1950s.

The First Grader graphically depicts the lack of knowledge of subsequent generations, who don’t understand what he fought for, or what he is fighting for now.

When I told my 90-year-old dad that the subject of this film was a man in his eighties, he immediately replied, "That's wonderful!". This was my response as well.

So I was shocked to see the reactions of some of the locals, who resented the fact that Maruge was going back to school, even though he was not taking resources away from any children. This showed how far the African tradition of respect for the elders has been eroded.

Some even assumed the headmistress, played by Naomie Harris, was being bribed to educate this senior learner.

This film is a must-see for those who, like many, know little or nothing about the history of Kenya under colonisation.

After the screening, we had a panel discussion which included one of the lawyers representing the elderly Kenyans who have just been granted the right to sue the British government. For more about this, see: Historic Victory for Kenyans/The Mau Mau

The screening was held before that decision had been reached. The panel explained that the UK government had, for many years, denied the existence of any documentation about what had happened in Kenya.

Then an archive was discovered which contained documentary evidence of what was done in Kenya and many other countries under British colonisation.

Thus the decision was granted. We will be discussing this on What U Need to Know on Saturday the 13th of August, as part of our discussion of African Emancipation Day. Click here to join us or go to Success Strategies for Black People on Facebook.

See also: Africa and Africans on Film

Worried about Money?

Many people are worried about money. There is so much uncertainty these days. People are facing being laid off, pensions are shrinking.

Here's the thing: worrying about bills, debts, etc. just makes things worse.

Did you know that our relationship with money is an emotional relationship? That means that when we change our thoughts and emotions, our money situation changes.

Think about it: when you feel more confident, don't you perform better?

My new ebook, The Power of Affirmations, contains practical suggestions which can help you to improve your situation. Click here to download it now.

Here's to your success!