By TSD Newsroom

Pastor Stephen “Wade” Steelman has joined the pastoral staff at Brown Missionary Baptist Church (BMBC), making him the first non-black pastor in the historically black church since its founding in 1882.

Baptist churches in the South have historically been divided along racial lines, and the Rev. Bartholomew Orr, senior pastor of BMBC since 1989, said he hopes Brown can exemplify how we can nurture unity and understanding and lift each other up spiritually through Christ.

“God not only intends – he requires that we love our brother and sister, despite race, yet one of the most racially segregated places in our society has historically been church,” said Orr. “I hired Pastor Steelman because he is a knowledgeable, experienced and humble spiritual leader, but I also pray this is the beginning of more diversity in churches like ours.”

Steelman will serve as discipleship pastor at Brown, which has a membership of more than 10,000 people who worship at one of the church’s two campuses in Southaven, Miss. Brown also has foreign missions teams, more than 40 enriched ministries and supports multiple ministries throughout the world.

Steelman has served in various pastoral roles for nearly 20 years, in both small rural congregations and urban mega churches. He also served as a regional denominational leader within the Southern Baptist Convention for the Xtended Missions Network in Northwest Mississippi. He has traveled on missions to numerous countries, including Bangladesh and Poland.

“As the Discipleship pastor at Brown, teaching people how to allow Christ to live His life through them, and then launching them into a lifestyle of reproducing spirit-filled Christ followers is my goal — my life goal,” said Steelman, who holds a Masters of Divinity from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tennessee.

“If Christ, through me, chooses to accomplishes this, I will not have served in vain.”

(For more information on Brown Missionary Baptist Church, visit www.brownbaptist.org.)

By Karanja A. Ajanaku, kajanaku@tri-statedefender.com

A management team from Tri-State Bank of Memphis has met with one of the groups involved in recent protests in a move that is in keeping with thrusts elsewhere to promote what some refer to with two words: “bank black.”

Galvanized by disgust with incidents perceived as police brutality, protesters in Memphis and myriad other cities have hit the streets in demonstrations. Emerging from that surge of activity has been multiple calls to harness the economic power of African Americans. The related thoughts being that such power could be used to empower business endeavors – big and small – to provide much-needed jobs and support within the African-American community.

“There are several local groups involved in this protest movement. Apparently one of the groups did come to the bank and met with our CEO and COO,” said Archie W. Willis III, vice president of the Tri-State Bank Board of Directors.

“They committed to start a larger campaign that would hopefully bring in additional deposits over a period of time. They are still working out the details of what they want to do and we are working out the details on our end to be sure we can accommodate them if there is kind of a large, spontaneous interest in opening accounts.”

Some African-American-owned banks have reported a surge of new accounts. While that bump partly has been associated with pleas from civil-rights leaders to support “our” financial institutions, much of the most recent interest comes amid ongoing protests of the police killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. and Philando Castile near Minneapolis.

In Atlanta, more than 8,000 people reportedly opened accounts at Citizens Trust Bank between July 13-18 upon the urging of hip-hop artist Killer Mike.

Willis noted what he called “a small uptick” in new account activity at Tri-State Bank.

“Since the Sunday (July 10) event (that resulted in the shutdown of the Hernando Desoto Bridge) we’ve had approximately 78 new accounts opened,” said Willis, who did not have the dollar amount.

“We probably won’t get that (Atlanta) kind of impact. But based on the initial conversations with the group that they (the Tri-State management team) met with, they do expect to see additional accounts upon. And we think it is an opportunity for more people to potentially do business with Tri-State that haven’t before. We hope it builds momentum.”

In Nashville, Floyd Weekes, CEO/COO of Citizens Savings Bank, said Citizens had seen about 192 new accounts opened between about July 8 and July 18. Normally he would have expected 10 to 12 during such a span.

“It hasn’t translated into dollar growth. It translates into accounts growth. The dollar amount was only a little bit north of a $129,000,” said Weekes.

“We appreciate and like the support that’s coming in. What we want our constituents and community to know is that we would like for you to come and do your banking with us; not just put in $50 or $100 just to say we support the bank.”

Substantive support of African-American-owned banks increases the ability of those banks to do more in the African-American community, said Weekes, who sees the addition of 192 accounts as meaning there are 192 people who are aware of the bank and who may grow to do more with it.

Citizens Savings Bank operates in Nashville and Memphis. Information on how many of the 192 new accounts were opened in Memphis was not readily available.

Weekes suggests that many have forgotten or simply don’t know that when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis in 1968 it was after what Dr. King called for a “bank-in.”

That meant, said Weekes, “moving all your accounts and your monies from other institutions and putting them in African-American-owned institutions. …At the time, Memphis had quite a few black insurance companies also. He referenced that to say we also want you to do business in general (with African-American-owned businesses).

“We need to get our community galvanized again,” said Weekes, “to understand that the second half of his movement was an economic movement.”

African Americans had about $39 billion in disposal income (ninth among world economies) when Dr. King made his plea and today that figure is about $1.1 trillion, said Weekes, adding that ranks between ninth and 13th among world economies.

In 2013, there were 21 African-American-owned banks in the U.S., with approximately $4.7 billion in assets, according to HBCU Money. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation data showed 54 such banks in 1994.

Willis said there are multiple challenges to growth within the African-American community for banks such as Tri-State, including its relatively small size. Additionally, people have many options they didn’t have decades ago – including big banks and increasingly aggressive community banks.

“Technology speaking, we were behind the times for a period of time. …We are caught up and we have all the technology available, apps, the whole nine yards, online banking….It’s an ongoing challenge to make people aware that we are a bank that can provide generally all of the services that most customers will need and we can be competitive,” said Willis.

“It’s a matter of people knowing that we are there, and that’s on us.”

(This story includes a report by the Urban News Service, a TSD media partner.)

By Brittney Gathen, Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Image a circle of unity linking police and the faith community and providing a force of protection for Frayser residents now too often burdened with the weight of crime concerns

Unity was the central theme Monday night (July 18) at Pursuit of God Church in Frayser during a meeting called by Memphis Police Department Colonel James Kirkwood, commander of the Old Allen Station precinct. The meeting was crafted to bring the community together to discuss crime and examine strategies to address it.

“We’ve started a movement where the pastors, politicians and police officers are working together to try to create a positive change in our community,” Apostle Ricky Floyd, pastor of Pursuit of God Church, said prior to the event. “They (officers) are releasing the statistics of what’s going on around our churches so not only do we know what to pray for when we see rises in crime, but we also know what kind of programs to develop.”

Kirkwood touted the power of a collective community effort.

“Violence is touching us whether we want it to touch us or not,” he said. “You can’t continue to hear about a lot of homicides and violence and it doesn’t affect you mentally. Our officers are being affected also, because they have deal with it on a daily basis. This meeting is about bringing us together.”

Audience members were divided into six wards (121-126) according to where they attended church in the community and with the idea of setting the table for those within each area getting to know each other better.

“You need to know who God put you with to labor with in the area he put you (in),” Kirkwood said. “If we’re going to win, you’ve got to know who’ll be backing you up.”

Kirkwood detailed crime statistics the Old Allen Station precinct collected near churches from January 1, 2015 through June 26, 2016.

Among the findings:

Total juvenile arrests: Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2015 – 773; Jan. 1, 2016-June 26, 2016 – 284.
Total residential burglaries: Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2015 – 1,478; Jan. 1, 2015-June 26, 2016 – 645.
Total domestic aggravated assaults: Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2015 – 222; Jan. 1, 2015-June 26 – 132.

Kirkwood suggested churches offer programs such as sports leagues, anger management classes, tutoring, job readiness programs and leadership training in a move to corral crime. He also spoke of the need for churches to form committees to address topics/issues such as economic empowerment, domestic violence and youth crime outreach.

Local law enforcement, he said, would play a key role in helping the faith community address violence. That includes Old Allen Station officers developing partnerships with churches and pastors, continuation of Blue Crush crime fighting initiatives, providing speakers to address crime concerns and crime prevention and a strong community presence at youth rallies, community festivals and other events.

“You have to do things that will bring the whole community out,” Kirkwood said. “You have to do something where you (churches) are on the forefront and you’re pulling people together. …The police department is going to help. We’re going to show up, not as enforcers, but as help. If we come together, ain’t no stopping us.”

The evening’s question-and-answer segment opened the door for input.

Rep. Antonio Parkinson said it would be appreciated if some non-profits that receive millions in grant money would try to allocate some money to churches. He also urged churches to hold politicians accountable and to “close the door” on those who only show up during election time.

Pastor DeAndre Brown of Lifeline to Success and Lifeline to a Dying World Ministries noted that churches have “captive audiences.”

“I believe as pastors it’s our duty to help develop relationships between parishioners and police officers. We can help break down this divide between the community and the police department,” said Brown, suggesting that officers visit churches to engage in open dialogues with community members. “We need to get started now bringing people into the churches so they understand that the police are our friends.”

Reginald Johnson, 57, was among the community members that weighed in. Citing previous negative experiences, Johnson said he feared police. Kirkwood told him that while there are bad officers, there are also good officers he can build relationships with.

“They’ve got some good ideas,” Johnson said after the meeting. “I just don’t trust the police because I was misused by the police. (But) as long as they’re doing something in the church, I think I’ll be a part of it, because I am a deacon of my church.”

By TSD Newsroom

With the Best In Black Awards fast approaching, we’re delighted to announce our host: comedian Jonathan Slocumb!

Seen on BET, HBO and as a two-time host of the Stellar Awards, Slocumb brings his energy, personality and unique brand of comedy. It’ll be a great night of fun!

A few other updates:

• Voting continues through Aug. 2! VOTE NOW!

• Get your tickets NOW at ticketmaster.com or at the Cannon Center box office. A limited number of tickets are available at the TSD offices — call Ester Moore at 901-523-1818.

• Tickets are $40, $30 and $25.

• Tickets for the VIP Pre-Show Party on Friday, Aug. 19 are $30.

• On July 25, early voting results will be posted on tsdmemphis.com and on the TSD mobile app.

• TSD CEO/Publisher, Bernal E. Smith, II, BIBA executive producer, will go LIVE on the TSD Facebook page at noon on Monday, July 25 for big announcements about the charitable contributions from this year’s event, special ticket giveaways and a special one-day sale on tickets for both Friday and Saturday night’s events! Mark your calendars!

• Also on July 25, we will be giving away tickets for BIBA events at Melodic Mondays at Love Lounge!

Don’t miss this year’s show! Special thanks to:

Presenting Sponsor First Tennessee Bank, Cigna, City of Memphis Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Coca Cola, Comcast, The National Civil Rights Museum, The Redwing Group, All World Media Group and Creative Solutions!

By Kelvin Cowans, Special to The New Tri-State Defender

The venue: An office owned by Coleman Thompson, the father of one of the three members of Friends That Rap – Thompson’s son Freshcobain, 23 (Oakhaven High 2011), B-Tree Rodgers, 23 (Oakhaven High School 2011) and Kash Giovanni, 22 (Bartlett High 2012).

The elder Thompson is adamant. Friends That Rap is on a hot trail to success in the music business, he says.

Yes, they come straight out of Memphis, where the rap legend legacy includes spending “Robin” time on street corners pushing dope before becoming “Batman” to America’s music crowd. Friends That Rap is different. Looking more like the 90s Rap Group “A Tribe called Quest,” one might not expect them to be as gritty as they are on the microphone.

With their mixtape “How To Build A Mixtape” on point, they’re grimy when they have to be, crunk when they want to be and street smart the whole time. Daddy Thompson says with patience and professionalism – now and later – Friends That Rap has the potential to be, well, as some folks down south would put it, “Bigger than Grandma Draws!”

Kelvin Cowans: How did you guys come together?

Freshcobain: We were already friends, so we simply decided to come together as a group. We put together a showcase that was so unsuccessful and we were like, “wow.” The downfall brought us together and we were like, “let’s try this thing again.” We feel like us being together is more powerful.

B-Tree: It was meant to happen that way. It brought us close together. Friends That Rap, it’s so simple.

KC: B-Tree, how long you been rapping?

B-Tree: I’ve been rapping since 10th grade. I was rapping before then but I wasn’t taking it serious. I was just a kid beating on the desk in high school and that’s where it all started.

KC: Kash Giovanni, when did you start?

Kash Giovanni: I was in the 10th grade as well. I started off making beats at first and then started rapping later. I was tight on my beats but there were things I needed to work on and I got a lot better. Like B-Tree I started taking it seriously.

KC: Freshcobain … when did you start rapping, when did you fall in love with hip-hop.

Freshcobain: Ha, I’ve always loved all kinds of music. Ironically, I started in the 10th grade as well. But long before then, I grew up in a house where I listened to artist like Prince and Michael Jackson. I played in the band at Wooddale Middle in sixth grade, bought my own trumpet and everything. I’ve been more of a songwriter at first but then became a rapper.

KC: Tell me about your mixtape … “How To Build A Mixtape.” How many songs do you have on it and what type of feedback are you getting about it?

KG: I’ll say this, we quit our jobs and moved out to Atlanta and we have won every competition that Atlanta has to offer. So we’ve received a lot of love.

B-Tree: Unfortunately, we’ve had to come back to Memphis for personal reasons but we did very well out there. It’s crazy because with Atlanta we really didn’t have a plan. We were actually headed to California. But we said what’s the next biggest and closest thing to us and it was Atlanta. Everyone knows how rich the music history is there, so we headed there. We got so much radio play there and a few radio interviews as well. Atlanta was a good look for Friends that Rap.

KC: You guys write your own songs?

KG: Yes sir!

KC: Which songs on the mixtape have the people been feeling?

KG: No. 8: “I don’t know her name.” It’s getting a lot of radio play. They love that song.

B-Tree: No. 5: “Secret Sauce.”

Freshcobain: No. 1: “California Dreaming.”

B-Tree: Yes, No. 1 is really special to me. I feel like it’s the realest verse I ever wrote. The song is all about following your dreams and that anything is possible. It’s about having everything you want because you worked for it.

KG: What’s real special about this mixtape is we want our mixtape to appeal to all cultures and races.

Freshcobain: In the end, we want to be taken seriously; we want to win Grammys. There is a bigger purpose behind our music and our lives. We want to stand out.

KC: Trust me, you stand out.

KG: It’s actually amazing to us how women are moved by songs that degrade them. However, we put our on spin on it when it comes to songs like, “I don’t know her name.” We just had fun with it, like being a bit sarcastic.

Freshcobain: We want to be different than all the other artists out of Memphis. You have to be different to stand out because a lot of people rap. They are waking up more and more every day like, “hey, I’m a rapper.” Truthfully, sometimes they get on quicker than someone who can really rap. They drop a stupid trap song and boom it’s a hit. Don’t get me wrong I like trap music, but it’s like the most stupid songs get the radio play and we don’t want to dumb down a generation to make a hit. We love our Memphis musicians but we want to be bigger than Yo Gotti and Young Dolph. We want to have charities and foundations that help people. I don’t want to just show off.

KC: Let’s say you guys make it. Minus the cars and houses and jewelry, what else do you guys want to do? Hey, and we don’t need no more chicken houses and cars on 24s. What y’all gone do man?

B-Tree: I want to do work with the humane society. I have a passion for that.

KG: Honestly, I just want a place to call home, a family to come home to. Just being with people that love me. I don’t need the flashy cars. I just want to be around positive energy.

Freshcobain: I want to be the face of a generation. I have a lot to say. I want to lead the second uprising. I want to be a part of the Black Panthers and work with the NAACP. I want to be famous. Our people are valuable and we can be the leading group of America.

(Kelvin Cowans can be reached at kelvincowans@hotmail.com.)

By Thomas C. Sheffield

What is your mindset? What are you consumed with? Are you consumed with reality TV? Are you consumed with nonsense that will not make a difference? Are you consumed with rims, weaves and social media?

We are focused on too many things that don’t matter.

One in five Americans would rather spend more on their data plans than on food. Fifty-nine percent of consumers pay $100 for their cell phones and 13 percent spend more than $200 per month. Although we have access to information through the Internet, I dare say we are dumber than we have ever been.

I am not OK with that.

Growing up, my father, a teacher, invested in my brother and I by purchasing a set of World Book Encyclopedias. We were lucky to have access to lots of good information. We were able to open those books and read about various subjects and people from all over the world. I was able to see maps of countries, regions and observe the world’s beauty. These books introduced me to great Americans that looked like me; heroes such as Frederick Douglas, Dr. Charles Drew and A. Philip Randolph. This resource opened up my imagination. It gave me the gift of the possibilities of the future.

Today, we no longer have to depend on a group of encyclopedias for information. We have access to more information than we had only three decades ago. Yet, over two thirds of high school graduates are unprepared for college. We are able to get information in real time and become connected to change agents all over the world. Our cell phones contain more information and apps to allow us to make better decisions. However, we are not using this tool for the benefit of our future and our community as we should.

We are constantly bombarded with images that ingrain cultural negatives – images pushing white as superior, black as inferior. We get caught up with videos of ignorance and rump shaking. We must change our mindset to use information to contribute more and add value to our society.

We have great opportunities to use our technological tools to solve the problems we face every day. In addition to the social justice issues we are currently facing, there are environmental challenges we have the talent to overcome. There are apps for our phones that – for free – will expose us to ideas to benefit our communities. I recommend The Party of Lincoln Ap, which encourages you to become a change agent. I also recommend the Ted Conferences Ap. You can watch talks modern values, futuristic technology and more.

Let’s take steps to become smarter and bring about changes to add value to our society rather than detract from it.

(Thomas C. Sheffield owns Nashville-based Thom Sustainable Consultants. Contact him at thomsustainableconsulting@gmail.com. Visit thomsustainableconsulting.com. Follow @tcsheff.)

By Ronda Racha Penrice, Urban News Service

Young people in Dr. King’s native Atlanta responded to the recent police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile with consecutive nights of marches. Celebrities spotted in the protests included rapper T.I. and actress Zendaya Coleman. Other stars have spoken up about these and similar incidents, mainly through social media. The New York Knicks’s Carmelo Anthony issued a one-page challenge in the July 9 New York Daily News for his “ fellow athletes to step up and take charge.” He took an even higher-profile stance on July 13. “ The urgency for change is definitely at an all-time high,” Anthony said, as he, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James opened the ESPYs, the Oscars of sports. These pleas for social justice are not unique to today’s celebrities. Former collegiate athlete, singer and actor Paul Robeson became politically active in the 1930s. He paid a heavy price for such activism in the ’40s and

’50s, as he largely lost his livelihood. Robeson’s difficulties didn’t deter other performers.

In Stars for Freedom: Hollywood, Black Celebrities, and the Civil Rights Movement, author Emilie E. Raymond focuses on six celebrities — Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dick Gregory — who struggled for social change. Gregory was an early and leading critic of police brutality. “ He was the one that was in the South,” says the Virginia Commonwealth University professor. “ He was arrested in Greenwood, Mississippi; Pine Bluff, Arkansas and in Birmingham and, in those places, he talked about the horrible conditions of the jails and how he was beaten by the police.” Gil Scott-Heron blasted the police killings of popular Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in Chicago and the more obscure Michael Harris on “ No Knock” from his 1972 Free Will album. Langston Hughes’s 1949 poem, “ Third Degree,” about a policeman coercing a confession, begins “ Hit Me! Jab Me!/Make me say I did it.” Audre Lorde’s “ Power” — a 1978 poem about the police killing of a 10-year-old boy and the cop’s subsequent acquittal — minces few words. “ Today the 37 year old white man/with 13 years of police forcing/was set free,” it reads. Hip-hop artists have long addressed police brutality and killings. “ In the ’80s and ’90s, you had artists who were political or conscious,” says Bakari

Kitwana, formerly an editor with The Source and author of Hip-Hop Activism in the Obama Era. Although many cite N.W.A.’s aggressively-titled 1988 hit “ F* Tha Police” as the prime example of this activism, the West Coast group also stood alongside more politically grounded hip-hop artists such as Public Enemy (“ Fight the Power,” 1989). “ [Young people] are finding out about some of these cases because of social media,” says Kitwana. “ Hip hop was that communicator before social media.” Hip-hop artists, even some unexpected ones, still get political about police misconduct. In her verse on rapper French Montana’s “ New York Minute” (2010), Nicki Minaj cites the 2006 killing of Sean Bell, whom NYPD officers shot on his wedding day. Other artists, like relative newcomer Vic Mensa, opt to be more overtly political. His “ 16 Shots” focuses on a Chicago cop’s fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Mainstream artists perceived as anti-police have faced genuine backlash. Following Beyoncé’s Super Bowl performance paying homage to the BlackPanthers, a previously unknown group, Proud of the Blues, called a protest in New York that reportedly no one attended. Also, the Coalition for Police and Sheriffs (C.O.P.S.) staged a small demonstration when Beyoncé’s tour stopped in her native Houston. Opposition on social media, however, has been more pronounced. Jesse Williams’ passionate, anti-racism BET Awards speech, which also touched on police killings, sparked a petition to boot him from the cast of Grey’s Anatomy. Potential backlash has not silenced some stars. Compton rapper The Game used social media to report a secret meeting he organized with 100 black celebrities. Comedian Rickey Smiley hosted a more traditional town hall on July 12 — dubbed #StrategyForChange — at the House of Hope Church near Atlanta. Hundreds attended a passionate discussion that included rappers/singers 2 Chainz, Jeezy, David Banner, Lyfe Jennings and Tyrese, Dr. King’s daughter Bernice King, and his comrade Rev. C.T. Vivian. Speaking out is deeply personal for Smiley. As a young man, the Birmingham native marched to protest white police officer George Sand’s killing of Benita Carter. Sand fatally shot Carter, a friend of Smiley’s mother, in her back as she sat in her car. Carter is one reason why Smiley sees risking his fame as an obligation. “ I can’t sit here and live off of folks, live off of my people, who listen to The Rickey Smiley Morning Show and watch Rickey Smiley For Real and come out and see me perform every weekend and not stand for them when they need something.”

By Yesha Callahan, The Root

When it comes to remakes, they can go one of two ways: really good or really bad. Especially when you’re messing with nostalgia. And it looks like two of black Hollywood’s heavy hitters are taking the chance when it comes to the movie Cooley High.

According to Deadline, DeVon Franklin and Common are teaming up to produce the remake, with Seth Rosenfeld (How to Make It in America and The Get Down) writing the script.

The original movie, which was released in 1975, was set in Chicago and followed the lives of two high school friends played by Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs. The movie was considered a coming-of-age film in a time when blaxploitation films were popular.

It’ll be interesting to see what angle the new movie will take. But it will be even more interesting to see the response it receives once more news about the casting and plot comes out.

By BlackNews.com

Citizen’s Trust Bank, a historic Black-owned bank in Atlanta, GA, has seen a huge spike in business. In just five days, 8,000 people have submitted applications to open an account.

It all started with the recently renewed concern about police brutality when Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two African American men, where killed by white police officers. This spiked the nationwide #BankBlack hashtag on social media, endorsed by celebrities and other influencers like Solange and Killer Mike. Their message was to encourage Black people to put their money into black-owned banks.

“It’s a tremendous propel forward for the bank and the future of the bank and bringing new relevance to a bank that’s been here for 95 years. And, it’s a statement about what the next 95 years will look like,” said Jay Bailey, chairman of the bank’s Next Generation Advisory Board.

The goal is to become the first black-owned billion dollar bank

He revealed that the bank had $328.8 million in deposits as of the end of 2015, but said that their goal is to make history by becoming the first black-owned billion dollar bank in the country. He a more noticeable change in regard to injustice comes when black people start to invest back into their communities.

Time to come home

“I’ve been telling people that it’s time to come home,” Bailey said. “Rallies are great and they’re necessary. Protesting is great and it’s necessary but what will sustain and grow from here is our dollar and galvanizing our dollar.”

Citizen’s Trust Bank, which was founded in 1921, has reportedly survived several economic hardships, but this new trend will definitely keep them afloat for years to come.

Executive Vice President Fredrick Daniel, commented, “Citizen’s Trust provides a financial foundation for our community and that really helps us to put in place the businesses that we wanna see that we don’t see in our communities.”

The numbers don’t lie

According to the Federal Reserve, aside from Citizen’s Trust Bank, there are only 22 other Black-owned banks in the United States, including credit unions. There are also only 10 Hispanic-owned banks, and only 18 banks owned by Native Americans. Amongst all the minority groups, Asians own the most with 61 Asian/ Pacific Islander-owned banks, and white women own only the least with just 6 women-owned banks. All of the thousands of other banks in the country are owned by white men!

By BlackNews.com

There are so many reasons why it is important to support black-owned businesses. Black-owned businesses represent just 7 percent of all small businesses in the U.S., but they create jobs and contribute to the economic strength of urban communities.

Many more people would like to support black-owned businesses by buying their products and services, but they often lack information on where exactly they are located. So, here are 7 web sites and apps that will help you find and support black-owned businesses across the globe:

1 – iZania.com: a social networking site for Black entrepreneurs, professionals, and consumers. The site includes a business directory, networking forum, online marketplace, blogs and more.

2 – WhereYouCameFrom.biz: a local business search app with up-to-date information on black owned businesses in the Atlanta area. The businesses are listed across categories and even ranked according to the number of referral counts received by peers.

3 – WeBuyBlack.com: the largest online marketplace for black businesses and sellers. Black-owned vendors include clothing and accessories, jewelry, toys and games for children, health and beauty products, products for the home, and more.

4 – Afroworld.org: is a web site of global black businesses and black professionals. Their slogan is “We Help Afroworld Professionals and Consumers Connect.” The site allows consumers to search for African American professionals and businesses by specialty or location, and compare quotes, reviews, and profiles on each Afroworld professional.

5 – BlackBusinessNetwork.com: Produced by Tag Team Marketing, this site specializes in marketing the products and services of black-owned businesses to black consumers. Business owners from all over the world can sell their products and services through the online store, and consumers can shop for products they know are made from Black-owned companies.

6 – PurchaseBlack.com: an online marketplace to find quality products from selected Black-owned businesses. They also have a mobile app that allows customers to search black-owned products and services.

7 – 2MillionJobs.com: an online initiative that encourages people to spend $20 every week with local and/or online Black businesses. Their goal is to create two million jobs for black workers and eliminate unemployment for blacks by the year 2017.