List of Richest Black Men in the World 2010
March 12, 2010 | 2 Comments
“To everything there is only a season” - King Solomon.
WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 2010 - Mohammed Al Amoudi (Ethiopian & Saudi Arabian) - is the richest black man in the world with a networth of $10B - though sometimes considered an Arab, as far as race is concerned, he is a black man (Yemeni father and Ethiopian mother). Oprah Winfrey, American television icon is the richest black woman (2nd richest black person) with a networth of $2.4B. The third richest black person is Patrice Motsepe, 48, (South African) with a networth of $2.3B. Aliko Dangote, 52 (Nigerian) and Mo Ibrahim (Sudanese-born, now UK Citizen) both with a networth of $2.1B tied as the fourth richest black men. Rounding up the list is Michael Lee Chin (Jamaican native turned Canadian) ranking as the fifth richest black man with a networth of $1.0B. To read more about these billionaires, click on their names for a direct link to Forbes Magazine.
Chris Abani Muses on Humanity
February 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
“The only way for me to be human is for you to reflect my humanity back at me” - Ubuntu.
” Did you know that before the genocide in Rwanda, the word for rape and the word for marriage were the same ?” - Chris Abani.
WASHINGTON DC - Chris Abani tells stories of people: People standing up to soldiers. People being compassionate. People being human and reclaiming their humanity.
About Chris Abani:
Chris Abani’s first novel, published when he was 16, was Masters of the Board, a political thriller about a foiled Nigerian coup. The story was convincing enough that the Nigerian government threw him in jail for inciting a coincidentally timed real-life coup. Imprisoned and tortured twice more, he channeled the experience into searing poetry.
Abani’s best-selling 2004 novel GraceLand is a searing and funny tale of a young Nigerian boy, an Elvis impersonator who moves through the wide, wild world of Lagos, slipping between pop and traditional cultures, art and crime. It’s a perennial book-club pick, a story that brings the postcolonial African experience to vivid life.
Now based in Los Angeles, Abani published The Virgin of Flames in 2007. He is also a publisher, running the poetry imprint Black Goat Press.
The danger of a single story - By Chimamanda Adichie .
December 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment
“We cannot solve problems using the same mindsets that created them” - Albert Einstein.
Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
Chimamanda is a best selling author from Nigeria. To read more about her, click here.
Introducing Jelani Aliyu - Lead Creative Designer General Motors.
December 11, 2009 | 5 Comments
“Seest thou a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men” - Holy Bible (King James Version).
“As a man thinketh, so is he” - Proverbs 23.
It is our pleasure to introduce Jelani Aliyu - Senior Creative Designer General Motors. He is a testimony to the fact when we dream we can achieve a lot and that we should never let anybody set the limit of our achievements - He is from Sokoto, Nigeria (Up Eagles!!). This short video clip was culled from Youtube and presented to motivate you to aim for the highest heights in your fields of endeavor. Don’t ever settle for less and never let anybody tell you, you can’t. Impossible is nothing!! Yes we can 
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Inaugurating Hope and Pausing for Nightmares
January 22, 2009 | 2 Comments
As a human being, it is hard not to feel excited about the events of this week. As a black person, it is impossible not to feel giddy and light-headed with a thousand iconic images streaming out of Washington, DC. Beginning with an improbable journey on the steps of the Old Capitol in Springfield, Illinois in January 2007, Barack Hussein Obama, the son of a forbidden relationship between a pitch black man from the continental heart of darkness in Kenya and a lily white woman from the prairie heartland of America in Kansas, started an improbable journey that culminated this week in his inauguration as 
America’s president. These are moments that people would savor all over the world for a long time; the sort of moments where a 13-year old girl from Florida told CNN that she would tell her grand-children (not her children) what she felt when she came to DC for the Inauguration; the sort of moments that you remember for a lifetime what you were doing when Obama took the oath of office.
This is a moment that is hard to think about coherently, much less put down in words that make any sense. The hyperboles fly all around: the rock concert that took place on the Sunday before the inauguration was so star-studded it is impossible to head-line with any particular artist; super stars who ordinarily would be coaxed to go on paid concerts begged inaugural organizers to sing alongside Beyonce, Bono, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder. Two million people from all over the world braced frigid weather and massive security operations to witness the first African-American president take the oath of office on the bible that Abe Lincoln used. Conversations this week often start and end with, what would Martin Luther King say? What would Lincoln do? How would Franklin Delano Roosevelt respond? It is as if this black man is the ultimate embodiment of the hopes, deeds and dreams of George Washington, Lincoln, FDR, JFK and MLK rolled into one.
But if as a black person, the inauguration of Barrack Obama is a dream that you do not want to wake up from, there are continuing nightmares of the collective trans-Atlantic black experience that you cannot shake off. Admittedly, it may seem mean-spirited to speak of nightmares during a week that we are celebrating the triumph of hope over fear and bigotry. Even so, it is hard not to pause and consider what it was like for the four-year old daughter of Oscar Grant, the 22-year old black man who was shot in cold blood while lying face down by a white police officer in Oakland, California on January 1, 2009. It is a cold reminder that a black man may soon be the most powerful man in the world, but blacks are still at the rung of the political, social and economic ladder even in America. We may be hanging on to the words of one black man in the White House, but there are still too many anguished voices of black people all over America and the rest of the world.
And that world includes, first and foremost, Africa, where powerful Big Men lord it over the rest of the squalid populace. Nowhere else is this more evident than in Zimbabwe, where one of Africa’s nastier Big Men, Robert Mugabe has presided over the unraveling of what was once Africa’s bread basket and turning Zimbabwe into a vast wasteland and the continent’s most atrophied open sore. Zimbabwe’s best and brightest have fled the country, often to their bigger southern neighbor, South Africa. Instead of a little empathy however (the sort the Zimbabweans and other Africans gave anti-apartheid activists not long ago), what the desolate and fleeing Zimbabweans meet are gangs of out of control marauders who hack them to death in South Africa’s shanty towns. America may be burying the ghosts of the past, but in Africa proper, the devils are alive and wreaking havoc, from Congo to Darfur and just about any corner of the continent.
You have to salute the ingenuity of America to re-invent itself, and to once again, give the world exemplary hope, despite the original sin of slavery, Jim Crow and continuing vestiges of discriminatory practices. As Obama himself has continually said on the campaign trail, in no other country in the world is his story even possible. Certainly not in Japan, where there are virtually no paths to citizenship for minorities, despite a shrinking population increasingly relying on robots (makes you feel that the Japs would prefer robots to other humans). Certainly not in Latin America, where despite the much-talked about racial democracy in Brazil, there are 99 ways of describing a man’s color, and the blackest continue to languish in dreadful favelas. Certainly not in Europe where, despite the smugness of Europeans about social equality, minorities but especially blacks are treated as less than full human beings in Germany, France, Italy and just about every other European country. And most certainly not even in Africa where whole peoples are slaughtered just because they speak differently, look differently or worship differently; actually, during Kenya’s post-election violence between the Kikuyus and Luos early last year, the joke was that America would have a Luo president before Kenya does (Obama’s father was Luo).
So, yes let us celebrate Obama and our achievements this week. But when we get a bit sober next week, let us renew our commitment to the task of building our black communities from the cocaine-laced corridors of Brooklyn’s housing projects to the cholera-infested gutters of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.
This article was written by our contributing editor Saint-James.
African Entrepreneurs Series - Bob Agbede
May 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Robert O. Agbede is the President and CEO of Chester Engineers, a leading national water and waste water engineering and scientific research firm. Mr. Agbede, after 15 years as the founder, President and CEO of Advanced Technology Systems, Inc. (ATS Group), became the leader of the largest African-American owned municipal engineering services firm in the United States. ATS Group, a leader in providing innovative solutions to client issues requiring design; engineering and scientific analyses; water resources management; municipal services; construction management and inspection; database management; computer modeling; regulatory support and field investigations; became the parent company of Chester Engineers through the acquisition of a well-known, long-standing municipal engineering company, formerly known as Chester Engineers. Under his management, Chester Engineers has become a client-focused, technology-based national provider of professional services to major public and private sector clients.
Mr. Agbede is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he earned a B.S. and an M.S. in Mining Engineering. In 2000, the University honored Mr. Agbede by installing him in their prestigious “Engineering Hall of Fame.” Mr. Agbede joins other prominent University of Pittsburgh graduates who have made significant contributions to American industry while serving as Presidents and/or CEOs of many of the nation’s leading corporations. In 2002, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering, a Robert O. Agbede Scholarship was established by ATS Group to encourage and assist African-American youths to pursue a career in Engineering. Concurrently, ATS Group also established a Robert O. Agbede Diversity Award at the school to encourage recruitment and retention of qualified African-American students and faculty members. In addition, Chester Engineers has two endowments at Carnegie Mellon University and at the University of Pittsburgh presently valued at $2.6 million with a focus on minority student enrollment and retention.
Mr. Agbede shares his time and experience by serving on the Board of several professional and civic organizations. He is an ordained minister of the gospel. Mr. Agbede is also active in the development of youth in the Pittsburgh community as one of the founding members of the Central Baptist Academy.
Mr. Agbede is dedicated to providing mentorship to other small/minority businesses. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria.
Aliko Dangote (Nigerian) is the Richest Black Man in the World.
March 9, 2008 | 104 Comments
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE RICHEST BLACK PEOPLE IN 2009
Alhaji Aliko Dangote emerged the 334th richest man in the world based on the recently released 2008 Forbes Magazine list of richest men in the world, making him the richest black person. A Nigerian, he hit the jackpot when his sugar-production company listed on the Nigerian stock exchange last year.
Meanwhile, proposed initial public offerings of his flour and cement companies have stalled. Began career as trader at 21 with loan from his uncle; built his Dangote Group into conglomerate with interests in sugar, flour milling, salt processing, cement manufacturing, textiles, real estate, haulage and oil and gas. Closely linked to Nigeria’s former president Olusegun Obasanjo. His wealth is estimated at $3.3 billion.
The other black man on the list is Patrice Mosepe (#503) from South Africa with a net worth of $2.4 billion.
Story from www.forbes.com
Top 25 Under 25 (Africans) - Deborah Umunnabuike, 23 and Jessica Ummnnabuike, 21
November 9, 2007 | 2 Comments
“I’m looking to learn how to create a more socially responsible business,” says Deborah Umunnabuike, a political science major at the University of Chicago and co-founder of Avant Gaudy, an online vintage clothing shop she started with her sister, Jessica, an undergraduate at Hofstra University, in the summer of 2005. The daughters of Nigerian immigrants started the three-employee business because they were passionate about clothes and saw a growing demand among their peers for vintage clothing. And they soon realized that there was a growing demand abroad as well, specifically in parts of Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia, based on analyzing Web traffic to their site, almost 26,000 visitors from more than 30 countries. The sisters recruited Hong Kong native Vincent Choi to bring a global perspective to the business and better reach shoppers in Asia.
Deborah says running the business has made her want to become a serial entrepreneur, but until she graduates in 2009, she will continue to run it conservatively. She is also involved with the Forte Foundation, a group dedicated to creating young women business leaders, and is interested in continuing community work in the spirit of Avant Gaudy’s DIY/Smashup Chicago, a daylong networking and trade-show event she organized in 2006 for craftspeople and entrepreneurs.
Story culled from www.businessweek.com
Top 25 Under 25 (Africans) - Ubong Attah, 23
November 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Ubong Attah describes herself as a serial entrepreneur. She ran a tutoring business in high school, taught herself Web design in college, then started a Web design firm her senior year called Studio10Fourteen, which she says is profitable and continues to operate. Ubong recently sold another business, an online jewelry shop, for around $55,000. She founded both Studio10Fourteen and Prolete Medical Billing Inc.
Because she was recently diagnosed with systemic lupus, she has turned her attention to starting a home-based business. Her new company, Prolete Medical Billing, makes use of her health-information management degree from Saint Louis University in St. Louis and her experience doing administrative work for her mother’s two home health agencies. Ubong expects Prolete to have revenues of around $4 million in 2008.
Story culled from www.businessweek.com
Akon
November 5, 2007 | 1 Comment
After winning music fans over with his 2003 multi-platinum debut Trouble, Senegalese singer Akon returns with more stories from his personal journey via his sophmore CD Konvicted. If Trouble was Akon’s ode to redemption (before his music career took off he served time for car theft), Konvicted picks up at rebirth. His mission now is to reinvent himself through his salvation - music.
The son of accomplished jazz musician Mor Thiam, Akon was introduced to varied musical styles early on. “I grew-up listening to all kinds of music. Obviously I love soul songs, but I also like mixing in other types of music,” Akon confesses. “For every Stevie Wonder track I’ve listed to, there is another by Steely Don that helped shape me as an artist.”
Although the hit single “Locked Up” earned him street credibility, the artist’s multifaceted sensibilities are evident on his second album. Akon produced and wrote all but one song on Konvicted. The album features tracks recorded with Eminem (the first single, “Smack That”), Snoop Dogg (”I Want to Love You”) and Styles P. (who laced Akon’s debut hit single, “Locked Up”). Konvicted balances streetwise swagger, studio originality and common sense to create one of the most honest releases of 2006.
“Smack That”, is a delirously energetic song that has all the ingredients of a masterful club banher and features the aggressive rhymes of eight-mile wordsmith Eminem. Having met Em soon after working with Obie Trice on “Snith” ( the song which was used on the hit series CSI; an episode Akon also appeared in), the two became fast friends. “I knew I wanted Eminem to be on the track, but he is very careful about appearing on too many other people’s songs. When he called and said he was ready to go into the studio, I knew it was a blessing. I was on the first flight to Detroit,” says Akon.
Another stand-out song on Konvicted is the anti-gangsta track “Runnin’,” Recalling the sincerity of soul legeng Curtis Mayfield’s timeless Super Fly soundtrack, Akon neo-blues recalls the struggle of stepping away from the game when he sings, “I’m tired of running from the law.” Ironically, the melodic piece was written while Akon was still doing jail time. “This is a song you can feel, because it’s that real,” Akon shares. “And, I meant every word of it.”
Working in the tradition of pioneer R.Kelly, Akon moves deftly from hard-knock stories to the dance-floor to inspirational ballads; the verses are full of nimble singing and rapping; with Akon multi-tracking his voice to sing his own backing vocals. ” “The Song “Gangsta Bop” on Konvicted is a track that could definitely be in a movie,” says Akon. With its cinematic appeal and blaxploitation thrills, “Gangsta Bop” is captivating. “My goal is not to glorify street life, but gangstas are people too. They have failies and children, and I’m trying to shed some light on that. I can’t tell people what not to do, but I can be a role model.” Akon also teams up with his homeboy T-Pain on the breezy “I Can’t Wait” the singer has crafted a finger snapping funky love song that blends jazz and big beats.
Still, while Akon’s lyrics are tight, he proves to be innovative on a production level as well. Unafraid of lacing pop music elements like live piano and the zigzag of violins, the haunting ballad “Never Took the Time” is a winner. “When I’m composing songd, I try to be more to the left musically,” Akon reveals. “There is a love and passion I have for trying to create different sounds. In music right now, it’s up to the producers to push for diverse styles.”
Working out of his own Koncast Studios in Atlanta, perhaps the crowning jewel on Konvicted is the powerful “Africa”. A percussion heavy anthem are on point as he discusses various issues from slavery to skin color. One of my goals with the song “Africa” is to make people more aware of the continent.”
Everything fell into place for Akon when Devyne Stephens, connoisseur of artist development and CEO of Upfront Entertainment began shopping Akon’s demo and immediately received several offers from major labels. “We decided to go with Steve Rifkind and SRC/Universal MOtown because Steve had the best understanding of what we were trying to achieve. Together we achieved everything we wanted and more,” says Stephens.
The deal was signed in 2003 and Trouble sold more than three million units worldwide. Impressing both music critics and the disc buying public with his well-crafted R&B and unique voice, Akon has proven himself as both a brilliant storyteller and gifted musician. His unique style was a shock to the system. In a 2004 New York Times article praised him as a “groundbreaking artist.”
In addition to his break-out single “Locked Up,” which became the barbeque jam during the summer of 2004, Akon has established himself as an in-demand guest artist and record producer (Young Jeezy, R.Kelly, Obie Trice, Elton John, Daddy Yankee, Gwn Stafani). Nomonated for “Hottest Hook” at the 2005 Vibe Awards, the singer’s voice on “Soul Survivor” was a shining moment for both Jeezy and Akon. “I love collaborating with other artists. There are times when I’m in the studio with someone and the chemistry just clicks” says Akon.
Since his debut release, Akon has traveled the world and collaborated with everyone from Snoop Dogg to Ladysmith Black Mambazo His Konvict Music imprint, which will be distributed by Interscope Records, boasts a roster that includes T-Pain and former TLC member Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas.
With the brilliance of Konvicted, label owner, singer, songwriter and producer Akon breaks down musical barriers while also validating his importance as a soul man for the new millennium. Like fine wine, Konvicted proved that AKon only gets better with time.
Story culled from www.akononline.com
