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Minority women businesses energized at first IGNITE! Alabama

BIRMINGHAM TIMES — Hundreds of minority business owners gathered Wednesday for the inaugural IGNITE! Alabama event at Regions Field hosted by Sheila Tyson, Convener of the Alabama Black Women’s Roundtable and Nichelle Nix, Director of the Alabama Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs. The event focuses on minority women business owners, entrepreneurs and Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCUs) and steps to empower Alabama’s next generation of leaders.

Published

7 years ago

October 28, 2019

Oakland Post

Nichelle Nix, (left) Director of the Alabama Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs and actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, celebrity guest speaker. (Photo by: Erica Wright | The Birmingham Times)

By Erica Wright

Hundreds of minority business owners gathered Wednesday for the inaugural IGNITE! Alabama event at Regions Field hosted by Sheila Tyson, Convener of the Alabama Black Women’s Roundtable and Nichelle Nix, Director of the Alabama Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs.

The event focuses on minority women business owners, entrepreneurs and Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCUs) and steps to empower Alabama’s next generation of leaders.

“Our goal is to actually help women start their own business, promote women and give them a way to advance their own business and bring in all of the resources from the state of Alabama for minority women and this is a great opportunity for us to do that through this partnership,” Tyson said.

Nix said the state has an initiative that focuses on HBCUs “to promote and increase the economic impact of [the institutions] in the state of Alabama. We have 14 HBCUs here and we want to serve as a model to the nation to show that we can come up with a comprehensive strategy to make our HBCUs more competitive.”

The daylong event included an HBCU president’s round table followed by a luncheon and panel discussions and celebrity guest speaker, actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, who played Rudy Huxtable, the youngest child of Cliff and Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show. There was also a Minority and Business Resource Expo and an HBCU Business Pitch Competition and a show featuring Alabama State University and Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University drumlines.

During the luncheon, the first panel discussion focused on getting started in business and access entrepreneurship resources.

Dr. Del Smith, Dean of the School of Business and Public Affairs at Alabama A & M said that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to start in a classroom.

“Not to take anything away from the professors but when we talk about entrepreneurship, we’re talking about something that really cannot be taught from a book,” he said. “We encourage our students to go out into the community to take part in the entrepreneurial ecosystem like pitch competitions; when we have an entrepreneurial networking event, we encourage students to get out of the classroom and take part in that… when you combine that along with classroom education that provides the greatest opportunity for a student to be successful.”

Dr. Theresa Welbourne, of EDGE Tuscaloosa, which helps entrepreneurs with startups, talked about the need for business owners to participate in workshops which are important “because you’re always being questioned and people are asking ‘what do you do’ and asking about your business,” she said.

The second panel focused on access to capital options for small minority business owners.

Kendra Key, with Hope Credit Union, said her business has made a commitment to lend primarily in underserved communities.

“Our mission is to build assets, strengthen communities and improve lives,” she said. “Everything that we do every day is to facilitate greater economic mobility so we provide affordable access to capital . . . we are committed to give $19.1 million in loans over the next three years to minority and women-owned businesses. We also provide financial literacy… we exist to be a partner in communities of color.”

Lawanza Webb, with the Jefferson County Workforce Development Center, discussed apprenticeships programs.

“We have an apprenticeship program where we pay a certain amount of money and train… we also offer up to $20,000 for two years for a client that wants go to training and we have Jefferson State and Lawson State Community Colleges that are participating in this program where we pay for tuition, books, fees and all the student needs but support services.”

Following the panel discussions, Pulliam discussed her journey as an actor and an entrepreneur.

She heads her own nonprofit organization, Kamp Kizzy, which focuses on empowerment and building self-esteem of youth. She recently released her own line of meat and poultry seasoning, Keshia’s Kitchen and hosts her own podcast, Candidly Keshia.

She encouraged the audience to never give up on their passions.

“When you are doing something that you love, you never feel like you work a day in your life,” she said. “When you’re working hard, when you’re dedicated, you are going to get ‘no’s’, you are going to hit speed bumps and you are going to get ‘not right now’ but it only takes one ‘yes.’

Pulliam said she knows about following her passions.

“I have been working for 40 years, I turned 40 in April and my first job was at nine months old in a Johnson and Johnson ad with the first black family, I was the little naked baby, but that is where I got my start,” she said. “A lot of people are not fortunate to discover what their passions are or what it is that they’re supposed to do at a young age where I was fortunate enough to begin my career at nine months old.”

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win

Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
What You Learn in This Episode:
The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
___________________________________________________________________
“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
____________________________________________________________________
AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts

Stay toasty in the CX-90! Plush Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, and a memory-equipped heated steering wheel deliver ultimate luxury.
The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

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Oakland Post

Mazda CX-90 interior with heated seats offering premium comfort.

Experience ultimate comfort in the CX-90. Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustments, and memory settings for both front passengers. The heated steering wheel with memory tilt/telescope adds premium convenience.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/EH5A4eQ4ipY