theblackbottom

I AM the youngest of 10 children in my family, and the only one born in the United States. My father was a municipal judge who fled Haiti during the Duvalier regime. He and my mother settled in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, but could not initially afford to bring over my four brothers and [...]

DETROIT (AP) — Willie Horton Day is being celebrated in Michigan for the eighth consecutive year.
The Tigers great is being honored Thursday, as he has since former Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed House Bill 5200 into law in 2006 that permanently decrees Oct. 18 “Willie Horton Day.”
It coincides with the seven-time All-Star’s birthday.
Horton was a Tiger [...]

By: Kimberly Bryant

When I was first introduced to computer programming, as a freshman in Electrical Engineering, Fortran and Pascal were the popular languages for newbies in computing and the Apple Macintosh was the new kid on the block. I remember being excited by the prospects, and looked forward to embarking on a rich and rewarding [...]

Interview by ANDREW GOLDMAN
Published: September 21, 2012
You once wrote that Michael Jackson stopped working with you because he felt threatened by the credit you were getting for his music. Considering he was never able to repeat the success he had with “Off the Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad,” how much credit do you deserve?
Well, What [...]

Emberly Vick, otherwise known as Emberly “The Writer,” admits that she passively ignored relentless urges to write for years. Still, whether explaining a concept or conceptualizing herself, she was clearly ordained to write at an early age.
Excelling in state writing tests in elementary, “TheWriter” never considered writing, not even as a hobby, until college. After [...]

In just a few short years, SuperDre has brought her unique sound and contagious stage energy to packed dance floors and events across the nation.

Releasing her funky, minimal techno sound on her boutique label, Bass Candi, SuperDre thrives in the live environment delivering most of her sets on turntables along with midi controllers, an art [...]

By : Alexandra Zawia
At the Locarno Film Festival to pick up the Golden Leopard Honor Award, the singer and actor also talks about his fears of a Fourth Reich and why Mitt Romney shouldn’t be president.
Harry Belafonte, at 85, is as active and activist as ever. At the Locarno Film Festival, despite walking with [...]

by PAM FESSLER

President Obama’s speech to the National Urban League conference in New Orleans on Wednesday night coincides with a debate over the role of government in helping small businesses succeed.
Some black Americans say they have an especially hard time when it comes to owning and operating their own businesses.
On the northern edge of New [...]

NPR
by Amy Standen
July 23, 2012 from KQED
If there is a founding ethos in the world of high-tech startups, it’s this: The idea is everything. Facebook’s initial public offering might have seemed like the perfect illustration. A simple concept, conceived by a college student, became a $100 billion empire in just 8 years.
But if you look [...]

Uptown Magazine
By Rakia Reynolds
As the economy continues on its turbulent path, CEO builder Kimberly S. Reed is readying a new crop of entrepreneurs for their turn as gamechangers. With almost 15 years experience in professional and executive development, the managing partner of the Reed Development Group, LLC (RDG) has worked with Fortune 500 companies and [...]