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It was an interesting documentary, but there was one part that really stuck with me. At the start of the concert the National Anthem was being sung. But no one stood and no one cheered. People just sort of sat around until it was done. It wasn’t until the “Black National Anthem” was being sung that people proudly stood with fists in air. This was a time when black people felt like the country they helped build didn’t show them the respect they deserved.

Now go back fifty plus years to to the “New Negro Movement”. A time where Harlem Renaissance hot spots like the Cotton Club showcased some of the best black performers that New York City had to offer. Musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday graced the stage for an audience that didn’t see them as equals. It was a time when black authors like James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes wrote poems and songs that told of the struggles Black Americans faced in a society separated by race.

Due to the literary and musical genius of those who contributed to the Harlem Renaissance, we are able to see what it was like to be black in the 1920s.  The books, poetry and music written are just as much of the black culture today as it was back then. We owe them our gratitude and need to make sure their legacy is never forgotten. There’s a lot of history in Harlem and there’s no time like the present to learn more about the impact it’s had on our culture. All you have to do is open a book and read.

The Oprah Mobile app features allow you to:

• View a weekly calendar of what’s airing on The Oprah Winfrey Show
• Receive alerts and notifications about the availability of reservations for The Oprah Winfrey Show
• Watch video highlights from The Oprah Winfrey Show, including backstage interviews with your favorite guests
• Find out what time and channel The Oprah Winfrey Show is on in your current location in the United States
• Access the latest articles and features from Oprah.com and O, The Oprah Magazine
• Listen to audio clips from Oprah Radio, including Gayle King, Dr. Laura Berman, Dr. Mehmet Oz

• Search by your favorite experts, guests and contributors, including Peter Walsh, Deepak Chopra and more
• Take our latest polls and see how other people are voting in your city and state
• Share your favorite items via email, Facebook and Twitter
• Sign the pledge to make your car a No Phone Zone
• Customize the menu to keep your favorite sections within easy reach

The apps do cost $1.99-$2.99, but according to the review at appolicious.com, there’s a lot of potential for future releases that could increase the social aspect of it.

But there’s more! Yesterday Engadget blogged about her showing off the Sprint EVO on her show while discussing her “No Phone Zone” campaign. Now please note, there is no official release date for this phone (Sprint said Summer 2010)! But if anyone could get a hold of it early, Oprah would be that person.

I can’t wait for this phone to come out and have been anxiously waiting for its release. We all know that when Oprah says go buy something, people do. So I’m curious to see if this affects sales of the EVO when Sprint finally decides to release it.

If anyone reading this is a friend of Oprah, tell her I’ll take the phone if she gets tired of it. Check out the video.

an online resource for building, managing, and researching professional reputation, using community-contributed, professional reviews.Unvarnished reviews help you get the inside scoop on other business professionals, providing candid assessments of coworkers, potential hires, business partners, and more.

By contributing Unvarnished reviews, you can share your knowledge of other professionals, giving credit where credit is due, and valuable feedback where needed.

Lastly, your own Unvarnished profile, which you may create yourself or claim one that has been created for you, helps you take control of and build your own professional reputation. Get recognition for your accomplishments and actively manage your career growth.

So basically you can leave comments about someone (good or bad) in a public forum. It’s like having your resume online for all to see and ridicule. The site is currently in beta, so you have to sign up using Facebook Connect and they will put you on a waiting list of people who’ve already signed up. I put my name in for an invitation because I want to know what you all think about me. This is social networking at its best and it will be interesting to see how they plan on managing the site once everything opens up.

PS > If you are reading this and are currently a member of the site, please send me an invite so I can bypass the waiting process. Thanks!

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Well actually I can’t. But I can point you to a website that will help you get started. Workforce3 One, is a U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored entity that offers tools (FOR FREE) to get you started in writing your own grant proposal.

They have a really cheesy podcast called “Grant Applications 101: What You Need to Know”. While cheesy, it does dispel some of the myths of grant writing and points you to their Toolkit Homepage to get started.

From what I’ve heard, grant writing is not an easy process and it takes time and patience to actually get one. But it is a way to get funding for your project and may be worth it in the long run. For more information about the grant writing process, visit the links above.

Podcast Transcript

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On Feb 3, 2010, the President signed the following bill(s) into law:
H.R. 4508: Small Business Act Temporary Extension. To provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other purposes.

On Feb 3, 2010, the President signed the following bill(s) into law:
S. 692: A bill to provide that claims of the United States to certain documents relating to Franklin Delano Roosevelt shall be treated as waived and relinquished in certain circumstances.

On Feb 3, 2010, the President signed the following bill(s) into law:
H.R. 1377: Amend title 38. To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes.

Note: There were a lot of post office related name change laws this month. But since that’s not really a big deal, I decided not to post each one.

The Black History Hero for this week  is Ursula M. Burns. She is the first African-American woman CEO to head a S&P 100 company and the first woman to succeed another woman as head of a S&P 100 company.

Ursula M. Burns is chief executive officer of Xerox Corporation.

Burns joined Xerox in 1980 as a mechanical engineering summer intern and later assumed roles in product development and planning. From 1992 through 2000, Burns led several business teams including the office color and fax business and office network printing business. In 2000, she was named senior vice president, Corporate Strategic Services, heading up manufacturing and supply chain operations. She then took on the broader role of leading Xerox’s global research as well as product development, marketing and delivery. In April 2007, Burns was named president of Xerox, expanding her leadership to also include the company’s IT organization, corporate strategy, human resources, corporate marketing and global accounts. At that time, she was also elected a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Burns was named chief executive officer in July 2009.

Burns earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of NYU and a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University. She serves on professional and community boards, including American Express Corp., CASA – (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse) at Columbia University, FIRST – (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), National Academy Foundation, MIT, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the University of Rochester. Burns was also named by President Barack Obama to help lead the White House national program on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in November 2009.

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Today is the day the new rules for banks issuing credit cards to consumers take affect. Since the initial signing of the bill I’ve had the interest rate for two cards jump to 29.99% and a business card canceled because I didn’t use it enough. It doesn’t matter how good your credit score is anymore, which proves that no matter what their commercial says, your welfare is the last thing on their minds.

I’m no personal finance coach, so I thought I’d share an article I read by personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary regarding some of the loopholes in the credit card law. There’s also a fact sheet about the Credit Card Act on the White House Website. The best thing to do and my personal goal is to pay off all the credit cards. But if you’re not in a position to do it, know the law so they won’t take advantage of you.