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Volume 6, Issue 37 www.earlharvey.com August 29, 2019

2 Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019
Mayor Signs Solar Week Bills Furthering Philadelphia’s Commitment to a
Clean Energy Future
As part of the City’s Solar Week festivities, Mayor Jim Kenney
signed two bills into law to further the City’s commitment to a clean
energy future.
“Philadelphia is ramping up our efforts to fight climate change and
convert to renewable energy,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “We know that
climate change is already impacting our city, neighborhoods like Hunting
Park are hotter than others, which can have a negative impact on the
health and well-being of residents. That’s why we are committed to
upholding the Paris agreement and to transitioning to 100 percent clean
energy as part of our long-term goal to reduce citywide carbon emissions
80 percent by 2050.”
“I’m pleased to support these bill signings today with the Mayor,
strengthening the city’s commitment to energy savings, a cleaner
environment and a healthier economy,” said Council President Darrell L.
Clarke. “This legislation mirrors our work with the Philadelphia Energy
Campaign, which we created to lower utility costs for city government,
small businesses and residents – and create 10,000 jobs in clean energy
by 2026. We’ve created nearly 1,000 jobs in just two years. We’re
fighting poverty, improving learning environments for children, and
fighting climate change. Today’s bill signings are another step in the right
direction towards a cleaner, more energy-efficient city.”
The Mayor signed legislation to create a Commercial Property
Assessed Clean Energy, or C-PACE program. C-PACE will allow
commercial and industrial building owners to finance energy efficiency
and renewable energy improvements through their property tax payment.
C-PACE is expected to create substantial carbon reductions and provide
significant bill savings for participating buildings.
“Last year, Pennsylvania became the 36th state to adopt C-PACE,
thanks to the support of Governor Wolf and the General Assembly,” said
Councilmember Derek Green. “Here in Philadelphia, just as we are
moving the needle dramatically on solar projects for our residents and
helping them to lower their utility bills via the success of programs like
Solarize Philly, we are now able to do the same for our commercial and
industrial building owners. I’m proud to be a part of what will be,
without a doubt, a revolutionary and game-changing initiative for our
climate, as well as our economy.”
Additionally, the Mayor signed a bill to create Philadelphia’s first
solar rebate program. The rebate provides an incentive payment of $0.20
per watt for residential solar projects and $0.10 per watt for commercial
projects, with an initial allocation of $500,000. The City will start
accepting rebate applications in January 2020, and any project installed
after July 1, 2019 will be eligible to apply. The rebates will be allocated
on a first-come first-serve basis, though the legislation allows for
prioritization of low income households to make
sure that all Philadelphia residents are able to
receive the benefits of going solar.
“Through the Philly Solar Rebate Program,
Philadelphia businesses and residents will be
eligible to receive locally-sponsored incentives for
installation of solar, which helps to fill the gap left
by the expiring Federal tax credit,” said
Councilmember Blondell Reynolds-Brown. “This
Mayor Jim Kenney
program will enable our City to move strategically
in the direction toward a cleaner and greener Philadelphia. The
Philadelphia Energy Campaign is successfully creating jobs, supporting
small businesses, and reducing energy bills in thousands of Philadelphia
homes. The rebate program will now align Philadelphia with other major
cities, such as Austin, Charlotte, Kansas City, and Seattle, all of whom
are on the cutting-edge and taking the requisite steps to implement a
clean energy vision for their residents.”
The City has made tremendous strides in promoting solar,
administering the nation’s largest single solarize initiative, Solarize
Philly, committing to buy 22 percent of municipal buildings’ electricity
from a 70 megawatt solar farm, and achieving SolSmart Gold status from
the U.S. Department of Energy.
However, in order to meet the City's climate goals, about 80 percent
of Philadelphia’s suitable rooftop space will need to be producing clean
electricity for residents and businesses. The solar rebate program will
provide a direct financial incentive to residents and businesses to help
them install solar panels on their homes and buildings. This rebate comes
at a time when the federal solar investment tax credit will begin to step
down starting in 2020 and before the September 30 deadline for the
Solarize Philly group buying program, making 2019 the year to go solar
in Philadelphia. All Philadelphia homeowners and businesses are
encouraged to go to www.solarizephilly.org to sign up for a free solar
assessment.
The Philadelphia Energy Campaign is a City initiative run by the
Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) to create 10,000 jobs through clean
energy projects by 2026. The rebate and C-PACE are expected to drive
job creation in line with this goal. PEA administers Bright Solar Futures
to train Philadelphia’s young people for jobs in the solar industry and
establish the nation’s first Clean Energy Program of Study for high
school students. The fourth class of high school trainees will graduate on
Friday.
For more information on the graduation and other Philadelphia Solar
Week events, visit solarizephilly.org/events.

Mayor James F. Kenney Appoints Four New Members to
Philadelphia Works’ Board of Directors
Brigitte Daniel, Executive Vice
April Walker, Director of the President of Wilco Electronic
Microsoft Technology Center Systems
New appointees bring invaluable private and public sector experience to
the table
Philadelphia Works, Inc., the city’s workforce development board,
has announced the appointment of four accomplished, local professionals
to its Board of Directors. The four new members, as determined and
appointed by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, are: Emily Bittenbender,
owner and managing partner of Bittenbender Construction, LP; Brigitte
Daniel, Executive Vice President of Wilco Electronic Systems; Douglas
Oliver, Vice President of Communications at PECO; and April Walker,
Director of the Microsoft Technology Center. Each appointee will serve a
three-year term on Philadelphia Works’ Board.
Philadelphia Works’ Board of Directors is comprised of a mandated
mix of leaders from the business, non-profit, labor, and government
‘sectors. They are responsible for making the strategic and financial
decisions that provide economic opportunities to all Philadelphians and
sustainable growth to regional employers.
“On behalf of Philadelphia Works and the city’s entire workforce
system, I would like to welcome the new appointees to our Board of
Directors,” said H. Patrick Clancy, President and CEO of Philadelphia
Works. “Their knowledge and experience in both the private and public
sectors will advance our efforts in improving Philadelphia’s professional
talent pool and connecting our skilled workers with local employers.”
The new appointees to Philadelphia Works’ Board of Directors are:
Emily Bittenbender Owner and Managing Partner, Bittenbender
Construction, LP. Emily Bittenbender is the Owner and Managing
Partner of Bittenbender Construction, LP, a 100% woman-owned and
operated commercial general contractor and construction management
firm specializing in new construction, renovation, and restoration
projects. In 2015, Bittenbender was named chairwoman of the General
Building Contractors Association’s Philadelphia chapter, becoming the
first female to hold the position in the organization’s 124 year history.
She also received the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s
Paradigm Award in 2016, the region’s most prestigious award for
businesswomen. Bittenbender serves as a board member of The Greater
Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee, the GBCA
Executive Committee, Drexel University’s Close School Advisory Board,
and the M&T Bank Director’s Advisory Council.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 Atlantic City
We are only three weeks away from this year's ROAR
Conference & Matchmaker at the Resorts Casino Hotel
in Atlantic City! We're bringing you bigger and better
workshops, stronger opportunities for corporate and
MBE connections, growth and development
opportunities for our MBEs, and brand new 'Ideation
Sessions' that will encourage us all to not only look to the
future of business and our industries, but prepare us to
be ahead of it.
Eastern Minority Supplier Development
Council - EMSDC
Sponsorships and Questions
Christine Robertson crobertson@emsdc.org
215-569-1005 • emsdc.org/ROAR/
Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019 3
Emily Bittenbender, owner and
Douglas Oliver, Vice President managing partner of
of Communications at PECO Bittenbender Construction, LP
Brigitte Daniel Executive Vice President, Wilco Electronic Systems.
Brigitte Daniel is the Executive Vice President of Wilco Electronic
Systems, an integrator of intelligent access platforms. For over 40 years,
Wilco Electronic Systems has been dedicated to providing cable
television, telecom, and technology services to underserved communities
throughout the Philadelphia region. Daniels is an award-winning thought
leader with a focus on addressing inclusion inequities within innovation
ecosystems across the nation. Daniels was appointed to the FCC’s
Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment in
2017, awarded a 2011 Eisenhower Fellowship, and was recognized as
one of the “Top Women in Technology” in 2016 according to the
Philadelphia Business Journal.
Douglas I. Oliver Vice President of Communications, PECO. As Vice
President of Communications at PECO, Douglas Oliver leads the
company’s brand and reputation management strategies, message
development, media relations, advertising, strategic communications, and
company social media platforms. Oliver also leads the team responsible
for developing and executing the company’s internal communications
and employee engagement strategies. Prior to joining PECO, Oliver
served as Vice President of External Affairs for Philadelphia Gas Works,
Press Secretary for the City of Philadelphia under Mayor Michael A.
Nutter, and Director of Communication for the Pennsylvania Department
of Human Services. Oliver serves on the boards of Philadelphia Youth
Network, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and the
Philadelphia Ad Club.
April Walker Director, Microsoft Technology Center. April Walker is
the director of the Microsoft Technology Center in Malvern, PA. She
oversees Microsoft’s state-of-the-art innovation center where
corporations throughout greater Philadelphia are provided direction and
tactical guidance in developing digital transformation strategies and
solutions for their most complex business challenges. She is an
accomplished executive with more than 25 years leading global
organizations for some of the country’s largest media, financial services,
technology, energy, and insurance companies. Walker is not only a
proven enterprise leader, but also a technology champion, advocate, and
a catalyst for driving cultural change for the advancement and inclusion
of women and people of color in the STEM fields. philaworks.org
4 Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019
Support Black Owned Businesses Make Dollars Make Sense
Economists say the average dollar earned by blacks stays in our
community for 6 hours. Compare that to the white community. Dollars
circulate in the white community for 17 days! Some laugh at our
spending habits -- then they harvest our dollars like locusts in a field of
corn. They don’t care that strong black businesses are good for the
ENTIRE community. Considering the potential to lower crime and
violence, ALL people should make a point of supporting black
businesses. According to Brian Williams, MBA and Founder of
purchaseBlack.com, “If we spent nine cents of our collective dollar with
black owned businesses we could employ every single man, woman and
child within the black community”. More jobs will lower crime and
violence. We should heed the advice of Rev. Leon Sullivan and take
charge of the dollars that flow through our pockets. The power is in our
Small Business Owners are Invited to Join IBUYBLACK Discount Card Initiative
We are inviting black business owners to join a network that will
PROMOTE your business and bring you NEW customers – AT NO
COST TO YOU! The iBuy Black Card – is a discount card that will be in
the hands of shoppers looking to support Black businesses. We have sold
over 3000 cards to the public, and our goal is to eventually issue 10,000
cards. Shoppers pay $10.00 for the iBuy Black Discount Card because
they want to support small businesses. This wonderful program will help
grow your business, create jobs in our community, and raise funds that
will be reinvested in our community.
Best of all, it’s easy for you to participate in the iBuy Black Card
network! Here’s how it works: 1. Joining the network is FREE! We just
ask that you provide a small discount or benefit to our cardholders. 2.
The nature of the discount you provide is up to you – 5% - 10% totally
up to you! Just remember, you will be getting new customers. 3.
Participating businesses will be promoted by the Philadelphia
Community of Leaders (PCOL) and all of our partners. 4. Sign up for
free online ibuyblack.org. Shoppers love discounts. And our members
Can't find the latest copy of BPN ?
Read The Black Professionals News and
Atlantic City Times online at earlharvey.com
hands. A broad coalition of Philadelphia leaders have united and
developed the iBuy Black Discount Card to address this problem. Our
goal is to recruit 10,000 consumers to purchase the iBuyBlack Discount
card for just $10.00. In return shoppers can expect discounts and benefits
when they present the card to businesses who join our network. Network
businesses will get new customers, community recognition, and free
promotion within our extensive network. Want to join this movement and
spend your dollars wisely? Purchase your iBuyBlack Discount Card
today by calling Earl Harvey 267-244-3860 Business people, want to add
new customers and show your support for this movement? Join our
growing network email earl@earlharvey.com. For a list of participating
businesses ibuyblack.org
love to BUY BLACK
We will send you promotional materials, include you in our network,
and promote you in the media, in social media ads, and in business
showcases. This is a great opportunity to grow your business! Please call
Earl Harvey 267-244-3860 to learn how to register your business. Buy
Black programs are sponsored by: Kenny Gamble, Universal Companies;
Pastor Alyn Waller, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church; Sarah Lomax-
Reese, CEO, WURD Radio; Earl Harvey, CEO, Black Professionals
News; Ali Salahudin, African Genesis Institute; Joel Wilson, president
and CEO of JCW Consulting; Gary Shepard, 3rd Floor Media, and
Michael Rashid.
Pick Up Ibuyblack discount cards at the following locations: African
Cultural Art Forum, 221 S 52nd St., Philadelphia, PA 19139, Amatullah's
Treasures, 6303 Lansdowne Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19151 and
Maxamillion's Gentlemen's Quarters Barber Parlor, 2035 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Volunteers invited to join us for an exciting
new initiative to support Black Owned
Businesses. Come out and explore hidden
treasures located in our
business districts and commercial corridors
To volunteer and for more information
call
Earl Harvey 267-244-3860
email earl@earlharvey.com

OIC of America Awarded U.S. Department of Labor Reentry Grant Totaling $4,500,000
SOAR program expands from eleven to twelve affiliates and program
partners in seven states
OIC of America (OICA) was awarded a new three-year U.S. DOL
Reentry Grant totaling $4,500.000 which will expand its SOAR program.
Starting July 1, 2019, this grant will serve adults 25 years of age and
older. This represents a total of 5 grants awarded to OICA as an
intermediary in the past three years, bringing their U.S. DOL Reentry
total awards to $22.2 million dollars and more importantly serving
approximately 3000 returning citizens. This award allowed OICA to
expand their current program from eleven Affiliates and program partners
to twelve, covering six states, which is 32% of their affiliate network,
and 27% of their current U.S. state coverage.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, these grants give
organizations the opportunity to develop methods that maximize
participants' inclusion and integration into society, employment
opportunities, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency.
They intend to address the full range of challenges faced by
justice-involved individuals transitioning back to the community. The
Department awarded these grants to a combination of rural and urban
organizations located in high-crime, high-poverty communities.
Awardees offer a range of services based on current evidence and proven
research, and promising and emerging practices. The intent of the
Reentry Projects grant program is to protect community safety by
ensuring that participants who successfully exit the program are provided
Mozambique Flag Raising Ceremony and Reception, 9/25, 11:00 am
Olivia Faison and the Friends of Mozambique are proud to announce
that plans for the first historical dedication of the Mozambican flag in an
American city have come to fruition. On Wednesday, September 25,
2019, at 11am, the City of Philadelphia will host the Mozambique Flag
Raising Ceremony and Reception, to be held at the Thomas Paine Plaza,
located at the city’s Municipal Services Building, across from City Hall.
Olivia has met with H.E. Ambassador Carlos Dos Santos, Mozambican
Ambassador to the U.S., who has expressed his support of the Friends’
project, and assures the Embassy will do its utmost in securing a
successful ceremony.
Philadelphia-born Olivia, has made several trips to Mozambique, and
has fallen in love with the people and culture. In June of 2018, she led a
delegation and presented a Citation from the City Council of Philadelphia
to Mayor Marie Helena Langa, of the City of Mandlakazi, Mozambique,
for the impressive improvements the Mayor has bought to her city and
providence. Olivia took her jump ropes everywhere, and school children
in Matola and Maputo enjoyed double-dutch as a form of exercise,
socialization and cultural exchange. She has also paved the way for a
wondrous African vacation to many American travelers, most of whom
@ Philly's Platinum Grille 7719 Crittenden St @ Mermaid Lane in Chestnut Hill
Friday, August 30th. Calling All Virgos FREE ADMISSION for Virgos with ID, all
others $10.00 at the door. Free parking, cash bar. Call Platinum Grille to reserve
your table 215-247-2312, or call Earl Harvey 267-244-3860
Ain't No Party Like a Virgo Party 8:30 pm to 2:00 am
Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019 5
with positive opportunities to engage in employment or education;
become productive, responsible, and law-abiding members of society
who can now maintain long-term employment, and establish a stable
residence.
OICA will serve as Intermediary and the following Network
Affiliates will provide program services to participants in the SOAR
Program:
Serving Adults 25 and older, Montgomery County OIC – Executive
Director, Denise Ashe, Rocky Mount OIC – Executive Director, Reuben
Blackwell, OIC of South Florida – Executive Director, Newton Sanon
OIC of Wilson – Executive Director, Bob Farris.
“We are once again honored and grateful to be selected by the DOL
to expand our SOAR (Skills, Opportunities, Achievement,
Responsibility) Reentry Program services to 570 additional participants,
bringing our total participants to be served of nearly 3000 ending in 2022
with this most recent award,” said James Haynes, OICA President and
Board Chair.
Educational and community-based programs play a key role in
OICA’s vision and mission. The OIC network administers programs in;
vocational training, job readiness, healthcare, education, reentry, and
youth development. OICA plans to continue the expansion of its national
team to provide technical assistance, performance management, and
support to its network of affiliates and program partners.
oicofamerica.org
were making their first trip to the Motherland.
A civic activist, Olivia has been very active in developing pathways
and networks for improving trade and cultural exchange between the two
countries. She has been an active participant in Councilwoman Janie
Blackwell’s African and Caribbean Affairs Committee, and readily
expresses the concerns of the small Mozambican community here in
Philly. She has spent time meeting with many local businesses in the
community about developing a steady market for Mozambican goods. In
addition, she has welcomed many newly arrived Mozambicans into her
home, and assisted where possible with their transition to Philadelphia.
When Olivia realized the flag of Mozambique was not among the
great African and Caribbean flags so proudly displayed along the
Woodland Ave corridor, known as African Town, she knew something
had to be done. Thus, the Friends of Mozambique was born. “After all,”
Olivia often says, “this is the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection,
so let us return to that sentiment. Together we will do this!”
For more information, please contact Friends of Mozambique,
facebook.com/olivia.elationz, 215-748-4912, and
olivegreen52@hotmail.com.
6 Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019

For more information 610-622-1149 info@piersongeoffreys.com piersongeoffreys.com

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267-244-3860
Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019 7

Saturday, December 7, 2019

8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
 8 Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019
Rebuild is in full swing
Each week, new signs are popping up in neighborhoods across the
city to let residents know that Rebuild improvements are underway in
their park, recreation center, or library. Over 90% of Philadelphia’s
community spaces are in critical need of facilities improvements. Made
possible by the Philadelphia Beverage Tax, Rebuild is the Mayor’s plan
to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to fund these repairs in the
communities where they are needed most.
Last year, City Council approved 64 sites for Rebuild funding. Today,
24 of those sites already have work underway. Here are the details of the
Rebuild projects moving forward across the city:
Major overhauls. Experienced nonprofits have been awarded
multi-million-dollar grants to carry out renovations at these sites. We’re
in conversations with residents to determine what upgrades and
improvements will be made to the park, recreation center, or library:
Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center (community engagement and design),
Heitzman Recreation Center (community engagement and design),
Vare Recreation Center (community engagement and design), Glavin
Playground (community engagement and design), Olney Recreation
Center (community engagement and design)
Playground renovations. The following sites are receiving new
playgrounds and have either started community engagement and design
or are already under construction. Miles Mack Playground (community
engagement and design), Hancock Playground (community engagement
and design), East Poplar (community engagement and design), Fishtown
Recreation Center (under construction), Disston Recreation Center
(under construction), Hayes Playground (under construction), Gifford
Playground (under construction), Moss Playground (under construction)
Urgent repairs. These sites are receiving time-sensitive fixes (e.g.,
GlobalPhilly™ 2019 Aims to Enhance International Stature of Philadelphia - International
Exposition Will Offer Over 100 Events from September 1 to October 15
As the nucleus of American democracy, Philadelphia is ready to
celebrate its rich history on the global stage through GlobalPhilly™
2019. Hosted by Global Philadelphia Association (GPA) and its
members, GlobalPhilly™ 2019 is a 45-day exposition that will showcase
the international activity of Philadelphia’s residents, as well as the global
reach of the city, from September 1 to October 15. The fourth iteration of
the event, this year’s exposition will feature over 100 events and
programs centered around a variety of international themes and issues. In
particular, GlobalPhilly™ 2019 will spotlight the theme of Medical
Heritage but will additionally feature events in the following categories:
Arts & Culture, Business & Commerce, Community Development,
Education K-12, Family-Friendly, Food, Global Event, Higher Education
& Research, History & Preservation, International Relations, Science,
Sports, Sustainable Development Goals, Technology, and World
Heritage. All those who are interested in the event can pick up a
GlobalPhilly™ 2019 Passport at key locations around the city, including
hotels, coffee shops, the Philadelphia International Airport, and the
Philadelphia Visitor’s Center.
GlobalPhilly™ 2019 Highlights: World Heritage City Celebration
Dinner (GPA), September 5; Medical History Tour of Philadelphia
(Beyond the Bells), September 14; From Bench to Bench to Bedside:
New Breakthroughs in CRISPR Gene Editing and the HIV Virus (The
Franklin Institute), September 16; “The Nuclear Ban Treaty: The Path
Forward” Conference (UNA-GP), September 19; The Sustainable
Development Goals: Empowerment for Peace (Global Education
Motivators, Pacem in Terris), September 20; Teaching about Caring and
Curing in our City’s Past: Philadelphia, Public Health, and the World – A
Teacher Workshop (GPA & Historical Society of Pennsylvania),
September 28; Breaking Away, Breaking Apart: Labor Politics in North
Africa (Middle East Center at University of Pennsylvania), October 2;
Crossing Medical Borders (The Geographical Society of Philadelphia),
October 2; Sustainable Development Goal #5 Public Art Unveiling
(Friends Select, Glenmede Trust, Mural Arts Philadelphia, GPA),
The 49th Annual Legislative Conference will take place in Washington, DC from September 11-15, 2019
cbcfinc.org
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roof replacements, boiler replacements, sidewalk repairs), and some will
receive more investment through a larger project in the near future.
Martin Luther King Recreation Center (roof and sidewalk replacement),
Murphy Recreation Center (boiler replacement), Jerome Brown
Playground (roof), Nelson Playground (roof).
Coming soon. These locations are receiving a multi-million dollar
investment and will start community engagement once a nonprofit
partner has been selected. Kingsessing Recreation Center, Kingsessing
Library, Lawncrest Recreation Center, Lawncrest Library, Barrett
Playground, McPherson Square (park and library), Rivera Recreation
Center
Sign up for Rebuild updates. To hear more about the Rebuild
initiative, join our mailing list! phila.gov/programs/rebuild
October 3.
Although the exposition will highlight the international scale of the
city’s diversity, GPA has particularly chosen to draw attention to the
theme of Medical Heritage. Often overlooked, Philadelphia has created a
legacy of medical firsts, including everything from the establishing the
first medical school and mental hospital to completing the first successful
brain surgery.
In addition to showcasing Philadelphia’s role in promoting health on
an individual front, GlobalPhilly™ 2019 will also discuss health on a
global scale by spotlighting the city’s work towards achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The United Nations created 17
SDGs in 2015 in an effort to promote prosperity while protecting the
planet, with the goal of accomplishing them all by 2030. Philadelphia has
chosen to take up the challenge in various ways. First, GPA has partnered
with the Mural Arts Project to produce a mural for each SDG scattered
throughout the city. In addition to this, GlobalPhilly™ 2019 will
showcase university-led research projects and organizations that
contribute to achieving the SDGs.
GlobalPhilly™ 2019 is being supported by the following sponsors:
American Bible Society, Brandywine Realty Trust, Deloitte, Diversified
Search, Drexel University, Fox School of Business, John and Susan
Smith, Jefferson University, Kaushik and Surma Daphtary, Parkway,
Philadelphia Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Pennsylvania Department
of Community & Economic Development, Philadelphia International
Airport, Poor Richard’s Charitable Trust, SAP, South Asia Center
University of Pennsylvania, Temple Fox School, Temple University,
University of Pennsylvania & Penn Medicine, and Villanova University.
Our media partners are: Black Professonals News; Al Día News; Grid;
Generocity; Invest: Philadelphia; Temple University, Klein College of
Media and Communication; Hellenic News of America; The Parkside
Journal; and Tone and Tenor. To learn more about sponsorship
opportunities, contact Alisha Mehta, GlobalPhilly™ 2019 Project
Manager, at alisha.mehta@globalphiladelphia.org or 215-563-2482.
 photo by Heshimu Jaramogi Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019 9
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III to Embark on National Book Tour
“A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American Minutes”; Oct. 1 – The Apollo
History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump” on sale Theater, New York City. In
Sept. 24 conversation with Gayle King,
Lonnie G. Bunch III, the newly appointed 14th Secretary of the co-host of “CBS This Morning”;
Smithsonian Institution, will embark on a national tour to discuss his new Oct. 15 The Museum of the
book “A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American Revolution,
American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump.” Philadelphia. In conversation with
The tour kicks off in Chicago on Sept. 19 and takes him to seven cities in Scott Stephenson, museum
the U.S. in 2019, with more dates in 2020 to be announced. president and chief executive; Oct.
The book chronicles the strategies, the support systems and the 22 – Peabody Museum of
coalitions Bunch put in place to build the Smithsonian’s 19th museum, Archaeology and Ethnology at
one that would attract more than four million visitors during its first two Harvard University, Boston. In
years. The book goes on sale Sept. 24, the third anniversary of the conversation with Henry Louis
museum’s opening. A public event will be held that day at the museum in “Skip” Gates, Director of the
Washington, D.C. in celebration of the anniversary. Hutchins Center for African and
During the tour stops, Bunch will discuss the book with high profile African American Research at
journalists and historians including Scott Pelley, Gayle King and Henry Harvard University; Oct. 25 – The
Louis “Skip” Gates. The schedule for the 2019 tour is as follows: Sept. Peabody Museum of Natural
19 – Chicago Museum of History, Chicago; Sept. 24 – The National History at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Nov. 16 – Nate
Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C. Holden Theater, Los Angeles Book tour tickets must be reserved at
In conversation with Scott Pelley, correspondent for the CBS News’ “60 maahc.si.edu/nmaahcbooktour.

The Black Professionals News Invites You to Join Us as We Visit

The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC
Monday October 14, 2019.
Bus leaves from Platinum Grille Restaurant in Chestnut Hill in the morning returns at night
call Earl Harvey 267-244-3860 for more information email earlharvey@aol.com
children over 12 years old welcome

Earl Harvey,
Publisher The Black Professionals News Phone
267-244-3860
P.O.
(BPN)
Box 44303 earlharvey.com

Philadelphia, PA Advertising • Marketing earl @earlharvey.com

19144
Special Events
 10 Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019
Sheriff’s Office recovers owner refunds from Sheriff Sales for free. No need to pay a
“Finder’s Fee” to a private agent
If your home/property was sold at a Sheriff Sale due to foreclosure or
back taxes and the final price was more than the amount owed, you are
the rightful recipient of a refund of the excess monies paid for the
property. The Sheriff’s Office will help you obtain that refund for free.
Sheriff Jewell Williams says there is no need for former property
owners to engage the services of someone who will charge a “finder’s
fee” to apply for the refund. So far in 2019, $2.45M was recovered and
returned to property owners by the Sheriff’s Office Defendant Asset
Recovery Team.
“Why pay a finder’s fee for money that is legally due to you? It is
traumatic to lose your home and if you do, you shouldn’t have to give
away money that rightfully belongs to you and your family,” said Sheriff
Williams. “We have made it simple to get money that is due to you as a
former homeowner."
After a property is sold, settled and all liabilities and debts have been
paid and recorded, a defendant (the owner of record at the time the court
ordered the sale) may recover any excess balance remaining on the
account through the Sheriff’s Defendant Asset Recovery Team, also
known as DART.
Independent agents will charge former property owners a fee to help
them “find” and apply for the refund due. A law passed by City Council
in 2011 requires that agents be registered with the city, be transparent
about fees and meet stricter standards to work with property owners. To
avoid this requirement, some agents are now working with local
attorneys to engage property owners. The fees charged by these agents
are as high as 15% of the amount due the homeowner; fees charges by
lawyers who work for these agents can be as much as 30%.
For example, if you are due $50,000 back in excess funds for your
home, the finder could pocket as much as $7500 in fees. Working in
conjunction with an attorney, that fee could rise to $15,000.
However, this service is provided for free by DART. Last year,
DART returned nearly $3.8M to owners of record. In the past 7 years,
the Sheriff’s Office has returned $19.8M in excess funds to property
owners.
“There is no need to have someone take advantage of distressed
homeowners”, said Denean Hardy, Director of the DART unit. “If your
house is going to Sheriff’s sale, you are already under financial duress.
And on top of everything, you are giving up scarce and precious dollars
that could be used elsewhere at a very sensitive time in your life,” Hardy
said.
In previous administrations, very little of this money was recovered
for people who lost their homes. Sheriff Jewell Williams made it a
priority to search out those owed money by enhancing the efforts of the
DART unit. Under his leadership, the DART unit has been more
aggressive in validating who is eligible to receive a DART payment and
connecting with those individuals to put a check in their hands.
It is easy to find out if you are owed money on a property you lost in
a Sheriff Sale. Go to phillysheriff.com/en/real-estate/dart and click on
the “File a Claim” button to download a DART Claim form. Completed
forms should be mailed to: DART Unit, Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office 100
S. Broad Street, 5th Floor Philadelphia PA 19110.

Rabb crop grant program bill passes the House

State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., announced that his bipartisan
priority crops legislation (H.B. 1519) passed the House in a
unanimous vote.
“Certain crops, like hemp, hops, honey and hardwood are not eligible
for the federal grant program,” Rabb said. “I believe this legislation will
pave the way for Pennsylvania to become a leader in research, cultivation
and commercialization of these valuable crops.”
The bill would establish a state-level grant program to encourage the
farming of high-priority crops. It would act as a complement to the
federal Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which awards grants for
projects aimed at expanding markets for small producers and sets aside
10 percent of grant funds for successful applicants from rural and urban
communities that have at least 20% poverty for at least 30 years.
The legislation is part of Pennsylvania’s first-ever farm bill package,
introduced by agriculture committee chairmen Reps. Martin Causer,
R-McKean/Cameron/Potter, and Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Luzerne, and
other Democratic and Republican legislators.

Earl Harvey Publisher The Black Professionals News Invites You to Join us For Our Bus Trip to Broadway in New
York to see The New Tina Turner Musical Saturday November 9th 2019.
Bus leaves from Platinum Grille Restaurant in Chestnut Hill 2.30 pm show is at 8 pm home after midnight.
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Black & Brown Voters Own the Electoral College ... They Just Don't Know it, Yet
But, as soon as Republican strategists find out, it might be gone before
you find out
Since Republican Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 by
outmaneuvering Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the Electoral
College, many Democrats, progressives and others aligned on the
political left have argued that enough is enough: it’s time to abolish the
Electoral College. Had it not been for the Electoral College, the argument
goes, we would not have Trump in the White House and the nation would
be less divisive along racial and partisan lines. Presidential elections
should be decided very simply by popular vote. Keep it simple. It’s not
like the Electoral College was ever fair to begin with, giving out-sized
and unfair influence to less populated states than more populated ones.
However, what’s left out of that conversation is the little-known fact that
as demographics have dramatically changed, the country dramatically
less White than it ever way, the Electoral College actually presents a new
golden political advantage to non-White “voters of color,” especially
Black and Brown voters, that has not yet been realized.
Because of population distribution, Black, Brown and Indigenous
voters find themselves in states with crucial EC votes, thereby giving
them the power to determine the outcome of future presidential elections.
It’s just that, collectively, these voting blocs have yet to realize this. So,
the movement to eradicate the Electoral College comes at a moment
when voters of color should actually be recognizing and flexing
newfound political muscle.
B|E Note Contributor Dr. G.S. Potter offers a theoretical framework
of those numbers in her April analysis entitled “Here's How to Win the
2020 "Race War" ... Using the Electoral College.” Voters of color could
decide presidential election outcomes, and thus pick desired candidates,
if they were activated according to the EC scheme …
If we 1) add the 186 EC votes from Liberated and Mobilized states to
our 211 EC votes from Democratic Ally and Democratic Nonwhite
Stronghold states, and then 2) allow the GOP to take the 13 Confederate
states and the White states being pandered to we have a grand total of …
Democrats: 397 EC Votes, Trump Republicans: 141 EC Votes.
It’s an interesting and essential read that breaks down state EC-vote
numbers according to the racial demographics in each state.
Tragically, word hasn’t reached the popular discourse in these
communities, just yet. Talk of abolishing the EC is drowning out any hint
of a conversation that flips it into a competitive advantage for non-White
voters.
But, recently, Republican strategist Stuart Stevens found this out and
is now arguing, as well, to “kill the Electoral College.” Here’s Stevens in
USA Today recently: I’m now convinced that it is not only in the coun-
try’s best interest to end the Electoral College, but that abolishing it
might be a key to the long-term survival of the Republican Party.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan won a sweeping landslide of 44 states with
56% of the white vote. In 2012, Mitt Romney lost with 59% of the white
vote. In 2016, Trump won with 57% — but only because the black
turnout rate in a presidential election fell for the first time in 20 years and
third-party voting rose.
Since 1964, the Republican Party has increasingly become a white
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Bus Trip to Broadway in New York to See The Hit Play Ain't Too Proud
the Life and Times of the Temptations Saturday September 14, 2019.
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Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019 11
party. In 1956, 39% of African Americans voted for Dwight Eisenhower.
In 1964, less than 7% voted for Barry Goldwater, who opposed the Civil
Rights Act. Black support for the Republican Party fell of a cliff that year
and has never come back.
For a while, it looked like Republicans could make strong inroads
into the Hispanic vote with Bush topping 40% in 2004. But that dropped
to 31% for John McCain in 2008, and that’s where it has been
languishing.
Pew Research estimates, Hispanics will be the largest minority voting
group for the first time. Hispanics have grown from 7% of the electorate
in 2000 to a projected 13% next year.
Here’s the translation: the Electoral College is perfectly fine and
running smoothly when White voters, White candidates and White
presidents accomplishing accelerated white nationalist agendas benefit
from it. But, once it starts to show that Black/Brown/Indigenous voters
get to dominate it … well, that’s a big problem. Stevens admits that the
Electoral College is a White political tool …
What does this have to do with the Electoral College? Under the EC,
it is possible, though increasingly difficult, for a Republican candidate to
win the presidency without substantial nonwhite support.
Without an Electoral College, the Republican Party would be forced
to grow or die. Donald Trump is defining the Republican Party as a white
grievance party, settling the score for the great injustices being wrought
on America’s white middle class.
Thus, he’s mostly concerned with Republican political survival, and
he lays out cold hard facts about the precipitous drop of Black and
Brown voter support for Republican candidates. That’s his core rationale
for abolishing the Electoral College. Not that it perpetuates a broken or
corrupt system or that it might be fundamentally undemocratic in the way
that it contravenes popular voting … but, that there’s too many Black and
Brown people on campus. So, like the Voting Rights Act, let’s just do
away with it.
Hence, the push to abolish the Electoral College is quite a white
supremacist master move (even if you don’t think you’re “white
supremacist” because you don’t wear white hoods and burn crosses at
night). Democrats, progressives, civil rights groups and others
influencing Black and/or Brown public discourse may not be realizing
this. Indeed, while caught up in the emotional maelstrom defining today’s
Trump presidency, they’re actually engaged in political self-sabotage by
actively seeking the elimination of the EC. What should happen next is
an immediate re-assessment of the EC and how it can benefit Black,
Brown and Indigenous political outcomes. They’ll have to do so before
it’s too late: the call to abolish it from a prominent GOP strategist means
the word is out. This is happening at a time of increased voter
suppression and the rising legitimacy of voter-dilution schemes such as
gerrymandering and citizenship questions on the 2020 Census.
Eliminating the Electoral College will further cement that effort.
Publisher’s Riff presented by Reality Check on WURD, airs Monday
- Thursday, 4-7pm ET, streamed live at WURDradio.com, in Philly on
96.1 FM / 900 AM | #RealityCheck @ellisonreport
12 Black Professionals News • August 29, 2019