Black Business Association to host annual salute to Black women
Supports, highlights their contributions
The Black Business Association (BBA) will hold its annual Salute to Black Women Business Conference and Awards Luncheon on March 31, at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Themed “Women’s Education—Women’s Empowerment,” it is held in recognition of National Women’s History Month.
The event reflects annually upon the extraordinary accomplishments of women, “honoring their role in shaping the course of American history.” Throughout the years of its existence, the BBA has supported women’s rights and encouraged their empowerment through entrepreneurship.
The conference and awards luncheon attracts more than 500 of the region’s most successful women entrepreneurs, executives, educators, community leaders, elected officials, mothers, daughters and sisters, bringing together women of all ages to inspire and support of each other’s contributions.
This year the BBA presents its Lifetime Achievement Award to Diane Watson in recognition of her decades of commitment and service as an elected official and educator. Other awardees include Xernona Clayton, founder of the Trumpet Foundation, (Educational Heritage Award); advocate/educator and author Julia Hare (Exemplary Educator Award); the California Alliance of African American Educators (Outstanding Educational Institution Award); Mary (Nzinga) Kimbrough and Jackie Kimbrough Ryan, co-owners of Zambezi Bazaar, (Outstanding Community-based Business Award); and Beverly Kuykendall, president/CEO of Federal and Commercial Contracts Inc., (Entrepreneur of the Year Award).
“For every one honoree, there are thousands of other African American women [who] also deserve to be recognized. As a people, we should acknowledge and pay homage to African American women, not just for one day or one week or one month, but every day of the year.” — Skip Cooper, president, Black Business Association
Six California women will get at least a portion of their historical and honorary due at a luncheon at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles on Saturday.
Earl “Skip” Cooper, president of the Black Business Association (BBA), above left, holds President’s Award, which went to Walter Rhodes, seated, vice president of supply management for Southern California Edison, for exceptional commitment to increasing procurement opportunities to African American firms. In the second photo, Cooper stands with Gloria Pualani of Northrup Grumman, which received the Aerospace Industry Award. The BBA celebrated its 39th awards dinner last week at the Omni Hotel.
A lively crowd showed up at Club Nokia, hosted by AEG/L.A. Live, to demonstrate support at the West Coast Expo’s pre-event mixer. They noshed on Wolfgang Puck finger food, imbibed favorite beverages, schmoozed and, of course, chatted up the Expo. The event was held Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m.
The African American Redistricting Collaborative (AARC) will hold a press conference today at 10 a.m. at the California African America Museum in Exposition Park to discuss the latest developments in redrawing legislative boundaries. The AARC’s press advisory notes that it “... is convening a press conference to declare the African American community’s refusal to accept any reduction in political representation.”
CHICAGO, Ill.—More than 200 National Newspaper Publishers Association members who gathered at Chicago’s legendary Drake Hotel saw the torch of Black press excellence passed to a new, younger generation in the person of Arizona legislator, the Honorable Clovis Campbell Jr., publisher of the Arizona Informant.
