August 2018 Taking Care of Business

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS August-September 2018
VOL. 3 EDITION 6
Taking
Care of Business…
A
s the Executive Director of Rasheed Communications and Editor of
Taking Care of Business, a new innovative bi-monthly business news
magazine, our hope is to bring to you local and national news coverage
from the African American community. Our focus is on premier black
owned businesses, powerful women in business, minority small
business owners, and startup companies. We distribute this bi-monthly
publication commercially and residentially with a target circulation of
5,000 copies six times per calendar year.
We highlight corporations and companies that reinvest in our communities and further advance
African Americans and women up their corporate ladder. We also intend to expose those companies
which do not. We would like to provide your business with the opportunity to expand your marketing
and advertising promotions for the Spring and Summer. Our goal is to build bridges so that the
businesses in our community will support each other more.
We will continue to foster an environment that encourages customers to shop locally for goods and
services as we work to strengthen our community.
We look forward to expanding the reach of your business.
Sincerely,
Saleem Rasheed, Jr.
Executive Director
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3

By TANISHA A. SYKES
The median income of black households in 2014 was
$35,398, compared with the national median of $53,657,
according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual report on
Income and Poverty in the United States. Even for those
African Americans who are doing well, the truth is that
we still experience less intergenerational inheritance,
higher rates of caretaking for extended family, and
differing patterns of home ownership. One way to take
steps toward closing the wealth gap is to return to the
kind of financial lessons my grandmother espoused. Here
are five ways you could make her proud, and help
yourself in the bargain.
• Pay with cash.
• Buy only what I need.
• Eat at home.
• Pay all my bills on time.
• Don’t spend without a budget.
Give every dollar a home. “We need to put a GPS
on our dollars and see exactly where they are going,”
says Gail Perry-Mason, financial coach and author of
Girl! Make Your Money Grow: A Sister’s Guide to
Protecting Your Future and Enriching Your Life. “Every
cent should have a home, whether it’s for savings and
checking, the bills, the credit union, or retirement funds.”
To track spending, take advantage of online tools like
Money Minder. You can quickly see if your spending
reflects your values, visions, or goals or if you need to
make some adjustments.
Dine in. Sure, it’s Friday and you’ve worked hard, why
not hit the town? For starters, because spending $100 a
week on eating out means you’ll blow through $5,200 a
year. If you saved that same amount and earned 5%, after
10 years you would have $68,000, thanks to compound
interest. That doesn’t mean you have to be a complete
homebody. If cabin fever is setting in, go out on
Wednesdays, when you’re likely to order less food and
drink than on the weekend. Or hold a pot luck, with
everyone’s favorite apps and cocktails.
Offer a hand up, not a hand out. We do a lot of
emotional spending as African Americans, especially when it
comes to helping out family and friends. “People can tug at
our heart, while at the same time tugging at our purse
strings,” Perry-Mason says. But if the money you’re doling
out, whether it’s $20 or $200, isn’t part of your spending
plan, then you’re busting your budget. Perry-Mason suggests
offering a portion, then helping guide the borrower toward
other ways to bring in more income
Tweak your money mind-set. African American
buying power is expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2017,
according to a report published by Nielsen in collaboration
with the National Newspaper Publishers Association. While
the upward trend is good news, it’s not enough just to be able
to afford what you want today. “Africans Americans must
consume less and own more,” Perry-Mason says. Toward that
end, she recommends creating at least five different income
streams. That way, if one financial resource dries up, you’ll
always have another to fall back on. For example, if you have
some extra time, pick up a side hustle on pennyhoarder.com.
Got extra stuff? Unload it for cash on eBay. And it you have
some money left over at the end of the month, make it
work harder for you by investing spare change in one of the
portfolios at Acorn.com, or read up on how you can build
long-term wealth by investing in real estate.
Take a “mind your own business” day. Think of
yourself as the CEO of your own company, and if your
budget is stubbornly in the red, make a few layoffs. This
week maybe it’s streamlining the cable, next week it could be
saying goodbye to custom haircuts and mani-pedis. “You
have to realize: My house is not going to be run like a
nonprofit,” Perry-Mason says. Review every bill. Look for
miscellaneous fees, overspending, high interest rates, and
recurring automatic payments for goods and services you
don’t use.
Tanisha A. Sykes is a personal finance and career
development expert. Follow her on Twitter @tanishastips.
5

For LaDonna Ali, it all started in Kansas City’s Vineyard
neighborhood. She was born and raised there and watched her
mother, Kay, take an active role in the community. “My mother was
very passionate about the community. She was in the neighborhood
association and was always looking for ways to make our block
better,” she recalled fondly. It was this influence, watching her
mother care about and advocate for their community, that planted
within Ali a love for community, for people, for building
relationships.
She noticed at a young age that homeownership was often difficult
for people in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. “I had family
members who were realtors. One of the things I would do is go to
open houses with them. I would always see people, especially in the
urban core, who would ask how to get assistance buying a home with
no down payment. That stuck with me.” Inspired by what she’d
observed, Ali took a job in an on-campus bank shortly after starting
college. She quickly fell in love with the industry and changed her
major from telecommunications to banking. She knew she had found
a career where she could help the community that had raised her. That
was nearly 30 years ago and she hasn’t looked back since.
“I’ve done it from every aspect—from the mortgage processing piece
to the mortgage lending origination piece,” Ali explained. As she
moved through the banking system and learned the intricacies of the
industry, she realized how important it is to work in a banking
environment that specifically supports low- to
moderate-income families.
Because applicants from less affluent areas may not
qualify for traditional home loans, some home
Loan Officers avoid the population all together.
Undeterred, Ali recognized a need for opportunity
and only worked harder to build relationships with
organizations and colleagues that could be of
service. With the help of local realtors and not-forprofit
organizations like Habitat for Humanity of
Kansas City, Neighborhood Housing Services of
Kansas City, CHES, Inc., Housing Information
Center, and Community Housing of Wyandotte,
Ali created a network of resources to help low- to
moderate-income community members get into
their first home.
Over the years, Ali gained the necessary knowledge
and experience to match her passion. She
worked as a mortgage loan processor, a mortgage
loan officer and, currently, a community affairs
officer at Central Bank of the Midwest. In this
position, she is able to use her banking expertise
while also engaging her passion for community
involvement. “Fifty percent of my job is being out
in the community making low- to moderate-income
families aware of home ownership. The other fifty
percent, I originate mortgage loans and help them
get financing. I help a lot of people with down
payment assistance programs,” she said cheerfully.
Down payment assistance is, perhaps, the biggest
aspect of her job because so many potential
homeowners talk themselves out of the process
because of misinformation. “Over the 10 years I’ve
been doing this, it still surprises me that a lot of
people are not aware of down payment assistance,”

COVER STORY
AUGUST—SEPTEMBER 2018
she admitted. Many incorrectly assume home ownership is a privilege
afforded only to the wealthy, but Ali is excited about the programs Central
Bank of the Midwest has in place. In partnership with the down payment
funding sources as an approved lender for Missouri Housing Development
Commission (MHDC) and the Community Housing Improvement
Program (CHIP) in Kansas and most recently NeighborhoodLIFT
(Let’s Invest for Tomorrow), they are able to offer home loans to a much
wider group of community members. “I had the humbling opportunity to
work with the LIFT program in 2014 while at Neighborhood Housing
Services of Kansas City. We were able to help about 308 families purchase
homes with the LIFT down payment assistance,” Ali said.
“I love that we have the mortgage loan, Portfolio Conventional Home
Turf Program…. It is unlike any other,” she said of the program. “We pay the closing costs, we pay for the inspection, we pay for the appraisal,
and there is no mortgage insurance…. This program only requires 3% down, and that can come from the down payment assistance
program. We can also originate conventional, FHA, VA and USDA mortgage loans,” she explained further..
Ali has put hundreds of community members in touch with resources that enabled them to become homeowners, but no matter how many
people she helps, the feeling of satisfaction never gets old. “Every closing I go to is a great moment.
That’s my why…. I
see the daughter
talking about how
she is going to
decorate her room.
I see the mother
crying, especially
single moms. It
blows me away,”
she said. The sense
of pride and accomplishment
home ownership encourages is something everyone deserves to
experience, and Ali is thankful for the opportunity to be involved
in that process.
But home ownership is not just about accomplishment and pride.
It is often a more practical and economical choice. To many, the
thought of buying a home is intimidating. It seems complicated
and expensive, but the reality is that “they’re paying a mortgage
anyway,” Ali said. “Rent can be $500–$1500. Buying a house is
a come-up because it’s lower than what you’re paying for rent—
and it’s yours!” she added. Plus, the revitalization that has been
taking place in the city has made it possible for community members
to buy homes right in their own neighborhoods. For example,
local realtor Helen Bryant, owner/broker of Bryant Real Estate
I, LLC, is the listing broker for duplexes on 39 th and Euclid
in the Ivanhoe neighborhood. “People thought it would never
happen, but she had a waiting list before it was even built!” Ali
said excitedly.
However, not everyone is prepared to buy. Though perfect
credit is not a requirement, very low scores leave applicants
ineligible for program approval. Though this is not easy news
to deliver, Ali prizes integrity and is always honest yet
optimistic. ”I’ve had 4–5 people this week where the score
was under 500. No one can do a loan with a 400 credit score.
I’m really honest with people. I tell them, ‘Life happens.
There are not-for-profit agencies that can help build your
credit back up,’” she explained. She cautions against for-profit
“credit building” companies, which often turn out to be
scams. “Sometimes I get people who say they spent thousands
of dollars to clean up their credit and the company didn’t do
anything,” she said. This is a major setback for people who
are already struggling financially.
For those who do not qualify, it is best to work on credit
improvement and familiarize themselves with the home loan
process. “The first thing I tell people is that there are three
factors no matter where you go, no matter what bank you talk
to. They are credit score, debt-to-income ratio, and where is
the down payment and closing cost coming from,” Ali explained.
Banks need to know they are making a wise
investment, so it is the applicant’s job to explain their
financial history and current income.
As the cityscape changes and new homes and businesses are
being built, Ali is excited about the new life and energy being
piped into the urban core. Quite literally, she wants residents
to take ownership of their communities and never allow
themselves to believe that they can’t be homeowners, too.
7

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A diagnosis of an auto immune
disorder can be life shattering or life
changing. For Regina Clark, it was the
latter. When she began wearing wigs due
to lupus-related hair loss, she noticed how
rudely she was treated in many local
beauty supply stores. Rather than
begrudgingly deal with the treatment, she
used it as motivation to open her own store.
As a real estate agent looking for a career
change, the idea of opening a beauty
supply store was exactly what she needed
to revive her passion. “I would always go
to the Koreans to purchase my wigs,”
Clark recalled. “It was the way that they
would make me feel. Walk you around the
store like you’re going to steal something.
Then they want you to purchase wigs without
trying them on. A lace wig can be $600
and they want you to purchase it without
trying on,” she said. Something had to be
done, and so she did it. That’s how Clark’s
Beauty Supply was born seven years ago.
Because Clark had no experience in the
hair care industry, she was patient and
strategic as she planned the opening of her
business. “I started researching how it
works, how it operates, what you have to
do,” she explained. When it came time to
open, she opted for a soft launch inside of a
building she already owned. “I spent about
a year in the building. I started with little
things like wigs. I wanted to see how that
would go. Then I started getting wholesale
clothes. After a while I said, ‘Ok, I can do
this,’” she explained.
Clarks first official store was located in
Kansas City, Kansas. She spent a year
there but found that the area foot traffic
was too low. “I was on Quindero Blvd. It
used to be very vibrant, but most of the
businesses there are gone, so it was a
struggle,” Clark said. From there, she
moved to her current Raytown location at
5226 Blue Ridge Blvd. In addition to a
large assortment of hair products, barber
and beautician supplies, braiding hair and
much more, she offers clergy
uniforms and church clothes. This is something
no other beauty supply store in
Spotlight on Business
Kansas City offers. She has been in this location for the past five years and
has established herself as a friend to many of her customers. The warm and
inviting atmosphere of her store is a welcomed change from the blatant and
latent racism many African American women face in beauty supply stores
nationwide.
African American women have long had a complicated relationship with their
hair. It has been both a point of pride and pain, self-confidence and struggle.
Clark knows this relationship intimately and wants to ensure every woman
who walks through her door feels valued and understood. “Some women
come in just to talk, just to look around…. A lot of times, a young lady will
come in and won’t feel comfortable taking off her wig. Sometimes I’ll just
take off my hair and say, ‘Now, you good?’ You have to feel comfortable,”
said Clark, who estimates approximately 10% of her customers suffer from
alopecia.
The comfort Clark offers her customers extends far beyond hair care. She
sometimes takes on a motherly role to those in need. “There is a young lady
that comes in here all the time and buys little items,” Clark said. “She came in
and was feeling pretty good. I could tell she’d been drinking. I said, ‘You’re
only 17 years old. You know better than that.’ She said, ‘You know what, you
never knew this but my mother’s dead. Every time I come in here, you’re

always so personable with me. I came in here just for you to do what
you just did. I’m going home because I know I’m wrong for doing
that.’”
Clark’s relationship with her customers is something that sets her
apart. She may not have the complete selection of Korean hair stores
or the prices of big-box stores like Walmart, but she has unbeatable
customer service and intimate knowledge of her products. When a
customer complained about her prices being higher than other stores,
she explained that “Walmart is a billion-dollar company…. I can’t
compete. But when it comes to customer service, one-on-one, telling
you how a product works, and telling you other customers’ results, I
can tell you that and be honest about it,” Clark said.
She is proud to serve her customers with integrity and relies on her
family and faith in God to keep her going. “My husband has been a
big help. He has a radio broadcast. Every Friday he gives us a shoutout
and lets everyone know we’re here. It’s his business as well. It’s a
family thing. My children do the social media. My church family
helps me. When people see that you’re serious about what you do and
you’re never going to give up, they help you out,” Clark said. By the
grace of God and the love and encouragement of her supporters,
Clark keeps pushing. Even though she knows she is fighting an uphill
battle as a Black woman in the hair care
industry, she has no intentions of giving up. “I had a
Korean friend that told me, ‘Regina, this is really
something you shouldn’t do…. You’re African American,
you’re a minority when it comes to this. They’re not
going to let you in. They’re going to make it hard on
you,’” she
recalled.
As one of the few
black-owned hair
stores in the city,
Clark has faced
many challenges,
including trouble
finding product vendors. However, her dedication to her
passion and her people keeps her energized and ready for
whatever’s next. She hopes to one day open a second location
and pass the business off to her children, but for
now she is focused on growing the business and making
more women aware of what she has to offer. “At the end
of the day,” she said, “there is a need for our people. This
is what they want. For me to throw in the towel is like
saying they’re not important—and they are.”
11

11

African-Americans,
Vaccines and a
History of Suspicion
A good parent is not sure what to believe. On one side, doctors
tell us vaccinations are safe and necessary for our children.
They’ve been in existence for hundreds of years, most people get
them and they are credited with eradicating diseases and saving
lives.
On the other side are numerous horror stories involving
vaccinated children like that of Harvard-educated attorney
George Fatheree, who was pressured by a pediatrician to resume
vaccination despite seizures his infant, Clayton, experienced after
a previous round of vaccines. That night, Clayton’s seizures
returned and he stopped speaking for three years. He grew into a
severely disabled teen, suffering dozens of seizures a day.
Because of similar vaccine-related injuries and deaths, the
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program — a fund under
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set up to
shield vaccine manufacturers from liability — has paid out over
$3.6 billion in compensation to affected families.
Given such occurrences, coupled with a dark history of
government-backed medical atrocities enacted upon the Black
community, African-American parents are often unsure what to
think about vaccination. But, whatever one believes, when it
comes to injecting potentially harmful materials into our children
— among vaccine ingredients listed by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) are known neurotoxins aluminum
and formaldehyde, along with human fetal tissue — parents need
to be as informed as possible.
Some focus on what they believe to be a bigger picture.
“Vaccinations are great advances,” says Harriet A. Washington, a
medical ethicist, researcher and writer who has held numerous
university fellowships. Washington points to the eradication of
serious diseases current generations now take for granted.
“Medical innovations are very important,” she contends,
especially “considering the very poor health of
African-Americans” who “die younger, more quickly and in
greater proportions than most from cancer and other infectious
diseases.”
Health Report
Few would dispute the underlying concept of an immune
response being generated by exposure to a virus or disease.
Accordingly, most who contracted measles or chicken pox
as children currently enjoy a natural lifelong immunity to
these illnesses and others. However, critics contend this
natural immunity is far different from the unnatural process
of vaccination in place today.
“You cannot put adjuvants — which you know are
neurotoxins such as mercury, aluminum or a carcinogen like
formaldehyde — into these vaccines and then inject them
into these little bodies and think it’s not going to have any
effects,” says Dr. Nancy Turner Banks, a Harvard Medical
School graduate and former director of outpatient
gynecology at North General Hospital in Harlem, N.Y. The
real question, says Banks, is “not if vaccines are safe, but if
the ingredients they put in vaccines are safe.”
Last July, upon educating herself on vaccines and potential
links to autism and learning disabilities, Dr. Rachael Ross
— family physician, Ph.D and co-host of Emmy Awardwinning
TV show, “The Doctors” — issued a heartfelt
apology to “any children and parents that I have
unknowingly harmed.” As a Black physician with a Black
patient base, wrote Ross, “I am very concerned and very
sorry.” With what “I now know, I cannot support mandatory
vaccines for children.” Parents, insisted Ross, “have to have
the right to choose.”
Undoubtedly, there are many sides to the debate given most
medical professionals are neither for nor against all
vaccines. But, in America today, a healthy debate is not
taking place. Medical professionals who merely question the
existing schedule risk reputation, career and are branded
“quacks” in Internet posts and press. Because the mainstream
media in this country, says Fisher, is “very much
influenced by the pharmaceutical companies who advertise”
in their space, “they characterize it as either you are against
all vaccines or you are for all vaccines.” Not true, since
most “want to use some of the vaccines or a different
schedule,” yet are “being forced into using all the vaccines
or are being called ‘anti-vaccine’ because they simply want
to make informed choices.”
Still, what looms larger than any debate over immunity is
the ongoing issue of trust — or lack thereof — between
Black Americans, the American medical establishment and
the profit-thirsty pharmaceutical companies that dominate.
15

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