Munson Steed named director of Sharpton's Madison Ave. Initiative

Munson Stead and Al Sharpton aim to bring dollars back to Black Ad agencies. Here. Steed rightly points out that Black consumer are completely unaware of how few Black works for the big ad companies.

Educational report on Black Boys

Here is another gem from the Rainbow Push convention. The session on education mentions the Schott Foundation for public education report on Black Make Education in the 50 states.

The report on the education of Black Boys is here and the Schott Foundation for Public Education is here.

Rainbow Push Concludes 40th Annual Conference

The Rainbow Push coalition just completed its 40th conference. Congratulations to the Rainbow Push team.

The Rainbow Push web site is here.

The conference agenda is here.

Chicago Sun-Times is here.

Bill Clinton's Job Plan

Bill Clinton is still focused on the Economy. You can read his jobs plan here.

What is Black America ?

Radio One media network and the Yankelovich market reseach firm have release a study on "Black America". You can read the website here.

US Alcohol Consumption Background

Here is the backgound material for the story about Conjure Cognac by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges. So, here is some background material on the US Beer, Wine and Spirit industry.

Gallup Survey on Alcohol consumption preferences of the US population. Here.

Wikipedia on Cognac.

Conjure Cognac on Twitter is here.

Conjure: Ludacris's Cognac

Just like many celebrities, Ludacris (Christopher Bridges)has his own brand of Cognac. It is call Conjure and is made in France. The Cognac has received favorable reviews in the press. The Cognac is also featured frequently in in PR, Video and public photos of Mr. Bridges.

Conjure Cognac recently has some management changes. Here. And Here.

Another reorganization story is here. It has a local angle.

Hip Hop Weekly has a story from January here.

Snoop Dogg is here in the NY Daily News.

Jay-Z, Sean Combs, Calvin Brodus and TI all promote different liquors.

A 750ml bottle of Conjure Cognac cost about $35.00.

Here is a link to a press release from Mintel, a market research firm, that has some more concrete data about consumption. Here.

Eddie Brown: Brown Capital Management

Eddie Brown has published his memoir. He has his own investment firm in Baltimore and has just published a book. BCM has more than $6 Billion under management. You may have seen him on PBS.

Book: Beating the Odds

Brown Capital Management

Collateral Costs: Incarceration's effect on economic mobility

The Pew Center for Research on the States published this research report last year. It is called "Collateral Costs: Incarceration's effect on economic mobility". Here. The report states that prison dooms the entire family of the prisoner, especially the kids, to a life of poverty.

Peter Diamond's 1st interview since withdrawal

Peter Diamond, MIT professor and nobel prize winner, who was nominated for the Federal Reserve Bank Board of Governors, recently withdrew his name from senate consideration. The Republicans threaten to filibuster his nomination.

He gave his first post withdrawl interview here. NPR's On Point.

Here is his sad editorial in the NY times. Here.

Gotta keep an eye on Germany

China and Germany, two large export oriented economies, seem to have weathered, the recession the best.

New York Times.

Urban Entrepreneur Summit in Newark, NJ

The white house sponsored a conference on Urban Entrepreneurship at Rutgers University Business School in Newark, NJ. The conference was focus on Black Small Businesses and featured Russell Simmons and John Hope Bryant (Operation Hope). Several members of the white house staff were also present. Michael Blake or the Whitehouse Office of Public Engagement, Derek Douglas, Whitehouse Domestic Policy Council and Marisa Lee or the Small Business Administration.

You can read the summit agenda here.

John Hope Bryant's website is here.

And Russell Simmons Editorial on Entrepreneurship is here.

Earnings by College Degree, Race, Gender

Here is a fascinating study on which college degrees are the best earning career choices right now. They also look at data by race and gender. Really interesting stuff. Here.

Self Pay Health Insurance Skyrockets

The NY Daily news reported that people who pay for their own health insurance saw rates soar. A so-called upward spiral in rates has taken hold as fewer people can afford the costs and leave the program making the pool even smaller and prices higher.

Here.

Social Security to be Exhausted by 2036; Medicare by 2024

The Trustees of the Social Security System and the Medicare Funds released May 13, 2011 report on the status of the SS trust fund and the Medicare trust fund. The headlines were that social security insurance trust fund would be exhausted by 2036. After which the collected taxes would pay for 75% of the cost of the program. The medicare trust fund balance would hit zero in the year 2024. However, taxes cover 90% of that programs cost. Due to the economy and the aging population, the SSI date is one year sooner and and the medicare date five years sooner.

The trustee's report is here.