Message from Philadelphia Chapter President

Monique Berry is president of BDPA Philadelphia chapter. Her chapter is the defending BDPA 'Chapter of the Year'. She shared the following insights to her chapter members, sponsors and supporters:

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As President of the Philadelphia chapter, I am often asked if our members are engaged. It's a valid question and the truthful answer is, "Sometimes."

I, as well as the Executive team, work full-time like you. We realize that you lead busy lives with work and family responsibilities, so we're thrilled when we offer a program that generates above average program meeting attendance.

At the same time, we know we can offer more useful, relevant and technical programs: and to do that we look to you for your comments, questions, observations and suggestions.

We've noticed a steady rise in the number of visitors to our web site and a correlating increase in our membership. Increasing our membership base is a step in the right direction, but a more important step is to have an actively engaged membership.

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Philadelphia chapter will be hosting the BDPA National Board of Directors meeting in Philadelphia the weekend of May 2, 2008. Our goal is to showcase our members, sponsors, programs and city; demonstrating why the Philadelphia chapter is the 2007 Chapter of the Year.

I am also thrilled to tell you that our youth technology program begins on Saturday, February 16, 2008. We will train up to 25 high school students in our 2008 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. The SITES program in Philadelphia is divided into three components: Computer Camp, Youth Technology Seminar Series, and High School Computer Competition. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our corporate sponsors Deloitte & Touche for providing the training site and CIGNA for providing the laptop computers the students will be using.

Volunteering offers you wonderful opportunities for professional development and personal growth. If you are looking for ways to enhance your career, consider the following benefits:

• Volunteering offers incredible networking opportunities.
• Volunteering helps you retain and sharpen old skills.
• Volunteering is the perfect place to develop new skills.
• Volunteering offers opportunities to practice skills in a relatively risk free environment.
• Volunteering can help you expand your horizons and explore new career options.
• Volunteering give you the satisfaction of knowing you are doing good and being involved in your community.
• Volunteering gives you visibility.
• Volunteering can be energizing/renewing.
• Volunteering can create leaders.
• Volunteering demonstrates workplace skills/management skills/customer service skills/leadership skills that can be documented in a resume.

We have a number of initiatives planned for this year and ask you to get engaged by volunteering. Even if you have only a few hours a month to spare, you can make a significant difference for BDPA by offering your time and energy one of the areas that need help below.

We look to exceed your expectations so please reach out and tell us what they are. Stay tuned, and be sure to check the chapter website often. We are always an email away.

Thank you for all your support as members.

Monique F. Berry, President
BDPA Philadelphia
Vision: Partnering for Continued Growth!

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Monique took the time to share her thoughts. Please share some BDPA-Love with her in the COMMENTS area!

Black Family Technology Awareness Week (Baltimore)

Soulclap to Mario Armstrong for sharing update on a great event in Baltimore, MD. Bro. Armstrong is a syndicated technology talk show host (XM radio ch. 169 M-F 9p-10p EST / Sat. 3p-5p EST), tech media entrepreneur and public speaker.

Mario wrote,

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"Wayne, great to hear from you! Wanted to make sure you and the BDPA folks are aware of this Saturdays major Black Family Technology Awareness event, entitled 'Dream, Create, GO!' - a technology event and inspirational tech show for youth.

It's Free, open to the public and a great way to inspire, educate and entertain middle & hi-school aged students as to why they should pursue academics and careers in science, technology, engineering and math. This is not a boring lecture but an interactive event with a dj, light show and hands-on demonstrations. This Saturday we are changing kids lives and giving them the excitement and the roadmap to be a success in tech fields."

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It's all happening this Sat. Feb. 16th at the Baltimore Convention Center from 10:45a-1pm. Download or view the event flyer or visit the website for more details.

Let us know in the COMMENTS area if you are participating in BFTAW events in Baltimore or anywhere else in the nation this month.

Message from New York Chapter President

Judaea Lane is my colleague on the National BDPA Board of Directors. She brought a sense of optimism and positive energy to the BDPA New York chapter that hadn't been seen for many years. The results have been staggering. Under Judaea's leadership the chapter is now the 2nd largest chapter in the nation!

Take a moment to read a message shared by Judaea with her chapter members, supporters and sponsors.

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Dear BDPA Family,

Happy New Year! On behalf of the Executive Team of BDPA New York, I want to thank you for your continued support for our chapter. It is a great opportunity to serve the New York community as there are far too few organizations like BDPA who were pathfinders paving the way for African Americans in the job market. Over 30 years of advancing careers, BDPA is still a major force supporting African Americans in the information technology industry. BDPA New York, incorporated in 1982, remains committed to excellence and a willingness to give more to our community. Our mission will be to ensure that our community is given tools to compete so that they will be given the opportunity to learn and become skilled in the areas of Information Technology and Business.

Professional Development - Our professional development forum is an opportunity for guest speakers to address our members on their professional knowledge, experiences and important trends in information technology.

These program meetings are held every 3rd Thursday of each month. Networking begins at 6PM and refreshments will be served. Please don’t forget to bring your business cards. The events are free, however we ask that you RSVP. You can RSVP for this event by phone (212.802-5342) or email. Please join us as we welcome the following guest speakers:

• Thursday, February 21st, Randall Mosby, MOMA’s Manager of Network Services - He will share with members his key role in implementing the museum internal network and technology upgrade. Also he will address the major issues one must consider to ensure smooth network operations. This event will take place at Con Edison, 4 Irving Place between E. 14 & E. 15th Streets, Union Square Area, New York City.
• Thursday, March 20th, IT Professionals have been invited to spend the evening with the Executive Team of UBS, one of the world’s leading financial firm. The guest speaker is Maxim Samo, Director of Information Technology Infrastructure. The topic for the evening is Data Centers – Overview and Challenges. Maxim will address the major issues corporations consider to ensure smooth data center operations. This event will take place at 1285 Avenue of Americas at 51st Street, New York, NY. Also for those members who are interested in career opportunities, please reference UBSjob postings on our site.

Collaborative Partnerships -

• Please join UBS and Women in Technology International (WITI) for an evening of networking to benefit Dress for Success, an organization that empowers low income women to succeed in the workplace. The date is Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 6pm - 8pm and the logistics is 1285 Avenue of the Americas. Space is limited.
• Join our sister chapter, BDPA New Jersey, as they celebrate its past and sharing its vision for the future by hosting its Annual Awards Banquet. The purpose of the celebration is to recognize sponsors and individuals who have dedicated their time and resources to BDPA programs and services. The theme of this event is "Celebrating Our Past and Soaring into Our Future". Visit BDPA New Jersey’s website for additional information.
• BDPA students are invited to participate at the Career Day 2008 at Riverside Church. This free event takes place on Saturday, February 2nd from 9AM to 3PM at 91 Claremont Avenue. To register and learn more call 212-870-6828.
• National BDPA seeks experts and dynamic presenters to share their knowledge and expertise in technology through interactive sessions. NOTE: In order to submit an abstract, you will have to access our membership database system. Please either use your existing member account or create a non-member account in order to submit your presentation abstract. They are accepting abstracts in two forums: Student Forums and Professional Forums. For additional information visit National BDPA website.

Volunteer Opportunities - The biggest joy in belonging to BDPA comes from being able to give back to the organization and the community. BDPA’s success rests squarely on the shoulders of member volunteers. If you have 5 hours a month to give back and make a difference, please sign up for the following committees:

• Education and Community Outreach - We have approximately 25 students in our SITES program. Trainers are needed to share technical and business expertise. Kudos to Denworth Billy, CEO of Bolt Solutions and our VP of Membership Management. Denworth will present to students in the month of February on the topic of Biometric Engineering. If you are interested in joining this community please contact Denise Hamilton, Director of Education & Community Outreach.
• Professional Development Committee - This committee coordinates forums of focused discussions where guest speakers are invited to address our members on their professional knowledge, experiences and important trends in information technology. In addition these forums also provide an opportunity to develop business relationships, make new acquaintances and network with other professionals of New York in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. The forums are held every 3rd Thursday of each month. If you are interested in joining this community please contact Evelyn Poole, VP of Membership Services.

Thank you BDPA Member John Brathwaite for taking photos at our last holiday event.

In closing I want to share a quote by Dr. Benjamin Mays "It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in not having a goal to reach for." If you have a goal to reach for, consider joining our chapter so that we can help you make it happen.

With BDPA love,
Judaea Yarde Lane, President
BDPA New York Chapter
Motto: 'Advancing Careers from Classroom to Boardroom'
(212) 802-5341

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Please take a moment to leave a COMMENT with some BDPA-Love for Judaea and the others in our BDPA New York chapter.

Youth Technology Programs (Philadelphia)

BDPA Philadelphia chapter will train up to 25 high school students in their 2008 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. The SITES program in Philadelphia is divided into three components: Computer Camp, Youth Technology Seminar Series, and High School Computer Competition.

BDPA provides a positive beacon of hope for our youth and high school students as they are introduced to various aspects of Information Technology, including advanced research on IT topics, web application development (Basic HTML, FrontPage, SQL, PHP), web application programming, logic and advanced computer concepts.

The 25 young people selected will participate in weekly programs that begin on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at the downtown office of Deloitte located at 1701 Market St. Philadelphia, Pa. All sessions begin at 10 AM and will end no later than 2 PM. Participants should meet Hayward West in 1st floor lobby at 10 AM.

All interested students should sign up for the program right away. Contact Hayward West if you are interested in volunteering as an instructor or assistant.

Culminis Newsletter (Feb 2008)

The latest issue of The VOICE is now available online.

The VOICE is a monthly publication dedicated to monitoring and reporting on the health of the IT ecosystem. Please share this link with your peers and anyone you think may be interested in reading more about the IT community.

Culminis is currently soliciting feedback from the IT Pro community. Please take the survey which is located inside The VOICE or send any comments about Culminis to TheVOICE@culminis.com. They welcome all feedback from the entire IT Pro community.

Click this link to read this month’s issue: http://thevoice.culminis.com/default.aspx

Make your VOICE heard! Did you see anything in the newsletter that others should immediately read or review? What say u?

DigiGirlz High Tech Summer Camp

Microsoft is now accepting applications for their 2008 DigiGrilz High Tech Summer Camp. This program is a great learning opportunity that was developed to provide girls with a better understanding of what a career in technology is all about. This exciting three to five day experience provides opportunities to learn about careers in technology, talk with Microsoft employees about their life experiences, and enjoy hands-on computer and technology workshops.


DigiGirlz Summer Camps will be held this year in the following eight locations:

1. Charlotte, NC
2. Chicago, IL
3. Fargo, ND
4. Irvine, CA
5. Las Colinas, TX
6. Redmond, WA
7. Stony Brook, NY
8. Washington, DC

Students in the 7th thru 12th grade are eligible for this program. Click here if you have more questions about this summer camp.

Intrapreneurship in Corporate America (Chicago)

BDPA Chicago chapter is the largest chapter in the nation. One reason for the chapter's success is consistent and appealing program meetings. The meeting this month is no exception.

IBM Tivoli software provides intelligent infrastructure management solutions that help customers understand and proactively manage the business value of their IT systems in an on demand world. Tivoli software provides integrated views for managing and optimizing critical IT systems with policy-based resource allocation, security, storage and systems management solutions.

Lee Hall, co-founder of Tivoli, will the guest speaker. He will give insights on the software as well as insights on what it takes to be an 'intrapreneur' in Corporate America. Mr. Hall presently holds the position of Tivoli Americas Business Automation Sales Leader for IBM. With over twenty years of experience in technology sales, he has generated multi-millions of revenue for each of the companies with which he has been associated. Additionally, his accomplishments include management in strategic team environments and individual and group consulting to improve organizational systems.


Date: February 15, 2008
Time: 6:30 pm

Location:IBM
71 S. Wacker Drive, 6th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606

Contact BDPA Chicago chapter on (312) 575-8503 if you have questions or wish to discuss further. Have you used Tivoli software in the past? Are you an 'intrapreneur'? Are you a current or former member of BDPA Chicago chapter?

Technology Awareness Workshops (Southern Minnesota)

Black Family Technology Awareness Week activities are taking place all over the nation. BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter ... home of the defending national HSCC champions ... is sponsoring an event open to the whole community in Rochester, MN. The BTFAW events include:

• PC Project and Giveaway
• Fire Department
• Police Department - Mobile Command Post Station
• BDPA Southern Minnesota Workshop
• IBM Persvasive Technologies (including Ruggedized Thinkpad)
• Lego Mindstorm Robotics Workshop
• Mayo Clinic Technology Workshop
• U of MN APEXES - Electricity/Electronics Circuits & Robotic Arms
• Quiz Bowl
• All Day Raffle Drawings & Prizes

The logistics of the event are:


Hawthorne Literacy Center
704 4th Avenue SE
(507) 287-1475

Date: Saturday, February 16
Time: 9 am - 2 pm
For more information you can reach out to Tabby (507.253-1572), Chinwe (507.253-6634) or Toni (507.253-6660).

BDPA Leader Marcus Mack Dies In Costa Rica After Saving Boy

Friends, family and BDPA associates are mourning the loss of a past BDPA Southern Minnesota leader who saved the life of a 10-year-old boy off the coast of Costa Rica, but couldn't make it to shore himself. Thirty-five-year-old Marcus Mack was vacationing in Costa Rica on Feb. 7. He was playing in the water with his friend David Tines (BDPA So Minnesota past president), Tines' 10-year-old son, and the girl of another friend when a wave sucked the group under water.

Tines says Marcus went to the aid of Tines' son D'Angelo. He grabbed the boy by the waist and threw him toward the shore. The boy, his father and the girl all made it to the beach.

But Marcus never made it to shore.

David Tines says Marcus is a hero who saved a boy's life instead of worrying about his own.

Marcus attended several conferences so many BDPA members may remember him. He is the father of three young children so a fund has been set up to help support his family. Donations can be sent to:


'The Mack Fund'
Edward Jones
4057 28th St. N.W., Suite 400
Rochester, MN 55901

The story of his heroism is told in more detail here and here. Please keep his family, David's family and the entire Southern MN Chapter in your prayers.

Call for Presenters * 2008 National BDPA Technology Conference (Deadline: 2/15/2008)

BDPA is reaching out to all experts and dynamic presenters to share their knowledge and expertise in technology through interactive workshops to be held at the 30th annual BDPA Technology Conference in Atlanta, GA on August 6-9, 2008.

Your presentation can be made to either students (high school thru college age) or adults (IT professionals) at the conference. Click here for an overview of each forum as well as other details on both our student and professional forums. You may submit multiple abstracts within a forum or you may submit for both forums.

Important dates to remember:

• Submission Deadline: February 15, 2008*
• Acceptance/Regret Notification: March 14, 2008*
• Full Presentations Due: April 11, 2008

You will need to review the following document to complete an Official Call for Presenters submission:

• The Call for Presenters Overview (PDF) - This document lists topics of interest, workshop formats, specifications, fee waivers and other terms and conditions necessary for a successful submission and subsequent presentation.
• The Call For Presenters Submission Form - This online form is the official submission form. This form should be completed in its entirety for your submission to be successful. Submissions that do not meet the stated requirements or deadline will not be considered.

NOTE: In order to submit an abstract, you will have to access the BDPA membership database system. Please either use your existing member account or create a non-member account in order to submit your presentation abstract.

For additional information and questions, please contact conference@bdpa.org or call BDPA HQ office on (800) 727-2372.

Black Employment Rate in IT Industry Goes Up

Soulclap to BDPA Detroit for reaching the 100-post milestone and for sharing information on employment statistics of African Americans in the IT industry. Employment among African American IT professionals rose by 10.3 percent in 2007, reaching levels not seen since the Internet boom. Still, the percentage of blacks among all employed IT workers is lower than it was at the beginning of the decade.

African Americans held 267,000 IT managerial and staff jobs in the United States last year, representing 7.1 percent of employed business-technology pros, according to a CIO Insight analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Click here for the rest of the story

Any thoughts on this information? I see that more and more companies are posting career opportunities in the BDPA Talent Management System and the BDPA-Jobs YahooGroup. Is it noticeable on your end as well?

Network Management (New York)

19,500 visitors celebrated the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) $425 million dollar renovation of its new facility. However IT members worked behind the scene to ensure the technology infrastructure ran smoothly.

Join BDPA New York chapter as they welcome Randall Mosby, MoMA Manager of Network Services. Mr. Mosby will discuss his key role in implementing the museum internal network and technology upgrade. IT departments that provide the network for email applications, Internet access, and databases are as vital to museums as they are to any business, though they remain largely invisible to visitors. "Data is the most important thing in any network." says Mosby, listing personal and systemwide software, databases, and payroll programs as key elements. "I had to work on the migration of data, plus the implementation, administration, and building of servers, net devices, storage capacities, and the new wireless capability." To further complicate matters, the museum remained open in a temporary location during the renovation.

The job turned out to be no small task. Mosby led the team responsible for making sure the existing networks and technology infrastructure functioned smoothly while the staff was moved to another borough during the renovation. He had to upgrade the old network to specifications, oversee the building of a new network and infrastructure, and then smooth the transition between the two as the staff gradually moved back to the Manhattan office. Come hear Mosby discuss these network management challenges in person.

Here are the logistics:

Date: Thursday, February 21, 2008
Time: 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Where: Con Edison
4 Irving Place between E. 14 & E. 15th Streets
Union Square Area, New York City.

Refreshments will be served. You should bring resumes as there will be IT recruiters in attendance as well. It is extremely important for you to RSVP so that BDPA New York chapter officials can confirm your seating. You can RSVP by email or by calling (212) 802-5341.

Any thoughts to share with BDPA New York here in the COMMENTS section of our blog?

Preparing for College Through Blog Technology (Memphis)

BDPA Memphis is a member focused organization that delivers programs and services for the professional well-being of its stakeholders in the Memphis and Mid-South area by providing training, support and networking opportunities. The Feb 2007 program meeting hosted by BDPA Memphis chapter combines information on blogging with tips on preparing for college.

Did you know that blogging is becoming a popular tool to connect with individuals throughout the world to provide valuable and meaningful information. Blogging allows you develop a portal or a public area on the Internet for subscribers or viewers to retrieve information. Blogging also eliminates mounds of emails by creating a housing space for vast information and forces individuals to utilize technology.

The guest speaker this month is Callie Herd, a Senior Programmer Analyst at FedEx Services is the creator of a blog called Planning & Preparing for College. She created her blog with the intention of utilizing the Internet to create a college preparation infrastructure platform for sharing information.

Callie is also the Memphis coordinator for the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools, on the board of directors for Memphis Challenge, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and a past member of the Youth United Way Parent Advisory. She is also the founder of IAM - Inspiring Academic Motivation. She received her A.A.S. degree from Southwest TN Community College and her B.A. degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Memphis.


Date: Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Time: 5:30pm - 7:00pm

J.E. Walker House
1109 Mississippi
Memphis, Tennessee 38126

Are you considering blog technology for your business or personal life? Do you have any questions or information that you would like to share with BDPA Memphis chapter in the COMMENTS section?

BDPA Legacy: Curtis Jenkins

Soulclap to EMTM for sharing this story with us. If the result of an Executive Master's in Technology Management (EMTM) education is a transformed career, what comes next? For EMTM alumni, the next phase of the journey is outward to their communities — specifically, to young people in need of their own opportunities. Curtis Jenkins ('01) turned his skills and experience gained in EMTM to create a personal legacy of giving and empowerment.

Curtis Jenkins, EMTM '01, an IT project manager at Rohm and Haas in Philadelphia, PA, devotes an exceeding amount of energy creating opportunities in the sciences for under-served children.

Jenkins first got involved with the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA), an organization that works to bridge the digital divide for minorities, in 2002. "At the time I was in transition, searching for employment and networking. I attended an awards function in which high school kids were receiving scholarships. When I saw the looks on their faces I knew I wanted to be at the forefront of an organization that helped kids get scholarships."

After some years of service to the organization, Jenkins became president of the Philadelphia chapter in 2006. He says he found Dwight Jaggard's leadership course extremely useful when it came time to assume an executive position.

At BDPA he has helped students and professionals with BDPA's mission of the "classroom to the boardroom," and has worked with corporate sponsors to provide IT training and training members to gain International Computer Driving License (ICDL) certification. He has also been able to live out his dream of offering student prizes, scholarships and public exposure.

"EMTM allowed me to build relationships with people who worked in corporations, and many of them ended up helping support some of our programs."

For Jenkins, who was born and raised in North Philadelphia with economic hardship, the opportunity to help young students is invaluable. "This work is a passion of mine. I always wanted to be a bridge and help others in my neighborhood."

As he neared the completion of his presidential term in the fall of 2007, Jenkins was honored to learn that the Philadelphia Chapter won the organization's Chapter of the Year award.

Another shining moment came recently, when he arranged for his own company to donate 95 computers to Wireless Philadelphia, which provided the computers to welfare-to-work adult students participating in a nursing certification program. "People were actually crying when they received the computers," he says. "Any opportunity we can give — even if out of 50 students you end up with three who go on to break the proverbial glass ceiling — it's a success."

BETF-Blog Readers, care to share some love with Curtis here in the comments section?

Top Ten Black Blogs (Feb 2008)

We began to track the number of Black-owned and operated blogs in September 2007. Only 75 blogs were being tracked at that time. Today we announce the Villager's Black Blog Rankings (BBR) for February 2008 with over 750 blogs in the mix. In fact, it turns out that none of the Top Ten Black Blogs in September 2007 are still in the top ten this month.

The number of Black-owned and operated blogs included in our BBR increased by 25% in the past 30 days. We are looking for support from anyone interested in working with us on this project. I remain open to ideas and suggestions from all Villagers on ways that this project can be more useful to you. I appreciate those of you that pointed out white-owned blogs we listed in the past.

On The Black Hand Side (BBR #262) is placing a wonderful spotlight on Black Bloggers with their '20 Questions With' interviews. This is outstanding opportunity to learn more about talented brothers and sisters that you see listed in the Villager's Black Blog Rankings.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) is the driving force behind the BBR. Let others have lists of so-called influential bloggers with no melanin. We have created a growing list of our own to highlight the talent and creativity (Kuumba) that exists in our own community:

• Sept 2007 list ranked 75 Black blogs.
• Dec 2007 list ranked 516 Black Blogs
• Jan 2008 list ranked 602 Black Blogs

Today we release the February 2008 BBR with 751 Black blogs in the mix. Anyhow, with no further ado, here are the Top Ten Black Blogs for February 2008:

1. The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 1,173 / Rank: 2,023) - [Entertainment] Bossip.com is the third Black blog in the past three months to take over the BBR #1 slot. Bossip.com is a fast growing urban-focused new media property that draws a loyal following of young and influential trend setters who are up to date with what’s hot in society. We don't know if The Bossip is a brother or sister ... but, we do know that What About Our Daughters ain't happy with The Bossip for calling Maya Angelou a 'ho'. Hey Bossip ... any response to WAOD concerns?


2. Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend (Authority: 1,167 / Rank: 2,047) - [Politics] This is a prolific blog with a number of contributors that shares candid thoughts on politics and invites others to join in the debate. Pam shared some blogging tips with us recently. She wrote, "Are there secrets to getting eyeballs? Hmmm. I don't think so, though having religious right nutcases calling you "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy" probably helps. Seriously, there is no one suggestion to gain larger readership. It's luck, timing, and blogwhoring at other sites similar to yours to entice readers to take a peek at your stuff. Having your own "voice" that stands out as different as well as authentic and true to yourself helps a lot."


3. Angel Laws: Concrete Loop* (Authority: 1,128 / Rank: 2,199) - [Entertainment] This is a Black celebrity entertainment blog with gossip, music, celebrity interviews, pictures and such. Angel Laws, a 23-year-old college student in Jacksonville, NC, started this blog as a hobby. It is now one of the top-ranked Black blogs in the world. Angel recently walked the red carpet herself. Have you seen your favorite celebrity on Angel's blog?


4. Debra Dickerson: MoJo Blog (Authority: 1,085 / Rank: 2,352) - [Politics] Mother Jones is an independent nonprofit whose roots lie in a commitment to social justice implemented through first rate investigative reporting. Debra Dickerson is the author of An American Story and The End of Blackness and a former intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force. Admittedly, I am trying to determine if a blog owned by a non-profit should be on the BBR. What say u?


5. Fresh Crunkjuice: Crunk & Disorderly* (Authority: 788 / Rank: 3,933) - [Entertainment] This blog was created in August 2004, however, it didn't get serious until May 2005. This is an active entertainment blog that tackles the world of African American celebrity gossip. From Kanye West to the Reverend Al Sharpton, C&D takes no prisoners. I'm still hopeful to get some link-love from Yo' Fresh on his Fresh Picks!


6. ESKAY: Nah Right (Authority: 727 / Rank: 4,482) - [Entertainment] This is another Black blogger that is steadily moving up in the rankings. Some say that Nah Right is the most important East Coast hip-hop blog there is. His blog began in May 2005 and continues to thrive. Somebody tell ESKAY that we are looking for him to share his village voice with us on what it takes to grow a successful blog.


7. Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 603 / Rank: 6,002) - [Politics] Oliver is a fan of the Washington Redskins. His blog alternates between posts on the NFL and presidential politics. He began his blog in April 2005 and we hope that he will share his village voice with us at some point.


8. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 591 / Rank: 8,840) - [Entertainment] Natasha moved her hot gossip blog to her own domain. Natasha is a law student who recently relocated to the Washington area, said she gets about 99 percent of the information she posts simply from researching the Internet out of her own curiosity and interest. Did you see when Natasha and Omarosa went after each other recently?


9. La Shawn Barber: La Shawn Barber's Corner (Authority: 542 / Rank: 7,033) - [Politics] Freelance writer La Shawn Barber offers political commentary from a Christian perspective. NPR News & Notes listed the 8/15/2007 Blogger's Roundtable with Sis. Barber as one of their best shows in 2007. I 'met' Sis. Barber during NPR Blogger Roundtables that we did in Nov 2007 and Jan 2008. She is an insightful sister with a powerful political blog. She is shown in this photo with Pam Spaulding (BBR #2)


10. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 423 / Rank: 10,523) - [Entertainment] See #8 above! Her newer blog has moved up to BBR#10, making her the first blogger with multiple blogs in the Top 10!

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HONORABLE MENTION (11-25): Afro Bella*, What About Our Daughters*, Jack and Jill Politics*, Darla Mack News & Reviews, Sandra Rose, Rod 2.0:Beta, The Field Negro*, Entre mes Lignes, How To Split An Atom, Black Looks, Keith Boynkin*, Ill Doctrine, A Hot Mess!, Republic of T and Real Talk NY Provides The Latest Hip Hop News*.

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The only qualification is that the blogger needs to be of African descent. The blogger does not have to be a member of The AfroSpear or the Afrosphere Bloggers Association, although we invite all Black bloggers to join either (or both) of those organizations.

Those blogs with an asterisk after their name are 2007 Black Weblog Award winners. Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the person listed and the #1 ranked blog in the world.

My vision is that many of the brothers and sisters on this month's BBR will join us later this year at the Blogging While Brown conference in Atlanta, GA on July 25-27, 2008.

We do think that these Black blogs are important spheres of influence. Reach out and let them know that you appreciate the work they have put in over the past few months and years to get on this list. Post a comment below if you are a Black Blogger interested in learning what your ranking is this month!

HSCC Testimonial: Elise Jefferson (2006)

Elise Jefferson was on the 2006 silver-medal winning team from Rochester, MN. She shared her thoughts on the process:

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"I decided to participate in the Youth Computer Training Program because my older siblings had participated. I knew it would be an educational experience based on their stories, and I was interested in trying to learn a new "language".

Training for the HSCC was certainly strenuous. Luckily, my teammates and I got along very well, and worked well together. We were able to play off our strengths, which proved to be the best method for achieving the success that we did. There were some long nights, but I could tell that each of us liked what we were doing, so we were still able to enjoy ourselves in the process.

The week of the competition was extremely exciting. We were prepared, and we knew that there was no better way to test our skills than to compare it to other teams'.

I would tell other students to sign up for BDPA as soon as they are eligible. I would advise them to work very hard and to attend the class every single Saturday. They should listen to the instructors and take their advice, because they know what they are talking about when it comes to this training. However, most of all...have fun! Meet new people who are interested in the same things you are; it is a wonderful experience."

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Elise is now attending the University of Minnesota with assistance from the Bemley Scholarship she won in 2006. Do you have any comments for young people like Elise that you want to share?

Methodology of Business Transformation (Los Angeles)

BDPA Los Angeles chapter is the largest chapter in the western region of the country. One strategy used by the chapter to grow itself is a strong professional development program. Chapter president Andree Justin will address the State of the Chapter on Tuesday, February 12. She will share the outcome of the 1st Quarter National BDPA Board of Directors meeting that she attended earlier this month in Houston, TX.

Andree Justin is not only the BDPA Los Angeles chapter president ... she is also a certified project manager with extensive experience in software development projects in a variety of industries. The second part of the Feb 2008 program meeting will focus on another methodology to deposit in your knowledge tool kit - Methodology of Business Transformation (MBT). Do not miss out on this event. The chapter is focused on bringing you information that is useful to all Information Technology disciplines. Come see what MBT nuggets you as a business/systems analyst, tester, data specialist, developer, systems engineer/architect can take a way from this meeting.

Here are the logistics for the meeting:

When: Tuesday, February 12, 6:30PM
Phone: (818) 266-9147

Westminister Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall
2230 West Jefferson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90018

Do you have any thoughts or questions about MBT or BDPA Los Angeles that you want to share?

State of the Chapter (Charlotte)

BDPA Charlotte chapter, founded in September 1988, enters its 20th year of existence as the 12th largest chapter in the nation. The chapter recently announced their new board of directors for 2008-2009. Join us in welcoming to new leaders for our BDPA Charlotte chapter:

• President - Charles Moore (Wachovia)
• President-Elect - Julius Clark (Wachovia)
• VP-Finance - Lawrence Belton (Wachovia)
• VP-Strategy & Planning - Sandra Howell (Wachovia)
• VP-Member Services - Cassandra Seibles (Wachovia)
• VP-Membership Management - Sherri Sonnier-Johnson (Quill Ink
• VP-SITES - John Hoffler (Wachovia)
• Immediate Past-President - Kimberly Green (Self-Employed)
• Corporate Advisory Council Chairman - Wade Younger (Fruition Consulting)

These brothers and sisters plan to lead BDPA to new heights in Charlotte. If you live in the Charlotte area, then you are encouraged to meet with them on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 as they discuss the 'State of the Chapter' at the upcoming program meeting. Chapter president Charles Moore and his team will share their strategy and plans for 2008-2009.

The logistics are listed below:


When: February 19th, 2008, 6:30pm
Where: Fruition Consulting,

10925 David Taylor Dr,

Charlotte, NC (“University of Phoenix Building”)

Take a moment to share some BDPA-Love with these shining stars from BDPA Charlotte chapter!

BFTAW Grant Awarded to BDPA Atlanta Chapter

The tenth annual Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW) will be celebrated February 10-16 with the assistance of community organizations, schools, clubs, and corporations throughout the country. BDPA Atlanta chapter was chosen as one of 25 elite organizations to receive a grant from Career Communications Group, founder of the Black Family Network. In addition to the grant, the organization will also receive a Black Family Network technology planning kit complete with technology teaching tools and Black Family Technology give-a-ways.

Grant recipients were chosen from scores of program proposals seeking to empower African American participation in the global technology-driven economy. Education, employment, healthcare, national security, and every facet of life are impacted by digital technologies. As a result, African Americans should focus on seizing the power and potential of technology so that they are equipped to succeed in the global economy.

BFTAW is a nationwide public service program geared towards educating and empowering black families through technology. During the course of the week, the nation’s community leaders will highlight technology’s ability to open doors to information, education, and opportunities. Additionally, the importance of technology in everyday life, now and in the future, will be stressed during the thousands of programs throughout the country.

This year’s nationwide week long program will culminate with a coordinating conference, Black Family Technology Empowerment Weekend, at the Baltimore Convention Center. This year’s event will be hosted by NPR’s Mario Armstrong and will be held in conjunction with the Black Engineer of the Year Award Conference.

According to Tyrone Taborn, US Black Engineer and Information Technology magazine publisher and CEO, "The Black Family Technology Awareness Campaign was never about simple Internet access and mere computer ownership, but rather about African Americans becoming true beneficiaries of the many assets of technology and all it has to offer."
The US Navy, EMC, and IBM are proud BFTAW sponsors.

Click here for more information about how to join the campaign or contact Nuria Alveraz on (410) 244-7101.

Digital Humanities and African American/African Diaspora Studies Conference

Drumbeats from Matthew Kirschenbaum tell us that an exciting conference on Digital Humanities and African American/African Diaspora Studies is scheduled for May 1-3, 2008 at the University of Maryland.

Right now you have the opportunity to be a participant yourself. The Conference seeks posters or demonstrations that highlight digital humanities projects, tools or techniques or work in progress as they relate to the themes of the conference. They especially encourage submissions from independent scholars and scholars associated with academic institutions. Posters may include a demonstration, traditional printed poster, or a combination of both. Wireless internet access will be available at the poster venue.


Short abstracts (250-500 words) should be submitted to Neil Fraistat by February 25, 2008. The proposals will be reviewed by the planning committee and successful applicants will be notified by March 10, 2008. The poster session will take place on the afternoon of May 3, 2008.

This conference will address the increasing centrality of digitization to the archiving of materials, as well as the growth of digital technology in the teaching, scholarship and artistic production in the field of African American/African Diaspora Studies. The conference is a collaboration involving the African American/African Diaspora Area Group of the English Department, the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH), and the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, as well as other faculty and students from the College of Arts and Humanities (ARHU) and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS).

The conference, the first of its kind, will bring together approximately 150 national and international scholars, high school and middle school teachers, artists, students and attendees to discuss a growing body of work that has not as yet benefited from an organized forum that would allow practitioners to meet one another not only to discuss on-going projects, but also to debate the theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical issues raised by the intersection of the fields of Digital Humanities and African American/African Diaspora Studies. As the field of African American/African Diaspora Studies can benefit from a thoughtful consideration of the application of new media tools, so, too, can the field of digital humanities benefit from a focused discussion of scholarship informed by critical race studies.

The program will begin on May 1st and 2nd with hands-on workshops, including one sponsored by the TEI Consortium and funded by the NEH, which will provide a practical introduction to text encoding and another that will focus on navigating online resources in African American and African Diaspora Studies.

The workshops will be followed by a panel showcasing work by scholars in the field of African American/African Diaspora Studies that address or make use of digital technologies and new media. The chair and the respondents will be University of Maryland graduate students.

The keynote address by Abdul Alkalimat (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) will be followed by a reception and the presentation of a multi-media art installation. The last day will be taken up by panels and seminars, one of which will be geared toward middle and high school teachers; digital "poster" sessions, using laptops, to introduce projects by students, faculty and independent scholars; and a closing multi-media performance.

Confirmed participants include Howard Dodson, Anna Everett, Jerome Handler, Paul D. Miller (AKA DJ Spooky), Alexander Weheliye, and Pamela Z.

Reach out to Matthew on (301) 405-8505 if you have questions or wish to discuss further.

2008 HSCC Training Recommendations

BDPA will train over 800 students this year as part of our Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. Click here if you are interested in reviewing the recommended training topics documentation. The file contains the topics that will be covered in the Oral and Written quizzes.

The main textbook that will be used is Schaum's Outline Principles of Computer Science. Please let us know if you want to provide funds to purchase 1 or more books to be donated to chapter in your area. There are other books and resources shared in the training documentation.

Post a comment if you have questions or want to pledge funding. You can also reach out to Danna Sturdivant (National SITES Coordinator) on (800) 727-2372 for any questions about the training materials.

PC Building Workshop (Cincinnati)

I am proud of my home chapter here in Cincinnati. The chapter is one of the most-honored in BDPA history because of their willingness to work with young people. Currently, BDPA Cincinnati chapter is offering a PC BUILD WORKSHOP for 7th & 8th Graders. These training courses cost $20 and include a full-year student membership for the young people that participate.

This PC Build Workshop is a subset of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. The PC Build Workshop is exclusively designed for 7th and 8th graders as hands-on learning. Students will learn to identify, remove and put back the internal components of a personal computer. At the end of the workshop, there is a contest to see which team can rebuild their PC the fastest!

Here are the logistics for the PC Build Workshop:

Saturday, February 23, 2008
8:30 am – 2:00 pm (lunch provided)

Cincinnati Business Incubator (CBI)
1634 Central Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45202
(Downtown near Findlay Market)
Students can pre-register at http://www.bdpa-camp.org/ (complete items #2 Local and #3 National Registrations). One parent is expected to attend from 8:30 am - 9:00 am to complete the consent documentation. $20 registration fee due upon registration.

If you have questions or wish to discuss further you can reach out to Henrietta Hill, PC Build Coordinator on (513) 608-2378.

Social Networking (Memphis)

BDPA Memphis chapter, founded June 1995, is currently the 31st largest chapter in the nation. The chapter looks to significantly increase their membership numbers in the coming weeks and months by providing African American IT professionals with technical education and networking opportunities. One of those networking opportunities is the Semi-Annual Social Networking event.

The 2008 BDPA Semi-Annual Social Networking event introduces BDPA Memphis chapter to anyone interested in advancing the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom. This social networking event is a vehicle to meet new people and form relationships that benefit the organization, the individual and the community.

During this social, you will receive details on BDPA's 2008 initiatives and volunteer opportunites. There will also be a special presentation from Digerati Search Inc. (DSI). DSI specializes in talent acquisition exclusively for the Information Technology industry. The company provides a full range of placement services for contract, contract-for-hire, and direct hire of IT professionals as well as recruitment, hiring and career consultancy.

Please spread the word to all of your colleagues and invite Memphis-area IT professionals to come out and take a look at BDPA. Also, please bring your business cards to participate in drawings for door prizes and giveaways provided by DSI. Refreshments will be served.

Here are the logistics for the event:

Thursday, January 31, 2008
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

J.E. Walker House
1109 Mississippi
Memphis, TN 38126

For more information email bdpamemphis30@gmail.com or call (901) 508-3003.

rsspect.org Provides Black Blog Headlines

The Young Black Professional Guide created rsspect.org to increase the networking and exposure of blogs that feature content related to Black culture. The concept of rsspect.org is very simple. It is a neat little web application that acts as a headline feed reader for a variety of blogs surrounding the African American experience. The stated goal of the project is to gain visibility for these blogs and empower readers to enjoy our network of opinions.

We are proud to note that those Black-owned blogs shown on rsspect.org have also been included in Villager's Black Blog Rankings. BBR updates are issued on the 1st of each month.

I'm hopeful that more BDPA chapters and leaders use blogs to increase communication for our members around the country in 2008. It would be nice to see more technology-related discussions in the afrosphere. What do you think about blogging for BDPA?

SITES Program Interviews (Washington DC)

BDPA Washington DC chapter, founded May 1978, is currently the 5th largest chapter in the nation. One reason for their rapid growth in recent years is the strong Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program available to K-12 students in the DC area. One aspect of the SITES program is the annual High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Program. The goal of this exciting training and annual competition is to increase interest of African American youth in the information technology industry.

BDPA Washington DC is now recruiting 8th thru 12th grade students to enroll in their Youth Technology HSCC program. The program provides an environment where high school students compete on an academic level and showcase their technical skills and creativity. Selected students receive several weeks of introductory and advanced training in computer technologies such as HTML, Java, and relational databases. Participating students also gain essential skills such as presentation delivery and teamwork.

At the conclusion of program, selected students will represent BDPA Washington DC in the national competition taking place on August 6-9, 2008 in Atlanta, GA. The competition team will enjoy an all expense paid trip to the conference with an opportunity to win college scholarships. The students from the Washington DC team won the silver medal in 2007 national competition, after taking the bronze medal they prior year. As a result these youngsters won $12,500 in scholarships over the past two years. The chapter wants to prepare students to win more scholarships and advance their career as Stephanie Lampkin did in the past.

Interview for the 2008 HSCC program take place on both February 16 and February 23 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. All students are encouraged to use our online scheduler to confirm date and time for an interview.

Interview location:


Patriots Technology Training Center
The Bank of America Building
5800 Martin Luther King, Jr. Hwy.
Seat Pleasant, MD 20743

Please email us at hscc@bdpa-dc.org if you have any questions or wish to discuss further.

Computer Resources Solutions' CEO Michael Gaines Shares His Thoughts on BDPA

Computer Resources Solutions (CRS) named as the 2007 Corporation of the Year by our BDPA Chicago chapter earlier this month. CRS consistently supports programs and services in the Chicago area that advance the careers of African Americans from the classroom to the boardroom. Michael Gaines is the CEO of the company. He took a moment to share his thoughts on why his company supports BDPA in the following video clip.



Hat tip to Blacks Gone Geek for conducting these interviews. Do you have any thoughts on Mr. Gaines' comments? Personally, I'm looking for that limo to pick me up next time I'm visiting with BDPA Chicago!!

Black Family Technology Awareness Week

The National Black Family Technology Awareness (BFTAW) Campaign, will celebrate the tenth annual Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW), February 10 -16, 2008. BFTAW is a national public awareness campaign designed to encourage more African Americans to incorporate technology into their daily lives. Partners and corporate supporters for this year's campaign include the IBM Corporation, EMC, US Navy, Lockheed Martin Corporation, BDPA (Black Data Processing Associates) and NACME (National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering).

Over the past nine years, more than 200 cities across the country hosted activities that not only assisted communities in getting online but also helped African Americans become more competitive by exploring technologies that will enable them to access and leverage key information from virtually anywhere. Professional and community organizations, including churches, youth groups, schools, clubs, corporations, and senior citizen centers, hosted a variety of programs designed to highlight the potential of new technology. In fact, in February of 2007, over 700 technology-related events with over 40,000 participants were held across the country. Over 38 million impressions were made through the media, direct mail, educational outreach efforts, and direct program participation.

This year's Awareness Week will culminate with the Black Family Technology Empowerment Weekend, to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center as part of the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference, February 16, 2008, in Baltimore, MD. The event will be hosted by NPR personality Mario Armstrong.

Tyrone D. Taborn, US Black Engineer and Information Technology magazine publisher and CEO, says, "The Black Family Technology Awareness Campaign was never about simple Internet access and mere computer ownership but rather about African Americans becoming true beneficiaries of the many assets of technology and all it has to offer."

Tyrone Taborn was a contributing author for The Covenant With Black America, the New York Times best seller compiled by PBS-TV's Tavis Smiley. According to Taborn, economic empowerment for African Americans is a major factor in the "digital game." As a community, he says, African Americans must make sure they not only grow in knowledge and access but also learn how that knowledge and access can generate revenue for their families and ultimately empower the communities in which they reside. Taborn says there are many facets to the "Digital Divide," including but not limited to computer ownership and Internet access; the quality of one's Internet connection; production vs. consumption of technology; computer literacy and skill level; employment in technical jobs; and ownership of Internet and other technology-related enterprises.

Many of those critical of the attention being given to the "Digital Divide" point out that merely having a home computer will not build the many skills needed to compete in the extremely advanced, competitive, and prosperous digital world. Instead, the computer soon will be compared to other high-tech items such as cable television and the cellular phone.

But participation of African Americans in the "Digital Revolution" makes good economic sense. Studies suggest that those who embrace technology generally have higher incomes. Research shows that, compared with the African American community as a whole, those online are 73 percent more likely to live in a household having $50,000 or more in total income, 88 percent more likely to hold a college degree, and 90 percent more likely to own stocks or other market investments.

For more information about BFTAW including information on how your community can apply for a BFTAW grant, or contact CCG's Director Technology Awareness Programs, Nuria Alvarez.

What is your view on the Black Family and technology? Do we still have a digital divide?

Crisis Management, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (Columbus)

BDPA Columbus chapter enters into the new year as the 14th largest chapter in the nation. However, they have their sights set on getting into the top ten before the end of the first quarter. One part of their strategy is to provide world-class program meeting each month. The Jan 2008 program meeting is entitled, 'Crisis Management, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery' presented by Connie Hampton, Business Resumption Manager for JPMorgan Chase.

BETF-Blog Readers in the greater Columbus area are encouraged to attend and bring a colleague with you. Light refreshments will be provided. More importantly, there will be a number of IT recruiters in attendance so you should bring business cards and resumes as well!

Logistics for the meeting are as follows:


Thursday, January 31, 2008
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

JPMorgan Chase Building
1111 Polaris Parkway
Columbus, OH

Perhaps one of the attendees will bring a videocamera and tape some key parts of the meeting to post on YouTube. Let's begin to take advantage of Web 2.0 technology at our program meetings around the country.