Erin Patton credits the New Pittsburgh Courier as the first media source to write about his accomplishments. Since then he has been quoted in the USA Today, Time, Newsweek, Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Inc. Magazines and has appeared on ESPN, NBC, CNN, VH1 and Fox News.

TELLING IT LIKE IT IS— Former entrepreneur and director of the Allegheny County Department of Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Ruth Byrd-Smith shares some  wisdom during the Micro 2 Millions Microenterprise Symposium.

In Pittsburgh recently sharing his wisdom and expertise on how the Hip-Hop Generation is influencing the brand on sports and pop culture, he says, “Pittsburgh made me what I am.”

(NNPA)—Much of America is still in the emergency room trying to recover from their economic wombs inflicted while Barack Obama was serving as U.S. senator for the great state of Illinois.

It is no surprise that if pain can be found on the body politic of the U.S. citizenry, a more severe economic discomfort is being felt by African-Americans. This represents a long tradition dating back to slavery: the last hired, the first fired and the least likely to be awarded a contract.

Bad things happen to good people. Loss of employment, divorce, death of a spouse, medical emergency or many other unforeseen events can take anyone by surprise. This often times results in a temporary or permanent reduction in household income leading to a mountain of debt and delinquent bills. The stress associated with the unforeseen event in and of itself can be devastating. To be put in such a vulnerable position and have to deal with the aggressive tactics of debt collectors can be overwhelming.

(NNPA)—Black consumers are responding to tighter economic conditions by focusing more of their spending on products and services that improve their homes and lifestyle. That’s one of the trends revealed in the 15th annual report, “The Buying Power of Black America,” published by Target Market News.