Join Mayor Vincent C. Gray and OAA for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington: DC Statehood March and Rally
Justice has been delayed and denied to the District of Columbia for decades. While much of Dr. King’s dream has come to fruition for our country today, sadly, the District of Columbia still languishes without full voting rights, full representation or full democracy – DC Mayor Vincent C. Gray.
On August 24, citizens from across this country will converge upon our nation's capital to commemorate and celebrate the historic March on Washington, which occurred 50 years ago on August 28, 1963. In addition, Mayor Vincent Gray and partners will host a DC statehood rally at 8:30 a.m. at the DC War Memorial. Immediately following the event, participants will march from the DC War Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial to join the main march.
For more information about the DC rally, or to register a group, please contact event coordinators Steve Glaude at (202) 442-8150 or Terese Lowery at (202) 724-7690 or visit Here
Time: Saturday, August 24th 2013| 08:00 am
Location: D.C. World War I Memorial Across Independence Avenue from MLK Memorial
RSVP Here
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OAA Job Networking & Resource Fair a Success-Over 130 job-seekers networked and connected to employers in the District
On Thursday, August 8, 2013, the DC Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (OAA) hosted a three-hour Job and Networking Resource Fair. The goal of the fair was to not only connect jobseekers with job opportunities, but also display targeted workforce development programs and job resources available here in the District. More than 130 hopeful job-seekers lined up outside the Edna Cromwell-Frazier Community Room at the Reeves Center to seize the opportunity to meet in person with over fifteen employers from various industries such as law enforcement, construction, social services, hospitality, healthcare, international development, language and interpreter services, and veteran job assistance.
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OAA and DC Health Benefits Exchange Authority (HBX) Hosts DC Health Link African Leadership Summit
On Wednesday August 14, 2013, the DC Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (OAA) partnered with the DC Health Benefits Exchange Authority (HBX) to host a DC Health Link African Leadership Summit. Over forty leaders in the African community came out to receive information on DC Health Link - an online marketplace for District residents and small businesses to access information about and to enroll in private or public health insurance plans. The DC Health Link will allow individuals and small employers to better understand and compare health insurance plans that best fits their needs and budgets.
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OAA Hosts Informational Business Workshop
On Thursday, August 15, 2013, the DC Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (OAA) partnered with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) and the Deputy Mayor’s Office on Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) to host an Informational Business Workshop for African-owned businesses in the District. Over twenty-five businesses came out to receive information on regulations governing the sales of synthetic narcotics and drug paraphernalia, and the Great Streets Capital Improvement Grant launched by DMPED to stimulate small-business development, expansion and job creation along targeted DC corridors. Both presentations had the business owners at rapt attention.
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Be in the Know: Help OAA’s Facebook page get to 1,000 likes!
Interested in being the first to hear about grant opportunities, business development services, DC government resources, networking events, and Africa-related news and events?
OAA’s FACEBOOK PAGE HAS IT ALL!
Like OAA’s Facebook page to help us get to 1,000 likes and we’ll help you stay connected! We’re more than halfway there, but we need your help!
Click here for OAA’s Facebook Page
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In Weekly Radio Address, Mayor Gray Touts Successful Reform of District’s Summer Youth Employment Program
In his weekly radio address this week, Mayor Vincent C. Gray touted his administration’s success in completely transforming the District’s once-troubled Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) into a model program that provides young people not only with gainful summer employment, but also with educational and professional enrichment opportunities and assistance on their career paths.
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Time to Speed up Education Reform
The District got some very good news late last month, when the Mayor Gray and leaders of our public-education system announced the results of this past year’s D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System (DC-CAS) tests. These exams are given to students in grades three through eight and in grade 10 every year, and they test a number of subject areas. The results were impressive, representing the biggest gains on these standardized tests in the past six years. Citywide, math scores went up by 3.9 percentage points. In reading, they went up 4.1 percentage points.
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In Weekly Radio Address, Mayor Gray Urges District Residents to Commemorate March on Washington with Advocacy for DC
In his weekly radio address this week, Mayor Vincent C. Gray noted that thousands of people would come to the District later this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom – and that District residents should use the opportunity to advocate for full democracy, just as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did.
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District Government & Partners Launch First-of-Its Kind App and Initiative to Help Victims of Sexual Assault and Dating Violence
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Paul Quander and the Mayor’s Office of Victim Services (OVS) joined community-service providers, leading experts in sexual-assault prevention, and law-enforcement officials from throughout the DC area to launch a new, District-wide initiative to address sexual assault and dating violence through the use of technology.
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D.C. Law Firms Look to Africa for New Business
Opportunities for U.S. law firms to consult on projects in African nations are growing, and companies here and abroad are increasingly turning to law firms to help do deals, navigate regulations and develop infrastructure projects, say leaders of the new Africa practice group at Williams Mullen.
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Uganda: Diaspora Bond to Woo Ugandans Abroad
The Bank of Uganda will soon launch the first Ugandan Diaspora bond to provide a safe haven for Ugandans abroad looking to invest locally, an investment compendium will also be dispatched to each of Uganda's 30 foreign missions.
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AGOA Better Helps Africa Become Middle Income Economy
President Barak Obama on a video message delivered to African Trade ministers said extension of AGOA After 2015 helps to change the lives of many Africans as it benefits the US. The ministerial consultative session at 12th AGOA Forum is taking place in Addis Ababa. Addressing the opening of the ministerial consultative forum, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said Africa has been showing remarkable progress in the last decade.
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Africa’s Skilled Labour Returns
Mariam Koné left Canada five years ago to start a business consulting firm in Bamako, the capital of Mali. As her client base grew steadily, earnings from her company, Koné Conseil, also increased. Business has been great, she says. Ms Koné is one of many young and skilled African immigrants who have gone or are going back to their homelands, mainly from North America and Western Europe.
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Review: Better angels inhabit 'Terraferma'
The involving, thematically rich "Terraferma," directed by Emanuele Crialese from a timely — yet also quite timeless — script he wrote with Vittorio Moroni, is set on a remote Sicilian island whose summer tourist trade has become more lucrative than its longtime, now-dwindling fishing business. However, because of its location, the isle is also a magnet for illegal African immigrants escaping to Europe.
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Great Streets Small Business Capital Improvement Grant
Apply for small business capital improvement funding. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development invites you to learn more about the newly launched Great Streets Small Business Capital Improvement Grant for funding up to $85,000.
Deadline: September 9, 2013 |06:00pm
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Kingonomics| Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Investment & Crowdfunding Conference
 Serial entrepreneur, investor, Crowd funding expert, head of diversity and inclusion for ABC’s Shark Tank and Kingonomics author Dr. Rodney Sampson is bringing more than one hundred experts in innovation, entrepreneurship, investment and crowd funding experts to our nation’s capital to empower entrepreneurs and business owners with the expert knowledge, best practices and funding sources required to fund a business in today’s economy and beyond. Mark Burnett, Executive Producer of The Voice, Survivor, Celebrity Apprentice, The Bible Series and Shark Tank is a Co-Chair.
Time: Thursday|August 22 & Friday|August 23 , 2013|(10:00 AM)
Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center
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Vending Regulations Training Symposium
The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs would like to invite you to attend the Vending Regulations Training Symposium to learn about: Vendor Licenses (Classes, types, and requirements), Sidewalk Vending, Mobile Vending (Food Trucks), Vendor Employee Badges, Public Markets, Fees and Fines, New Vending Opportunities, And many other topics.
Register Here
D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program presents’ Free Seminar For Small Business Owners Only!! The Affordable Care Act: What Small Business Owners Need to Know?!!
Join representatives from the law firm of Patton Boggs, one of the leading experts on the Affordable Care Act, and the DC Health Benefits Exchange Authority. They will explain the major provisions of the law, and how they will apply to small business owners!!
Time: Thursday| August 22, 2013|09:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Location: Patton Boggs LLP|2550 M Street NW| Washington DC|20037
FREE of charge, & registration is required.
Register Here
“Affordable Care Act For Business” Seminar
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will require businesses to make many decisions regarding health care in 2013. This series is designed to help you understand what you should consider in making the best decision for your business and your employees.
Webinar dates:
August 20th and 29th |September 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Web Conference URL: https://www.connectmeeting.att.com
Meeting Number: 888-858-2144 or 646-746-3008
Access Code: 4739008
CVS Caremark Community Grants
CVS Caremark is committed to building healthier communities. The CVS Caremark Community Grants Program provide financial assistance to nonprofit organizations that are providing much-needed access to health care for underserved populations; wellness and prevention programs that are aimed at helping people achieve their best health, including programs in public schools; and health education and awareness programs that are helping people on their path to better health.
Deadline: October 31, 2013
Qualifying organizations are eligible for grants of up to $5,000.
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Grants for Pawsome Causes
Build a Bear Workshop Foundation announces funds to support children's health and wellness, animals, and literacy and education programs.
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The Grassroots Organizing For Social Change Program
The Ben & Jerry's Foundation offers competitive grants to not-for-profit, grassroots community organizing groups throughout the United States. They fund organizations working to bring about progressive social change by addressing the underlying conditions of societal and environmental problems through constituent-led organizing and activist strategies.
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DC Health Link Chooses 35 DC-Based Groups to Help People Enroll in Health Coverage
The DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority Executive Board today approved grants to 35 DC-based organizations to provide in-person expert assistance to individuals, families, and small businesses looking to enroll in health insurance coverage through DC Health Link, the District’s new online health insurance marketplace.
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HHS Launches Health Insurance Marketplace Educational Tools
The new Health Insurance Marketplaces open for enrollment in every state on October 1st, giving individuals, families, and small business owners a simple, convenient way to find coverage that fits their budget. With a single application, people will be able to see and compare all their coverage options.
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HSCSN Male Caregivers Advocacy Support Group Workshop
Male Caregivers Advocacy Support Group (MCAS) is a program created by Health Services for Children With Special Needs, Inc (HSCSN) Department of Family and Community Development in order to provide outreach, training opportunities and empowerment to male caregivers of children, youth, and young adults with special needs. MCAS is a community-based peer-to-peer program that provides peer support and mentoring to male caregivers.
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OCTO Launches New Online Mapping Tool
The District’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer announced today the launch of its new DC Atlas Plus online mapping application. The app allows users to search and identify over 300 different types of data, from aerial photography and demographics to property and transportation – making it an all-inclusive point of reference for DC geographic information.
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Prime Time Sister Circle Fall 2013 Program
The United Planning Organization Community Health Division in collaboration with the Gaston & Porter Health Improvement Center is holding a Prime Time Sister Circle Program (PTSC). The PTSC is designed to be a culture, gender and age specific, curriculum-based, 12 week, facilitated, interactive support group intervention for African American women between 40-75 years of age. The Circles meet for 2 hours a week in community based settings e.g. churches; libraries; community and health centers.
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Social Security Benefits:What You Need to Know for a Successful Transition from School to Work
Since a major barrier in the transition process is the fear of losing a Social Security (SSA) cash or health benefit, understanding the rules surrounding SSA benefits prior to working will help reduce these fears. An interactive discussion on the differences between the SSDI and SSI programs, what happens at age 18, and a description of work incentives will be highlighted. Self-advocacy tips for interacting with SSA and a description of the State Medicaid threshold amounts will be highlighted.
Time: Saturday, September 21st|09.30 am – 11.30 am
Location: Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament|Auditorium|3630 Quesada Street NW|Washington, DC 20015
This FREE workshop led by a Social Security Administration trained Certified Benefits Counselor will teach you how to apply for SSI/SSDI and what to do if you are denied.
Register Here
Ethiopian Community Center Youth Media Program
ECC is accepting applications from high school youth residing in the DC area to participate in a Youth Media Program and learn about the Ethiopian Immigrant Experience. Students will receive technical training on media platforms, including websites, blogs, internet, radio, and film!! Participation is free & Registration closes August 10Time: August 12-October 4,2013
Time: August 12-October 4,2013
Register Here
Woodrow Wilson International Center -Flagship Fellowship Program
Through an international competition, the Center offers 9-month residential fellowships. The Wilson Center invites scholars, practitioners, journalists and public intellectuals to take part in its flagship international Fellowship Program. Fellows conduct research and write in their areas of interest, while interacting with policymakers in Washington and Wilson Center staff and other scholars in residence.
Deadline: October 1, 2013
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DC ImpARTS on the Arts
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in partnership with DC Department of Parks and Recreation invites you to participate in DC ImpARTS on the Arts, A six week program of free interactive workshops stimulating fiber arts, dance, and theater at various DC Parks and Recreation facilities.
Time: August 15 - September 30, 2013
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Language ETC - Now registering for fall classes!
Since 1993, Language, Education, and Technology Center (Language ETC), a community-based program, has offered English and literacy training to low-income adult immigrants in the greater Washington area using volunteer teachers and tutors.Sign-up for Fall classes today!
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Call For Award Nominations Celebrate Excellence - American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Award
Each year, ASPA presents awards to deserving individuals in over 25 categories to recognize scholarship, service and outstanding accomplishments in public service. ASPA recognizes individuals as well as organizations.Nominate a peer who has demonstrated outstanding management or leadership skills. Recognize a peer whose outstanding contributions have led to a change in performance management or promoted accountability.
The deadline for nominations is November 22, 2013.
Nominate Here
DCPS Parent Handbook (also in French and Amharic)
The Office of Family and Public Engagement (OFPE) is pleased to share a new resource tool for parents, families, and community stakeholders: The DCPS Parent Handbook. The DCPS Parent Handbook is available in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Amharic. The DCPS Parent Handbook has been created to provide families with comprehensive, but not exhaustive, information about DCPS policies, practice, and protocols.
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Volunteers Needed for 50th
Anniversary March on Washington
For those between the ages of 15 and 22, there will be a Youth Ambassador corps that will help to greet and host out of town visitors, helping them with directions and providing information about the overall event. All volunteers will receive special t-shirts, and the Youth Ambassadors will receive further identifying gear so they can be easily spotted by those seeking assistance.
Please contact Reginald Greer if interested: Email
Want your event featured in the 'African Beat'?
'The African Beat' is distributed to over 5,000 subscribers every other Friday. If you would like to submit your event to be included in our calendar, please submit the following event details: what, when, & where, and provide a link to where readers can go for more information. Submission deadline for the next edition is Wednesday, July 4th at 5:00PM (Send all materials, along with any questions, to oaa@dc.gov).
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