Priceless Vol 9 Number 2


Personal and Professional Empowerment www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com


Serving Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach since 2006 Business


Networking in Virginia Beach


Page 8


NY Attorney General Sues Bank for Refusing Mortgages in African-American Neighborhoods


The 2014 U.S. - Africa Leaders Summit


Page 9


Free October 2014


HU Museum Receives Sculpture by Artist Elizabeth Catlett


Page 12


Hampton Roads Small Business Conference Rewards Entrepreneurs


BY CHRIS PARKS


The 2014 Small Businesses Thinking Big


Conference,


scheduled to take place in Virginia Beach on October 28 - 29, will once again offer $500 to the


presents


In Buffalo, Attorney General Schneiderman was joined by housing advocates and representatives of local government to announce the filing of his office’s lawsuit against Evans Bank, alleging that the regional bank engaged in unlawful discrimination by “redlining,” or denying access to mortgage loans to predominantly African-American neighborhoods in the City of Buffalo because of the racial composition of those neighborhoods.


BUFFALO – Attorney


General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the filing of a lawsuit recently against Evans Bank, N.A. and Evans Bancorp, Inc.


alleging bank


engaged


(together, “Evans”) that the regional in


unlawful


discrimination by “redlining,” or denying access to mortgage loans to predominantly Afri- can-American


neighborhoods


in the City of Buffalo because of the racial composition of those neighborhoods.


the


The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District


Court the Western District for of New


York, alleges that Evans has systematically


denied its


mortgages and services to Af- rican-Americans in the Buffalo metro area. From at least 2009 to the present, Evans has redlined the predominantly Af- rican-American neighborhoods, intentionally these


its lending


mortgage made


products


neighborhoods, notwith- standing


unavailable the


facilities creditworthi-


ness of the applicants; and refusing to solicit customers, market mortgages, or provide banking


in those


predominantly African-Ameri- can neighborhoods.


“Redlining is illegal,


discriminatory, and must be made a thing of the past, once and for all,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “It is crucial that all New


Yorkers, regardless of the color of their skin or the racial


neighborhood, be afforded an equal


composition opportunity


to


of their obtain


neighborhoods from area;


excluding developing


credit. This is especially true as families continue to recover from the mortgage crisis--and as we work to achieve a fairer, and more just, New York State. My office will continue to do all it can to restore the health of our economy and ensure that REFUSING MORTGAGES PAGE 14


This Edition’s Highlights


Education Editorial Your Opinion Matters Hampton Roads Upcoming Events Scholarships Watch


Innovating for Success: The 2014 National HBCU Week Conference Is It Time to Break the Bank Habit? Don’t Rush to Judge the Way Parents Discipline Kids Nauticus Welcomes New Group Sales Manager Phoebus Fall Festival Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program


7 4


11 12 13 7


that it to these


individual who the


for best


business plan for the most innovative idea a


technology


company. “The founder of a company


similar


to Microsoft, FaceBook, Google or Twitter could be living in Hampton Roads right now. We


Patrick Kelly (center), winner of the 2012 Small Businesses Thinking Big business plan contest, holds a check with Angela Jones (left), Hampton Roads Messenger Publisher and Tom Flake (right), Peninsula Technology Incubator Director.


want to foster the type of creativity it takes to develop a unique idea,” said Angela Jones, founder and publisher of the Hampton Roads Messenger. The Hampton Roads Messenger is one of the sponsors of the Small Businesses Thinking Big Conference.


Technology is not the only sector being supported by the annual small business conference. Thanks to sponsors like S.B.


Ballard, contractors and business owners in all industries will also be rewarded with a wealth of information from attending conference workshops. Some of the workshop presenters include the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the US Census Bureau and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Attendees will leave the conference having


BUSINESS CONFERENCE PAGE 14


5 Tips to Help Rebound From a Bad Credit History


For people grappling with a


history of debt payment problems, improving their credit record may seem like a daunting task. FDIC Consumer News offers these tips, which can help increase the chances of qualifying for better loan terms, lower insurance rates and perhaps even a new job or apartment.


1. Order your free credit reports and look for errors. Credit reporting companies, often referred to as "credit bureaus," maintain reports that show how an individual handles certain aspects of his or her finances. Your credit report includes information on how much credit you have available, how much credit you are using, whether you pay loans and other bills on time, your payment history on closed accounts, and any debt collections or bankruptcy filings. Credit bureaus and other companies use the information in your credit report to generate a credit score to


creating


predict, for example, how likely you are to repay your debts or how reliable you may be as a tenant.


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