WSSN Stories

Monica Montgomery-Steppe Is on Pace to Be San Diego County’s First Black County Supervisor

By Tanu Henry, Antonio Ray Harvey and Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

From all indications last week, San Diego City Councilmember and former California Reparations Task Force member Monica Montgomery-Steppe will be elected the county’s Fourth District Supervisor.

Early results in the special election for San Diego County Supervisor show that Montgomery-Steppe holds a commanding 22% margin over private investigator Amy Reichert as of Nov. 9.

District 4 has 700,000 residents.

Montgomery-Steppe, who has declared victory in the race, is a Democrat. She won the Aug. 15 primary with 41.7% of the vote while Reichert, a Republican, came in second with 28.8%. Montgomery-Steppe would be the first Black woman to serve on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors should those figures hold.

County District 4 covers parts of central San Diego, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Spring Valley.

“The Board of Supervisors serves over 3.2 million San Diegans – this is not a task I take lightly. As your Supervisor, I look forward to teaming up with you to tackle homelessness, promote holistic public safety, and invest in our County. Together, we can move the People’s Country forward,” Montgomery-Steppe said in a Nov. 7 statement.

African American Couple Launches Transformative Real Estate Investment Course Series, Revolutionizing Accessibility and Empowering Investors in California

LOS ANGELES, CA—- Charles Moore and Miesha Carter, an innovative African American couple from Los Angeles, California is revolutionizing real estate investment accessibility with the launch of their Affordable Real Estate Investment Course Series. As seasoned real estate professionals with years of experience, they have a passion for fostering financial growth and are excited to announce that enrollment is open for their transformative online course series.

This initiative is only open and available two times a year and it aims to impart unconventional yet successful real estate investment strategies that have been honed and perfected over the span of five years. With a commitment to making quality education accessible, this couple brings forth an opportunity that not only equips but also caters to the budget-conscious investor and levels the playing field.

Miesha shares her enthusiasm, stating, “We’re here to help our clients start up, invest up, and scale up.” This is why it is good to tap into a community of like-minded people to pursue real estate investment.

Venturing into the world of real estate investment often requires navigating uncharted waters. Considering this, the couple’s real estate investment courses are designed to offer guidance for people eager to explore innovative investment avenues.

A pivotal focus of this online course lies in aiding individuals to master the intricacies of land and real estate government auctions, as well as property liens. These aspects, often overlooked, hold immense potential for those who understand how to navigate them effectively. The course delves deep into the nuances, enabling participants to emerge with a comprehensive understanding.

The highly anticipated Real Estate Investment Class Series titled “Getting Ready for the Auction” stands as a testament to the couple’s commitment to education. This course is a total of 10 modules, 8 Primary modules, and 2 Bonus ones, this series will give the participants the tools and knowledge to understand the auction process.

The modules include:

November 6, January 8th 2024, March 4th 2024: Free Webinar

January 13, 2024: Series 1 – Understanding Tax Liens and Tax Deeds Property Auctions
January 27, 2024: Series 2 – How To Bid At The Property Auction
February 10th, 2024: Series 3 – Researching Tax Property
February 24th, 2024: Series 4 – Getting The Auction Rules
March 9th, 2024: Series 5 – Searching For Liens
March 23, 2024: Series 6 – Zoning
April 13th, 2024: Series 7 – Board of Health and Properties
April 27, 2024: Series 8 – Wiinning The Bid
May 11th, 2024: Bonus Session 2: What To Do With Properties
May 25th, 2024: Bonus Session 3: Creating Your Team

“We believe that everyone should have access to effective investment education,” says Miesha.

Her husband, Charles, comments, “Our courses are designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and strategies necessary to explore unconventional avenues in real estate.”

Enrollment for these courses is now open, offering a unique opportunity to learn directly from experts who have successfully implemented the very same strategies they teach. Participants gain access to a treasure trove of practical insights, industry secrets, and actionable tips that can pave the way to realizing their real estate aspirations.

HBCU Grad Makes History as First Black President of the Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research (APCR)

Dr. Leonard Weather, Jr, RPh, MD, FAPCR a New Orleans and Shreveport, LA distinguished gynecologist was recently elected President of the Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research (APCR). Dr. Weather assumes the role of the first African American to hold this esteemed position in the organization’s history.

Dr. Weather’s extensive academic background includes a Pharmacy degree from Howard University and an MD from Rush Medical College in Chicago, IL. He further honed his expertise through comprehensive training, completing his internship, residency, and fellowship in gynecology and obstetrics at the renowned Johns Hopkins University Hospital.

Beyond his medical accomplishments, Dr. Weather is a multifaceted individual, embodying roles as a health educator, professor, ordained minister, artist, author, and photographer. His literary contributions include three inspirational poetry books, an infertility handbook, and his most recent publication, Endometriosis the Name of the Pain and How to Repress It, released in June 2023.

As an active gynecological clinical trials researcher, Dr. Weather has presented over 210 peer-reviewed presentations and papers, specializing in pelviscopic surgical treatment of infertility, endometriosis, pelvic pain, and uterine fibroids. Notably, he is credited with inventing the revolutionary surgical procedure known as Optical Dissection Pelviscopy, a groundbreaking advancement in laparoscopic surgery that aids in the prevention of organ injury.

Dr. Weather’s impact extends beyond the APCR, as he is the Past President of the National Medical Association, the Louisiana Medical Association, and the New Orleans Medical Association. He currently holds a position as a board member of the State of Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners and serves as the National President of Chi Delta Mu Medical Fraternity.

The APCR is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to advancing the fields of clinical practice, academic research, and pharmaceutical industry engagement in clinical research (clinical trials). Its mission encompasses the prevention and cure of diseases, as well as safeguarding the welfare of patients and study subjects through the acquisition, dissemination, and evaluation of knowledge concerning medicine and device development.

The APCR provides a vital platform for enhanced education, professional development, qualification, and certification for physicians participating in clinical research endeavors. It is the sole organization representing the physician research community within the American Medical Association (AMA), thus influencing national policies on numerous issues related to clinical research.

Dr. Weather brings a wealth of expertise, dedication, and vision to his role as President of the APCR. His historic election is a testament to his outstanding contributions to the medical field and his commitment to advancing clinical research.

Black Health Matters Names New Editorial Director

Corynne L. Corbett to guide all editorial aspects of the health communications company

NEW YORK, NY– Black Health Matters (BHM) announced Corynne L. Corbett has been named editorial director for the nation’s leading provider of digital health and wellness solutions for African American consumers and patients. BHM’s various online and experiential events are dedicated to educating and empowering African Americans with information rooted in medical expertise and providing the tools necessary to optimize their health.

Ms. Corbett comes to BHM with more than twenty-five years of experience in communications, including roles as executive editor, strategist, editor-in-chief, and senior manager across various platforms and publications. Her past positions include Beauty Director of ESSENCE Communications, Executive Editor of Real Simple Magazine, Editor in Chief of Heart & Soul Magazine, and senior editorial and leadership positions with Mode and ELLE magazines.

“BHM is delighted to find the intellect that will connect us to the health and wellness interests of women of color. Corynne’s professional background illustrates her ability to influence and enlighten women of color at every life stage,” said Roslyn Young Daniels, founder and president of Black Health Matters. “We are excited to see how she’ll utilize her decades of editorial experience to engage with our audience to help improve health outcomes.”

Ms. Corbett will be responsible for guiding Black Health Matters’ editorial vision as the company moves into its second decade of raising awareness about chronic conditions and disease states that disproportionately affect African Americans. In her new role at BHM, she will lead in developing the editorial voice for all aspects of the company’s online and offline presence, managing and creating content, editorial planning, writing, and conducting interviews about medical topics and advances.

“I am excited about joining Black Health Matters because our work not only enlightens and empowers our audience but can also save their lives,” Ms. Corbett said.

Corynne L. Corbett holds a Master of Professional Studies in Technology Entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Merchandising and Management from Pratt Institute.

 

“Looks Like Another Love TKO!”

By Lou K Coleman

God wanted his people to enjoy the bounty of the Promised Land. But He didn’t make them accept it. Even though choosing His way is the best way. The choice was theirs. [Deuteronomy 30:15-16]. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. Wherefore God gave them up. [Proverbs 29:1; Romans 1:21-24; Ezekiel 18:23, 30-32; 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9]. Looks Like Another Love TKO!

I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored My advice and rejected the correction I offered. So, I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you. When you cry for help, I will not answer. Though you will anxiously search for Me, you will not find me. For you hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. You rejected my advice. Therefore, you must eat the bitter fruit of living your own way. Looks Like Another Love TKO!

If you are reading this, I beg you don’t be another Esau. Esau wept bitterly that he could not repent [Hebrews 12:17]. The Hell he was entering into he found to be miserable, and he wanted out. The rich man, begged Father Abraham to send Lazarus to his brother’s house so that they would not come to the miserable, place he was in. What is it going to take? What wakeup call do you need? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?” [Ezekiel 33:11]. Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, ““As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will cut you off completely. I will not look on you with pity or spare you.” The restraints are off. [Ezekiel 5:11; Matthew 15:14; Romans 2:5].

I think I Better Let It Go… Looks Like Another Love TKO!

Angela Davis Shares Insights on Domestic Violence in Black Communities During Sacramento Panel

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Philosopher, civil rights activist, college professor, author, and former political prisoner Angela Davis put a lens on the deep-rooted damage domestic violence sows in the Black community, pulling from research she conducted for her 1999 book, “Blues Legacies and Black Feminism.”

The book examines the careers of influential Black women blues singers Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Rosa Henderson, and Billie Holiday in historical, social, and political contexts.

“I noticed that many of them sang about violence,” Davis said. “They sang about what was happening in their relationships.”

On Ocober. 30, Davis shared her perspective on domestic violence as part of a conversation that addressed the disproportionate impacts Domestic Violence has on Black women and families. The event, hosted by Blue Shield of California Foundation (BSCF) and the California Black Freedom Fund (CBFF), was held in Sacramento.

CBFF is a five-year, $100 million initiative focused on Black power-building and ensuring movement-based organizations have the sustained investments they need to challenge systemic and institutional racism.

Davis joined representatives of other organizations to discuss policies needed to end intimate partner violence. The gathering, mostly journalists, was a recording session at the offices of the news publication CalMatters and part of BSCF’s podcast series for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Participants included Karen Earl, CEO of the Jenesse Center; Trina Greene, founder and Executive Director of Parenting for Liberation; Kelli Dillon, from the City of Oakland Department of Violence Prevention; and Eric Morrison-Smith, Executive Director of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color.

Debbie Chang, President and CEO of BSCF, and BFF Executive Director Marc Philpart facilitated the activities, while journalist Bonnie Boswell moderated the roundtable discussions among Earl, Green, Dillon, and Morrison-Smith.

“We really needed to have this session focus on the disproportionate impact of domestic violence especially on California’s Black community,” Chang told California Black Media. “We’re shining a light on it and bringing attention to it. We can’t be silent about it. What we want are solutions.”

Davis, who will turn 80 on Jan. 26, is best known as a champion became of prison reform, women’s rights, racial equality, and the inequality of capitalism. An advocate for the LGBTQ community, Davis was once an active member of the Communist Party USA and the Black Panther Party for Self Defense.

Today, she is the Distinguished Professor Emerita of the History of Consciousness at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She first became aware of domestic violence as a “political issue” in the 1970s, she said. Davis stated that intimate violence not only affects women but men, children, and families.

“We’re talking about a form of violence that has been in most human societies for hundreds of years. We also learned how to hide it, and then, somehow, it’s represented as just the problem of the survivor,” Davis said. “It’s always been considered a women’s issue.”

Davis pointed out that she wanted everyone to understand that domestic violence didn’t emerge during the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

“We periodized that movement as happening in the ’60s when women, largely White, began (speaking out against violence against women),” Davis said. “I wanted us to have a sense of how long it often takes for these ideas to make a difference.”

With support from BSCF, Social Action Partners (SoACT) developed a mixed-methods study of perceptions and attitudes surrounding domestic violence in California’s Black/African American community.

The report, 2017 Black Leaders Survey on Domestic Violence, provides the BSCF domestic violence advocates and community

stakeholders’ insights on how Black communities in California perceive the challenges they face in combating domestic violence.

According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual

Violence Survey, 34%, or one in three California women report experiencing domestic violence at some point in their lifetimes. The BSCF report states that 42.5% of Black women report experiencing intimate partner violence, compared to 39.3% of White women and 30.2% of Hispanic women.

On March 8, the Los Angeles City Council received an Equity Analysis on the Violence and Crime that Black women and girls experience from the Civil, Human Rights, and Equity Department (LA Civil Rights).

Overall, violent crime rates have decreased in Los Angeles over a 10-year period but the number of Black women experiencing violence has increased. Black women comprise approximately 4.3% of Los Angeles’ population but they often make up approximately 25% to 33% of victims of violence, the report stated.

The San Francisco Family Violence Council’s 2020 report also revealed racial disparities among domestic violence survivors. It states that 28% of dependent adult abuse victims were Black; and more than half of domestic violence victims were Black or Latino.

For Philpart, the drive to prevent domestic violence is personal. His grandmother was killed by her husband in 1965 after she divorced him and remarried.

“It’s important for us to have this conversation about the Black community because we often don’t talk about domestic violence,” Philpart said. “As the panelist said, we keep DV as something that is unspoken of or is part of our family history that’s never unearthed.

Philpart’s family tragedy highlights another statistic. According to the Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness, 75% of homicides related to domestic violence occur after intimate partners’ separation.

“We are gathered here today discussing an issue that first became a part of discourse over 50 years ago. As a matter of fact, this is the most widespread, pandemic form of violence in the world,” Davis said.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated Announces Olympic Gold Medalist, Professional Athlete, and Entrepreneur, Angel McCoughtry, as an Honorary Member

WASHINGTON—-Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, one of the country’s largest women’s service organizations, is delighted to announce the induction of Angel McCoughtry as Honorary Members into its Alpha Omega Chapter. This accomplished woman has demonstrated outstanding commitment to civic engagement and the advancement of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.’s principles, Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood.

The induction ceremony took place on Saturday, November 4, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia.International First Vice President for Membership, Gina Merritt-Epps, Esq., shared, “I am honored to lead Zeta’s membership function and continue our tradition of recruiting influential and prominent women that will advance, elevate, and bring awareness to the initiatives of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.”

Dr. Stacie NC Grant, International President and CEO, enthusiastically stated, “The members of Zeta are proud to carry out the legacy of the five trailblazing women that dared to be different and established the number one service organization.  Today, we honor their vision by inducting a woman of excellence whose groundbreaking career and impressive commitment to service is aligned with Zeta’s principles and work.”

Angel McCoughtry is a professional basketball player with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. She was selected first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2009 WNBA draft. Ms. McCoughtry has garnered numerous awards and recognition for her athletic skills.  She is the first WNBA athlete to host a basketball camp in Ghana. She is the owner of McCoughtry’s, an ice cream shop and food truck.Ms. McCoughtry will align her talents and passion to mentor our Zeta youth auxiliary groups.

“It’s an honor and privilege to be part of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. I’m honored to be part of this sisterhood to grow, build, and create better communities.” — Angel McCoughtry

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated was founded on January 16, 1920, on the campus of Howard University and has since grown to become one of the most prestigious and impactful organizations worldwide. With a mission to foster its ideals and principles, Zeta Phi Beta is committed to making a difference in the lives of individuals and communities.

Honorary Members could work closely with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. in advancing its philanthropic initiatives and promoting social welfare. Their influence and expertise will undoubtedly enhance the organization’s ability to positively impact the communities it serves.

For more information about Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and its latest Honorary Members, please visit www.zphib1920.org.

Black Woman Founder of Nonprofit Launches Magazine to Support Minorities Affected by Breast Cancer

The publication features diverse patient stories and 300+ resources for care and survivorship

NATIONWIDE — Jasmine Dionne Souers, President and CEO of The Missing Pink Breast Cancer Alliance and a breast cancer survivor herself, is proud to announce the launch of More Life Magazine. The publication features a collection of stories, resources, and innovative ideas that relate to the experiences of people of color affected by breast cancer.

The website and magazine feature personal stories to address cultural access barriers, connect people to more than 300 existing resources and support services, and promote policies and practices demonstrating success in eliminating barriers and disparities.

With the support of Genentech and Built to Rock Events, The Missing Pink partnered with 12 dynamic breast cancer organizations to showcase the impact of their respective services in the lives of people of color, reflecting back the possibility of hope, help, and healing for patients and amplifying insights behind barrier-breaking efforts.

“The disparities facing minorities affected by breast cancer are so great, they’re not something one organization is going to solve alone,” said Jasmine. “More Life Magazine brings together hundreds of resources in one place, it exists in various formats, and makes it easier for patients and the people who care for them like caregivers, social workers, providers, etc. to find help that may or may not exist in their backyard.”

The inaugural issue of More Life Magazine predominantly features experiences that relate to Black and Latino people affected by breast cancer and unlike many minority breast cancer efforts, it includes the experiences of and resources for men and people who identify as LGBTQ+.

“I remember how isolating it was to navigate breast cancer as a 26-year-old Black woman in 2016,” said Jasmine. “In our first issue, I wanted to make sure we held space for as many

unique perspectives from our diverse communities as possible because where there is light, there is hope. Everyone deserves to see a reflection of themselves in the face of people who are surviving and thriving after breast cancer and know what help is available to them.”

More Life Magazine tackles various subjects, including experiences with clinical trials, parenting with cancer, fertility preservation, the impact of delayed diagnoses on families and more. As the cover story, Jasmine’s personal journey as a young survivor, advocate and co-survivor to her grandmother living with metastatic breast cancer lays the foundation for the vulnerable, authentic, and informational storytelling found throughout the publication.

“Speaking from experience, I know the challenges people are facing to overcome this disease are very real and I don’t think we should shy away from that, but the work happening to help people overcome many of these challenges is just as real,” said Jasmine. “I want to make help and hope more tangible for people who feel like it’s out of reach for them or the community they serve.”

More Life Magazine is available online, in print, and in PDF. Additional stories and resources will be added to the site. Promo items for offices and outreach events are also available online.

To learn more, visit TheMoreLifeMag.com


About
The Missing Pink Breast Cancer Alliance works collaboratively to create community resources that improve the lives of people of color affected by breast cancer. We harness the power of innovation through collaboration and education to eliminate barriers to quality healthcare and improve quality of life. To learn more, visit themissingpink.org.

 

Power ship company that cut electricity in African cities eyes expansion

A Turkish company whose floating power ships switched off the electricity supply to two of Africa’s poorest cities in recent months says it is in talks with six more countries to expand across the continent. But critics argue it only provides a short term solution to chronic underinvestment.

Karpowership, which operates floating power plants, supplies electricity to eight African countries including Ghana, Senegal, Mozambique, and Côte d’Ivoire. The company has in recent months cut off electricity in Freetown and Bissau, the capitals of Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, after authorities failed to pay bills reportedly totalling $40 million and $15 million respectively.

The company’s chief commercial officer, Zeynep Harezi, told Semafor Africa the company is in talks with a number of African countries as part of its expansion plans. “We are in constant communication with Tanzania, Kenya, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, [and] Liberia,” Harezi said. She added that the company expects to begin operating in South Africa in the second half of next year after winning a tender to generate 1,200 megawatts — about 2% of the country’s energy supply. Only “‘ticking the box’ activities” remain before completing the process to operate in South Africa, said Harezi.

Harezi said the company’s ships, which use natural gas to generate electricity which is then sent to the grid, offered a “permanent solution” to power problems in many African countries because they were “cleaner” than other fossil fuel energy sources. “The floating power plant ship has a psychological barrier around this being a permanent solution” because it is not on land, she said.

KNOW MORE

Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest access to electricity in the world. Around half a billion people lack access to electricity. The failure to develop and maintain the infrastructure needed to provide reliable power has stymied the economic development of countries across the continent, including its biggest economies — Nigeria and South Africa.

Harezi said Karpowership was not put off by the failure of Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau to pay their bills promptly and had restored power in both countries. She said the company had renegotiated its contracts with the two countries as part of an agreement under which it would supply them with less electricity, therefore incurring a lower cost.

ALEXIS’S VIEW

The impact of a private company being able to shut down the power in an African city should not be underestimated. In Guinea Bissau’s capital, the BBC reported that some public hospitals used generators to carry out surgery but lacked running water because there wasn’t enough electricity. The country’s reliance on power ships is emblematic of a broader failure in many African countries to develop or maintain power facilities.

It’s clear that some African governments have for years indulged in short term thinking, rather than the long-term capital investment that is vital for developing a country. Several energy industry insiders said power ships were only appropriate for temporary use in disasters. Reliable power is a key ingredient for economic growth. “Karpowerships and other “emergency suppliers” are a necessary evil because of chronic underinvestment in energy infrastructure,” Bright Simmons, research lead at Imani Centre for Policy in Ghana, told Semafor Africa.

The business model behind floating power ships depends on the short term planning of poor countries. Karpowership typically doesn’t provide long term infrastructure development or a cleaner energy solution than solar, wind and hydroelectric power. It’s also easy for ships to turn off the electricity and sail away if a country struggles to pay.

Governments pay a premium for the convenience of a quick solution that’s unencumbered by the time lag of several years involved in building a power plant on land. “When you pay emergency prices the cost is always higher and it’s never the best long term version of what you need,” Todd Moss, who heads global power think-tank Energy for Growth Hub, told me.

Africa clearly plays a key role in Karpowerhip’s long term strategy. “The African growth opportunity is immense,” Harezi said in our interview. The company sees a huge market on the continent, where young populations look set to drive an increased demand for power in the coming decade at a pace not seen elsewhere in the world. That, combined with the failure of many countries to develop sustainable solutions for energy generation, transmission and distribution, explain why the company is in talks to expand its client list.

In the short term, cash-strapped African countries will struggle to pay their power ship bills. That’s because weakening currencies and relatively high wholesale gas prices will make it tough to pay for an approach that treats supplying electricity like a constant emergency. It makes more sense in the long run for governments to invest heavily in renewable energy sources such as hydroelectricity and solar energy.

ROOM FOR DISAGREEMENT

Fola Fagbule, deputy director and head of financial advisory services at Africa Finance Corporation, a multilateral lender focused on infrastructure projects on the continent, disagreed with the suggestion that Karpowership’s approach offers a permanent solution to power problems.

“The use of power ships can’t be a long term solution,” he said. “A long term solution would have a price that declines over time because more competitive sources of power are being introduced into the grid.”

THE VIEW FROM SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa’s department of forestries, fisheries and environment late last month granted Karpowership environmental authorization for a 450-megawatt gas-fired floating power station in the northeastern port of Richards Bay, marking a crucial step since its applications have faced legal challenges from conservationists.

But the company’s plans to operate in South Africa, as part of a government strategy to ease rolling blackouts imposed by struggling power utility Eskom, have been met by opposition. “South Africa should be looking at local solutions like wind and solar, opening up the transmission grid, and investing in renewables,” Kevin Mileham, energy spokesperson for the opposition Democratic Alliance, told Semafor Africa.

— Reporting by Sam Mkokeli in Johannesburg

NOTABLE

  • Solar mini-grids are a cheap and effective way to increase electricity access, according to the World Bank. Husk Power Systems, a clean-energy company, last month announced plans to launch 500 solar mini-grids in Nigeria over the next five years after raising $103 million in equity and debt.

Dentist Duo Presented with the Chamber’s YoPros Award

Drs. Kevin and Kyle Phanord continue to serve the South Florida community

The spotlight is on dentistry excellence! The dynamic dentist duo, Drs. Kevin and Kyle Phanord, were honored with the prestigious 2023 Top 20 Under 40 YoPros Award from the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida (HACCOF). Nadia Alcide, Executive Director of HACCOF, presented the twins with the award plaque on behalf of the Chamber at their Dental Practice in North Miami.

This recognition is a testament to the Phanord twins’ exceptional dental services and unwavering commitment to patient well-being. The YoPros Award highlights outstanding young and talented Haitian-American professionals throughout Florida.

“We are truly humbled and honored to receive the HACCOF’s “Top 20 Under 40” recognition award,” said Dr. Kevin. “This recognition further motivates us to continue our mission of providing exceptional and compassionate dental to the South Florida Community and beyond,” added Dr. Kyle.

Dr. Kevin and Dr. Kyle Phanord, known on TikTok as the “Dentist Duo,” completed infant oral health evaluation and care at the University of Florida (UF) Pediatric Dental Residency Program, where they did a Pediatric Dentistry Rotation handling everything from participating in pediatric seminars, providing dental treatment to kids and observing pediatric dental care under general anesthesia in operating rooms, to participating in procedural sedation using oral and nasal agents, and providing dental treatment of specific healthcare for adults. The brothers went on to do an oral surgery rotation where they completed one-week long rotations per semester in the student oral surgery clinic at UF College of Dentistry and completed multiple simple, as well as surgical extractions and alveoloplasties.

After obtaining their Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree from UF, the Phanord twins joined their father, Dr. Roger Phanord, in the family-operated dental practice, Phanord & Associates, P.A., and since then, they have been committed to taking the dental practice to the next level.

To connect with Drs. Kevin and Kyle Phanord, be sure to follow them on their TikTok @DentistDuo. In addition, to stay connected with news and information about their dental practice, follow Phanord & Associates, P.A. on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – @Phanorddental.

Phanord & Associates, P.A. has been serving the community since the late 80s and provides a wide range of general dentistry services, including general & cosmetic dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery and more. With multilingual staff fluent in Spanish, Creole, and French, they strive to meet and exceed all dental needs.

Phanord & Associates P.A. is located at 1245 NW 119th Street in North Miami, Florida. Opening hours are Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

For more information, visit www.phanord.com or call 305-685-7863. At Phanord & Associates, we are changing lives, one smile at a time!