General Information Home Submit Your Article Submission Guidelines Advertise Article Categories Disclaimer Online Articles at BlackRefer.com Music Articles Feeling Blue? Cure it With Powerful Southern Gospel Music Lyrics Author: Gary Hayduk Whether read or listened to, southern gospel music lyrics have the focus and the message that grounds you in an attitude of thankfulness and humbleness, whether you are Christian or not. Of all the genres of music popular today, one of the most authentically original is... Family Articles The Internet Offers Adoption Resources for African Americans Hoping to Adopt Author: Mardie Caldwell, COAP With infertility struggles on the rise, more hopeful parents are turning to the internet for help in building their families through adoption. African American couples and women who are facing infertility are logging on to their computer to find resources... A Spiritual Guide For Fathers To Raising Children   By: William Jackson, M.Ed. Men in the position of a father or father figure will need a guide or “How To” book to help them navigate through life’s unexpected challenges when raising or mentoring children. Fatherhood requires wisdom, patience, a sense of humor, and a strong spirituality focused and rooted in God’s word. People are willing to provide advice, but what... The Dilemmas of Choosing African American Baby Names Author: Michael Barrows' African American baby names vary from the beautiful, traditional names, full of history and meaning - to the downright ridiculous. The problem is the extreme variety of names available and the possible reasons for choosing them. Probably more than any other... Give a Gift of Sweet Potato Pie Author: Anlesa They are described as some of the most affluent areas in the country for up and coming blacks. They are the suburbs and they are located all across America. The suburbs are comprised of luxury town homes, condominiums, and single family houses. They are places... New Year’s Resolutions For Fathers To Their Children In 2008 Author: William Jackson Fathers, use the upcoming new year to make more of a commitment to your families. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone so as fathers we must make every effort to build a stronger relationship with our children, but as men we must take the lead in this commitment of family and community. Speaking to yourself in the “I” statement makes... Men Give Your Daughters A Special Valentines Day Author: William Jackson What does it mean when we hear the term “Daddy’s Little Girl”, in various communities and cultures around the world, surprisingly the same thing for here in America. Basic observational patterns are not a scientific way to judge important data when dealing with this issue. Teaching young ... March is “National Woman’s Month” Fathers Make A Day In March For Your Daughters Author: William Jackson What would be more special than to celebrate this month with your daughter? Fathers talk to your daughter(s) about growing up to be independent, successful, and the importance of worship. Unfortunately there is strong evidence that many young girls from the ages of 6 to 13 regardless... God First When Communicating With Your Sons Author: William Jackson Ephesians 6:4 “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”. As an African American father having a 16 year old son, I find it challenging to talk to... Publishing Articles 5 Key Advantages To Starting A Self Publishing Business Author: Sanyika Calloway-boyce I'm sure you can come up with all sorts of reasons for not starting your own business, the first, of many, being lack of money and uncertainty of its success. But no matter what the reasons are against starting a business, there are just as many reasons for... Health Articles Diabetes: African Americans Deadly Foe Author: Beverley Brooke This makes EFA's an important part of your diet. Other sources of these fats are fish and nuts. Flax Seed Oil is also known as Linseed Oil. FlaxSeed is a blue flowering plant that is grown on the Western Canadian Prairies for its ... African American Female Warts Pictures Author: Francis Whether you are just browsing or researching for human papilloma virus it is also a good idea to look for african american female warts pictures so that you should be aware of the outcome of the infectious diseases to people of different color and ... Types of Asthma: Extrinsic and Intrinsic  By: Eric Johnson Asthma is a growing worldwide problem. Asthma is classified in various ways. Traditionally, doctors have categorised asthma into two general groups, Extrinsic (allergic) asthma and Intrinsic (non-allergic) asthma, depending upon the types of stimuli that flare... Removal of Uterine Fibroids   Author: Drrao Uterus is the most common female organ found in all the mammals which includes human also. These are the fibroids are tumors or growth made up of muscle cells and other tissues that grow with in the wall of uterus. These fibroids are some times called as tumors they... High Blood Pressure Sneaks Up Unnoticed   Author: Ann Stewart High blood pressure, or hypertension indicates a reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher. Nearly one out of every three American adults has high blood pressure. Once it develops, it all too often lasts a lifetime. High blood pressure is often referred to as the silent killer because... Colon Cancer: A Killer of Black Men   Author: Matthew Lynch Recent studies indicate that people less likely to be informed and/or conscious about the intricacies of cancer are also presumable candidates to be diagnosed with this disease at some point in their lives. These individuals include the elderly, the uneducated and minorities... Teen Pregnancy: How to Tell if you are Pregnant   Author: Alien Teen pregnancy rates in the United States have declined steadily in recent years. More than 60 of every 1000 teenage women gave birth in 1991 and 41 per 1000 in 2004 (the last year for which data are available).This decline is thought to be attributed to more effective birth control practice and decreased sexual activity among teens. The most dramatic ... Risk of Getting Prostate Cancer   Author: Hunter Men have the highest risk of getting prostate cancer but it is not known exactly why. There are quite a few risk factors that contribute to the possibility of acquiring this disease and only a few of them can be changed through good lifestyle choices. Cancer is a deadly disease that affects millions of people... Permanent Diabetes Control and Reversing Heart Disease   Author: Dr. RK HERE IT IS: Control your diabetes perfectly well in just 90 days and then live like a normal person for the rest of your life. Eat any kind of food you like the most. No diets or supplements needed. Those who have high blood pressure and high cholesterol require some diabetes diet and... Business Articles Guide to Building a Business Website By: Eric Jackson Nowadays most businesses desire to build some sort of an online presence to enhance the sales, services, and visibility of their company. Yet many business owners view the endeavor as their own personal interest in what they want rather... The Universal Default Clause: You Could be a Victim by Lisa Phillips Have you ever been in a situation where you were able to pay most of your bills but perhaps you let the least essential debt go for a month? Well this can hurt not only your credit rating but also affect your interest rates and credit limits with all of your creditors. This is the practice of Universal Default. It is a... African Americans Are Embracing Internet Business by Randy Powell There has been strong growth among black people in America when it comes to use of the Internet. Yet African-American adults are still far behind their peers in other ethnic groups. This surge in Internet use has been driven by women in the black community. Black women have embraced Internet business with a passion and have no problem whipping out ... 9 Steps to Building Business Credit by Lisa Phillips Building business credit can be accomplished regardless of your personal credit history. Business credit is essential in conserving cash flow, keeping track of business expenses and more importantly, protecting personal assets and personal credit history. The most important element to building business credit is finding lending institutions, credit... 7 Steps to Creating a Successful Small Business Marketing Plan by Robert Moment Small business marketing is all about determining the needs of your target market and then providing solutions to meet those needs. These 7 steps are aimed at entrepreneurs starting a small business and those who want to create a successful small business marketing plan for an existing business.Most small business promotions focus on how great their... 7 Costly Small Business Marketing Mistakes Every Entrepreneur Must Avoid by Robert Moment Everybody makes mistakes and entrepreneurs are no exception. But for an entrepreneur with a limited budget, committing mistakes too often can be very costly. It is an open secret in the business world that most of the mistakes that can be committed in business have been committed; so why not just learn from them, saving you the... How to Write a Business Plan by Robert Moment Your business plan is an essentially part of your small business success strategy. It is a vital document that lays out all of your professional goals and the means by which you intend to achieve them. It is what brings your business out of the concept phase and turns it into an actionable... Advertising - Marketing Articles Marketing To Communities Of Color!  Author: Gayle Wiegand Marketing Communications in the U.S. is no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition. Effective message delivery to all residents of the United States requires that we examine the unique consumer behaviors of the country's communities of color. The designation "community of color" may be applied to a wide.. Spirituality Articles Reflections   By: Eric Jackson When I was young, I set out to conquer the world with my skills and talents. I didn't always listen to my parent's advice or listen to godly counsel. I took hold of ambition yet... The Main Theme of Spirituals   By: Andrew Slavery was a very significant issue facing churches because slaves were allowed to go to Church. Few Christian ministers wrote against on slavery. Rural slaves were also allowed to stay after the regular Christian worship services, in churches or, if in plantation, then... A Spiritual Guide For Fathers To Raising Children   By: William Jackson, M.Ed. Men in the position of a father or father figure will need a guide or “How To” book to help them navigate through life’s unexpected challenges when raising or mentoring children. Fatherhood requires wisdom, patience, a sense of humor, and a strong spirituality focused and rooted in God’s word. People are willing to provide advice, but what... Emotional Awareness   By: Kenneth Brown When I was introduced to the practice of emotional Awareness I had no idea where it would take me. Although I knew that being emotionally aware would be beneficial, it appeared to me that simply being aware of my emotions could still leave me a slave to ... Christmas   By: Kenneth Brown Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ, and yet a lot of Christians seem to be more concerned with sales, gifts and office parties than they are with his birth. To support this perception all I have to do is listen to what they have to say about their plans, look at the ads on television, in newspapers, in... Religion   By: Kenneth Brown To me, the appearance of differences in religion seems to be just that, an appearance. As I review my limited knowledge of the various religions, they all seem to focus on the truth and since the truth can?t be changed, improved or updated, what can account for their differences? To answer this question consideration must be given to those who... Art Articles The Importance of Modern African American Art  Author: Maigida Africanarts Whether you’re interested in adding modern African American art to your home collection or are just looking to integrate this art style into your décor... Important Artists in Black Art Painting   Author: Maigida Africanarts Since its conception, art in all of its various forms has been created for the sole purpose of the artist describing for the world his or her personal visions of a person, event, or place. As a result visual works of art... The Ideals of a Culture – African Art Exhibit Casts Wild Side in a Different Light   Author: Richard Oliver Everybody enjoys admiring ancient wonders; some travel hundreds of miles just to see exhibits. But sometimes the best place to visit is in your own backyard. Such is the case with the new exhibit, “Symbolic Use of Animals in African Cultural Arts” – conveniently situated at... The Symbolic Use of Animals in African Cultural Art Exhibit   Author: Junious Ricardo Stanton A touring exhibit of multi-ethnic, multi-medium traditional African sculpture and cultural artifacts symbolizing the harmonious and interdependent relationship between humans and animals is on view at the Hartsfield-Jackson... History Articles Three Little Known Players In African American History  By: Sarah H The use of slave labor was a well known practice for several decades in the world community. With the discovery of new lands with great promise to offer, the world’s economy was fast flourishing. The demands for crop produce in large volumes made... The African American - From Slavery To The Boardroom   By: Sarah H According to world history, with the fast development of the New World, slavery served as the perfect solution to the labor crisis. Lands were expanding quickly and economies of that time were based on trade. Land owners needed vast amounts of labor for crops such as sugar cane, tobacco... Hello From Orlando: The Wells Built Museum Of African American History And Culture,   By: Susanne Pacher After I had received a general overview of the history of the Orlando area in the Orange County Regional History Center, I wanted to delve a little deeper into the social history of the Orlando area, and the Wells Built Museum of African American History... Genealogy: Ways To Trace Family History  By: Eric Jackson | ThisBrother When starting your genealogy research, decide which side of your family that you want to start with. The best one will probably be the surname that is closest to you geographically, and the one with which you have most contact. For instance if you live in south Georgia and all of your mom's family are from the same area, but your dad's family are from... Brother Malcolm X. From Philosophy of Independence to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ideas Preaching  Author: Andrew Malcolm X is a self-educated ( negro ) Muslim who got fame by bringing basically two philosophies to the forefront of the 1950s and 1960s civil war Malcolm developed and tried to promote a philosophy of independence and freedom for the Negro race through racial and national separation. Along with this philosophy came a seemingly deep-set... Black History   Author: Kenneth Brown All to often when it comes to Black history, we hear about Rosa Parks not moving to the back of the bus, Martin Luther King jr. being arrested for demanding his rights, black students being escorted into the University of Alabama or in the case of Muhammad Ali, exposing America’s intolerance to religious freedom. It would appear that... The Future of Black History   Author: Kenneth Brown During my youth, my father and I would watch the news and together we saw Malcolm X speak about freedom, Martin Luther King Jr. march for civil rights and equality, Rosa Parks arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus, National Guardsmen escort the first black students into class at the University of Alabama and Thurgood... Auto Articles What Should Blacks Expect to Pay for the Hottest Rides?  By: JeffCars.com As soon as a car carrier drops off a load of new vehicles at a dealership, most of them remain on the lot for an average of sixty days or more before they are sold. However, the vehicles on JeffCars.com fastest-selling car list... BET Founder to Create More Black Auto Dealers   By: JeffCars.com As if billionaire and BET founder Robert Johnson didn't have enough on his plate, owning a NBA team, a film company, financial institutions, and hotels, he has decided to add car dealerships to his portfolio. Last week, Johnson publicly announced he is forming a new... Toyota Playing The Incentive Game   By: JeffCars.com Toyota is playing the incentive game just like the domestics with their redesigned truck, increasing market share and racking up sales. Although the average Tundra retailed for $29,818, a substantial $1,358 more than its nearest competitor, the Honda... Achievement Articles Famous African American Women Inventors   By: Claire Bretana Science is generally viewed as a men's world. Females are rarely found tinkering around the laboratory or handling mechanical devices, much less inventing one and having it patented under their name. Patents are the proof of "ownership" of an... Film Review: Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed   By: Kevin L. Powers This unflinching documentary tells the story of Shirley Chisholm who in 1972 would be the first African American female to seriously run for the presidency. Director Shola Lynch bridges numerous stock footage and members of Chisholm’s original campaign management... Survivor: a Hero’s Homecoming   By: Groshan Fabiola Advertising executive Earl Cole is heading home with a bang. However, it isn’t just the fact that he won the latest season of Survivor, but the way that he prevailed which impressed his peers. Throughout the competition, he maintained... Beauty Articles African American Skin Care  By: Jason Katzenback The fact is that any type of skin condition can happen regardless of the pigment of skin you have. When it comes to African American skin care and others with darker complexions however, there are a few skin care problems that are much more... Celebrity Tips for Long African American Hair   Author: Paula Clarke KeraCare produces quality products for African American hair, especially if you have an itchy scalp from braids or hair weaves. However, their shampoos and conditioners tend to sometimes leave black hair dry and brittle, unless it is there detangling shampoo. As a result, although their... Top Ranking of African American Hair Care Products   Author: Paula Clarke Okay, so your hair is fried and you are tired of using drugstore hair care products and desperately want healthier hair. Well, you can have it, but you are going to have to buy a higher grade of hair care product. Some of the best products on the market for dry, damaged, or chemically... How to Grow Black Hair: African American Hair Care Tips   Author: Geraldine Prickett This article is a must read if you want to grow longer hair, or even stop hair loss. No matter how many products or treatments you have tried, hair growth can be achieved despite years of stunted hair growth, shedding, and... Tips When Purchasing African-American Skin Care Products  Author: Amy Wells Caring for African-American skin does not have to be complicated or costly. With the variety of product information available, its important to do your own independent research before investing in any expensive skin care lines. When choosing African- American products, there are... Natural Hair Care Remedies  Author: Krishan Bakhru Lovely, shining hair is one of a woman's greatest beauty assets. Hair tends to be the body's barometer indicating good health or the lack of it. The life-span of a hair can be anything from several months to several years, depending on how it is treated and ... Dealing With Dry Hair  By: Ololade Franklin One of the most challenging aspects of dealing with our black hair is combating its natural dryness. Black hair tends to be dry because of its physical structure. Dry hair is brittle hair, and when ... Soothing an Itchy Scalp  By: Ololade Franklin Has your scalp ever been uncomfortably itchy? Itching can cause extreme misery for the sufferer, however many causes of itchiness can be solved with simple remedies. There are many reasons why the scalp or skin may be irritated. So before you seek a ... Black Skin Care - African American Skin Care Guide  Author: Ron King The amount of melanin in ones body defines the protection that the skin will have from the sun. Those with dark skin have more melanin in their body than the ones with light skin. African American skin care tends to be overlooked... Ethnicity and Rhinoplasty  Author: Patricia Woloch Rhinoplasty, or nose surgery, is a cosmetic surgery procedure that requires a high level of skill and experience to sculpt a very personalized and functional shape. Cosmetic surgeons... Hair Types Redefined  Author: HoneyFig Andre Walker famed stylist to celebrities such as Barbara Bush, Maya Angelou, Debbie Allen, Jackée, and Halle Berry, to name a few; also landed the coveted position as Oprah’s personal stylist. They, however, are not the only reason for his... Black Women's Hairstyles: It's Not Just About The Hair  Author: John Williams Throughout the decades, the social significance of black hairstyles has remained a relevant part of black history. Unlike other American cultural trends, black hairstyles represent a significant history and pride amongst black women. Where else does one's self worth and self image... Keeping Hair Moisturized While Wearing Braids   Author: Salkis Keeping hair moisturized while wearing braids is crucial to keeping breakage at bay. Although a lot of popular natural products contain Shea butter, this is a poor product to use for hair conditioning. Shea Butter is nothing more than 'wood glue' and... The Amazing Versatility Of African American Hair   Author: Sarah H Many people tend to think that caring for African American hair is easy. When the hair is styled it adopts the style splendidly and appears to have excellent hold to sport the look. The truth is that caring for African American hair is extremely difficult, yet the styles ... Facial Hair- Is Laser Hair Removal The Final Solution?   Author: Paulina Saliba Facial hair is a costly problem for both Australian men and women. Australians spend millions of dollars annually on razors, waxes, creams, and depilation. The instigation of laser hair removal techniques by many professional clinics such as Results has meant that...