Perry Stuckey moved to Milwaukee after a job transfer and has called it home ever since. (Photo by Brett Kramer)

Accented by theaters, museums, and high-demand eateries including five-star restaurants and traditional family dining, Milwaukee mixes cosmopolitan flair with small-town hospitality. Formerly known as a brewing and manufacturing capital, Milwaukee today is driven by service industries like precision manufacturing and printing; professional and managerial positions are among the city’s fastest growing occupations.

Despite fiscal belt-tightening over the last year, Milwaukee’s diverse range of industries enabled the city to avoid the financial shockwaves that devastated other metropolises across the country. Major companies headquartered here include Johnson Controls, a producer of automotive interiors; motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson; and producer of technology solutions Rockwell Automation, where Perry Stuckey serves as vice president of human resources. A job transfer brought Stuckey and his family to Milwaukee from Cleveland five years ago. “I remember thinking Chicago is the city in the Midwest,” he says, recalling his trepidation about relocating. The warm reception from the business community and the highly ranked Wisconsin public school system helped change his mind.

Choose Milwaukee (www.choosemilwaukee.com) is working on converting skeptics like Stuckey into new residents. To attract new business and talent to the seven counties of southeastern Wisconsin, this initiative provides corporations and entrepreneurs with a variety of incentives, financial assistance, and loan programs (listed on the site). The city also seeks a more diverse community, and through its minority business services, including The Business Council, is working to attract minority business owners and facilitate growth.

Stuckey is also encouraged by the quality of life Milwaukee offers. “Where else in America can I get lakes, parks, music, great museums, and great schools?” he says. “There’re not many places like that. It’s been great for me.”

Accommodations
[1] The Intercontinental (139 East Kilbourn Ave, 414-276-8686; www.intercontinentalmilwaukee.com) is a four-star hotel at the heart of the downtown business and theater district. Located along the Milwaukee Riverwalk, the hotel is within walking distance of many parks, restaurants, and bars.

[2] The Iron Horse Hotel (500 West Florida Street, 888-543-4766, www.theironhorsehotel.com) is a luxury boutique hotel transformed from a historic building in the city’s warehouse district. Hardwood floors and dark furnishings make it an attractive stay for business professionals—and bikers. The hotel offers special parking bins for bikers and Biker’s Night on Thursdays, when enthusiasts get to show off their rides. With art by local artists displayed throughout, the hotel ambiance is great for mingling and dining at the bar, Branded, and The Yard, an outdoor restaurant.

Dining
[3] Bacchus (925 East Wells, 414-756-1166, www.bacchusmke.com) part of the renowned Bartolotta family of restaurants, offers several rooms for public dining and private functions. The eatery is known for fresh seafood, like Scottish salmon, and handmade desserts, like Bacchus “Banana Split.” Head Chef Adam Siegel won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest 2008.

[4] Dream Dance Steak (1721 West Canal Street, 414-847-7883, www.paysbig.com) at the Potawatomi Casino resort, offers signature fine dining specials including root beer-cured venison and lobsterwurst—with five sauces to choose from. Chef Jason Gorman also offers a delectable cheese menu of up to 15 Wisconsin cheeses. For special business meetings the restaurant provides private dining with audio/visual capabilities for up to 50 guests or in-kitchen dining with the chef and a choice of five, seven, or 10 courses.

Check out:
[5] Harley-Davidson Museum (400 Canal Street, 877-436-8738, www.harley-davidson.com). A tribute to the iconic bikes and the culture that developed around them, this 130,000- square-foot museum campus displays artifacts from the company archives that have never before been shown to the public.

This article originally appeared in the October 2009 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.

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As millions of soccer enthusiasts flock to the 8th Annual 2010 FIFA World Cup, tourism officials anticipate the expansion of South Africa’s R50 billion travel industry.  “The championship will be a showcase of the destination and South Africa will open up to millions more visitors wanting to experience the magic that the industry and destination will deliver in 2010,” says Sugen Pillay, global manager of events at South African Tourism. “It provides an opportunity to demonstrate our capacity as a nation to successfully host the biggest event in the world.”

A diverse nation offering a variety of experiences from vibrant nightlife to untamed wildlife, South Africa is experienced in hosting a variety of international sporting events, including the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and the 2003 Cricket World Cup.  This time, however, the nine host cities have upped the ante, offering spectacular themes in ten stadiums throughout the country from the steel arch hovering 105m above Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, with a cable car ride offering spectators a view of the Indian Ocean, to the 18 giraffe-like roof supports sprouting out of the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

Pillay believes the recent infrastructural upgrades taking place will launch South Africa as a sport tourism destination, “Stadiums are currently being upgraded and the new stadiums being built will compare with the best in the world.”  He also believes that the nature of South Africans as friendly and hospitable will contribute to South Africa becoming a serious contender in future bids to host major international sports events.

With an estimated seating capacity of just under 4 million, and lodging options ranging from luxurious city hotels to national parks accommodations and guest houses, South African Tourism hopes that visitors will not only enjoy the tournament, but the country as well.

The economic benefits are expected to be felt across the board as visitors indulge in the nation’s culture and discover some of its best kept secrets.  “From the farmer who supplies the vegetables to the owner of the B&B in the township, and from the artisan selling knickknacks or curios to the zoo keeper of museum guide,” suggests Edward Bergman, executive director of the Africa Travel Association. He anticipates the World Cup will impact South Africans on all levels.

Adam Carnegie, a World Cup entrepreneur and founder of the Kelp Environmental Learning Project, agrees. “South Africa is hugely fortunate to have this gift, the greatest show on earth, just at a time when the world is in recession,” he says, stressing that, “opportunity is everywhere.” Carnegie is an avid environmentalist who produces the country’s iconic vuvuzela horn from the environmentally friendly plant, as opposed to traditional plastic. The project has been accepting large-scale orders for the decorative, hand painted instruments and Carnegie is confident similar opportunities are available to his fellow countrymen.

Beyond South Africa’s borders, however, Bergman believes the influx of tourists arriving for the four-week long tournament will have a significant impact on African tourism as a whole.  While he believes “South Africa will be portrayed as the world’s entry point to Africa,” he is also confident that “travelers will seek out unique travel opportunities in the region above and beyond South Africa.”

Getting tickets

Tickets are being sold in phases and can be purchased through FIFA either online or through a paper Ticket Application form.

Online applicants are encouraged to join the FIFA Club before submitting their ticket requests either through the random selection draw, or the first come first served draw.

Paper ticket applications can be downloaded at FIFA.com and must be submitted to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Ticketing Centre via post or fax (Aurorastrasse 100, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, +41 43222 6800).

Tickets will be on sale:

Through November 16, 2009

December 5 – January 22, 2010

February 9 – April 7

April 16 to July 11.

They will be available for collection from April 2010.

Getting to South Africa

The Journey

Getting to South Africa from the United States is an easy undertaking with South African Airways and Delta providing daily service to OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg.  Prepare for a flight of 17-19 hours that will land in a time zone six hours ahead of eastern standard time (EST).

Documentation

Entry into South Africa requires a valid passport with at least two unused VISA pages.  United States nationals do not need a formal visa to enter the country for a visit of 90 days or less.

Health

Travelers from the U.S. require no vaccinations to enter South Africa unless they enter the country within six days of leaving a country infected with yellow fever.  Most parts of South Africa are malaria free including but a small risk exists if traveling to the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpop, or the Maputaland coast of KawZulu-Natal.

Soccer Star Freddy Adu encourages U.S. fans to support his team in South Africa for the coveted World Cup:

Adu

How significant would it be for you to have fans in the stadium supporting the team?

That would be absolutely incredible. As in every sport it’s important to have fans there. During the games you need them in the stands wearing the colors and cheering you on; when you’re tired the fans pump you up. It would be absolutely amazing to look up from the field and see United States fans in the stands.

What would you say to Americans who aren’t football fans?

Just watch the games, especially the U.S. games, and see what it’s about. The matches are very passionate and the fans are great; they’re singing and cheering and the atmosphere is incredible. The product from the U.S. team is also incredible, we have a lot of young players, who’re playing in Europe and they’re playing with a lot of confidence.  We’re competing with some of the world’s best teams, the World Cup is by far the biggest event there is in sports, so fans should support us.

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The difference between the cardiovascular treatment received by whites and minorities is increasing. To combat the problem, some of the country’s leading physicians have joined forces to develop an initiative called Close the Gap, which raises awareness of the issue and ensures that eligible candidates receive the medical attention they deserve, regardless of background.

“These disparities exist even when we adjust for insurance, age, or income. Minorities continue to fall short in terms of less access,” says Leggett who serves as a member of the Close the Gap steering committee.

A collaborative effort between the medical company Boston Scientific and its partners, including the Association of Black Cardiologists and Black Coaches and Administrators, Close the Gap was launched in February with the goal of defining the disparity problem on a national level while simultaneously developing the necessary tools to provide local solutions.  “If you eliminated the disparities and brought the standard of healthcare in African American populations up to the standard of the Caucasian population, you would essentially save 900,000 lives,” says Dr. Charles Noble, an Ohio-based electrophysiologist who also serves on the steering committee.

With pilot projects in 10major cities, including, New York City; Atlanta; and St. Paul, Minnesota, the focus is on community education. Through seminars and brochures, Close the Gap reaches out to both patients and physicians, addressing the issues of healthcare awareness and cultural sensitivity.

Citing patient culture as one of the hurdles to be conquered, Leggett says it is necessary for minorities to not only familiarize themselves with diseases that plague their communities, but also to be open to and educated about the various treatment options available. “Sometimes the appropriate treatment could be recommended by the physician but refused by the patient,” says Leggett.

On the other hand, doctors cannot avoid the role physician bias plays in widening the gap that divides minority cardiovascular care from that of the white population. “We as doctors have to own up to being participants in this disparity,” says Leggett, who accepts that the bias may not be intentional on the part of most physicians, but a side effect of socialization that should not be ignored.

The doctors anticipate that soon there will be visible evidence of progress. Both Leggett and Noble are looking forward to a decline in the number of cardiovascular-related deaths among minorities and an increase in the number of patients receiving adequate treatment. In the end, they hope to completely eliminate all disparities in cardiovascular healthcare and reduce the number of minorities being affected by such diseases to the same level as white Americans.

“If we can achieve that goal, Close the Gap will not only be successful,” Leggett says, “but the country will be healthier, and people will get the treatment they deserve.” For more information on the initiative, visit www.heart-healthdisparities.
com.

THE FACTS ON BLACK AMERICANS AND HEART DISEASE

Based on data from the Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that there are approximately 700,000 black Americans with heart failure in the United States, and this number is expected to grow to 900,000 by 2010.

Black Americans between the ages of 45 and 64 are 2.5 times more likely to die from heart failure than white Americans in the same age range.

Black Americans have almost twice the risk of first-ever stroke compared with whites.

Black Americans are 2 times more likely than white Americans to be diagnosed with diabetes and 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension—important risk factors for heart disease.

The prevalence for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) increases dramatically with age and disproportionately affects black Americans.

Black Americans are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke than white Americans.

The prevalence of hypertension in black Americans in the United States is among the highest in the world.

The annual rate of first heart attacks is higher for black Americans than for white Americans.

SOURCE: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC

GENERAL HEART DISEASE STATISTICS

More women than men die of heart disease, although more men have heart attacks.

As you age, your risk for heart disease increases.

At age 40, the lifetime risk for developing heart disease is 2 in 3 for men and more than 1 in 2 for women.

Heart disease causes more deaths in Americans of both genders and all racial and ethnic groups than any other disease.

Black Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Latino Americans die at earlier ages from heart disease.

This story originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.

Magazines Are In The Black
African Americans read more magazines than other ethnicities, according to the African-American/Black Market Profile released in February by the Magazine Publishers of America. It stated that 86% of African Americans read magazines and that blacks peruse, on average, three titles more per month than the general market. The appetite for ethnic content inspired the launch of 85 new publications targeting African Americans between 2002 and 2006.

PROJECTED POPULATION BY RACE IN 2050
47% WHITE

53%:

• 29% HISPANIC
• 13% BLACK
• 9% ASIAN
• 2% OTHER

Worth Checking Out…
CARIBBEAN TOURISM SUMMIT
The most influential players in the Caribbean tourism industry will be gathered at the International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., June 21-24 for the Caribbean Tourism Development Co.’s first annual Caribbean Tourism Summit. Policy makers, marketing professionals, financial leaders, and tourism industry officials from more than 30 Caribbean countries will attend, along with U.S. government officials, to provide current and potential investors with networking opportunities and vital Caribbean-focused investment strategies. For more information, visit www.actsdc.com.

For instance, Babson College, a leader in entrepreneurship education, recently appointed its first chief diversity officer, thereby joining the ranks of Harvard, Yale, University of Kentucky, and more than 70 other institutions.

Babson President Brian Barefoot says, “It is essential that as an institution of higher learning we continue to develop a culture of diversity. The students we are charged with educating must learn how to work and live with people who are different from themselves.”

Babson has been involved in a range of diversity initiatives over the years, including its membership in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Entrepreneurship Consortium, so hiring a CDO to integrate diversity programs across various departments was a natural next step.

“Such a large percentage of our student population is global, so why not take it to the next level?” asks Babson CDO Elizabeth Thornton, citing that minorities represent 23% of the student body. “We saw there was an emerging trend focused on the importance of schools becoming a diverse culture and being able to train future workforces on how to be more inclusive, so that’s what we set out to do.”

To Damon Williams, incoming vice provost at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, it’s important for schools to focus on the enrollment and retention of a diverse group of students, but what’s more important is the development of academic experiences that prepare students for the real world.

A co-author of the study The Chief Diversity Officer: A Primer for College and University Presidents (a book based on the study will be available next year), Williams points out, “The chief diversity officer could play a critical role in helping institutions develop curricula, whether it be in the classroom or outside the classroom, that are going to prepare all students for the world of work.”

Thornton agrees. “Higher education should focus on the business case for diversity,” she says. Her three-pronged plan for Babson stresses attracting, recruiting, and retaining diverse students, faculty, and staff; creating an inclusive environment on campus; and developing minority and global content for the classroom.

“We are currently working on building a resource of minority and international content to integrate into the classroom as an integral component of our overall diversity strategy.”

But with minorities still occupying less than 1% of the corner offices of Fortune 500 companies, it remains to be seen how effective CDOs will be in academia. Thornton is optimistic, however: “I believe that CDOs in higher education can help corporations improve these numbers over time. They can partner with corporations to help them achieve their diversity goals by providing them with a pipeline of well-trained graduating students that have been empowered to embrace a diversity mind-set, i.e., the ability to value, interact with, and lead a diverse group of  people.”

In addition to having direct access to institutional decision makers — an advantage many corporate CDOs currently do not enjoy — Thornton will work with various organizations and departments to create a more culturally aware campus.

“At Babson, we are compelled to deliberately create an environment that embraces and values differences,” Thornton says. “Being able to effectively engage a global and multicultural society is as much a fundamental requirement for our students’ success as accounting, strategy, and entrepreneurial thinking. Diversity in higher education is no longer just the right thing to do; it is what we must do in order to prepare our future leaders.”

The Website strives to serve as an avenue for consumers to source a wide range of information. “People need a medium to give them Caribbean news,” Levy says.

A user-friendly site, CaribbeanFever.com places the Caribbean and Africa at your fingertips. It offers a full menu of breaking regional news, information on the latest festivals and sporting events, along with updates on business and entertainment. Among the offerings, CaribbeanFever.com includes Island Hopping Fever, which links to a number of Caribbean and African islands, and Festival Fever and Events, a listing of island fêtes. Users can purchase concert tickets, flights, and even book a Caribbean or African tour online. Local weather and time, currency conversions, and live radio feeds can also be accessed at the click of a mouse.

“Caribbean Fever is the gateway to everything Caribbean and more,” says Levy, president of Fever International Inc. and host of the Caribbean Fever radio show on 107.5 WBLS in New York City. “The only thing that covers the Caribbean better is the sun.”

“It’s a growing market,” says Cheick Dukuly, president and CEO of Primetime Media, one of New York’s leading independent media buying agencies. “It’s been untapped and overlooked for years. Whoever comes up with a good product is going to lead the market.”

Brenda Braxton and Anthony Van Putten are two such market leaders. The husband-and-wife team own BBraxton (www.bbraxton.com), a Harlem- based salon that provides first-class grooming in a luxury setting for men of color. Providing services from maintaining dreadlocks to manicures, pedicures, and straight- razor shaves, BBraxton has attracted customers from as far as Washington, D.C.,who indulge in salon extras that include networking and an open bar.

“You only have one chance to make a good first impression,” says Chris Hayes, founder and CEO of Barc (www.get barc.com), a company that develops skincare products. Barc products are formulated with glycolic acid to exfoliate and include ingredients such as chamomile extract to calm and moisturize while reducing irritation, ingrown hairs, and razor bumps—a painful and disfiguring problem, particularly for black men. “I don’t think black men are becoming more self-conscious about their appearance,” Hayes says. “I think there just haven’t been a whole lot of products out there.”

With a diverse clientele including lawyers and professional athletes, Barc product users and BBraxton clients represent a growing sector of professionals who prefer a refined appearance.

“You want to sit and relax when you get your grooming services done,” Braxton says, “but a lot of times we need a networking place, so it is great if you can have a cocktail or coffee and network with another gentleman who is having services done.”

Retailers are noticing the business opportunity as well. Barc products are now being carried in Studio at Fred Segal, a premier boutique in Santa Monica, California. And shirt designer Ike Behar has a custom-shirt area within BBraxton. The companies themselves are also expanding. BBraxton is now in negotiation to open a salon in Houston this fall.

“We’re just the tip of the iceberg,” says Braxton, who intends to host a workshop on how to duplicate what she and her husband have done. “Between Houston, Atlanta, New York, and elsewhere, there’s enough room for everyone.”

Traveling from Johannesburg to Cape Town, South Africa, the CEOs were introduced to business leaders, trade organizations, and government officials. Such networking is vital to fostering working relationships between U.S. companies and key players in South African industry. More than 600 U.S. companies are already represented in the African nation.

“There’s a very active engagement of the South African government to transform their economy,” says NMSDC President Harriet R. Michel. “We believe that by creating strong and larger black South African businesses we can be part of that solution.”

Frederick E. Burks, chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based The Burks Cos. Inc., a $16.4 million integrated services company that provides commercial cleaning services, including biohazard waste management, pharmaceutical and corporate janitorial services, says the visit was promising; the entrepreneur used the mission to secure offshore opportunities. Major U.S. corporations, such as Johnson & Johnson, Delta Airlines, and Time Warner, contract services from Burks’ firm. He is in talks with a small Cape Town contractual cleaning services firm, Sinako Cleaning and Allied Services, about forming a business alliance. “We share very similar approaches and ideologies, and very similar views on the industry,” he says of the firm’s two black female owners.

Two previous NMSDC-sponsored missions to South Africa have focused on the automotive and information technology industries. One mission spawned a strategic partnership between D.W. Morgan, a Pleasanton, California-based logistics company, and Sebenza Forwarding and Shipping Consultancy Ltd., South Africa’s largest black-owned freight hauler.

The mission effort continues to build momentum, Michel says. Participating minority-owned businesses in both countries, she says, are grateful for the exposure to mutually beneficial joint ventures. Michel and entrepreneurs such as Burks consider global expansion a priority for minority-owned businesses. “Almost every minority business has to think about size, scope, and capacity when determining its readiness to handle global contracts.” she says. “Corporations are looking for suppliers, minority and otherwise, that can meet their needs on a global scale.”

Adds Burks: “It’s a global economy. If you want to be a significant and meaningful player, you’d better play in the market that exists.”

“It’s essential to have all stories told and seen,” says Shannon-Butts of his saga of two black college students, “especially when it’s fresh, it’s new, and it’s modern.”

For Sheril Antonio, associate dean of film, television, and new media at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, the efforts of artists such as Shannon-Butts are essential for the evolution of not only African American cinema, but American cinema as a whole. Noting that Marlon Riggs’ 1989 documentary about African American gays, Tongues Untied, helped pave the way, Antonio credits Shannon-Butts with opening a dialogue on a sensitive subject. “Films like this bring real issues to the table, issues facing us today in America, issues that do not get enough attention,” she says.

Pete Chatmon, president and CEO of Double 7 Film (www.double7film.com), agrees. With a mission to present the diverse reality of the American experience, Chatmon supports those whose unique perspectives contribute to the redefinition of the term “mainstream” in the film industry. “There are people out there with a lot of good scripts that would perform well,” he says. “They’re just not given the opportunity because they don’t have that stat sheet behind them saying it will make money.”

Although Shannon-Butts had had some exposure to Hollywood through previous jobs, he did not want to use those channels to produce the film. Instead, he shouldered the financial burden himself to maintain his artistic independence. He says the cost to produce the film was in the low six-figures, and that he has no regrets.

“It was never my plan to make something more commercial, more salable,” he says. “I wanted a real story, so I said, ‘I am going to create something new and fresh, and they’ll have to buy into it.’” And the movie’s positive international reception indicates that many have.

As a filmmaker, Shannon-Butts’ goals extend beyond portraying the alternative lifestyle on screen. “I’ll tell any story so long as it’s good,” he says. But he sees great potential for the genre’s growth and development. Considering that 53% of lesbians and 63% of gay men go to the movies at least once a month, according to the Gay and Lesbian Consumer Indexes 2007, finding a moviegoing market shouldn’t be difficult. But Shannon-Butts says his movies are for everyone.

“It’s a great film,” he says of Blueprint. “It’s for urban people because they get it-whether black, white, gay, or straight.”

Shannon-Butts is currently collaborating on a screenplay with James Earl Hardy, author of The Day Eazy E Died (Alyson Books; $13.95) and the B-Boy Blues series. He’s also working on The Pain Session, a film that chronicles the relationship between an Arab-Muslim man and an African American man in the days following 9-11.

“The American film industry was built on folks who took just these kinds of risks,” Antonio says. “Without trailblazers like this, our film culture would be stagnant.”