As the saying goes: “it’s not what people call you, it’s what you answer to” that matters. For Dorinda Walker, she now answers to the name given her by living a life full of purpose. That wasn’t always the case, however. In fact, the true-life story of Dorinda Walker can only be defined as her new book says: “Protected By Purpose”.
In life, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and Mrs. Walker is well on her way to a strong finish, following a tumultuous beginning. Born to drug addicted parents, the life of addiction and destruction quickly became a part of her life story as well. Suffering in a home with wayward parents, she was destructive, distressed and suicidal, but more importantly she was protected by purpose. Following an attempt to take her own life, she was visited by the spirit of her grandmother who confirmed the purpose on her life!
Many succumb to the rigors of a lifestyle of drug addiction and pain, but Walker is standing victorious and sharing her story with others in hopes to compel them beyond their current trials and struggles to embrace a path of purpose in their own lives.
Once destined for destruction, Walker attributes divine intervention with the placement of people and opportunities that ultimately altered the trajectory of her life’s destiny. “30 years ago around this time I woke up in a psych ward after trying to commit suicide. And to see where God has taken me and to know that at one point I didn’t think I was worthy and God said you are…only God, it’s only God who could help me and put me in that position.”
In the book, her first, Walker gives a dramatic firsthand account of being born into a dysfunctional family, suffering the consequences of her parents’ drug addiction, her father’s battle with AIDS, surviving domestic violence, mental illness and overcoming crippling low self-esteem. Walker experienced challenges that could stop many in their tracks, but instead it served as a catalyst to success for her.
Though she now enjoys a vivid career as a finance company executive, in demand speaker and newly published author, Mrs. Walker’s most profound position is best defined as living on purpose. Rising from her dark past, she now shines her light illuminating the path to help others discover their purpose and work to achieve it.
“I wrote the book because I wanted to own the narrative of my story. I wanted to show people that you don’t only have to survive, but you can overcome and find success and find that peace and joy and prosperity if you learn through that process of forgiveness and finding your faith and putting that faith with fortitude-putting in the work to make it happen…”
Walker currently serves as an executive in a Fortune 50 company and lives at the opposite end of the spectrum of hope. Once suicidal, she now lives each day full of purpose, power and passion. She is a believer in hard work and believes that people of purpose must be committed to the hard work needed to make it a reality. Faith and fortitude are two of the deciding factors in Mrs. Walker’s life’s turnaround. A message she’s now sharing with readers in “Protected By Purpose”.
“If you’re struggling with hope and despair, understand that you are the only one who can do the work to achieve the vision that God has put in your head. So if you’re struggling with despair know that there’s hope, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I went from trying to commit suicide to becoming a top executive and living my dream of purpose and if God did it for me, He can do it for you. Don’t give up on yourself, understand how to love yourself. Take yourself out of negative environments and away from negative people. You have to put in the work, you have to have the courage and fortitude to see it through. I promise you, when you walk through that door of the unknown and put your faith over your fear, the result will be bigger and better than you could have ever imagined.”
“Protected By Purpose” is Dorinda Walker’s first book and is available by Timothy & Titus at booksellers everywhere.
Buyers overall could afford 74 percent of available homes last year
– The gap between black and white homeownership rates has not significantly changed for more than 100 years.
– Asian homebuyers had the most buying power, and could afford a home worth $155,000 more than the typical U.S. buyer.
– Portland, Ore., and Minneapolis had the biggest gaps between the share of homes a median black homebuyer and median homebuyer overall could afford.
When it comes to buying a home, black homebuyers are at a distinct disadvantage compared with other racial groups.
A homebuyer making the median black household income ($39,466) could afford 55.3 percent of the homes listed for sale in 2017 without paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing, according to a new Zillow® analysis. However, a buyer earning the median U.S. income ($58,978) could afford to buy 74.2 percent of available homes last year. In all but three of the 35 largest U.S. housing markets, black buyers had less purchasing power relative to white, Asian and Hispanic buyers. In six markets, they could afford less than a quarter of homes for sale.
Portland, Ore., and Minneapolis had the biggest gaps between the percent of homes a black homebuyer could afford compared with the median buyer in those areas. In Portland, black buyers could afford 15.5 percent of homes listed last year, compared with 68.1 percent for all homebuyers. Black homebuyers in Minneapolis could afford to buy 43.0 percent of available homes, while 88.6 percent of homes were affordable to the median buyer.
Homeownership helps significantly in building wealth, and more than half the overall wealth of American households is held in their primary residence. Black and Hispanic homeowners rely on their homes for wealth more than white homeowners doi. However, despite years of policy efforts, the disparity in homeownership rates between black and white Americans has remained roughly the same since 1900.
“The divide between black and white Americans has proven stubbornly persistent across the long arc of American history, visible in incomes, accumulated wealth and homeownership,” said Zillow Senior Economist Aaron Terrazas. “Greater wealth eases the path to homeownership, and the relationship becomes self-reinforcing: Homeowners have greater access to financial wealth that, in turn, makes it easier to become and remain homeowners. Distinct racial and ethnic gaps in homeownership exist nationwide, which could have long-lasting implications for future generations.”
Like buyers earning the median black income, Hispanic buyers could afford a smaller percent of homes for sale than the typical buyer overall. The gap between what a Hispanic buyer could afford and what a median buyer could afford was narrower than the gulf between black homebuyers and median homebuyers. A buyer earning the median Hispanic income could buy 64.9 percent of homes listed in 2017, and could afford the largest share of homes in Pittsburgh (88.5 percent).
Asian buyers had the most buying power last year. Someone with the median Asian household income could afford to buy 85.2 percent of U.S. homes that were for sale in 2017. White homebuyers could afford 77.6 percent of homes.
Metropolitan Area
Share Of Affordable Listings in 2017 – All Homebuyers
Share Of Affordable Listings in 2017 – Black Homebuyers
Share Of Affordable Listings in 2017 – White Homebuyers
Share Of Affordable Listings in 2017 – Hispanic Homebuyers
Share Of Affordable Listings in 2017- Asian Homebuyers
United States
74.2%
55.3%
77.6%
64.9%
85.2%
New York / Northern New Jersey
51.8%
32.9%
62.7%
30.6%
58.7%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
25.2%
11.2%
41.2%
15.3%
34.3%
Chicago, IL
80.9%
53.1%
86.8%
71.6%
89.0%
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
78.5%
57.7%
87.4%
61.0%
90.4%
Philadelphia, PA
82.8%
59.5%
88.4%
60.6%
87.2%
Houston, TX
80.2%
65.4%
89.7%
64.3%
90.8%
Washington, DC
77.5%
59.7%
85.6%
60.8%
80.8%
Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL
47.2%
35.9%
59.7%
42.1%
62.0%
Atlanta, GA
80.9%
67.9%
88.1%
70.5%
89.5%
Boston, MA
66.8%
30.6%
72.2%
27.9%
72.0%
San Francisco, CA
42.6%
5.3%
53.3%
21.5%
48.1%
Detroit, MI
83.2%
59.8%
87.7%
78.4%
94.3%
Riverside, CA
64.5%
48.6%
72.8%
56.3%
82.5%
Phoenix, AZ
76.9%
58.1%
81.2%
63.8%
85.6%
Seattle, WA
66.0%
32.0%
68.9%
47.5%
73.9%
Minneapolis-St Paul, MN
88.6%
43.0%
90.8%
72.0%
88.6%
San Diego, CA
37.5%
18.6%
48.7%
18.6%
49.8%
St. Louis, MO
90.7%
73.1%
92.5%
86.5%
93.0%
Tampa, FL
80.7%
68.9%
83.2%
70.2%
90.4%
Baltimore, MD
85.4%
68.2%
89.6%
81.7%
91.5%
Denver, CO
69.5%
36.9%
77.0%
41.3%
69.5%
Pittsburgh, PA
88.8%
68.0%
90.0%
88.5%
94.9%
Portland, OR
68.1%
15.5%
71.4%
43.8%
77.9%
Charlotte, NC
79.1%
59.8%
84.6%
61.9%
91.9%
Sacramento, CA
59.2%
21.4%
68.7%
38.6%
65.8%
San Antonio, TX
80.8%
71.2%
90.5%
71.3%
90.2%
Orlando, FL
76.8%
52.6%
84.8%
64.2%
90.8%
Cincinnati, OH
89.2%
63.4%
90.6%
83.8%
95.7%
Cleveland, OH
89.5%
66.9%
93.1%
82.6%
97.7%
Kansas City, MO
89.3%
66.1%
91.8%
77.7%
92.0%
Las Vegas, NV
76.3%
48.5%
82.6%
65.2%
85.1%
Columbus, OH
89.2%
66.5%
91.0%
75.3%
92.7%
Indianapolis, IN
87.8%
64.0%
90.8%
69.5%
91.0%
San Jose, CA
33.6%
9.9%
41.7%
11.9%
46.1%
Austin, TX
75.5%
53.0%
81.3%
61.5%
84.6%
About Zillow: Zillow is the leading real estate and rental marketplace dedicated to empowering consumers with data, inspiration and knowledge around the place they call home, and connecting them with the best local professionals who can help. In addition, Zillow operates an industry-leading economics and analytics bureau led by Zillow’s Chief Economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. Dr. Gudell and her team of economists and data analysts produce extensive housing data and research covering more than 450 markets at Zillow Real Estate Research. Zillow also sponsors the quarterly Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey, which asks more than 100 leading economists, real estate experts and investment and market strategists to predict the path of the Zillow Home Value Index over the next five years. Launched in 2006, Zillow is owned and operated by Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z and ZG), and headquartered in Seattle.
Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company committed to improving Quality of Life, announced today that it has been named to Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s (WBENC) 18th annual list of America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs) for the first time. This is the only national award honoring corporations for world-class supplier diversity programs that reduce barriers and drive growth for women-owned businesses.
“We are committed to diversity and inclusion at all levels of our business,” said Rohini Anand, PhD, SVP, Corporate Responsibility & Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo. “We want to support growing diverse businesses and establish long-lasting relationships with like-minded, mutually-beneficial companies.”
Currently, Sodexo partners with nearly 2,400 vendors that are led by minorities, women, service-disabled veterans, LGBTQ or people with disabilities across the U.S. As part of Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow Plan the organization has a global commitment to support both diverse and local businesses; the goal is for 25 percent of Sodexo’s global spend to be with small businesses in local communities, with a focus on women and other under-represented groups as defined by country, by 2025. Companies interested in partnering with Sodexo must be 51 percent diverse-owned, controlled and managed and certified by National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), Women’s Business Enterprises National Council (WBENC), National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN), city or county certification, or state certification or Small Business Administration (SBA).
“As we launch the next decade of WBENC, we are so proud to honor WBENC’s Top Corporations for WBEs, including Sodexo, for choosing to set the standard for access and increase opportunities to women suppliers in new markets – both domestically and internationally,” said Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO of WBENC, the nation’s leader in women’s business development. “WBENC-Certified WBEs in turn are able to fuel innovation, and empower communities through economic growth and job creation.”
Sodexo’s recognition as one of America’s 2017 Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises is just one of the organization’s recent wins in the diversity and inclusion space. Sodexo was named to Bloomberg’s 2018 Gender-Equality Index (GEI) and inducted into DiversityInc’s Top 50 Hall of Fame for its advancement in gender equality. Additionally, the company was ranked in the top 10 of DiversityInc magazine’s ‘Top 50 Companies for Diversity’ list for the 9th consecutive year, Best Companies for Multicultural Women list by Working Mother Magazine and recognized on three of FORTUNE Magazine lists in 2017, including World’s Most Admired Companies, Change the World and the FORTUNE 500.
The selection of America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs) is conducted annually by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). The list of Top Corporations is designed to recognize organizations who are choosing to integrate policies and programs across the corporation to enable growth and reduce barriers for women-owned businesses; increasing opportunity in new markets – both domestically, and international; fueling innovation; and empowering communities through economic growth and job creation. Each Top Corporation honoree has demonstrated continuous, effective practices leading to significant results; further reinforcing a strong business case for their organization, the development of WBEs, and breaking down barriers to WBE inclusion within their organization.
About WBENC WBENC is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled, and operated by women in the United States. WBENC partners with 14 Regional Partner Organizations (RPOs) to provide its world-class standard of certification to women-owned businesses throughout the country. WBENC is also the nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. Throughout the year, WBENC provides business development opportunities for member corporations, government agencies and more than 14,000 certified women-owned businesses at events and other forums. Learn more at www.wbenc.org. For more information about the annual America’s Top Corporations for Women Business Enterprises, visit http://www.wbenc.org/americas-top-corporations-for-wbes.
About Sodexo North America Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 80 countries. Sodexo is a leading provider of integrated food, facilities management and other services that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life of 15 million customers in corporate, education, healthcare, senior living, sports and leisure, government and other environments daily. The company employs 133,000 people at 13,000 sites in all 50 U.S. states and Canada and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional jobs through its annual purchases of $9.2 billion in goods and services from small to large American businesses. In support of local communities across the U.S., the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed close to $30 millionover the past 20 years to help feed children in America impacted by hunger. To learn more about Sodexo, visit SodexoInsights.com and connect with us on Facebook and @SodexoUSA on Twitter.
Nick Sywyj of Kent, Ohio, Receives $10,000 to Pay Off Sallie Mae Student Loan As Part of #MissionFinish Contest
Sallie Mae, the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company – in partnership with educator-turned hip-hop artist Dee-1 – today paid off $10,000 in student loans for Nick Sywyj, 23, of Kent, Ohio, the winner of the 2017 #MissionFinish contest.
The #MissionFinish contest asked Sallie Mae customers to creatively share how paying off student loans would change their lives for the better. Entries were judged based on concept and originality, style, creativity, and grammar. Sywyj was selected from a pool of more than 3,500 online submissions for his creative rhyme titled, “Work to Live vs. Love Your Work,” about how personal adversity helped inform his decision to pursue a career that gives him purpose.
“I am overjoyed and extremely thankful to Sallie Mae to be selected as the 2017 #MissionFinish winner,” said Sywyj. “For me, this is bigger than paying off my student loans; it will give me the freedom to pursue my passion to improve peoples’ lives and help them become their most confident selves.”
A native of Pittsburgh, Sywyj earned a bachelor of science in chemical and biomolecular engineering from the University of Notre Dame and currently works as a chemical process engineer. This summer, however, Nick plans to follow his dream to become an orthodontist.
“The joy and sense of accomplishment you feel when paying off your student loan is an experience everyone should have,” said Dee-1. “Through my partnership with Sallie Mae and the #MissionFinish contest, we are able to pay it forward and help individuals like Nick experience that same joy I did when I paid off my loans.”
The #MissionFinish contest continues Sallie Mae’s collaboration with Dee-1, the hip-hop artist behind the viral hit song, “Sallie Mae Back.” Dee-1 and Sallie Mae also recently completed the second “Dee-1’s Knowledge for College” tour, which visited high schools across the country to discuss financial literacy and planning for college. Dee-1 and Sallie Mae also released the “Pay Off Your Student Loans Playlist,” a set of tips, tools, and resources to help students understand and manage student loan payments.
“Our partnership with Dee-1 raises awareness and educates students and families about planning for college and the benefits and importance of responsible student loan management,” said Martha Holler, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “In addition to awarding more than $190,000 in scholarships and loan repayment assistance, we are supporting dreams, instilling hope, and inspiring students and current customers from across the country to follow their passions.”
For more information about saving, planning, and paying for college, visit SallieMae.com.
Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance, including private education loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
5-YEAR OLD FREDERICKSBURG NATIVE TO RELEASE EXCITING, NEW BOOK ON INVESTING, SAVING MONEY AND PURCHASING HER FIRST INVESTMENT PROPERTY
Author Kennedy O’Neal of Faith Baptist School will celebrate the release of her new book, “The Adventures of Super Kennedy: Saving and Investing” at Central Park Funland on March 17th
Kennedy O’Neal may only be 5-years old, but this kindergartener already understands the importance of saving money at a young age. Her fascination with money actually started while she was still in diapers. As a toddler, she began stashing money away in her piggy bank and would always on the prowl for loose change in the couch or car to add to her collection.
“These days, I’ve revved up my chores around the house in hopes of earning even more money,” stated Kennedy.
According to a 2017 GOBankingRates survey, nearly 60 percent of American adults have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts. Almost 40 percent have no savings at all. For Kennedy’s father, Chris O’Neal, a real estate investor, the earlier you start saving, the more prepared you’ll be for a rainy day. This is the very message he’s instilled in his daughter.
“When kids save early, it sets them up for their future. The burden will be much lighter when it is time to pay for ever rising college tuition. The goal with saving is to keep kids out of their parents’ wallet,” stated Chris. “The earlier you start saving, the more prepared you’ll be for emergencies and the future.”
Kennedy is already working hard on her financial security. While she may not be old enough for a full-time job, she earns money from various tasks around the house, birthdays and special occasions. While she saves some of it, she also invests a portion of her earnings in low-cost rental properties.
“Investing in real estate allows her to bring in residual income without working overly hard for it,” stated Chris.
Kennedy along with her father are now on a mission to help other kids learn tips for saving money and investing in their new book titled The Adventures of Super Kennedy: Saving and Investing. The book, which is geared toward 5- to 12- year olds, stars Kennedy who morphs into a financial superhero of sorts. As “Super Kennedy,” she teaches kids creative ways to save and earn money on their own. In the book, once she has enough money saved up, with her parents help, she buys and undesirable house to fix up and collect rent.
“I’m super excited about my book,” stated Kennedy. “I want other kids to know that saving is easy, and it can really be fun. All you need is discipline and a goal, and you can do it, too.”
To celebrate the book’s release, Kennedy and her father will take part in a launch party at Central Park Funland at 1351 Central Park Blvd. in Fredericksburg from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on March 17th. The event is FREE for kids and adults and will feature fun games along with music by DJ Master Hurrikane. Both Kennedy and her father, Chris, will both be on hand to sign copies of their new book.
“We are very excited about the event. All of Kennedy’s ideas are coming to life,” stated Chris. “I know this book can help out families, especially, when the economy is tight right now. Team work makes the dream work.”
The Adventures of Super Kennedy: Saving and Investing is available for purchase on Amazon. To learn more about Kennedy and her new book, visit www.superkennedy.com.
About Kennedy O’Neal:
Kennedy O’Neal is on a mission to help other kids learn the value of saving money. She knows that it’s the key to building a more stable, secure future. She loves kids her age but gets concerned when she meets other children who do not know that they should be saving their money. When she’s not busy adding money to her piggy bank, she enjoys taking part in gymnastics. Her goals are to eventually be on Steve Harvey’s Little Big Shots or as a guest on The Ellen Show.
CAPITAL ONE BANK HIT WITH EXPLOSIVE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT FILED BY THE HOUSTON NAACP AND LULAC CLAIMING THE BANK DISCRIMINATES AGAINST BLACK AND LATINO CUSTOMERS IN FAVOR OF WHITE CUSTOMERS
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Houston Branch (“NAACP”), League of United Latin American Citizens, District VIII (“LULAC”) and a former bank employee have filed a major federal racial discrimination lawsuit against Capital One Bank, a publicly-traded national bank. The suit alleges Capital One has engaged in a conscious and deliberate plan to close banks in Black and Latino communities while keeping banks in white communities.
The suit alleges Black and Latino customers are encouraged to use ATM cards to transact their business with the bank, which reduces the possibility of minority customers applying for mortgages, credit and traditional banking services. Black and Latino customers are welcome as “bank debit card customers only,” the suit alleges.
Major Black personalities, such as Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee and Charles Barkley are unwittingly being used by Capital One to advance its program to relegate minority bankers to only debit-card carrying customers when their commercials ask “What’s In Your Wallet?” On the other hand, the suit alleges Capital One is keeping its full-service banks open in White communities while closing essentially all of its banks in Black and Brown communities.
The suit alleges: “[Capital One has set about a plan to extend banking services to minorities through a bank debit card only, while providing full-service banking services to predominately White communities. To pacify Black and Brown customers, Capital One chose popular and respected black actors to unwittingly push Capital One’s debit cards in commercials asking “What’s in your Wallet?” In fact, these commercials are part of a devious ploy to hide what is really going on – Capital One is in fact telling Black and Brown communities “Only use our debit bank cards to bank with us since we are closing our banks in your communities!” At the same time that these actors are on display, Capital One is keeping its banks in white communities open and monitoring whether black and brown activists and communities have gotten wise to their discriminatory plan.”
An interesting feature of the suit is the presence of a former Capital One employee as a named plaintiff. This employee was involved in the monitoring of black and brown activists on behalf of the bank. The suit alleges the employee repeatedly complained to the bank that Capital One was breaking the law by discriminating against minority communities. This plaintiff is said to have lost her job because she complained about the bank’s discriminatory practices.
The case is filed in federal court in the Southern District of Texas. A copy of the suit can be found online at http://bit.ly/2Creu7S.
For more information, contact:
NAACP, Houston Branch
James Matthew Douglas
3100 Cleburne Ave.
Houston, Texas 77004
Telephone: (713) 313-7352
LULAC, District VIII
Enrique M. Dovalina
DOVALINA & EURESTE, L.L.P.
1707 S. Houston Rd.
Pasadena, Texas 77502
Telephone: (713) 624-1000
Benjamin L. Hall, III, Ph.D., J.D.
THE HALL LAW FIRM, PLLC
530 Lovett Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77006
Telephone: (713) 942-9600
Attorney for Plaintiffs
SOURCE: 3B Resources Group Public Relations via BlackNews.com
As the saying goes: “it’s not what people call you, it’s what you answer to” that matters. For Dorinda Walker, she now answers to the name given her by living a life full of purpose. That wasn’t always the case, however. In fact, the true-life story of Dorinda Walker can only be defined as her new book says: “Protected By Purpose”.
