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Black history has been recognized nationally in February since 1926 when "Negro History Week" was established by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. The child of former slaves, Woodson progressed to earning a Ph.D. from Harvard University and recognized the lack of historical documentation of Blacks.

February was noted for the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas who were prominent in influencing the course of history. Numerous additional dates during February relate to noteworthy events and accomplishments in the timeline of African American history.

Black History Month is especially important here because of the significance of Black history in the shaping of our cultural landscape. Freed slaves established the village of Mitchelville in what is now Hilton Head. It had its own government and the first mandatory education system, and this was even before the president had signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Check our calendar of events and celebrate this and every month in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce announces the Artist Showcase 2012 scheduled for May 25-26 in historic downtown Beaufort, SC. Artists must submit their application by April 1 to secure exhibit space which is limited to 20.

The 10^th annual event is open to local and visiting exhibitors presenting original and print work in a range of media to include paintings, folk art, basket weaving and mixed media. The show is free to the public, and all work will be for sale.The objective of the show is to promote the arts as a viable and important economic contribution to life in the Lowcountry and to support emerging and professional artists in pursuing their artistic goals and developing their talents.

The Artist Showcase will be open at Sea Island Best Western, 1015 Bay Street, Beaufort, on May 25 from 12 Noon until 8 pm. A free reception from 5 pm until 7 pm will feature popular recording artist Mahoganee with her new Beethoven-inspired solo program. The show will be open May 26 from 10 am until 6 pm. Artists and their representatives will be available to meet the public during the entire show. The chamber of commerce is pleased to welcome student artists from Broad River Elementary School grades 1-5 as a showcase feature.

Artists may obtain an application from the chamber office or via emailed request to BeaufortBlack@gmail.com. Details and ongoing updates also are available on Twitter @BeaufortBlack and the Facebook page Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce.

The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce (BCBCC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation that was organized in 1999. The purpose of the BCBCC is to perform entrepreneurial, developmental, educational, housing and other communitiy services. The BCBCC is working to expand and promote the economic empowerment of our disenfranchised communitiy by expanding business opportunities, increasing education via our financial literacy program, community development, housing counseling, small business training and encouraging advancement through entrepreneurship for underserved small businesses including women-owned businesses.

It is against this background that we proposed our project to purchase an abandoned property located at 711 Bladen Street in Beaufort. The property has been empty and an eyesore since 2004. Our plans are to demolish the existing structure and build our new office, training facility and communty center. This property gives ius the opportunty to expand our current training facility for our small busiuness training, financial literacy training, housing counseling and community development programs. We will also showcase our collections of African American art works which are owned by local artists and are samples of their work which will be available for viewing by the community.

The total square footage of the building will be about 11,000 to include offices, meeting rooms, training rooms, small business incubator start-up office space and local artist showcase.

You are always welcome to contact us to discuss your ideas.

Sincere thanks to these key sponsors who supported our recent Business Conference & Expo! We appreciate you!

Cuthbert House Inn

Best Western Plus Sea Island Inn

Beaufort County Council

Law Office of Bernard McIntyre, Esq.

Murr Printing

Our thanks to the volunteers who conducted workshops during our Business Conference & Expo! Experts in their field, they are to be commended for their contribution to assisting our small business community.

Edra Stephens, director of the Beaufort County Business License Department, prersented Working with Local Government.

Paul Futterer representing SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, presented Developing a Business Plan.

Roy Gordon presented Business Structure. He is a retired U.S. Army officer who now assists small business with developing business plans.

Gary Littlejohn presented Business Taxes. He is the owner of Jackson Hewitt tax preparation company with several locations in the Beaufort area.

Our recent Business Conference & Expo opening was highlighted by special guest Ron Busby, president/CEO of the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce.

Keynote speaker Rev. Kenneth Hodges, well known SC House of Representatives leader, minister of Tabernacle Baptist Church and owner of LyBenson Gallery in Beaufort, closed the conference with a powerful presentation about the power of thinking small.

The Business Conference & Expo presented by the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce Nov. 4-5 is made possible by the generous support of these businesses and individuals:

Product Sponsors

• Law Office of Bernard McIntyre
• Beaufort County Council
• Best Western Sea Island Inn
• Cuthbert House Inn
• Barefoot Farms
• Jimmy John's
• Roastfish & Cornbread
• Organo Gold Coffee - Isaac Fripp
• Sue Yearwood
• Marie Lewis
• Huberspace Web Design

Working Together We Can Make A Difference!

Working together we can make a difference!

Meet these featured exhibitors showcasing their products and services at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Comerce Business Conference & EXPO November 4-5 at TCL in Beaufort. The EXPO is FREE and open to the public Friday Nov. 4 from 5-9 pm with wine, hors d'oeouvres, door prizes and networking opportunities. The FREE EXPO continues Saturday, Nov. 5 from 8:30 am - 2 pm with registration required to attend the workshops, speaker sessions and luncheon.

• NATIVE MAGAZINE
• BEAUFORT COUNTY COMPLIANCE OFFICE
• ALIGN EDUCATION CONSULTANTS
• 5LINX
• HELP OF BEAUFORT
• PERSONALIZED PORTRAITS
• MARINE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
• ISLAND GIRL ART & JEWELRY
• SCORE
• CAPTURED MOMENTS
• EXPERT LASER
• ORGANO GOLD COFFEE
• GREEN FISH GALLERY
• INDEPENDENT LEARNING NETWORK
• BEAUFORT COUNTY BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
• MURR PRINTING
• SPEAKERS INTERNATIONAL
• THE MITCHELL GROUP MARKETING CONSULTANTS

The Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce Business Conference & Expo is set for November 4-5 at the Sea Island Technical College of the Lowcountry in Beaufort. Worskhops are scheduled, and registration is open.

The event will open on Friday, November 4 with exhibits at 5 p.m. and a networking reception beginning at 6 p.m. Exhibits, educational workshops and a guest speaker will be featured on Saturday, November 5 from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Workshops are designed especially for small businesses. Gary Littlejohn will present Business Taxes. He is the owner of Jackson Hewitt tax preparation company with several locations in the Beaufort area. Bernard McIntyre, a Beaufort attorney for more than 30 years, will present Business Structure explaining the basics and benefits of different types of incorporating or setting up a small business. Edra Stephens, director of the Beaufort County Business License Department, will discuss Working with Local Government.

Waatch for announcement of these additional workshops: Social Media, Basics of Bidding and Contracting, Marketing on a Shoestring, Bonding and Licensing, Developing a Business Plan and Certifications through Education.

Conference registration is $39 for members of the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce and $59 for non-members which includes a choice of two workshops, gift bag and attendance at the expo, the reception, continental breakfast, coffee break and luncheon featuring special guest speaker. Exhibitor opportunities are available with fees at $50 for chamber members and $75 for non-members. Sponsor packages range from $250.

Download agenda, exhibitor application and registration forms here. For additional info connect on Twitter @BeaufortBlack and the Facebook page Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce.

Contact Liz at 843.902.4799 or email beaufortblack@gmail.com to discuss sponsor opportunities and benefits or for exhibitor or registration assistance.

The chamber's Business Conference & Expo 2011 set for November 4-5 is an important event with a variety of opportunities to present your business to the community. Exhibitor space, workshop presentations, sponsor and advertising invitations will be announced soon for the expo at the Sea Island Technical College of the Lowcountry in Beaufort.

Plan on direct selling to consumers from the exhibit floor, networking with other business owners and community leaders, learning from experts with business advice and enjoying a popular keynote speaker. Let us know if you have requests for specific topics to be covered in the workshops or if you would like to present.

Watch for registration rates, sponsor and advertising packages and more details to be posted here soon, or contact us to be on the email list for immediate notice: beaufortblack@gmail.com

Working together we can make a difference!