The Black community is one with a very long history and presence here in America, from the very beginnings of slavery through present day. However, the immense struggles of racism, discrimination, poverty, and lack of access to resources have caused great harm negating our forward progress. An answer is for Black people to have better control and ownership over their current reality and future endeavors. In this way, the community will become strong.

To address this goal, the Black Gold Nation (www.blackgoldnation.com ), in collaboration with Creative Group Economics ( www.creativegroupeconomics.com ), Aquaponics 4 Life ( www.aquaponics4life.com ), and The Dwenninmen Foundation have joined forces to both empower and rebuild Black communities. Our current project is two-fold: to eliminate the presence of food deserts in Urban America, and to address chronic unemployment and homelessness of veterans in our neighborhoods.

The MAIN goal is for Black people to become self-sufficient. That self-sufficiency comes with having the ability to feed ourselves with fresh and health-producing foods. Our approaches included designing and building Aquaponics greenhouses (soil-less growing of plants), and development of commercial algae & hemp (once legalized) production on 600 acres of fertile farm land in Texas. We seek to duplicate the success of a current algae and hemp facility in South Carolina.

We must ALSO be able to train and employ our veterans via the manufacturing and production of hemp, medical marijuana, aquaponics and organic algae. This opportunity is the first step in addressing community unemployment and homelessness.

For this project, the Black Gold Nation is seeking $9,375.00 in financial support for two representatives to travel for five (5) days, to meet with an algae and hemp producer in South Carolina to solidify the project details (introduction/meetings, land and manufacturing tours, inspection and assessment, and legal paperwork production and signing). The funds would cover travel, accommodations, food, attorney and partnership fees.

Click here to get a breakdown of the above financial goal.

Projected travel dates are December 27th to December 30th; however, we’re trying to get them there as soon as possible.

For more information, contact us at  www.blackgoldnation.com .

THE TEAM

Robert Harding, Founder, Aquaponics 4 Life
Professional Background
• Physics & Aquatic Science Teacher
• CEO, RST Bioscience, LLC & Aquaponics4Life
• Served on the Board of Directors for the private school attended by my children. I also served on the Board for a non-profit community garden program called "Seventh Harvest Research Institute".
• Robert was the principle investigator on a research grant to develop a diagnostic test for the space program (NASA).
• Robert has just been selected to be the first teacher in the state of Texas to teach a course in an emerging agricultural technology known as "Aquaponics".

Education & Awards
• MA, BA, University of California
• Award Winning NASA Contract Researcher, Inventor & Educator
• Teacher of Record for the first TEA sanctioned Aquaponics course offered in the state of Texas
• Space Act & Tech Brief Award for the development of a significant or technical contribution entitled “Rapid Detection Of the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV in Saliva Samples MSC-24451-1 that was determined to be of value in the conduct of an aeronautical or space activity of NASA

Dewayne Evans, Founder, The Dwenninaman Foundation; President, RST Bioscience; Co-Founder & President, Global Eco-Resources Corp; Founder & CEO, Algae Systems Belize, Ltd

Dewayne K. Evans is a finance, sales and business development executive; a motivational speaker, humanitarian and Veteran currently living in Houston, Texas. 

Dewayne is President of RST Bioscience which grew out of his concept of “The Movement”, a multi-faceted plan to help Veterans, alleviate food deserts, educate youth, promote agricultural research and development, and promote the benefits of healthy, organic food.

RST Bioscience supports American Veterans with housing, meaningful work, career growth opportunities, counseling and support services while they again serve our country by providing high quality locally produced organic foods.

At the same time, RST Bioscience represents a paradigm shift in the agricultural industry.

Americans now appreciate the value of eating fresh, organic, locally grown food such that demand is out pacing supply. 

RST Bioscience is a major part of The Collective, a group of urban farmers, scientists, teachers, business men and women along with several Veterans groups focused on the long-term health of the communities who have been underserved.

Dewayne is also Co-Founder and President of Global Eco-Resources Corp. (GER), a US based corporation, and Founder and CEO of Algae Systems Belize, Ltd. (ASB) in Belize, Central America. Both GER and ASB are green, renewable energy businesses that market, deliver and support turnkey, scalable, commercially viable algae producing manufactories in their respective countries and regions.

Mr. Evans combines his business acumen and humanitarianism in other organizations. He is a co-founder and Head of Veterans Affairs for Warriors Gardens, LLC, and a Joint-Venture Partner with Black United Fund, a 501.c3 organization organized and secures resources and service opportunities in the African American Community that aid projects such as Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

Dewayne also co-founded Culture Group Houston which is adept at identifying and coordinating community needs and resources and matching those to clients in areas including, but not limited to: job counseling/employment assistance; housing and legal services; training programs; inter-agency communication and coordination; and case management.

He has spoken to organizations across the country, was a panelist at the SBA's Access to Capital Forum in Washington D.C., and has hosted symposia for the Minority Business Development Agencies National Convention (MEDWEEK).

Brother Evans also hosts a motivational radio show, “The Conscience Mindset,” Sunday evenings on KPFT 90.1, Houston Texas.

 A veteran, Mr. Evans proudly served in the Army's 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, & “The Old Guard” and is currently establishing a Houston, Texas branch of the National Association of Black Veterans.

Lloyd Floyd, Founder, Cooperative Group Economics

A devoted Houston native received a B.B.A in management information systems at Prairie View A&M University. Currently working as an IT Manager, he assures customer satisfaction and is passionate about community and economic growth of others. 

Lloyd is a technically skilled, educated professional that brings progressive and practical knowledge in Information Technology.  As a proactive team player with proven leadership skills, Lloyd has the ability to develop and inspire others through his leadership and dedication.

In his spare time, serving the community by feeding the homeless, and have volunteered for programs such as Meals on Wheels. Through his countless efforts and persistent drive, Lloyd believes in promoting positive community and economic growth in the Houston community for all.

“There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time.”

Tamani Mwandani, Managing Partner, Mosiah Global Investments, Contributing Member,  The Black Gold Nation; Author, “Black Gold Devalued”; President & CEO, Clearly Written Solutions

Tamani A.M. Mwandani is the sociopolitical, religious and revolutionary product of the Shrines of the Black Madonna of the Pan-African Orthodox Christian Church. While his introduction to Black history and consciousness began while serving in the US Army at the ripe old age of 18 where he served as an Administrative Specialist in the Operations Department of a Light Infantry Unit (1st Battalion, 27th Infantry), Tamani’s maturity into what most would label “the Black struggle” continued in the Shrine under the direct tutelage of Cardinal Mbiyu Chui and the indirect guidance and direction of the 1st Holy Patriarch, Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman (Rev. Albert Cleage), the “Father of Liberation Theology”.

Following the lead of two of his four older brothers, Tamani entered the US Army seeking a break from the monotony of High School. This decision, unbeknownst to him at the time of course, completely changed his young worldview. Coming from a place where hearing “Nigger” yelled from car windows by passersby wasn’t uncommon, Tamani’s brief four year “career” in the Army provided him insight into an environment where the vast majority of soldiers shared his idealistic perspective of the equality of all Americans. It was in the US Army that Tamani learned the importance and immense value of trust, comraderie, shared responsibility and true brotherhood. After four years of active duty and deployments to Hawaii, Thailand, Guam, Wake, and the Philippines, Tamani left the military as one of the fastest soldiers to reach the rack of E4/Specialist in his unit, an Expert Marksmanship Badge, the Armed Forces Service Medal and countless other rewards and accolades.

After an Honorable Discharge from the Army in Oct of 1992, Tamani made the easy decision to relocate to Houston, TX at the behest and encouragement of one of his Army buddies in November. He joined the Shrines of the Black Madonna on the very next day. It was in the Shrine that Mr. Mwandani gained a full and more complete understanding of not only what it means to be Black in America, but what must occur if survival in America, as a people, is to ever become a reality. It was as a member of the Shrine that Tamani learned more about the true evils and effects American slavery has had on the Black psyche, but also, and more importantly, how to deal with and counter those effects. As a member of the Shrines of the Black Madonna, Tamani has served as a Missionary, Adult & Youth Group Leader, College Cadre Group Leader & Coordinator and Regional Community Outreach Coordinator as well as being trained for leadership in both the clergy and defense of the Black community.

A serial entrepreneur by nature, Tamani has been involved in a number of ventures on local, regional, national and international scales. He has served in the capacity of CEO, CIO, COO, VP & Sen. VP positions of multiple enterprises. Currently, Mr. Mwandani oversees the management and growth of multiple ventures; principally, he’s the Founder & Chairman of Mosiah Global Investments, an international private equity investment firm focusing 100% of its energy and efforts on Black owned and/or Inner city Directed/Developed Business Enterprises. Tamani’s is also the President & CEO of Clearly Written Solutions, a Technical & Business Communications, Website and Logo Development and Social Media Management company.

The youngest of Five Boys, Tamani’s childhood, while financially challenging, was overly abundant and rich with love, concern and true community spirit. Tamani credits his mother with his ability to forgive, his step-father with his desire to succeed and his four older brothers with his overwhelming drive to overcome any challenge and/or obstacle he’s faced with.

“Black Gold Devalued”, Tamani’s new book, is an attempt to shed light on a seriously overlooked issue in American society/culture of how Black people have been treated in the United States. This treatment hasn’t happened just once, twice, over a dozen years or even decades, but for well over 2,000 years (when compiled per each aggrieved action). America has initiated, perpetuated, nurtured, managed, matured, grown and expanded over 2,000 years of perpetual, systematic, & deliberate physical, spiritual and psychological terrorism and oppression of black people…and that treatment has affected us in a major way. More importantly, regardless of how true this statement is, it’s not on America to solve this problem that she created, but on Black people and Black people alone to fix. It is the author’s sincerest attempt that this book will be a stepping stone in the process toward total and complete liberation and salvation for all affected minds, spirits, souls and energies worldwide.